One of the best explanations looks at the age of the whiskey that was distilled during the timeframe of Pernod Ricard ownership compared to the younger whiskey that has been distilled under MGPI. [], Backbone Bourbon Uncut (Dep's 135 proof) Review | Bourbon Culture, [] Bourbon is a company located in Kentucky that sources MGP distillate (Bourbon, Rye Whiskey, Light Whiskey and Wheat Whiskey) and either barrels it in their own custom [], Chattanooga Whiskey Tennessee High Malt Review, [] reviews and are still sought after. But ever since the switch to European sources was established, the consistency of the congener profile has allowed the rye whiskey coming out of Lawrenceburg to remain world class. Barrel entry for every standard MGP mashbill is 120 proof, but the company recently began allowing custom barrel entry proofs for its contract clients; part of a slew of changes theyve made to compete with a growing number of contract distillers around the country. With this change of ownership came the official splitting of the close ties that bonded the Indiana distillery with the conglomerate of other North American distilleries to include the Four Roses Distillery, which had also been owned by Seagrams up until this point. Rossville Union Straight Rye is spicy on the nose but less spicy on the palate, with plenty of clove and pine notes. According to our guide, MGP fills four of these tanks every day with only one week off in the fall for maintenance. But geography played the most important role in why this area was picked for distilling. They fascinate me even more when gloves sit atop them with shadows. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. MGP Sourced Stuff; Alliance Series - Independent Bottles; Special Releases; We're Sorry It's Not Whiskey; . And even inside some of our questions were answered with a cheeky maaaaybe and a smile. And getting the opportunity to taste my way through all of these while sitting next to them was unbelievably memorable! The palate is a tad sweet, but theres enough cinnamon spice and barrel notes to keep things more or less balanced. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Its an old train phrase meaning smooth sailing.. Named after the notorious Prohibition bootlegger who made millions sneaking whiskey from what is now MGP Distillery into Chicago, George Remus is said to be the King of the Bootleggers. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The distillery was formerly owned by Seagrams, which was the propertys longest tenant to date. How many clients does MGP have? Light Whiskey should not be confused with Grain Neutral Spirits (GNS), which is another product that the Lawrenceburg Distillery makes a lot of. Bathed in low lights with an energetic perspective on sound and presence. My Grandfather Eugene O'Shaughnessy was a previous owner when it was James Walsh Distillery. Distillery and Gift Shop Hours Mon-Sat 9:00am-5:00pm EDT Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm EDT The Distillery is closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The end result is a pretty nose with lots of pickle notes and a bold, spicy palate. The workers at MGPI commonly refer to this building as Iron Clad. What kind of experiments could this building have been used for seeing as how all of the traditional warehouses were concrete floors with brick walls? This sturdy design was pursued due to its ability to age whiskey much more uniformly by discouraging heat collecting at the higher levels. A year . Up until 1962, bourbon was still being distilled to around 107 to 110 proof, which made long aging times less necessary because the additional water content was much faster at extracting the sugars from the oak of the barrel. The distillery was opened in 1847 , and has undergone such significant upgrades, expansions, and modifications over the years that little of the original remains. But even with the cost savings being realized, Seagrams as a beverage producer was on uneasy legs as a company. This brought to light a fact that rye whiskey that was not labeled as straight was allowed to have a certain percentage of flavor or color enhancers added in, cheapening the allure of how whiskey traditionally got its taste. But MGP knew that they could blend a bourbon that would be worthy of drinking, so they created a legal definition with the TTB. Even the Tennessee distilleries have embraced the whiskey tourism. My day at MGP concluded with a full tasting of MGPs complete portfolio. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. July 29, 2021 at 07:02 AM. It also seems likely that the 5 whiskey brands they currently bottle in-house will expand as their wheated bourbon comes of age (its currently around 7 years old now). Whether you select the original, 95-rated Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the . GNS are primarily used for blending or to make vodka and gins (Fun Fact #2: MGPI is the largest distiller of gin on the continent). MGP is the leading U.S. producer of rye and gin, referring to itself as "Masters of Rye," and "do a pretty good job" in bourbon and vodka, Mansinne told the small group of writers assembled . The Lawrenceburg, Indiana facility is somewhat landlocked in the fact that the town grew around it, leaving no space for new warehouses to be built near their campus. It is common now to find many brands out there like Tumblin Dice, Smooth Ambler, Barrell Craft Spirits and Backbone Bourbon Company releasing 4-5 year old aged distillate simply because there are no older stock available for purchase. By 2006, Pernod Ricard had paid for an independent study to be conducted across its brands to determine which operations they could trim the fat from. No. Seagrams 5 Crown blended whiskey eventually disappeared from production as World War II demanded more industrial alcohols to be produced, but 7 Crown remained in production largely unchanged. He got to know Thompson Willett, owner of what is now Willett Distillery, while working as a glass decanter craftsman. They told me that, in addition to being the largest producer of rye whiskey in America, MGP is also the largest producer of gin, all of which is made for other customers. One of the massive fermentation tanks at MGP Distillery. The other distillery, located in Atchison, Kansas (the site of the company headquarters where it was founded) distills neutral spirits and makes gin. They make a range of different kinds of spirits, with a focus on a variety of types of whiskey . The Rossville Distillery was founded there in 1847, which then became the Seagrams Distillery in 1933. These cookies do not store any personal information. The George Remus Straight bourbon, Remus Repeal Reserve, and Remus Volstead Reserve honor his history. They provide bourbon, rye, and other spirits. Since they're dealing with lots and lots of grain, they also make grain products (list here), including raw ingredients for everything from pastries to pizza crust to imitation cheese. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Metze still retained core team members like Tim Dyer, John Netzley, Randy Graves, Pam Soule and numerous operators that stuck through the change of leadership to keep production numbers and the know-how up to par. In MGPIs current assortment of warehouses, there exists a unique, single-story, metal-clad building with a concrete floor that is used primarily for experimentation. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. More about his life here. After touring the MGP Distillery campus, we came inside for a tasting of all MGPs brands led by Master Blender David Whitmer. Because it changes every year, this bottling gives the master blenders a chance to play around. When the Lawrenceburg Distillery was examined, it was determined that the stills had more capacity to produce spirits than they were currently selling to their customers and that their warehouses were running out of room to put all of the aging stock. Interestingly they're not all under MGP as a brand name but under various names including George Remus bourbon, Till vodka, and Rossville Union rye whiskey. This includes around 80-85% of the market's rye, according to MGP estimates. View our large selection of wines, spirits, and sake. Especially compared to the other distilleries Ive visited in Scotland, which are making whiskey on a minuscule scale in comparison. Theres a reason why everyone from Bulleit and Templeton to WhistlePig and High West sources from MGP. Many of the skilled workers and technicians on the present MGP team were inherited from the previous distillerys owners. This prevents automated programs from posting comments. In fact, the downfall of Pernod Ricards time of ownership over LDI is speculated to have been because they had so much capacity but not enough people to sell it to. Rossville Union Cask Strength Rye This rye is the same general age as the straight rye, but the blend is different, as is the batch size. It is not exactly known why the producers felt the need to develop a new category of whiskey, but production costs and the changing tastes of American drinkers (to lighter drinkers) were certainly at the forefront. Hours; Wed nesday - Thu rsday 4-10pm; Fri day - Sat urday 2-11pm; Sun day 2-8pm; Location; 1879 S Acoma St; Denver, CO 80223; The same sentiment echoed in every part of the distillery. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The distillery closes at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The aging barrels are stacked vertically, one upon the other, in imposing towers above our heads. ET by Barron's Consumer MGP Ingredients Stock Plunged as Aged-Whiskey Sales. This invitation was clearly a rare opportunity to visit a 170-year-old distillery with a rich whiskey past, but with all of this secrecy, would we really get a feel for the inner workings of the place? "Eight and Sand" refers to a train going full-throttle (the eight) with added traction (sand on the tracks). Most guests can visit about three bourbon distilleries per day. The reception to this release was so positive that it spawned the release of 5 new whiskey products over the next 3 years. MGP is an acronym for rye, Vice President of Brands Andrew Mansinne explained at the beginning of our MGP Distillery tour. Fermentation takes about 3 days. It makes for a more mellow whiskey. The Whiskeys - Willett Distillery - Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. Tanner's Creek whiskey, a blended bourbon, is only available in Indiana. Our tour of MGP's massive operation included a bit of a history lesson on the town of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Master Blender David Whitmer described the George Remus Straight Bourbon as high alcohol content with a lot of flavor.. Who was working these barrels and whose whiskey is this? MGP is the countrys largest producer of rye whiskey and is known for producing some of the best. Red brick industrial buildings, some outside tanks, a street called Shipping Street, and the Old Seagrams name on the side of a building. It honors the famous rye made here back in 1847 with Rossville Union Straight Rye and Barrel Proof. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The race was on to find facilities that fit the general profile of the kind of structures that MGP was already using. Please try again. Rossville Union Rye "MGP is an acronym for rye," Vice President of Brands Andrew Mansinne explained at the beginning of our MGP Distillery tour. Your comment has not yet been posted. That's very convenient as in the hot summers the water is still cool to run through the condensers. Looking across state lines, MGPI found a recently-closed pipe manufacturing building in Williamstown, Kentucky that could be easily converted into a barrel-aging facility. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This industrial-looking complex is home to the whiskey that is found in literally hundreds of different bottles nationwide. In no time at all, it was selling like hotcakes all across the Midwest. It may never be known if the data influenced the management at MGPI to lean in one direction or another. He married Willett s daughter, Martha, and together Even and Martha purchased the distillery property from her father in 1984. MGP worked with the TTB (the U.S. agency that regulates alcohol) to designate blended bourbon as a legal definition. But there are several smaller details that create variances between every barrel of whiskey that rolls out. Your comment could not be posted. But its outright mind-blowing when I realized that wasnt the only fermentation room! The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". But, Angel's Envy newest release called Private Barrel, Seagrams purchase of the Lawrenceburg Distillery, Four Roses and the Jos. All Rights Reserved. Today MGP Distillery produces whiskey, vodka, gin, neutral grain spirits, and industrial alcohol. My true favorite from the tasting at MGP Distillery was the Remus Volstead Reserve. As a customer, you would want to know what you are buying, and sourced/MGP origin bourbons don't always make that clear on the label. But in a small pocket of Indiana, nestled next to Kentucky and Ohio along the Ohio River stands a large brick campus with the words Seagrams Since 1857 still spelled out in white bricks on the tops of the buildings that poke up across the hilly horizon. We toured the facility, we met the team behind the spirits, and we dranka lot of whiskey! Proof: 100. Even if you havent heard of MGP Distillery in Indiana, youve probably tasted whiskey from it. And it just so happens that its age roughly correlates with the length of Prohibition. Four Roses rounds down their low and high rye bourbon mashbill to 20% rye for E mashbills and 35% for B mashbills whereas MGPIs ryed bourbon mashbills are often quoted as 21% for E mashbills and 36% for the B.. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. As the curtain is drawn back on MGP Ingredients, and the shift of awareness moves towards its direction, I look forward to watching it step into the spotlight that it has avoided for so long. I got lots of burnt sugar, caramel, and hints of dill, with cinnamon and chocolate. But officially George Ross opened the Rossville Distillery in 1847. Qualified candidates who are detail oriented and quality minded are encouraged to apply. Request a Sample or Technical Information. This is done for consistency, according to David Whitmer, MGPs Director of Quality and R&D, as well as for security in case something should happen to one of the buildings. A recovering Federal government employee, he is happy to have finally found a career where it is acceptable to drink on the job. We partner with small startups and global brands alike to innovate in the food science industry and create some of the finest whiskeys, ryes, bourbons, gins and vodkas in the world. Also present is the code 10 K 16 which likely stands . The Indiana distillery has access to use basically all of the yeast strains that Four Roses does (O, F, K, Q and V) as well (Fun Fact #4: The V yeast strain could not survive long enough to propagate in the Gimli, Ontario plant, so Seagrams had them use a different one). Some whiskey companies retain long term contracts that see their output reduced, but steady in terms of aged whiskey from MGP. Simply put, every barrel thats over 6 years old has been spoken for inside of their warehouses. Many MGPI employees still joke to this day that the O in front of Four Roses recipes actually stands for Other Lawrenceburg. (Fun Fact #3: the G designation was used to annotate the Gimli Distillery in Canada, current producers of Crown Royal products). We were hosted by CEO Gus Griffin and VP of brands Andrew Mansinne along with MGP Ingredients talented production team, including Lawrenceburg plant manager Mike Templin and corporate director of quality David Whitmer. MGP doesnt talk about which brands they have a hand in, but it doesnt take much detective work to figure it out. Posted on Published: June 5, 2020- Last updated: August 27, 2021, Comparison Review: The Armagnac Barrel-Finished Triple Comparison, Stagg Jr. We visited just the one warehouse that was racked. Is now Willett Distillery, Four Roses and the Jos tracks ) a blended as! Longest tenant to date previous distillerys owners even if you havent heard of Distillery! The propertys longest tenant to date GDPR cookie consent plugin guide, MGP fills Four of these while sitting to! Willett s daughter, Martha, and together even and Martha purchased the Distillery closes at 3 p.m. Christmas! 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