Giant Eagle Market District Grandview Yard - Liquor Store Review

From time-to-time on ColumbusBourbon.com, I will be reviewing local locations that are connected to our love of bourbon and whiskey. The first of these is my favorite liquor store in Columbus... Giant Eagle Market District in Grandview.

 

What makes this location special is that the bourbon and whiskey selection is second-to-none in Central Ohio (as seen in the below pictures). Like most liquor stores, they get their inventory delivered on Wednesday morning and unlike other stores, all inventory is available for sale on a first-come-first-served basis. Other stores often hide their rare and unique merchandise for their friends or favorite customers... that doesn't happen here, which is a huge plus. 

Additional positives are that the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly and the food selection is also amazing. The brisket is amazing and I've heard great things about the sushi station. I get excited every time I walk in this location because I know I'm getting a great lunch and I never know what unique bottles I'll be able to find. 

Ohio Bourbon Bottle Lottery - May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

Spoiler alert... they aren't... The Cincinnati Business Courier has published the amount of entries that the State of Ohio received for the Pappy Van Winkle bottle lottery.

'Ohio's Division of Liquor Control received 73,443 entries for its third-annual bottle lottery, which is how the state disburses its allotment of the Pappy family of bourbons'

Ohio received 359 bottles for the 73,443 entries, which puts your odds at 0.49% of winning the opportunity to buy a bottle... or a little less than 1 in 200 chance.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Tour - Part 2!

Recently, we had the opportunity to take the Hard Hat Tour at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. This is our second time at this distillery. If you missed the first time, you can check out the post here.

Like last time, we loved the tour and the property for a multitude of reasons. First off, unlike a lot of distilleries, Buffalo Trace tours are free. The tour guide was so much fun! He was very passionate about the bourbon and provided a very authentic & informative tour. We especially enjoyed the behind the scenes access of the Hard Hat tour. We even got a chance to sample the White Dog out of our hands and experience the many flavors, textures and smells of the bourbon before it becomes bourbon. On this tour, we interacted with many of the employees of Buffalo trace. The bottlers were working overtime in the Blanton's bottling room to keep up with demand and it obvious to all of us on the tour that Buffalo Trace employees really love their job. If you're ever in the area, this is one we highly recommend.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from ColumbusBourbon.com

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday season from all of us at ColumbusBourbon.com. If you're new to the site or a regular, check out some of our top posts.

1. Beginner's Guide to Bourbon
2. Ohio's Dumb Liquor Laws
3. Our Bourbon Infusion Guide
4. Our Bourbon Reviews

Thank you for your support and we're excited for 2019 and beyond!

Bourbon Scam Alert - The Oak Wood Barrel Company

The Kentucky Attorney General has issued a scam alert regarding an online company called the Oak Wood Barrel Company using the website OakWoodBarrels.com claiming to be located in Lexington. Per the Attorney General:

Last Day To Sign Up For The Ohio Bottle Lottery - Do It Now!!

Today is the last day to enter the The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (ODLC) bottle lottery for the Pappy Van Winkle Family Collection and/or the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is now live. You have until 11:59 p.m. today (December 21)

Entries can be completed online at www.com.ohio.gov/liqr/BottleLottery.

Get to Know Castle & Key Distillery

One of the cool things about bourbon is there are a ton of new distilleries and brands coming every year. One of the newest is called Castle & Key Distillery located in Frankfort, Kentucky.

To make their bourbon, Castle & Key purchased and renovated the historic site of the former Old Taylor Distillery. This 113 acre property includes a european-inspired castle, peristyle springhouse, and sunken gardens. The renovation started in 2014 and Castle and Key began hosting curated experiences for bourbon tourists starting on September 19, 2018.

Booker's Releases 30th Anniversary Bourbon

Booker's Bourbon has announced their final release of 2018 with the release of Booker's 30th Anniversary Bourbon. This bourbon is:

"Celebrating the legacy of late Beam Master Distiller Booker Noe and the founding of his namesake brand three decades ago. Widely credited with the creation of the small batch movement... and celebrates not only the mark Noe left on the Beam family of brands, but the impact he had on the whiskey industry as a whole."

Bonus Post - Cranberry Orange Bulleit Rye Infusion - Perfect for Christmas and Winter

Welcome to the instructions and review for our second infusion. For this one, we want something that is perfect for the Christmas holiday so we're going with Cranberry and Orange infused Bulleit Rye. This is something anyone can do to add variety and excitement for their bourbon and makes a wonderful winter drink, or, even makes a great gift.

Ingredients & equipment:

• 750ml (around 3 cups) of Bulleit Rye (or a bourbon of your choice)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (we used fresh)
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (to taste). We used 1/3 of a cup. 
• 1 peel of orange
• 1 large mason jar
• Small sauce pan
• Cheesecloth or strainer

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review

Fresh off our bonus post of pictures from our trip to the Buffalo Trace Distillery, welcome to the review for Buffalo Trace Bourbon. This one is hard to find in Ohio so we're excited to give it a go. As always, let's start with the basics.

Manufacturer: Buffalo Trace (Sazerac Company)

Age: Unknown

Location Produced: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Franklin Co., KY

Mash Bill: Unknown

Aroma (from manufacturer): None provided

Taste (from manufacturer): Rich and complex, with hints of vanilla, toffee and candied fruit

Finish (from manufacturer): None provided

Alcohol: 45%

Who is this for? Everyone

Cost (Ohio): $25.49 + tax

Phew, with all that information out of the way, let's start the review. 

Taste - Score 23 out of 35

Buffalo Trace starts with a nice oak aroma. Other bourbons often smell too much like liquor, but this comes across as light and sweet.

O.Z. Tyler Distillery Announces NYE Event

O.Z. Tyler has announced their second annual New Year's Eve party taking place in their historic bottling house. They are touting this as:

'An epic evening of live music, festive atmosphere, champagne (and bourbon, obviously), and live viewing of the Times Square Ball Drop'

So You Want To Get Into Bourbon? A Beginners Guide

Here at the blog, we've been getting lots of questions from people who are new to bourbon or looking to get into the bourbon scene. Most of the questions are around how do you even get started?

We can definitely attest that when you go to a liquor store, it can be overwhelming with the amount of choices and the terminology. Thankfully, we're here to help and offer guidance. Let's start with the basics.

What makes a bourbon a bourbon? 

Bourbon is a specific type of whiskey. In order to be called a bourbon, the alcohol must meet all of the following:

• Produced in the United States
• Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn
• Aged in new, charred oak containers
• Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume)
• Entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume)
• Bottled (like other whiskeys) at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume)

Note: All bourbons are whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are bourbons.

Bonus Post - Mini-Review - Joseph Magnus Bourbon

Welcome to the second mini review. This one is Joseph Magnus Bourbon. I was given two ounces by contributor of the site, Ashwin!

'Joseph Magnus Bourbon is a marriage of straight bourbon whiskey aged in white oak and finished in Oloroso sherry, Pedro Ximénez and Cognac casks'

Ohio Bottle Lottery is Live - Sign Up Now!

As we previously posted, the The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (ODLC) bottle lottery for the Pappy Van Winkle Family Collection and/or the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is now live. You have until 11:59 p.m. on December 21

Entries can be completed online at www.com.ohio.gov/liqr/BottleLottery.

The following will be required when registering:

J.W. Rutledge Plans New 140 Acre Distillery Near Louisville

New startup J.W. Rutledge Distillery LLC, led by former Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge along with Stephen Camisa and Jon Mowry, are planning a 140 acre distillery near Louisville. The project aims to produce Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey using traditional methods. From their announcement:

"We're building a facility that utilizes clean technologies like geothermal heating and cooling, solar energy, and biomass energy. Incorporating these sustainable technologies with age old whiskey-making techniques will allow us to produce exceptional Kentucky whiskeys for many decades to come"

Bravo’s Top Chef Visits Maker’s Mark

Bravo television show Top Chef has filmed an episode at Maker's Mark titled 'Bourbon, Barrels and Burgoo' that will air at 9 p.m. EST on Thursday, December 13th. In their latest email, Maker's Mark has said that:

Both Bravo’s Top Chef and Maker’s Mark put a premium on the use of quality ingredients and a focus on flavor. That made the visit to our distillery by Bravo’s Top Chef judges and the show’s talented “cheftestants” a natural choice.

Food & Wine Rates 25 Most Important Bourbons Ever Made

Food & Wine brought together 23 bourbon experts to list out the 25 most important bourbons ever made. The experts are comprised of a mixture of distillers, writers/historians, and whiskey bar or store owners. The list was rated by the following criteria:

'Each participant named five to ten bourbons that made a difference—not their favorite bourbons, or the ones they thought tasted best, but those bottles that were influential, innovative or otherwise held a significant place in bourbon history'

Buffalo Trace Introduces Old Charter Oak Bourbon Collection

Buffalo Trace has announced the creation of a new bourbon collection called Old Charter Oak. The new brand will be unique in that it will use barrels produced with various types and species of oak, which will bring out unique flavors and taste profiles.

"Most bourbon whiskey is aged in oak from the American Ozarks, but Buffalo Trace distillery wondered if barrels made from oak trees grown in China, or Canada, or France would create bourbons with a different taste profile. What about trees grown in different states? Does a barrel produced from a tree grown in Georgia differ from a barrel produced from a tree grown in Oregon? Further, what about red oak, or pin oak, or laurel oak, would barrels produced from these oak species produce bourbons with different taste profiles?"

Basil Hayden's Announces New Limited Release 10-Year-Old Bourbon

Basil Hayden's Bourbon is currently our highest rated bourbon that we've reviewed so you can imagine our excitement hearing they are releasing a limited edition 10-year bourbon just in time for the holiday season.

According to the press release, the new 10 year bourbon: 

"Features the brand's trademark high-rye bourbon recipe, aged longer in American Oak barrels to offer an additional layer of complexity to an already distinctive whiskey. The extra aging delivers heightened oak aromas along with hints of char and vanilla"

Ohio Department of Commerce Introduces Ohio Liquor

The Ohio Department of Commerce has announced the creation of the 'Ohio Liquor' brand. From the initial announcement:

"Ohio Liquor was created to guide the future of the retail shopping experience, provide education about spirituous liquor and ensure consistency across the multiple touch points within the Ohio Liquor Enterprise."

Christie's to Auction Rare and Pre-Prohibition Bourbon

On December 7 Christie’s in New York will be offering extremely rare pre-prohibition era bourbon and whiskey. They are calling it:

'The largest collection of pre-prohibition whiskey ever to appear at auction, a truly once in a lifetime chance for collectors of American spirits to drink their piece of American history. Featuring Old Crow 1912 and deep quantities of Hermitage 1914 from W. A. Gaines amongst others, this is truly a unique chance to acquire rarities with perfect provenance and documented history.'

Bottle of Scotch Whisky Sells for Record $1.528 Million Dollars!

Christie's Auction House has announced that an ultra-rare bottle of 1926 Macallan whisky that features a bottle painted by Irish artist Michael Dillon has sold for an astounding $1,528,800! Aside from being a 60 year old whisky, what makes this unique is the one of a kind bottle painting by Michael Dillon. According to the listing:

The bottle painting was commissioned and offered for sale through Fortnum & Mason in London in 1999. Christie’s are delighted to be offering this unique Macallan 1926 60-Year-Old Michael Dillon bottle, which is unquestionably the 'Holy Grail' for whisky collectors as it is truly one-of-a-kind.  

The bottle which beautifully depicts the Easter Elchies House of The Macallan and the Scottish Highlands is offered in a luxurious “The Macallan 60 Year Old” wooden presentation case with a certificate of authenticity from The Macallan. 

Bulleit 95 Rye Frontier Whiskey Review

Welcome to the review for Bulleit 95 Rye Frontier Whiskey

Manufacturer: Diagio

Age: Unknown

Location Produced: MGP, Lawrenceburg, IN

Mash Bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley

Aroma (from manufacturer): Rich and oaky

Taste (from manufacturer): Smooth, with hints of vanilla, honey, and spice

Finish (from manufacturer): Crisp and clean, with long, lingering flavors

Alcohol: 45%

Who is this for?: This rye is for people who want a good tasting whiskey at a very reasonable price. I would also recommend for newcomers to the whiskey world.

This is a great drink on the rocks or for the more sophisticated bourbon and whiskey mixed drinks.

Cost (Ohio): $23.99 + tax for 750ml, $28.99 + tax for 1 liter (best deal)

Let's start the review!

Taste -  Score 27 out of 35