A very different distillery experience - craft to the extreme. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Weve reviewed almost all of these products in the last year or so (see links below), but my tasting notes from that afternoon follow. The history of MGPs Lawrenceburg distillery officially dates to 1847 but some records indicate the distillery started as early as 1809. Here youll find travelogues, food guides, travel tips, and more all with a side of whisk(e)y. Whiskied Wanderlust is a whiskey and travel site based in Chicago. During the tasting, someone mentioned it smells like a bourbon but tastes a lot like rye. It should come as no surprise to learn that Four Roses also sources their rye primarily from Germany as well. This second release is at 100 proof, and MGP plans to keep future releases at that proof point. Thus began the business model that continues to this day with MGPI; contract distilling and sourced whiskey sales as the main focus of the plant. Its clearly an industrial site you wont find much in the way of landscaping but its also not as factory-like as I imagined. It has backup yeasts if something happens to the Mother, as well as the capability of using clients preferred yeast if requested. Green Bourbon and Rye (Shadow Beverage Group), James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon & Rye (James E. Pepper/Strong Spirits), J.R. Revelry Bourbon (La Bodega Internacional/Speakeasy Spirits), Joint Bourbon (Temperance Distilling Co.), Joseph Magnus Bourbon (Jos. Distillery: MGP. Welcome to New York City's largest wine & spirits store online. Thanks for subscribing and watch for your first newsletter soon! The press trip I took to the distillery was more about introducing these products to the world than the various client brands made here, but naturally that was of interest too. The distillery closes at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Consumer Distiller MGP Ingredients Stock Plunged 24% on Disappointing Whiskey Sales Jan. 17, 2020 at 11:48 a.m. That the distillery is so automated, just six people can run the entire place! No ownership change is complete without a headache or two. Luxco is a leading branded beverage alcohol company across various categories, with a more than 60-year business heritage. MGP produces different mash bills and different types of whiskey, some exclusively for certain clients, other opting to blend their own combination. Then, 7 Ridge Avenue. Filter by. The headlines from January 2020 were awash with the news that MGPs stock had plummeted 24% after a report came out of the shortfall in the sales department of whiskey to customers. But all that changed in 2001 when Pernod-Ricard took over. Even though their many rickhouses are slightly different from each other, all of them are designed so barrels age the same regardless of location within them. Some whiskey companies retain long term contracts that see their output reduced, but steady in terms of aged whiskey from MGP. Learn how your comment data is processed. In 2006, Templeton Rye began to sell a rye whiskey with the words Small Batch and Prohibition Era Recipe on the front of their bottle. After our tour, we tasted a range of aged whiskies, including its new release, George Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and a preview of its most recent launch, Remus Repeal Reserve, in honor of Repeal Day, December 5. Through much research, the exact year that these iconic whiskey mashbills were first developed is unknown, but we do know that as far back as 1966, when Jim Rutledge first began working for Seagrams, that these recipes existed. The MGP distillery rises in the distance over Lawrenceburg, Indiana, like the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. After a few more owners (each with their respective name changes), MGP bought the distillery in 2011. Most guests can visit about three bourbon distilleries per day. Michael stokes | An advantage to MGP now out of hiding is that it can release its own spirits, like its George Remus Repeal Reserve bourbon that launched last November. The palate is honeyed and spicy, showing lots of baking spice and a little dried fruit. MGP Distillery is one of the oldest whiskeys in the country, having been founded in 1797. Is there anyway we can obtain any archives from the time my family owned the distillery? The creamy palate has plenty of body for a good martini and is full of clean, vanilla notes that dissolve into a slight citrus finish. So Seagrams way around this was to include the smallest amount of malted barley necessary to keep this designation. Drinkhacker was invited to one of these media days recently, so I got a chance to experience this proverbial Chocolate Factory first hand. Before jumping into the history of the Pernod Ricard ownership era, it is important to look at the link between Seagrams ownership of both the Four Roses plant in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky and the Seagrams plant at Lawrenceburg, Indiana. With MGP products crowding the liquor store shelves today, its safe to say theyve come a long way in the spirits world since then. Now in the past few years, MGP has begun to release a range of their own products. "MGP" stands for "Midwest Grain Products," one of the largest distillery operations in the United States, located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. MGP is the countrys largest producer of rye whiskey and is known for producing some of the best. It makes quality products that make brands money and consumers happy. Posted by: In Kentucky, the alcohol percentage of whiskey goes up during maturation since the water evaporates faster than alcohol. July 29, 2021 at 01:00 PM. There stands a good chance that a number of those brands will have to re-convert to an all-MGPI portfolio of whiskey or at least run two brands simultaneously (much like how Nelsons Green Brier produces their own whiskey, but will continue bottling their Belle Meade line of MGPI bourbon). Please check your entries and try again. Our tour of MGPs massive operation included a bit of a history lesson on the town of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The distillery was officially founded in 1847 by George Ross as Rossville Distillery, though they've found evidence that there has been distilling on the site going back to at least 1808. MGPs master blenders have been experts at creating great whiskey for years and their brands are excellent reflections of that expertise. The timing was perfect as America had just started to exit the Great Depression and Prohibition had come to an end. Craft distilleries were now obtaining legal status to open across the US. We're tasting all of MGP Distillery's five whiskey brands with Master Blender Pam Soule, plus starting with [] tasting. In 2000, newly formed beverage conglomerate Diageo and French spirits company Pernod Ricard finalized agreements to divvy up the assets of the former spirits giant. Food Grade Industrial Alcohol Distillery Co-Products. 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. About Our Company; Branded Spirits; Facilities & Certifications; News Releases; Social Responsibility; Our People. Qualified candidates who are detail oriented and quality minded are encouraged to apply. Though not as sexy as barrels stored in a rickhouse, palletizing barrels makes more sense in term of volume able to be stored. Is Heaven Hill distillery open? Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. But teams were dispatched in the early 2010s to begin the search for suitable facilities to expand the limited storage space at the Lawrenceburg facility. (The Lawrenceburg distillery, pics from MGP), (The Atchison distillery that I did not visit. MGP is the largest supplier of sourced, aged whiskey in America for the many companies that dont actually distill themselves (Non-Distilling Producers or NDPs), and theyre also a contract distilling powerhouse, working with customers from the earliest stages of the whiskey-making process. Many of the main industrial buildings that make up the MGP property still have the Seagrams name emblazoned at the top. The difference between GNS and Light Whiskey is that Light Whiskey has a lower proof coming off the still (as was already mentioned, it cant be more than 189.9 proof). The high proof that Light Whiskey was being distilled at stripped away much of the body and character and left behind a very light tasting spirit. They provide bourbon, rye, and other spirits. (Or further finish the whiskey in different barrels, like Angels Envy.). Labelled a blended bourbon, its a blend of high rye bourbon, rye, light whiskey, and corn whiskey. In Kentucky, youre likely to hear about the importance of a barrels location in the rickhouse because it affects maturation. 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. 1 Whiskey (One Eight Distilling), Wingharts Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits). Barrels fascinate me. It may never be known if the data influenced the management at MGPI to lean in one direction or another. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Qualified candidates who are detail oriented and quality minded are encouraged to apply. Common complaints seem to stem from whiskey fans saying that MGPI prices their barrels out of reach or that they have to buy millions of dollars of products before they have access to the best aged barrels. This is unlike the "vertical aging chamber" rickhouses in Kentucky where it's an open model (there's a frame on the outside but it acts as one big room) and the bottom level is cool while the top floor is super hot. Up Next: Spirits. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Come see why The Wall Street Journal says Astorwines.com is one of the best websites for buying wine online. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. For the first time ever, MGPI would now have their bourbon bottled from barrels that the customers would hand-pick. 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. The company is 100% sustainable (including the distilleries, plants, and offices) and has a policy against single use plastics. Today MGP Distillery produces whiskey, vodka, gin, neutral grain spirits, and industrial alcohol. Simply put, every barrel thats over 6 years old has been spoken for inside of their warehouses. That's very convenient as in the hot summers the water is still cool to run through the condensers. MGP invited a small group of whiskey writers to tour the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and spend a few days exploring Covington, Kentucky. Not only was the labeling incorrect, it was deemed to be outright false. But thats not to say all those brands are the same whiskey. In this facility there are three gin stills and two continuous column stills. With CL Financial (CLF) in control of the plant, it was a gamble on if they would be able to move the large stores of whiskey that now filled their warehouses. But I was recently invited to tour the legendary campus and learn about MGP Distillerys whiskey brands. In addition to the majority bourbon (a high-rye mashbill, of course), theres rye, light whiskey (aged in a used barrel), and corn whiskey (also aged in a used barrel). Another assumption is that scientists and master distillers would conduct comparisons of their distillate aged in the conventional brick and concrete warehouses to those that were aged in a warehouse with metal walls to strategize about future warehouse designs. The story of how 5 Crown and 7 Crown got their names is not because of how many different whiskey recipes went into the finished product, instead, they came about when Mr. Sam was presented with multiple varieties of blended whiskey to choose from. Luckily there is a clear point of differentiation. This may not make a lot of sense because of the steps that Seagrams took back in the day to have warehouses that would age consistently throughout the floors. Its an old train phrase meaning smooth sailing.. An assumption is that the effects of barrel aging in regards to the highly conductive metal walls were studied (ala Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace). These whiskies by themselves would have been labeled as bourbon, rye whiskey, corn whiskey and Canadian whiskey by todays standards because that is essentially what went into the typical batches of their products. the finest whiskeys, ryes, bourbons, gins and vodkas in the world. Pre-1990s 7 Crown is believed to be a blend of whiskey recipes that consisted of the 4 primary recipes that were made at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana Distillery (more on those recipes later on) as well as various Kentucky distilleries and Canadian distilleries. After touring the MGP Distillery campus, we came inside for a tasting of all MGPs brands led by Master Blender David Whitmer. MGP's began life as the Rossville Union Distillery in 1847; after Prohibition, in 1933, it was purchased by the legendary Canadian company Seagram. Its absolutely beautiful. After Pernod Ricards purchase of LDI, the bond with Four Roses may have been broken, but they soon found themselves collaborating with the other distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky: Wild Turkey (Pernod Ricard had purchased WT in the 1980s). Their barrels are from a variety of producers but all are #4 char level, although this is likely also negotiable for some clients. We partner with small startups and global brands alike to innovate in the food science industry and create some of Rossville Union rye whiskey is a blend of their 51% and 95% rye whiskey mashbill whiskeys aged about 5-6 years. They bottle their own under the Rossville Union label: Rossville Union Straight Rye and Barrel Proof. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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). While Indiana's neighbor directly to the south may get all of the American whiskey glory (ahem, Kentucky), the tiny town of Lawrenceburg has played an important role in American whiskey production for the past 200 years. For starters, all of their whiskeys are blends of mashbills. When it comes to the vodka, theirs is made from wheat, when most of their clients' vodka is made from corn. The plant was finally sold for a paltry $29 million (which roughly equaled the value of all of the aging product on site) to MGP Ingredients in late 2011. The suggested retail price is $59.99. A very strange relationship ensued whereby Diageo now owned a large majority of the brands that Seagrams once made, but Pernod Ricard now owned a major facility that produced the spirits that were used for those labels. I live in Naples Florida I need help getting this, Posted by: With many Americans out of jobs or with no discretionary income, alcohol producers joined many other industries in a freefall. The Whiskeys - Willett Distillery - Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. Check out our daily deals and features. Here youll find travelogues, food guides, travel tips, and more all with a side of whisk(e)y. They also have a wheat whiskey mashbill that has already been bottled by a few NDPs (such as Backbone Bourbon) and instantly showcased its captivating potential despite still being young. They fascinate me even more when gloves sit atop them with shadows. This was one of the largest fermentation rooms Id ever encountered at a distillery, and apparently there was another, even bigger fermentation building adjoining it. Your email address is never shared. It gets immediate feedback from client brands about what is selling across the country. However, it was not until many years later that it was discovered that Templeton Rye was actually distilled in Indiana. Actually far from it. Simply put, whiskey distilled during LDIs ownership period is perceived as better because its older. Upping the ante on bourbon is the Remus Repeal Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Our founder, Cloud L. Cray, Sr., set out to create a company of makers and innovators that felt more like a family than a corporation. Distillery Experiences Single Barrel Flight: Tasting Experience at the Distillery NEW! The whisky itself is distilled using MGP’s 95% rye mash bill combined with 5% malted barley before being aged in new charred American oak barrels for 5 years. The company was sold to Pernod-Ricard and owned by them until 2007, when it was purchased by MGP. Its another one great by itself or in a cocktail. 7 Crown was so popular world-wide that it was unofficially the first brand of whiskey to claim the world record of 1 million cases sold followed later on by the first to sell 100 million cases (in the 1970s) and first to sell 300 million cases (1983). Every distiller in Kentucky has been dumping millions of dollars into pristine landscaping, educational tours and new facilities to give each distillery its own unique appeal and lure to the tourists and whiskey enthusiasts alike. That unknown was soon answered with a resounding thud of the worldwide recession that hit in 2008. A year . MGP Ingredients Rossville Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana has been making whiskey at the same location since 1847. 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 CL Financial ownership period experienced this as well. MGPs distillery looms large over the small, riverside town of Lawrenceburg. Schedule a Tour; FAQ; . Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. They say that makes for a mellower whiskey. I believe that this is not the case anymore. Often those labeled as from a craft distillery are actually sourced from MGP. The distillery is behind some of the countrys most popular whiskey brands some more discreetly than others and recently debuted its own line of brands. Referred to as a campus because of the sheer spread of it, there are upwards of 40 buildings that make up MGP. Peeling back the curtain reveals that the Four Roses and the Lawrenceburg, Indiana Distillery still utilize the same recipe abbreviations that were invented during the Seagrams era. Ive always put vodka on the bottom of my list of drinkable spirits, but I admit being surprised by Till. The same sentiment echoed in every part of the distillery. This series is 100 proof and, David explained, is a little sweeter than [Series] two. This release is a blend of 159 barrels, all aged five to seven years and bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV). Next, the expansion team looked within their home state and found a massive warehouse in Sunman, Indiana that was previously owned by international packaging company Deufol. Another LDI-Wild Turkey collaboration during this time saw engineers and managers at LDI involved in designing the upgrades for a new barrel dumping line and dry house facilities for the Russells. My day at MGP concluded with a full tasting of MGPs complete portfolio. But with the large capacity of the bottling plant on site at the Indiana facility, Pernod Ricard switched bottling operations there until 2006 when they switched operations to Arkansas. Again, theres hints of smoke with baking spices, plus a lingering spice finish. While it has confidentiality agreements with its customers and does not disclose brand names, it is estimated that close to 130 different whiskey brands use MGP sourced whiskey. 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