Master Blender David Whitmer explained it as a way to put everything we have together at a nice, reasonable price point. Oh, and the name? 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. 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. Check out the Whiskey Tribe to stay updated on all the official distillery events and news. He got to know Thompson Willett, owner of what is now Willett Distillery, while working as a glass decanter craftsman. 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. It was Seagrams that seemed to lead the charge with their exacting standards and quality of whiskey that began to transform the industry all over North America. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Though not as sexy as barrels stored in a rickhouse, palletizing barrels makes more sense in term of volume able to be stored. Our tour of MGP's massive operation included a bit of a history lesson on the town of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Drew Beard is Assistant Editor and Social Media Manager for Drinkhacker. The reception to this release was so positive that it spawned the release of 5 new whiskey products over the next 3 years. The MGP distillery has been around since 1847, under various different owners, most famously Seagram's, whose name still adorns the facade. This led to a wave of distilleries looking far and wide for large stocks of aged whiskey to supplement their operations before their own whiskey could be aged and released. This warehouse has six floors with six tiers per floor, with each floor separate from those above and below it acting as a "horizontal aging chamber." I was a bit worried that the MGP brands were just going to be the regular MGP products as all the various other brands with a different label and not have anything to say about them. (The Lawrenceburg distillery, pics from MGP), (The Atchison distillery that I did not visit. Several of these improvement drawings remain in the archives at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana plant to this day. It makes quality products that make brands money and consumers happy. But youll never find these early whiskies bottled in single barrel or small batch forms due to the fact they were all distilled and aged for the purpose of being blended into 7 Crown and 5 Crown products. 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. It is believed that modern day MGPI bourbon and rye whiskey recipes have been around since the beginning of Seagrams two iconic brands. July 29, 2021 at 01:00 PM. This warehouse can store a massive amount of barrels, to the tune of 300,000, which may make it one of the largest barrel-aging warehouses in the world. Our tour of MGPs massive operation included a bit of a history lesson on the town of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It is currently only in nine markets, mostly in the Midwest, making it clear that MGP is taking its time and is deliberate with the roll out of its own line of products. Drinkhacker was founded in 2007 by Christopher Null, a longtime entertainment, technology, and lifestyle writer, award-winning winemaker, and the finicky proprietor of what has been called "the best home bar in San Francisco". Experience is limited to 21 and above.Ten Unique Recipes- limitless possibilities! Remus Repeal Reserve (Second Release) This is also a blend of MGPs high rye mashbills but from four different lots comprising 10- and 11-year-old stock. The timing for this acquisition couldnt have been more perfect as another key trend in 2011 and 2012 saw alcohol and distilling laws across the USA begin to ease following the boom of the craft brewing industry. We also had Till in several cocktails and it was enjoyable! 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). Its not open to the public, so very few people have seen inside. Please check your entries and try again. Companies like Traverse City, Blaum Bros, Litchfield, Bull Run, Chattanooga 1816, Boone County and Manifest all built early reputations on the backs of MGP barrels before running out and releasing their own products to their fan base. Save 80% Off on your MGP Discount Code & Deals purchase with the MGP Discount Code & Deals coupons. And even inside some of our questions were answered with a cheeky maaaaybe and a smile. Nose: This is a caramel bomb on notes of oak, vanilla . (And thats really saying something in my book!). Ive always put vodka on the bottom of my list of drinkable spirits, but I admit being surprised by Till. Actually far from it. 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. The largest vodka distillery in the United States is located in Portland, Oregon.. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The growing bourbon and whiskey trend in the US is experiencing a renaissance much like the wine and craft beer explosions of the 90s and 00s. 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. What is this place and why does it exist right here? 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. Curated by Rune Kielsgaard. Both were a blended whiskey product, which meant that the whiskey inside was produced at more than one distillery and was made up of more than one mashbill before being blended together and bottled. 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. On the long walk back to the tasting room, I talked to David and Andy Mansinne, MGPs VP of Brands and the man in charge of their new products portfolio. Most consumers believed that this product was distilled in Iowa. Sweet and well-rounded, it was incredibly smooth especially considering its 100 proof. 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; Founded in 1847, MGP, or Midwest Grain Products, is a distillery located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. In Kentucky, the alcohol percentage of whiskey goes up during maturation since the water evaporates faster than alcohol. So technically, MGP and Four Roses still use the same mashbills as each other. But its outright mind-blowing when I realized that wasnt the only fermentation room! 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. And it was one of FIVE. So although nobody from the 1930s is still around to say for sure, it is a very real possibility that the same bourbon and rye whiskey recipes were invented in the 1930s. CL Financial Group (also affiliated with Angostura Limited) reached an agreement with them and bought the LDI plant and the Charles Medley Distillery in Owensboro, KY towards the end of 2007. Labelled a blended bourbon, its a blend of high rye bourbon, rye, light whiskey, and corn whiskey. After posting a review from the 2021 Belle Meade Honey Cask release, I saw this past weekend that Belle Meade uploaded a Facebook reel that showed their upcoming honey cask release being prepped for the "honey aging" stage at TruBee. Today MGP Distillery produces whiskey, vodka, gin, neutral grain spirits, and industrial alcohol. 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. But the simple fact remains that many brands built their fanbase on MGPI products and many more have struggled with releasing their own products that arent up to the level their customers experienced with MGPI products. E. Seagram Distillery is one of the more fascinating pieces of history in modern-day bourbon lore. Request a Sample or Technical Information. MGP is also one of the largest distilleries in the country. Then, 7 Ridge Avenue. 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 saying is an old railroad phrase meaning smooth sailing., Oh yeah, MGP Distillery makes vodka, too. And in 2016 MGP add their own brands to the mix. Light Whiskey, on the other hand, was a product that was distilled between 160 to 189.9 proof. You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. Everyone we met with was incredibly forthcoming about the companys process. Companies started to trickle in as America and the world were slowly changing their preferences to more unique and complex tastes thanks to a robust food and cocktail culture that was ignited by various internet platforms. 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 company was purchased by Seagram in 1933 and has changed hands a few times since then.</p> <p>The company makes most of the country's rye-based whiskeys, along with a wide range of other spirits . There seems to be a widely held rumor that the distillate has changed from what was being produced during the LDI days compared to what is being produced today under MGPI ownership. Even at a distance, the red-brick stillhouse towers over a field of several rickhouses, which are themselves six stories tall and massive. Yet there are no manicured grounds, no craft cocktail bar, no tours and no visitors allowed. 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. 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. So far, most of the line of MGP spirits is available in about 13 states. In the 1960s, Seagrams began to tinker with production of a new kind of distillate called Light Whiskey. They were not the only ones though, as Schenley Industries, National Distillers, American Distilling and Publicker Industries also began to experiment with light whiskey as well. Pulling Back The MGP Whiskey Curtain: A Tour Inside, Get the latest whiskey news and reviews to your inbox, Run For Buffalo Trace And Possibly Win A Unique Bourbon Lifestyle Experience, International Flavor For Berry Bros. & Rudds 2022 Winter Whisky Releases, Whiskey Review: Hemingway Rye 1st Edition, Barrell Craft Spirits Acquires Historic Kentucky Rickhouse To Meet Demand, Whisky Review: Ardbeg 19-Year-Old Traigh Bhan Batch 4, Dublin Ink Irish Whiskey Makes American Debut, Bluebird Hardwater Creates Canned Whiskey Spirit With Zero Bubbles, Purified Water, Whiskey Review: Old Fitzgerald Fall 2022 Bottled-In-Bond, Former Macallan Master Stuart MacPherson Joins Chinas Nine Rivers Distillery. Distillate made during MGPIs ownership still has not come of age yet, so its not going to be good as the well-aged products that have already been produced. 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. Because it changes every year, this bottling gives the master blenders a chance to play around. In addition, MGP has positioned all of their products at a super-premium price point to allay the concerns of some clients who are selling below or above that level. But by 2014-2015, it began to appear that perhaps MGP had let too many barrels roll out too quickly. Head on over to Local Kitchens in Huntington Beach for a Lunar New Year Celebration and a FREE FOOD GIVEAWAY from the restaurant concept Great Taste Magazine | Orange County Restaurants and Pros, Condiments-Salsas, Jams, Preserves & Pickles, Orange County Restaurants Events Calendar, Best Orange County Restaurants for Happy Hour, Best Orange County Restaurants for Brunch, Great Taste Magazine 2016 May | June Issue. The vast majority of these are small, family-owned businesses. We visited just the one warehouse that was racked. 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. Atlanta's first legal distillery since 1906, Old Fourth . 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. But I was recently invited to tour the legendary campus and learn about MGP Distillerys whiskey brands. As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This years, Series III, is a combination of two mash bills from the 2007 and 2008 vintages. He makes most of the rye whiskey in this country, but receives little credit. MGP or midwestern grain products has a distillery in Indiana Distillery is a mass producing whiskey distillery. Snapped during the 'Rickhouse Barrel Thieving' tour at Bardstown Bourbon Co. For the first time ever, MGPI would now have their bourbon bottled from barrels that the customers would hand-pick. The same sentiment echoed in every part of the distillery. 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). The mashbill that was used for Light Whiskey is known to be 99% corn and 1% malted barley (Fun Fact #1: The Light Whiskey recipe is known internally as LJSS). The distillerys new business model was now to make whiskey (and other spirits) that would be sold to other companies for them to bottle under their own label. (The TTB is the U.S. agency that regulates alcohol.) This has led to an interesting spattering of small craft distilleries around the US offering limited amounts of highly-aged MGP bourbon and rye whiskey for a year or two before running out completely. Kelly E Hayden | The nose is significantly more aggressive than the standard rye, but not overwhelming and still nuanced with ginger and classic spice cabinet notes more typical of rye whiskey. It should also be noted that Seagrams owned other Kentucky distilleries, but would eventually shutter many of them due to the decrease in whiskey sales across the years. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Simply put, whiskey distilled during LDIs ownership period is perceived as better because its older. Luxco wasn't exactly hurting prior to this, as their reported 2020 net revenue being $202M. Thank you, Kelly, Posted by: With a giant plant capacity, Pernod Ricard began to explore the market for all of the product they had in their warehouses. The George Remus Straight bourbon, Remus Repeal Reserve, and Remus Volstead Reserve honor his history. MGP's began life as the Rossville Union Distillery in 1847; after Prohibition, in 1933, it was purchased by the legendary Canadian company Seagram. They're moving systematically rather than hitting the whole country at once. Starting in 2018, MGP decided to get in on its own action, launching an impressive portfolio of house brands that now include five whiskeys, as well as a vodka. After aging, it undergoes charcoal mellowing and our unique aging process to create a truly one-of-a-kind whisky experience. Your comment could not be posted. 62.9% ABV. Thus, the names were born for each. March 14, 2021 at 06:52 PM, Posted by: Everything from industrial alcohol to vodka is produced there, but lately it's become best known for its bourbon and rye. Only Seagrams knows which mashbills and which percentages of each recipe was blended into each batch, but in reality the batches were blended according to keeping a very consistent profile, so its likely that the exact percentages of each recipe fluctuated. MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana - YouTube Instagram Story: Visit to MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana Instagram Story: Visit to MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana. Its the first distillery tour Ive ever been on where I received an ID badge and hard hat, and we were instructed to keep our phones turned off in certain locations. 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