Seagrams began to invest large amounts of money into building up a modern-day distillery with enough capacity to satisfy the demands of not only a country coming out of Prohibition, but the world as well. Red brick industrial buildings, some outside tanks, a street called Shipping Street, and the Old Seagrams name on the side of a building. Whether were collaborating with each other or with our customers, we take pride in our craft and refuse to settle for anything less than exceptional. Age: 4 Years. And even inside some of our questions were answered with a cheeky maaaaybe and a smile. Additionally, some warehouses that were closer to Tanners Creek (a local creek that flows along the west side of the campus) create additional climate variances inside the warehouses through higher humidity in the summer. 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. George Remus Bourbon is a blend of 21 and 36% rye bourbons, aged 5-6 years and bottled at 47%. Many young distilleries announced in that timeframe that they had ran out of their MGP barrels and would now be selling their own since they couldnt get any more, a statement that baffled enthusiasts. Many of the skilled workers and technicians on the present MGP team were inherited from the previous distillerys owners. With many Americans out of jobs or with no discretionary income, alcohol producers joined many other industries in a freefall. We partner with small startups and global brands alike to innovate in the food science industry and create some of This second release is at 100 proof, and MGP plans to keep future releases at that proof point. 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. In 1933 at the end of Prohibition, the distillery was purchased by Seagram and run by the company until 2001. The suggested retail price is $59.99. Just 6,000 bottles will be released of this, so hunt it down if you can and give it a try! A. Magnus & Co.), Krofters Double Barreled Bourbon (Litchfield Distillery), Mayor Pingree 10 year old Bourbon (Valentine Distilling), Maryland Club American Whiskey (some bottlings) (New Liberty Distillery), Maryland Club Bourbon (New Liberty Distillery), Mosswood American Light Whiskey (Mosswood Distillers), O.K.I. Pic from MGP.). MGP produces different mash bills and different types of whiskey, some exclusively for certain clients, other opting to blend their own combination. 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). Their barrels are from a variety of producers but all are #4 char level, although this is likely also negotiable for some clients. Master Blender David Whitmer said the inspiration behind Rossville Union Straight Rye was to purposely put together a rye whiskey that was approachable. In a podcast from a couple years ago, Jim Rutledge, the former master distiller of Four Roses, elaborated on the fact that quality control teams between both Seagrams and Four Roses would test each others yeast strains to verify that no genetic drift was occurring. Several of these improvement drawings remain in the archives at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana plant to this day. [], 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. Samuels (or Mr. Sam as hed be remembered) first task was naming the plant the Jos. Also present is the code 10 K 16 which likely stands . The standard bottling is 47% ABV. From barrel filling, we walked over to the main control room, which is the nerve center of the facility. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. With the technological advances of the 20th century being realized at everything from automobile manufacturing to computers, Seagrams found itself with the opportunity to lean out their production by becoming fully automated in 1998. 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. A secondary building (believed to be metal clad) in Sunman was also purchased, creating a huge amount of space that will surely keep the USA afloat in MGP products for decades to come. We also had Till in several cocktails and it was enjoyable! Seagrams approach to aging their barrels of whiskey was different from the warehouses and rickhouses that stored bourbon for Kentucky distilleries. The percentage of each vintage is listed on the bottle. Save 80% Off on your MGP Discount Code & Deals purchase with the MGP Discount Code & Deals coupons. After much research into this theory, there seems to be no change in the distillation process, grain sources, mashbills or aging techniques. MGP Distillery Whiskey Tasting with Master Blender Pam Soule . 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. On September 29, 2021, MGP's historic distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, officially became the Ross & Squibb Distillery. MGP is the countrys largest producer of rye whiskey and is known for producing some of the best. Check out the Whiskey Tribe to stay updated on all the official distillery events and news. Everyone we met with was incredibly forthcoming about the companys process. MSRP: $50 (2019) Official Website. That's very convenient as in the hot summers the water is still cool to run through the condensers. But there are several smaller details that create variances between every barrel of whiskey that rolls out. It was a very different product from the modern day Seagrams 7, which now has a large percentage of Grain Neutral Spirits blended into it (nowadays believed to be 75% of the volume of a bottle). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.). Your comment has not yet been posted. MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana - YouTube Instagram Story: Visit to MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana Instagram Story: Visit to MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But even with the cost savings being realized, Seagrams as a beverage producer was on uneasy legs as a company. The aging barrels are stacked vertically, one upon the other, in imposing towers above our heads. But geography played the most important role in why this area was picked for distilling. 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). 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 next letter indicates the mashbill that was used. Barrels are stacked six-high on wooden ricks, and each floor holds a mix of all the mashbills MGP produces, which includes both their products as well as their customers. In Kentucky, the alcohol percentage of whiskey goes up during maturation since the water evaporates faster than alcohol. It contains no GNS (grain neutral spirits), and no coloring. The Whiskeys - Willett Distillery - Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Named Metzes Medley Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey, under 1000 bottles of 80 proof bourbon were blended by master distiller Greg Metze and were sold off with all proceeds going to the United Way. 20_14 offers contrasting doublebills at Copenhagen Distillery. 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. Heres a closer look at MGP Distillerys whiskey brands. Copyright 2020 Kelli Nakagama. Helping to earn this moniker is the fact that MGP sits directly on top of an aquifier that provides a reliable water supply for their products. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Kelly E Hayden | Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Most consumers believed that this product was distilled in Iowa. While outwardly less industrial than I anticipated, the check-in procedure at the distillery was something more akin to visiting a power plant. Related ::Touring High West Distillery in Utah, Glengoyne Distillery in Scotland, and Teeling Distillery in Dublin. But more importantly, the whiskies: While nearly all their clients bottle whiskey that's of a single mashbill, MGP brand whiskies are all combinations of multiple mashbills. 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. This prompted Pernod Ricard to begin looking for a buyer for the LDI facility. LDI was listed for sale again, looking for its 4th owner in just over a decade. With the luxury of time, capital, and experience gained over the years, MGP can think long term instead of being under pressure to knock it out of the park right away; It can craft products based on a ton of research from brands, consumers and the bartending community. By time the bleeding had stopped and the economy began to heal, CL Financial was ruined. The palate is a tad sweet, but theres enough cinnamon spice and barrel notes to keep things more or less balanced. Pernod Ricard purchased the distilling plant in Indiana and promptly changed the name to Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI). 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. 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. 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. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The couple had previously rebuilt their home in Pearl River, Louisiana, following the devastation Hurricane Katrina left in 2005, and it took them a year to recover. About David Whitmer With a background spanning nearly 30 years in the food and beverage industries, David Whitmer is a walking encyclopedia of the science, history and craft behind spirits and . Basically it removes iron and sulphur (two things that will taint fermented products) and has a high calcium content that results in a higher pH. 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). All Coupons ( 18) Coupon Codes ( 4) Coupon Sales ( 14) Coupons You May Like. 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. 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). We were unable to take pictures in the distillery room, but as it passes through several floors of a building we could really only see one section of the column still and a part of the squareish gin stills anyway. Our tour of MGPs massive operation included a bit of a history lesson on the town of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He has studied and written about beer, whisk(e)y, and other spirits since he first started drinking them, earning several booze-related merit badges along the way, including Certified Specialist in Spirits and Executive Bourbon Steward. Thank you, Kelly, Posted by: A large majority of the stock that remained were purchased through contract agreements with other smaller NDPs until no more unclaimed barrels remained in the warehouses. So Seagrams way around this was to include the smallest amount of malted barley necessary to keep this designation. 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? "We make a lot," came the definitive reply. Today MGP Distillery produces whiskey, vodka, gin, neutral grain spirits, and industrial alcohol. Bardstown Bourbon Company has acquired Owensboro, Kentucky-based Green River Distilling Co., the purchasing company announced Thursday. Who owns the Willett Distillery? MGPs distillery looms large over the small, riverside town of Lawrenceburg. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. MGP of Indiana ( Midwest Grain Products of Indiana [1] ), formerly known as LDI ( Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana ), is a distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, producing spirits for private label sale. Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI) is the former Seagrams distiller which was acquired by MGP in late 2011 forming MGPI. The deal is scheduled to Bourbon and Rye (New Riff Distilling), Old Scenter Bourbon and Rye (Strong Spirits for R. Griesedieck Distilling), Preamble Bourbon and Rye (Seven Jars Distillery), Rebellion Bourbon (Market Street Spirits newer batches), Redemption Bourbon & Rye (Bardstown Barrel Selections), Riverboat Rye (Bardstown Barrel Selections), Rough Rider Bourbon & Rye (Long Island Spirits), Ryskie Rye Whiskey (Glenns Creek Distilling), Sagamore Spirit Rye (Distilled Spirits Epicenter), Single Track Rye (Range and River Distilling), Smokin Joes Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits), Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon, Rye and Corn Whiskey (Smooth Ambler), Spirit of America Bourbon (Hobson & Roberts), Spring Mill Bourbon (Heartland Distillers), Stave & Barrel Bourbon (Glenns Creek Distilling), Temperance Trader (American Whiskey and some bourbon; Bull Run Distilling), Temptation Bourbon (Bardstown Barrel Selections), The Saloon Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits), Troubadour Bourbon (The Original Texas Legend Distillery), Untitled No. There are also slight differences in a barrel stored upright versus a barrel stored on its side. That higher pH aids in fermentation. Come see why The Wall Street Journal says Astorwines.com is one of the best websites for buying wine online. But officially George Ross opened the Rossville Distillery in 1847. The water for the distillery comes from an aquifer, and it remains a constant 56 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. 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. A lot like [Series] one but higher proof.. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. At the same time, they began pulling the curtain back on their distilling operations at the former Seagrams Distillery, inviting media to tour the facility and introducing the world to the first MGP products the company can actually talk about. According to our guide, MGP fills four of these tanks every day with only one week off in the fall for maintenance. But the experience was absolutely incredible and I am insanely thankful for such a unique and memorable experience. 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. HOURS & TOURS Tuesday-Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. . But again, this isnt the case at MGP Distillery. Unlike most distilleries Ive been to, however, phones had to be turned off in this space, likely due to the secrecy concerns around whichever clients whiskey was being produced at that given moment. 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. 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 creamy palate has plenty of body for a good martini and is full of clean, vanilla notes that dissolve into a slight citrus finish. Comments (5). 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. There are approximately 1,600 vodka distilleries in the United States. As most of you nerds already know, most of the rye whiskey produced in the US is made at MGP Ingredients, aka Midwest Grain Products. So why Germany? But with two satellite storage locations around 20-40 miles away from the main campus at MGPI, how will this different geography affect the final product? One of the most impressive parts of the plant that we visited was the control room a monitor-filled war room, of sorts. All of it is aged 6-7 years, with the light whiskey being up in the eights., At 88 proof, its made for cocktails, but David confessed its great for cooking. However, with contract distilling for new whiskey customers reaching new highs, it was imperative that MGPI expand their facilities. Lets take a look at their similarities and differences in a broad scope: With all of this talk of rye, it is important to note that the most commonly used rye for whiskey products made at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana Distillery come from Germany while Polish, Swedish and Canadian rye are also used if it matches the profile that theyre looking for. 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