MGPI Dept: More Potemkin Distilleries

[Capn Jimbo]

Here's the short list of faux distilleries who simply buy bulk, and make up a brand and story...


All of the following buy their booze from LDI/MGP, a a major factory distillery that sells no brand of their own:

"Lawrenceburg, IN. Formerly Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI) and before that owned by the now dissolved Seagram's company, this large distillery near the Kentucky border makes bourbon, rye, corn, wheat and malt whiskeys as well as gin and neutral spirits. While they don't market any of their own whiskey, the distillery makes whiskey for a growing number of other labels including the following:

4 Spirits Bourbon (4 Spirits)
1888 Bourbon (Diversa Brands)
99 Bottles Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Angel's Envy Rye (Louisville Distilling Co.)
Backbone Bourbon (Crossroads Vitners/Strong Spirits)
Barrell Bourbon (selected bottlings) & Rye
Batch No. 12 Bourbon & Rye (Heritage Distilling)
Big Ass Bourbon (Strong Spirits)
Big Bottom Bourbon (Big Bottom)
Big House Bourbon (Underdog Spirits)
Big Y Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Bone Snapper Rye (Strong Spirits)
Breaker Bourbon (Ascendant Spirits)
Bulleit Rye (Diageo)
Chattanooga Whiskey 1816 Reserve (Chattanooga Whiskey Co.)
Clarion Blended Whiskey (Distilled Spirits Epicenter)
Cleveland Rye Whiskey (Cleveland Whiskey)
Coney Island Carlo Bourbon (Terresentia)
Copper City Bourbon and Rye (Arizona Distilling Co.)
Corn Star Corn Whiskey (Bardstown Barrel Selections)
Cotton Hollow Rye (Cotton Hollow/Strong Spirits)
Cougar Bourbon & Rye (Foster's)
Filibuster Bourbon & Rye (M.S. Trading LP)
George Dickel Rye (George Dickel)
George Remus Bourbon & Rye (Queen City Whiskey/Strong Spirits)
Henderson Rye (North Texas Distillers)
High Liquors Bourbon & Rye (High Liquors)
High West (an an element of many of their whiskeys blends)
Homestead Bourbon (Homestead American whiskey)
Hooker's House (some of their bourbons and their rye; Prohibition Spirits)
J. Green Bourbon and Rye (Shadow Beverage Group)
James E. Pepper 1776 Rye (James E. Pepper/Strong Spirits)
Knotter Bourbon & Rye (Blaum Bros.)
LeMont Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Mosswood American Light Whiskey (Mosswood Distillers)
O.K.I. Bourbon (New Riff Distilling)
Prichard's Rye (Prichard's)
Redemption Bourbon & Rye (Bardstown Barrel Selections)
Riverboat Rye (Bardstown Barrel Selections)
Seagram's 7 Blended Whiskey (Diageo)
Single Track Rye (Range and River Distilling)
Smokin' Joe's Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon, Rye and Corn Whiskey (Smooth Ambler)
Smuggler's Notch Rye
Spring Mill Bourbon (Heartland Distillers)
Taos Lightning (KGB Spirits)
Temperance Trader (Bull Run Distilling)
Templeton Rye (Templeton)
Temptation Bourbon (Bardstown Barrel Selections)
The Saloon Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Tin Cup Whiskey (Proximo Spirits)
WH Harrison Bourbon (Tipton Spirits)
Willett Rye (Indiana ryes)
Winghart's Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits) "

Credit: http://recenteats.blogspot.com/p/the-co ... iskey.html


Honestly that is actually the short list (see link). This doesn't even include other major mega distillers who do sell their own brands, as well as supplying many more Potemkin distillers.

What's of real note is that all of the faux-distillers are making up their own names and stories and swearing that their "brands" are somehow special, different and better than all the others who are selling what amounts to the same products. These arseholes should be distinguished from the real blenders like John Glaser. I hesitate even mentioning him on the same page - sorry, John...




*******
Capn's Note: there is one real surprise in this list...

[jankdc]

Prichards doesn't make his own rye? Wow. That one surprised me.

[Capn Jimbo]

Attorney Sku's site is absolutely amazing...


About Prichard, Sku's list says:

"Atty Sku:
Prichard's Distillery, Kelso, TN. This Tennessee microdistillery makes a single malt Lincoln County Lightning, a corn whiskey. They also market a number of sourced whiskeys, including Tennessee whiskey, Tennessee malt, bourbon and an MGP rye."

Sku's focus is on American Whiskey, so Phil's own aged rum is not addressed here. However, here's what Phil has to say:

Phil Prichard:
"Special select American Rye is used for our whiskey. This product is then distilled in our copper pot stills and AGED in our small American oak barrels for the perfect balance of smoothness and flavors we so desire."

IOW, Phil is clearly confirming that his rye whiskey is made by him in the same manner as the rums that made him famous, but in the meanwhile seems to be sourcing rye from MGP. To me this is a fair strategy for a small distiller; however, I do believe that hiding the MGP source is not right. After all, it was MGP who apparently named him...


Worth noting...

As both Cowdery and indirectly, Sku, are making clear, these Potemkin products are generally - and falsely - marketed as being special craft products which are then sold at a premium prices when in fact, you can buy the very same juice for much less elsewhere, often from the actual distiller.

[Dai]

I was about to ask if Phil Pritchard bought his rye from them but, you answered it for me.

[jankdc]

Some videos from MGP. One is on adding french mocha sticks to their bourbon:

MGP Ingredients

[Hassouni]

Ralfy's most recent review is on Bulleit 10 yr bourbon. According to him, the bottle says DISTILLED at Bulleit distillery, Lawrenceburg, KY. Does only their rye come from MGP?

[jankdc]

Yeah, just their rye comes from MGP, though I thought that 4 roses did their bourbon.

[jankdc]

Here's some info.

[Uisge]

Ralfy's most recent review is on Bulleit 10 yr bourbon. According to him, the bottle says DISTILLED at Bulleit distillery, Lawrenceburg, KY. Does only their rye come from MGP?

Bulleit bourbon and its 10 YO brother is currently made by Four Roses distillery using the recipe Tom Bulleit says is from his great-great-grandfather.

The Sourmashmanifesto blog noted in the review of the 10YO version that "Bulleit is a growing brand owned by the largest beverage alcohol company in the world, Diageo. Bulleit has certainly made a name for itself in the last 14 or so years. A lot of Bulleit’s growth has to do with being embraced by the ‘craft’ cocktail movement that has taken place in the last decade. I don’t have a plethora of facts to back that up admittedly but if you have been paying attention at your local upscale watering holes I think you’ll agree.

The first product produced under the Bulleit brand was Bulleit Bourbon, a high rye grain bill made for Diageo by Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. Seagrams owned Four Roses since the early 1940′s, and purchased the Bulleit brand name in the late 90′s. Upon hitting hard times due to a diluted portfolio, Seagrams was purchased by Vivendi, who then sold it’s whiskey brands to Diageo. Whew (almost done)! Diageo then sold Four Roses to Kirin out of Japan, but kept the Bulleit brand name, which was distilled at Four Roses under contract. That contract continues to this day for Bulleit brand bourbons."

That said, Diageo just had a groundbreaking this past week in Shelbyville, KY for what will be the Bulleit distillery that is expected to open in late 2016.

EDIT; Jankdc beat me to it

[jankdc]

EDIT; Jankdc beat me to it

But you were so much more thorough.