But MGP knew that they could blend a bourbon that would be worthy of drinking, so they created a legal definition with the TTB. Shelagh Stautberg | We partner with small startups and global brands alike to innovate in the food science industry and create some of Some of the in house whiskey labels at MGP (image via Prairie Rose/The Whiskey Wash). The scientists at Seagrams were always testing and tinkering to produce the best tasting spirits that they could make and tailor them to the locations that would distill them the best. To many buyers, MGP bourbon (or any sourced/non-distiller produced bourbon) is an abomination to the art, craft, handmade, or small-batch bourbons and whiskeys. First of all, although many pictures of the warehouses at Lawrenceburg, Indiana facility show barrels being stored on their side (aka, in ricks), the large majority are actually stored on palates (upright). 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. MGP worked with the TTB (the U.S. agency that regulates alcohol) to designate blended bourbon as a legal definition. So launching its own line of brands makes sense. Midwest Grain Products (MGP), based in Atchison, Kansas, is one of the largest distilleries in the U.S.and a major supplier of premium distilled spirits. In 2014, 3 years after MGP first took over the operations of the Lawrenceburg plant, they bottled a limited release of their own bourbon for the first ever Lawrenceburg Whiskey City Festival. In the meantime, MGPI will likely continue to expand its distribution of their own brand until all 50 states sell their products (and then proceed to examine markets overseas). Even if you havent heard of MGP Distillery in Indiana, youve probably tasted whiskey from it. Visit our Advanced Search page where you can filter and find any of our ratings and reviews from the last 15 years. Michael stokes | 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. Curated by Rune Kielsgaard. The Omakase Room in Chicago is More Than a Meal, Its an Experience, 5 Incredible Facts About the Paris Opera House, The Flatiron Room Whiskey Bar in New York City, High West Distillery & Saloon in Park City, Utah - Whiskied Wanderlust, Behind the Scenes Tour of Jack Daniels Distillery | Whiskied Wanderlust, The Best Whiskey Distilleries Near Chicago - Whiskied Wanderlust, Touring High West Distillery in Wanship, Utah | Whiskied Wanderlust, 101: Legendary Master Distiller Greg Metze & Old Elk Distillery - The Bourbon Lens, The Ultimate Guide to Whisky in Edinburgh, 10 Days of Whisky and Wonders in Scotland. Like most brands, each MGP brand has a story, but they emphasized that here they are all true. Tanner's Creek whiskey, a blended bourbon, is only available in Indiana. MGP Distillery's whiskey is all non-chill filtered and barreled at 120 proof (but the resulting bottling proofs vary). 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. It's more than 51% bourbon bottled at 44% ABV. 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. Distillery Operator - 2nd shift MGP Lawrenceburg, IN Posted: December 09, 2022 Full-Time We are seeking a fulltime Distillery Operator to work a 12 hour shift work schedule. Admission price and availability vary. Proof: 100. It has backup yeasts if something happens to the Mother, as well as the capability of using clients preferred yeast if requested. 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. Great water leads to great whiskey and every distillery needs lots of it. We visited just the one warehouse that was racked. The CL Financial ownership period experienced this as well. Related ::Touring High West Distillery in Utah, Glengoyne Distillery in Scotland, and Teeling Distillery in Dublin. My Grandfather Eugene O'Shaughnessy was a previous owner when it was James Walsh Distillery. Constellations High West and Belle Meade brands continue to have access to moderately aged rye whiskey and bourbon while Diageo-owned Cascade Hollow (George Dickel) and Bulleit Frontier Whiskey also use their buying power to keep the rye whiskey flowing. But ever since the switch to European sources was established, the consistency of the congener profile has allowed the rye whiskey coming out of Lawrenceburg to remain world class. A year . The tour concluded with a peek inside one of the barrel warehouses. 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. In Kentucky, youre likely to hear about the importance of a barrels location in the rickhouse because it affects maturation. Everything from industrial alcohol to vodka is produced there, but lately it's become best known for its bourbon and rye. The most mind-blowing fact about MGPs size? 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 . The company was sold to Pernod-Ricard and owned by them until 2007, when it was purchased by MGP. The whisky itself is distilled using MGP&rsquor;s 95% rye mash bill combined with 5% malted barley before being aged in new charred American oak barrels for 5 years. No. George Remus Bourbon is a blend of 21 and 36% rye bourbons, aged 5-6 years and bottled at 47%. With many Americans out of jobs or with no discretionary income, alcohol producers joined many other industries in a freefall. Operating in Atchison, Kansas, and Lawrenceburg, Indiana, MGP began as a humble grainbelt distillery in 1941 and has since grown into a leading supplier of premium distilled spirits, and specialty wheat proteins and starches. MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana - YouTube Instagram Story: Visit to MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana Instagram Story: Visit to MGP Ingredients Distillery in Indiana. From the outside, its easy to see that one of the buildings has a concrete floor and (painted) brick/block walls. The same sentiment echoed in every part of the distillery. The reception to this release was so positive that it spawned the release of 5 new whiskey products over the next 3 years. Light whiskey was created as a product that would bridge the gap between the ever-increasing popularity of vodka and more traditional full bodied whiskies. After touring the MGP Distillery campus, we came inside for a tasting of all MGPs brands led by Master Blender David Whitmer. He makes most of the rye whiskey in this country, but receives little credit. Thus, the names were born for each. Will these metal clad warehouses eventually produce whiskey that strays away from the typical MGP profile? The Whiskeys - Willett Distillery - Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. Just like that, the home of the Remus Bourbon and Rossville Union brands had a brand of its own. In 1933 at the end of Prohibition, the distillery was purchased by Seagram and run by the company until 2001. How many clients does MGP have? 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. 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. As of this article, you can find their own products in just 13 states. Review: Bookers Bourbon Kentucky Tea Batch 2022-03, Review: Makers Mark BRT-01 and BRT-02 2022 Limited Release, The Best Cherry Liqueur Roundup: 12 Bottles Tasted, 1 Winner, Review: Old Forester The 117 Series Extra Extra Old, The Best Chocolate Liqueur Roundup 10 Bottles Tasted, 2 Winners. Heres what I learned. It is not exactly known why the producers felt the need to develop a new category of whiskey, but production costs and the changing tastes of American drinkers (to lighter drinkers) were certainly at the forefront. MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ducks Unlimited (DU . 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. It was determined through much testing that a specific type of rye grown in Germany was producing the best mash for their yeast that would eventually lead to the best tasting distillate. Its not open to the public, so very few people have seen inside. I wouldnt have even known we were at a distillery if not for the bottles of bourbon and rye perched on a shelf above a row of official-looking binders in the gate house. A lot like [Series] one but higher proof.. Good luck! September 1, 2014 MGP and LDI History Midwest Grain Products (MGP) is a grain and neutral spirit supplier based in Atchinson, KS. (The TTB is the U.S. agency that regulates alcohol.) So technically, MGP and Four Roses still use the same mashbills as each other. As the rest of the industry became more transparent over the last decade, MGP started to look more and more like Willy Wonka. Food Grade Industrial Alcohol Distillery Co-Products. MGP distillery. You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. This is only a preview. For example: a recipe that would be called OESV at Four Roses would actually be called LESV if it was distilled at the Indiana distillery. MGP is the country's largest producer of rye whiskey and is known for producing some of the best. Tram Tour Rates: Adults (13-61) for $25 & Seniors (62+) for . Your comment could not be posted. The company has gone out of its way to ensure that their own products dont compete with those of their clients in the whiskey space. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Indiana distillery has access to use basically all of the yeast strains that Four Roses does (O, F, K, Q and V) as well (Fun Fact #4: The V yeast strain could not survive long enough to propagate in the Gimli, Ontario plant, so Seagrams had them use a different one). Cost: The tour costs $8. Even the Tennessee distilleries have embraced the whiskey tourism. Midwest Grain Products is the countrys main supplier of whiskey for brands that do not distill their own, of which there are many. The Bamboo Club Presents World Cup Grand Finale Screening. 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. After aging, it undergoes charcoal mellowing and our unique aging process to create a truly one-of-a-kind whisky experience. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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 . 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. We also had Till in several cocktails and it was enjoyable! Again, theres hints of smoke with baking spices, plus a lingering spice finish. I asked them how many mashbills they make in total. 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. And while touring MGP Distillery I discovered some fascinating facts. Our tour of MGP's massive operation included a bit of a history lesson on the town of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Pernod Ricard now regarded their new facility in Indiana as more of a distillery that would be used to contract-distill for other brands than to actually make their own unique products at. This sturdy design was pursued due to its ability to age whiskey much more uniformly by discouraging heat collecting at the higher levels. 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. 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. 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. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked The Best Value-Per-Dollar Bourbon Whiskeys, Ranked All 19 Brands From The Buffalo Trace Distillery, Ranked 20.. Rossville Union Cask Strength Rye This rye is the same general age as the straight rye, but the blend is different, as is the batch size. These mass-produced bourbons are then bottled and sold as the brands' own. Several of these improvement drawings remain in the archives at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana plant to this day. All of MGPs brands are made by a team of master blenders and master distillers who emphasize the team mentality of creating these spirits. Its one of the largest distilleries in the country. Hi, I'm Kelli Nakagama, the whiskey-obsessed travel fanatic behind Whiskied Wanderlust, a whiskey and travel site based in Chicago. After distillation, Seagrams aged it in previously used barrels for as long as was necessary. As recently as 2020, MGPI took yet another step forward by recognizing the whiskey enthusiasts thirst for single barrel products. An enjoyable sipper or cocktail companion, especially for $30. 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. Age: 4 Years. 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. All Rights Reserved. And same with Indiana: as the whiskey ages, the alcohol percentage goes down since alcohol evaporates faster than water. Comments (5). Therefore each level of the warehouse would remain more or less the same temperature. Not only that, but he had his own medicinal whiskey trucks "hijacked" so that he could report the whiskey stolen and sell it illegally. Craft distilleries were now obtaining legal status to open across the US. During the tasting, someone mentioned it smells like a bourbon but tastes a lot like rye. Realizing they could capitalize on their own expertise, they released a handful of bourbons, ryes, and even a vodka. Robb Report was recently able to tour the . Luxco wasn't exactly hurting prior to this, as their reported 2020 net revenue being $202M. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Heres a closer look at MGP Distillerys whiskey brands. More Information Contact News & Press. Today MGP Distillery produces whiskey, vodka, gin, neutral grain spirits, and industrial alcohol. Releasing November 2019, it commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Volstead Act, which started Prohibition. Come see why The Wall Street Journal says Astorwines.com is one of the best websites for buying wine online. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Joseph Magnus Bourbon Review - Cigar Blend | Bourbon Culture, [] Joseph Magnus bourbon brand built their reputation on sourcing large lots of MGP whiskey throughout the years, starting in 2015. Drinkhacker was invited to one of these media days recently, so I got a chance to experience this proverbial Chocolate Factory first hand. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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). On the bourbon end of MGP Distillerys whiskey is the George Remus brand. Old Fourth Distillery was launched by five friends (two of whom are also brothers) in 2013 with the aid of a Kickstarter campaign. 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. The company's facilities, including its massive Indiana distillery formerly owned by Seagram's and LDI, supplies much of the industry's sourced whiskey and vodka. 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. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. But not all GNS produced at the Lawrenceburg plant is 100% corn. 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