It's been a long time since I did one of these, but welcome to the fourth edition of the Columbusbourbon.com Q&A. If you missed the previous editions, it was mostly people asking if I have any Blanton's to sell. You can check them out here:
As always, the submitted questions will have a name with them. General questions will not.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of 18!!! exclusive Lux Row expressions, hitting shelves this week (Week of September 11th). The two expressions are Rebel Cask Strength (10 barrels worth @ $54.99 + tax) and Ezra Brooks Cask Strength Single Barrel (8 barrels worth @ $54.99 + tax).
I was recently asked to participate in one of the OHLQ exclusive releases. The release was for an Old Pepper Rye Single Barrels. I know there is a lot of unknowns around how the barrels are selected so I thought it would be fun and insightful to write about the experience for the masses.
I don't usually cover non-whiskey products, but the company reached out so I thought I'd share with my readers.
Rolling Fork Rum announces its first release of three private casks of cask-strength, aged rums in partnership with Ohio Liquor (OHLQ). OHLQ visited Rolling Fork at Starlight Distillery in southern Indiana to select three casks for release exclusively at OHLQ locations. One cask is part of The Lost Cask Collection (rare, single-barrel, long-aged rums). Two casks are part of The Rolling Fork Single Cask Series, which are created through secondary maturation in highly sought-after whiskey casks that are hand-selected by Rolling Fork co-founders Jordan Morris and Turner Wathen to bring unique and complex flavor combinations to the rums.
Welcome to the June 2023 Columbus Bourbon recap. As always, A big thank you to all my readers! As a friendly reminder, follow ColumbusBourbon on Facebook.
As a reminder, in honor of Baby Leo and his passing, I am collecting donations for the CHA Animal Shelter and I'll be matching every donation at 100%.
This month I posted 11 articles. The site saw 10,800+ page-views, up from the 8865 views in August of 2022. With ads turned off, the pageviews are up nearly 2x. It's bizarre.
Hemingway Whiskey Company has announced the debut of its core expression, Hemingway Rye Whiskey Signature Edition. The first batch of Hemingway Rye Whiskey Signature Edition is a blend of straight rye whiskeys – 90% 6-year-old Indiana Straight Rye and 10% 4-year-old Kentucky Straight Rye.
Brown-Forman brand Old Forester has announced the 2023 release of their highly-coveted Birthday Bourbon. New this year is that in addition to bottles being available throughout the country, there will also be national sweepstakes running August 24 through August 31, 2023 where winners can pick up their bottles at the Old Forester Distillery in Louisville (details below).
- 8/22/23 update: I heard from Watershed and each bottle is aged 4 years.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of seven exclusive Watershed single barrel selections for $59.99 + tax hitting shelves this week (Week of August 28th).
I'm happy to announce, that as of today, I have turned off all ads on the site. The money wasn't worth the impact to the user experience. If I had all the ads turned on, I could pull in $30+ a month. To put them where they are semi-out of the way netted around $10 a month.
As you may have known, all ad revenue was donated to the local Columbus animal shelter, Citizens for Humane Action (CHA). To make sure they are still supported, I'll be matching all donations made for my campaign for the 2023 CHA Dog Jog, this year I'm doing the run/walk in honor of my sweet Baby Leo.
As always, if you would like to help out the site, please tell a friend or have them follow on the Facebook.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of Jack Daniel's single barrel selections hitting the shelves this week (week of August 14th). There are three different releases coming in and prices ranging from $49.99 to $65.99 (plus tax)
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The 2023 OHLQ Summer Bottle Lottery is live. This lottery is for the chance to purchase the following:
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The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced an upcoming lottery for bottles of:
The lottery will begin at 12:01 a.m. on August 14 and end at 11:59 p.m. on August 21 with winners notified on August 25.
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(Shelbyville, KY) Jeptha Creed Distillery, renowned for their commitment to crafting exceptional craft spirits, proudly announces a nationwide expansion as they are now able to ship their signature Bourbon, Vodka, and Moonshine to 41 states across the United States. This momentous achievement marks a significant milestone for the mother-daughter-owned distillery and reflects their dedication to delivering high quality, handcrafted spirits.
Oof, what a headline... The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of Rabbit Hole brand Cavehill single barrel selections hitting the shelves this week (week of August 7th). There are six different label designs across the selection, designed by artist Beppe Conti and are named after Shakespeare plays. Each bottle is $149.99 + tax.
The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the 2023 release of Maker's Mark Private Select titled 'Summer in Ohio'. This version contains five expressions and will sell for $74.99 + tax per bottle (up from $69.99 + tax last year). They will be available throughout the State starting the week of July 31st.
July was an incredibly sad month as my best friend and companion Leo passed away suddenly. He woke up breathing odd on a Wednesday... we rushed him to OSU emergency... and he coded and passed on Thursday. He was only 7 1/2. Our hearts are broken. As you can imagine, the website wasn't a priority during this time and we're still struggling coming to terms how Leo could have been perfectly healthy on a Tuesday (he recently helped me train for a half-marathon) and taken from us on a Thursday.
I could write forever how much he meant to us and how wonderful he was. In honor of Leo, I am collecting donations for the CHA Animal Shelter and I'll be matching every donation at 100%. I would like to thank my readers for their grace in knowing that the volume of articles was scaled back and your patience as I get back into it.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the 2023 Ohio State Fair Bottle Lottery. To enter, you must visit the Ohio Department of Commerce booth in the Bricker Building to enter for a chance to win the opportunity to purchase Stagg Single Barrel or Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon.
Wild Turkey has announced the latest in their Master's Keep line... with this expression called 'Voyage'. This release is a 10-year-old bourbon finished with a secondary maturation period in Jamaican rum casks which previously held 14-year-old pot still rum. Master’s Keep Voyage comes in at 106-proof (53% alcohol) and was crafted by Master Distiller Eddie Russell in partnership with Dr. Joy Spence, the Master Blender of Appleton Estate rum.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of ten blends of Woodford Reserve and six barrels worth of Old Forester products hitting the shelves this week (week of July 17th).
Heaven's Door Spirits has announced plans to open a new distillery in Pleasureville, Kentucky. Additionally, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to write about Heaven's Door without mentioning that the brand was founded by native Minnesotan Bob Dylan (real name Robert Allen Zimmerman). Although this was just announced, the distillery has been under construction since 2017 and has been producing bourbon since 2018.
Welcome to the June 2023 Columbus Bourbon recap. As always, A big thank you to all my readers! As a friendly reminder, follow ColumbusBourbon on Facebook.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of fifteen barrels worth of Russell’s Reserve Private Barrel Selection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey selections arriving at select stores at 9am on Saturday June 24th. Unlike previous releases, the list of stores will not be released until the morning of Saturday, June 24, 2023 on OHLQ.com.
Welcome to the latest in my 'Get to Know' series. Today's turn is a unique distillery in Kentucky founded by mother-and-daughter Joyce and Autumn Nethery. What is amazing about this distillery is that it sits on 64 acres of farmland where they grow their Bloody Butcher Corn that is used to create their spirits making this a true ground-to-glass distillery.
Woodford has announced the release of their 2023 High-Proof Expression simply called 124.7 Proof. This is the same mash bill as regular Woodford, but does not have water added to lower the proof.
Michter's has announced the latest release of their 10 year rye. This the first release of this variety since July of last year.
Welcome to the May 2023 Columbus Bourbon recap. As always, A big thank you to all my readers! As a friendly reminder, follow ColumbusBourbon on Facebook.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced what they are calling the Whiskey Gold Rush event which is a lottery to win the chance to purchase a bottle of Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon Whiskey. This event started at 9:00 A.M. on May 24, 2023 and all entries must be submitted by 11:59 P.M. on June 5, 2023 and is available at over 100 participating OHLQ locations. Additionally, there will be OHLQ Exclusives (list below).
Did you know that it is claimed that the oldest brand of whiskey was founded in 1780 and is Old Pepper? Also, did you know that in 2008, the brand has been revived at the site of the Henry Clay distillery in Lexington, Kentucky? And did you know that it is rumored that James E. Pepper is credited with the creation of the Old Fashioned cocktail? And lastly, did you know that this brand has been revived and is the #1 rated destination in Lexington on Trip Advisor? I didn't know any of this, but let's learn together.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of fifteen(!!!) barrels worth of Town Branch Single Barrel selections arriving at select stores the week of May 1st.
Announcement: This has already been happening but I never formally announced it. All revenue I make from this site will be donated to the CHA Animal Shelter via the CHA Dog Jog. When you come to ColumbusBourbon, you're supporting local animal rescue.
With that said, welcome to the April 2023 Columbus Bourbon recap. As always, A big thank you to all my readers! As a friendly reminder, follow ColumbusBourbon on Facebook.
Lux Row Distillers announced the newest variant in the Rebel brand family: Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey. Rebel 100 Rye will retail at a suggested price of $19.99 per 750 ml bottle.
Chicken Cock has announced the release of an 8 year aged Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey. This release is bottled at 92 proof (46% alcohol) and comes in their replica apothecary style bottle.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced the availability of four barrels worth of Barrel Select Rye Whiskey arriving at select stores the week of April 24th for $59.99 + tax. This is aged 7 years and is a mixture of their single barrel 95% high rye mash bill and their 52% mid-rye mash bill.
NBA and Golden State Warrior superstar Stephen Curry is launching a new bourbon brand called Gentleman’s Cut Game Changer. According to the announcement (an Instagram post), this looks to be a sourced bourbon from Boone County Distilling.
Today is the last day (April 17th) to enter the Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) 2023 Spring Bottle Lottery for the following:
Heaven Hill has announced the 2023 release of the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection. This is a 20-year-old Corn Whiskey. Bottled without chill filtering bottled at 115 proof (57.5% alcohool) and is made with their traditional corn mashbill of 80% corn, 8% rye and 12% malted barley.
Columbus based Middle West Spirits, owners of Middle West, OYO, Vim & Petal, and Lux & Umbra brands, has announced a new 14-acre campus that will be located at 1165 Alum Creek Drive in Columbus, Ohio. Distilling will continue at the original Courtland location in the Short North, which also houses their Service Bar restaurant and retail Bottle Shop.
The Ohio Department of Liquor (OHLQ) has announced six barrels worth of single cask selection of Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon and four barrels worth of the Smooth Ambler Old Scout Rye hitting stores this week (week of April 10th). Both selections will sell for $49.99 + tax at select OHLQ locations.
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The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) 2023 Spring Bottle Lottery is open for entry. This lottery is for the chance to purchase the following:
The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the Spring 2023 Bottle Lottery for Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee, Michter's 20 Year Bourbon, Old Fitzgerald 19 Year Bourbon, Parker's Heritage, Weller Single Barrel, Willett 6 Year Bourbon, and Willett 8 Year Bourbon. Last year's Spring Bottle Lottery had 55,272 entries for 966 total bottles available (1.748% odds of winning). I would expect this year to have at least as many entries.
