BourbonBlog.com was the first source tell you about Diageo’s Orphan Barrel Whiskey Company back in November of 2013 , and we’ve continued to bring you updates.
Diageo today confirms that the first releases in the collection will both be Kentucky Bourbons, hitting shelves in March 2014 including:
26-year-old Old Blowhard Whiskey (45.35% ABV / 90.7 proof, $150), discovered at Stitzel-Weller.
20-year-old Barterhouse Whiskey (45.1% ABV / 90.2 proof, $75) also discovered in old warehouses at the famed Stitzel-Weller facility in Louisville, Kentucky.
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The official details from Diageo indicate that some global finds, potentially from Ireland, will find their way into the collection. It is rumored that a 15-year-old Strongbox and Rhetoric 19-years-old will be part of the collection, which may be Tennessee whiskeys.
Official Comments on Orphan Barrel Whiskey
Diageo tells BourbonBlog.com that from Tennessee to Kentucky to Ireland, stories of old whiskies forgotten in the back of rickhouses and warehouses drift among distillers the world over. To offer resolution and introduce a new line of rare spirits to a growing base of whiskey aficionados that official start of the Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company.
The goal of The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company is to locate lost and forgotten barrels of whiskey from around the world. The first two variants to be released from the company will include the 20-year-old Barterhouse Whiskey and the 26-year-aged Old Blowhard Whiskey. Both of these Bourbons will appearing on select shelves throughout the U.S. in March 2014 under strict allocation due to limited supply.
Barterhouse Whiskey stocks were discovered in old warehouses at the Stitzel-Weller facility in Louisville, Ky. The whiskey is said to have notes of roasted grain, charred oak and a brown sugar finish. Barterhouse Whiskey is bottled in Tullahoma, Tenn. and will be expected to sell for a suggested retail price of $75.
Old Blowhard Whiskey was also found at Stitzel-Weller and is hand bottled in Tullahoma. At 26-years-old, the whiskey contains exuberant, rich flavors with undertones of smoke and honey followed by a gentle finish – dry and spicy with a hint of orange peel. Carrying a suggested retail price of $150, Old Blowhard Whiskey is meant to be sipped slowly.
“The whiskey warehouses and rickhouses these spirits come from are special places filled with the incredible smells of seasoned oak, rough textures of weathered wood and amazing tastes of precious liquid,” says Ewan Morgan, Master of Whiskey for DIAGEO.
Barterhouse Whiskey packaging nods to the inspiration behind the whiskey’s name. A vintage khaki and brown label features a sly fox front and center after he’s made a smooth deal at the local trading post.
Based in a beautiful nautical blue, the Old Blowhard Whiskey label features a powerful whale exhaling through its blowhole before launching into another opinionated debate. Powerful fonts rooted in swagger proclaim the spirit’s impressive age statement and status as a Kentucky Bourbon.
The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company is headquartered in Tullahoma, Tenn. where the whiskies are bottled and owned and operated by DIAGEO.
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