Algren Reminder.

There's only about a week left in the campaign on Kickstarter to help my friend Michael Caplan finish his documentary about Chicago writer Nelson Algren. I first told you about it here.

If nothing else, Michael has added a few more cool clips for us to enjoy. Go to the site and click on the Updates tab to view them. The latest is by Rick Kogan.

So watch the new clips and become a movie mogul by making a pledge.

Michter's Barrel-A-Day Distillery in New Home

By 1976, Pennsylvania’s struggling Michter’s Distillery was betting heavily on tourism to keep its doors open. To attract visitors during the bicentennial year, they installed a small, historic-scale demonstration distillery in one of the site’s 19th century buildings. Built by Vendome, it was a complete distillery with mash cooker, fermenters, beer still, spirit still, condenser, and all associated tanks and other accessories. It can produce about 50 gallons of spirit a day, enough to fill one standard whiskey barrel.

The barrel-a-day distillery operated at Michter's for the next 14 years. After Michter's closed it sat there for a few years until 1996, when it was purchased by David Beam, who moved it to Bardstown, Kentucky. It was put on display there but never used.

In February of this year it was purchased by Tom's Foolery Distillery in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. After a trip to Vendome for refurbishing it was moved to its new home. Tom and Lianne Herbruck put the major pieces in place over Father's Day weekend. They currently make applejack (i.e., apple brandy) but with the new/old stills they also intend to make whiskey.

No decision has been made on an exact start date and, of course, it will be years before they have any aged whiskey to sell, but the Herbrucks tend not to let grass grow under their feet so I expect the first batch will be made sooner rather than later.

The New Reader Is On Its Way.

The June, 2011 issue (Volume 13, Number 6) of the Bourbon Country Reader is in the mail. This concludes Volume 13, which means it's now available as a bound volume.

Although I try to maintain the imperial 'we' throughout, it's obvious I write most of the Reader stories, but not all of them. This time we're excited to welcome Jerry Dalton, the retired Master Distiller at Jim Beam, and Barton before that. Jerry is a very interesting and thoughtful guy. His essay is mostly about corn but Booker Noe and Baker Beam are in there, as is some musing about what 'Master Distiller' really means.

We also tell the story of Antique bourbon, a vagabond bourbon best known for its years as a Seagram's brand. Born in the 19th century, it died in the 21st. This is about what happened in between.

Plus we review the Four Roses 2011 Limited Edition Single Barrel.

Subscriptions to The Bourbon Country Reader are $20/year for U.S. addresses, $24.50 for Canada, and $28.50 for everybody else. It is published six times a year. Well, maybe not, but your subscription always includes six issues.

Click here to subscribe with PayPal or any major credit card.

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Click here to open or download the PDF document "The Bourbon Country Reader Issue Contents in Chronological Order." (It's like an index.)

Wild Turkey Unveils New Distillery.

Although the new Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, has been up and running, and giving tours, for about a month, today was its official unveiling. Executives from Campari, the parent company, were there. So were Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Lawrenceburg Mayor Edwinna Baker.

The capacity of the new distillery, 11 million gallons a year, is more than twice the old one. This expansion was actually planned several years ago but delayed about two years due to the ownership change. The new beer still and doubler are the exact same capacity as the old ones. The increase in overall capacity comes from more and bigger mash cookers and fermenters. The stills may be the same size but they're going to be a lot busier.

The price tag for the expansion is $50 million.

The capacity expansion on Wild Turkey Hill is a good thing, as is the new Wild Turkey 81 (81 proof, that is, parallel to the 101 proof flagship). I've always disdained the 80 proof, brown label expression. This one is a lot better. Unofficial distillery sources report it's the same whiskey as 101, just diluted, whereas the old 80 proof was a much younger whiskey.

Especially if you like the milder proof, 81 is a fine addition to the line.

Less edifying is a new TV commercial they've just released, which encourages people to use a well known rude hand gesture to order 'the bird.' After this triggers a few bar brawls they may reconsider.

The commercial also features a model whose hairstyle is right out of the 70s. What's that about? You can see it for yourself on Facebook.

The picture at top shows Master Distiller Jimmy Russell (left) and Associate Distiller Eddie Russell (Jimmy's son) christening an oversized bourbon barrel at today's official ceremony. The picture below shows a tour group from Cincinnati visiting the new facility.

Four Roses 2011 Single Barrel Limited Edition.

Referencing back to Monday's allegory, the 2011 Four Roses Limited Edition Single Barrel, released last month, is what happens when Flora gets frisky with the very wry farmer. It's what you get 12 years later, that is.

I reviewed the 2011 Four Roses Limited Edition Single Barrel here.

Meet Bill Samuels, Jr.

This summer, recently retired Maker's Mark Chairman Emeritus Bill Samuels, Jr. will conduct the bourbon tastings that conclude the Kentucky distillery's free public tours. He won't appear at every tasting (they do 39 a week), but his schedule will be posted on the Maker's Mark web site and Facebook page, so you can plan to be there when he is.

(The schedules don't appear to be up yet.)

For those of you who don't know, Bill Samuels, Jr. is a master showman, a true character. Time spent with him is never dull and always entertaining.

The tour takes visitors step-by-step through the bourbon-making process, including the milling, cooking and fermentation of grains; distillation; aging; and a look at Maker’s Mark’s unique dipping line, where every single bottle of bourbon is hand-dipped and sealed in red wax.

Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and concludes with a tasting of Maker’s Mark and Maker’s 46. Visitors also have the chance to dip their own bottle of Maker’s Mark at the gift shop.

Bill Samuels, Jr. retired earlier this year after 35 years as president of Maker's Mark Distillery. His father, Bill Samuel's, Sr., started the distillery in 1953. Maker's Mark is owned by Beam Global.

The Maker's Mark Distillery is part of the Kentucky Distillers Association's Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Fairest Rose And The Five Yeasts.

Once upon a time there was a rose, a rose so blessed with elegance and beauty that it was said she was more fair than any four ordinary roses. Her name was Fairest Rose. One day, while strolling on the forest path, Fairest Rose came to a fork in the road. Five forks, as a matter of fact.

At the foot of each fork stood a tall yeast. From the first two forks, a man and woman stepped forward. The man spoke. "Hello, I'm Herb Yeast." This is Flora Yeast and those three are Big Fruit, Little Fruit and Spicy. Here's how this works."

Herb explained that if Fairest Rose wanted to walk their paths, she would have to accompany each of them in turn. Along the way they would meet two farmers, each with a wry sense of humor, but one much more wry than the other. She would walk for a while with each of them as well.

Each walk would change Fairest Rose. Together they would complete her.

And that is how Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made.