Name Your Bourbon...Literally

[gr8erdane]

How many of us have daydreamed of somehow opening our own distillery and putting out our own bourbon? Probably all at one time or another. So my little brain fart here is this: If you had to create your own bourbon, what would you name it and what characteristics would it have?


Personally, I'd name mine Old Taum Sauk after the highest point in the state of Missouri as I grew up very close to it and that's the area where I would build the distillery. The climate and geology is similar to that in Kentucky and the area could use an infusion of employment. Plus, it has an unusual name that would be easy to distinguish. Next it would be a wheater for certain. And finally it would be bottled at 98.7 proof (body temperature fahrenheit for you metric fellows) with a limited edition barrel proof bottling every other year. It would be bottled at 7 and 11 years old with a few barrels saved to be 21 later down the line. Finally the bottle itself would be shaped like a barrel with a plastic screw off top shaped like an Ozark Mountain Acorn.

Like I said this was just a little brain fart but I'm interested in what others would produce if given the opportunity. BTW, you don't have to build in your own area, you can build it anywhere....

[barturtle]

I've given more than a passing thought to this. While a name hasn't really been considered, a business plan has: Almost like a private club, where people are invited to come and be the master distiller(and actually be registered with the ATF for the position) and get to use their own mashbill for the batches they do (and yes, they do have to come do the work, milling, mashing, distilling, barreling and then come back and dump and figure out the right proof for the bottling) Kinda like a summer camp for adults! The spirit would be aged in half-size barrels, because I'm impatient (and because most of the people who could afford this and would be interested don't have time to waste). However my own personal mashbill would be about 82% corn, the remainder rye and barley malt, though it's likely I'd do a 4 grain...probably by dropping the rye to half and using twice that amount of wheat, it'd still be a corn heavy recipe and I'd HAVE to do a rye too. Metal warehouses, single story. With the quicker aging of the small barrels, I'd be able to start at 4 years with plenty of barrel notes and move up every 2 years through 10yo, all bottled at 107 proof. I'd avoid the tempation to do single barrels as blending from multiple locations will give me a better balanced product.

[BarItemsPlus1]

Dane this is a great thread....
I remember we touched on this in chat sometime ago

Remember this one as I do truly plan on seeing my product through to fruition - one day!!

Product Range
- 5yr - 10yr - 14yr old
- 6yr (Barley receipe) - I would like to experiment with different grains
- 12yr old Rye

Special Releases
- Limited release finished in exotic casks(port, sherry, etc, maybe even a wine cask ) probably around 15yr old
- Single barrel limited releases in the 6yr old(Barley) and 12yr old Rye

I like the Stagg bottles and the EW Single Barrel bottles. I would go for something with clean lines, no embossing and they will be waxed seal with cork tops.
I might even have the special release bottles come with a glass stopper so the bottle can be used again as a decanter

I have seen many pics of Kentucky and I really like this area, reminds me of where I grew up, so I would have my distillery around there. Depends on the water source too, as I would prefer to have a spring onsite.

[BarItemsPlus1]

Tim I too have contemplated something of this nature - your private club idea.

I would like to get a group of private investors to have not just one distillery but one in every country...
Imagine being involved in your own distillery...with like minded investors/friends of course!!
- Distillery in Russia - Vodka
- Distillery in Scotland - Scotch
- One in Ireland
- One in USA - Bourbon
And of course I would no doubt have one here!!(in Oz that is)
I think that would be enough...LOL

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

My distillery would have a range of products.

One of them would be a 100% corn whiskey. Corn and malted corn for the mashbill. Distilled in an all copper pot still, no lead soldering. (So much for historical authenticity.) It would be bottled in those 10 oz green bottles with the hillbilly with a jug that is blowing a cork through the brim of his floppy hat that I remember from my youth. Unaged, of course.
Ed

[pepcycle]

I'd name it after a spectacular State Park in Northern Kentucky

Big Bone Lick Bourbon

History, Tradition.

Now, if we could only get Clinton as a spokesperson.

[chasking]

I read a book once where the author mentioned "Old Life Insurance". I always thought that was a great name for a whiskey.

[bluesbassdad]

Taciturn sort that I am, I found that one to be a true coffee-spitter.

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield

[bluesbassdad]

I haven't a clue as to the product line-up and profiles. However, the name(s) would have to reflect my love of dogs.

Pit Bull Pride -- "The lovable bourbon that won't let go."

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield

[dougdog]

Well Dane…

After recently touring the Willett’s Distillery on my last trip to Kentucky and past visit to the Old Taylor and the Old Crow distillery sites, I have fallen in love with Kentucky, so I guess I’d have to move there to make my dream distillery come true. I would like to bring an old distillery back to life. The history and heritage of some of the old places has a certain seductive romance to me. So I’d probably just leave the product name up to history of the site.

The Labels on my product would be derived from Rawson & Evans style period artwork, circa 1870 to 1910. My bottles would be “flask” shaped and/or similar to the yellow/amber “Strathisla” Scotch bottles. (Jim Murray writes about these) They would have screw tops, no cork, thus allowing for longer periods of storage and extended stays in the bunker. The labels would have a place for hand numbering, proof/ABV, (at barrel strength of course), barrel number, distillation date, bottling date, and an age statement.

My interest would be in making single barrel editions of a straight Rye, a straight Corn and a straight Barley whiskey. OK, I’d have a Bourbon too, but others do so well at that I could easily leave that up to them, unless I did one that was pure pot stilled. (No wheat bin in this house) Overhead start-up costs would be lower due to the fact that there would not need to be any cash outlay for a chill-filtration unit, nor would it be necessary to have an expensive holding tank for DI water. (HeHee)

There would be a visitor’s center with a tour that would include benches for extended stays around the fermenters, a barrel opening ritual in the back of one of the warehouses to thief out a sample of raw whiskey, and for the weary travelers, cot rentals for a summertime nap amongst the maturing barrels and the associated smells. Outdoors, the picnic area and Gazebo would be situated down wind for the occasional waft of the distillery fragrances, kind of an “Aroma Therapy” program. Cigar smokers would also be able to access this area to enjoy a glass of good whiskey whilst enjoying their favorite stogie.

In my dream I had lots of money too!