Georgia Straight Bourbon Whiskey question

[Enoch]

Picked up a bottle of Winwood "Georgia Straight Bourbon Whiskey" Viking Distillery, Albany, GA from the 70s. States distilled and bottled in Georgia. 90 proof. Has anyone heard of this? Also got "Old Setter" straight bourbon from Lansdowne, MD and Beams Choice 8 year with no proof state. All had tax stamps.

[tmckenzie]

I saw the winwood on ebay. I would really like to try some. If I am not mistaken, and I bet Chuck can correct me, I do not know who originally started that distillery or why, but that is where Georgia Moon originated. At some point Barton bought it, and used it to produce bourbon for blends and gns. Jim Murray wrote in the 90's that is produced bourbon using local corn and rye, and used enzymes instead of malt. He said the stuff was good. I was asked to look at the place a few years ago. Constellation had sold it off, and a company out of Florida had bought it to produce ethanol for oranges. It must not have worked and was back on the market. I did not do it because I was tied up, but I told the realtor that it would be great with the market for whiskey like it is and the availabilty of good local grain, thet it would be a good place to make bourbon again. Not the mention the climate for aging. If you have any extra, i would love some.

[sailor22]

Viking has/had a sign out front that read "Georgia's First Legal Distillery". Last I heard it was still on the market but I haven't been by there in a year.

I think you might like the Old Setter when you open it, I find it's an enjoyable pour. Nothing big or complex but pleasant with a good helping of brown sugar and a slight burn to balance. It reminds me of some of the older Old Taylor but a little thinner and brown sugar where the Taylor has butterscotch. The Setter I have is 90 proof.

I have a tax stamped Beam that says aged 8yrs but it has 90 proof listed twice it also says "charcoal filtered". Looks like '88 on the bottom of the bottle. Plenty of the typical Beam wet cardboard taste in this one.

[Enoch]

All three of these are amazingly good. I'm going back in the next couple of weeks and see if they have any more Winwood. I think they did but as I had never heard of it and it was about $18 a handle I figures it might be nasty and didn't look that close. I was actually more interested in an Eagle Rare 101 handle with a pouring stand she had but she wouldn't sell it. The Beam's Choice doesn't taste anything like modern Beam products.

[cowdery]

Everything tmckenzie wrote is correct so far as I know. The Florida company was actually a Florida subsidiary of Angostura, which prior to the financial crash was flush with money and buying distilleries all over the place.

What they make from oranges, I believe, is not ethanol per se but what is called 'blending spirit,' which somehow (I don't understand the chemistry) helps GNS blend with water to make vodka.

But finding a straight bourbon made there is a nice get. I'll be curious to hear what you think of it.

Sazerac owns and is using the Lansdowne, MD, facility for bottling. It recently renamed it Barton.

[T Comp]

The Beam's Choice doesn't taste anything like modern Beam products.

I'll second that based on a Beam's Sour Mash Black Label (101 months-90 proof) from the late '70s that tastes rich, rummy, licorice filled and little yeast flavor. The bonded Beam's from the '60s are also quite good and different from anything they put out today. LikeItWaSsodaPop just did a nice write up on a Beam from 1959, in the collectibles section, that was spot on.

[jcg9779]

Picked up a bottle of Winwood "Georgia Straight Bourbon Whiskey" Viking Distillery, Albany, GA from the 70s. States distilled and bottled in Georgia. 90 proof. Has anyone heard of this? Also got "Old Setter" straight bourbon from Lansdowne, MD and Beams Choice 8 year with no proof state. All had tax stamps.

[sailor22]

I agree with you that the Old Setter is a good pour. Not sure about amazing. It isn't at all complex or particularly well balanced but it has a deep brown sugar taste similar in nature to the butterscotch taste in the Old Taylors.