Stitzel-Weller to Reopen

[tmckenzie]

well, the sun was shining on it and I walked by and happened to see a small leak right in the middle of a stave in the head. I figured it would seal itself, as they usually do for me. Checked it a few hours later and it was a good leak. I will see if I can get a pic of it. I called mcginnis wood in Misourri, who made the barrel and asked them what to do. They said take a chisel and tap it on each side of the leak with a hammer. It seems to have worked. They usually do it with cedar wedges they said and are sending some with my next load. Damn leak smelled mighty good though.

[emr454]

Was it a barrel of bourbon or rye?

Eric

[tmckenzie]

wheated bourbon. 6 months old.

[clingman71]

Mmm, wheat. Whose wheat is it? How long will it age?

[Bourbon Boiler]

Was there enough loss that the remaining bourbon could age "differently" with a higher barrel surface area to volume ratio? I'm always curious at different sources of variation in the aging process.

[tmckenzie]

It was the wheated bourbon we make a small amount of at Finger Lakes Distilling. It was in a heavy char chinkapin barrel. The big barrels we are putting up, around 12 a month soon, we hope to sit on for 4 years till we even touch them. We have some bourbon that is getting close to 3 that is really good. It did not loos enough to effect aging. However I have found that if you leave a little headspce the barrel ages better. One of my theories is that the reason older is better is that a headspace develops over time and that causes more oxidation which is what really changes the whiskey. So why not start with a little headspace?

[clingman71]

Is this a different bourbon than the one on the website finished in chardonay barrel? I saw the bourbon and the rye listed, is there a third?

[tmckenzie]

the bourbon and rye that is out now is from 10 gallons barrels. We are phasing out small barrels. We will probably keep our chardonnay fishing for the bourbon and sherry for the rye.

[clingman71]

So what is the time frame for seeing the wheated bourbon bottled?

[tmckenzie]

probably a year out for the first of it.

[callmeox]

Any word on when the Bulleit tours will start?

I would love to see the old S-W.

[jburlowski]

I attended the VIP Open House at the "Bulleit Experience at Stitzel-Weller" last night. Diageo has coverted much of the original office space into a visitors' center. The "experience" is pretty typical: posters detailing the history of bourbon, S-W, and Bulleit bourbon; barrels, bottles and other artifacts; a video on bourbon and the making of Bulleit; and a tasting room. Also got to see Pappy's old office which is now occupied by Tom Bulleit.

All very nicely done but not a whole lot for the enthusiast. Other than the visitor center the only building we were allowed to tour is the old cooper shop where they repaired leaky barrels. Everything else is locked up tight and closed to the public. We were able to roam around the grounds a bit (security guard said not to.... but didn't make an effort to stop us). The warehouses are in good shape (and in use) but the other buildings --- not so much.

While they didn't rule it out, Bulleit and the Diageo folks were studiously non-commital about any future expansion of the "experience".

[jburlowski]

More S-W open house pics:

[jburlowski]

And some more S-W pics:

[jburlowski]

A couple more S-W pics:

[jburlowski]

Here's the site map (low quality on the original)"

[Bourbon Boiler]

Thanks for the pics and the review. Doesn't sound like it's enough to plan a trip around, but I get to the area often enough that I'll find an excuse to stop by when it's really up and going.

[shoshani]

As for the yeast, Seagram's always talked about its yeasts being proprietary and Kirin is obviously using those yeasts, but Diageo in the sale may have retained the right to use them too. If not, you could probably come very close with an off-the-shelf yeast. Remember too that LDI, also formerly Seagram's, is using that yeast. Proprietary doesn't mean exclusive.

Just a thought, I wonder how similar those yeasts actually are to each other. Presuming that both distilleries use traditional wet yeast, it is possible that the strains have mutated ever so slightly due to local microorganisms. How well guarded would yeast have to be to prevent diversion between ostensibly the same yeast strains used in different locations?

[barturtle]

Just a thought, I wonder how similar those yeasts actually are to each other. Presuming that both distilleries use traditional wet yeast, it is possible that the strains have mutated ever so slightly due to local microorganisms. How well guarded would yeast have to be to prevent diversion between ostensibly the same yeast strains used in different locations?

Probably quite identical. During Prohibition most every yeast strain every brewery and distillery used was cataloged and preserved. To keep the beer(both beer for drinking and beer for distilling) from changing, the yeast, even if the plant claims to propagate on premises, is regularly repitched from dry, lab grown yeast. If left alone too long the wild yeast will begin to infiltrate and ruin the beer.

[tmckenzie]

I would imagine that the distilleries keep slants an can maintain the same qualitie of the yeast over time with ease. I do know that with time yeast will mutate if you sre just adding new mash to it to keep it alive.

[cowdery]

Glad somebody got in. I was mysteriously uninvited at the last minute. Was it something I said?

FYI, it's not open to the public. "yet."

[Young Blacksmith]

Bumping this one for anyone who makes it to the sampler and has some free time to go check it out.

It was not open, and there were no signs or any indication there was a Bulleit experience coming soon when I visited in December. The gates to SW were locked at 3 with no people in sight. Not even an entrance designated for visitors, just the main truck entrance and what I presume is the main gate.

Seeing as most distilleries close up for visitors around 2/3pm it may have just been too late.

If you look at the site map provided by jburlowski the main truck entrance is evac/assembly 1, the entrance I took a photo by is evac/assembly 2. The gazebo looked nice....

[cowdery]

I've been offered a peak. We'll see if it happens. But it definitely is not open to the public, and I hesitate to add the word 'yet' because nobody at Diageo is giving any indication that it ever will be.

If you're in Louisville, SW is good for a drive-by, but that's about it.

[JayMonster]

I've been offered a peak. We'll see if it happens. But it definitely is not open to the public, and I hesitate to add the word 'yet' because nobody at Diageo is giving any indication that it ever will be.

If you're in Louisville, SW is good for a drive-by, but that's about it.

I am not sure this qualifies as "Diageo giving any indication," but iaccording to episode 345 of WhiskyCast, Tom Bulleit's Bulleit Bourbon is aged at Stitzel-Weller now, and he'll explain Diageo's plans to open at least part of the grounds to the public as The Bulleit Experience.

Granted there was no time frame given, but Tom seemed to think it would be within the next 2 years.

[Brisko]

I am not sure this qualifies as "Diageo giving any indication," but iaccording to episode 345 of WhiskyCast, Tom Bulleit's Bulleit Bourbon is aged at Stitzel-Weller now, and he'll explain Diageo's plans to open at least part of the grounds to the public as The Bulleit Experience.

Granted there was no time frame given, but Tom seemed to think it would be within the next 2 years.

Wow, this is almost as much information as we got from the first post on the thread.:skep: