MGP Wheated Bourbon

[mbroo5880i]

I noticed a few Indy area retailers are promoting the release of Spirit of America Bourbon. It doesn't look like anything special from a bourbon standpoint, although the producer is donating $1 to Hope4Warriors which is pretty cool. I don't know the cost but will find out soon enough.

However, what intrigued me was what I found when I researched the brand. The producer (who appears to also be looking at distilling) is up front that the source of the bourbon is MGP. Not all that unusual except this bourbon is 51% Corn, 45% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley. Since I can't recall any MGP wheated bourbons, I did a little research and found this mashbill was one of the newer mashbills they started distilling in 2013. Obviously, this is a young bourbon and the producer is upfront about it.

I am just curious. Has MGPI/LDI ever produced a wheated bourbon (e.g., prior to 2013)? Are they producing a wheated bourbon for other brands?

[The Black Tot]

Birth of a new mashbill? That sounds very exciting!

Can't say I'm on board at 2yrs of age, as you mention, but the future looks bright if this will be an option for NDPs moving forward.

[ramblinman]

A bit surprised it took them that long, and I wouldn't be surprised if they have some wheated stock aging in the 4+ yr range waiting for the right buyer and maybe waiting to get it into the OWA age range.

People were already paying special attention and talking up the wheaters when I got into bourbon and that was a few years ago now. Doesn't seem like something that would get past MGP without notice, only time will tell if they acted on it but if they did now would be exactly the time to put some out and make a premium (see weller 12 hysteria).

Edited February 28, 2015 by ramblinman

[upStomp]

That mash bill sounds very interesting. I'm putting an entry in my Outlook calendar 4 years out to remind me to check on this.

[PaulO]

I remember a post in the not too distant past. It listed several different available bourbon mash bills for MGP (including the wheat). I don't know if that means they have been making all these, and there is aged stock around. I sure would like to see a wheated MGP bourbon at 4 or more years and 90 or more proof.

[squire]

MGP announced these new mashbills a couple years back and Chuck discussed them on his blog. I don't know if they're from scratch or if MGP dusted off some old Seagram recipes but there should be some interesting products in the future.

[Harry in WashDC]

For those of you who want to read a little more about what MGP is making and selling, here's a link to their webpage describing their "beverage" alcohol products.

http://www.mgpingredients.com/alcohol/beverage/

Click on <View full product list> at the bottom of that page to see their mash bills. And, here's a link to their July 2014 press release about their "new" wheat whiskey product.

http://www.mgpingredients.com/news-and-press/news-releases/MGP-Adds-Wheat-Whiskey-to-Its-Growing-List-of-Product-Offerings-265401351.html

I didn't look through the older pages to see if they had related releases - those would have been posted under their old management when they were not as "consumer friendly" in giving us info as they are now.

Disclosure: I own a few shares of MGPI.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Harry in WashDC
typo fixing, of course

[squire]

Thanks Harry, good stuff. I noticed their web page offered custom blending of different whiskys as well as the usual offerings.

[upStomp]

I'd love to know which NDP/labels are bottling the 36% Rye and 99% Corn recipes. Alas...:hot:

[TunnelTiger]

I've often thought that MGP doesn't get enough credit for their distilling expertise. They make some fantastic ryes that can purchased at a reasonable price even after being bottled by a NDP.

[squire]

I suspect a few of these NDPs are averaging the figures of different mashbills in their blend then claiming the result as a special mashbill of their own, which of course is deceptive.

[silverfish]

I remember a post in the not too distant past. It listed several different available bourbon mash bills for MGP (including the wheat).

[Harry in WashDC]

Thanks Harry, good stuff. I noticed their web page offered custom blending of different whiskys as well as the usual offerings.

[wadewood]

They approved 3 different labels with the TTB for this. One of which says aged 2 years. Curious as to what is on actually product in stores.

[393foureyedfox]

I've often thought that MGP doesn't get enough credit for their distilling expertise. They make some fantastic ryes that can purchased at a reasonable price even after being bottled by a NDP.

[tanstaafl2]

Yeah, I noticed "Select blend whiskeys (DSS)", too, and just supposed it means they'll blend their basic offerings to order. If that's true, it might explain the anomalies in some of the mash bills for the NDP offerings we were discussing on an other thread last week (some new Colorado/Oregon whiskey? can't remember). Of course, instead of just wondering, I guess I could contact their Corporate Director of Communications. But speculating without benefit of true knowledge is SO much more fun.

EDIT - Oops. Should have read the rest of the thread before posting. Well, nothing like repeating what everybody else said.

I am pretty sure Belle Meade is or was blending the high rye and low rye bourbon MGP mashbills in their standard bottling although I have never seen that noted anywhere. Got that from one of the Nelson brothers when he was in town. The new version of HW Bourye is a blend of MGP bourbon and rye with some Barton rye thrown in for good measure.

No doubt others are doing something similar.

[t44tq]

That's interesting, because that mashbill sounds similar to Smooth Ambler Yearling. I know Yearling is a wheated bourbon- I don't know if Contradiction is using Yearling as part of their blend or if they're using the MGP wheater mashbill bourbon in there. I thought they were using Yearling......

[cowdery]

MGP did not make a wheated bourbon prior to 2013, and since the new recipes were phased in I wouldn't be sure they even got to the wheater in 2013. So, yes, any whiskey from that recipe is very young.

Prior to MGP's introduction of several new recipes in 2013, the whiskeys Lawrenceburg made were the ones made by Seagram's when most of the distillery's output was going into Seagram's blended whiskeys. Angostura didn't change anything and neither did MGP until 2013.

[Josh]

Wow, that's a very high wheat recipe. Should be interesting if nothing else!

[Chris m]

I've often thought that MGP doesn't get enough credit for their distilling expertise. They make some fantastic ryes that can purchased at a reasonable price even after being bottled by a NDP.

Agreed. A lot of hostility towards NDPs who are secretive about an LDI source seems to get misdirected at the source itself. They also don't get the credit when Willett, SA, or whoever else chooses some of their choice barrels.

[Paddy]

Agreed. A lot of hostility towards NDPs who are secretive about an LDI source seems to get misdirected at the source itself. They also don't get the credit when Willett, SA, or whoever else chooses some of their choice barrels.

[squire]

Agreed. A lot of hostility towards NDPs who are secretive about an LDI source seems to get misdirected at the source itself. They also don't get the credit when Willett, SA, or whoever else chooses some of their choice barrels.

Chris that's the perception Willett and others attempt to portray but the truth is more prosaic. MGP sells their whisky in minimum 500 gallon plastic totes and neither Willett nor anyone else gets to cherry pick individual barrels. It's a complement to MGP quality that their competent but ordinary whisky gets sold under high priced NDP labels.