We asked Bill Hockett, Distiller at Dayton Barrel Works Artisan Distillery to tell us a little about their upcoming new whiskey release and celebration. Here’s what he shared with us:
To help celebrate our one-year anniversary at Dayton Barrel Works (we released our spirits on Election Day 2020), we are releasing something special and unique. The release will coincide with a bourbon event to take place on November 20th to showcase not only our spirits but also our newly opened event center and roof top bar. This special release is a blend that we put together using 5yr old 21% rye bourbon and 4yr old 95% rye rye whiskey. We took two barrels of each and finished the spirits in former Colombian rum barrels. These barrels started their life as Jack Daniels barrels some 30 years ago before going to be used for rum until earlier this year, so they offered a tremendous amount of flavor.
After four months in the rum casks, we blended the bourbon and rye together to create a spirit with wonderful rye spice and a balanced but very present sweetness. The corn in the bourbon and the molasses from the rum create a rich sweetness that coats the pallet and lingers for a very long luxurious finish. Almost reminiscent of a gingerbread cookie, but at 100 proof!
The event on November 20th will be open to ticketed guests from 12pm-3pm and feature 40+ bourbons and various other spirits from a multitude of producers including: New Riff, Widow Jane, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Uncle Nearest, Calumet, George Remus, Rossville Union and many others.
Distillery reps, distillers, and blenders from several of the above brands will be on site to talk about their products. Tickets for the event are available at Dayton Beer Company and Dayton Barrel Works, with General Admission costing $50 and VIP tickets costing $75.
Our Distillers Blend will be limited to only approximately 800 bottles and will retail for $57.50, plus those who purchase at the event can have them signed by myself and assistant distiller Andrew Zaret.