Extra-Aged Bourbons and a Springtime Manhattan-Tini

Plus: Hunting bourbon with YouTube star Brewzle

Have you ever tried a thirty-year bourbon? This month Buffalo Trace is releasing Eagle Rare 30 (in a handblown, gold-plated crystal decanter), which joins its cousin Eagle Rare 25. There won’t be much to go around unfortunately, but if you’ve noticed more older bourbons coming out these days, there is a reason. “The industry invested heavily in production during the last big bourbon boom, and some of that inventory is now hitting those older age marks,” says Tim Heuisler, global ambassador for the James B. Beam Distilling Co., in this week’s Distilled. For our first story below, we take a look at several recent releases twenty years old and higher, and how distillers manage all that time in the oak. From the ultrarare to the ultrafun, you can also read our interview with Alabamian TJ Gamble, a.k.a. Brewzle, whose bourbon hunts around the country have turned him into a YouTube star. Angel’s Envy’s global ambassador, Angel Teta, shares a lighter spin on the Manhattan that’s perfect for spring. And here’s a good way to enjoy your vegetables—with a little bourbon of course.

Five recent releases that push the aging boundaries, and how they got there.

Take a ride with bourbon-hunting YouTube star TJ Gamble.

Angel Teta’s first forays into bartending came in the clubs of her hometown of Daytona Beach and while attending Florida State. She later took a deep dive into modern mixology while running bars in Portland, Oregon, where a distributor mentioned that an upstart distillery called Angel’s Envy was looking for a brand ambassador. Coincidence of name aside, Teta now travels broadly as the Louisville distillery’s global brand ambassador, sharing her expertise and creating cocktails. One of her favorites is this three-ingredient Manhattan-meets-martini, which includes an unexpected component in verjuice—a nonalcoholic, slightly tart juice made from unripe grapes—that brightens the silky, sophisticated sipper.

“If I had to hang my hat on a cocktail for the rest of my career, this would be it. I wanted to challenge myself to create a lower ABV, more refreshing take on the classic to celebrate the very first Manhattan Week we created at Angel’s Envy, so the Manhattan-Tini was born. While the cocktail is simple and a bit different, it feels familiar and elegant. It’s well integrated, yet each element remains distinct and you can pick out exactly what’s driving the flavor. You can also elevate the garnish in different ways to tailor the drink’s profile.”

Manhattan-Tini
1 oz. Angel’s Envy port-finished bourbon
2 oz. Cocchi Americano (Americano-style blanc vermouth)
½ oz. blanc verjuice (I prefer Fusion)
Lemon peel, for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir over ice to chill and dilute. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass or small coupe. Garnish with lemon peel.

Optional finishes: atomized citrus salt saline (4 parts water, 1 part salt) and/or 4 to 5 drops of first-press extra-virgin olive oil.

—Tom Wilmes, G&G contributor

A simple butter, bourbon, and honey glaze that lets spring vegetables shine.

Speaking of seriously old bourbon (see story above), Stitzel Reserve 31-Year-Old is drawn from just thirteen barrels distilled in 1992 and moved to stainless steel in 2024 to halt aging. The resulting 176 bottles—at a staggering 163.2 proof—are available only at the Kentucky distillery ($3,000), with tastings available in the on-site Garden & Gun Club ($350).

Blue Run Spirits takes a split approach with the first release in its Blueprint Series ($70). The 105-proof bourbon blends a wheated recipe aged in the upper reaches of its rickhouses with a more traditional recipe aged on lower floors, balancing the influence of both.

Very Olde St. Nick Immaculata, releasing tomorrow at Bardstown’s Preservation Distillery, is a supremely balanced blend of ten- and nineteen-year-old Kentucky bourbons with an eight-year, six-month wheated pot-distilled recipe made at the distillery. Master of maturation Kyle Lloyd will lead tastings of the release and its components on launch day. Look for additional releases in select markets in the coming months.

Eighth-generation James B. Beam Distilling Co. master distiller Freddie Noe pours everything he’s learned about blending into the tenth installment of the annual Little Book series. Bottled at 122.6 proof, “All the Wiser” ($160) pulls from a range of ages and expressions across the Beam portfolio.

Two American spirits traditions—rye whiskey and brandy—converge in Old Glory Kentucky Straight Rye with Laird’s Apple Brandy ($65). The 100-proof blend from Chicken Cock Whiskey, created for the nation’s 250th anniversary, includes a 30 percent portion of apple brandy from the country’s oldest licensed producer.

Reservations are open for seasonal George Washington Whiskey Tastings at Mount Vernon, with dates on Saturdays in May, June, and September. Guests tour the re-created gristmill and distillery before a guided tasting of rye whiskeys made on-site using eighteenth-century techniques. Tickets ($60) also include admission to the estate.

—Tom Wilmes, G&G contributor

Editor’s note: In our “Ask a Bartender” item in the last newsletter, Trevor Bowles should have been identified as a Louisville native who worked at various craft bars and spirits companies in Louisville before joining the G&G Club.