Kentucky bourbon distilled by Fred Noe, a seventh-generation master distiller at Jim Beam, includes some bourbon aged in wine and sherry casks, a technique more typical of the Scottish Highlands than of Bluegrass Country.
Mendenhall and his team start by soaking new American oak chips in a commercially available 120-proof bourbon aged nine years.
Following the release of Bob Dylan's Heaven's Door whiskey range in April 2018, the brand has just announced the highly limited Tenessee Straight Bourbon aged for 10 years.
SMOOTH AMBLER OLD SCOUT TEN BOURBON (aged at least 10 years, 50% ABV, $70).
Unlike their own wheater, this Old Scout Single Barrel is a high-rye job — 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley (the mashbill must be at least 51% corn to qualify as bourbon), aged for 11 years and bottled at cask strength.
The Van Winkle brand includes bourbons aged 10, 12, 15, 20 and 23 years, with the younger ones more moderately priced: Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year sells for about $39 in stores.
The High West bourbon is a blend of three different varieties, two Kentucky bourbons aged for 6 and 13 years, and 2-year-old liquid from Indiana.
The first two bottlings are bourbons aged in the legendary Stitzel-Weller warehouse.
KNOB CREEK SMOKED MAPLE BOURBON (age not stated, 45% ABV, $32).
