That was the simple-but-profound goal that led to his father’s development of Maker’s Mark, Bill Samuels Jr. said Tuesday night during a tasting at Westport Whiskey & Wine in Louisville (below). Most bourbons in the old days were fiery and…

Louisville’s Hometown Heroes program honored Brown-Forman founder George Garvin Brown on Tuesday, Sept. 6, with the unveiling of this three-story mural at 122 W. Main St., in the heart of what was once Louisville’s Whiskey Row. Brown was the first distiller to bottle his…

Happy Birthday to George Garvin Brown. The founder of Old Forester Bourbon and Brown-Forman Corp. was born Sept. 2, 1846, and in his honor, Brown-Forman has released a limited-edition Old Forester Birthday Bourbon every year since 2002. Each of these bourbons…

For the fourth straight year, Gov. Steve Beshear today declared September “Bourbon Heritage Month” in the commonwealth of Kentucky, which produces 95 percent of the world’s bourbon. (The other 5 percent, he has quipped, is counterfeit.) “This has been a…

I heard some woman comment that you don’t need ice for bourbon, and it’s strong and powerful, and people want to be, I guess, mellow. Dominick Tutrone, owner of Henry Street Wines & Liquors in Brooklyn, who had nearly sold…

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2011 Mingling of four recipes, aged between 11 and 13 years Barrel strength; this sample, 111 proof Aroma: Floral notes, toasted oak, caramel, nutmeg Taste: Brown sugar, honey, chocolate, hints of spice and apricot…

Last night I broke the seal on a Jim Beam decanter That looks like Elvis… “The King Is Gone (And So Are You)” – George Jones

I once had the great good fortune to participate as Chris Morris, master distiller for Woodford Reserve, created two Personal Selections for Bluegrass Hospitality Group. We started with 10 samples, narrowed that to four, combined those into six new blends and finally…

If you’re just beginning to explore the wide world of bourbon, you may be a little intimidated. What’s the best way to get started? I asked Peggy Noe Stevens, the world’s first Master Bourbon Taster and the founder of the…

This week, Maker’s Mark ambassadors received a packet of 32 stickers to affix to checks at restaurants and bars to help promote Maker’s 46, the distillery’s first new product in more than 50 years. Half of the stickers congratulate establishments…