Lux Row Distillers on the rise of American whiskey

The Spirits Business has partnered with Lux Row Distillers to auction a barrel of Rebel Bourbon for Ukraine. We learn more about this unique cask…

“People may be fortunate enough to find a ‘barrel pick’ bottle in market. However, most of the bottles from barrel picks are often reserved for loyal customers or exclusive offerings by prominent whisky shops,” notes Greg Mefford, international sales director at Luxco, parent company to Lux Row Distillers. “It’s pretty rare for a whole barrel pick to go into a general sale. It’s certainly not something I’m aware of happening before, and although the reasons for this barrel going to auction are very sad, hopefully it’ll help generate funds for people who need aid.”

Last week, The Spirits Business announced its partnership with Lux Row Distillers to auction a barrel of Rebel Bourbon. All proceeds raised from the sale will be donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Ukrainian supermarket chain Silpo had personally picked a barrel of Rebel Bourbon to be bottled and sold at its stores in Ukraine. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Silpo was no longer able to sell the barrel, and the retailer and Lux Row came to a mutual agreement to end the agreement, with no money exchanging hands. The Rebel Bourbon barrel pick has now been donated to The Spirits Business for auction.

The winning bidder will receive between 200-240 750ml bottles of Rebel Bourbon, which will sit at 56.5% ABV. The barrel will be bottled and shipped in September 2022.

A conservative reserve price of £5,000 (US$5,967) has been set for the auction, with the retail value of these barrel picks usually topping £8,000 (US$9,550).

More about the barrel

Mefford offers greater insight into the ‘barrel pick’ initiative.

“Each year Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky, allocates Rebel Bourbon barrels for customers around the world,” he explains. “The chosen hand-picked barrel is then bottled at 113 proof [56.5% ABV], as part of our Rebel Distiller’s Collection, with every bottle coming from the same, single barrel and bottles labelled with the name of the customer.”

This particular barrel that is up for auction is an American white oak charred barrel (char #3). The Bourbon has been resting in the barrel for four years, and was made with the same mash bill as the original wheated Rebel Bourbon: 68% corn, 20% wheat and 12% malted barley.

With its higher ABV, Mefford says the Bourbon delivers a “longer, warmer finish, which really accentuates the sweet honey and vanilla notes of Rebel”.

Rising popularity of American whiskey

American whiskey is on the up; producers across the US are investing heavily to expand their production capacity to ensure they can accommodate future demand. Earlier this month, Pernod Ricard established a dedicated American whiskey arm to boost its portfolio. Data from trade body the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (Discus) shows American whiskey volume sales in the US have risen from 16 million nine-litre cases in 2011 to 29.7m cases in 2021.

Elsewhere in the category, in April this year, Kentucky-based Bardstown Bourbon Company unveiled a US$28.7m expansion plant to grow its distilling capacity by 50% by 2024. The group then acquired fellow Kentucky distiller Green River Spirits for an undisclosed amount in early July.

Lux Row Distillers is also pursuing expansion plans, as demand for its whiskey portfolio continues to grow.

“Global demand is growing as consumers continue to discover the diversity of Bourbon offerings,” Mefford says. “To keep up with this growth, Lux Row Distillers is expanding to allow for a 24-hour-day operation, which will help boost annual production by 75%. The completed project will have 10-barrel warehouses at capacity and an additional 43-foot custom copper still, which will give Lux Row the ability to distil more than 50,000 barrels of whiskey annually.”

Mefford notes how interest in American whiskey really spans a variety of styles: higher ABVs, rye whiskeys, single barrel offerings, and more.

“We’re seeing a lot of new appreciation for American whiskeys, and especially across Europe,” he adds. “Higher-proof finishes, age statements, single barrel and limited edition Bourbon and ryes are attracting the attention of consumers who may not have previously given much thought to what American whiskey distilleries have to offer.

“This is exciting because these more premium and exclusive whiskeys are creating something of a rabbit hole for people who want to jump in and find out what else is on offer.”

The Rebel Bourbon ‘barrel pick’ auction will end on Friday 29 July. Here are further details on the barrel and how to bid.