July 17, 2025 • 19 mins
In this jam-packed episode, Clifton dives into the latest bourbon headlines — from Buffalo Trace’s mysterious E.H. Taylor Jr. Distiller's Council release to A. Smith Bowman’s award-winning rye and Starlight’s 10-Year debut. But the main event? A first sip of the brand-new Louisiana Senator Bourbon, a bold 8-year whiskey from the creators of Kentucky Senator, crafted in collaboration with Potter Jane Distillery.
Is this small batch release the next cult classic? Tune in for a Byte-Sized Review and find out what makes this one unforgettable.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Today on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Buffalo Trace releases an E.H. Taylor special edition that's
(00:05):
been in the works since 1996, A. Smith Bowman wins big as IWC's top American whiskey, and Starlight
releases their first ever 10-year bourbon. Plus, I have a Byte-sized review of Louisiana Senator Bourbon.
(00:29):
Hello everyone and welcome to the Bourbon Bytes Podcast. My name is Clifton and today is the week
of Thursday, July 17th. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.
We have a lot of fun news coming to us from across the bourbon industry, including a review of a
whiskey that is the first of its kind, so I'm really excited for today's episode. But before
(00:52):
I get into it, I did want to make a comment regarding something I said during last week's
podcast that was pointed out to me by none other than Tony Bagadonuts, who is of course a long-time
viewer and listener of the show, and I just wanted to address it because I realized that
I probably should have done a little more research before commenting on the Guadalupe
(01:13):
release from Garrison Brothers. Of course, this is named after a river in Texas, as I mentioned,
and I mentioned that it is considered one of Texas's most beautiful rivers. Unfortunately,
I didn't realize that it was actually one of the ones that was most affected by the record flooding
that's happening in Texas right now. Of course, I did mention the flooding, but I realized it
(01:34):
could have came off a little bit out of touch by saying, oh, it's so beautiful, and then not
immediately mentioning the flooding after. So, sorry about that. I'm sorry I'm not super familiar
with my Texas geography, but as I mentioned last week, the sales of that bottle do go towards a
good cause, helping an organization that's dedicated to the conservation of the Gulf Coast,
(01:56):
and I'm sure they have a huge part in what's happening with the relief efforts there right now.
So yeah, just wanted to address that just in case that came across as a bit insensitive. It was more
of just a lack of knowledge of the geography of the state of Texas. But that doesn't mean we don't
have more news this week, including a brand new release from Buffalo Trace. I know we all get a
(02:18):
little excited, and then we immediately get let down when we realize that we probably won't ever
see it in our lifetimes. But this is the release of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Distillers Council.
It's a limited edition, ultra-premium Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, and this one's really
exciting because it's their attempt at recreating what bourbon was most likely like during the 19th
(02:41):
century. So this story goes back to 1996, when they had a group of bourbon visionaries, as they
called them, and retired George T. Stagg distillery craftsmen. They met up to create the world's best
whiskey. They tried a sampling of more than 30 whiskeys across a range of ages, mash bills, and
proofs, but one of them cut through the others. And throughout this, they were looking to kind of
(03:04):
find the flavor profile that they most associated with the way that history has shaped bourbon,
especially at their distillery. Now they're a bit vague with how they achieved this, which I guess
is probably intentional, but they do say that the production process remains nearly identical to
that of the 1880s, both with the grains in the mash bill and the fermentation process.
(03:27):
Now as with all E.H. Taylor products, this is bottled at 100 proof, but it does come in a really
cool decanter that's modeled after a 1950s era old Taylor glass. Now this is going to be a national
release, of course in limited quantities, but it's available nationwide at retail stores, restaurants,
and bars starting this month. Now the suggested retail price on this is $1,499.99.
(03:51):
Now there's not any info here necessarily regarding age. It does say that this was, of course,
crafted back in 1996, so I'm assuming it's that old. It's really hard to tell based on this
information, and like I said, it's probably intentionally vague. I don't know whether they
distilled it back in 96, or they maybe vatted this release from back then. I don't really know
(04:15):
the full story of it. I would love to learn more and know more about it. Unfortunately, I'm probably
not going to get my hands on a bottle, but I just thought it was cool to see a new release. This
actually marks the 14th release in the E.H. Taylor lineup, joining things like the infamous Warehouse
C Tornado Surviving Bottle, the Four Grain, Warehouse C, all these fun releases that
(04:38):
are rarely available. But there is an interesting piece of information here at the end. It does
say in fall of this year, E.H. Taylor will join the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection as the
collection's first bottled-in-bond product. Now I don't know, is that knowledge? Is that
common knowledge? I recall there being discussions of a revamp to the BTAC line, but I can't remember
(04:59):
it being E.H. Taylor. Maybe I'm just misremembering, but it will be bottled-in-bond, so that makes me
think it's going to be an older aged E.H. Taylor. I don't think it's going to be this release,
I think it's going to be a new release that's going to come out as part of the regular
antique collection line. So very curious to see what that is. Like I said, I would love to learn
more about this release. If you guys know anything else about it, maybe things like age and things
(05:20):
like that, feel free to leave a comment on the podcast or shoot me a message on Discord. I'm
very curious, love the look of the bottle, it's gorgeous, but I just feel like they're being
intentionally vague with the press release on what actually is in the bottle, but they know
it's going to sell, because right, it's Buffalo Trace, everything sells. Speaking of things selling,
the 2025 International Whiskey Competition just named their top whiskey of the year. I actually
(05:47):
have family members reaching out to me about this, asking if I had a chance to try it. I have not,
I have tried a product from this distillery, but not this particular release, but man do I want to.
Of course, this whiskey was A. Smith Bowman's Cask Strength Rye,
batch number four. It is the top American whiskey in its category, with a score of 97.01 points.
(06:09):
Now this is a limited edition release produced by Virginia's oldest operational distillery.
This bold uncut whiskey came within 0.03 points of winning whiskey of the year. So it was the
top American whiskey, and it seems likely that I would have felt similarly, because this comes in
at nearly 140 proof. It's 139.7 proof, so almost considered hazmat. The bottle's technically only
(06:35):
around $100. Now it's available mostly via lottery, or you know, if you just know someone to
get it. Unfortunately, it's not out here in Southern California, at least that I can see.
I see a few resellers that have a bottle, but especially with it winning the top American
whiskey, it's not gonna be available anytime soon. But I do love seeing a rye winning this,
especially one from a distillery that's not, you know, the standard. It's about time that
(06:57):
something new hit those, hit those marks. So congratulations to the folks at A. Smith Bowman.
I've only tried their bourbon. I didn't know they even had a rye, honestly. So this is only
batch four of it, so maybe there's other batches I can keep an eye out for. But man, that sounds
fantastic at that high proof. I'm sure it's not going to be for everyone being, you know, nearly
hazmat, but it definitely sounds like a bottle that I'd love to get my hands on. You know what I
(07:22):
also want to get my hands on? Starlight Distillery's first ever 10-year-old bourbon. This is launching
later this month on July 26th. It's going to be their inaugural release, aged in Napa Cooperage
barrels, and it's matured in the warmest warehouse section, supposedly bringing out the most
amplified aroma and body. They're hosting an event at the distillery on the 26th. They say this isn't
(07:43):
just another bourbon, it's a reflection of our family's legacy and the land we've farmed for over
180 years. That's coming from Christian Huber, who is the seventh generation distiller at Starlight
Distillery. Starlight's one of those brands that I feel like I hear pop up every now and then, but
they're not that available, at least in my area. I looked to see which ones we have in at least my
(08:05):
local stores, and I saw they have like a honey barrel release where they do a honey finish, but
Starlight just in general is not something I see out here, and I'm wondering if it's maybe just
more of a regional thing. I'm curious what you guys see in your areas, because I'm looking right
now just to see if maybe certain other stores have it. I see that you can buy it at Seelbach's,
which does ship around the country, so there are places to get it, but it's just not, I don't see
(08:27):
it on the shelves out here, at least in Los Angeles in my area, but it seems like they have a ton of
releases. I'm looking at Seelbach's, and it looks like they have like a bottle and bond bourbon,
some barrel strength releases, some picks. Not bad pricing either, around like $60 to $70 for their
picks. Most of those are finished, so that's kind of why they're a little bit
(08:47):
higher priced. I see that they have their regular Napa Cabernet barrel finished at $70. That one's
coming in at six years old. It's part of their collaboration series. I imagine it's probably
similar to this special release, just quite a bit younger than the 10-year age statement that we're
seeing at the distillery-only release. Now, if you are in the area, this is going to go on sale
(09:10):
starting at 10am on July 26th at their distillery in Borden, Indiana. That's something I feel like
I miss out the most on by living in Southern California, is there's all these really cool
product release events in Kentucky, and unfortunately, I'm not able to make them,
so I have to rely on the kindness of viewers of the channel or listeners to the podcast
(09:32):
to ever try samples of these, but I do appreciate this community. You know, I got a comment on one
of my older podcast episodes just the other day, and they're saying, like, why would you live in
California? I think I was complaining. It was during an episode when I was talking about the
rolling blackouts when we had wildfires out here, and they were like, no other state in the country
has rolling blackouts. I wanted to leave a smart-ass response, but at the same time, I'm like,
(09:55):
I get it. If you don't live out here, you may just see all the fires in the news and you hear
these things about blackouts. Well, first of all, that didn't happen. I've not lived through one of
those, and I've lived out here since 2018. There's just always the possibility that if they're trying
to conserve energy to put out fires, there may be without power for a short while. To me, I get it.
(10:16):
I understand, but I think there's so many more benefits to living in California than to let that
be the reason that you're like, why would you live in California? And it's not even like that there
aren't other natural disasters that happen in every other state of the country. Yes, we may get
wildfires and blackouts, but I mean, at least we don't deal with, you know, tornadoes or hurricanes,
at least as often as other parts of the country. Not to compare, but it's like every area has their
(10:40):
natural disasters. We have earthquakes out here too. But yeah, asking why would I choose to live
in California? Because it's amazing weather 99% of the year. It's where my industry is, my day job.
I could go on and on about why I love living in California. A lot of people say "West Coast,
Best Coast". Growing up on the East Coast, I will say I do miss the warmer waters swimming on the
(11:03):
East Coast, but I will say the beaches out here are beautiful. The seafood, the culture, the people.
Man, there's so much to love about California. And to let something like the rolling blackouts
be your reason to question why I would live in this state is a bit crazy. So that's my response
to that question. I could have gone on a whole tangent about it, but I'll leave it at that. I do
(11:24):
love living in California, but I do miss out on some of these limited edition bourbon releases in
Kentucky. So I guess that's one reason not to live in California, but I'll live with it. All
right. Well, that does it with the main news stories for this week. There is one more that
I'm associating with this review that I'm about to do. It's a new product that just came out,
so I'll be sharing the news about it and giving it a Byte-Sized Review.
(11:54):
So I'm really excited about this bourbon. It's an expansion of a brand that I've kind of
grown to love over recent years. Previously, Kentucky Senator has made its spot on many of my
top whiskey lists of the year. It is a very small team based in Kentucky. One of the co-founders is
Damon Thayer, who is a former Kentucky Senator, hence the name. But they have a new product,
(12:17):
and they're calling this Louisiana Senator. It's funny, it's kind of an expansion beyond the typical
releases. Now, this still is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey that's just named after Louisiana
Senator Huey P. Long, and he actually was Louisiana's governor from 1928 through 1932,
and a U.S. Senator from 1932 until he was assassinated in 1935. Now, this is the first
(12:39):
in a three-part vertical series coming out over the next two years. This will feature an eight-year,
a nine-year, and a ten-year-old bourbon. It's coming in at 107 proof with a mash bill of 78%
corn, 13% rye, and 9% malted barley. This is going to be a limited release of just 1,000 bottles,
including both a small batch and a single barrel option. And the one that they actually sent me
(13:01):
today for this review is the small batch release, so shout out to Kentucky Senator spirits, or shall
we say Louisiana Senator, and I'm excited to give this a try. Now, as with the Kentucky Senator
releases, we don't necessarily know the distillery this is from. The mash bill, you can kind of do some
research and kind of see that there's a good chance it may be associated with a very famous,
(13:22):
nutty Kentucky distillery, but no confirmation there. We just know that it is a small batch
Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. I recently reviewed the newest Kentucky Senator release,
I think on my YouTube channel, if I remember correctly, so I'll probably need to do a side-by-side
at some point of Louisiana Senator versus Kentucky Senator, but today's going to be a first impression
review where I just give my initial thoughts. Let's go ahead and get that poured. Now, what I
(13:48):
think is the most exciting part of this particular release is it was a collaboration with Denny Potter
and Jane Bowie of Potter Jane Distillery in Springfield, Kentucky. Now, this is a relatively
new distillery, but with a lot of history behind the two names. Both Denny and Jane left Maker's Mark
previously back in 2022. Jane was the head of blending and Denny Potter was the master distiller
(14:12):
and they started their own company. So this is the first time I'm actually hearing of something
that they've been working on. I know they've been up to a lot of fun things over the past couple
years. I know my friend Todd Cooper, who is a Byte Club member and supporter of the channel,
went to their panel at the New Orleans Bourbon Festival last year and really enjoyed it. So
I haven't had a chance to meet them, but it does sound like a really fun new venture for them. And
(14:36):
this is the first time I'm trying something that I think that they've had a hand in. So that's why
I'm most excited for this one. Let's give it a nose. Oh, wow. That is a really dark. I mean,
it's very oaky up front, but there's a bit of a nuttiness to it, kind of like I hinted at before,
but it's definitely not a really sweet like peanut or anything. It's definitely really dark and rich,
(14:59):
like almost like a almond. I think of almonds as more of like a darker note, at least on the nose.
Now they say that this whiskey was named after Senator Long because he was bold, unapologetic,
and unforgettable, just like this bourbon. And based on the nose, I definitely get it. It's
definitely more intense, at least than I remember the Kentucky Senator being. I don't remember it
being this really dark, dark note, but again, I have to do it side by side to really do a comparison.
(15:22):
I also got to say I love the gold and purple on the bottle. It definitely screams Louisiana.
Just a nice tribute there. Nice change from the Kentucky Senator, traditional colors. Now,
in addition to it being so dark and rich on the nose, there is something that's kind of making me
think it's going to have a bit of like a butter element to it. I don't know if it's more of like
a kind of like a savory note or just I guess something that's implying that it's going to be
(15:44):
creamy. So many things to make my mouth water. I'm going to go in for a taste. Cheers. Oh,
interesting. Definitely unique. Hmm. That's a that's a flavor profile I feel like I haven't
gotten in a while or ever. It is indeed nutty. You know, the first thing that comes to mind
is like a Boston Baked Beans, the candy, which is like a peanut with like a sugar coating.
(16:06):
But it's not sweet. That's what's interesting. It's like it has some tasting note elements of
like a candy, like a like a candy covering of something, but not the sweetness, which is kind
of interesting to say. But it does have the flavor profile of the Boston Baked Beans candy.
And I'm looking at what flavor those are supposed to be because I've just always associated them
with just, you know, tastes like Boston baked beans. It says they're just made of sugar,
(16:29):
peanuts and corn syrup. So very similar. It is a roasted peanut, though. So maybe that's
what I'm getting with that darkness is like a roasted nuttiness to it. So that's kind of
what's standing out to me the most. But there's a hint of like that candy coating, but not in a
sweet way. I don't really know how to describe it. I guess it's just like a hint of like a vanilla,
just like a little bit of vanilla, but again, not sweet, very dry on the palate. And you can tell
(16:52):
that there's some age on this bourbon. I mean, it's eight years old. It does taste like an eight
year old bourbon, I would guess even older. Now that is the minimum age in this. It is a small
batch blend. So there's a good chance there's some older bourbon in here as well. I can see
the standing up really well in like an old fashioned. I think, you know, combining with
some simple syrup and some bitters will really bring out that darkness to it and kind of enhance
(17:12):
it even further. What a unique bourbon. It makes me really excited for, of course, other Kentucky
and Louisiana Senator releases. But not only that, just other releases from the Potter Jane
Distillery. Now, it's exciting to see that they're going to continue working on Kentucky
Senator Bourbon and future releases of Louisiana Senator. It's a multi-year collaboration between
that distillery and Kentucky Senator Bourbon, and it's one that I'm very, very excited to see.
(17:37):
Now, also on the website, you can find even more information about each of the senators
featured on these bottles. I'm seeing that one cool thing about Huey P. Long is he used to hand
out free school books by the truckload while he was senator, as well as had a part in building
the nation's tallest state capitol. So lots of fun history facts. If you're a history buff,
I mean, you're going to love this brand. They really do highlight these figures throughout
(17:59):
history. But not just that. They also produce amazing bourbon. So check them out. KYSenatorBourbon.com
You can also follow them on Instagram @KentuckySenatorBourbon. All right.
Well, that does it for this week's episode. Thank you all so much for listening in. Always fun to
share the latest and greatest whiskey news with you all. If you have suggestions for a story,
(18:20):
feel free to post on our discord server. If you're not yet on our discord server, why not?
It's a great community of whiskey loving friends. You can find out more information at
BourbonBytes.com. That's also where you can join our Byte Club, which is our members only program,
your way of supporting the channel and getting really cool exclusive benefits for doing so.
For as little as two dollars a month, you can support the channel. But it's here's like the
(18:42):
five dollars here. You get access to our movie night. The ten dollar tier gets you access to
after party hangouts after every Thursday night live stream, including tonight's
and the 50 dollars here, which gets you access to our monthly live sample kit and private tasting
along with myself and some other people at that tier. Really cool, fun, intimate small group
experience. So if you have any questions, you can reach out to me at bourbon bites on wherever you
(19:06):
follow on social media. By the way, if you're not yet following, I'm on Instagram, TikTok,
YouTube, of course, and wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to follow,
Leave a comment, leave a five star rating if you can. Seriously, all this really does help
out the channel. And maybe you can help negate some of those comments like the ones that ask
why I live in California. But thank you all so much for listening. This has been the Bourbon
(19:27):
Bytes Podcast, a whiskey podcast with an 80s twist. I'm Clifton. Cheers. And I'll talk to you
guys next episode.
Today on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, Buffalo Trace releases an E.H. Taylor special edition that's
(00:05):
been in the works since 1996, A. Smith Bowman wins big as IWC's top American whiskey, and Starlight
releases their first ever 10-year bourbon. Plus, I have a Byte-sized review of Louisiana Senator Bourbon.
(00:29):
Hello everyone and welcome to the Bourbon Bytes Podcast. My name is Clifton and today is the week
of Thursday, July 17th. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.
We have a lot of fun news coming to us from across the bourbon industry, including a review of a
whiskey that is the first of its kind, so I'm really excited for today's episode. But before
(00:52):
I get into it, I did want to make a comment regarding something I said during last week's
podcast that was pointed out to me by none other than Tony Bagadonuts, who is of course a long-time
viewer and listener of the show, and I just wanted to address it because I realized that
I probably should have done a little more research before commenting on the Guadalupe
(01:13):
release from Garrison Brothers. Of course, this is named after a river in Texas, as I mentioned,
and I mentioned that it is considered one of Texas's most beautiful rivers. Unfortunately,
I didn't realize that it was actually one of the ones that was most affected by the record flooding
that's happening in Texas right now. Of course, I did mention the flooding, but I realized it
(01:34):
could have came off a little bit out of touch by saying, oh, it's so beautiful, and then not
immediately mentioning the flooding after. So, sorry about that. I'm sorry I'm not super familiar
with my Texas geography, but as I mentioned last week, the sales of that bottle do go towards a
good cause, helping an organization that's dedicated to the conservation of the Gulf Coast,
(01:56):
and I'm sure they have a huge part in what's happening with the relief efforts there right now.
So yeah, just wanted to address that just in case that came across as a bit insensitive. It was more
of just a lack of knowledge of the geography of the state of Texas. But that doesn't mean we don't
have more news this week, including a brand new release from Buffalo Trace. I know we all get a
(02:18):
little excited, and then we immediately get let down when we realize that we probably won't ever
see it in our lifetimes. But this is the release of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Distillers Council.
It's a limited edition, ultra-premium Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, and this one's really
exciting because it's their attempt at recreating what bourbon was most likely like during the 19th
(02:41):
century. So this story goes back to 1996, when they had a group of bourbon visionaries, as they
called them, and retired George T. Stagg distillery craftsmen. They met up to create the world's best
whiskey. They tried a sampling of more than 30 whiskeys across a range of ages, mash bills, and
proofs, but one of them cut through the others. And throughout this, they were looking to kind of
(03:04):
find the flavor profile that they most associated with the way that history has shaped bourbon,
especially at their distillery. Now they're a bit vague with how they achieved this, which I guess
is probably intentional, but they do say that the production process remains nearly identical to
that of the 1880s, both with the grains in the mash bill and the fermentation process.
(03:27):
Now as with all E.H. Taylor products, this is bottled at 100 proof, but it does come in a really
cool decanter that's modeled after a 1950s era old Taylor glass. Now this is going to be a national
release, of course in limited quantities, but it's available nationwide at retail stores, restaurants,
and bars starting this month. Now the suggested retail price on this is $1,499.99.
(03:51):
Now there's not any info here necessarily regarding age. It does say that this was, of course,
crafted back in 1996, so I'm assuming it's that old. It's really hard to tell based on this
information, and like I said, it's probably intentionally vague. I don't know whether they
distilled it back in 96, or they maybe vatted this release from back then. I don't really know
(04:15):
the full story of it. I would love to learn more and know more about it. Unfortunately, I'm probably
not going to get my hands on a bottle, but I just thought it was cool to see a new release. This
actually marks the 14th release in the E.H. Taylor lineup, joining things like the infamous Warehouse
C Tornado Surviving Bottle, the Four Grain, Warehouse C, all these fun releases that
(04:38):
are rarely available. But there is an interesting piece of information here at the end. It does
say in fall of this year, E.H. Taylor will join the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection as the
collection's first bottled-in-bond product. Now I don't know, is that knowledge? Is that
common knowledge? I recall there being discussions of a revamp to the BTAC line, but I can't remember
(04:59):
it being E.H. Taylor. Maybe I'm just misremembering, but it will be bottled-in-bond, so that makes me
think it's going to be an older aged E.H. Taylor. I don't think it's going to be this release,
I think it's going to be a new release that's going to come out as part of the regular
antique collection line. So very curious to see what that is. Like I said, I would love to learn
more about this release. If you guys know anything else about it, maybe things like age and things
(05:20):
like that, feel free to leave a comment on the podcast or shoot me a message on Discord. I'm
very curious, love the look of the bottle, it's gorgeous, but I just feel like they're being
intentionally vague with the press release on what actually is in the bottle, but they know
it's going to sell, because right, it's Buffalo Trace, everything sells. Speaking of things selling,
the 2025 International Whiskey Competition just named their top whiskey of the year. I actually
(05:47):
have family members reaching out to me about this, asking if I had a chance to try it. I have not,
I have tried a product from this distillery, but not this particular release, but man do I want to.
Of course, this whiskey was A. Smith Bowman's Cask Strength Rye,
batch number four. It is the top American whiskey in its category, with a score of 97.01 points.
(06:09):
Now this is a limited edition release produced by Virginia's oldest operational distillery.
This bold uncut whiskey came within 0.03 points of winning whiskey of the year. So it was the
top American whiskey, and it seems likely that I would have felt similarly, because this comes in
at nearly 140 proof. It's 139.7 proof, so almost considered hazmat. The bottle's technically only
(06:35):
around $100. Now it's available mostly via lottery, or you know, if you just know someone to
get it. Unfortunately, it's not out here in Southern California, at least that I can see.
I see a few resellers that have a bottle, but especially with it winning the top American
whiskey, it's not gonna be available anytime soon. But I do love seeing a rye winning this,
especially one from a distillery that's not, you know, the standard. It's about time that
(06:57):
something new hit those, hit those marks. So congratulations to the folks at A. Smith Bowman.
I've only tried their bourbon. I didn't know they even had a rye, honestly. So this is only
batch four of it, so maybe there's other batches I can keep an eye out for. But man, that sounds
fantastic at that high proof. I'm sure it's not going to be for everyone being, you know, nearly
hazmat, but it definitely sounds like a bottle that I'd love to get my hands on. You know what I
(07:22):
also want to get my hands on? Starlight Distillery's first ever 10-year-old bourbon. This is launching
later this month on July 26th. It's going to be their inaugural release, aged in Napa Cooperage
barrels, and it's matured in the warmest warehouse section, supposedly bringing out the most
amplified aroma and body. They're hosting an event at the distillery on the 26th. They say this isn't
(07:43):
just another bourbon, it's a reflection of our family's legacy and the land we've farmed for over
180 years. That's coming from Christian Huber, who is the seventh generation distiller at Starlight
Distillery. Starlight's one of those brands that I feel like I hear pop up every now and then, but
they're not that available, at least in my area. I looked to see which ones we have in at least my
(08:05):
local stores, and I saw they have like a honey barrel release where they do a honey finish, but
Starlight just in general is not something I see out here, and I'm wondering if it's maybe just
more of a regional thing. I'm curious what you guys see in your areas, because I'm looking right
now just to see if maybe certain other stores have it. I see that you can buy it at Seelbach's,
which does ship around the country, so there are places to get it, but it's just not, I don't see
(08:27):
it on the shelves out here, at least in Los Angeles in my area, but it seems like they have a ton of
releases. I'm looking at Seelbach's, and it looks like they have like a bottle and bond bourbon,
some barrel strength releases, some picks. Not bad pricing either, around like $60 to $70 for their
picks. Most of those are finished, so that's kind of why they're a little bit
(08:47):
higher priced. I see that they have their regular Napa Cabernet barrel finished at $70. That one's
coming in at six years old. It's part of their collaboration series. I imagine it's probably
similar to this special release, just quite a bit younger than the 10-year age statement that we're
seeing at the distillery-only release. Now, if you are in the area, this is going to go on sale
(09:10):
starting at 10am on July 26th at their distillery in Borden, Indiana. That's something I feel like
I miss out the most on by living in Southern California, is there's all these really cool
product release events in Kentucky, and unfortunately, I'm not able to make them,
so I have to rely on the kindness of viewers of the channel or listeners to the podcast
(09:32):
to ever try samples of these, but I do appreciate this community. You know, I got a comment on one
of my older podcast episodes just the other day, and they're saying, like, why would you live in
California? I think I was complaining. It was during an episode when I was talking about the
rolling blackouts when we had wildfires out here, and they were like, no other state in the country
has rolling blackouts. I wanted to leave a smart-ass response, but at the same time, I'm like,
(09:55):
I get it. If you don't live out here, you may just see all the fires in the news and you hear
these things about blackouts. Well, first of all, that didn't happen. I've not lived through one of
those, and I've lived out here since 2018. There's just always the possibility that if they're trying
to conserve energy to put out fires, there may be without power for a short while. To me, I get it.
(10:16):
I understand, but I think there's so many more benefits to living in California than to let that
be the reason that you're like, why would you live in California? And it's not even like that there
aren't other natural disasters that happen in every other state of the country. Yes, we may get
wildfires and blackouts, but I mean, at least we don't deal with, you know, tornadoes or hurricanes,
at least as often as other parts of the country. Not to compare, but it's like every area has their
(10:40):
natural disasters. We have earthquakes out here too. But yeah, asking why would I choose to live
in California? Because it's amazing weather 99% of the year. It's where my industry is, my day job.
I could go on and on about why I love living in California. A lot of people say "West Coast,
Best Coast". Growing up on the East Coast, I will say I do miss the warmer waters swimming on the
(11:03):
East Coast, but I will say the beaches out here are beautiful. The seafood, the culture, the people.
Man, there's so much to love about California. And to let something like the rolling blackouts
be your reason to question why I would live in this state is a bit crazy. So that's my response
to that question. I could have gone on a whole tangent about it, but I'll leave it at that. I do
(11:24):
love living in California, but I do miss out on some of these limited edition bourbon releases in
Kentucky. So I guess that's one reason not to live in California, but I'll live with it. All
right. Well, that does it with the main news stories for this week. There is one more that
I'm associating with this review that I'm about to do. It's a new product that just came out,
so I'll be sharing the news about it and giving it a Byte-Sized Review.
(11:54):
So I'm really excited about this bourbon. It's an expansion of a brand that I've kind of
grown to love over recent years. Previously, Kentucky Senator has made its spot on many of my
top whiskey lists of the year. It is a very small team based in Kentucky. One of the co-founders is
Damon Thayer, who is a former Kentucky Senator, hence the name. But they have a new product,
(12:17):
and they're calling this Louisiana Senator. It's funny, it's kind of an expansion beyond the typical
releases. Now, this still is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey that's just named after Louisiana
Senator Huey P. Long, and he actually was Louisiana's governor from 1928 through 1932,
and a U.S. Senator from 1932 until he was assassinated in 1935. Now, this is the first
(12:39):
in a three-part vertical series coming out over the next two years. This will feature an eight-year,
a nine-year, and a ten-year-old bourbon. It's coming in at 107 proof with a mash bill of 78%
corn, 13% rye, and 9% malted barley. This is going to be a limited release of just 1,000 bottles,
including both a small batch and a single barrel option. And the one that they actually sent me
(13:01):
today for this review is the small batch release, so shout out to Kentucky Senator spirits, or shall
we say Louisiana Senator, and I'm excited to give this a try. Now, as with the Kentucky Senator
releases, we don't necessarily know the distillery this is from. The mash bill, you can kind of do some
research and kind of see that there's a good chance it may be associated with a very famous,
(13:22):
nutty Kentucky distillery, but no confirmation there. We just know that it is a small batch
Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. I recently reviewed the newest Kentucky Senator release,
I think on my YouTube channel, if I remember correctly, so I'll probably need to do a side-by-side
at some point of Louisiana Senator versus Kentucky Senator, but today's going to be a first impression
review where I just give my initial thoughts. Let's go ahead and get that poured. Now, what I
(13:48):
think is the most exciting part of this particular release is it was a collaboration with Denny Potter
and Jane Bowie of Potter Jane Distillery in Springfield, Kentucky. Now, this is a relatively
new distillery, but with a lot of history behind the two names. Both Denny and Jane left Maker's Mark
previously back in 2022. Jane was the head of blending and Denny Potter was the master distiller
(14:12):
and they started their own company. So this is the first time I'm actually hearing of something
that they've been working on. I know they've been up to a lot of fun things over the past couple
years. I know my friend Todd Cooper, who is a Byte Club member and supporter of the channel,
went to their panel at the New Orleans Bourbon Festival last year and really enjoyed it. So
I haven't had a chance to meet them, but it does sound like a really fun new venture for them. And
(14:36):
this is the first time I'm trying something that I think that they've had a hand in. So that's why
I'm most excited for this one. Let's give it a nose. Oh, wow. That is a really dark. I mean,
it's very oaky up front, but there's a bit of a nuttiness to it, kind of like I hinted at before,
but it's definitely not a really sweet like peanut or anything. It's definitely really dark and rich,
(14:59):
like almost like a almond. I think of almonds as more of like a darker note, at least on the nose.
Now they say that this whiskey was named after Senator Long because he was bold, unapologetic,
and unforgettable, just like this bourbon. And based on the nose, I definitely get it. It's
definitely more intense, at least than I remember the Kentucky Senator being. I don't remember it
being this really dark, dark note, but again, I have to do it side by side to really do a comparison.
(15:22):
I also got to say I love the gold and purple on the bottle. It definitely screams Louisiana.
Just a nice tribute there. Nice change from the Kentucky Senator, traditional colors. Now,
in addition to it being so dark and rich on the nose, there is something that's kind of making me
think it's going to have a bit of like a butter element to it. I don't know if it's more of like
a kind of like a savory note or just I guess something that's implying that it's going to be
(15:44):
creamy. So many things to make my mouth water. I'm going to go in for a taste. Cheers. Oh,
interesting. Definitely unique. Hmm. That's a that's a flavor profile I feel like I haven't
gotten in a while or ever. It is indeed nutty. You know, the first thing that comes to mind
is like a Boston Baked Beans, the candy, which is like a peanut with like a sugar coating.
(16:06):
But it's not sweet. That's what's interesting. It's like it has some tasting note elements of
like a candy, like a like a candy covering of something, but not the sweetness, which is kind
of interesting to say. But it does have the flavor profile of the Boston Baked Beans candy.
And I'm looking at what flavor those are supposed to be because I've just always associated them
with just, you know, tastes like Boston baked beans. It says they're just made of sugar,
(16:29):
peanuts and corn syrup. So very similar. It is a roasted peanut, though. So maybe that's
what I'm getting with that darkness is like a roasted nuttiness to it. So that's kind of
what's standing out to me the most. But there's a hint of like that candy coating, but not in a
sweet way. I don't really know how to describe it. I guess it's just like a hint of like a vanilla,
just like a little bit of vanilla, but again, not sweet, very dry on the palate. And you can tell
(16:52):
that there's some age on this bourbon. I mean, it's eight years old. It does taste like an eight
year old bourbon, I would guess even older. Now that is the minimum age in this. It is a small
batch blend. So there's a good chance there's some older bourbon in here as well. I can see
the standing up really well in like an old fashioned. I think, you know, combining with
some simple syrup and some bitters will really bring out that darkness to it and kind of enhance
(17:12):
it even further. What a unique bourbon. It makes me really excited for, of course, other Kentucky
and Louisiana Senator releases. But not only that, just other releases from the Potter Jane
Distillery. Now, it's exciting to see that they're going to continue working on Kentucky
Senator Bourbon and future releases of Louisiana Senator. It's a multi-year collaboration between
that distillery and Kentucky Senator Bourbon, and it's one that I'm very, very excited to see.
(17:37):
Now, also on the website, you can find even more information about each of the senators
featured on these bottles. I'm seeing that one cool thing about Huey P. Long is he used to hand
out free school books by the truckload while he was senator, as well as had a part in building
the nation's tallest state capitol. So lots of fun history facts. If you're a history buff,
I mean, you're going to love this brand. They really do highlight these figures throughout
(17:59):
history. But not just that. They also produce amazing bourbon. So check them out. KYSenatorBourbon.com
You can also follow them on Instagram @KentuckySenatorBourbon. All right.
Well, that does it for this week's episode. Thank you all so much for listening in. Always fun to
share the latest and greatest whiskey news with you all. If you have suggestions for a story,
(18:20):
feel free to post on our discord server. If you're not yet on our discord server, why not?
It's a great community of whiskey loving friends. You can find out more information at
BourbonBytes.com. That's also where you can join our Byte Club, which is our members only program,
your way of supporting the channel and getting really cool exclusive benefits for doing so.
For as little as two dollars a month, you can support the channel. But it's here's like the
(18:42):
five dollars here. You get access to our movie night. The ten dollar tier gets you access to
after party hangouts after every Thursday night live stream, including tonight's
and the 50 dollars here, which gets you access to our monthly live sample kit and private tasting
along with myself and some other people at that tier. Really cool, fun, intimate small group
experience. So if you have any questions, you can reach out to me at bourbon bites on wherever you
(19:06):
follow on social media. By the way, if you're not yet following, I'm on Instagram, TikTok,
YouTube, of course, and wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to follow,
Leave a comment, leave a five star rating if you can. Seriously, all this really does help
out the channel. And maybe you can help negate some of those comments like the ones that ask
why I live in California. But thank you all so much for listening. This has been the Bourbon
(19:27):
Bytes Podcast, a whiskey podcast with an 80s twist. I'm Clifton. Cheers. And I'll talk to you
guys next episode.
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