New American Whiskey Line Celebrates Conservation, Teddy Roosevelt Style

When one looks across the annals of early American history, the name of Theodore Roosevelt easily jumps to mind. A forward thinking American president who saw the need for conservation early on, he had created what came to be known as the Boone and Crockett Club in 1887. Now a new line of whiskey out of Tennessee has been released to pay homage to this club and what’s said to be its continuing contributions to outdoor conservatorship.

The Boone and Crockett Club whiskeys, according to those behind them, include three releases – a straight bourbon, straight rye and an American blended whiskey. Here are specifics on each below, including official limited tasting notes:

• Boone and Crockett Club Straight Bourbon: 86 proof, distilled in Tennessee, aged for two years. Medium to dark amber color; smooth marzipan and tea nose; silky texture; smooth, rich with balanced spice and vanilla oak; extremely smooth at first and ends with a “Smokey Camp Fire Finish.”
• Boone and Crockett Club Straight Rye: 86 proof, distilled in Tennessee and aged for two years. Huge distinctive color; tastes of caramel, wild berries and sweet corn; superb velvety texture with a brilliantly balanced palate; finish is spicy outdoors with a “Camp Fire Smokey Finish.”
• Boone and Crockett American Blended Whiskey: uses 30% straight bourbon whiskey distilled in Tennessee and blended at 80 proof. Rich copper color; tastes of buttery pecans, dried fruit and sweet jams; outstanding consistency and outdoorsy taste; wraps up with a peppercorn and “Camp Fire Smokey Finish.”

The brand behind these three whiskeys, Prestige Imports, made no immediate mention of the distillery source which produced these bottlings. Prestige, however, is also behind the Rod & Rifle line of American whiskeys, which seem to have a similar outdoor theme.

All three Boone and Crockett Club bottlings are said to be available in Texas, Montana, Colorado, Connecticut and New York. The rye is pricing around $45 and the bourbon around $43. No price was given for the blended whiskey. For those unfamiliar with the Club, Prestige pointed to a litany of so-called accomplishments it has had a hand in, including “the establishment of our national forests and the National Forest Service; many national parks, national monuments and the National Park Service; the national wildlife refuge system; the Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; structured hunting seasons and game laws; and the funding mechanisms for conservation including the Federal Duck Stamp and Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson).”