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Introducing a new bourbon brand is not something any of the big distillers in Kentucky take lightly. Consider Brown-Forman, for example. They’ve done quite well with Old Forester and Woodford Reserve, so you have to imagine the surprise when it was revealed this week that a third bourbon label, Coopers’ Craft, will be joining the family as the first new label in some 20 years.
Brown-Forman Coopers’ Craft is a bourbon designed to celebrate “the company’s more than 70 years of barrel-making and wood expertise as the only major distiller that owns its own new barrel cooperage.” For those unfamiliar with Brown-Forman’s history, their in-house cooperage operation dates back to 1945. It’s given them a distinct advantage today as many scramble to find new vessels to house their new-make whiskey.
Coopers’ Craft is a non-age statement, 82.2 proof bourbon aged in “barrels raised by master coopers at the Brown-Forman Cooperage” and crafted “using a special beech and birch charcoal filter finishing process, creating a smooth and flavorful” whiskey.
“Coopers’ Craft is the result of decades of experience in mastering barrel-making and maturation techniques to create truly unique bourbons,” said Lawson Whiting, executive vice president and chief brands & strategy officer for Brown-Forman Brands, in a statement. “Owning our cooperage is a testament to this expertise and brings to life the notion that what matters most, we do ourselves.”
Plans currently call for Coopers’ Craft to be released this summer for around $29, initially appearing in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. There was no immediate word of where it would spread to after that, and there are also no tasting notes available at this moment. You can, however, swatch this short video below for a little more information on the bourbon.
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