Indiana whiskey country is known to many folks for the presence of MGP. There are a number of craft distilleries in this state, however, as we chronicled a bit on last year. One of these outfits, Spirits of French Lick, has just unveiled its first bourbon offering.
The Lee Sinclair, according to those behind it, is a four grain bourbon that is named after a prominent Indiana businessman. Spirits of French Lick was very forthcoming in releasing information on the behind the scenes of this release, so here is the explanation in their own words:
The bourbon is built on a four-grain mash bill comprising of corn, wheat, oats, and caramel malt. Fermentation was completed by using two unique and proprietary strands of yeast. This process focuses on the flavor profile which is the sweet and mildly fruity elements of the grain. The Lee W. Sinclair bourbon was double pot distilled on small pots. The distillation cuts were catered to the nature of the grains and aging requirements.
The distillate was matured in #2 Char New American Oak Casks. The barrels were first given a medium toast, including the heads, and then the spirit entered into the cask at 105 proof. Kelvin Cooperage of Louisville Kentucky provided the barrels from air cured staves. The staves were charred using wood left over from the coopering process, as opposed to gas fires. Maturation took place within the barrel Chai or cellar in the old Kimball Piano warehouse, where the distillery has resided for a full two years. The Lee Sinclair was slowly proofed down over a period of two weeks to avoid saponification.
“Everything that went into making this spirit was carefully planned for and executed,” said distiller Alan Bishop in a prepared statement. “Although this Bourbon was produced using a lot of unique methodology, it is all firmly rooted in the history of distillation.”
Plans call for the bourbon to be made available in Indiana and perhaps online sales as well. No immediate price was mentioned.
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