September is Bourbon Heritage Month and RNDC is proud to introduce our inaugural Beyond the Bourbon program highlighting several exceptional bourbon brands from our portfolio. Did you know that bourbon is the fastest-growing whiskey and dark spirit in the US? Our Bourbon Heritage Month program will promote bourbon education for experienced bourbon drinkers and entice new bourbon drinkers to the category.
As we continue to lead in digital innovation, we have built an interactive digital experience for consumers to learn the ins and outs of bourbon making, gain insights into bourbon tasting profiles and see custom-crafted Spirit Forward and Spirit Light cocktails to create and enjoy at home. Take our quiz to find your perfect bourbon by either scanning the QR code or CLICK HERE to get started.
Our charity partner for Beyond the Bourbon is Kiss the Ground, who for the past 11 years, has become a leading voice in raising awareness for regeneration through storytelling, education, and advocacy. Kiss the Ground believes that regenerative agriculture is a viable solution to combat the climate, water, and health crisis. Learn more about Kiss the Ground on their website.
Breckenridge
The Breckenridge Distillery is the “World’s Highest Distillery.” Founded in 2008, the Breckenridge Distillery is most widely known for its blended bourbon whiskey, a high-rye mash American-style whiskey. Breckenridge Bourbon is one of the most highly awarded crafted bourbons; 4x winner of Best American Blended (2016, 17, 18, and 2019) from the World Whiskies Awards and Bourbon of the Year in 2011 at the Int’l Wine & Spirits Competition, and 2019 Colorado Distillery of the Year at the New York Int’l Spirits Competition. In 2018, Breckenridge Distillery won the coveted Icons of Whisky for Brand Innovator of the Year.
Profile Notes: Deep, honey-amber hue with pronounced aromas of butterscotch, candied orange, and apple; dry cacao and brown sugar envelop the tongue as the spirit lingers with notes of vanilla and white pepper.
Brother’s Bond
Brother's Bond Bourbon is a relatively new brand co-founded by actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley. Inspired by their relationship on screen and their love for bourbon, they decided to take on a new venture—Brother’s Bond. Their bourbon is made to be enjoyed with friends and family, with the added bonus of sustainability. The “brothers” are so dedicated to making a different whiskey they have made it a priority to harvest their grains via regenerative agriculture. This type of agriculture doesn’t rely on oil like industrial agriculture does. Instead, regenerative agriculture focuses on keeping topsoil healthy.
Profile Notes: Elegant and exceptionally smooth. Complex & balanced taste with a touch of sweetness and spice. Color: Sunset Gold; On the Nose: Baked banana bread, ripe tree fruit, walnuts, orange honey, warm rye spice; Body: Balanced, round, and velvety smooth; Taste: Toasted cereal grain, honeysuckle, dried fruit, black tea, spice; Finish: Fresh cut oak Length of finish: 1:30 min.
Four Roses
Four Roses has been perfecting the art of quality and consistency for years and has used that guiding principle to develop their ten signature recipes. Made from the combination of two mash bills and five proprietary yeast strains, each has its own balance of spice, fruit, and nuance.
The Four Roses legacy dates back to 1888 with a man named Paul Jones Jr., who moved his successful business to Louisville, Kentucky, where he opened an office in a section of historic Main Street called “Whiskey Row”. He trademarked the name Four Roses four years later, claiming production and sales back to the 1860s. In 1922, the Paul Jones Company purchased the Frankfort Distilling Company. Along with this purchase came the rights to sell Four Roses as a medical whiskey during Prohibition. Thus, making Four Roses one of the few bourbon brands to survive Prohibition.
Profile Notes: On the Nose: Mellow spice, rich fruit, hints of sweet oak and caramel; On the Palate: mellow, ripened red berries, fried spice, well-balanced, rich; Finish: Soft, smooth, and pleasantly long
Peerless
Originally operating as Worsham Distilling Company, Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company began in Henderson, Kentucky in the early 1880s. In 1889, Peerless Whiskey production began to flourish under the leadership of the entrepreneur, and their ancestor, Henry Kraver. Kraver wasted no time making upgrades to machinery and investing in additional warehouses that eventually became U.S. Federally Bonded following the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. Thus, the production of Peerless whiskey rose from eight to over two hundred barrels a day.
Through the early 1920s, the Peerless federally bonded warehouses were used for whiskey storage under the armed protection of the U.S. Government. During Prohibition, Peerless product was one of the few available by prescription for medicinal use. The original Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. was Distilled Spirits Plant (DSP) number 50.
The Peerless distillery is now a state-of-the-art facility with innovative technology, making it one of the most automated distilleries. All under one roof, select Kentucky Peerless grains are milled, cooked, fermented, double-distilled, barreled, and bottled as bourbon and rye whiskey.
Profile Notes: Unlike rye, which features more hay and pepper, Peerless Bourbon is rooted in fruits, florals, and oaks. The nose features citrus, cedar, and honeysuckle as well as a nice balance of spicy oak. The first sip is that of caramel and toasted oak before a multitude of notes from around the flavor wheel show up on the palate. The finish showcases an enduring duel between sweet and spicy notes as citrus, florals, and sweet oak struggle for dominance against dry cocoa, cinnamon, and spicy oak. The result is an amazing whiskey that should be fascinating for everyone from beginners to connoisseurs.
Rebel
Back in 1849 when everyone else was using a rye mash bill, Rebel Bourbon pioneered wheat-based bourbon. And it’s this award-winning wheated recipe that continues to defy trends today. Rebel Bourbon is unapologetically original and brazenly bold.
But don’t let its rough edges fool you. Rebel Bourbon whiskey goes down smooth, whether you prefer it neat, on the rocks, or mixed.
Looking for a spirit as rebellious as yours? You’ve met your match.
Profile Notes: Don’t be fooled by the sweet aroma up front. It’s hot on the tongue with bold sweet caramel and vanilla notes and has a warm dry finish. The wheat that is in the mash bill plays nicely with the corn for that sweet flavor and aroma.
Remus
If you were looking for the finest bourbon of the Prohibition era, you were looking for Remus. Today, the award-winning Remus Bourbon is inspired by that legendary giggle water, with a hint of vanilla, maple aroma and sweet-yet-characteristic rye flavor. It’s the perfect addition to your speakeasy or liquor shelf.
In the 1920’s, if baseball had Ruth, bourbon had Remus. Pharmacist, successful attorney and King of the Bootleggers, Remus used his pharmaceutical and legal expertise to find loopholes in the Volstead Act that allowed him to dispense his juice to the masses for “medicinal purposes.” Carefully crafted at the historic Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana – just miles from Cincinnati where Remus ran his Prohibition empire – each bourbon is made to meet the uncompromising standards Remus’ bourbon was famous for during his reign.
Profile Notes: Aroma: Sweet with notes of maple and vanilla; Taste: A hint of vanilla and a sweet, high rye flavor; Finish: Smooth, long finish, giving way to the subtle vanilla sweetness.
Uncle Nearest
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is the most awarded bourbon and American whiskey of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. It has garnered over 550 awards and accolades since the brand’s 2017 launch, including 65 Best in Class honors such as: “World’s Best” by World Whiskies Awards, two “Chairman’s Trophies” from Ultimate Spirits Challenge, “Spirit Brand of the Year” from Wine Enthusiast, “Top 5 Whiskies in the World” by Cigar & Spirits Magazine, multiple “Platinums” and “Double Golds” by SIP Awards, four “Double Golds” at the SF World Spirits Competition, as well as “Best American Whiskey” and “Whisky of the Year.”
Profile Notes: A complex nose of maple, vanilla, cherries, black pepper, almond cookies, dried straw, and coconut pudding. The palate is pleasantly spicy, complemented by notes of caramel and brown sugar, marzipan, chocolate-covered cherries and Crème Brule with a touch of coconut. The finish is long and rich, with a lingering flavor of spiced honey. Due to the blending of different mash bills in this expression to consistently produce the most delicious whiskey, there will be slight variation in the flavor profile of Uncle Nearest 1856 from batch to batch.
Join us in celebrating these brands by stocking up on these bottles and exploring their uniquely crafted recipes found in our Beyond the Bourbon cocktail book created by our Beverage Marketing Team.
Enjoy responsibly, Cheers!