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W.L. Weller CYPB: Bourbon by the People, for the People

By Sam Slaughter Mar 29, 2018 2:00 PM

Buffalo Trace WL Weller CYPB — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In any bourbon drinker’s life, there comes a time when they inevitably (spurred on by at least a few fingers’ worth of the stuff) say that they want to make their own bourbon. They’ll spout grandiose plans replete with beautiful Vendome stills, kick-ass bottle labels, and all the bourbon you could ever drink. No talk of the long hours and the hard labor it takes to make a quality product, but hell if you’re drinking a lot who wants to think about the hard stuff?

Most, obviously, never follow through (damn you real world!). Starting in November 2015, though, about 100,000 bourbon drinkers got to — at least, theoretically — try their hand at “crafting” their own bourbon.

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It was back then that Buffalo Trace launched their “Craft Your Perfect Bourbon” website, more or less in jest as a way to educate consumers about their whiskey. Once on the site, you were able to determine the grain recipe, watch that recipe go through the distilling process, determine where in the warehouse it would be aged, how long it would age, and the ultimate proof of the bourbon when it would be ready to bottle.

In total, 100,239 people crafted a bourbon recipe. According to Buffalo Trace, an overwhelming number of those eager crafters made a wheated bourbon that would be aged for eight years. That bourbon would be aged on the top floor of the warehouse and bottled between 90 and 99 proof.

And what did Buffalo Trace do with all this data? Well, they made a damn bourbon with it, of course. They named the resultant whiskey W.L. Weller CYPB, short for — you guessed it — Craft Your Perfect Bourbon.

The whiskey will be a limited release, but Buffalo Trace will introduce a new bourbon every year, starting this summer. The suggested price is $39.99 for a 750mL, but seeing as it’s a Weller, don’t be surprised if you don’t see that exact price when you get to the store.

Not able to find this limited release? You could always take a little trip down to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and see if you can find some down there (or just pick up these value options from Buffalo Trace).

Classic London dry gins to add to your collection

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When many drinkers think about gin, they are likely to envision traditional London dry gin. That’s because, like the West Coast IPA when it comes to IPAs, the London dry gin is the standard for the spirit style.

While I love a nice glass of whiskey (or a whiskey-based cocktail), the summer months were made for the pine and botanical flavors of London dry gin. This juniper-forward version is also the perfect choice for cocktail enthusiasts (in drinks like the iconic G&T, Gin Gimlet, Negroni, and more) because of its piney, botanical flavor profile, which pairs perfectly with citrus and other summery flavors. Today, I’m going to take a deep dive into this popular gin variety.

Old Forester’s new bourbon is reaching char levels we can only dream about

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Old Forester, the Louisville, Kentucky brand that bills itself as America’s first bottled bourbon, just released the newest entry in its 117 Series: Triple Char Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky.

The milestone here isn’t only the char — at least, not entirely. It’s also that Triple Char is the first Old Forester expression made entirely from whiskey distilled at the brand’s Main Street distillery.

Herradura is bringing back its 110-proof tequila, the strongest it’s ever made

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How high in ABV can a mass-market tequila get? Herradura is looking to find out, with the return of Directo de Alambique, an unaged, still-strength expression bottled at 110 proof at Casa Herradura in Amatitán, Jalisco.

The tequila first appeared in 2012 as a small-batch experiment and developed a cult following among collectors before disappearing. The brand says the 2026 return comes after years of requests from drinkers hunting down old bottles.