Blaum Bros. Distilling Co. recently announced the release of its Straight Bourbon Whiskey to coincide with its fifth anniversary.
It is said to be the oldest craft distilled Illinois bourbon readily available in decades, aged a minimum of four years in 53-gallon barrels made from oak that has been air dried for 18-24 months.
“We could’ve taken shortcuts to bring a product to market sooner, but we’re in this for the long haul,” ,” says Mike Blaum, Blaum Bros. co-founder and chief distiller. “A four-year-old bourbon is pretty old for a craft distillery, but it’s the youngest whiskey you’ll ever see from us moving forward. We’re proud of all the work we’ve done on this product, and even more excited about the future.”
Blaum Bros. Straight Bourbon Whiskey (4 YO) is a 100 proof whiskey made from 72 percent corn, 23 percent rye and five percent malted barley. Grains include non-GMO corn and rye sourced from a single farm in Illinois. It is the result of two brothers’ goal of producing a “legit and bonafide bourbon whiskey” when they co-founded the distillery in 2013.
“We’re so excited to release this Illinois Bourbon Whiskey, using Illinois grains and using traditional production techniques,” says co-founder, CEO and distiller, Matt Blaum. “Far from a distillery trying to quickly crank out a product with small barrels, we’re trying to pay homage to the rich distilling history of our great state.”
Based in Galena, Illinois, this independent family-owned distillery includes a retail shop and tasting room that welcomes over 125,000 visitors annually. Offering several 45-minute tours daily ($10 per person; under 14 free), the Blaums show visitors how craft distillery selects the best grains available in the local area and abroad, then hand crafts spirits by meticulously controlling the entire process — from the milling of the raw grains, to the mashing, fermentation, and distillation on their custom-made copper stills.
Now available in Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Wisconsin, the Blaum Bros. Straight Bourbon Whiskey (4 YO) is available for $49.99.
