Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon recently “returned home” as it made its US debut. It is said to be the first Kentucky Bourbon to be both ocean-aged (on a six-week trip across the Atlantic) and then further matured in barrels in England.
Never Say Die is “truly” small-batch with just 2,750 bottles per run of its six year old barrels. Despite its English finishing point, it is still very much a Kentucky bourbon—made with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley, and aged around five years in a Kentucky rickhouse before being shipped to age another year in England.
“When we set out to create Never Say Die, we always knew we wanted to be experimental with the aging process and challenge the traditional Bourbon-making process.” said Never Say Die Co-Founder Brian Luftman. “The contrasting climatic conditions of this journey combined with the increased agitation of the liquid as it makes its Atlantic voyage result in a distinctive and pronounced flavor profile that really is beyond its years.
Never Say Die is inspired by the legendary racehorse of the same name who was born on Co-Founder Pat Madden’s family farm in Kentucky. The horse was revived as a sickly newborn foal by a lucky shot of whiskey; just three years later, in 1954, he went on to become the first American-born horse to win the Derby at Epsom in 70 years, in front of a crowd that included Queen Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill.
“Kentucky is the epitome of both Bourbon and horse racing, so we are really excited to be marrying the two and showcasing to the rest of the world the incredible things that Kentucky has to offer,” said Never Say Die Co-Founder Pat Madden. “Never Say Die is our interpretation of the American dream and our chance to honor the memory of our namesake racehorse; celebrating his fascinating legacy that saw him not only overcome adversity on my family farm in Kentucky but then go on to win the Epsom Derby in front of Queen Elizabeth II and help shape rock and roll history as we know it.”
A woman in Liverpool named Mona Best fell in love with the story of Never Say Die (the horse) and pawned all of her jewelry to literally “bet it all” at odds of 33-1 on the victorious Epsom Derby Race. With her new fortune, she founded a new music venue, the Casbah Coffee Club, and took another risk, this time on a then-unknown band called The Quarrymen (now famously known as The Beatles) which was made up of her son, Pete and his friends John, Paul and George, buying them new instruments and offering them their very first gigs, shaping rock and roll history forever.
Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon is currently available online at Seelbachs.com and across Kentucky in premium liquor stores, bars and restaurants. $69.95
