Shortbarrel has announced the nationwide release of its flagship Shortbarrel Four Grain Straight Bourbon.
The four to five-year-old wheated bourbon was created as a blend from the company’s inventory of barrels and showcases the talents of Co-Founder and Master Blender Clinton Dugan, who sourced barrels from both Wilderness Trail (64% corn, 24% wheat and 12% malted barley) and Green River (70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley). Through blending these two mash bills, he created a final profile featuring the core four American Whiskey grains: 65% corn, 3% rye 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley.
For the brand’s signature expression, Dugan leaned heavily into the former, with its high wheat mashbill which is then matched with the rye-heavy whiskey from the latter, and bottled at 92 proof.
While the initial aging occurs in traditional Kentucky rickhouses in a combination of Char #3 and Char #4 barrels, the final aging for Shortbarrel Four Grain Bourbon takes place in the company’s Atlanta warehouse, which is palletized and racked four-to-five rows high with no temperature control, to take advantage of the higher humidity and temperatures. That additional maturation provides Dugan with an opportunity to monitor each barrel before final blending.
“Our deep relationships, resources and the state of the American whiskey industry have given us access to some of the most impressive barrels on the open market,” said Shortbarrel Co-Founder and Master Blender Clinton Dugan. “This allows us to select from only the best of the best when blending our whiskies, while also making them affordable enough for everyone to have an exceptionally high-quality, go-to everyday bourbon.”
Shortbarrel is the brainchild of Dugan and co-founders Adam Dorfman and Patrick Lemmond. While on a barrel pick in 2020, the three friends had a chance encounter at a bar in Louisville that led the them purchasing their first barrels, thus creating the brand. The name comes from a common whiskey term “shortbarrel,” which refers to a barrel that has lost 50% of its content to the angel’s share.
Shortbarrel Four Grain Straight Bourbon is available nationwide online as well as in bars and retail locations across Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas for $39.99.
