Diageo-owned Bulleit Bourbon has unveiled the US$250,000 Bulleit Frontier Fund to support the hospitality industry and help develop new revenue streams for struggling bartenders. The Bulleit Frontier Bartender Lab exists on the modern frontier to provide an opportunity for co-creation with our friends in the trade. Bartenders can use the space to innovate and experiment. Our Bartender Lab will provide materials and ingredients, simply sign up for time in our workshop and create. Bulleit Bourbon is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced at the Bulleit Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky and the Bulleit Distillery in Shelbyville, Kentucky, for the Diageo beverage conglomerate. It is characterized by a high rye content for a bourbon (at approximately 28% of the mash bill) and being aged at least six years. It is bottled at 45% abv (90 proof) for the US. Bulleit Frontier Works is a series of local and national collaborations with modern creators that are pushing boundaries on the cultural frontier. In its latest collaboration, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey has partnered with two South Florida artists, Jason Skeldon and Elidea, to create a limited-edition Art in a Bottle Collection available exclusively through Saatchi Art. Watch our “Skills” TV commercial starring real bartenders. It’s our honor to give back to the communities that have given us so much. The Bulleit Frontier Fund is making a commitment to help bartenders keep doing what they do best. Let’s keep our bartenders pouring.
| Type | Bourbon whiskey |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Diageo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1830 1999 |
| Alcohol by volume | 45% |
| Proof (US) | 90 |
| Color | Russet (dark brown) |
Bulleit Bourbon is a brand of Kentuckystraightbourbon whiskey produced at the Bulleit Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky and the Bulleit Distillery in Shelbyville, Kentucky, for the Diageo beverage conglomerate. It is characterized by a high rye content for a bourbon (at approximately 28% of the mash bill) and being aged at least six years.[1] It is bottled at 45% abv (90 proof) for the US, Canadian, British, Dutch and Mexican markets. For Australian and Danish markets, it is bottled at 40% abv. It is also sold in Germany,[2] Norway[3] and Sweden.[4]
In the U.S. and other markets, Bulleit also offers a rye whiskey.
History[edit]
According to Tom Bulleit, son of a preacher, great-great-grandson of original creator Augustus Bulleit and developer of the modern brand, the first batch of Bulleit bourbon was made around 1830. Augustus continued to produce it up until his death in 1860.[5] The current recipe is substantially different from the whiskey produced by Augustus Bulleit, which used a mash bill of about two-thirds rye and one-third corn (which would make it a rye whiskey today, not a bourbon).[5]
Tom Bulleit began distilling his version in 1987,[2] characterized by a high rye content and relatively lengthy aging. He maintains that most phenol[1] is filtered out.[5]
Seagram bought the Bulleit brand in 1997 and began distilling it in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.[6]
The brand was widely introduced to US markets in 1999, and to Australia, UK and Germany in 2000.[2][7]
Diageo acquired various Seagram's assets, including the Bulleit brand, which was then produced by its subsidiary Kirin Brewing Company at the same Lawrenceburg plant, then known as the Four Roses distillery.
On March 14, 2017, Diageo opened a new Bulleit distillery. The 300-acre (120 ha) $115 million facility is located just east of Shelbyville in Shelby County, Kentucky. It is designed to eventually operate at a peak capacity of 1.8 million proof gallons[8] annually.[9]
In June 2019, Bulleit opened its visitors' center at its Shelbyville distillery in Kentucky. The Visitor Experience includes guided tours, a cocktail bar and an opportunity for visitors 21 years or older to design a customized Bulleit label to apply to their own bottles.[10]
Bulleit family dispute[edit]
Tom Bulleit's daughter Hollis left her position at Diageo in 2017 after 10 years,[11] claiming she was being pushed out because of being a lesbian. A spokesperson from Diageo denies the claim.[12]
Products[edit]
The current Bulleit bourbon whiskey mash bill contains 68% corn (maize), 28% rye, and 4% malted barley.[5] It is bottled at 45% ABV.[13]
Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength is a blend of barrels which are 5 to 8 years old. As it is being bottled straight from the barrel the proof varies by batch, ranging from 118-125 (59 to 62.5 ABV).
Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year is the only age dated Bulleit whiskey. It is bottled at 91.2 U.S. proof and has the same mash bill as the original Bulleit Bourbon. It won a Double Gold Medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.[14]
Bulleit rye whiskey, introduced in March 2011, has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley.[15][13][16] It is produced in Lawrenceburg, Indiana at MGP Indiana[17] and bottled at 45% abv.[13]
In Australia and the UK[edit]
Starting in 2008, Bulleit bourbon sold on the UK market is bottled at 40% alcohol by volume, which is re-exported to the Australia market. A 45% ABV version was introduced to the UK market in late 2014, under the label 'Bulleit Frontier Whiskey'.
Reviews[edit]
Proof66.com, a review aggregator for spirits, rates Bulleit bourbon in the top 10th percentile of the world's best whiskeys. The Bulleit Rye Whiskey is also rated a 'Top Tier Whiskey'.[18][19] Proof66.com rates Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year as a 'Tier 1' spirit with an overall rating of 551/904.[20]
Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year received a gold medal in the Small Batch Bourbon up to 10 yrs category at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.[21]
Food critic Morgan Murphy said 'This amber beauty, with its notes of spice, rye, and cedar, packs a stronger bite than its sweet aroma would imply.'[22]
References[edit]
- ^ abBulleit Bourbon: The Most American of Spirits, Miller, accessed on 8 September 2007
- ^ abcDiaego - Our brands - Whisk(e)y - Bulleit bourbonArchived February 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, accessed on 8 February 2011.
- ^Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Vinmonopolet (in Norwegian).
- ^Bulleit Bourbon and Systembolaget, March 13, 2009.
- ^ abcdA Bourbon Tasting with Tom Bulleit, Sctoch Hobbyist's Blog, February 4, 2010.
- ^Bulleit Bourbon and Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon from Alcoholreviews.com, accessed on 8 September 2007
- ^About Bulleit BourbonArchived July 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, accessed on 22 July 2015
- ^https://www.ttb.gov/forms_tutorials/f511040/faq_instructions.html
- ^Havens, Sara (March 14, 2017). 'Tom Bulleit celebrates birthday and two anniversaries by opening Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelby County'. Insider Louisville. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- ^AP. 'Bulleit opens visitors' center at Shelbyville distillery'. www.wkyt.com. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
- ^Thompson, Shea Davidson (2019-10-28). 'Bulleit Legacy On The Line'. The Bourbon Review. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^Robertson, Michelle; SFGATE (2017-08-02). 'Bulleit Bourbon maker responds to Hollis Bulleit's claims of discrimination'. SFGate. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
- ^ abcBulleit Whiskey Expands Through Introduction of Bulleit Rye, Diageo press release, PR Newswire, March 21, 2011.
- ^'Results Archive -- San Francisco World Spirits Competition'. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^The Distinction[permanent dead link], official website.
- ^Austin Hartman, Booze Review: Bulleit 95 Rye, Greenpoint Gazette, March 27, 2011.
- ^Felten, Eric. 'Your 'Craft' Whiskey Is Probably From a Factory Distillery in Indiana'. The Daily Beast. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^'Proof66.com awards summary page for Bulleit Bourbon'. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
- ^'Proof66.com awards summary page for Bulleit Rye Whiskey'. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
- ^'Bulleit 10yr Frontier Whiskey Bourbon'. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
- ^'Archived copy'(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2013-10-07. Retrieved 2013-11-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^Murphy, Morgan; Editors of Southern Living magazine (2014). Southern Living Bourbon & Bacon: The Ultimate Guide to the South's Favorite Foods. Oxmoor House. ISBN978-0848743161.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
External links[edit]
Diageo-owned Bulleit Bourbon has unveiled the US$250,000 Bulleit Frontier Fund to support the hospitality industry and help develop new revenue streams for struggling bartenders.
The Bulleit Frontier Fund launched with an advert directed by Lucy Forbes
Bulleit Bartender Commercial 2019
File manager for android mac. The Frontier Fund will see Bulleit Bourbon support organisations that have aided the on-trade through the Covid-19 pandemic and will explore cocktail delivery and remote bartending programmes to develop new revenue streams for bartenders.
To highlight the fund and outline the importance of supporting the on-trade, Bulleit has launched a creative campaign featuring an advert directed by UK-based director Lucy Forbes.
Sophie Kelly, senior vice-president of whiskeys at Diageo North America, said: “When you look at the industries disproportionately impacted by what’s happening, the hospitality industry is one of them – a major one. They are our partners and it’s time for us to really live our purpose and support the people who support us.
“We got here because we feel it’s important to support our bartender friends, celebrate their skills, make people aware of the need to keep this industry and these people pouring, and develop new channels for them to be able to do that.”
The Frontier Fund has initially launched with donations to on-trade charities that have supported bartenders and businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic. Bulleit Bourbon will make donations to the United States Bartenders’ Guild, Southern Smoke Foundation and Another Round, Another Rally.
Kelly added: “I think these charities have been very important, but we can’t expect them to carry all the weight of supporting the industry.
Bulleit Bartender Commercial Actress
“Companies and brands need to do their job as well and get in the game and support the on-trade. We are working across the whiskey portfolio with a number of organisations in the US and different brands are working with different partnerships. It’s really important right now because this doesn’t appear to be a short term issue.”
In order to support bartenders impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Bulleit will also launch the Bar Skills content series, a partnership with Sourced Craft Cocktails and will continue its educational platform, Frontier Bartender Labs.
Through its Bar Skills series, Bulleit will work with the United States Bartenders Guild to recruit bartenders to create content that helps consumers elevate their at-home cocktail-making skills. Each recipe demo created for the series will be available for consumers to view on the @bulleit Instagram channel.
Through its work with Sourced Craft Cocktails, Bulleit will engage out of work bartenders to make and deliver pre-made cocktails directly to consumers. The brand also hopes to soon offer Bulleit tastings or cocktail-making demonstrations via Zoom.
Kelly said: “This is not a short term thing, this is a long term situation that we are facing. We’re going to be living with this for a while so it’s an opportunity to create new business models for the bartender community to serve fantastic craft cocktails to people.
“We [will] measure the impact through participation and the impact we are having on supporting individuals. Then also the impact we are having on accelerating these on-the-go, home delivery craft cocktail revenue streams and new experiences.”
Watch the advert created by UK-based director Lucy Forbes below