Frankfort, Kentucky-based J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery will celebrate National Pet Day on April 13 with an on-site festival complete with animals available for adoption and two limited-edition whiskeys, RuhRoh Rye and CIB Bourbon.
Both whiskeys have a special tie to animals and are limited editions. The RuhRoh Rye is a playful nod to the Scooby Doo cartoon and is a rye whiskey just under five years of age bottled at 113 proof. RuhRoh Rye’s nose includes buttery caramel and orange peel with other candied fruit and baking spices. The palate provides a huge jammy orange and citrus entry with leathery oak and caramel. The caramel continues to the finish and aromatic baking spices follow. RuhRoh Rye retails for $120 for a 750 mL bottle.
The CIB Release is the latest bourbon release in J. Mattingly 1845’s CIB series, or Combat Infantry Badge. Combat Infantry Badges are awarded to Army enlisted infantry or special forces officers in the grade of Colonel or below who were engaged in active ground combat. Each year J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery donates a portion of the sales of the CIB bottles to a military-related nonprofit. This year’s recipient is Forgotten Coast K9, a nonprofit organization that helps provide service dogs to veterans and first responders with the mission to stop suicide in those communities by getting them the service dogs they need.
The 2024 CIB bourbon was aged for six and half years and bottled at 116 proof. It has a smokey, brown sugar and banana nose with hints of sweet tobacco and baking spices. On the palate, expect banana, oak and brown sugar forward, with leathery oak on the mid palate and a finish of sweet tobacco and baking spices.
J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery has not released a CIB bourbon since 2021, and historically the bottles have sold out fast. The first initial 50 bottles of the 2024 release will be available when the doors open at 8:30 a.m. on April 13. The remaining 450 bottles will be available for sale at a later date. Suggested retail pricing for a 750 mL of CIB is $155, with $30 of each bottle sale going to Forgotten Coast K9.
Details for the National Pet Day Event are as follows:
Who: J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery
What: National Pet Day Festival
When: Saturday, April 13, 2024
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, located at 20 Reilly Road, Frankfort, KY
Why: To celebrate National Pet Day. Visit with animals for adoption from the Anderson County Humane Society, enjoy Buddy Love’s Food Trailer (Buddy is the name of the food truck owner’s dog, a brindle boxer), and two limited edition whiskeys from J. Mattingly, Ruh Roy Rey and CIB will be for sale. Admission the festival is complimentary, and pets are allowed.