Hidden Barn Bourbon is releasing its first organic bourbon, a six-year-old wheated bourbon bottled at 106.2 proof to celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month.
Distilled with organic grains and certified organic by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Kentucky Department of Agriculture, this bourbon was distilled in Michigan, selected, batched and proofed by master blender Jackie Zykan, and aged and bottled at the now certified organic Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta, Kentucky. Jackie’s passion project to bring an organic bourbon to market began several years ago after she did some consulting work at Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan. There she grew a fondness for Bill & Johanna Welter and their company culture of quality, experimentation, and family. She began sampling and compiling some of the earlier barrels that would later become this nine-barrel batch. Neeley Family Distillery is now distilling organic bourbon in Sparta, Kentucky to ensure the continuation of this product line for years to come.
As someone focused on quality, collaboration and sustainability, working on an organic bourbon has been Jackie’s dream for many years. “I’ve wanted to create an organic bourbon for a long time, so this has been a passion project for me,” said Zykan. “For me, blending barrels is all about finding balance and harmony while still showcasing individuality. The nine barrels used for this blend were meticulously selected from a very large pool of inventory with much intention. The combination of the high-quality organic grains used in the distillation with the variable entry proofs used in the maturation – that range in proof from low to high – led to everything integrating beautifully.”
Tasting notes for this bourbon describe it as having a nose of buttery caramel combined with tart green apple and sweet orange. The palate is medium-bodied, where robust white pepper transitions into a lengthy and clean tobacco finish.
This bourbon was released to the public on Sept. 14. Suggested retail pricing for the Hidden Barn Organic Wheated Bourbon Whiskey is $79.99. It will be available for sale at the Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta and online and at retail in Kentucky, Indiana, New York, California, Georgia, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico.