A new bourbon is coming out with big names linked to it, including Nike’s Air Force 1
Master distiller Jim Rutledge is back. The former Four Roses guru, who guided that historic bourbon brand from bottom shelf obscurity back to premium status, has partnered with Nike shoe designer and other bourbon fans to bring out a new label, Blue Run.
According to a news release, the first offering will be a 13-year-old bourbon selected by Rutledge, a Bourbon Hall of Fame member and 50-year veteran of the spirits industry. Rutledge retired from Four Roses in September 2015.
His new bourbon will have a limited release of 2,600 bottles available in Kentucky and Georgia this month. It will have a suggested retail price of $169.
According to the tasting notes, this 113-proof bourbon is exceptionally smooth, with a long, sweet and dry finish and little to no burn. It has notes of brown sugar, brown butter sauce, apricots and golden raisins on the palate, with a nose of crisp vanilla and hints of tarragon.
“Blue Run is bottled at a higher proof than most extra-aged bourbons, providing more flavor because less water is added to reduce proof,” said Rutledge in the release. “While the proof is almost as high as a barrel-strength bourbon, its smoothness could be compared to bourbons with proofs 10-20 points lower.”
It comes packaged in a bottle designed by Devon McKinney, the designer behind Nike’s Air Force 1 sneakers. The modern look is designed to appeal to a younger audience of bourbon lovers.
The signature gold butterfly on the label “symbolizes the metamorphosis of the bourbon industry as it reaches a broader audience which appreciates fine bourbon through Blue Run,” according to the release.
Other unnamed partners in the new group also include “the first director level exec at Facebook, a hospitality executive, a political advisor, and a philanthropist,” according to the release.
In 2018, Rutledge had previously released a revival bottling of Cream of Kentucky Bourbon, with plans to develop a new J.W. Rutledge Distillery in Oldham County near Louisville to produce more. However, Rutledge told The Spirits Business in August that plans have been delayed by the COVID pandemic.
This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 12:23 PM.
