As the bourbon boom continues apace, and whiskey aficionados look for new and interesting ways to engage with their favorite brands, one company is introducing a travel, tasting, and distilling experience centered around America’s Native Spirit. Today, US-based Barrel Global announces the launch of a new bespoke service dubbed the “Kentucky Bourbon Retreat.” This immersive experience welcomes consumers and corporate clients to visit a distillery in Kentucky where they will distill their very own barrels of bourbon that will then be aged and bottled to their exact specifications. Interested customers may visit https://barrelglobal.com/retreat-2024/ to learn more and book their experience.
“Our Kentucky Bourbon Retreat democratizes barrel ownership by allowing individuals to create their very own batch of barrels with a truly bespoke mashbill. Distilleries typically require a minimum order of more than 100 barrels for such a service, but given our distillery relationships, we’re able to bring that minimum number down to a more palatable 10 barrels,” said Barrel Global Founder George Koutsakis.
A fully customizable itinerary awaits, as guests arrive in Kentucky for a three-day “once in a lifetime” bourbon-making adventure under the careful guidance and curation of an esteemed bourbon distiller. During the deep dive into bourbon-making, retreat attendees receive a tutorial in the art, science, excitement of distillation and barreling – which starts with selecting a mashbill to create a taste profile suited to your palate, tasting the new mash and the distillate, and making the correct cut between heads, hearts and tails before proofing the liquid. Under the watchful eye of the head distiller, guests return to the distillery on their final day in Kentucky to fill their own barrels with distillate, seal them, check for leaks, and finally roll them into the rickhouse.
Once the barrels are proofed, the distillery partner stores them for the required aging in their on-site warehouses until they are at the desired maturation and ready for bottling. Although bourbon is notoriously a waiting game, the owners of these newly-minted barrels may determine their future use – from personal consumption and corporate gifting to launching their own mini bourbon brand or reselling the barrels on the open market.
“Bourbon distilling has captivated a global audience, and this experience allows retreat attendees to step into the highly coveted role of “distiller” for a day under the careful tutelage of a highly trained distilling expert while respecting the traditions, legacies, and expertise that these notable craftspeople bring to the industry,” Koutsakis continued.
Pricing for this group-centric activity is $35,000 dependent on group size and barrel yield, which includes 10 newly-distilled bourbon barrels with a completely bespoke mashbill, full participation in the distilling process – from mashing and fermentation to distilling and barreling, hotel accommodations, dinner, and a comprehensive bourbon tasting. Additional guests may be added for an incremental cost.
In partnership with Hopkinsville, KY-based Casey Jones Distillery, the inaugural Kentucky Bourbon Retreat launches this month and is aimed at corporate clients, the hospitality industry, families, and friend groups – making it a truly universal experience for legal drinking age consumers. While Barrel Global is rolling out the service with one distillery partner, the company will expand with additional experiences and partners in the months ahead.
