Aged for six weeks in freshly decanted bourbon barrels, Bourbon Barrel Ale is known for its robust and distinctive bourbon finish. It’s a favorite amongst Kentuckians and, along with the two other beers from Alltech’s Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co., Kentucky Light and Kentucky Ale, is gaining national and international recognition.
During the 18th annual North American Brewer’s Association Mountain Brewers Beer Fest in Idaho Falls, Idaho this July, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale was awarded the gold medal for barrel-aged beer.
Bourbon Barrel Ale also recently took home the silver medal at the 20th Annual Australian International Beer Awards in May. Attracting a record number of participants, this year’s competition comprised 1,352 brews entered from 41 countries. Kentucky held its own in the international competition, with Bourbon Barrel Ale bringing home a silver medal in the Wood Aged Packaged category.
Kentucky Light, a German Kölsch-style beer known to be remarkably smooth, also fared well at the 2012 Australian International Beer Awards, bringing home a bronze medal. In addition, Kentucky Light won a 2012 Brew New Zealand Competition Bronze Medal and a 2012 World Beer Championships Bronze Medal, proving that the brew is more than just a local favorite.
Kentucky Ale, a uniquely flavorful beer, has become a brew-connoisseur’s favorite as well. With a 2010 US Open Beer Championships Gold Medal and a 2009 World Beer Championships Silver medal under its belt, the ale has gained notoriety nationally and abroad.
The success of Kentucky Ale products has been reflected through increasing sales and widening distribution. Distributed domestically in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Iowa as well as in Chicago and New York City, the beer is rapidly gaining national presence. These brews are not stopping stateside, though. In China, Kentucky Ale products have taken off since the 2011 launch at the Beijing Horse Association. In early September, the beer will also launch in Ireland, Alltech president Dr. Pearse Lyons’ birthplace.
“Our beers are really taking off and gaining momentum. We have now expanded our warehouse capacity five times, with over 1,000 barrels a week coming to meet the high demand,” said Matt Cordle, Alltech’s Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. national sales manager.
In addition to the brewery’s 70 percent growth in the last year, the $4.5 million distillery project in downtown Lexington is on track for a September opening. The new distillery will house two copper pot stills from Forsyths in Scotland. These will be used to distill Town Branch Bourbon and Pearse Lyons Reserve single malt whiskey, both recent gold medal winners at the 2012 World Spirit Awards.
The Kentucky Distillers’ Association recently inducted the distillery into the historic Kentucky Bourbon Trail by the beginning of the Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Ky. this fall.
For more information about the Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co., visit www.kentuckyale.com.
