Chances are you have whiskey from this distillery and never knew it. you might have thought it was distilled, aged and bottled at whatever brand name distillery was on the label, but you were duped.
What I am referring to here is sourced whiskey. And specifically, sourced from Midwest Grain Products (MGP). They are based in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. And they produce whiskey for over 150 labels/brands.
Many of the 150 brands are likely whiskies you have never heard of because they are a small
craft distiller and have a very limited distribution model. However, there are many brands that you have heard of and probably enjoyed that are made by MGP. Here's just a few;
Tempelton Rye
Bulleit Rye
Nulu
Joseph Magnus Bourbon
Smooth Ambler
Let's be clear on where I stand on this. I don't have an issue with sourced whiskey. Matter of fact, it's something that has gone on in the whiskey business since there was a whiskey business. And, when you get down to it, many of the things you buy today are sourced from somewhere else. From our vehicles to watches, to food to clothes. White labeling (as it's often called) is a prevalent practice.
I happen to like the Bulleit Rye. MGP made the 95/5 Rye extremely popular. And, it's pretty good. I have a bottle and always keep a bottle on hand.
Unless you stick to one or two brands, you likely have some whiskey that was made by MGP. Or, you have at least drank some MGP whiskey, without knowing it.
I get why a lot of craft distillers source their whiskey from MGP. They have to put something out and get some cash flow. Starting a distillery from scratch is extremely expensive, time consuming and can take a lot of space. Not to mention the personnel to run it and the barreling and bottling operation. It's a costly endeavor. And getting to market is crucial. Especially since whiskey is hot right now.
MGP is a large company. Much larger than most people realize. And, distillation of whiskey is not their sole business. They are a major producer of all sorts of food ingredients, such as:
Bakery products
Nutritional bars
Instant drinks
Pasta & Noodles
Flavorings
To say they are a huge outfit is an understatement.
Matter of fact, MGP has started their own brand. It's called Ross & Squib and has a bit of
history behind the name as well. MGP also owns LuxCo Distillery and Limestone Branch, as well as Penelope whiskey. Some of the whiskey produced under the Ross & Squib name are:
George Remus
Remus Repeal Reserve
Rossville Union Rye
Eight & Sand
Tanner's Creek
So how do you tell if the whiskey you are drinking is made from MGP or made by the distillery/brand you bought? Look on the bottle. If it says "distilled in Indiana", it likely came from MGP. There are other distillers in Indiana, however MGP is the major source.
If it says "produced by" or "bottled by" , that's a really good indication that the whiskey is sourced, and the brand is being a bit cagey about where they got it. They might not want you to know that it came from Indiana. Or from Tennessee, or wherever. So you didn't make your whiskey...ok.
I find this a bit off-putting and not totally truthful. I don't care that you are sourcing your whiskey. Just be honest. A great example of this is the Bourbon Pursuit guys and their "Pursuit United" brand. They are extremely transparent about the fact that they source their whiskey and where it's coming from. I love that. Their model is sourced whiskey and artful blending. I'll buy it every time I see it. Plus, they are technically a craft whiskey. Bonus. (We may need to do an episode on them, hmmmm).
Sourced whiskey is a mainstay in the whiskey world. Scotch has been doing it for decades. It's not uncommon.
I do like knowing where it's coming from. But that could be because I'm a bit of a whiskey geek. I'm not sure most casual whiskey drinkers care where it's coming from as long as it tastes good. So, chances are whether you are drinking craft whiskey or some of the more well known brands, you have likely had whiskey from the largest small craft distiller in the US. Not a bad thing as they do make some good whiskey.
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