Saint Cloud bourbon

I’ve seen this brand on IG a lot and didn’t get it… Ray Walker strikes again!!!

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https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=157723&hilit=ray+walker+cloud

Above should really be in Spirits vs. Asylum.

Not really Kris. The conversation there is all over the place and the Bourbon itself is simply the conduit for more Ray Walker dubiousness. It’ll stay in Asylum.

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True…some pretty deep cut and pastes would have to happen to move it.

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Watch Saint Cloud get eviscerated. Jump to 4:08.

Article has a section on Walker. Same schtick as always.

The untold history of black bourbon - BBC Travel

pretty cool to raise a 7 year bourbon in what, two years?

Not uncommon though Alan. There are many whiskey brands that don’t distill or age their own. It’s contracted out. The 7 year is a Kentucky Bourbon but MGP in Indiana is a big private label house with some good aged juice, especially Rye.

100%

so he really has nothing to do w bourbon except to buy it, bottle it, and sell what someone else made?

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[quote=“alan_weinberg, post:10, topic:166744, full:true”]
so he really has nothing to do w bourbon except to buy it, bottle it, and sell what someone else made?
[/quote]it’s better that way. Especially, if distribution is outsourced.

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You left out “brand the sh*t out of it,” which Walker does exceptionally well.

Quite a few of contract distiller customers finish their bourbon/rye off in different barrels or blend across products to create unique bottlings (Barrell’s claim to fame here). Great article below on MGP, which is the largest, by far →

Inside MGP: America’s Most Mysterious Distillery » Chicago Bourbon

"Before we get into the details let’s run through a quick lesson on ‘contract distilling’ and ‘non-distiller producers’ (NDPs). Contract distilling is when a spirits distillery contracts with a 3rd party brand to provide them distilled spirits. The distillery may sell the brand a fully aged whiskey or might distill a specific whitedog the brand will age themselves. On the other side of this equation is the NDP. This is the company buying the whiskey from the distiller. They focus their efforts on finishing, blending, crafting the brand’s story and marketing. Often a startup brand will begin purchasing whiskey from a distiller while building their own distillery.

MGP (aka MGPI or MGP of Indiana) is the largest contract distiller in the United States. If a bottle label reads “Distilled in Indiana” it was almost certainly distilled by MGP. They distill most of the rye whiskey on the US market and a ton of bourbon. They aren’t the only players though. Until a few years ago Four Roses distilled Bulleit Bourbon, Bulleit Rye came from MGP. In 2016 Bardstown Bourbon Company opened its contract distilling business in Bardstown, Kentucky with an annual distillation capacity of 1.5 million gallons. In June of 2017 that number went to roughly 6 million gallons."

Lots of labels do that.

Alan
Well they all tout how they have their hand in the final product in some way, shape or form. Like Juan Valdez, they hand select every barrel. Or they inspect the rickhouse so the optimal temperature and air flow is meticulously maintained. Or they work with the master distiller on the mash bill, toast levels, etc, etc, etc

As Andrew said, The Hype
It’s not exclusive to whiskey or Mr Walker. (See Rimmerman, J.)

Metallica chooses a playlist for their brand so the whiskey can age with some good vibes.

The Blackened x Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Playlist

  1. For Whom The Bell Tolls
  2. Master of Puppets
  3. King Nothing
  4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
  5. Dyers Eve (Remastered)
  6. Broken, Beat & Scarred
  7. The Thing That Should Not Be
  8. Atlas, Rise!
  9. Of Wolf and Man
  10. One (Remastered)
  11. Enter Sandman