Former Old Forester master taster Jackie Zykan has been pretty busy since leaving her position at the storied Kentucky distillery a few years ago. She wasted no time in starting her own brand, Hidden Barn, along with a few partners, and the latest release has been a long time coming–an organic bourbon that was distilled in Michigan and aged in Kentucky.
We’ve covered Hidden Barn before, most recently the seven-year-old batch of bourbon that was the best yet to come from the brand. Zykan collaborated with Neeley Family Distillery cofounder Royce Neeley and 5280 Whiskey Society cofounder Nate Winegar to launch Hidden Barn, and she’s been busy blending different barrels produced at the Sparta, Kentucky distillery into different batches that vary in proof and mashbill. As we reported earlier this summer, Hidden Barn was acquired by Neeley Family Distillery and now has a physical home, but Zykan is still an owner and has the freedom to work on different projects.
The new Organic Wheated Bourbon was distilled from USDA-certified organic grains in Michigan at Journeyman Distillery, a craft operation that has and made a name for itself over the years. Zykan was consulting for Journeyman a while back and came across nine barrels that she felt would be perfect to blend together for a new release, so she kept an eye on them while they matured. The whiskey is made from a mashbill of 70 percent corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent malted barley, aged for six years, and bottled at 106.2 proof. We got an early sample, and it’s a solid sipper with notes of cherry, dark chocolate, sweet grain, vanilla, and maple on the palate, with an oaky, leathery finish.
“As someone who values and supports organic agricultural practices, it has been a goal to be able to help bring an organic bourbon to market,” Zykan told Robb Report. “Brands have the power to choose and make shifts for the modernization of this industry, and to do it in ways which also pay tribute to its roots.” She candidly admits that using organic grains doesn’t impact flavor, but it’s important all the same. “Choosing to use organic for this project was more about the larger impact of the collective and expanding the normalization of this standard for the bourbon industry. Through the process, the Neeley Family Distillery has now made strides to become organic certified, and that’s growth in what I believe to be the right direction.”
According to a rep, Neeley Family Distillery is distilling organic bourbon in Kentucky, so future releases will be produced there instead of at Journeyman. If you want to try the new Wheated Organic Bourbon for yourself, it comes out on September 14 (SRP $80) and will be available to purchase at the distillery or from online or physical retailers in several states (it will also be at the upcoming Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown). You can find other Hidden Barn whiskeys for sale at websites like Total Wine now.
