Dec 28, 2020
Hank Ingram joined us to talk
about his namesake whiskey and the unique aging technique it
employs. Nashville entrepreneur, Hank Ingram, is the founder of
Brown Water Spirits and their line of O.H. Ingram River Aged
Whiskey. As the name implies, this whiskey was river-aged inside a
floating rickhouse. This rickhouse is a large barge moored to the
banks of the Mississippi River, benefiting from the riverside’s
temperature variations, humidity, and the constant motion of the
river. While some may be skeptical of non-traditional aging
techniques (including ourselves), this is hardly a shortcut in the
aging process. Hank has patiently waited and released straight
whiskey (2-4 years old) which has been enhanced by river
aging.
We were honored to be the first
people outside of Brown Water Spirits to taste the new Straight Rye
Whiskey, which had not released at the time of recording. We think
you’ll be impressed with these whiskies and, as their distribution
grows, you should check them out.
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Bourbon
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About the
Brand:
O.H. Ingram River Aged Whiskey
is aged inside a barge on a first-of-its-kind floating rickhouse.
Moored on the riverbank of Ballard Country (Wickliffe, KY) we
utilize the climate of the Mississippi River along with its drastic
rise and fall to provoke a unique interaction between wood and
spirit that is unlike any other. The temperature swings, humidity,
and constant cadence of the flowing water keeps our whiskey
working. This unique process provides a unique interaction between
wood and spirit – we call it barrel aged and river
raised!
About the
Whiskey:
- River Aged Straight
Whiskey:
-
- The first release in the River
Aged Series.
- Vital Stats: Mash Bill – 96
proof, blend of 95% rye, 5% barley whiskey and 36% rye, 4% barley,
60% corn bourbon.
- Aged 3 years in new charred oak
barrels.
- Available in select markets for
~$80/750ml.
- Appearance: Warm amber. Medium
viscosity and a gentle swirl ends in clear, fine
legs.
- Nose: Right off I got the
strong scent of baking spices, predominantly cinnamon. The
throat-soothing allure of honey and meringue with a bit of acid
from an orange peel
- Palate: Buttery mouthfeel,
tastes kind of rummy, may be the way the sugar shows up. The slow
build heat mellows into a smooth taste with distinct
spice.
- River Aged Straight Rye:
- Just released in December 2020
- Currently available in Middle
and East Tennessee with additional markets coming as inventories
are available.
About the Founder Hank
Ingram:
- Hank Ingram comes from a long
line of entrepreneurs who for more than five generations have built
businesses with the river at their core.
- Beginning in the mid-1800s, his
great-great-great-grandfather Orrin Henry Ingram founded the Empire
Lumber Company. Hank’s great-grandfather brought the family to
Nashville where he founded the Ingram Barge Company in 1946.
- Ingram Industries — the marine
logistics, book production and distribution company
- Hank is the latest in his
family tree to bring a great idea to the river’s edge. With an
intimate knowledge of the river and a penchant for a bourbon
nightcap, he developed the idea for the unique river ageing process
while in business school. After the idea won first place in a pitch
competition in 2015, Hank founded Brown Water Spirits shortly
thereafter to bring the idea to life.
- Hank previously served as
Director of Corporate Partnerships for Nashville Soccer Club and
held various positions within Ingram Industries and its
subsidiaries.
- Hank is a graduate of
Washington and Lee University and received his MBA from the Owen
Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He is an
active volunteer in a number of Nashville organizations and serves
on boards for the Boy Scouts of Middle Tennessee and the Nashville
Symphony.
- In his spare time, Hank enjoys
golf, guitar and cycling. And of course, a neat glass of
bourbon.
Links:
Learn
more at IngramWhiskey.com
WhiskyAdvocate.com Feature
Tennessean.com Feature
Discussed in the Nashville
Scene
Style Blueprint on Ingram River Aged
Whiskey