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Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley might not be the first two names that bubble up to the part of your brain that is consumed with celebrity. Then again, if you’re a Vampire Diaries fan, maybe they are. Either way, the pair has arguably become more famous, at least among whiskey fans, for their Brother’s Bond brand, and for good reason—overall, the juice is pretty good. Brother’s Bond just announced the release of a brand-new bourbon, and it’s the latest to join its growing lineup of whiskeys made from regenerative grains.
Brother’s Bond, which was founded in 2021, initially sourced all of its whiskey from MGP in Indiana. But that has changed over the years, and previous regenerative grain releases were produced by a distillery in North Carolina called Southern Distilling Company. (The contract distilling business is now known as Statesville Contract Distilling.) Regenerative grain refers to grain that is grown and harvested using methods to enhance soil instead of depleting it, like not using pesticides and planting crops that encourage biodiversity. The last regenerative release was a bourbon collaboration with 1 Hotels, a 7-year-old whiskey made from a mashbill of 60 percent corn, 11 percent rye, 21 percent wheat, and 8 percent malted barley that was only available in that chain’s minibars. Prior to that, Brother’s Bond teamed up with Vermont distillery WhistlePig, each releasing its own whiskey—Brother’s Bond’s was a blend of 3-year-old rye mashbill bourbon and 6-year-old wheated bourbon, both made from regenerative grains.
The new release is called Brother’s Bond Regenerative Grain New Batch Bourbon. It was aged for four years, bottled at 92 proof, and made from a mashbill of 73 percent corn, 10 percent rye, 8 percent wheat, and 9 percent malted barley at Southern Distilling. Official tasting notes describe aromas of “honeyed cornbread with light floral and toasted oak character,” and “Cracker Jacks, icing sugar, and warm vanilla heat” on the palate. “Blending isn’t just science—it’s instinct, memory, and emotion,” said Somerhalder, who is also the brand’s “blending master” (not master blender), in a statement. “It’s showing up and having the patience to elevate and shape what nature and time have already created. With our new Regenerative Grain New Batch Bourbon, we’re pushing flavor forward while also pushing farming forward. Every sip connects you to the land it came from.”
Regenerative Grain New Batch Bourbon drops tomorrow, September 16 (SRP $60), with a new label design spearheaded by Wesley that will apply to the whole portfolio. You can find the rest of the lineup, along with the previous regenerative bourbon expression, available to purchase at websites like ReserveBar now.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker