This release of Gray Label Bourbon is constructed from bourbons of varying ages from five different mash bills. After marrying, the blend goes into casks made using 36-month air-dried staves that previously held Gray Label Bourbon, to rest and further mature.
Barrels made from 36-month air-dried staves are not often used in bourbon production, in part because they are much more expensive than casks made with kiln-dried staves. We view them, however, as a key component for achieving long, complex flavors and a rich mouth feel. The result of mingling in these unique casks is a mellow, sophisticated spirit that concentrates the flavor of a higher-proof bourbon into a lower-proof blend, with a gentle oxidative character and deep dried fruit notes. This is a bourbon with the complexity and density of age, with our over-naked chalkiness or an overly aggressive ethanol bite.
