Legendary American country music singer-songwriter Eric Church today formally joined the celebrity whiskey train, unveiling in partnership with entrepreneur Raj Alva Outsider Spirits and its first whiskey, Whiskey JYPSI.
The first release, Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy Batch 001, according to those behind it, is based on a traditional bourbon mash bill. Instead of blending the grains before fermentation, or sourcing from the usual geographies, Whiskey JYPSI, which is named as “a contemporary interpretation of the ‘JYPSI Spirit’ in all of us that seeks adventure and deeper meaning,” is said by the brand to have lived up to its name by sourcing individual aged whiskey components from various origins, then “scientifically blending them” to recreate the mash bill.
The Outsiders partners took what they described in a prepared statement as “a hands-on approach to every aspect of their new whiskey, creating and curating everything from inception to release – from taste, packaging and marketing to point of view.” In seeking expertise from the whiskey industry to create their expressions, they held meetings with various master distillers and blenders before choosing Ari Sussman for their first release.
Sussman is the former head of Spirits Development at the Artisan Distilling Program at Michigan State University, and is described as an award-winning whiskey maker himself.
“I was excited to work with these guys because it all centered on quality and creativity,” Sussman notes. “There were no rules or parameters. It just had to be the finest whiskey possible. Period.
In breaking down this first whiskey, here are the components as outlined on the brand’s website:
• 70% Indiana bourbon made from 99% corn and 1% malted barley. Distilled in Indiana, and aged 7 and 8 years for a smooth corn character, this bourbon component retains its rich and sweet corn character, with structure and depth from the cask.
• 21% Canadian rye made from 91% rye and 9% malted barley. Distilled in Alberta, Canada, and aged 20 years, this is a highly esterified and perfumed rye whiskey with pronounced butterscotch, spice and finesse that comes from spending the last two decades in barrels.
• The last 9% of this remarkable blend is 100% malted barley from Indiana. Aged four years, this malt-forward American Single Malt has a beautiful balance of rich, nutty malt character – and strong vanilla, smoke and caramel notes borrowed from its new American oak casks.
“Whiskey JYPSI celebrates doing things the unconventional way. It’s the commitment to the creative spirit, the process and the journey that excite me the most,” says Church. “It’s meant to inspire others to take chances like we have – follow a different path and enjoy and experience life at its fullest.”