200: Celebrating a Milestone with Rare Buffalo Trace Whiskey: Last Drop Distillers

We're celebrating our 200th episode of Bourbon Lens this week. And we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than with The Last Drop Distillers. Last Drop recently released their rare, ultra premium blend of Kentucky Straight Whiskies. Our guests today are Rebecca Jago, managing director of The Last Drop Distillers, and Drew Mayville, Sazerac Master Blender and founding member of The Last Drop Assembly. Find out more about this ultra-exclusive release which retails for $3,999 in this week's episode. You can read our full tasting notes here in our recent review on BourbonLens.com.

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Scott and Jake
Bourbon Lens

 

Press Release from September 22, 2022: 

The Last Drop Distillers of London continues its quest for curating and creating the world's rarest and most remarkable spirits with the release of its second Signature Blend: Release No 28: The Last Drop Signature Blend of Kentucky Straight Whiskeys. Created by Sazerac Master Blender Drew Mayville, a founding member of The Last Drop Assembly's panel of spirits industry experts, this bespoke spirit comprises a blend of vintage straight bourbon and rye whiskeys. Impossible to replicate, 1,458 bottles will be released worldwide and available in the U.S. as of October 2022 at a suggested retail price of $3,999 (750ml/121.4 proof).

Since becoming Sazerac's Master Blender in 2004, Drew has cultivated a dream of creating an ultra-rare whiskey for the most discerning of connoisseurs. To achieve this, he began preserving extremely small quantities of his favorite whiskeys at Buffalo Trace Distillery to fulfill this vision. He was confident that using his lifetime of expertise, knowledge and his masterful palate, combined with the incredible liquids available to him, he could make a unique and unparalleled blend.

To bring his vision for The Last Drop to life Drew blended vintage whiskeys that he had been saving since he joined the Buffalo Trace Distillery team. He tasted more than 40 different vintage bourbon and rye whiskeys, creating multiple combinations of these spirits before arriving at the final masterpiece that bears his signature. Bottled at 121.4 proof, Drew left this high-proof blend uncut and unfiltered to maximize its flavor and complexity. The resulting liquid is a celebration of the art of blending, allowing the individual components to shine while creating a majestic whole that is truly remarkable and impossible to replicate. Drew uses the analogy of an orchestra to explain his intention:

"As a master blender, I wholeheartedly believe that one can take individual components that are already exceptional to create an extraordinarily-beautiful end product," says Drew. "As with music, a clarinet can be beautiful in its own right. However, when you combine it with other instruments in an orchestra you create a symphony – a masterpiece. This blend fully epitomizes this notion, and it's been a dream come true to create this truly one-of-a-kind spirit for my friends at The Last Drop."

Drew's Blend follows The Last Drop Distillers first Signature Blend: a 50 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky created by Master Blender Colin J.P. Scott. Released in July 2021, this was the brand's first foray into the creation, as well as curation, of extraordinary spirits by the talented members of The Last Drop Assembly.

"It has been a wonderfully exciting experience to work with my friend, colleague and inspiration, Drew Mayville, to create this phenomenal blend," says Rebecca Jago, managing director, The Last Drop Distillers. "The creation of The Assembly in 2020 was one of The Last Drop's proudest achievements: to see the visions of such stellar icons of the industry come to life in a Last Drop bottle is, for me, a dream come true." 

Drew Mayville's Tasting Notes:

• COLOR: A rich, golden amber hue speaks of the wood, the age and the maturation these whiskeys have been through. The high proof can be seen in the long legs which linger on the glass.
• NOSE: This reminds me of walking into one of Buffalo Trace's most famous warehouses, built all those years ago: the atmosphere, the history and the provenance – it packs an evocative punch. Deep, dark fruit, figs, and dates on the nose, some raisins, and an aromatic spiciness, with citrus zest. There is some spiciness from the straight rye, and a creamy, vanilla from the bourbons, yielding a complex and layered flavor.
• PALATE: To begin with, there are dark fruits, candy and orange peel upfront. From there, we begin a journey through a veritable spice merchant's storeroom, and into a saddle room full of worn leather and wax. The ages of the whiskeys in this blend, and the magnificent impact of the American oak are here in perfect balance with the individual elements of the blend. A crescendo of rich and raw spiciness transitions across your palate: that balance is pure magic.
• CONCLUSIONS: The spiciness is challenging the dark fruit, the chocolate notes, and the sweet vanilla. This is the balance and sophistication that arises only rarely when the tangy spice of the rye and the creamy chocolate of the bourbon whiskeys - combined with the sublime influence of the oak - all collide in perfect harmony.

Each bottle of The Last Drop Signature Blend of Kentucky Straight Whiskeys is individually numbered and bears Drew's physical signature. As with all recent Last Drop bottlings, it is artfully-contained in a bespoke bottle that suspends mid-air in an oak frame, held within in a signature green leather case alongside a 50ml miniature for private enjoyment, certificate of bottling and pocket-sized tasting book.

About Drew Mayville, Sazerac Master Blender:

Drew Mayville has more 40 years of experience with some of the largest companies in the beverage alcohol industry. Drew joined Sazerac (at its Buffalo Trace Distillery location) in 2004 as the Master Blender and Director of Quality. The vast breadth of his experience comes from almost 23 years of experience with Seagram's, where Drew was the last Master Blender to serve under the Seagram dynasty.

At Sazerac, Drew has worked hands on with all the award-winning products produced at Buffalo Trace in addition to the other highly acclaimed spirit categories of the company. Drew is active in overseeing a number of award-winning products produced at various locations for Sazerac, and promoting and educating the public on some of the world's finest spirits. His passion is not only to make the finest quality products but also to delight and excite the consumer with his work.

About Rebecca Jago:

Rebecca Jago is the only daughter of Tom Jago, co-founder of The Last Drop Distillers, and legend of the drinks industry. She grew up in London with her parents and three brothers, learning about wine, beer and spirits (and Baileys!) almost by osmosis. Following a degree in linguistics and a career in the design industry, Rebecca joined The Last Drop in 2014 to work alongside her father and his co-founder James Espey. She is now the Managing Director, leading the team as they bring the wonders of The Last Drop bottles to customers around the world.

Rebecca is in her element sharing the stories of The Last Drop discoveries and her passion for the business with friends new and old. She has two grown up children: her daughter has the distinction of having our intuitive decanter, Phoebe, named after her.

Rebecca's favourite of our releases (so far) is the 1925 Grande Champagne Cognac: in her own words "as well as being a truly delicious cognac, with a remarkable story to tell, it has the added significance of having been distilled the year my father was born, and bottled the year he died: a fitting testament to a wonderful man."

About The Last Drop Distillers:

The Last Drop Distillers was founded in 2008 by two icons of the spirits industry, Tom Jago and James Espey with over 80 years of experience between them. Their aim was to curate the world's most remarkable spirits by finding treasures across aged spirit categories and sharing them with those who seek the genuinely extraordinary. In 2016, The Last Drop was acquired by the Sazerac Company, one of America's oldest private, family-owned, distillers. Rebecca continues to lead The Last Drop as Managing Director. To date, The Last Drop Distillers has released just 28 limited bottlings across Scotch Whisky, Cognac, Bourbon and Rum and Japanese Whisky, comprising fewer than 12,000 bottles. Seeking nothing less than exceptional in the spirits they curate, the company's unwavering commitment is to the quality of the liquid and the pleasure of sharing the treasures they uncover. For more information about The Last Drop visit https://www.lastdropdistillers.com and @lastdropdistillers. For more information about Sazerac visit https://www.sazerac.com.

About The Last Drop Assembly:

Drew Mayville is one of the six founding members of The Assembly, formed by The Last Drop in 2020. The Assembly is a carefully selected panel of experts drawn from across the spirits industry, each a renowned world-leader in their own category. The inspiration for The Assembly arose from The Last Drop's passion for sharing: not just the delights of exceptional spirits, but also the knowledge, ideas, expertise and creativity that sit at the heart of the industry. This cross-category forum, unique in the world of spirits, encourages the exchange of knowledge and experience from different industry fields, bringing fresh ideas and new thinking to help inspire and drive The Last Drop's pursuit of the extraordinary. 

The Assembly members also include: Colin Scott, Master Blender for The Last Drop, Richard Seale, Master Distiller & Blender, Foursquare Rum, Louise McGuane, Owner & Bonder, JJ Corry Irish Whiskey, Michael D'Souza, Master Distiller & Blender, Paul John Whisky and Denis Lahouratate, Cellar Master, Domaine de Sazerac, Cognac.

 Online & In the News:

• Last Drop Distillers
• Exploring The World Of Rare Spirits With The Last Drop Distillers 
• The Last Drop Releases Some Of The World's Rarest Whiskies
• The Last Drop Distillers Launches New American Whiskey Blend – Robb Report
• The Last Drop Distillers Introduces Release No. 28 - BevNET.com
• The Last Drop Distillers: a brand history - The Spirits Business