Pursuit Spirits, founded in 2018 by Bourbon Pursuit podcasters Ryan Cecil and Kenny Coleman, is best known for their Pursuit Series, rare single barrels they bottle uncut and unfiltered. While fans have fallen in love with different bottles from the lineup, the catch with single barrels is that once gone, they’re gone for good.
Now, Pursuit Spirits is announcing an all-new blend, one that fans can enjoy on a regular basis for years to come. Pursuit United is a blend of straight bourbons from three different distilleries – each from a different state (Kentucky, New York, and Tennessee). While their Pursuit Series Single Barrels are sourced from various distilleries, each component of the Pursuit United blend was created in partnerships with each of the three distilleries, ensuring Cecil and Coleman can keep that particular recipe “on tap,” so to speak.
The Kentucky component was distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company using a bourbon mash bill that delivers “prominent notes of caramel and maple.” Finger Lakes Distilling, in New York, utilized their award-winning wheated mash bill to provide “more vibrant fruit notes” to the blend. The final component, from an undisclosed distillery in Tennessee, supplies deep and rich character with sweet oak influence. The brand is careful to note that the Tennessee distillery they’re using is NOT located in Tullahoma – meaning it won’t be Dickel. Each component is aged between 4 to 5 years and the final blend is bottled at 108 proof.
“Sourcing whiskey is not easy because it’s impossible to know what will be available in the future,” said Coleman, Co-Founder of Pursuit Spirits. “Establishing a partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Company and Finger Lakes Distilling gives us confidence that we can continue to grow Pursuit United, maintain a consistent profile, and make it a staple product on every shelf.”
“Pursuit United continues our effort to appeal to the growing whiskey market,” said Cecil, Co-Founder of Pursuit Spirits. “Each barrel in the blend was hand selected for what it could bring to the final product.” The bourbon took almost a year to create, from designing the bottle to testing hundreds of final blends.
Tasting notes from the brand describe “aromas of caramelized sugar, honeycomb, mulling spices, and natural cocoa, with “an initial wave of brown sugar and honey” on that palate that “transitions into a malted chocolate ball and citrus tea” and “finishes with a gradual progression of a spicy orange marmalade.”
The first release of Pursuit United will be limited to 2250 bottles that will be available online at Seelbachs.com and at select retail locations in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas for a suggested retail price of around $65. A second release of 8,000 bottles will be available in March 2021, with subsequent releases to follow.
