Cigar Weekly

grtrx · 11-08-2002, 08:36 AM

I've asked this once before, but we now have a bourbon expert, Linn, amongst us, so maybe I'll get an answer a year later...

In the movie The Hustler, Fast Eddie is always ordering J T S Brown bourbon. I think this is still made, and was wondering

1. Is it still made?
2. Is it still made in a still? (sorry)
3. Is it any good?
4. If it is good where does one find it?

Thanks in advance, you may now return to discussing coffee.

"having nothing to say, I'll say no more"

Mr. D · 11-08-2002, 11:07 AM

I love that movie and I asked my father the same questions.

Why does Metsfan want DUFFER to bite him?

madal · 11-08-2002, 11:41 AM

J.T.S. Brown bourbon is still produced by Brown-Forman Corp., which started making bourbon in Kentucky in 1870. Brown-Forman is now a huge wine and liquor conglomerate.

grtrx · 11-08-2002, 12:10 PM

So Brown bought it back? My understanding was that the Brown brothers split their biz in the 1800s and JTS was from one brother and the other brother had several other brands.

"having nothing to say, I'll say no more"

Linn · 11-08-2002, 08:14 PM

OK everyone here's the real deal. John Thompson Street Brown was George Garvin Brown's brother and they both were in the bourbon bussiness together in Louisville, Kentucky right after the civil war ended. They were rectifiers and bought their whiskey by the barrel from the many small family run distilleries in Kentucky. J.T.S. wanted to make a quick buck, but George Garvin wanted to increase the quality of the bourbon they sold. The brothers split up and each ended up building their own distilleries. George Garvin was the first distiller to sell his bourbon strictly in sealed glass bottles in 1870. His Old Forrester quickly became a best selling bourbon because it was very high quality that you could count on. Today's Old Forester (now spelled with only one 'r') is still a very high quality bourbon with a true authentic 1870's taste. The Brown-Forman Corp. distills and bottles; Early Times, Old Forester, and Woodford Reserve, bourbons along with Southern Comfort which is not a bourbon and is in fact not a whiskey at all.

J.T.S. Brown was successful at making cheap low quality whiskey, and eventually sold his distillery to the Ripy family. The Ripys made supurb bourbon. Austin-Nichols purchased it in bulk and bottled the now famous Wild Turkey brand of bourbon. Eventually they bought the entire distillery. Austin-Nichols was then bought out a few years ago by the French company Pernod.

All Clear? Not yet. So who makes and markets J.T.S. Brown bourbon today? Heaven Hill Distillery of Bardstown Kentucky does! Heaven Hill owns hundreds of small bourbon brands. Easily half of all the bourbons on the bottom shelf are Heaven Hill's brands. Does J.T.S. Brown taste good? Not to me it dosen't! It's a very young bourbon bottled at a low 80 proof, and it's cheap too! $14 for big 1.75L plastic jug. At least the label is true to its founder's history - cheap bourbon at a cheap price.

There now! Isn't bourbon fun?!

grtrx · 11-08-2002, 08:36 PM

wow, the crap I never knew before CW!

I thought a six year old sounded odd.

Any who think I'll stick with the better stuff.

So what the deal with HH distillery?

"having nothing to say, I'll say no more"

Linn · 11-08-2002, 09:24 PM

Jeff,

Heaven Hill Distillery is privately owned by the Shaperia family. They founded their distillery right after WWII, and named it after an early Kentucky distiller - William Heavenhill. They own more brand labels than any other distiller. Among their best known brands are; Henry McKenna, Fighting Cock, Elija Craig, Evan Williams, and Willie Nelson's new brand - Old Whiskey River.

Heaven Hill's master distiller is Parker Beam and his son Craig is now master distiller in training. Heaven Hill is a one recipe distillery meaning that all of their bourbon brands come from the very same whiskey formula. I think Parker's father Carl 'Shucks' Beam brought that recipe with him to the distillery. Whether or not it is his creation or an old Beam family recipe Parker isn't talking.

Linn

grtrx · 11-09-2002, 12:23 AM

Linn

Thanks for the information - I can tell a family taste in the HH brands. I loked them up - its an amazing number of brands.

The more I learn the more I realize I don't know much about bourbon, other than I like bourbon!

"having nothing to say, I'll say no more"

11-08-2002, 08:36 AM	#1
grtrx Contributing Editor Herf God Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Naperville IL Posts: 44,532	I've asked this once before, but we now have a bourbon expert, Linn, amongst us, so maybe I'll get an answer a year later... In the movie The Hustler, Fast Eddie is always ordering J T S Brown bourbon. I think this is still made, and was wondering 1. Is it still made? 2. Is it still made in a still? (sorry) 3. Is it any good? 4. If it is good where does one find it? Thanks in advance, you may now return to discussing coffee. "having nothing to say, I'll say no more" __________________ "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill "A sick thought can devour the body's flesh more than fever or consumption." - Guy de Maupassant

11-08-2002, 11:07 AM	#2
Mr. D Herf Meister Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Drinking pinkish tinted single malt Posts: 6,060	I love that movie and I asked my father the same questions. Why does Metsfan want DUFFER to bite him? __________________ Conservation is a personal virtue

11-08-2002, 11:41 AM	#3
madal Herf Meister Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Infront of the Monitor, behind Posts: 7,624	J.T.S. Brown bourbon is still produced by Brown-Forman Corp., which started making bourbon in Kentucky in 1870. Brown-Forman is now a huge wine and liquor conglomerate. __________________ Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others.

11-08-2002, 12:10 PM	#4
grtrx Contributing Editor Herf God Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Naperville IL Posts: 44,532	So Brown bought it back? My understanding was that the Brown brothers split their biz in the 1800s and JTS was from one brother and the other brother had several other brands. "having nothing to say, I'll say no more" __________________ "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill "A sick thought can devour the body's flesh more than fever or consumption." - Guy de Maupassant

11-08-2002, 08:14 PM	#5
Linn Club Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In My JEEP! Posts: 1,387	OK everyone here's the real deal. John Thompson Street Brown was George Garvin Brown's brother and they both were in the bourbon bussiness together in Louisville, Kentucky right after the civil war ended. They were rectifiers and bought their whiskey by the barrel from the many small family run distilleries in Kentucky. J.T.S. wanted to make a quick buck, but George Garvin wanted to increase the quality of the bourbon they sold. The brothers split up and each ended up building their own distilleries. George Garvin was the first distiller to sell his bourbon strictly in sealed glass bottles in 1870. His Old Forrester quickly became a best selling bourbon because it was very high quality that you could count on. Today's Old Forester (now spelled with only one 'r') is still a very high quality bourbon with a true authentic 1870's taste. The Brown-Forman Corp. distills and bottles; Early Times, Old Forester, and Woodford Reserve, bourbons along with Southern Comfort which is not a bourbon and is in fact not a whiskey at all. J.T.S. Brown was successful at making cheap low quality whiskey, and eventually sold his distillery to the Ripy family. The Ripys made supurb bourbon. Austin-Nichols purchased it in bulk and bottled the now famous Wild Turkey brand of bourbon. Eventually they bought the entire distillery. Austin-Nichols was then bought out a few years ago by the French company Pernod. All Clear? Not yet. So who makes and markets J.T.S. Brown bourbon today? Heaven Hill Distillery of Bardstown Kentucky does! Heaven Hill owns hundreds of small bourbon brands. Easily half of all the bourbons on the bottom shelf are Heaven Hill's brands. Does J.T.S. Brown taste good? Not to me it dosen't! It's a very young bourbon bottled at a low 80 proof, and it's cheap too! $14 for big 1.75L plastic jug. At least the label is true to its founder's history - cheap bourbon at a cheap price. There now! Isn't bourbon fun?! __________________ Tobacco is my favorite vegetable

11-08-2002, 08:36 PM	#6
grtrx Contributing Editor Herf God Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Naperville IL Posts: 44,532	wow, the crap I never knew before CW! I thought a six year old sounded odd. Any who think I'll stick with the better stuff. So what the deal with HH distillery? "having nothing to say, I'll say no more" __________________ "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill "A sick thought can devour the body's flesh more than fever or consumption." - Guy de Maupassant

11-08-2002, 09:24 PM	#7
Linn Club Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In My JEEP! Posts: 1,387	Jeff, Heaven Hill Distillery is privately owned by the Shaperia family. They founded their distillery right after WWII, and named it after an early Kentucky distiller - William Heavenhill. They own more brand labels than any other distiller. Among their best known brands are; Henry McKenna, Fighting Cock, Elija Craig, Evan Williams, and Willie Nelson's new brand - Old Whiskey River. Heaven Hill's master distiller is Parker Beam and his son Craig is now master distiller in training. Heaven Hill is a one recipe distillery meaning that all of their bourbon brands come from the very same whiskey formula. I think Parker's father Carl 'Shucks' Beam brought that recipe with him to the distillery. Whether or not it is his creation or an old Beam family recipe Parker isn't talking. Linn __________________ Tobacco is my favorite vegetable

11-09-2002, 12:23 AM	#8
grtrx Contributing Editor Herf God Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Naperville IL Posts: 44,532	Linn Thanks for the information - I can tell a family taste in the HH brands. I loked them up - its an amazing number of brands. The more I learn the more I realize I don't know much about bourbon, other than I like bourbon! "having nothing to say, I'll say no more" __________________ "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill "A sick thought can devour the body's flesh more than fever or consumption." - Guy de Maupassant