Even if you haven’t heard of MGP Distillery in Indiana, you’ve probably tasted whiskey from it. The distillery is behind some of the country’s most popular whiskey brands — some more discreetly than others — and recently debuted its own line of brands. The historic distillery is not open to the public but I was given a rare look inside. And while touring MGP Distillery I discovered some fascinating facts.
MGP invited a small group of whiskey writers to tour the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and spend a few days exploring Covington, Kentucky. (Covington, outside of Cincinnati, is a charming city conveniently close to Lawrenceburg.) We toured the facility, we met the team behind the spirits, and we drank a lot of whiskey! Here’s what I learned.
Touring MGP Distillery & 5 Fascinating Facts About MGP
1. MGP Distillery is behind more than 50 whiskey brands.
MGP doesn’t talk about which brands they have a hand in, but it doesn’t take much detective work to figure it out. More than 50 brands source whiskey from MGP, including Angel’s Envy, Bulleit, High West, Redemption, and Whistlepig, to name a few. But that’s not to say all those brands are the same whiskey. Actually far from it. MGP produces different mash bills and different types of whiskey, some exclusively for certain clients, other opting to blend their own combination. (Or further finish the whiskey in different barrels, like Angel’s Envy.)
And MGP added their own brands to the list in 2016. Realizing they could capitalize on their own expertise, they released a handful of bourbons, ryes, and even a vodka. Rossville Union rye and George Remus bourbon both have several bottles to their lineup (but more on those below).
2. MGP Distillery is one of the oldest distilleries in the country.
The history of MGP’s Lawrenceburg distillery officially dates to 1847 but some records indicate the distillery started as early as 1809. But officially George Ross opened the Rossville Distillery in 1847. George picked the Indiana spot for the underground aquifer that produces limestone-filtered water, giving his rye whiskey a pure, unique taste. It soon became known as one of the best rye whiskeys available.
When Americans’ taste for whiskey declined after Prohibition, Seagrams bought Rossville Distillery in 1933. After a few more owners (each with their respective name changes), MGP bought the distillery in 2011. MGP continues the legacy as one of Lawrenceburg’s original distilleries — and the only one still producing whiskey.
Today MGP Distillery produces whiskey, vodka, gin, neutral grain spirits, and industrial alcohol. The company is 100% sustainable (including the distilleries, plants, and offices) and has a policy against single use plastics.
3. MGP is also one of the largest distilleries in the country.
The first thing that’s apparent — and, in hindsight, assumed — about MGP Distillery is the size. It’s one of the largest distilleries in the country. Referred to as a campus because of the sheer spread of it, there are upwards of 40 buildings that make up MGP.
I knew before touring MGP Distillery that they are the largest producer of rye whiskey in the country, but seeing that size firsthand is amazing. The sea of fermentors and the number of gallons of each one was hard to comprehend. But it’s outright mind-blowing when I realized that wasn’t the only fermentation room!
The same sentiment echoed in every part of the distillery. It was hard to wrap my head around the numbers, which MGP wouldn’t disclose, at every stage of the process. Especially compared to the other distilleries I’ve visited in Scotland, which are making whiskey on a minuscule scale in comparison.
The most mind-blowing fact about MGP’s size? That the distillery is so automated, just six people can run the entire place!
4. Maturation is similar to Scotland (not Kentucky).
One of the biggest surprises I learned while touring MGP Distillery was about maturation. Even though we weren’t far from the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the maturation process is actually closer in comparison to Scotland. In Kentucky, the alcohol percentage of whiskey goes up during maturation since the water evaporates faster than alcohol. But in Scotland, it’s the opposite. And same with Indiana: as the whiskey ages, the alcohol percentage goes down since alcohol evaporates faster than water. It makes for a more mellow whiskey.
In Kentucky, you’re likely to hear about the importance of a barrel’s location in the rickhouse because it affects maturation. But again, this isn’t the case at MGP Distillery. Even though their many rickhouses are slightly different from each other, all of them are designed so barrels age the same regardless of location within them. They don’t have any climate control, but are made from brick and concrete, which take months for the seasonal temperature changes to take affect.
And each rickhouse holds different barrels of all different mash bills of whiskey for risk management. So if something happens to one rick house, they don’t lose an entire style’s stock.
5. All MGP’s brands have a story and all the stories are true.
After touring the MGP Distillery campus, we came inside for a tasting of all MGP’s brands led by Master Blender David Whitmer. Like most brands, each MGP brand has a story, but they emphasized that here they are all true.
Rossville Union, MGP’s rye brand, is named after the original Lawrenceburg distillery, Rossville Distillery. It honors the famous rye made here back in 1847 with Rossville Union Straight Rye and Barrel Proof. MGP’s bourbon, George Remus, honors the notorious bootlegger George Remus, known for making “the good stuff” during Prohibition. The George Remus Straight bourbon, Remus Repeal Reserve, and Remus Volstead Reserve honor his history.
And the Eight & Sand whiskey has a story all its own. Labelled a “blended bourbon,” it’s a blend of high rye bourbon, rye, light whiskey, and corn whiskey. MGP worked with the TTB (the U.S. agency that regulates alcohol) to designate blended bourbon as a legal definition. Meaning a blended whiskey with majority bourbon (at least 51%) but no neutral spirits or coloring. Master Blender David Whitmer explained it as “a way to put everything we have together at a nice, reasonable price point.” Oh, and the name? It’s an old train phrase meaning “smooth sailing.”
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Touring MGP Distillery is often compared to seeing inside Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It’s not open to the public and MGP is notoriously secretive about what it makes or for who. And even inside some of our questions were answered with a cheeky “maaaaybe” and a smile. But the experience was absolutely incredible and I am insanely thankful for such a unique and memorable experience.
Here’s a closer look at MGP’s whiskey brands.
Related :: Touring High West Distillery in Utah, Glengoyne Distillery in Scotland, and Teeling Distillery in Dublin
“In Kentucky, the alcohol percentage of whiskey goes up during maturation since the water evaporates faster than alcohol.”
Huh? On no place on Earth does water evaporate at a higher rate than ethanol.
I should have phrased this differently. Water doesn’t evaporate faster, but in certain environmental conditions water evaporates BEFORE ethanol. In places with lower humidity, like Kentucky, water will evaporate first, leaving more alcohol in the barrel. So the alcohol percentage goes up as the whiskey ages.
On the other hand, in places with higher humidity (like Scotland and Ireland), the alcohol evaporates first given that the air is more saturated with water, and the barrel’s ABV goes down as the whiskey ages.