MB Roland Distillery

MB Roland Distillery: A Fun Kentucky Bourbon Trail Stop!

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Bourbon Trail Tales & Tastes E25 MB Roland Distillery 

Welcome to stop 2 on the Stateline Whiskey Tour where we’re taking you to the lovely MB Roland Distillery in Pembroke, Kentucky!

This episode is packed with milestones: our 30th distillery visit, 23rd stamp on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and our second stop (and shot glass!) on our Stateline Whiskey Tour passport!

Relive our memories from MB Roland Distillery and then join us for a live tasting of a special bottle we picked up: an 8-year-old single barrel bourbon by MB Roland. What unique flavors will we discover in this one-of-a-kind pour? Click play ▶️ now!

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About the Stateline Whiskey Tour:

Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled adventure across state lines and into the heart of America’s finest whiskey! The Stateline Whiskey Tour isn’t just a trip; it’s a thrilling quest where you’ll conquer three legendary distilleries in a single, action-packed day!

Your journey kicks off at Old Glory Distilling in Clarksville, Tennessee, where passion meets perfection. Then, brace yourself for the rustic charm and exceptional spirits of MB Roland in Pembroke, Kentucky, before culminating in the rich heritage and bold flavors of Casey Jones Distillery in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

But here’s the best part: as you savor the unique spirits at each iconic stop, you’ll be collecting a set of commemorative shot glasses, each a tangible memory of your epic expedition! Most adventurers complete this incredible feat in a single day, leaving with a deeper appreciation for the craft, a palate alive with new favorites, and a collection of cool souvenirs. Are you ready to taste history, gather your trophies, and conquer the Stateline Whiskey Tour?

About Bourbon Trail Tales & Tastes:

In this series, we navigate the rich tapestry of our memorable experiences on the Bourbon Trail, a journey that has undeniably enriched our appreciation for this iconic American spirit. We tackle intriguing questions such as: What stands out as the most profound memory of that bourbon trail experience, one that has etched itself firmly in our minds? What exceptional and bourbon or whiskey did we discover during this journey, perhaps one that surprised us with its intricate and delightful flavor profiles? What lasting impressions do we have of that bourbon or whiskey today, as we reflect on its complexities and how they resonate with our evolving palates and preferences? Through this exploration, we passionately recount our adventures and celebrate the stories and connections we’ve forged along the way, highlighting the essence of the Bourbon Trail.

#StatelineWhiskeyTour #KentuckyBourbonTrail #MBRoland 

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ABOUT THE BOTTLE REVIEWED

✴️ MB Roland Single Barrel Bourbon 8 Year

  • Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Distillery: MB Roland Distillery
  • Mash Bill: 78% White Corn, 17% Rye, 5% Malt
  • Age: 8 Years
  • Proof: 116.2
  • Other: Barrel 119-14E, Char 4, Bottle 52/181
  • Purchased: 12/18/22 for $124.95 at MB Roland Distillery

❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌

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NOTE: The spirit in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.

Pre-Solar Eclipse Trip to MB Roland, Casey Jones, and The Bard

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By Rebecca & Wayne McBrayer

Saturday, April 6, 2024 we decided to enjoy the beautiful day and revisit some awesome stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour Western area. Besides loving these distilleries, there were some events and special Total Eclipse bottle releases happening as well that we didn’t want to miss.

MB Roland Distillery in Pembroke, KY

MB Roland Distillery is located on a lovely farm just south of Hopkinsville, which also means that they are just north of the Tennessee state line. Via their Facebook postings, we knew that they were releasing the MB Roland Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon and “Smallest Small Batch” hand selected and blended by Jackie Zykan. Bonus, she was to be there for bottle signings 11-3. In addition, we wanted to acquire a bottle of their total eclipse commemorative Black Sun Bourbon etched bottle.

Jackie Zykan signing bottles
Wayne, Rebecca, and Jackie


We were fortunate to arrive early and have an opportunity to talk with Jackie. She is not only incredibly knowledgeable and possesses an amazing palate, but she is super nice as well.


After our chat, we decided to do a small tasting to help us determine what other bottles we wanted to take home with us. They have endless options and you are sure to find one or two that hits the mark for your taste. In addition to the ones that Jackie signed and the Black Sun Bourbon, we also got one finished in brandy and a single barrel named “Butter and Biscuits” as it was very clear how it got its name!


Casey Jones Distillery in Hopkinsville, KY

From MB Roland, it is a mere 22 mile drive north to the Casey Jones Distillery. We had a mission to collect as many eclipse specialty bottles as reasonable and we knew that Casey’s had a few options. We were able to sample several items and that helped us confirm that we would acquire the three eclipse options as well as an amazing single barrel four-grain.

Rebecca, AJ, and Wayne

We had the opportunity to meet with their Master Distiller, AJ, and get a picture with him. He was thrilled that we loved their spirits and encouraged us to stop in their bar for a specialty cocktail before leaving. That was certainly on our agenda just as soon as we grabbed some of the BBQ that we had been smelling on the smoker! Smokin O’s BBQ had burgoo, BBQ nachos, pulled pork, chicken, brisket, and ribs – amazing! We enjoyed our food selections with a cocktail (Bloody Mary for Wayne and the Total Black Out for Rebecca).

Casey Jones Single Barrel Eclipse Cask: Originally barreled for the 2017 Eclipse, it was now bottled for the 2024 Eclipse. The mashbill is 50% corn and 50% cane recipe. It was aged just shy of 7 years in a Kelvin Cooperage #4 char, medium toast cask, offered uncut at cask strength.

Total Eclipse Bourbon: This is a 4 grain mashbill with 75% corn, 10% wheat, 10% rye, and 5% malted barley.

Total Eclipse Moonshine: Distilled from a century-old family recipe of 50% corn and 50% cane sugar, this particular moonshine was first created during the 2017 eclipse.


The Bard Distillery in Graham, KY


It was somewhat a “given” that we would stop by The Bard Distillery as we would literally drive by the exit on our way home. From Casey’s, it is less than 40 miles to the north – and again – on our way home to Southern Indiana. We had our fingers crossed that we might catch a lull on a Saturday so we could chat for a bit. That’s exactly what happened – we arrived just after two large groups had departed!

We always enjoy visiting with the team, seeing what might be new in the gift shop, and getting a bottle or two to replenish our shelves. We were in need of their Cinder & Smoke Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey finished in Spanish Oloroso casks. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones with that great idea as they were temporarily sold out. Just another reason to make a visit in the near future!

That said, we were able to catch up with Kim Carter Bard and Amy Bryant while enjoying that day’s specialty cocktails. In addition, we were blessed to receive a special behind-the-scene’s peek at things to come for the distillery. All I will share is that you will want to see it unfold! Just brilliant. We are very excited for Kim, Tom, and the entire team!

Kim invited us to follow her to Greenville, KY to check out a great spot there. And we were off to do just that!

Sip&Spin Coffee & Records in Greenville, KY

Greenville, KY is a picturesque town in Muhlenberg County with a traditional town feel and many historic buildings. The Sip & Spin Coffee & Records is no different. Located in the historic Roark building, the location has served several purposes including an undertaking business, antiques, and the printer for a local paper, “The Record.” Many historical items are on display today and it is fascinating to walk through. If that isn’t enough, they have fabulous coffee and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.

We truly enjoyed relaxing there and chatting with Kim as well as Ben Duvall, the owner of the establishment. We look forward to returning on a Saturday in the near future to enjoy the music and people of Greenville.

Rebecca, Kim, and Wayne at the Sip & Spin

Distillery Trail Statistics

MB Roland Distillery, Casey Jones Distillery, and The Bard Distillery are on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour Western area. This trip marked our second visits to MB Roland and Casey Jones and our 4th to The Bard. Overall, they were our 121st, 122nd, and 123rd distillery experiences.

The Bourbon Trail is so much more than collecting stamps and bottles of spirits. Whether you are just starting the Trail or are well into it, always remember to savor each moment and take it all in. It is a culture. It is making new friends. It is supporting up and coming businesses. It is a way of life and we love it!

Pro Tip: Add Old Glory Distilling Co in Clarksville, TN. That plus MB Roland and Casey Jones will complete the Stateline Whiskey Tour. You will receive a souvenir shot glass at each stop and a finisher’s stave at the last one.

Happy Trails,
Wayne & Rebecca

All photos by Rebecca

January 2024 Rye Whiskey Tasting

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01/17/24
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already. 

What constitutes a rye whiskey? The US guidelines for rye whiskey are very similar to those of bourbon except that it must be at least 51% rye. In addition, rye whiskey often has other grains, such as wheat, corn, and barley. Rye whiskey must be distilled to no more than 160 proof, or 80% alcohol by volume (ABV) and it must be aged in new, charred-oak barrels. For additional information, read Rye Whiskey, part of the Sunday Spirit Notes.

For this tasting, we selected rye whiskey from Jim Beam, MB Roland, and Still630.

Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Distillery – Jim Beam, Clermont, Kentucky
Aged for seven years in charred barrels and bottled at 100 proof.
Mashbill – 55% rye, 35% corn, and 10% malt
Color – medium amber
Aroma – sweetness of rye grass; hint of mint; caramel; ginger; green apple
Taste – W: baking spices – nutmeg; R:less sweet, slight mint, tea, hint of dill and white pepper; with dried cranberry – W: nutmeg is stronger; R: rye grass and sweetness is back; with a pecan – W: leads with nutmeg; R: spicy/cinnamon, lost “flavor”
Finish – warm linger; light spices and vanilla
General Notes – A very solid pour of rye whiskey

MB Roland Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Distillery – MB Roland, Pembroke, Kentucky
Single Barrel, Still and Barrel Proof
110.2 Proof
Mashbill – 68% rye, 27% white corn, 5% malted barley
Color – medium to dark amber
Aroma – W: cherry sweetness; R: roasted nuts, sweetness of rye grass, brown sugar, clove, robust
Taste – W: nuttiness, rye grass, then coffee;  R: caramel covered nut, rye, mint, cocoa, buttery, all spice; with dried cranberry – W: rye grass bomb with mint & no finish; R:  HOT and lost much of flavor profile; with a pecan – W: rye and cinnamon; R:  rye and cinnamon
Finish – W: coffee;  R:  warm, sweet, rye and cinnamon spice
General Notes – This rye takes you on a journey of sweetness and spice and everything nice!

Still630 Rally Point Straight Rye Whiskey

Special Evansville Bourbon Society Barrel Pick
Distillery – Still630, St. Louis, Missouri
Single Barrel, Cask Strength
123 Proof; 4.75 years old
Mashbill – undisclosed
Color – medium to dark amber
Aroma – W: caramel, sweet, smokiness; R: mint, sweet, rye
Taste – W: rye, mint; R: mint, dill, sweet rye; with dried cranberry – W: very sweet rye grass, warmer; R: dark choc mint, citrus/orange, cinnamon; with a pecan – W: strong rye grass;  R: much hotter, bitter choc
Finish – W:  warm cinnamon;  R:  warm cinnamon
General Notes – A terrific cask strength rye and it is easy to see why they have won so many awards and typically sell out of RallyPoint

Comparison and Ranking


Aroma
  Wayne: MBR, KC, S630
  Rebecca: MBR, S630, KC  
Taste
  Wayne: MBR, KC, S630
  Rebecca: MBR, S630, KC


Discussion
We enjoyed all three of these rye whiskeys. Knob Creek Rye is solid and easy very accessible with a terrific price point. The RallyPoint Rye was terrific and somewhat different from many Kentucky ryes. Since its proof was much higher than the others, we also added some water to balance it. Overall, that didn’t change the experience from our viewpoint. It is somewhat difficult to obtain and that kept us from ranking it higher. MB Roland makes a fantastic rye whiskey. It was the most unique of the three and also the most complex. As noted earlier, this rye takes you on a journey of sweetness and spice and everything nice!  All things considered, we selected MB Roland Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey as our #1 pick.

All three are excellent options when considering a rye whiskey, and we certainly recommend each of them.

Cheers,
Rebecca

Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer

NOTE: The whiskey in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.