vintage whiskey tasting

The Fall of Seagram’s: Tasting the Spirits That Built an Empire

/ bourbonjourney / Leave a comment

Welcome to Your Bourbon Journey! Today, Wayne and Rebecca are taking a vintage “vertical leap” across three different countries with a historic Seagram’s flight spanning the 1970s and 1980s. 

Before the empire was dismantled, Joseph E. Seagram & Sons ruled the global spirits landscape. In this tasting, we unseal and explore three pristine, dusty bottles representing Canada, Scotland, and Kentucky straight bourbon. 

How does 1970s Benchmark compare to today’s Buffalo Trace expression? Why did vintage Canadian whisky hit so differently from the Waterloo stills? Pour yourself a dram and join us for the ride!

🔔 Subscribe to Your Bourbon Journey for weekly vintage dusty tastings, distillery deep dives, blind flights, and cocktail tutorials!

Connect With Us & Support The Journey! 


Revival Vintage Spirits https://revivalky.com/ 

🎓 Want to earn a FREE Whiskey Certificate? Start your bourbon education journey with Whiskey University today! Take your first steps here: https://www.whiskeyuniv.com/first-steps

❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌

Featured Bottles & Tasting Order:

🥃 Pour 1: Seagram’s V.O. Canadian Whisky (Distilled 1978, Bottled c. 1984–1985)

  • Classification: Blended Canadian Whisky
  • Distillery: Historic Waterloo Distillery (Waterloo, Ontario – closed 1993)
  • Age & Proof: 6 Years Old | 80.0 Proof (40% ABV)
  • Origin: From Rebecca’s parents’ collection, complete with its original presentation box and bilingual 1978 Canadian excise tax stamp.
  • Notes: Light, delicate sweet corn, subtle butterscotch, soft mouthfeel, and surprisingly great viscosity for an 80-proof blend.

🥃 Pour 2: Seagram’s 100 Pipers Blended Scotch Whisky (c. 1971–1974)

  • Classification: Blended Scotch Whisky
  • Distilleries: Chivas Brothers blending house; malt core sourced from Allt-a-Bhainne and Braeval (Braes of Glenlivet)
  • Specs: NAS (approx. 5–8 yr components) | 86 Proof (43% ABV) | Pre-metric 4/5 Quart
  • Sourced: Picked up for $30 at Revival Vintage Spirits in Covington, KY, inside its iconic original zippered retro travel caddy.
  • Notes: Golden Delicious apple, fresh pear, sweet malted barley, and a whisper of delicate Speyside peat. Perfect intro-level vintage Scotch that outperforms modern shelf staples.

🥃 Pour 3: Seagram’s 6 Year Benchmark Premium Bourbon (Bottled 1973)

  • Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Distillery: Calvert / Henry McKenna Plant (DSP-KY-1 / D-126, Louisville, KY)
  • Age & Proof: 6 Years Old | 86 Proof (43% ABV) | 4/5 Quart Decanter
  • Dating: Confirmed 1973 via base Owens-Illinois glass date stamp and Series 112 red tax stamp. Purchased via Unicorn Auctions.
  • Notes: Rich, dark confectionery butterscotch, heavy vintage oak, rich mouthfeel, and zero thinness. An absolute masterclass in 1970s Kentucky dusty bourbon that shows why selling off Seagram’s spirits portfolio was a massive industry fumble.

🚨REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY🚨

❓Questions❓ YourBourbonJourney@gmail.com

NOTE: The spirits in this review were 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.

#Bourbon #VintageWhiskey #DustyBourbon #Seagrams #BenchmarkBourbon #ScotchWhisky #CanadianWhisky #WhiskeyReview #BourbonTasting #VintageSpirits #YourBourbonJourney #WhiskeyHistory #SeagramsVO #100Pipers #RevivalVintageSpirits

Is American Blended Whiskey Actually Good? Vintage vs Modern Kessler

/ bourbonjourney / Leave a comment

Sipping on History! 🥃 Turn back time with us on this Friday as we dive into a fascinating bottle-to-bottle showdown: 1978 Vintage Kessler Blended Whiskey vs. Modern 2026 Kessler!

We scored an incredible piece of whiskey history from our friends at Revival Vintage Spirits in Covington, Kentucky—a pristine, full-sized 1978 bottle of Kessler complete with its original ATF federal tax stamp and gorgeous diamond-molded glass. Back in ’78, this American blended whiskey was produced by Seagram at the historic Lawrenceburg, Indiana plant (now MGP). Today, the brand belongs to Suntory Global Spirits and is distilled at the Jim Beam Distillery in Kentucky.

Astonishingly, both expressions maintain the exact same blend ratio: 27.5% straight whiskey and 72.5% grain neutral spirits. But do they taste the same?

We break down the nose, palate, and finish of both eras. From the old Indiana distillate’s wood-sugar concentration, butterscotch, and popping baking spices, to the modern Jim Beam low-rye mashbill’s sweet corn notes and effortless drinkability, this comparison completely blew us away. No ethanol burn, surprising legs, and a perfect candidate for a summer patio drink (Kessler and ginger ale, anyone?).

If you love exploring vintage dusties, American whiskey history, or just want to see how legendary brands hold up over the decades, hit that SUBSCRIBE button and join us on the journey!

Connect With Us & Support The Journey! 

👉 Visit Revival Vintage Spirits in Covington, KY for your own vintage catches! 

👉 Let us know in the comments: Have you ever tried vintage blended whiskey?

🎓 Want to earn a FREE Whiskey Certificate? Start your bourbon education journey with Whiskey University today! Take your first steps here: https://www.whiskeyuniv.com/first-steps

❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌

The Vintage “Then” Bottle (1978)

  • Classification: American Blended Whiskey
  • Company: Julius Kessler Company (A subsidiary of Seagram at the time)
  • Distillery: Julius Kessler Co. Plant, Lawrenceburg, IN (Now MGP), with blending/bottling line support out of Dundalk, MD and So. San Francisco, CA.
  • Mash Bill: Undisclosed. (The straight whiskey portion used a traditional bourbon/corn-heavy recipe; the neutral spirits were distilled at or above 190 proof from corn and rye).
  • Blend: 27.5% Straight Whiskies, 72.5% Grain Neutral Spirits.
  • Age: NAS (Non-Age Stated). By law, the straight whiskey component had to be at least 2 years old.
  • Proof: 80 Proof
  • MSRP: Approx. $4.50-$5.50 in 1978 dollars.
  • Released: 1978 (Confirmed by the “78” glass mold stamp on the base).
  • Other: Features a paper federal tax strip issued by the Bureau of ATF (mandated post-1977). Bottled in a custom geometric diamond-molded glass bottle.

The Modern “Now” Bottle (2026)

  • Classification: American Blended Whiskey
  • Company: Suntory Global Spirits (formerly Beam Suntory)
  • Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont / Frankfort, KY.
  • Mash Bill: Undisclosed. (The straight whiskey component utilizes Beam’s standard low-rye bourbon mash bill; the grain neutral spirit base is derived from industrial corn mashes).
  • Blend: 27.5% Straight Whiskies, 72.5% Grain Neutral Spirits.
  • Age: NAS (Non-Age Stated). The back label explicitly verifies the straight whiskey portion is “2 years or more old.”
  • Proof: 80 Proof
  • MSRP: $5.99 for the 375 mL flask size.
  • Released: Modern Production (circa 2024–2026).
  • Other: Labeled with state deposit refunds (ME, VT, IA) and CA CRV. Features the modern “Lightweight Traveler” plastic bottle format and contains a standard federal health warning.

❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌

🚨REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY🚨

❓Questions❓ YourBourbonJourney@gmail.com

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.

#VintageWhiskey #KesslerWhiskey #BourbonJourney #WhiskeyTasting #AmericanWhiskey #Seagrams #JimBeam Distillery #MGPDistillery #DustyBottles #WhiskeyReview #BlendedWhiskey #SippingHistory #VintageSpirits #WhiskeyComparison #BourbonEnthusiasts