From the makers of award-winning Legacy Batch 001, Eric Church and Outsiders Spirits have announced the release of its all-new Whiskey JYPSI Explorer Series. The Explorer Series continues the brand’s focus on sourcing the highest quality whiskeys and ingredients while finishing these spirits with combinations of distinctive and exceptional woods from around the globe. The series features well-aged, mature whiskeys never younger than six years old and ranging between 100-107 proof.
We're excited to announce the all-new Explorer Series from @WhiskeyJYPSI, available starting today. Explorer's first release combines six-year aged whiskeys and unique finishing woods from the Appalachian Mountains and the French forest of Tronçais, taking you on a creative… pic.twitter.com/PceMGukQm5
— Eric Church (@ericchurch) April 2, 2024
“When we started the company, we had a long-term goal of creating the highest quality whiskeys in the world while having a diversity of products to satisfy the palate of a variety of whiskey drinkers,” said Outsiders co-founder Raj Alva. “Our first launch was an ultra-premium product. This next one is going to be more accessible. It’s unique because it’s going to be finished using woods from across the globe. That’s why we called it Explorer.”
Explorer’s inaugural release is a blend of two six-year-old bourbons – a low rye distilled in Kentucky and selected for its sweetness, and an Indiana high rye chosen for its spice. The combined mash bill of 66% corn, 30% rye and 4% malted barley is then slowly reduced to 103 proof and finished using two oak varietals – French Oak (Quercus robur) from France’s famed Forest of Tronçais and American Oak (Quercus alba) from the Appalachian Mountains. Each of these woods was specifically chosen to work in concert with the sweetness and spice of the blend – and both are steeped in rich backstories that connect their origins to the roots of country music.
“This is why I wanted to get into the whiskey business,” said Church, a ten-time GRAMMY nominee. “It’s a creative process, an adventure, and a story – like music. And you never know where you’re going ‘til you get the song written or the whiskey is made.”
Whiskey JYPSI’s Explorer is priced at $69.99 and will be available beginning today, April 2nd, in select liquor stores across Tennessee with more markets to follow and online at www.whiskeyjypsi.com.
Outsiders Spirits chose oak staves from France’s Forest of Tronçais for the first release of Explorer because of its accentuated notes of spice and leather. The oak trees from this forest have been used to make barrels for centuries and have housed some of the finest Bordeaux wines ever made. The Forest of Tronçais was originally overseen by the Duke of Bourbon (foreshadowing its use in Explorer) and was later planted with oak trees by Louis XIV to supply timber for the French navy. The Tronçais region was also home to early European troubadours whose musical traditions of merging melodies and poetry ultimately migrated to the Appalachian Mountains – which became the heart of America’s singer-songwriter tradition.
The American Oak staves used in the first Explorer release come from those same Appalachian Mountains, where cooler conditions lead to slower growth and a tighter grain. This results in a specific mix of sweetness, richness, depth, and viscosity the Outsiders team wanted to pair with the spice of the French Oak as a key finishing component in their new release. Explorer’s Appalachian Oak was also harvested near where Outsiders Spirits co-founder Eric Church grew up in North Carolina.
“We only want to make incredible whiskey, and do it our way,” said Outsiders Spirits whiskey maker Ari Sussman. “Part of that is making sure it’s not just a whiskey – it’s a story highlighting the places, cultures and agricultures that are part of our explorations.”
