The Tasting Panel magazine

November 2014

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60  /  the tasting panel  /  november 2014 BROWN SPIRITS I n a whiskey-soaked age of pop-up speakeasies, Prohibition cocktails and barrel-aged everything, finding a bourbon true to itself is no easy task. Based on the iconic, notorious oil baron portrayed by the late Larry Hagman from the hit show Dallas, the highly anticipated J. R. Ewing Private Reserve Bourbon is finally hitting the shelves of California after a star-studded launch party at Santa Monica's Del Frisco's Grille. The new bourbon was developed and branded in Dallas by the Southfork Bottling Company, in collaboration with the executives at Warner Bros and Prairie Creek Beverages. "J. R. was an egotistical maniac," co-founder Andy Harmon notes. "He wouldn't want to drink someone else's bourbon; he'd want to drink his own stuff . . . and he'd make damn sure it was done right." Longtime friend and co-star Linda Gray, best known for her timeless portrayal of Sue Ellen Ewing on Dallas, admits that despite her charac- ter's propensity for hard liquor, she mostly avoids the stuff, but makes an exception for this whiskey: "When I first tasted the bourbon, I couldn't believe how smooth it was. It's just like J. R.—each sip reminds me of his unique, complex character." Distilled at 80 proof and aged four years deep in the heart of Kentucky bourbon country, J. R. Ewing Private Reserve Bourbon comes packaged in a handsome bottle, complete with a wooden stopper and a screen- printed image of the show's infamous Southfork Ranch, the home of the Ewings. Much more than novelty showpiece, the honey-toned spirit is a fitting homage to the legacy of J. R. Ewing: a firm, complex expression of vanilla, oak and spicy orange, resulting in a smooth and easy drinking experience J. R. would've surely bragged about. Although J. R. himself always preferred a Bourbon and Branch, the classic mingling of premium bourbon and a measure of water, this bour- bon also shines either neat or on the rocks, preferably with a conniving countenance. From Oil Barrels to Whiskey Barrels FICTIONAL TEXAS TYCOON J. R. EWING EARNS A NAMESAKE BOURBON by Matthew Lorton / photos by Carolina Korman Robbie Carroll, Southern Wine & Spirits Account Executive for Costco; Kelly Smith, Prairie Creek Sr. Regional Manager; Dallas cast star Linda Gray; and Matt Thompson, Ralphs Chain Director for Southern Wine & Spirits. Fresh Fare Merchandiser of Ralphs Jeff Hall with Linda Gray.

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