From the mansion to the boondocks. An interesting path for Dave Scheurich, who retired as the master distiller of Woodford Reserve bourbon in 2011 after a 17-year tenure in that position. He now is seeking to put a fledgling brand on the same radar as Woodford -- and doing it for a wine company.His post-retirement days are spent on a project known as Boondocks American Whiskey, owned by the Royal Wine Corp. of Bayonne, NJ. The family-owned company owns more than 60 wine brands and also is an importer and distributors of spirits.
Scheurich has been overseeing the creation of two different expressions of Boondocks, bottled at 95 and 127 proof, with plans to create a “limited edition” variant in the next few months. The current expressions are made from a mash of corn, rye and malt, and aged in American white oak barrels in Kentucky. Suggested retail prices: $39.99 for the 95 proof, $59.99 for the 127. The "lighter" whiskey is doing especially well this year, earning a Gold Medal/91 points in the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition and "Best of Category" in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
“Boondocks is an exciting project to be a part of,” Scheurich said in a prepared statement. “With the development of this brand, we wanted to bring a superior product with exceptional taste to the market, but most importantly we wanted a whiskey that delivered an ultra smooth finish -- something easy to enjoy.”
By the way, why the name Boondocks?
"It is said that “out in the boondocks, life is a little simpler. Time-honored traditions are taken seriously. One takes time so that things are done right. And when it comes to whiskey, the results are shown in every bottle.”
