Louisville-based Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. is relaunching its absinthe spirits in new packaging and adding a barrel finished absinthe to the permanent line-up, including Absinthe Alembic Blanche. In addition, the distillery also serves a unique rotating, bottle-your-own barrel aged variant available for purchase by distillery visitors.
Copper & Kings has made brandy-based absinthes since inception, and like it has for American Brandy it has carved a space of quality distillation technique and aggressive innovation. The flagship Absinthe Blanche has been joined in the past with limited release vapor distilled absinthes (in lavender, citrus and ginger variants) and Zmaj aged in Serbian Juniper wood barrels.
“We adore absinthe. We always have, and we love taking it in to different spaces and places,” says Copper & Kings founder Joe Heron. “We think we are pretty good at it (well, we would I guess) and I think our affection for it shows in the bottle. We wanted to give a fresh, cohesive bottle projection with our other botanical spirits, and flag the exclusively double-distilled alembic copper pot-distillation process without the use of re-distilled Grain Neutral Spirits”.
“Historically the original absinthe was brandy based, which was why we started distilling absinthe in the first place. We make a very classical absinthe – from the botanical blend to the fruit distillate base,” says Copper & Kings master distiller Brandon O’Daniel. “Copper pot-distillation is a perfect vehicle for making intense, highly aromatic absinthe, and the double-distilled brandy base coupled with non-chill filtration leaves a heady, leggy, viscous spirit. Our batch proof ceiling is +/-135 Proof – so water dilution is minimal – just enough to slightly bloom and leave the pure essence of the fruit and botanicals. I love this juice.”
“We were looking to elevate the spirit and give it a level of preciousness that feels worthy of the history of absinthe, worthy of the care the distilling team give their baby and give a shelf presence that is compelling and very visible. The antique greenbottle style is perfect for both the botanical projection and a sense of quality heft,” says Copper & Kings creative director Ron Jasin.
Copper & Kings American Brandy, Gin and Absinthe are double-distilled exclusively in copper pot-stills, and are non-chill filtered, with no post-distillation infusion of boisé (oak flavor or infusion), other flavors, or caramel color for an uncorrupted, authentic, natural flavor, nose and color. The distillery also produces a line of copper pot-distilled liqueurs called Destillaré within the following portfolio of fine distilled spirits:
- Copper & Kings Absinthe Alembic Blanche (130 proof/65% ABV) – $55/750 mL
- Copper & Kings Barrel Finished Absinthe Alembic (130 proof/65% ABV) – $55/750 mL
- Copper & Kings American Craft Brandy (90 proof/45% ABV) – $35/750 mL
- Copper & Kings Floodwall Apple Brandy (90 proof/45% ABV) – $40/750 mL
- Copper & Kings American Butchertown Brandy (124 proof/62% ABV)- $60/750 mL
- Copper & Kings CR&FTWERK Beer Barrel Aged Brandy(111 proof/55.5% ABV) $40/750 mL
- Copper & Kings American Dry Gin (92 proof/46% ABV) $35 / 750mL
- Copper & Kings American Old Tom Gin (100 proof/50% ABV) $40 / 750mL
- Copper & Kings The Moons Of Juniper Dry Gin (96 proof/48% ABV) $40 / 750mL
- Copper & Kings 1495 Guelders Gin (94 proof/47% ABV) $45 / 750mL
- Copper & Kings Immature Brandy (90 proof/45% ABV) – $30/ 750 mL
- Destillaré Intense Orange Curaçao (90 proof/45% ABV) – $35/750 mL
Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. distribution footprint includes the following 35 markets including: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Washington D.C.
