Indiana’s MGP Releases Second Whiskey, Metze’s Select

By Richard Thomas

The MGP distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana is best known in whiskey circles as America’s principle supplier of stock whiskey, especially the 95% rye whiskey used by so many bottlers. Yet until recently, MGP was not in the business of bottling and selling its own wares, and now that is changing.

Yesterday MGP announced the introduction of Metze’s Select, a limited edition Indiana straight bourbon whiskey named for MGP Master Distiller Greg Metze. This is the distillery’s second whiskey release, and its first one entering retail distribution.

“MGP has a proud legacy of making world-class whiskeys,” said MGP President and CEO Gus Griffin.  “Metze’s Select celebrates that heritage and showcases our distillation, maturation and formulation expertise.”

Metze’s Select is described by MGP’s as combining some of their “favorite whiskeys to produce a well-balanced bourbon featuring a Lawrenceburg-style high rye characteristic that merges spicy notes with creamy vanilla and caramel.”

Metze’s Select is a limited edition bourbon, drawing on three different batches of bourbon: 59% of a 2008-distilled, 21% rye mashbill bourbon; 38% from a 2006-distilled, 21% rye bourbon; and a final 3% from a 2006-distilled, 36% rye mashbill bourbon. The run is limited to 6,000 bottles at 46.5% (93 proof), and will retail for $74.99. The expected release date is September.

Metze’s Select follows last year’s release of Metze’s Medley Indiana straight bourbon whiskey, MGP’s first ever product bottled under its own name. However, that tentative first release was not made available commercially, and was only on offer at a Lawrenceburg area festival.