There are bourbon releases, and then there are bourbon releases that actually mean something. The new Club Marzipan Single Barrel Bourbon from Buzzard's Roost Distillery falls firmly into the second category — and for anyone who has followed the American whiskey scene for any length of time, the names attached to this bottle alone are enough to pay attention.
Image credit: Buzzard's Roost
The Louisville-based distillery has teamed up with Fred Minnick, one of the most respected voices in the bourbon world, to put out a limited single-barrel release that ties directly into Minnick's eighth book, "Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Changed One Man's Life." The bourbon and the book are being released together, and that pairing is not just a marketing move. The two feel genuinely connected in spirit — both are about digging deeper, looking past the obvious choices, and finding something worth savoring.
The Barrel They Picked
Minnick sat down with Jason Brauner, co-founder and master blender at Buzzard's Roost, and the two went through barrels together the old-fashioned way — by tasting them. This is not a celebrity slap-a-name-on-it situation. Both men carry serious reputations for knowing what good whiskey actually tastes like, and the barrel they landed on reflects that.
The bourbon is six years old and built on a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. That rye percentage is notably high, which tends to push things in a spicier, more assertive direction. But what really sets this one apart is what happened after the initial aging — it went through a secondary maturation in one of Buzzard's Roost's custom-toasted barrels.
That secondary barrel process is the signature move at Buzzard's Roost, and it is the thing that makes their whiskeys genuinely different from what most distilleries are putting out. The barrels they use for this second run are low-char and high-toast, seasoned for 18 months before they ever see a drop of whiskey. The result in this particular barrel is a flavor profile that hits on warm cinnamon coffee cake, chocolate-covered toffee, and a subtle back-end pop of black pepper. That combination — sweet, rich, and finishing with a little bite — is the kind of thing that keeps a glass interesting from the first sip to the last.
It comes in at 115.4 proof, which is barrel strength territory. That is not a casual pour, but it is exactly the kind of proof that lets the full character of the whiskey come through without a distillery watering it down for mass appeal. Retail price is $85, which is competitive for a single-barrel bourbon of this age and pedigree.
Brauner spoke directly to what made the selection process work. "Our unique double oak process really comes through in the bourbon that Fred and I selected," he said. "I've known Fred for decades, and we had a great time choosing this barrel."
That familiarity matters. These two did not walk into a room as strangers trying to put together a product. They came in as people who have talked whiskey together for a long time, and that shared language shows up in the bottle.
The Book Behind the Bottle
Fred Minnick has written seven books before this one, and by any measure he is the kind of author bourbon drinkers should be reading. His work does not just catalogue facts and tasting notes — it gets into the history, the culture, and the human side of American whiskey.
"Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Changed One Man's Life" sounds like it operates on a few levels at once. The official description frames it as "part memoir, part whiskey-world investigation," one that unearths the forgotten history of what it calls "America's most misunderstood bourbon" while telling the story of one man's search for something more than just flavor. The book is described as a look at how that search "became a fight to rediscover meaning, purpose, and truth in a world full of half-truths and tall tales."
That is a real premise for a book, not just a tagline. For anyone who has ever gone down a rabbit hole trying to trace where a particular bourbon came from, or why a certain distillery disappeared, or what actually happened to a brand that used to mean something — this is the kind of story that holds attention. Minnick clearly has access and knowledge that most people do not, and the combination of personal narrative with historical investigation is a formula that works.
Where and When to Get It
The Club Marzipan Single Barrel Bourbon goes on sale Friday, February 20th. It will be available online and at the Buzzard's Roost Distillery and Tasting Room, which sits at 624 W. Main Street in downtown Louisville.
For anyone who wants more than just a bottle, Minnick and Brauner will both be at the distillery that evening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. signing bottles and books. That is a rare opportunity to get two of the most knowledgeable people in the bourbon business in the same room at the same time, and to walk away with a signed copy of a new book alongside a bottle of the whiskey they picked together.
A Company That Does Things Differently
Buzzard's Roost is worth knowing about beyond this single release. It is an independent distiller, blender, and bottler operating out of Louisville, and the double oak process they use is not a gimmick — it is the foundation of everything they make. Every whiskey they put out goes through secondary maturation. The idea is to pull multiple layers of flavor from each barrel by using wood that has been carefully seasoned and processed to react differently than a standard barrel would.
All of their whiskeys are second-barrel aged and bottled at Bardstown Bourbon Company, which is one of the most respected production facilities in Kentucky. Buzzard's Roost products are available in 25 markets across the country, as well as online and at the Louisville tasting room.
One more thing worth noting — Buzzard's Roost is a woman-led company, which puts it in a distinct minority in an industry that has historically been dominated by the same kind of voices for a very long time. That does not change what is in the bottle, but it does say something about the kind of operation they are running.
The Bottom Line
A high-rye, barrel-strength, double-oak single barrel at $85 with two serious palates behind the selection is a combination that is hard to argue with. Add in the connection to a new book that looks like it has real substance behind it, and this release becomes something more than just another limited bourbon drop.
For anyone who takes American whiskey seriously and wants a bottle that comes with an actual story attached to it, the Club Marzipan Single Barrel Bourbon from Buzzard's Roost is the kind of thing worth getting to before it sells out.
