Brown-Forman Honors Barrel-Making Heritage with Coopers' Craft Bourbon

11 Apr 2016 --- Brown-Forman will introduce the company's first new bourbon brand in 20 years with the release of Coopers' Craft.

This new bourbon will be available in select markets this summer and celebrates the company's more than 70 years of barrel-making and wood expertise as the only major distiller that owns its own new barrel cooperage.

Brown-Forman founder George Garvin Brown began bottling bourbon nearly 150 years ago and recognized the important role of the barrel and the impact wood has on bourbon. Based on his vision, Brown-Forman established its own cooperage in 1945. To this day, Brown-Forman is the only major distiller to raise its own new barrels. This expertise has led to over 70 years of raising barrels and honing the craft of using wood to impart unique flavor characteristics to bourbon.

Coopers' Craft is a celebration of barrel-making and a recognition of the importance of wood when it comes to crafting bourbon. In addition to being matured in barrels raised by master coopers at the Brown-Forman Cooperage, Coopers' Craft is crafted using a special beech and birch charcoal filter finishing process, creating a smooth and flavorful bourbon.

"Coopers' Craft is the result of decades of experience in mastering barrel-making and maturation techniques to create truly unique bourbons," said Lawson Whiting, executive vice president and chief brands & strategy officer for Brown-Forman Brands. "Owning our cooperage is a testament to this expertise and brings to life the notion that what matters most, we do ourselves."

Hitting shelves this summer, Coopers' Craft will be available in the following U.S. markets initially:  Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Coopers' Craft is presented at 82.2 proof and is available at a suggested retail price of $28.99 for a 750ml bottle.