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When I think about Michigan, I often think about the multitudes of people who I’ve met from there who quickly hold up their hand as a visual representation of the state to pinpoint where they’re from. Chances are you’ve had this happen to you multiple times too…and those of you from Michigan, you know you do this. That said, what I don’t think about typically when I think of Michigan is bourbon; however, tucked away in a suburb of Detroit is a small craft distillery, Valentine Distilling Company which produces Mayor Pingree Bourbon. Bottled in limited editions, it’s a regular sight on the secondary pages given the bourbon has won numerous awards, including the coveted gold medal award back in 2019 at the San Franciso World Spirits Competition as well as a double gold medal at the 2020 New York World Wine and Spirits Competition. Not only do they produce their own whiskey, they also source a fair bit from MGP, both of which find their way into the Mayor Pingree lineup. So, as we do, lets dig in and help you become Whiskey Wise.
Hazen Stuart Pingree, born in late August of 1840 was a lot of things, he was a veteran of the Civil War, owner of the largest shoe manufacturer in the American west at the time, and a man who didn’t seek to find his way into politics. In 1890 however in a landslide victory he became mayor of Detroit, and ushered in significant reforms, breaking up monopolies, and fighting corruption and special interests with an unparalleled energy and temper. He was a friend of the working man and was known for creating “potato patches” on empty lots to help feed people during times of strife. It was his tenacity for doing good that propelled him to become Governor for two terms. It was Mayor Pingree’s spirit and character that inspired Rifino Valentine, the founder and president of Valentine Distilling Company to partner with the Detroit Historical Society to launch the bourbon in 2016.
The Mayor Pingree lineup is bottled in limited editions, each featuring a different label design inspired by Pingree's life and legacy. It’s easy to tell what sort of animal you’re dealing with by a quick look at the label of any Mayor Pingree bottle, and based on the color you see you can tell a lot about it.
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An age-stated blend of choice bourbon casks, pairing bourbons produced at Valentines Ferndale distillery and MGP juice from Lawrenceburg, Indiana. These are generally in the 4-5 years old age range.
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Aged for at least 10 years, and as much as 15, these bourbons reflect some of the oldest casks to ever age in Michigan and are single-barrel bottlings sourced from MGP.
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Aged for at least 9 years (generally), these are blended bourbons from a special inventory of MGP casks that are batched and bottled at cask strength.
Just in the event you see some other colored bottles out and about, there is an orange label and green label offering from Mayor Pingree but those are ryes, and we’re here to talk about bourbon!!
Valentine is currently distributed in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Indiana. Some options exist through Valentines retail partners to purchase a limited amount of select bottles via mail order through their “shop” tab on their website. Most of the more hard to come by bottles you’ll however probably have to seek out on the bourbon secondary market. If you’re going the secondary route, be sure to check out the Bourbon Blue Book™ for the most up to date pricing on over 3,000 bottles, including Mayor Pingree bourbons and ryes.
Unpackage complex flavor intensity data on nearly 500 different bourbons to find a pour you’ll love in our Members Only section, where you can sign up and then pin/add our site to your home screen where it will function much like an app, often referred to as a “web app.” The new web app will incorporate all the existing features available on Bourboneur as well as an expanded offering of tools and resources to help Bourboneur’s everywhere become whiskey wise. Want to keep up with Bourboneur, bottles drops and more? Join our community of thousands by scrolling down and subscribing to our weekly email list – you can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and yes, even TikTok. Show us some love and give us a like on your favorite platform, or all of them and keep up with all the Bourboneur happenings!
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