NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Whiskey and country music go together. But have you ever had bourbon that tastes like '90s country? Well, there's a first for everything.
With Alan Jackson's first signature spirit, the country superstar has hand-selected exactly what he wants with Silverbelly Whiskey. Whether you're a collector or connoisseur, the 91-proof Kentucky bourbon hopes to hit several aspects of the whiskey experience, which is arguably more popular than it's ever been.
"From the label to the name to the story to the taste... all of it comes from the man himself," says the CEO of Silverbelly Whiskey, Robbie Goldsmith. While good whiskey takes time, the name "Silverbelly" was decided from the start. "We were settled on Silverbelly from the beginning, it is the color of his iconic hat he's worn on stage for over 35 years and fits perfectly," Goldsmith said.
The label, by the way, matches the iconic color.
Like whiskey with age, the rest takes time to get right. So, it started with a trip Jackson and his team took to Owensboro, Kentucky, home to the 10th oldest registered distillery in the commonwealth: DSP-KY-10.
Always a fan, now Jackson needed to decide what his fans would want in a whiskey. Palates were tested, and barrels were tasted and blended based on the country superstar's preferences.
"He gave us what he likes to drink. We took that, and we started doing tastings. We started with 10... then we moved to seven and five and finally narrowed down to two," Goldsmith said.
He added that it was over a Jackson family dinner where it was decided which whiskey would be the winner.
"It's smooth, it’s crisp. There's gonna be some brown sugar hints which is why we love it for everyone, right? All of his fans," Goldsmith said.
The key, Goldsmith insists, Jackson wanted a whiskey that works for everyone. "It's just really approachable at 91 proof, so it's not too hot and you're going to really get the flavors out of it," he said.
If you'd like a pour, it's available right now at AJ’s Good Time Bar on Broadway in downtown Nashville. For the bottle, the MSRP is $39.99. Every batch, by the way, are Jackson’s number one songs in chronological order, and you can collect them all. The first batch starts with the 1990’s "Here in the Real World."
Silverbelly is available at over 150 stores in Tennessee and will roll out nationwide as Jackson's 16-city tour continues.
