It’s no secret that we at the Lexington are massive fans of Bourbon, it’s been at the core of the drinks we sell since we opened our doors back in 2009 and you only have to look at our back bar to see just how much of an emphasis we put on the stuff. A blood test will also probably give you the same indication.

After visiting Kentucky and it’s myriad of distillers on about ten separate occasions we decided in 2011 that the next logical step would be to get our hands dirty and make our own bourbon. So before heading to SXSW one year, we stopped off at MGP Distillery in Lawrenceberg, Indianna and committed our first 80 barrels.

Two years of research, three years in a barrel, plus a couple of months making it’s way across the Atlantic and the Whiskey Thief made it to our shores and on to our back bar, sitting proudly amongst over two hundred years of American distilling experience. We like to think we’ve also had a hand in advancing that proud bourbon tradition, because the Whiskey Thief is not your ordinary bourbon and there’s a cheeky little clue in it’s name. A whiskey thief is a copper tool, similar to a pipette or a straw, used by master distillers to check the flavour of a barrel. A master distiller will then decide how much longer the liquid needs to remain in the barrel in order to achieve it’s unique and desired taste. At the same time, we’ve used our own innovative, natural, techniques to help our liquid age that little bit faster, a process we refer to as “stealing time.” Hence The Whisky Thief.

The Whiskey Thief uses a completely new and unique ageing process that fuses innovation and tradition to create a rich, more mature flavour, that balances richness and spice, perfect for both sipping or mixing with your favourite bourbon cocktail. Whiskey Intelligence say, “The finished taste profile is a mature and truly well-rounded flavour, with a pleasant sweetness, an undercurrent of fruit spice and delicate vanilla and mocha notes.“

You’ll start to see the Whiskey Thief become available across London and eventually the UK over the next three years as we work our way through the first 80 barrels. So if you ever see a bottle of Whiskey Thief we’d love you to remember a band you saw at the Lexington, or a night out that you had with us and then enjoy a couple of our drinks!

Good health!

http://www.whiskeythief.co.uk/recipes/