An article by Chris Perugini
If you’re a bourbon drinker, you’re probably familiar with the concept of sourced whiskey. Sourcing is the concept in which a distillery or non-distilling producer (NDP) buys and sells whiskey that they did not distill themselves. This practice is employed in many whiskey-making countries around the world but is most commonly associated with American whiskey. While sourcing is more widely accepted these days, advocates against the idea cite the disingenuous connotations of the practice, suggesting that selling someone else’s product is less authentic than creating it in-house.
This sentiment is very much the product of a contemporary whiskey market. Sourcing has always been a part of the whiskey world, and some of today’s most sought-after legacy brands are sourced products. However, the modern whiskey enthusiast expects more transparency from producers than ever before. Over the last decade, distilleries and NDPs have responded accordingly, regularly sharing release details about mash bills, barrel entry proofs and which warehouse floor the whiskey aged on.
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