BLUE RUN ALTITUDE COLLECTION & CHOSEN X ALEC BRADLEY CIGAR BLEND
KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY
KENTUCKY, USA
WHY BUY:
Blue Run's micro-batch expressions are marvels of blending, and their Liquid Director, Shaylyn Gammon, formerly of Wild Turkey, has just crafted two bourbon beauties: a two-bottle set that offers a rare and fascinating peak into how time in the rickhouse shapes a bourbon, and a high-octane, single-barrel bourbon created in collaboration with cigar maestro Alec Bradley that's limited to just 300 bottles worldwide. Both delicious, both distinct, both must-haves for the bourbon hound in pursuit of excitement and discovery.
OUR TASTING NOTES:
* Our recommendation re: the Altitude Collection: pour the Horizon first. It's the quieter of the two, and Zenith will flatten it if you go in the other order. Maple arrives first on the nose, followed by a burst of cherry, and then a slow expansion outward into dried fruit. There’s a wonderful oaky note that comes late and warm, and that leads you to and through the lifted finish. Zenith spent the second half of its maturation upstairs, where rickhouses tend to run hot, and that experience comes through clearly in the glass. There’s a rich sweetness here, in the form of honey and caramel. Along the edges, there’s a wonderful dusting of dried cinnamon, and a hint of oak that’s been sanded smooth. If you go back to Horizon in the wake of Zenith (and you should, if only for the sake of fun), it's like stepping from a crowded party onto a porch.
* The CHOSEN is a markedly bigger experience. And not just bigger: but more intense, more concentrated, more powerful, from its inviting and evocative nose of caramel and toffee to its rich, expansive palate, in which dark chocolate and dried fruit dip and dance, and notes of black pepper and clove weave in and around them. The finish is nicely matured, with hints of leather and oak, and marvelously silky, and makes certain to take its time before leaving.
THE BACKSTORY:
* The Altitude Collection pairs sister barrels — that is to say: same mash bill, same age — that were swapped between rickhouse floors midway through their maturation. Experiments like this almost never leave the distillery, but this one is a glorious exception.
* CHOSEN x Alec Bradley is a collaboration with the celebrated cigar maker, and, at 118.8-proof, is more than robust enough to keep company with Bradley’s superb stogies.
SPECS:
* Altitude Collection: A pair of sister barrels, each with a 78/10/0/12 mash bill, were distilled together and swapped between floors midway through aging. Horizon moved from Floor 4 to Floor 1; Zenith, from Floor 1 to Floor 4. Both were bottled at barrel proof.
* CHOSEN x Alec Bradley: Barrel 1: 10 years, 78% corn. Barrel 2: 6 years, 72% corn. The final product was bottled at 118.8 proof, cask strength and non-chill filtered, and adorned with a custom gold medallion engraved with the Alec Bradley name.
THE STORY:
Blue Run's founders are a diverse group (a political campaign director, a Facebook attorney, a former Nike designer, a hospitality executive, a philanthropist) with one notable credit missing from their collective resume: none worked at a distillery. That could have been a disadvantage but in actuality proved to be a real plus. Unbound by convention and tradition, they pulled in ideas from the world of sneaker wear to market their bourbons, from the signature butterfly medallion that adorns their bottles to the limited colorways to the online drops that, early on, had customers chasing down like Ticketmaster tickets. Of course, a great design can’t make people buy a middlin’ bourbon, so they cold-called Jim Rutledge, the Bourbon Hall of Famer who built Four Roses, and brought him aboard as "Liquid Director," sourcing aged barrels and overseeing custom high-rye mash bills distilled at Castle & Key in Frankfort, with more production at Bardstown Bourbon Company. The torch has since been passed to Shaylyn Gammon, formerly of Wild Turkey. Her micro-batches have drawn steady praise for their expertise in blending, and has set Blue Run on a bold new chapter.
FUN FACT:
Blue Run's butterfly medallions come in different colors for different single barrels and micro-batches, and bourbon fiends on Facebook and Reddit are known to trade bottles to complete their sets.
OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the producer, so your bottles will arrive as they should: with pristine provenance guaranteed. Secure yours today.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Winter 2026 (Dec. 20, 2026 - Mar. 21, 2027). All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NC, NE, NM, NY, OK, TN, VA, & WA. This offer will expire on October 13, 2026.