With this award, we are celebrating the first time honoring a whiskey brand as our top choice. The decision wasn’t easy, as the whiskey landscape is crowded with many prestigious brands who put up fierce competition for the best of 2023. In the end, it was a clear choice in picking Three Chord Bourbon as the brand that we feel exhibited the qualities of integrity, quality, and innovation in the industry.
Our journey with Three Chord Bourbon began with an interview featuring Neil Giraldo in 2021. He has an impressive resume in the world of music that has been earned several times over with his unwavering work ethic. His status as a legend is an authentic and deserved honor. Digging deeper, he is an inspiration to those in his circle and the heart of the operation. When Neil sets his mind to something, there is no stopping him from finding the people and resources to make it happen. A key memory from our first interaction with him is that he named and thanked every member of the Three Chord Bourbon team extemporaneously. They were all on a path to disrupt the whiskey industry and we believed them.
As our relationship continued, we were lucky enough to feature Ari Sussman, the Whiskey Maker at Three Chord, in a 2022 interview. Delving into his whiskey journey helped us understand his super-hero level ability to craft delicious whiskey. He serves as the soul of Three Chord Bourbon vision and is the primary architect of every whiskey they make. When we asked Ari about the best whiskey that he’s tasted, he told us about tasting a rye whiskey over a span of several years as the whiskey matured and developed. This still stands as a unique and insightful answer across the many people in the industry we have profiled. Ari is truly a gifted whiskey maker and his whiskey speaks for itself.
Recently, Ryan Gill was added to the mix. He’s been a pivotal resource in accelerating the execution of Three Chord’s various efforts across the board, especially (but not limited to) the music world. Of course, there are countless other people behind the scenes that have been pivotal to work with at the company. Support from executives, public relations, marketing, and so many other levels has been rock solid and productive. It’s an impressive thing to watch this operation deliver hit after hit and keep rolling along.
In 2023, there were three key factors for success that set this whiskey maker apart from so many others. First, Neil Giraldo has always vocally espoused that giving back is a core value of the company. Throughout the course of the year, there have been a constellation of worthy causes that have been engaged by the brand. This includes branded bottles with bespoke recipes for those interested in each cause. His vision is fully realized regarding this company value.
Also, this year Whiskey Network partnered with Three Chord Bourbon to produce the Three Chord Trilogy (melody, harmony, and rhythm) which included the following expressions: Cherry Bounce, Toasted Barrel, and Double Oaked. In mid-2023, the Double Oaked expression was awarded a Platinum Winner honor by the Ascot Awards (category: Single Barrel Pick, High Proof, Barrel Finish), which is a well-known and respected whiskey competition. This incredible achievement is a testament to our partnership with the brand and the unique craftsmanship of their products. This is also a great example of their expansive program to engage the whiskey community with custom barrel offerings.
Most importantly, Three Chord Bourbon pulled off something unprecedented in the whiskey industry late in the year. They announced 7 unique collaborations with bands (Black Stone Cherry, Cadillac Three, Dinosaur Jr., Goodbye June, Halestorm, Lucero, and Theory of a Deadman). This groundbreaking announcement dwarfs all other efforts of whiskey makers to collaborate with bands. Each offering has a unique mashbill, custom label art, and the option to purchase autographed bottles. You can read our full story on this incredible offering here. In the month of January, we will also be releasing tasting notes for each expression in the Backstage Series.
“The bands in the Three Chord Backstage Series were intimately involved in creating these whiskeys. Each came to the blending table with specific tastes, opinions, and target profiles in mind… Like their music, these whiskeys are distinctive expressions that reflect the creative impulses of these extraordinary artists.”
Ari Sussman, Three Chord Bourbon
Finally, in addition to being an ambitious and well-intentioned company, the core line up of Three Chord Blended Bourbon, Amplify Rye, Strange Collaboration, and Tennessee Whiskey are all delicious expressions. On top of that, there are quite a few seasonal offerings that show their depth and reach as a whiskey maker.
After careful consideration across a multitude of factors, Three Chord Bourbon stood head-and-shoulders above many other distilleries that we were considering for this honor.
Congratulations to the entire team at Three Chord Bourbon! The year 2023 was an exciting, busy, and delicious one for you and your fans!
