It’s not everyday that a local Deep Ellum bar’s Proprietor and Director of Beverage fly to Kentucky to hand-select the perfect barrel of bourbon to serve to its guests. Lucky for bourbon enthusiasts in Dallas, HIDE Proprietor Nick Backlund and Director of Beverage Scott Jenkins did just that.

Backlund and Jenkins are continuing to prove why HIDE was recently named critics choice “Best New Bar in Dallas For 2017” by the Dallas Observer and one of D Magazine’s Best New Bars in DFW” by going the extra mile (literally and figuratively) in the pursuit of creating the best cocktail experience possible for their guests.

Hand Picked Bourbon with Master Distiller

The duo recently flew to the Wild Turkey distillery in Kentucky, where they hand-selected a 12-year-old single barrel reserve whiskey alongside Master Distiller and Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer Eddie Russell. The selected whiskey has a silky, lush texture with an initial taste of rich butterscotch, vanilla and baking spices, developing into hints of stone fruits and coconut on the finish.

“Visiting such an admired distillery and exploring its rich history, while hand-selecting our own barrel of bourbon with none other than Eddie Russell himself was truly remarkable,” said Backlund. “Now we have brought it back to Dallas to give our guests the opportunity to try a bourbon that is the only one of its kind. Our guests can choose to indulge in a straight pour or try out one of the unique cocktails that Scott will be crafting from the spirit.”

Recently, the Dallas Scotch Society (DSS) experienced the first pour and taste of the barrel during an exclusive happy hour hosted by HIDE. “The Russell’s Reserve is fantastic,” said President of the DSS Scott Caldwell. “Nick and Scott really outdid themselves. There’s a reason HIDE’s cocktail and mixology game is so strong.”

Only Hand Selected Bourbon Barrel in Deep Ellum

This is the only hand selected bourbon barrel in Deep Ellum. HIDE’s barrel is 1 of 2 at any cocktail bar in Dallas. Nick and Scott were able to get 150 bottles of this specialty bourbon from their barrel, so be sure to stop by and enjoy your share before the tap runs dry.  Cheers!