HAZMAT Pride of Indiana Batch 002

We love highlighting the many brands and distilleries we carry at Seelbach’s, but we also wanted to take a moment to revisit one of my favorite releases of the year.
 
You may remember that a few months back we released the second batch of Pride of Indiana, a blend of 10-year bourbon and 20-year light whiskey. This hazmat release has remained one of my favorite pours of 2025.
 
As year-end “Best of” lists begin to roll in and Pride of Indiana continues to get mentioned alongside them, it felt worth taking one more look before these bottles are gone.
 

When we thought about a brand dedicated to Indiana whiskey, we had a few goals in mind. First, to playfully tell the story of Indiana's distilling heritage. With its rich heritage of distilling, it was once vilified as a "mega factory" and even "modern-day snake oil." Transparency is a key pillar of Seelbach's. But, disparaging this Indiana distillery as snake oil didn't sit right. This three-letter distillery became a top choice for whiskey fans. That's why we resurrected this historic label with some of the best barrels in our warehouse. Let's get into the details of this batch. 
 
American Light Whiskey started in 1968. It’s a high-proof whiskey that utilizes used barrels. The goal was to compete with Canadian blends. It served primarily as a blending component in American blended whiskey. Not as a sipper. While it flopped as a standalone category in the 1970s, old stock found a cult following today. With an age of 20 years and 6 months, these barrels became the compound butter on a wagyu steak. The steak? We selected two 10-year and 7-month Kelvin barrels. This first barrel clocked in at a whopping 141.4 proof and a color reminiscent of sun-brewed tea! These barrels were heavy with notes of black tea, black pepper, and leather. This paired perfectly with the vanilla frosting and orange caramel notes of the Light Whiskey. The combination is a well-aged flavor bomb that puts Indiana whiskey on a pedestal. Right where it should be! 
 
You smell waves of vanilla frosting and burnt sugar mixing with bright orange zest. Then, deeper notes of canned pear and rich almond butter come forward.
 
The first sip hits with molasses and cracked white pepper. This is followed by an earthy, sage note and dried mango. Oak leads as the whiskey opens. It adds charred wood spice on top of the growing sweetness.
 
The finish is a slow burn of toasted oak and wild honeysuckle. It's long, warm, and captivating finish.