McMillen Bourbon & Bingo
Taters, Inc. may have only launched in July of 2021 but its impact has been significant having already hosted two charity fundraising events and collaborated on several bottle releases. But the true vision of the group came into clear focus when it agreed to help McMillen Health with its first annual Bourbon & Bingo fundraising event. Indeed, the impact of Taters doesn’t rely on hosting its own great events, but rather, its ability to collaborate with area charities to help both organizations accomplish their missions.
Members of the group stepped up to donate 30 bottles for the event along with six volunteers to help with their bourbon prizes, charity auction and tasting event. And helping satisfy some 300 bourbon and bingo enthusiasts is certainly no small effort!
Another first for Taters was to provide an opportunity for a live bourbon barrel selection as part of the charity event in collaboration with Backbone Bourbon Company. Attendees were invited to participate in the selection of a Bonesnapper Rye offered in three finishes: port, apple brandy and sherry. The winning barrel to be bottled and sold in support of McMillen Health. Of course the bottle would be aptly named the Tater’s Choice!
Tater’s immensely popular Tater Tonya bottle made for an easy decision to use Bonesnapper Rye as the pour du jour for the evening.
Heading into the night many had handicapped the tasting in favor of the apple brandy. Who couldn’t resist a sweet combo reminiscent of the traditional American pie? But the taters on the night put their bias aside and overwhelmingly picked the Vintage Port as the clear Tater’s Choice! Let’s hear what Tater Thomas has to say:
Nose: port forward sweetness- deep grape and brandy notes dominate the nose
Palate: transition from the sweet ruby port with deep dried fruit (fig and cherry) into a rich rye spice that carries over from the prickles from the brandy heat in the port
Finish: medium long rye lingers with the classic 95/5 MGP rye
That the Vintage Port prevailed should come as no surprise to true bourbon nerds. For almost ten years now the folks at High West Distillery have been releasing one of the more highly sought limited release bottles. A Midwinter Nights Dram uses MGP rye aged near six years and finished in port barrels. This Bonesnapper mimics that process and even kicks it up a notch. While A Midwinter Night’s Dram is cut to 98.6 proof, when it’s all done and dusted, Tater’s Choice should come out around 108 proof…and a fraction of the cost. You’re Welcome.
Use the link above to reserve your bottle and stay tuned for our details regarding the release event at the beginning of November! But we digress. There’s no doubt that Bourbon & Bingo was a great success. And Taters stepped up big time. In fact, with our subsequent $5K donation from the Hoosier Spirit Fund we were able to put the event over $70K.
"I am overwhelmed with the support that we had at our 1st Annual Bourbon & Bingo event. The night was an absolute success and we owe so much thanks to Taters, Inc. and their president, Michael Barranda, who I had the pleasure working alongside of. This event would not have been possible without their support and knowledge. I am also grateful to our Board of Directors and McMillen Staff. We are lucky to have such amazing people on our side." - Sabrina Straessle, McMillen Director of Marketing and Communication
Of course no event would be complete without the amazing photos of Matt Hakey. Cheers!
