Raj Bhakta, Creator of Modern Rye Phenomenon, Returns With “Whiskey Perfected”
Industry Maverick and Category Creator Conjures Back the Spirit of the Roaring Twenties, Perfecting Rye Whiskey in New Flagship Release BHAKTA 1928
POULTNEY, VT — Have you ever tasted a nearly 100-year-old spirit? A century may have once seemed impossible to consume in one snifter. But now — compliments of an innovative spirits maverick — you can finally mix a cocktail with time itself.
BHAKTA Spirits, the world’s preeminent House of Vintages, announced today the national debut of its new flagship spirit, BHAKTA 1928 (SRP $69). A boundary-breaking blend of straight rye whiskey, XO Calvados, and ultra-aged Armagnac named in honor of the most ancient vintage contained in each bottle, BHAKTA 1928 unifies America’s finest rye with France’s two most exquisite brandies.
Building from a bold base of 2018 vintage American straight rye whiskey (60%), the blend is then enriched with XO Calvados (30%) — adding deep age and complex layers of rich, juicy fruit. But it’s the final fortification of ancient Armagnac from the über-rare 1928, 1941, 1962, 1973, and 1996 vintages (10%) which transport BHAKTA 1928 into unprecedented territory.
Upon composition by French Master Blender Bernard Domecq — a 50-year career stalwart of the House of Vintages himself, and one of the spirits world’s most unsung masters — BHAKTA 1928 undergoes a double cask finish in virgin French oak. While the spirit’s total average age registers an impressive 15 Years, 30% of its blend is over 30 years old, 5% is over 50 years old, and its oldest vintage clocks in at nearly 100 years old.
Call it “whiskey, perfected” — through the magic touch of Armagnac. And while the mystical properties of this ancient eau-de-vie have been studied by scholars and spiritualists since 1310, not until today have its powers of transubstantiation been brought to bear on rye whiskey; through the alchemy granted by the ancient 1928 vintage, this spirit literally channels the Roaring Twenties.
It also serves as a liquid chronicle of numerous other epochs: America’s entrance into WWII, and subsequent triumph over Fascism (1941); the dawn of the Space Age (1962); and the “Golden Anniversary” vintage of a year that changed our nation forever (1973). BHAKTA 1973 Armagnac (SRP $399) was recently named in the “No. 1 Spirit in the World” for 2023 by top critic and global spirits authority F. Paul Pacult.
It comes as no surprise that rye whiskey, the calling card of BHAKTA Spirits Founder Raj Peter Bhakta, forms the core of the brand’s new flagship spirit. Arguably the most category-defining spirits entrepreneur of the 21st century, Bhakta proved his place as a pioneer with the phenomenon of WhistlePig Whiskey, through which he instigated a national rye renaissance. Now he’s ushering the world of drinks into a new Roaring Twenties. Only BHAKTA has the boundless stocks of ancient brandy necessary to offer this landmark release conjoining the past, present, and future of spirits.
After successfully exiting WhistlePig, Bhakta set out on a global odyssey in pursuit of the world’s oldest spirits. His quest culminated in the cellar of a storybook château in a majestic but overlooked corner of French countryside where he unearthed an ancient trove of Armagnac boasting nearly every vintage back to 1868.
He parted with a small fortune to possess it. Today, by offering BHAKTA 1928 at scale and at less than $100, he’s throwing the party of the century — and all of America is invited.
“Have you ever tasted a nearly 100-year-old spirit?” asks BHAKTA Spirits Cofounder Leo Gibson. “The ultimate distillation of the Roaring Twenties, BHAKTA 1928 channels the unbridled optimism, unstoppable boom, and ‘extraordinary gift for hope’ — as F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of fictional tycoon Jay Gatsby — that defined America’s most iconic era yet. BHAKTA 1928 offers consumers the chance to enjoy a spirit of astounding age for a genuinely jaw-dropping price, directly from the visionary creator of the modern rye category himself.”
There’s no doubt the present day could use its own magic touch of the spirit of 1928. Consider the original Roaring Twenties: peace reigned, fortunes were made, and “the war to end all wars” was over at last. America found its footing on the global stage. Drinks flowed freely; dance crazes swept the nation. The scene was set with flappers, Packards, dapper gentlemen, and a defining and inspiring character in the form of Jay Gatsby. It felt like the party would last forever — and now it can, through BHAKTA 1928.
“Since long before I founded WhistlePig, my quest to perfect whiskey has been the absolute focus of my career,’” says BHAKTA Spirits Founder Raj Peter Bhakta. “Beginning with a base rye superior to almost any I’ve created before, BHAKTA 1928 finally achieves the dream of whiskey, perfected — through the transubstantiation granted by a magic touch of 1928 Armagnac. Isn’t it time we brought back the spirit of the Roaring Twenties? Let the new boom times begin.”
So we blend on, barrels against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. But forget Fitzgerald’s fiction for now. Raj Peter Bhakta has returned to rye.
For more information about BHAKTA Spirits, BHAKTA 1928 and its national launch activations, and Raj Peter Bhakta’s media availability, please contact Andrew Lohse at andrew@overtonandassociates.com.
About BHAKTA 1928 (SRP $69)
Have you ever tasted a nearly 100-year-old spirit? BHAKTA 1928 is a blend of our bold and spicy straight rye whiskey from the 2018 vintage, enriched with XO Calvados and fortified with rare Armagnac from unquestionably old vintages — including our 99 point-winning 1973, critic Paul Pacult’s 2023 “No. 1 Spirit in the World,” and a magic touch of transubstantiation courtesy of pure 1928, one of the rarest and most valuable vintages in our library.
WhistlePig Founder Raj Peter Bhakta’s return to rye
1928 in every bottle — a literal distillation of the Roaring Twenties
Featuring BHAKTA Spirits’ 99 point-winning, “No. 1 Spirit in the World” 1973 Armagnac
Double cask finished in virgin French oak
5% over 50 years of age
30% over 30 years of age
Average age of 15 years
Tasting Notes
Aspect: Golden orange
Nose: custard, caramel and vanilla
Palate: oak, vanilla and spice
Finish: lingering oak and mellow tannins
About BHAKTA Spirits
BHAKTA Spirits is the world’s preeminent House of Vintages. Founded by visionary entrepreneur Raj Peter Bhakta — also the founder of WhistlePig Whiskey — BHAKTA offers a luxury craft spirits portfolio of limited release Single Vintage whiskeys, brandies, rums, and more, anchored by its ancient and awe-inspiring Armagnac holdings dating back to 1868. An innovator in the experiential hospitality space on a quest to help guests “Find Their Spirit,” BHAKTA’s destinations include historic properties in France, Vermont, and Florida. BHAKTA Spirits is headquartered on its BHAKTA-GRISWOLD Campus in Poultney, VT, the former site of Green Mountain College.
