Hard Truth, Mellencamp Whiskey call partnership a ‘no-brainer’
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Two of southern Indiana’s biggest names are collaborating for a Hoosier-centric limited edition product sure to lure fans of whiskey and heartland rock.
Brown County’s Hard Truth Distilling Co., in partnership with the newly-created Mellencamp Whiskey Co., is releasing a new whiskey collection specifically celebrating and supporting Hoosier farmers.
Four collectors edition whiskeys will be released over the next two years, coordinating with the spring and fall planting and harvest seasons. The first of which, called the Harvest Sweet Mash Rye, will kick off Sept. 9 at the distillery. Afterward, the whiskey will be shipped out to retailers across the country through December.
“Our partnership with Hard Truth aligns perfectly with our values of supporting local farmers and sourcing high-quality local ingredients,” Hud Mellencamp said in a new release. “We are excited to begin our journey as an emerging whiskey brand partnering with such an innovative, like-minded whiskey partner right in our own backyard. When we started Mellencamp Whiskey, we knew we wanted to stick to our Hoosier roots.”
Hard Truth master distiller Bryan Smith said the company has been approached for this type of partnership before but passed since Hard Truth was focused on their own product. When Mellencamp Whiskey’s Hud Mellencamp, son of John Mellencamp, and Levi Collison made their pitch, Smith said there were a lot of ideological overlaps, such as working with Indiana farmers and philanthropic motivations, that showed him there was “an opportunity to do something great here.”
Mellencamp Whiskey registered as an LLC in early January, is based in Bloomington and currently does not have an online presence. No, John Mellencamp is not involved in the endeavor, but his artwork will be featured as a backdrop on the bottles of the limited edition collection.
“John Mellencamp has always been a very authentic individual. His music speaks to everyone, but it comes from Indiana,” Smith said. “That’s similar to our whiskey. We hope it speaks to everyone, but it definitely comes from Indiana.”
Hard Truth recently launched its Grounded in Truth initiative, which provides resources and support to local independent and family farmers. Smith said the company’s work with local farmers is not for show but instead are deep, fruitful relationships. With John Mellencamp being one of the founders of Farm Aid, Smith said they wanted to collaborate with that organization to maximize their impact.
“It just gives a little more power to what we’re trying to get accomplished,” Smith said.
A portion of sales from this collection will be funneled to the Grounded in Truth campaign.
The partnership heavily emphasizes local ties. Not to mention, Smith and Mellencamp learned through this collaboration they grew up less than a mile from each other.
It’s all something Smith says that just makes sense.
“There was just a lot of convergence coming together,” Smith said. “It was kind of a no-brainer.”
Head distiller Bryan Smith talks about the partnership with Mellencamp Whiskey and the shared common goals.
Each release in the collection will be a “unique expression of whiskey,” Smith said. When the bottles hit shelves, he thinks they will go quickly since there aren’t many barrels. Smith said this batch of whiskey won’t be back again.
“It’s exciting to be able to release something to the world that’s not going to be replicated,” Smith said. “It’s truly an expression of the moment and of this partnership — and an expression of the hard work that our farmers have put in.”
As for the Harvest Sweet Mash Rye, the first to be released, Smith said it has a hyper-regional flavor profile. He called it a classic hard true sweet mash with a burst of orchard fruit as well as toffee and mocha flavors from aging in the barrel. The whiskey will be 106 proof, which Smith said was perfect.
The grains used are all grown by the distillery’s Hoosier partners, which aren’t far from their home base in Nashville.
The whiskey has been aging for about three years, Smith said, and was always intended to be a special release. The partnership with Mellencamp Whiskey fell into place at the right time, he said, to where they can release a product with contributions from all parties.
The next release will be in the spring of 2024. Those following will be in the fall of 2024 and the spring of 2025.