A major celebrity spotting in East Ellijay, country artist Dierks Bentley, met with eager fans and autographed bottles of his ROW 94 bourbon at Appalachian Beverage.
More than a hundred people were lined up outside the liquor store on Mountain View Drive before the event even started at 11 a.m. yesterday.
The bourbon first launched in select states in September, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Colorado and Arizona. Now, Bentley is celebrating ROW 94’s launch in Georgia and additional states.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in Georgia,” he said. “This is my first time being up here, and it’s a beautiful part of the country, and this town is very popular for bourbon. [Appalachian Beverage] is beautiful … First time here and hopefully not the last.”
ROW 94 is his first bourbon that was made at the historic Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, Ky. That’s where bluegrass originated, which is first how the singer entered the music scene.
Bentley said crafting the bourbon has been a fun journey, where he had the idea back in 2012 after opening his bar, “Whiskey Row,” in Arizona. He mentioned the best part of the journey though is getting to meet fans across the country.
“Using only ‘Three Ingredients and The Truth,’ ROW 94 reflects Bentley’s dream to create a bourbon that he and his fans can enjoy on the big nights and everyday gatherings, amplifying the country in us all,” the press release stated.
Those three ingredients are premium grain, purified Kentucky limestone water and cultivated yeast. ROW 94 is aged four years in white oak barrels and contains heavy notes of vanilla and toffee to start, with a subtle green apple flavor and finishes with hints of honey and tobacco, according to the press release.
A 750ml bottle of the 94-proof bourbon whiskey can now be purchased at Appalachian Beverage, and other liquor stores across the state, for about $40.
The country artist has also recently announced his Broken Branches tour dates, where he is stopping in Alpharetta on June 5 to perform at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre.
“I’ll be in Alpharetta later this year for a show, but I prefer Ellijay,” Bentley added. “This is nice, a bit more country up here and you got the mountains.”