Louisville-based Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. is launching limited release artisanal five-year-old Apple Brandy 3 Marlenas. Matured two years in Tequila barrels, the non-chill filtered spirit is unadulterated by any post distillation infusion of apple flavors or apple essences.

Only 1000 bottles (375mL each) will be produced and sold at the distillery and a small selection of superlative bars and liquor stores. The original fine art is painted by Louisville oil painter Damon Thompson.

“This is quite a restless spirit,” said founder Joe Heron. “It has a little “Thelma & Louise” rebelliousness, long-limbed and sexy. Perhaps the ghost of a wild Frida Kahlo. It’s just a cool interpretation, unusual, adventurous and lots of rock and roll in an Arizona desert. We left this for two years to really obtain the tequila nuance from the used barrel, to extract not only flavor, natural color but also character and personality.”

“Copper-pot intensity, two years of polishing, really great tonality – but completely unpredictable,” said head distiller Brandon O’Daniel. “Very layered texturally and flavor wise. Just an excellent example of the work a barrel does during maturation, and the role a barrel’s provenance plays through its lifetime. Easily one of our cooler and more interesting projects. I love the way the apple brandy hangs in there, holding its own as the foundation and essence, but lets the tequila wrap its arms around it and give it a nice deep, sexy smooch.”

Copper & Kings 3 Marlenas Tequila Barrel Aged Apple Brandy (100 proof/50% ABV)

$40 per 375mL bottle

• Appearance: Burnt, honeyed amber.
• Aroma: Light spiciness with crisp apple, whiskey hints, honey and vanilla with a little campfire, dried fruit – prune, fig.
• Taste: Roasted apples, honey, slight reposado tequila vegetal notes with faint agave back-end. Smokey close with a little butter smoothness.
• Finish: Soft and rich, completely coats the mouth. Tequila barrel character is more forceful with a bit of heat as tannins peak, followed by creamy vanilla.

3 Marlenas will be launched Sept. 9 with a bottle signing and fiesta at Copper & Kings’ Butchertown distillery.

The distillery also produces the following portfolio of fine distilled spirits:

• Copper & Kings American Craft Distilled Brandy (90 proof/45% ABV) – $35/750 mL
• Copper & Kings American Butchertown Brandy (124 proof/45% ABV) – $60/750 mL
• Copper & Kings Un-Aged Apple Brandy (90 Proof/45% ABV) – $30/750mL
• Copper & Kings Immature Brandy (90 proof/45% ABV) – $30/750 mL
• Copper & Kings Absinthe Blanche (130 proof/65% ABV) – $55/750 mL

Copper & Kings is available in 27 markets including: Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington D.C.

About Copper & Kings American Brandy Co.:

Copper & Kings uses small batch copper pot-distillation to forge untraditional, non-derivative, pure pot-distilled American apple and grape brandies and absinthe that are non-chill filtered with no added sugar, colors, flavors or synthetic chemicals. The state-of-the-art distillery exclusively focuses on the distillation of brandy. Copper & Kings, located at 1121 E. Washington St. in Butchertown, is owned by beverage entrepreneurs Joe and Lesley Heron. Products are currently available in 27 markets in the South, Midwest and Northeast. For more information, visit www.copperandkings.com or follow @CopperAndKings on Facebook and Twitter.