Now on Pennsylvania shelves, these Kentucky whiskeys

A Kentucky distiller and bourbon barrel company is expanding its footprint into Pennsylvania, and it’s marking the occasion with the launch of a new spirit.

The Brown-Forman Cooperage of Louisville has been distilling whiskey and making its own barrels for aging spirits since 1945. This weekend, the company will release Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve whiskey, which is made by charring barrels of American white oak, then cutting grooves into the insides to create more surface area for the alcohol to interact with as it ages.

The 100-proof product is another version of the company’s Coopers’ Craft whiskey, a lower-ABV whiskey released in 2016. That bourbon is run through a beech and birch charcoal filter finishing process that gives it a light, smooth taste.

Pennsylvania is one of four states to start carrying Coopers’ Craft spirits as of this year, bringing the total where they are available to 12. — Allison Steele

Coopers’ Craft whiskey, $24.99. PLCB Item #35099. Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve, $29.99 to $32.99, available by special order at Pa. Fine Wine & Good Spirits Stores. cooperscraft.com.