PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF BLENDING
Ampersand Spirits
Unexpected blends, unconventional finishes, and a willingness to push the boundaries of what whiskey can be.
Created by renowned whiskey blender and innovator Chip Tate, Ampersand is a spirits collection built around an unconventional idea: bring together complementary spirits, explore what happens when they meet, and create something that stands apart from traditional whiskey expectations.
Part of the Foley Family Wines & Spirits portfolio, Ampersand represents a creative extension of the company’s growing presence in the spirits industry. Working alongside the team at Minden Mill Distilling in Nevada, Tate brings his experience in distillation, blending, and barrel finishing to a collection designed to challenge familiar categories.
From an eight-year-old rye and French Calvados blend to rye whiskey combined with cognac-cask-aged grain spirit, Ampersand isn’t particularly interested in playing it safe. The results are distinctive, occasionally surprising, and certainly worth exploring.
The Ampersand Approach
Blending beyond traditional whiskey boundaries.
Ampersand’s identity starts with the idea that great spirits don’t necessarily need to fit neatly into established categories. Rather than relying exclusively on traditional whiskey recipes, the collection explores how different aged spirits, barrels, and finishing techniques can complement one another.
Its initial collection introduced three expressions: Malus, Vinea, and Opimus. Each takes a different approach to blending and maturation, ranging from rye and French apple brandy to unconventional grain spirit combinations and extended barrel finishing.
The common thread is an emphasis on experimentation, thoughtful component selection, and the influence that different spirits and casks can have on the final product.
Chip Tate & The Foley Family Spirits Portfolio
An established whiskey innovator with room to experiment.
For those familiar with American craft whiskey, Chip Tate needs little introduction. Best known as the founder of Balcones Distilling, Tate built a reputation around distinctive grain recipes, unconventional production techniques, and a willingness to challenge established whiskey conventions.
In January 2024, Tate joined Foley Family Wines & Spirits as Master Distiller for Innovation, bringing his blending and distillation experience to the company’s expanding spirits portfolio. Ampersand became his first major release under the Foley Family umbrella, introducing a collection that puts his creative approach to blending and barrel influence front and center.
Ampersand is one piece of a much larger spirits portfolio that includes Minden Mill Whiskeys, Charles Goodnight Texas Straight Bourbon, High Ground Estate Vodka, and Evil Bean Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, alongside international spirits brands and other partnerships.
For Foley Family, traditionally known for its extensive wine portfolio, the continued investment in spirits represents an expansion into new categories and opportunities. For Tate, it provides a platform to explore ideas that extend beyond conventional American whiskey.
The Ampersand Collection
Three expressions. Three different approaches to blending.
The original Ampersand collection introduced three small-batch expressions, each built around a different combination of spirits and barrel influences.
Ampersand Opimus
A 15-year-old Kentucky bourbon finished in Tokaji casks. Opimus brings together extended bourbon maturation and an unconventional wine-cask finish, making it the collection’s most traditional whiskey foundation with an equally distinctive finishing approach.
Ampersand Malus
An eight-year-old blend of 51% American rye whiskey and 49% eight-year-old French Calvados apple brandy. Malus leans into the relationship between rye spice and apple, producing an unusually fruit-forward spirit that steps well outside traditional rye whiskey territory.
Ampersand Vinea
A blend of 75% eight-year-old American rye whiskey and 25% grain neutral spirit aged for nine years in XO Cognac casks. Bottled at 92 proof, Vinea combines recognizable rye characteristics with deeper sweetness and an unconventional cognac-influenced component.
Featured Review
Ampersand Malus: Rye + Calvados
8 Year | 92 Proof | MGP Rye + Calvados
An unconventional rye and Calvados blend built around overripe apple.
An unmistakably apple-forward pour with grape-like sweetness, red fruit, and baking spices. The Calvados takes the lead, but the rye provides welcome contrast in one of the more distinctive blends I’ve encountered this year.
Latest Ampersand Coverage
News, releases, distillery developments, and industry updates.
Follow the latest Ampersand releases and coverage from The Bourbon Bishop, including independent bottle reviews, tasting notes, and perspectives on Chip Tate’s evolving approach to spirits blending.
As the collection grows, this is where you’ll find the latest reviews, new expressions, and developments worth watching.
