Southern Star Unveils Special Barrel Release to Celebrate 30 Years of Carolina Panthers Football

The Official Craft Bourbon of the Carolina Panthers Kicks Off 2024 NFL Season with Commemorative 30 Seasons Bottle

STATESVILLE, N.C. (August 29, 2024) - Southern Star, the award-winning line of bourbons and rye whiskeys from North Carolina-based Southern Distilling Company and the Official Craft Bourbon of the Carolina Panthers, is kicking off the football franchise’s 30th season with a Special Barrel Release. Available in a commemorative bottle, this limited edition is a small batch Paragon Cognac finish of Southern Star Cask Strength Paragon Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The two long-standing Carolina brands raise a glass to the history and heritage of North Carolina with this limited series release. To celebrate three decades of Carolina Panthers and the anniversary release, Southern Distilling Company will offer Panthers fans the first opportunity to purchase the limited series commemorative bottle at a release party in the distillery’s Tasting Room on Saturday, September 7.  Doors open at 10 a.m. and Panthers Legends will be on hand to sign autographs from 1-3 p.m. During the release party, in addition to interacting with the Panthers Legends, fans can taste the new release and experience Southern Star signature cocktails.

With only 3,000 bottles produced, this release will be exclusively available at Southern Distilling Company’s Tasting Room while supplies last and throughout the Carolinas at North Carolina ABC liquor stores and select South Carolina retailers.

“Fall means football season in the Carolinas,” shared Pete Barger, co-founder and CEO of Southern Distilling Company. “As the Official Craft Bourbon of the Carolina Panthers, we are grateful to continue to expand our partnership with the team and celebrate three decades of Panthers football, over a decade of heritage distilling in North Carolina, and our second exclusive Panthers expression.”

This release is a one-time offering of a nine-barrel blend of six-year-aged, award-winning Paragon Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey, hand-selected by Barger and finished using virgin oak Cognac staves. Cognac aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years, takes on the flavors and aromas of the wood, developing a rich, complex profile that can include notes of vanilla, caramel, and spice which matches perfectly and adds more complexity to the Paragon Bourbon. 

The 30 Seasons bottle is the second edition of a five-year collector’s series, with releases becoming available annually each fall. To honor the Panthers' 30 seasons in the NFL, this limited edition bottle features a special decorative neck hanger with an eight-page commemorative guide. The guide includes highlights from past games, historical photos, and the 2024 Panthers schedule.

"The limited-edition release and all the events we have planned in partnership with Southern Distilling Company will offer Carolina Panthers fans a unique and memorable way to commemorate our 30th season this year," said Dan O'Neill, vice president of corporate partnerships at the Carolina Panthers. "Both organizations are proud to call the Carolinas home, and we're excited to celebrate this milestone year together with our fans."

Southern Star 2024 Carolina Panthers Limited Series Paragon Cognac Finish Cask Strength Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey  (106 Proof / $99.95 MSRP)

• Nose: French Vanilla | Caramel | Maple | Roasted Pecan | Sweet Oak
• Palate: Bakers Spice | Salted Caramel | Vanilla Bean | Cinnamon | Smooth Balanced Delivery
• Finish:  Vanilla | Spice | Citrus Notes | Light Heat

For more information, visit SouthernDistillingCompany.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook at @southerndistilling. 

About Southern Distilling Company

Family-owned and operated by Pete and Vienna Barger, Southern Distilling Company is proudly reigniting North Carolina’s distilling tradition while embracing the innovative future of America’s craft spirits industry. Headquartered in storied Statesville, N.C. - once labeled the “liquor capital of the world” in the 1800s - Southern Distilling Company has grown to become one of the country’s largest privately owned distilleries since being founded in 2013. Today, it offers an innovative range of new-fill barrel production, aged-barrel sales, barrel-warehouse aging and co-packaging for more than 130 brands globally. Rooted in North Carolina’s agricultural community, Southern Distilling Company supports a stringent grain-to-glass sustainability process that sources quality grains from farms within 20 miles of its facility. 

Southern Distilling Company also produces its own line of award-winning artisan spirits, including Southern Star Paragon Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Southern Star Standard High-Rye Bourbon Whiskey, Southern Star Double Rye Whiskey, Southern Star Double Shot Bourbon Cream Liqueur and Hunting Creek Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey. Southern Star products are available in more than 18 markets across the U.S. with expanding national distribution. The distillery is open for tours, tastings and craft cocktails, plus hosts public and private events throughout the year. For more information, visit SouthernDistillingCompany.com or follow on Instagram and Facebook @southerndistilling. 

About Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers became the 29th National Football League franchise on October 26, 1993. The Panthers began play in the 1995 season, winning an expansion-team-record seven games. In 28 seasons, Carolina has won six division titles, including three consecutive NFC South division titles from 2013-15. The Panthers have played in 17 playoff games, earning two NFC Championships and appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl 50. David A. Tepper, the founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, L.P. and a well-known philanthropist, is the owner of the Carolina Panthers. Truly representing both Carolinas, the Panthers play their home games at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., just miles from the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Serving the two-state region is a priority for the team. The Panthers work with over 3,800 community partners, non-profit agencies and schools in the Carolinas each year and are committed to positively impacting the region by providing philanthropic funding, resources and opportunities throughout the Carolinas. 

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