The characteristic sweet taste of bourbon intertwined with notes of freshly charred virgin oak pair beautifully with the earthy spices of the single Irish pot still whiskey and the delicate butterscotch sweetness from the Irish grain whiskey to deliver a unique tasting experience.

46% ALC/VOL – 92 PROOF

VIRGIL KAINE
Virgil Kaine started with one goal – to create the best damn whiskey around. Drawing on their culinary know-how, and driven by flavor, founders David Szlam and Ryan Meany, both accomplished chefs, were inspired to boldly blend, infuse and tinker with choice ingredients to craft category-shattering whiskeys. Proving that it’s not about stuffy tradition, but about taking what you know and taking chances.

Each of their spirits is a tribute to their dedication to making whiskey their way. A whiskey they’d want to drink.

Chef Mindset
Founded by two accomplished chefs, Virgil Kaine started with a simple idea: Let’s take our culinary know-how and use it to make great-tasting whiskey.

Spurred on by the latest infusing and maceration tricks and techniques, chefs David and Ryan source the best ingredients and apply the experimentation of a professional kitchen to the art of whiskey making. Everything is just a means to create the most delicious whiskeys they know – regardless of what the industry expects.

True to their Southern roots, they’re honest, unpretentious whiskey makers that aim to be as approachable as they are premium. Sure, they buck the system, but Virgil Kaine Lowcountry Whiskey is for the whiskey lover looking for something a little different, a little rebellious, and above all – damn tasty.

VIRGIL KAINE GINGER INFUSED BOURBON

Our original spirit has its own original spirit. This small batch creation puts a fresh twist on classic Southern bourbon. Starting with our full-bodied Lowcountry libation, we add a touch of heirloom ginger harvested just thirty miles from where it’s bottled. A single sip reveals a hint of vanilla with an ultra-smooth, well-balanced taste and sweet finish only found south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Sorghum, orange & oats

TASTE: Dried apricot, ginger & sherry

FINISH: Full mouth finish with vanilla notes & slight tannins

Over the past several years, Barrell Dovetail has become a well-known expression within our portfolio of products and the Whiskey world. Recently, we became intrigued with applying the concept of "Dovetail" to some of our older stocks.

The result is BCS Gray Label Dovetail, which still boasts our award-winning blend of Whiskey finished in rum, port and Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Barrels and uses the same finishing and blending method. The difference however, as with all our Gray Label offerings, is that we used older and more rare barrels.

The result harmoniously unites a dark and fruity California cabernet finish, a jammy and pleasurable port finish, and a sweet and funky rum finish to create a well-balanced, iconic whiskey. The component whiskeys are aged up to 20 years, making the final blend significantly more elegant.

* Finished in rum, port, and Dunn Vineyards cabernet barrels
* Distilled in Indiana, Tennessee and Canada
* Aged in the US and Canada​
* Crafted and bottled in Kentucky
* 131.54 proof cask strength bottling

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Warm Amber.

​Nose: Green grape, tart apple, and pollen lead into one very vivid note of just-pressed cider. The notes of gooseberry jam, cranberry sauce, and dried apricot are pronounced and defined. Maple walnut ice cream, tahini, and leather provide a subtle, savory undertone.

​Palate: Robust and impeccably balanced, with flavors ranging from strawberry rhubarb pie to fennel pollen. Flan and coconut oil provide a rich and creamy texture that balances some light sandy tannin and modest astringency. Depth seems to come mostly from the oldest Canadian whiskeys, in the form of fennel, poppy seed and peppercorn. Allspice, ginger, and cola notes from the French and American oak round it out.

​Finish: A burst of licorice candy and molasses gives way to
Earl Grey Tea with honey. The palate is left with a range of dusty mineral notes, among them necco wafers, oyster shell, and squid ink.

​With a splash of spring water: Classical notes of crème brulée and funnel cake take the lead. The complexity here is more savory, with shiso, tomato, and tajin. An unexpected burst of lychee on the finish yields to charcoal and paraffin.

THE VOYAGE

A boat is a singularly uncommon place to age bourbon, but inspiration struck Trey on the deck of his friend Chris Fischer’s research ship. While watching Jefferson’s bourbon rock gently in its bottle, they wondered what would happen to bourbon aged on the bow of a ship. The rest, as they say, is history. The constant movement of the ocean and extreme temperature fluctuations as the ship traversed the globe completely transformed the whiskey. The result is a hyper-aged, darker, richer and caramelized bourbon with incredible depth and complexity.

CAPTAIN’S LOG

The driving force behind OCEAN Voyage 24 was to introduce a New Experiment to the Jefferson’s OCEAN franchise. On all other voyages, the bourbon traveled across the equator several times, experienced hot and cold weather in the North Atlantic and South Pacific and seas that ranged from calm to violent. The OCEAN Voyage 24 Experiment would test the effect of high heat, all the time. OCEAN Voyage 24 spent all of its time at sea in the Caribbean where the air temperatures were always hot. The containers on board served as “Heat Ovens” as the bourbon visited exotic ports of call throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Throughout the voyage, the humidity was tropical and the average temperature inside the containers was 93.82° F, reaching a maximum of 124.52° F.

Storm activity in the Caribbean started earlier than normal, went dormant for a while then came back strong with eight named tropical depressions thus far. Storm Elsa crossed our path but all other activity passed to the north or west of the course. The waters surrounding Voyage 24 were for the most part quiet but, the sea is never still. The constant motion of the water, tropical humidity and high heat encountered during the Voyage 24 experiment has resulted in a bourbon that is both unique and exotic. Caramelization and enhanced tones of vanilla extracted from the wood give it a sweet taste, mellow pallet and laid back finish. We are thrilled with how the OCEAN Voyage 24 experiment turned out and hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Pour a glass and enjoy OCEAN Caribbean style.

Limited Releases

As a nod to our co-creator and brand mission, we will continue to create an ever-evolving catalog of small batch whiskeys. Let each release take you on a tailored journey of taste and experience.

Introducing the limited edition Heaven’s Door Decade Series. This 10-year bourbon is the first release in a trailblazing new collection of premium whiskeys, curated out of a true labor of dedication and patience over time. Every drop of this bourbon tells a story about the importance of time, age, and maturation. Heaven’s Door invites you to be part of that story. 

Heaven's Door is an award-winning collection of handcrafted American whiskeys co-created with iconic musician and artist, Bob Dylan. The perfect blend of art and craft, each bottle of Heaven's Door showcases Dylan's distinctive welded iron gates that he created in his studio, Black Buffalo Ironworks. 

Serve in a tumbler at or near room temperature on the rocks, neat, or with a splash of distilled water.

Award-Winning Whiskey

A tale of passion

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Cotswolds countryside, the Cotswolds Distillery was born from a dream to produce delicious spirits in one of the most beautiful regions in the world.

From hedgefunds to HEDGEROWS
It all started back in 2014, when our founder Dan, a native New Yorker and whisky connoisseur, had moved to the Cotswolds after working in finance in London for many years. Seeking to leave behind that world and spend more time in the picturesque countryside of the Cotswolds with his family, it eventually dawned on him that he could combine his love of whisky with his desire to start a new business. A dedicated whisky fan, Dan saw the fields of golden barley around his house in the Cotswolds and had a brainwave ‘I suddenly thought, there’s barley all over the Cotswolds and nobody’s distilling it, let’s be the first!’ Having found a derelict site near his house, he set about building a distillery and a team to run it, and the doors of the Cotswolds Distillery opened in July 2014.

Launching our WHISKY
After three years of eager anticipation, in October 2017 we released our Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky, the first whisky ever to be distilled in the Cotswolds and the one which remains at the heart of our DNA. In the years since its launch, we have expanded our range of single malt whiskies to include our Cask Collection comprising four unique cask expressions, a yearly limited edition Hearts & Crafts series drawing inspiration from the Arts & Crafts movement, and hand-picked single cask releases.

Belonging to our Cask Expressions Collection, our Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky is created from select first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels in which our rich and fruity single malt spirit has been patiently matured. These premium American oak barrels are ideal for aging whisky and impart delicious notes of vanilla

CAREFULLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS

Malt: 100% locally grown, traditionally floor malted barley from the Cotswolds.

Yeast: Two complementary varieties - Anchor and Fermentis - to ensure good yields and excellent fruity flavors.

Water: Village water supply - filtered, softened and demineralized before use.

Wood: Premium first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels from Kentucky, made from American white oak (Quercus alba).

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Decadent vanilla custard with a hint of malt.

PALATE: Raisins and caramelized figs, delicate vanilla.

FINISH: Subtly earthy with a hint of honey.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Best enjoyed on it’s own, but we don’t believe in rules when it comes to drinking whisky – sip this neat, over ice, in a cocktail – however you like!

ABOUT THE BRAND

WE LOVE WHISKEY!

Milam & Greene was created by founder Marsha Milam, whiskey expert and Master Blender Heather Greene, and Kentucky veteran Master Distiller Marlene Holmes. Our charming distillery sits in the lush, Texas Hill Country where the hot summers, mild winters, and wild temperature variances add spark and personality to our spirit. To achieve excellence, we bring in grains, yeast, barrels and experience from all across America to create our award-winning whiskies. As well as multiple gold, double gold and platinum awards from credible spirits competitions and high marks from Wine Enthusiast, in 2021 Milam & Greene was awarded the “People’s Choice Award” at The Texas Whiskey Festival and “Best in Show” out of 550 entrants at The American Craft Spirits Association.

WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL?

Milam & Greene has truly shaken up the industry by harnessing a deep passion for whiskey and bringing so many different skills to the whiskey table. We’re the only independently owned and operated company in America that openly embraces a multitude of traditional and innovative ways to make stunning spirit under one label:

• Our whiskey dream team embodies over 60 years of experience – more than any other craft whiskey company.
• Excellent whiskey begins with the best ingredients, grains from Texas, Oregon, Wyoming and Washington unite to create robust aromatics and flavors. 
• We use our own proprietary yeast recipe to yield beautiful aromas.
• We distill on a 300-gallon copper pot still in the heart of Texas Hill Country AND on classic column stills in Bardstown, Kentucky – each produces different notes and character.
• We age and batch vintage whiskies from various states together with our own characterful distillate to create unique and gorgeous flavors.
• We source bourbon barrel gems for our limited, sought after “Single Barrel” range.
• We mature and finish in multiple barrel types in Blanco, where the unique Texas terroir enables us to play with timing and tastes.
• We release coveted small batch “grain to glass” whiskey and yearly limited editions.
• We blind proof, hand bottle, and label each whiskey with tremendous care and heart.

The Castle Hill Series Batch Two, the second release of our limited-edition batch of 13-year-old hand-selected straight bourbon whiskies bottled at barrel proof. It celebrates the art of batching well-aged casks, one of the many methods Milam & Greene enlists to create its award-winning range of whiskies. The series is named for the historic Texas Military Institute, also known as “The Castle,” in Austin, Texas that is home to Heather Greene’s blending lab.

Milam & Greene The Castle Hill Series Batch Two shines in the glass with a deep burnt amber color. On the nose it is a dichotomy of youthful vigor and aged splendor with scents of warm peach cobbler, brown sugar, and vanillas with hints of almond and milk chocolate. Bottled at cask strength of 111 proof (55.5 % ABV), this potent straight bourbon whiskey features velvety, opulent flavors of caramel, cinnamon, cherry, vanilla, and tobacco with a warming and long finish.   

Just 26 vintage barrels were married to create this superb whiskey, making it our most limited release. The Castle Hill Series carries the oldest age statement in the Milam & Greene family of whiskies, and each batch includes the distillery’s most exclusive casks.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: scents of warm peach cobbler, brown sugar, and vanillas with hints of almond and milk chocolate

Finish: Warm and rich

Montana is full of natural beauty. Many native plants adorn the landscape (including Great Basin Wildrye). These trees and plants help create Montana’s unique look, feel and for those in the know, also its unique taste. At Wildrye Distilling, our philosophy is to let Montana’s unique flora define the flavor and aroma of our spirits.

Wildrye Distilling specializes in the production of unique distilled spirits prepared, whenever possible, from Montana-grown ingredients. Rather than importing raw materials from out-of-state to try and imitate established liquor styles, we use local ingredients to create spirits that have their own unique Montana style and taste.

This philosophy not only allows us to produce spirit styles that are unique to Montana, it reduces our carbon footprint while helping to support local agriculture, and the Montana economy. Although we don’t produce traditional distilled spirits, we do respect time-honored, production methods. All of our products are made from healthy ingredients and are chemical and preservative free. Wildrye Distilling products are hand-made and bottled in Bozeman, we even grow, and pick our own sweetcorn for our Five Drops Bourbon Whiskey on our family farm in Corvallis Montana.

In 1900, the Garnet Mining News touted Five Drops tincture as “The Pleasantest Most Powerful and Effective Never-Failing Tonic” for nearly everything. In a gesture to Montana history, we have created Five Drops Bourbon.

Our Family has grown sweetcorn in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley for nearly 40 years. This handcrafted bourbon whiskey puts a new twist on time-honored tradition by using our family’s finest Montana sweetcorn, fresh from the field. Five Drops is Mashed with a hint of malted barley using pure Montana water, distilled on our custom built equipment, and aged in new American oak. The result is an unbelievably smooth, flavor and aroma-rich Montana Bourbon Whiskey.

We age our Five Drops Bourbon Whiskey in SMALL CHARRED OAK BARRELS in a warehouse in Montana with no temperature control. This means high surface area (more wood touching less whiskey) and large temperature changes (hot in the summer, cold in the winter).

This is part of the reason why (the rest is a trade secret) we can create such a smooth, tasty bourbon in a shorter than usual period of time. With Wildrye’s special RED LETTER aging method, 1 year is similar to four years in a traditional barrel house. Don’t believe us? Take the Pepsi challenge.

Try this recipe - Bourbon Swizzle

In a lowball glass filled with ice combine:

1 oz  Wildrye Bourbon
¾ Lime Juice
½ oz Simple
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Top with Soda
Garnish with a lime twist.

The only wheated bourbon in the Jefferson’s portfolio.

Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea is fully matured for at least four years, then placed in rickhouses on ships to travel the globe which hyper-ages the bourbon. The constant agitation, weather conditions and sea-salt air impart a flavor like no other bourbon on the market. As wheat is a softer grain than rye, it allows the flavors that are intrinsic of Ocean voyages to be amplified as it will not compete with those flavors as the spice of the rye does.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Butterscotch, Vanilla bean, with a pop of caramel.

FLAVOR: Toasted caramel, Allspice, white pepper, slight sea salt.

FINISH: Long finish, with oak and hints of nutmeg, pecans and sourdough bread.

Barrell Bourbon Batch 033 is a marriage of high-rye barrels and high-corn barrels ranging in age from 5 to 9 years old. The high-rye barrels were chosen for their distinct stone fruit, black pepper, and nutmeg notes. The high-corn barrels were chosen for their rich butterscotch, coffee, and citrus notes. Two sets of barrels mingled together for two months, then the balance was adjusted for the most optimal combination.

• A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys

• Distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana

• Selection of 5, 6, 7, and 9-year-old barrels

• Aged in American white oak barrels

• Bottled in Kentucky

• 116.6 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES

Barrell Bourbon Batch 033 displays all the complexity of a blend of different distillates given time to blossom. Barrel character adds some diverse leafy notes at the margins without an overabundance of extractive woody or spice notes.

Appearance: Citrine set in yellow gold.

​Nose: Pear, lemon meringue, and shoofly pie set the stage for a bourbon deftly balanced between freshness and maturity. A bouquet of jasmine, nasturtium, and dandelion speak to a youthful exuberance, while peppermint and gentian root depict an oak barrel just creeping in. A gentle savory character expands into edamame, macadamia nut, and mesquite smoke.

​Palate: Champagne, applesauce, and candied grapefruit peel show ample maturity without an excessive oak. The baking spice character is dialed up slightly, exhibiting cocoa powder, allspice, star anise, and juniper.

​Finish: A burst of heat rides a wave of minerals across the palate that include limestone, beach sand, and salt-water taffy. Geranium, elderflower, and chamomile reinforce the nose’s bouquet. The finish fades to the slightly bitter prickle of returning gentian root and lime peel, wiping the palate clean.

​With a splash of spring water

The palate grows much more viscous; it’s rich and sweet with vanilla buttercream. The savory notes intensify, with pickled caper, fried mushroom and hush puppies leading the way. The fruity notes expand dramatically to include nectarine, honeydew melon, passionfruit, and coconut cream.

About the Brand

AN HOMAGE TO AN ICON
Jacob Beam. The forefather of America’s first family of bourbon. The foundations he laid down at Hardin’s Creek became the legacy that still bears his name today. Jacob’s Well is a tribute to those humble beginnings - and everything the Beam name has become since.

THE BIRTHPLACE OF BEAM
The foundations of the well Johannes Jacob Beam built in 1795 still stand today. Just like the legacy he launched. From that well came the water to grow his corn - and to distill it into the spirit that would bear his name for centuries to come.

A TAPESTRY OF EXPERTISE & EXPERIENCE
Since those humble beginnings, each distiller has taken a turn building on the foundations laid by their forebears before bestowing that honor upon the next generation. A legacy that belongs not to the individual, but to all who have had a hand in making it. More than just a family’s story - the story of American Whiskey.

BE A PART OF OUR LEGACY
Jacob’s Well is the ultimate expression of our family tradition - blending centuries of distilling expertise with our vision for the future. Old whiskeys passing through new hands. And now to yours.

Hardin's Creek Jacob Well Kentucky Straight Bourbon not just a blend of ultra aged high-corn and high-rye mashbills. An homage to the pioneering spirit that began the Beam legacy.

TASTING NOTES

COLOR: Rich amber with burgundy highlights

PALATE: Forward oak and char married with stone fruits

NOSE: Sweet vanilla and caramel with hints of rich oak

FINISH: Smooth with lingering notes of vanilla and brown sweets

In 1936 Thompson Willett founded Willett Distillery. Today, the tradition continues.

1684

In 1674 Edward Willett went to London and apprenticed to Daniel Mason to learn the pewter trade. When he was twenty-three, Edward received his mark and became a pewterer. He was allowed to strike his touch, pictured here, in the Pewterer’s Hall of London in 1684.

2012

January 27th – The family puts the first barrels of their new-make Bourbon Whiskey into Warehouse A for storage. This would have been Thompson’s 103rd birthday.

2017

On March 17, 2017 (St. Patrick’s Day) the family celebrated it’s 80 Year Anniversary of when Thompson Willett and his family put their first barrels into storage.

Willett Wheated Bourbon Tasting notes

The first release was distilled in the early Spring of 2013 and bottled in the Summer of 2022. The proprietary mashbill is barreled at 115 proof in Char# 4 American Oak. We bottle without chill-filtration to preserve the most flavor possible.

About the Brand

Oak & Eden was birthed out of an ideal for innovation. We believe authority is released when a creator creates, and we believe everyone carries the spirit of creation in them. Because of that, we pioneered a precious technique that would become the lifeblood of Oak & Eden; in-bottle finishing.

Wood; it's what makes whiskey taste like whiskey. When someone prefers a certain flavor in a whiskey, they are really saying they like the naturally occurring flavors that come from the barrel wood the whiskey was aged in.

At Oak & Eden, we follow traditional distillation and aging to the letter, aging our whiskeys for at least three years in American Oak barrels.

We break tradition in the finishing (or double barrel) process, where instead of putting our fully aged whiskey in a second barrel to add more flavor coming naturally from the wood, we place in the bottle a Spire; a spiral-cut piece of oak fashioned from the same species and treatment as barrel oak.

This allows our whiskey to "finish" or flavor naturally, producing rich, sweet flavors that could only come from the power of wood.

WHEAT & HONEY : Wheated bourbon finished with a honey soaked American Oak spire

Our Wheat & Spire begins with a remarkably smooth combination of 51% corn, 45% wheat and 4% malted barley. Once distilled, we age our bourbon in new American Oak barrels producing a rich, deep yet sweet spirit. After bottling our four grain bourbon, we place an American Oak spire in the bottle, which contains hundreds of naturally occurring botanicals, ranging from butterscotch to vanilla to toasted marshmallows. The combination produces a bold, complex, sweet, slightly spicy whiskey. After bottling our fully aged wheated bourbon, we place a honey soaked American Oak spire in the bottle. The partnership of wood and honey is toasted to the perfect degree, ultimately producing a finish that is deep and rich with subtle notes of candied fruit, vanilla and toffee.

Try the HONEY OLD FASHIONED Recipe:

INGREDIENTS: 2oz Wheat & Honey, 4 Dashes of Chicory Pecan Bitters, Barspoon Demerara Syrup

DIRECTIONS: Build in stir glass, stir with ice until diluted and pour into glass. Drop in a large ice rock. Garnish with orange twist for extra credit.

Once a year, Long Island Spirits hand selects 5 our finest aged Bourbon Barrels and bottles fewer than a couple of hundred cases per batch. This high-rye straight bourbon whisky is aged between 4 and 7 years prior to receiving additional maturation in French Oak casks from local wineries that have been rinsed with high proof brandy. When the perfect flavor and balance are achieved, Happy Warrior is bottled straight from cask at 114 proof. Extremely limited releases are selected from the finest casks in the barrel warehouse.

Long Island Spirits, makers of Rough Rider, was established in 2007 as the first distillery on Long Island since the 1800's and became the 100th Distillery in the United States of America; today there are over 1,600 distilleries throughout the USA. Surrounded by centuries old of potato, corn and rye farms, the distillery is located on the bucolic North Fork of Long Island, in the heart of the acclaimed wine region. The North Fork boasts over 60 wineries and dozens of pre-revolutionary family-owned farms that have been blessed with a microclimate that is very similar to the Bordeaux region in France. Housed in twin-cupola barn that has been repurposed into a state of the art Craft Distillery. Long Island Spirits is proud of its sustainable distillery practices and the innovative fermenting, distilling and blending techniques it has pioneered and the fact that all our spirits are non-chill filtered.

Although Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the United States, it is most commonly associated with Bourbon County, Kentucky, where it has been produced since the late 18th century. Made from a mash bill containing at least 51% corn, the Bourbon Whiskey distillate must be aged in new, charred white oak barrels. Bourbon Whiskeys are bottled at eighty proof (40% abv) or higher and cannot contain any added color or flavor. A versatile spirit that can be sipped neat, with water or on the rocks, it also performs nicely added to cocktails like the Old Fashioned.

If the concept of a Japanese blender behind a bourbon sounds familiar, that’s because Jim Beam introduced this concept with Legent a few years ago, a collaboration between master distiller Fred Noe and Suntory blender Shinji Fukuyo. Now Kentucky Owl has gotten in on the action as well, combining the forces of master blenders John Rhea and Yusuke Yahisa of Japan’s Nagahama Distillery. So how does this new release differ?

Obviously, the bourbon at the core of the release is entirely different. Kentucky Owl is a brand started by Dixon Dedman in 2014, a revival of his family’s whiskey legacy that sourced bourbon and rye from undisclosed distilleries, and often ended up selling for hundreds of dollars. Dedman left the company last year and has since embarked upon new endeavors. Stoli Group, which owns Kentucky Owl, is currently building a massive new distillery-cum-themepark in Bardstown, KY, but in the meantime there’s been some limited-edition releases with Rhea (formerly of Four Roses) as head blender.

Takumi Edition Bourbon (“takumi” means “master” in Japanese) is the latest, a blend of four-, five-, six- and 13-year-old Kentucky bourbon made from mash bills containing corn, wheat or rye, and malted barley.

Tasting notes include rye bread and caramel on the nose, followed by cinnamon, apple and pear on the palate. 

ABOUT THE BRAND

Old Carter Whiskey Co is the passion project by husband and wife team Mark & Sherri Carter. They began their beverage endeavors in the wine business. They produce fine wines in Napa Valley with their Carter Cellars Cabernets garnering nine perfect 100 point scores by critics. The whiskey business found them several years ago when they partnered with a Kentucky friend to resurrect a long dormant bourbon brand. That brand sold in 2017, but by then the Carters were hooked on the process of making and blending whiskies, as well as the state of Kentucky and so they started Old Carter Whiskey Co to carry on their love affair with whiskey making. They now produce Straight Ryes, Bourbons and American Whiskies in various locations throughout Kentucky with their headquarters in Louisville (Please note: we are not open to the public). Mark and Sherri create all of the new blends themselves as well as select single barrels for their program. In addition, Sherri designed the label and still participates in handwriting individual labels per bottling (upate! Jay Matthews now helps Sherri write labels among a host of other tasks, hooray! :). It is a very hands-on approach and has allowed them to continue to create together. It is a true labor of love at Old Carter. Being able to share their passion with whiskey lovers everywhere completes the picture for the Carters.

ABOUT THE BRAND

Old Carter Whiskey Co is the passion project by husband and wife team Mark & Sherri Carter. They began their beverage endeavors in the wine business. They produce fine wines in Napa Valley with their Carter Cellars Cabernets garnering nine perfect 100 point scores by critics. The whiskey business found them several years ago when they partnered with a Kentucky friend to resurrect a long dormant bourbon brand. That brand sold in 2017, but by then the Carters were hooked on the process of making and blending whiskies, as well as the state of Kentucky and so they started Old Carter Whiskey Co to carry on their love affair with whiskey making. They now produce Straight Ryes, Bourbons and American Whiskies in various locations throughout Kentucky with their headquarters in Louisville (Please note: we are not open to the public). Mark and Sherri create all of the new blends themselves as well as select single barrels for their program. In addition, Sherri designed the label and still participates in handwriting individual labels per bottling (upate! Jay Matthews now helps Sherri write labels among a host of other tasks, hooray! :). It is a very hands-on approach and has allowed them to continue to create together. It is a true labor of love at Old Carter. Being able to share their passion with whiskey lovers everywhere completes the picture for the Carters.

OUR STORY

Our story starts with our people. Big Stick is owned by Mike Ryan and Joe Baker. Mike is an engineer and inventor. His best friend, Joe, is a retired USMC Lieutenant Colonel of 21 years, and for the last 16 years was with the Navy in the Department of Defense. These friends of 40 years decided to follow through on a shared passion to create a world-class bourbon of their own called Big Stick.

Big Stick begins in the traditional bourbon making method. We source the finest ingredients and age them in charred New American White Oak to our exact specifications.

After experimenting with traditional mash bills and dozens of variations, we opted for a unique blend to offer an unmatched flavor profile.

Big Stick Bourbon is ultra-smooth because before bottling, we add a c­harred New American White Oak Stick into every bottle. The bourbon to stick in bottle ratio is 99.8% equivalent to that of bourbon in a 53-gallon barrel. Similar to a “Double Oaked” whiskey, this added step allows our bourbon to gracefully integrate with new oak for a second time.

This innovative process creates an exceptional and extremely smooth whiskey with rich, enhanced flavors. With no evaporation in bottle versus in barrel; we like to say, “We Make The Angels Thirsty!™” All Big Stick Bourbon is small batch.

MISSION FOCUSED

With a strong respect for tradition combined with innovation, we are dedicated to creating world-class bourbon.

We intentionally make Big Stick Bourbon at 47.5% ABV or 95 proof. We do so symbolically for our pledge to donate 5% of our profits to charitable organizations that support our military and their families. We love the United States of America and support with gratitude to those that serve to protect and defend our nation.

We realize we cannot solve all the issues that affect our service members and their families from these donations. But if by aiding these organizations in some way eases the lives of the honorable men and women that have served, then we believe it is the least we can do. Please visit our Operation Gratitude page to view a list we have supported and if you are able join our efforts to contribute.

OUR PASSION

HONORING ALL WHO SERVED

 Our drive for creating a great bourbon is only matched for our devotion to giving back to the military community.

We are blessed to live in the greatest country in the world and recognize the many sacrifices members of the military have made to allow us to pursue our love of making a great whiskey.

To help direct support to service members, Big Stick Bourbon will dedicate five percent of our profits to military organizations.

Semper Fi — It’s not just a name, it’s a way of life.

TASTING NOTES

Big Stick Bourbon is the only whiskey that adds a charred American white oak stave in every bottle which continually improves the flavor and smoothes out the drinking experience.

COLOR: Saddle brown leather

NOSE: Fresh cut oak, spearmint, clove with a touch of cigar box

PALATE: Black currant, vanilla wafers, raisins, caramel toffee, and glazed honey

FINISH: Well-balanced, integrated seasoned oak, blueberries, blackberries, stone ground crackers, and a mix of citrus

This 15 years straight bourbon features rye spice, hints of cherry, vanilla, and oak.