J.W. Rutledge Distillery was founded by former Four Roses master distiller Jim Rutledge. As the construction of their new sustainable distillery is underway (a facility that utilizes clean technologies like geothermal heating and cooling, solar energy, and biomass energy), Jim Rutledge sources and blends whiskey from other distilleries to put out new releases under the J.W. Rutledge brands, beginning with Cream of Kentucky. Their aim is to produce Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey the old-fashioned way relative to the requisites, guidelines and standards for Straight Whiskey production that have been in place for close to two centuries. The Cream of Kentucky label was first introduced in 1888 by I. Trager & Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Before Prohibition ended, the brand was picked up by the renowned Schenley Company and re-introduced to the industry in 1934. Cream of Kentucky reached great success in the 30s and 40s, using the work of famed artist Norman Rockwell. Cream of Kentucky is now owned by J.W. Rutledge, who has recently secured a limited supply of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey he feels is worthy of the rebirth of Cream of Kentucky Bourbon as a premium whiskey. Cream of Kentucky is an 11.5-year-old straight bourbon blend of 60 barrels. Bottled at 102 proof, this bourbon has notes of sweet cherries, vanilla, and dry tannins followed by a floral cracked pepper finish.

In 1876, John D. Willett one of Kentucky's original bourbon aristocrats transferred his interest in the Willett & Frenke Distillery to his son-in-laws, Benjamin Mattingly and Thomas Moore. Mattingly and Moore continued to operate the Willett & Frenke Distillery together until 1881, when Mattingly finally sold his stake in the company to a group of investors. Within a few years, Thomas Moore acquired complete control over the distillery and eponymously renamed it. Moore would continue to operate the distillery for another five decades, until he was ultimately forced to close his doors at the onset of Prohibition. Today, the Barton 1792 Distillery operates on the same site as the historic Tom Moore Distillery, and continues to use the same methods that Moore used over a century ago when distilling his own bourbon. 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a mash of corn, rye and malted barley. While the use of corn in the bourbon's recipe adds classic notes of buttered bread, biscuits and roasted nuts, the heavy use of rye in the bourbon's mash bill yields a more complex and full-bodied whiskey. After the grains are harvested, they are mashed and fermented before being distilled through a copper-pot still. After distillation, the bourbon is aged in new, American oak casks in Warehouse Z on the distillery's estate in Bardstown, Kentucky. Warehouse Z is situated on the edge of a bluff and as a result, enjoys the intense heat and humidity that are ideal for maturing whiskey. "When it comes to barrel aging," says Ken Pierce, Barton 1792's master distiller, "it's just like real estate location, location, location. That's why 1792 ages in Warehouse Z up there on the bluff." In addition, during the maturation process, Pierce samples each cask of bourbon as it rests to determine when the bourbon has reached its peak of maturity. "Quality in, quality out," says Pierce, who has over two decades of experience at the distillery. Once the bourbon has matured for a minimum of 12 years, it is brought to proof with water drawn from the Tom Moore spring. The iron-free, Kentucky limestone water the same water used by Moore over a century ago when crafting his own whiskey adds a subtle touch of complexity and depth to the bourbon. Bottled at 96.6 proof. Pick up your bottle today!

After serving in the Louisville Brigade during the Mexican-American war, William Larue Weller returned home to his native Kentucky. His family had helped settle Kentucky in the late 18th century, and his grandfather, Daniel Weller, purchased a distillery in Nelson County in 1800. (When Daniel Weller died, his estate was inventoried and was said to contain three whiskey barrels, two stills, one mash kettle and numerous dry kegs.) Upon his return to Kentucky following the war, W.L. Weller joined the family business and began working at his grandfather's distillery. Weller had a sharp palate and a keen sense for business and in 1849, he introduced the first bourbon ever that used wheat as its secondary grain instead of rye. Wheated bourbons (including Pappy Van Winkle and Larceny Bourbon, which eventually imitated W.L. Weller's mash bill) have a softer and more gentle flavor profile as compared to bourbons that use rye as their secondary grain, and have a slightly sweeter taste. Weller's bourbon was incredibly popular in antebellum America and ultimately forced him to place a green thumbprint on his invoices and barrels as a certificate of authenticity. Bottled at the same 114 proof the spirit was when it entered into the barrel, this non-chill filtered wheated bourbon forgoes chill filtration to preserve all the naturally occurring residual oils and flavors that occur during the distillation and aging process (potentially making it appear cloudy at cold temperatures). This bourbon balances a rich mouth feel, with robust notes of vanilla and oak. A whiskey that satisfies the demand of the non-chill filtered whiskey enthusiasts, honoring William Larue Weller.

Following the defeat of the British at the Battle of Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War, the territory west of the Appalachian mountains became known as Kentucky County. At the time, the territory was considered part of Virginia and was overseen by a military governor named John J. Bowman. In order to encourage westward expansion, Virginia issued pioneers who agreed to settle in Kentucky County "corn writs," which granted the pioneers 60 acres of land if they agreed to settle in Kentucky and start farming corn. One year after the defeat of the British, a Baptist minister named Elijah Craig emigrated to Fayette County (today, a part of the State of Kentucky) and purchased 1,000 acres of land in a town named Lebanon. In 1789, Craig built a distillery on his farm and is credited with being the first person to mature bourbon in charred, oak casks, earning him the title "Father of Bourbon Whiskey." Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey pays homage to Craig and his unique legacy. The bourbon is bottled from the marriage of fewer than 100 casks of maturing bourbon, each of which is rested in a Kentucky rickhouse for a minimum of a dozen years. The bourbon has an aroma of honey, sweet corn, vanilla, and brown sugar. The aroma gives way to notes of roasted nuts, creamy vanilla, molasses and tropical fruits on the palate, that are well-balanced by hints of dry oak and cinnamon. The finish is long and sweet and ends with a warming touch. This unique 18-Year-Old bourbon showcases Elijah Craig's Master Distillers' expertise, bottled solely from the contents of one barrel, this expression of bourbon-making craftsmanship is bold and robust. Bourbon for the whiskey connoisseur, this bottle has received countless awards for its smooth yet complex flavor, including 3 Double Gold Medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

Ancient buffalo carved paths through the wilderness that led American pioneers and explorers to new frontiers. One such trail led to the banks of the Kentucky River where Buffalo Trace Distillery has been making bourbon whiskey the same way for more than 200 years. In tribute to the mighty buffalo and the rugged, independent spirit of the pioneers who followed them, we created our signature Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

TASTING NOTES

This deep amber whiskey has a complex aroma of vanilla, mint and molasses. Pleasantly sweet to the taste with notes of brown sugar and spice that give way to oak, toffee, dark fruit and anise. This whiskey finishes long and smooth with serious depth.

Most Recent Awards

2020 Gold Medal - World Whiskies Awards

2020 Silver Medal - San Francisco World Spirits Competition

2019 Gold Medal; 91 points - Beverage Testing Institute

2019 Silver Medal - New York World Spirits Competition

2019 Silver Outstanding - Whiskies of the World

2019 Double Gold Medal - North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition

2019 Gold Medal - Los Angeles International Spirits Competition

2019 Gold Medal - American Whiskey Masters

2019 Silver Medal - San Francisco World Spirits Competition

2019 Silver Medal - Denver International Spirits Competition

Yellowstone National Park was established in 1876, and just a few short years later, the Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey brand would emerge with an equally-rich story. J.B. Dant, the legendary distiller, and son of J.W. Dant, first began distilling in the late 1800s, using a log still instead of the more popular yet more expensive copper pot stills (a log still is made by hollowing out a tree trunk and lining the interior with copper pipes, a cheaper yet still effective way of distilling). As Dant's Yellowstone brand gained popularity in Kentucky, he was able to purchase other nearby distilleries and formalize his process. In the early 1900s, it was through this expansion that Dant began working more closely with M.C. Beam of the illustrious Beam family. Together, Dant and Beam operated their network of facilities as the Yellowstone Distillery and continued to produce Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey for medicinal purposes throughout Prohibition. Although the Yellowstone brand changed hands several times throughout the 20th century (first to Diageo and recently to Luxco) and eventually fell out of favor, Luxco, along with the Beam family's new Limestone Branch Distillery, has recently revitalized the brand, unearthing an old Beam family recipe and partnering with Paul and Steve Beam to create a spectacular bourbon that pays homage to the original. This year's 2019 Limited edition is comprised of a selection of unique hand-picked hidden gems in the rick house including barrels of extra-aged nine-year and 12-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I tasted many quality, mature Kentucky Straight Bourbons in order to find the right two ages for this year's release I had a certain taste profile in mind and I sought those barrels that matched it, says Steve Beam, head distiller at Limestone Branch Distillery. The barrels I chose were in different parts of the rick house, and each barrel's unique location contributed to the taste profile and complexity of this bourbon. When combined, these extra-aged bourbons create a mature and complex bourbon with robust spice and oaky undertones. This year's edition delivers cinnamon notes with toffee, dried fruit and a hint of citrus to the palate, followed by a dry finish of brown sugar and oak. Using Beam's expertise and honed palate, only the finest barrels were chosen for this year's expression.

Lovingly handcrafted and aged in Kentucky, Pinhook Bourbon was established in 2014 and has produced several small-batch bottlings in their newly restored Castle & Key distillery in Frankfort, KY, to much critical acclaim. What makes their line unique is the brand's three distinctive characteristics: its limited availability, mass appeal and strong ties to Kentucky's legacy of horse racing. Each release of Pinhook Bourbon is named after a thoroughbred owned by Bourbon Lane Stable. The label also features the horses racing records on their brand's website. Every year over the next 9 years, Pinhook will select 150 bourbon barrels and 50 rye barrels to be blended and proofed creating the most balanced expression for the vintage. The collectible journey begins with their inaugural 4 Year old bourbon followed by the Vertical Series in annual releases from age 4 to age 12. The Rye Vertical Series will begin in the spring of 2020. Proofed at 98, this straight bourbon whiskey has a bright nose of tropical fruit, butterscotch and cedar followed by a rich and vibrant palate of dried fig, cocoa, roasted peanut and clove.

Old Elk Distillery was founded in 2013 by Curt and Nancy Richardson (creators of OtterBox and Blue Ocean Enterprises) in Fort Collins, Colorado. The label is a collaboration with Master Distiller Greg Metze, they consistently produce top quality handcrafted vodkas, gins and bourbons. Named Colorado Distillery of the Year" by the New York International Spirits Competition for two consecutive years (2016-2017) Old Elk Distillery produces Old Elk Bourbon, Dry Town Gin, Dry Town Vodka and Nooku Bourbon Cream. Created by Curt Richardson in collaboration with Master Distiller Greg Metze, Old Elk Bourbon is a slow proofed whiskey, with a refined character. Their Nooku Bourbon cream marries the high malt 2-year-old with smooth real dairy cream. Nooku" is the Native American name for the white snowshoe rabbit. It's strong, fast, bold, yet soft and smooth character is reflected in this barrel-aged bourbon blended with ultra-smooth dairy cream.

The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and one of the most illustrious founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson was elected the third President of the United States in 1800. During his tenure as President, Jefferson authorized the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, dispatched Lewis and Clark westward to explore the remainder of the continent and repealed the Whiskey Excise Tax. After Jefferson retired from public office in 1815, he often tended to the garden that he had cultivated at his Monticello estate. At the time, it was customary for wealthy farmers, including Jefferson, to make their own garden spirits. Each farmer's spirits were unique and reflected their personal tastes and the local terroir of their farm. Jefferson's Reserve Very Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is crafted by Chet and Trey Zoeller in honor of Jefferson and his experimental nature. While the Zoellers were inspired by Jefferson, their roots can be traced back for generations deep into Kentucky's bourbon history. Launched August 2018, this Jefferson's Reserve was created in collaboration with the Independent Stave Company, a family-owned cooperage in Missouri. To create this expression, a 10-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon is finished in bespoke charred barrels coopered with grooved staves, which create an increase in the surface area inside of the barrel.

About the Brand

Saint Cloud is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Crafted by Ray Walker using his unique perspective and vision from making Grand Cru wines in Burgundy, France. Ray excelled in making wines of character. His signature was blending hard work, tradition and an unrelenting pursuit of beauty through simplicity.

His focus is to bring a unique vision to the Kentucky Bourbon landscape, based on exceptional quality. Saint Cloud is a labor of love, created to bridge the connection to Ray’s family which dates back in Kentucky since the start of the nineteenth-century.

While in France, Ray made appearances on Anthony Bourdain’s, “No Reservations”, as well as in publications such as the New York Times; Bloomberg; BusinessWeek; USA Today; LA Times; The Economist; New York Journal of Books and many more. He also wrote the LA Times Bestselling autobiography, “The Road to Burgundy” detailing his move from a career in finance in California to making critically acclaimed Grand Cru wines in the famed region of Burgundy, France.

We believe Saint Cloud Kentucky Straight Bourbon to be truly unique. Our focus is to present the highest quality experience to the true whiskey connoisseur, without compromise or limitation. Our bourbon is a culmination of years of effort, planning and execution with one goal in mind - your enjoyment.

The current release from Saint Cloud is two Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbons. Both are bottled at full barrel proof, uncut and unfiltered. Every barrel is different, encouraged to express its own unique story. The Blue label Single Barrel is aged for Seven years. The black label Saint Cloud Kentucky Bourbon has been aged for Thirteen Years.

Founded by Daniel Barnes, Treaty Oak whiskeys are a fusion of scientific method and innovation.Their modern approach to traditional distilling and aging processes coupled with meticulously selected local ingredients yield a high-quality spirit using custom-made stills. Treaty Oak whiskeys are made using pure Hill Country limestone spring water.They source organic, heirloom corn varietals from Panhandle farmers and mill them at James Brown's bespoke Barton Springs Mill. Treaty Oak Distillery is named after the famous 500-year old tree in Austin, under which Stephen F. Austin signed agreements defining the borders of Texas.Their ginsare called Waterloo, after the original name of Austin. They moved to Dripping Springs, a place with a rich history of gatherings and shared perspectives. All of their Char 3 barrels are sourced from Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the defining points of their process is that they toast the barrel before they char creating a better caramelization of the oak. Central Texas has a very different climate than Kentucky and other areas producing bourbon. The wide swings of temperature and humidity allow for a maturation that is specific to the weather of the hill country.Their non climate controlled rickhouse was designed to showcase the dynamic climate. Named after their 28-acre ranch home in Dripping Springs, Texas, Ghost Hill Bourbon is a unique whiskey made with local heirloom grains from Barton Springs Mill. A genuine grain to glass bourbon, it is mashed, fermented, distilled, barreled, aged 2 years and bottled on-site at our Treaty Oak Distillery. Ghost Hill is a Bourbon born of years of purposeful experimentation.

Founded ten years ago by California surfer Rodney Rod Cegelski, and Aussie Hamish Hammer Marshall, Rod & Hammer Bourbon is an American classic. It's aged two years in new American oak barrels to a deep amber color. The result is a smooth and mellow whiskey with hints of caramel, roasted nuts, corn, and vanilla when tasted neat. Founded to handcraft spirits with purified Pacific Ocean water, the story of Slo Stills began in 1988 at the Slo Brew brewery. In 2012 they distilled and aged their first whiskey, a rye beer mash made in the original Garden street copper kettle. Dried & malted grains such as corn or rye, are milled to expose the starch contained within. Water is added to create a mash and is cooked to convert starches into sugars, forming a liquid called wort. Yeast is added to the wort in fermenting tanks to convert the sugars to alcohol, resulting in a beer. This beer is transferred to a still and heated, causing the alcohol to vaporize and separate from the water & solids. The resultant spirit is then transferred to charred new American Oak barrels to mature from 6 months to 2 years or more. This Rod & Hammer Bourbon is sweet and smokey on the nose with notes of caramel and vanilla on the palate. The finish is smooth with sweet corn.

American Freedom Distillery was founded by four ex-Green Berets. Currently, they're building the distillery in St. Petersburg, Florida. For now, Horse Soldier Bourbon is distilled in Columbus, Ohio. Days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the USA deployed a small team of Green Berets mounted on horseback. These brave men are honored today by theAmerica's Response Monumentat Ground Zero. This bourbon honors the small unit, nicknamed the Horse Soldiers. Their story was depicted in the 2018 movie 12 Strong, as well as the CNN documentaryLegion of Brothersand the American Response Monument located at Ground Zero in New York City. Made in the heart of America with pride and patience, this Horse SoldierStraight Bourbon is distilled from a mash of 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% barley, using water from limestone aquifers carefully filtered for purity. The spirit is matured for at least 2 years in new, charred American oak casks. Enjoy it in a range of cocktails, sipped neat or over ice.This bourbon is non-chill filtered, well-balanced, and robust with a mellow finish.

Belle Meade Reserve is the premium expression of the multi-award-winning Belle Meade Bourbon, crafted to meet the growing demand among aficionados for elite, high-proof bourbon. 

Our distillers identify certain superior barrels from the Belle Meade inventory and combine them into separate batches that yield a richer, more robust, higher-proof bourbon that compounds and enhances the character, flavor, and feel of its source. This painstaking process ensures that each small batch of Belle Meade Reserve will be utterly singular, and singularly pleasing. 

Belle Meade Reserve is a bold, high-rye-content bourbon ideal for those who appreciate the finer points of the distiller’s art, but equally accessible to anyone who enjoys the taste of whiskey straight from the barrel. Its strong, supple flavor distinguishes every glass—whether you serve it neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of water. And where other bourbons might recede when combined with mixers, Belle Meade Reserve’s high bottling proof and mouthwatering flavor ensure that it will enliven any cocktail. 

AWARDS

Whisky Advocate “Top 20 Whiskies of 2018” (#10)

TASTING NOTES

Though the selection process guarantees a certain degree of batch-by-batch variation, every bottle of Belle Meade Reserve is rich and full-flavored, showing vanilla, caramel, spice, and stone fruits.

In 2018 Mike Paladini and his wife Kerry had a daughter named Penelope. Their bourbon label was created in her namesake. Founded alongside Danny Polise, Polise and Paladini case distill and age their product in Indiana at MGP using the expert blending and bottling assistance from Castle Rock in Kentucky. This award-winning enterprise currently has two bourbons under their belt, their flagship four-grain straight bourbon, and their barrel strength. This Penelope Straight Bourbon is a blend of 3 bourbon mash bills sourced from MGP Ingredients, Inc. comprised of four grains (Corn, Wheat, Rye, and Malted Barley) non-chill-filtered, the barrels it's rested in have a #4 char while the heads have a #2 char. This approachable bourbon has an impeccable balance that has earned it several accolades, including a Double Gold Medal at the SIP Awards. Pick up your bottle today!

Founded by Joe Giildenzopf, Jamie Giildenzopf and Brad Neathery, Oak & Eden is a product of Texas-based Sanctified Spirits Company. The innovative finishing process they use for their whiskeys involves putting a spiral of wood in their bottles of bourbon and rye. The tight five-inch spirals are crafted from American white oak, allowing a maximum surface area for the whiskey to interact with the wood. Currently, the company offers four different products: A straight bourbon, a rye whiskey, a wheated bourbon, and a bourbon finished with red wine-steeped oak. All aged two years, these high-rye mash whiskeys are masterfully distilled and aged in charred new American oak barrels, delivering a distinctive whiskey full of spice and fruit. A 5 long spiral cut piece of French Oak is rested in cabernet sauvignon before resting in this bottle of bourbon. The combination of American bourbon whiskey, finished with a French red wine seasoned Oak spire delivers an incredibly distinctive sweet, and fruity flavor profile. To create this expression Oak & Eden partnered with Marker Cellars winery to infuse their cabernet sauvignon into this award-winning bourbon: a remarkably smooth combination of corn, rye and barley.

Founded by Joe Giildenzopf, Jamie Giildenzopf and Brad Neathery, Oak & Eden is a product of Texas-based Sanctified Spirits Company. The innovative finishing process they use for their whiskeys involves putting a spiral of wood in their bottles of bourbon and rye. The tight five-inch spirals are crafted from American white oak, allowing a maximum surface area for the whiskey to interact with the wood. Currently, the company offers four different products: A straight bourbon, a rye whiskey, a wheated bourbon, and a bourbon finished with red wine-steeped oak. All aged two years, these high-rye mash whiskeys are masterfully distilled and aged in charred new American oak barrels, delivering a distinctive whiskey full of spice and fruit. This Wheat & Spire starts with a remarkably smooth combination of 51% corn, 45% wheat and 4% malted barley. Once distilled, the bourbon is aged for two years in new American oak barrels producing a rich, deep yet sweet spirit bottled at 90 proof.

Kentucky Owl achieved much success and production continued until Prohibition halted distillation. The family-run facility was no match for the "forces of teetotalism, temperance and eventually, the Feds" (producer). In 1916, Prohibition left several local distilleries with ample reserves of bourbon. As for Kentucky Owl, approximately 250,000 gallons of bourbon were left over in various stages of aging. Today these reserves would be worth about $40 million in inventory. After Federal agents descended on the Dedman's distillery, the bourbon was seized and shipped up the river by barge to the state capital in Frankfort for "safekeeping" in a warehouse. Currently Kentucky Owl is in the midst of designing a stunning state-of-the-art distillery park with rickhouses for aging, a bottling center, as well as a vintage dinner train to stop on the property. Kentucky Owl Park will be built at Cedar Creek Quarry in Bardstown. The 420-acre site will boast beautiful lakes with crystal clear, limestone-filtered water that will be used in our whiskey production. The Stoli Group has turned to the world-renownedShigeru Ban Architects to oversee the project. Batch #9 is a blend of four different whiskeys from four different mash bills. Each whiskey ranges from 6 to 15 years in age. "This is the most robust Kentucky Owl batch Ive ever created. It may be the most flavorful liquid ever bottled for the brand. To me, it's a bourbon monster in the best way possible. I hope it's something both serious and casual whiskey drinkers appreciate," says Dedman.