Kentucky Owl 10 Year Old Rye Batch #3 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Kentucky Owl 10 Year Old Rye Batch #3 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Kentucky Owl was founded by Charles Mortimer Dedman, a local pharmacist, in 1879. After marrying his wife, Dedman was given a large parcel of land on the banks of the Kentucky River, as a wedding gift from his adopted father who was a local town judge. C.M. Dedman Distillery was established here on the banks of the Kentucky River, producing "The Wise Man's Bourbon" under Distilled Spirits Plant Designation "No. 16", one of Kentucky's original distilleries and part of a booming industry. 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." 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. Kentucky Owl 10-Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Batch #3 features citrus, orange juice, grapefruit, oak, anise, and barbeque spice on the nose. The combination of barrel sweetness, caramel candy, creamy vanilla, toffee, and hazelnut coat the palate before moving into a finish of licorice, absinthe, nutmeg, and a mild flash of cayenne pepper. The 10-year old stocks in this Rye #3 deliver a richer, thicker, syrupy mouthfeel.