Bottled-in-Bond Dreams at Peerless Distillery

Bourbon

June 3, 2015

Louisville added a new distillery to its growing list, and this one is planning bottled-in-bond bourbons and ryes.

The Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company enjoyed its grand opening June 3 with friends, family and media in attendance.

The new Kentucky Peerless Distillery is a beauty.
The new Kentucky Peerless Distillery is a beauty.

Family owned by descendants of 1800s-era distiller Henry Kraver, Peerless will be a distillery to watch. The father-son duo of Corky and Carson Taylor announced the revival of their great (and great) grandfather’s Peerless Distillery in 2013 on 10th Street and Main, essentially extending the city’s Whiskey Row efforts.

Corky Taylor, a Kentucky native who owned a financial services company in Florida, would not comment on the distillery’s cost, but admitted: “I spent twice as much as I wanted to.”

It’s a good thing he did. The beautiful brick building sits near the Ohio River and offers a glimpse of how life used to be in Louisville.

As for the technical aspects—the stuff I live for—the 14-inch in diameter, 25.5-feet tall Vendome column still shimmers next to its 80-gallon doubler. Peerless acquires American white oak Char No. 3 barrels from the Kelvin Cooperage and its grains from Consolidated Grain and Barge Company in Louisville.

This still will churn out enough whiskey to fill 30 barrels a week, the company said.
This still will churn out enough whiskey to fill 30 barrels a week, the company said.
Peerless barrels will sit a minimum of four years before they bottle their bourbons and ryes.
Peerless barrels will sit a minimum of four years before they bottle their bourbons and ryes.

Peerless will not disclose its mashbills, but said the bourobn will be a corn, malted barley and rye. Probably the best part is Peerless’ barrel-entry proof is 107, making them the second lowest barrel-entry proof in Kentucky. (Michter’s goes into the barrel at 103 proof.)

The aged whiskeys will include Peerless bourbon and rye as well as a Henry Kraver for single barrels. All will be bottled-in-bond, says Taylor.

Of course, that means we’ll need to wait four years to see how Peerless bourbon and rye taste.

For now, Peerless boasts a Lucky Kentucky moonshine brand and a production capacity of 30 barrels a week.

The gift shop is also extremely impressive, offering a true Kentucky theme that will greatly appeal to tourists.

 

Fred Minnick is the author of Whiskey Women and Bourbon Curious.

 

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