Burnt Tavern Bourbon launched this fall, and Master Distiller Chip Tate said it was the brand’s historical story and wood finishing opportunity that drew him to join the brand. 

Tate, a wood-finishing expert who launched Texas-based Balcones Distilling, is known for his affinity for smoky whiskey. Burnt Tavern will be a little on the lighter side.

“It seemed like a perfect fit,” Tate said regarding joining Burnt Tavern. “As a project, the idea of taking classic flavors such as traditional bourbon and making that a base. And also making it smokey. It’s a lot more barrel focus. T, but the smoke is nuanced. It’s pretty refined and balanced. It seemed like a perfect fit.”

Burnt Tavern is named for a legendary tavern that once existed on the land where the brand is headquartered in Garrard County, Kentucky.

As the legend goes, in the late 1700s, Rev. James Smith and his family built a travelers’ stop along Zanes Trace, in what is now Bryantsville, Kentucky. The tavern was destroyed by fire and rebuilt twice, becoming known as “Burnt Tavern.” In 1868 William Berkele founded his distillery on land he purchased near the site of the legendary Burnt Tavern and began production of handmade sour mash whiskey.

The land will one day be home to the new iteration of William Berkele Distillery.

Tate said there isn’t much left of the original buildings – “really just a foundation and some timbers” – but that a small cemetery and a natural spring hearken to a different time in Kentucky. 

“So, it’s a nice chunk of rolling Kentucky grassland,” Tate said. “It’s flat in places but it has a lot of nice contours. The historical connections are really important and, I think, very meaningful. This is longstanding local lore, and we can bring it back in authentically in a way I always liked, that kind of thing that’s, dare I say, wholesome. Over time we’re hoping to resurrect that as a place as well as a brand.”

Bourbon and Char

The first release, Burnt Tavern Bourbon, launched in September, with subtle traces of smoke imparted by Tate’s efforts with secondary barreling. The core expression is a 7-year Kentucky bourbon that has been bottled at 105 proof.

“I’m really happy with it,” Tate said. “I wanted to have that subtle lush smokiness but at the same time preserve the bourbon quality I had found. Don’t turn turkey into a steak. It strikes a very nice balance between full flavored and drinkability. It’s even better if it’s full flavored and it’s also approachable enough to entice you to a second glass.”

Tate noted that as time goes by, and barrels hold more and diverse whiskeys for secondary aging, flavors will enhance and change. That maturation, he said, creates a sort of “cascade” of smoke and flavor. He added that he will always begin with at least a 7-year-old base whiskey.

“It’s not elderly,” he said, “but it’s full grown.”

As for what comes next for Burnt Tavern, Tate said that’s to be determined.

“I’m very committed to making sure we get this initial release out there and promoted,” Tate said. “As a creative, I have to have that discipline. Plan twice, build once.”

Over time, he said, there may be special barrel picks in the offing, possibly longer aging. Perhaps increasingly older barrels that are more suitable for overaging “without overdoing it.

“Exactly what that looks like, we’ll have to wait and see. Eventually, we’ll be producing whiskey on site. As much as that is my heartfelt [goal], we have to make sure we take care of the brand.”

-Kevin Gibson

Read more: Burnt Tavern Hosts Launch Event in Louisville