Kentucky Tavern, the Forgotten Wheater

[dgonano]

Mike,

You've mentioned this liquor store in Maryland
a few times now. Just where is it?

[Barrel_Proof]

I recently bought a bottle of Kentucky Tavern BIB at a small shop in Versailles. The label identifies Owensboro as the location of Glenmore, so this would have been bottled after the assignment of the Glenmore trademarks from United to Barton. (By contrast, the latest bottles of 80 proof KT identify Owensboro, Bardstown, and Atlanta as the locations of Glenmore.)

The DSPs are KY-12 for the distiller and KY-24 for the bottler. I haven't cracked the seal, but what do you all expect to be in this bottle? Can anyone approximate a date for this bottling?

[bobbyc]

Looks to me anyway, Barrel_Proof that you missed the wheat version. DSP12 is Barton, DSP24 is what was Glenmore in Owensboro. A date? Sometime after the early 90s, and up to whenever that bottling line shut down. I think BettyeJo knows when that was.

[bourbonv]

David Sherman received Rebel Yell as part of the later deal with Barton, not the 93 sale of labels to Heaven Hill.
Mike Veach

[bourbonv]

This would be a Barton Bottling done sometime after the sale of the label in 96.
Mike Veach

[boone]

David Sherman received Rebel Yell as part of the later deal with Barton, not the 93 sale of labels to Heaven Hill.
Mike Veach

When Heaven Hill bought the distillery, there was a big deal with, several labels (going on also).

David Sherman, was "in" on "the deal", with the labels (only). When all the cards were dealt, the end result was, David Sherman, came away with Rebel Yell and Ezra Brooks.

I just got off the phone with the vice-president of Heaven Hill. He verified, exactly, what I was told years ago.


Bettye Jo

[bourbonv]

United Distillers sold Ezra Brooks in 1993. I thought Heaven Hill immediately sold the label to David Sherman along with Yellowstone, but from what you are saying Heaven Hill kept it until the later deal?

I thought Rebel Yell was sold with the Barton sale and the Viking Distillery in Georgia, but on second thought U.D. may have kept it until the big sale of the Bernheim distillery, along with the other major brands after I was gone in 97 or 98. That sale involved the distillery and the Old Fitzgerald brand going to Heaven Hill and the Weller brands and Old Charter to Buffalo Trace. United Distillers kept only the Dickel Distillery and brands and I W Harper bourbon brands.

Mike Veach

[BourbonJoe]

Bobby,
When the Regans wrote their book Kentucky Tavern was a wheated bourbon. Kentucky Tavern was the flagship brand for Glenmore Distilleries for many years. The problem was that when United Distillers acquired Glenmore and their two distilleries, neither of their distilleries had been in operation for several years. This meant that the whiskey for Kentucky Tavern was running short when U.D. took over. In 1993 it was decided that U.D. would put wheated bourbon from Stitzel-Weller in Kentucky Tavern because there was no more Glenmore bourbon to support the brand.

In 1996 the brand Kentucky Tavern was part of the sale to Barton that included the bottling facilities in Owenboro, Ky. Barton then started to put their own, rye recipe bourbon, in Kentucky Tavern.

Those people who bought Kentucky Tavern Bottled in Bond between 1993 and 1996 were getting the same whiskey that was going into Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond. It was a real bargin.

Mike Veach

Mike, I acquired an Old Kentucky Tavern BIB fifth from the 1950's. Who was making it at that time? Glenmore? Should it be good stuff?
Joe

[Route 66]

Hello Everyone,

I have a little experience with Old Kentucky Tavern bourbons from Glenmore. A roadhouse I visit occasionally has some older OKT. It is the bonded 8 year, dated as barreled in 1957, bottled in 1965. As others have mentioned here, this older bourbon does seem to have way more flavor than todays typical varieties. As a comparison the closest other bourbon I have tasted like this 1965 BIB bottling is 10 year 107 Old Rip Van Winkle. I certainly don't think they are the same in taste but it goes with what others have said as the Glenmore OKT being "the forgotten wheater".

The OKT has a nice enough taste but it's not very balanced. It has very, very strong caramel notes over the others. It's nice to experience but if I had an UNopened bottle of Old Kentucky Tavern, which I do, I'd save it as a collectable and just spend the ~$27 on the 10/107 ORVW, or similar for drinking.

I have also tried the current Kentucky Tavern from Barton. Needless to say, there is no comparison at all - obviously not a "wheater". Yet for the $7.99/750ml it sells for here, I'd buy it all day long for mixers such as bourbon and cokes over the price of Jack Daniels.

Hope that helps a little.


-Mark