List of largest producers of bourbon

[trumpstylz]

Does anyone know what the biggest distilleries are in order?

My guess is:

1. Jim beam (I know this one)

2. Heavenhill

3. Buffalo Trace

4. Wild Turkey

It doesn't really affect my choices- I'm just wondering for curiosity's sake.

[barturtle]

I'd think that internationally WT outsells BT.

[barturtle]

I knew this was in here somewhere. This thread has a list of distillers and amount of aging whiskey.

By amount stored by % as of 2004.

Beam 38.9

Heavenhill 20.1

Four Roses 9.7

Wild turkey 8.3

Barton 6.9

Buffalo Trace 6.8

Makers Mark 6.6

Brown Forman 2

[TomH]

Since BT has since purchased Barton, they now would be in 3rd place.

Tom

[barturtle]

And Beam now owns Makers, and HH has expanded production (as has Makers). WT is in the middle of expansion.

[trumpstylz]

Wow, I didn't know four roses was that large.

I'm guessing brown forman only counts bourbon rye and early times, and jack isnt included in this?

[barturtle]

It is Kentucky Holdings only. No Jack, Dickel or LDI.

[cowdery]

There are thirteen major American whiskey distilleries, owned by eight companies. Let's see if I can do this from memory. It is hubris to list only Kentucky facilities. It's also pointless to try to estimate size. Diageo, for example, has millions of gallons of aging whiskey it didn't distill. Below are just the distilleries and their owners, in very rough estimated order of size.

Brown-Forman: Jack Daniel's, Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve

Beam Global (Fortune Brands): Jim Beam, Booker Noe, Maker's Mark

Sazerac: Buffalo Trace, Tom Moore

Heaven Hill: Bernheim

Kirin: Four Roses

Campari: Wild Turkey

Diageo: George Dickel

Angostura (for now): Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana

[OscarV]

Diageo, for example, has millions of gallons of aging whiskey it didn't distill.

[barturtle]

Where did they get it and what have they used it for and/or plan to use it for?

some of it is left over S-W stock, they did a partial release to a number of distillers/bottlers recently. I doubt however that they sold it all.

Some is purchased FR distillate for Bulliett Bourbon.

[sku]

There are thirteen major American whiskey distilleries, owned by eight companies. Let's see if I can do this from memory. It is hubris to list only Kentucky facilities. It's also pointless to try to estimate size. Diageo, for example, has millions of gallons of aging whiskey it didn't distill. Below are just the distilleries and their owners, in very rough estimated order of size.

Brown-Forman: Jack Daniel's, Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve

Beam Global (Fortune Brands): Jim Beam, Booker Noe, Maker's Mark

Sazerac: Buffalo Trace, Tom Moore

Heaven Hill: Bernheim

Kirin: Four Roses

Campari: Wild Turkey

Diageo: George Dickel

Angostura (for now): Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana

How about Bowman under the Sazerac tent or are you not counting them since they only redistill?

[cowdery]

See the word "major" in my first sentence. Bowman isn't anywhere close to 'major' and even if they were, redistillation doesn't really count. That, by definition, is rectification, not distillation.

[cowdery]

Where did they get it and what have they used it for and/or plan to use it for?

Presumably all of the Four Roses bourbon they get goes into Bulleit. They also buy new make from Brown-Forman and others, for I. W. Harper and any other Kentucky bourbons they sell outside the U.S., and may well also be using it in some of their domestic and Canadian blends.

[Robmo]

Another really interesting thread. It all boggles the mind.

Just thought I'd express my appreciation.