wku88 Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 While I was in Louisville a few weeks ago, I decided to find the old distillery I remembered that was not too far from where I grew up in Southwest Jefferson County. After a few wrong turns (It'd been 20 odd years since I had been back in that area), I found it. It was the Old Boone Distillery, on Bohannon Ave., in what is now Valley Station, but after some research, it seems the area was once called Meadowlawn. It is a fairly modern structure-- moreso than I remember-- and seems to be used as a warehouse for landscaping supplies now. Anyone know what brands were produced here, and which of the mega distillers it ended up with?Seems Virgin Bourbon was at least one that was produced here.Sorry, but I didn't get a pic of the place :smiley_acbt: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarItemsPlus1 Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 wku88 said... Seems Virgin Bourbon was at least one that was produced hereIs Virgin Bourbon no longer produced?? Or is it owned and produced by someone else?I ask due to the fact that there is a lot of this Bourbon available in Oz(or at least in Melb.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Heaven Hill, produces the Virgin Bourbon...available in a 7, 10, 15, and a 21 year silver wax edition.Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarItemsPlus1 Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Cheers Betty Jo!! :grin: To be honest I did suspect this, due to the VERY similar labelling on the Virgin Bourbon bottling and Evan Williams 7yr old(and the fact that Liquorland sell them both too)15, and a 21 year silver wax edition....Betty Jo would you have a pic? I take it that these bottlings are for an export only market? Asia maybe??Who would I have to 'brown nose' to get a bottle of each?? :kiss: Would Ian from HH in NZ be able to get some??Oh and Betty Jo I really must say that your presence here on SB.com is invaluable!! I have been able to gain a tremendous amount of knowledge from your 'insider' info. I do look forward to meeting you when I come over there. Thankyou!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camduncan Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Heaven Hill, produces the Virgin Bourbon...available in a 7, 10, 15, and a 21 year silver wax edition. WOW! You learn something new every day.... I'd only heard of the 7yo :shocked: Thanks for the info Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasH Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 The Olde Boone distillery shut down around 1971 after an explosion and fire caused by a ruptured gas line. I read this in an article somewhere but can't remember exactly where. Whiskyportal.com lists the current owners as Fortune Brands and says that Jim Beam uses the warehouses at the site. I also remember reading about another fire that occurred at Old boone sometime in the 1960's that destroyed the bottling house and a finished goods warehouse. Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarItemsPlus1 Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 I'd only heard of the 7yo Likewise Cam...:bigeyes: I wonder if Max would want these coming into Oz...at least the 15 and 21 yr oldsI'm sure they would be a hit!!:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted June 11, 2006 Share Posted June 11, 2006 Cheers Betty Jo!! :grin: To be honest I did suspect this, due to the VERY similar labeling on the Virgin Bourbon bottling and Evan Williams 7yr old(and the fact that Liquorland sell them both too) Betty Jo would you have a pic? I take it that these bottlings are for an export only market? Asia maybe?? Who would I have to 'brown nose' to get a bottle of each?? :kiss: Would Ian from HH in NZ be able to get some?? Oh and Betty Jo I really must say that your presence here on SB.com is invaluable!! I have been able to gain a tremendous amount of knowledge from your 'insider' info. I do look forward to meeting you when I come over there. Thankyou!! Thank you :grin: :grin: :grin: ... Yeah, we pump out alot at Heaven Hill...rumor on last case count was nearly 8 million cases a year...Sometimes, it's hard to keep up with what's going on...Part of my job is to make sure the lines are changed over safe and things get bottled as fast as possible. This overtime is getting old...real old... We are about to expand. I am glad but it will take awhile to add the additional lines. Here's a picture that "Koji" posted...all of Virgin Bourbon bottlings are in "his" (Koji's) picture :grin: :grin: :grin: They are shipped to Japan :grin: :grin: :grin: PM me for a number to call to see if it "could" possibly become available in your country. Bettye Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 WOW! You learn something new every day.... I'd only heard of the 7yo :shocked: Thanks for the info Bettye Jo You are very Welcome :grin: Cameron :grin: :grin: :grin: ... and... G'day to ya :grin: :grin: :grin: (sent with my very southern accent!) :grin: :grin: :grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wku88 Posted June 12, 2006 Author Share Posted June 12, 2006 The Olde Boone distillery shut down around 1971 after an explosion and fire caused by a ruptured gas line. I read this in an article somewhere but can't remember exactly where. Whiskyportal.com lists the current owners as Fortune Brands and says that Jim Beam uses the warehouses at the site. I also remember reading about another fire that occurred at Old boone sometime in the 1960's that destroyed the bottling house and a finished goods warehouse. ThomasThomas, I think that particular distillery was in Larue or Nelson county. I think that location is the one Bettye Jo said is making barrels right now. There was a whole thread on that one. The one I'm talking about is in Jefferson county, and was at least still used in some fashion up to at least the early 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boone Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 The Distillery in Athertonville, (Larue County, Ky) was called Boone Brother's...This is what's published in Sam Cecil's book...about "Old Boone"John P. Dant, Old Boone RD #39John P. Dant Sr. the third son of J.W. Dant, built the John P. Dant Distillery at Meadowlawn in Jefferson County shortly after prohibition was repealed. He also leased the Grosscruth Distillery RD # 26 at Anchorage in Jefferson County during World War II and operated as Meadowlawn Distillery Company.John P. Sr.'s son John P. Jr. succeeded him after he died and on May 1 1945 Marvin Padgett, who had been connected with Tom Moore, bought controlling interest. They also ran a bottling operation on Main Street in Louisville. In December 1950 Marvin bought the remaining interest in the distillery and John P. Jr. retired to Florida, where he died in 1978. Marvin Padgett brought the name Old Boone from Seagram's in 1954, according to Bill Padgett son of Marvin who was plant manager until 1977, when it was closed.Mashing capacity was 750 bushels per day , or about 75 barrels and they had six warehouses of a total capacity of approximately 95,000 barrels. Their main brands were Old Boone, Distiller's Choice and Old 1889...The latter brought from Tom Pedergast of Kansas and was sold mainly in the Kansas City area. Volume on this brand amounted to about 50,000 cases annually.Pat Buse a son of Rry Buse of Cincinnati broker, bought the distillery in 1959 and operated it for a number of years. However, a series of disasters hit th e plant. In November 1966 a fire destroyed the room which were rebuilt a short time later. In Jan. 1971 a boiler blew up and caused considerable damage when the explosion ruptured a gas line, which burned the distillery. The distillery was rebuilt and new mashing and distillation equipment was installed, but following this a water tank was installed on top of the distillery building and apparently was not structurally sound---and the tank shifted and crashed through a portion of the distillery and office.Buse had leased warhorse facilities from DW. Karp at St. Francis plant RD#21 from 1969-1977 but in 1977 he decided to cease operations completely and sold the Old Boone equipment at public auction and abandoned the property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasH Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 I think it was in Sam Cecil's book that I read about the fires at Old Boone. I have a couple of Virgin Bourbon minis in my collection and they list Old Boone's address as Meadowlawn. On the Whiskyportal.com website, the current info for Old boone lists its location as Chapeze station. I know at the beginning of this thread it was mentioned that the area previously known as Meadowlawn is now called Valley Station. Maybe these to places account for both plants that operated as Old Boone. Does anyone have any other info?Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdery Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 The Boones started in Athertonville, then moved nearer to Bardstown. I think Dant bought the name when the Boones got out because of Prohibition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wku88 Posted June 13, 2006 Author Share Posted June 13, 2006 Well, thanks for the info, folks. It sheds a little light on things, but I'm not thoroughly satisfied. The Dant connection checks out, as Whiskyportal lists a Dant distillery in Cosmosdale (named for Cosmos Portland cement plant that has operated there forever), which as the crow flies, is only a few miles from there. I am convinced though that there was SOME kind of activity there as late as 1980, but possibly not actual distilling. Also, Virgin Bourbon is not mentioned, while there are several bottle labels on evilBay clearly identifying Meadowlawn, but I guess that could be in reference to the leased distillery in Anchorage (which is on the diametric opposite side of the county!). Mebbe I need to contact the Filson Club, or the U of L Archives for more info on the 1971 fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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