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My Memories of Kinsey Distilling


dave ziegler

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Tom when you have 333,333. barrels on each of 3 floors of 14 warehouse's you get that! There were that many barrels per warehouse when I worked there. Also the coopers every month would look for leakers and fix them. For worm wood holes we had little wooden pegs we would pound into a wood worm hole and then knock the end off leaving the barrel's sealed agian.

The picture is from one warehouse in Phila and it was a very big warehouse.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

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Now as Promised here are some Pictures from the second floor of the Old Grain drying building and some of the back fallen down section of the Old Kinsey Bottlehouse Cistren room.

pictures are

1.2. 3. Second Floor of the Old Grain drying building Old Meters on the wall part of the Old grain drying Kinsey

4. Grain silo Building grains traveled to this building first and then to the process building.

5. A strange Door on the wall in the little room of the Grain drying building over the Oil boiler room.

6. More of what is left of grain drying equipment.

7. Shot of the Grain process building from window on second floor of grain drying building.

8.Small room over The boiler room.

9.Things hanging on the wall

10. looking up to the third floor of the Old Grain drying building built by Jacob G Kinsey at the turn of the century.

11. Looking up at the Old back second floor of the Kinsey bottle house.

12. Upper section second floor Kinsey bottle house

13. My new Blue glass Explosion proof switch on my side table of switches in my office. The paper hanging on the wall behind the switch to the right is The top 61 songs on WIP 610 in the year of 1961, April 24 , I found it in a drawer of old stuff I had from when I was a kid of 14 years old.

14. Here is a shot of the table with all its switches and an old Explosion proof Siren. Picture on the wall behind the switches is of Inver House Distillery 1966 given to me by my Friend who ran the marketing dept for Publicker and it once hung in the Company's world Wide Headquarters at 1429 Walnut st Phila.

The Large Switch box on the right back area once powered all the Whiskey and Distilled water from O warehouse the government Building to the Big Bottle House. Its the one with the Rub Alcohol plate in front of it from the Tank plateform in the big bottle house.

Many Thanks to Rod for climbing and taking these shots as I am to old to get up in places like that but it sure brings back memories of going up there and sweeping back in the day.

Dave Z

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

For Unhurried Moments

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Glad to help out Dave. Love to get to the top floors of the other buildings. Who knows what's up there! The switches look great too. That's one tough file cabinet. There's a lot of weight on that sucker!

Now as Promised here are some Pictures from the second floor of the Old Grain drying building and some of the back fallen down section of the Old Kinsey Bottlehouse Cistren room.

pictures are

1.2. 3. Second Floor of the Old Grain drying building Old Meters on the wall part of the Old grain drying Kinsey

4. Grain silo Building grains traveled to this building first and then to the process building.

5. A strange Door on the wall in the little room of the Grain drying building over the Oil boiler room.

6. More of what is left of grain drying equipment.

7. Shot of the Grain process building from window on second floor of grain drying building.

8.Small room over The boiler room.

9.Things hanging on the wall

10. looking up to the third floor of the Old Grain drying building built by Jacob G Kinsey at the turn of the century.

11. Looking up at the Old back second floor of the Kinsey bottle house.

12. Upper section second floor Kinsey bottle house

13. My new Blue glass Explosion proof switch on my side table of switches in my office. The paper hanging on the wall behind the switch to the right is The top 61 songs on WIP 610 in the year of 1961, April 24 , I found it in a drawer of old stuff I had from when I was a kid of 14 years old.

14. Here is a shot of the table with all its switches and an old Explosion proof Siren. Picture on the wall behind the switches is of Inver House Distillery 1966 given to me by my Friend who ran the marketing dept for Publicker and it once hung in the Company's world Wide Headquarters at 1429 Walnut st Phila.

The Large Switch box on the right back area once powered all the Whiskey and Distilled water from O warehouse the government Building to the Big Bottle House. Its the one with the Rub Alcohol plate in front of it from the Tank plateform in the big bottle house.

Many Thanks to Rod for climbing and taking these shots as I am to old to get up in places like that but it sure brings back memories of going up there and sweeping back in the day.

Dave Z

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

For Unhurried Moments

=============================================

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Here are 6 Pictures of My future Lamp in the works, and the late 1930's Switch that will turn it on.

1.thru 5. Different shots of my restored Explosion proof over head ceiling lamp. The big Bell part is from Warehouse L the shade is from Warehouse L and the works inside and big Globe are from the Old Kinsey Bottling House. I could not get the bell part from there to shine so I glued the spare name badge plate on the one from Warehouse L as it for some reason never had one on it just the holes for the rivits.

The next thing will be to get Pipes and Rod and I have to figuer a base for it. The Last Picture

6. This is the 1930's Explosion proof switch that will turn the light on and off. My Lamp is an exact copy of Rods.

Then once we can get a base that a 3/4 steel pipe will screw into we have to find someone to wire them. The Switch will mount between two pieces of Pipe. Near the top. The Green shade will be inverted Up instead of down due to the fact it would be top heavy and you would have to have a giant base other wise. This way the weight will be going straight down screwed on the pipe.

===================================================

It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

Dave Z

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Nice shots of your lamps parts. They cleaned up nicely.

I was messing around today & some extra parts & decided to take a wire wheel to one of the housings we got at the old bottling house. It was covered in white calcium like the one you couldn't get cleaned up. Check these pictures out. This is the first one I pulled from the roof rubble of the old bottling house.

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This came out quite nice. I still may use my original one with the more natured look, but this does look nice. I have another I may be able to do for you...and it even has the tag! It's one of the Appleton units. I'll try to mess around with it later this week. We'll just use the guts from your lamp.

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Dude, awesome.

If only I had rescued the lamps from the warehouses at Michter's............

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Here are 6 Pictures of My future Lamp in the works, and the late 1930's Switch that will turn it on.

1.thru 5. Different shots of my restored Explosion proof over head ceiling lamp. The big Bell part is from Warehouse L the shade is from Warehouse L and the works inside and big Globe are from the Old Kinsey Bottling House. I could not get the bell part from there to shine so I glued the spare name badge plate on the one from Warehouse L as it for some reason never had one on it just the holes for the rivits.

The next thing will be to get Pipes and Rod and I have to figuer a base for it. The Last Picture

6. This is the 1930's Explosion proof switch that will turn the light on and off. My Lamp is an exact copy of Rods.

Then once we can get a base that a 3/4 steel pipe will screw into we have to find someone to wire them. The Switch will mount between two pieces of Pipe. Near the top. The Green shade will be inverted Up instead of down due to the fact it would be top heavy and you would have to have a giant base other wise. This way the weight will be going straight down screwed on the pipe.

===================================================

It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

Dave Z

Mr. Ziegler, I am a history buff and a bourbon enthusiast. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your posts. Just amazing!

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Thanks! I'm really looking forward to seeing the completed unit. I'll post more pics soon.

Isn't part of it still standing? No lights hanging anywhere?

Dude, awesome.

If only I had rescued the lamps from the warehouses at Michter's............

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Mr. Ziegler, I am a history buff and a bourbon enthusiast. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your posts. Just amazing!

Weller_tex thanks for the Kind words you have made my day. As a Kid my favorite thing was History in School. When I grew up I dreamed of being a History book writer.

The story of Kinsey is a long and interesting story and here is one of the Interesting things from back in the founding days of Publicker Ind who bought Kinsey Corp at silent auction in spring 1940.

True Story which I checked with my friend who ran Marketing for Publicker Ind, I was told 100% true.

Harry Publicker before founding Publicker Commercial Alcohol company in 1913 used to go to all the small distillers in Phila and get their used whiskey Barrels. he would then steam and sqeeze the barrel staves and get whiskey out of them.

Someone reported him the the government for selling untaxed Whiskey.

Harry went to court and said to the Judge, was not the said whiskey in the barrels at time of the taxing The Judge repliled yes. Therefore Your Honor if the said Whiskey was in the barrels at the time of taxing the taxes have already been paid Correct? The Judge said yes Case closed.

Harry Publicker was a very wise man and after that happen he opened Publicker Comercial Alcohol Company in 1913 with about 8 to sixteen empoyees. In 1933 when Prohibition ended Publicker got into the making of drinking Spritis and He Put Si neuman his son inlaw in charge of the company. Mr Neuman grew Publicker IN / Continental Distilling and Kinsey Distilling corp into a company that had 5,000 Empoyee's in its great years.

Harry Publickers Brother Philip Publicker Founded American Distilling corp from What I have learned as he wanted to distill Drinking Spirits in the early years Publicker began. Harry wanted to stick to Industrial Alcohol, so they split and went derferent ways many years later in the early 1970's Publicker would end up buying the popular brands of American Alcohol Corp. Ones such as Bourbon Supreme and many others. Those brands died when Contiental Distilling died.

Jacob G Kinsey lived to be 94 years Old Kinsey Distillery was 94 years old when it closed forever and Continental Distilling ended being a comercial Chemical company and distiller at 94 years!

Today the only remaining thing left of the Company is the abandon Kinsey Distillery and a few of the Old Buildings in Phila from the Continental / Publicker site. And the Inver House Distillery site

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Kinsey Whiskey was so famous in the 1940's after Publicker bought it that it once proudly was advertisted on the Building in Manhattan Ny where the New Years Ball drops. I have an old Post card showing an ad for Kinsey there.

=====================================================

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

For Me Writting About the Company is the greatest Honor I could be able to do.

Dave Z

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Here is a sad time in the History of Publicker Industries. A picture of the distillery strike in Phila on Sept of 1962. Strikers trapped Office People and supervisors inside the plant for four Hours at quiting time. It took 100 Phila Patrolman to get people out. There were very few of these kinds of things in Our History and it was a sad time.

Thankfully it ended and people went back to work. I was told by my friend in marketing that Mr. Neuman was very grieved seeing the people not working and on strike, and stated these are My People, the people handling this contract under me have got to work with them so they can get back to work and make a good Living and take care of their family's. He did not want them to suffer. And I fully Believe this as Mr. Neuman always looked for the working man to handle different things. He always said who knows how to do it the best but the men who do it not people just out of school with books and Pictures! He was never afraid to walk up to you and ask you how you were doing!

Dave Z

==================================================

It Seems All The Nicest People drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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Thanks! I'm really looking forward to seeing the completed unit. I'll post more pics soon.

Isn't part of it still standing? No lights hanging anywhere?

The warehouses are all demolished now and what is left is fully gutted by the new owners of the site that care nothing for its historical value.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Today my Memories take me back to storys of the old days. There was a man by the name of Clair Von Alt who worked in the warehouses. His nick name was Sport! Sport could not read or write. He signed his check with an X and someone would cash it for him. Sport drank way too much and had a sweet tooth. It was known He would sneak candy out of peoples lunch bags.

One week he was missing all week and when he came back I asked him where he had been. He told me he spent the whole week on the toilet sick. Well I was told by someone in the know under the pledge of not saying anything that because He could not read he had gone in someones lunch bag and taken a large bar of chocolate X -lacks and that was why he was so sick, as he must have eaten the whole bar.

He never went in anyones lunch ever again!

My Friend John was another story,as he drank way to much himself and I would get him Neutrol spirits of whiskey early in the morning, then Whiskey later, and have him yell at me all day and beg me to help him out at days end which I did as He was my Friend. He always had gormet sandwichs packed by his wife for lunch and would not eat them and gave them to me suppling me with some great lunchs!

I will never forget John's first day he told me, I swore to Mr Harold Rienart plant manager no whiskey would touch my mouth but I had my fingers crossed.

That days end as Mr Reinart stood as he always did nodding to us going to ring out he saw John crawling he shook his head and went into the office. He was a very good man, and a kind man and later said he could not bring himself to fire him as he did his job well and had a family and a couple of Kids.

These are just a few of many stories I remember well from those days gone by.

Dave Z

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

For Unhurried Moments

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Went for a walk around Kinsey today with keys just looking around and remembering the old days.

Took a couple of pictures and just looked around and found some switches and lights for future projects.

As always the vandels are always at work sealing and destroying. Here are a couple of cool pictures taken in one of the warehouses.

1. An old lift waits to lift barrels it will never lift!

2. A Pile of old charred floaters, behind the 2 barrels forground.

3. A barrel filled with one side only charred unfinished charred Floaters.

4. Piles of Old Barrels staves

5. Old Empty barrels that never made the first floor when the plant closed. They sit on the barrel elevator 26 years later,never to go to be bundled to ship!

I am never amazed at how when Kinsey closed over night every thing just was left at the place it was anything from lunches in fridges to peoples jackets. It is always a sad thing for me seeing the abandonment but it is a joy talking about the old days and the people that worked at Kinsey.

======================================================

It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

Dave Z

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I went to Kinsey Monday and Tuesday after work to get some parts and to get and restore a 1930's Minneapolis-Honeywell HEAT regulator from one of the Old Explosion Proof warehouses. I got one for myself and one for My Friend Paul who built most of my Explosion Proof Light sets. And I got the housings to put them in.

The Housing is Crouse - Hinds and the Thermostat is a rare Early Honeywell Product with their Old Original Name " Minneapolis - Honeywell" the top being made of Bakilite and metal casting, 90 % of the units are trashed but I found two that are only missing the Dust covers which would most likely have been missing many years before the Plant closed. Unlike the two switches I talked about on one of my two other threads the Things were sealed so tight it took two days and breaking the heads off the bolts in the wall to get them. Then a large Pipe wrench the remove the fixture with Chico sealent in it.

1. This is the one I restored for my friend without its housing.

2.Here is a side view of my restored Explosion Proof Thermostat complete

3. Here is an above view of my Clean Polished, marked where it came from and restored Explosion proof Thermostat from Old Explosion Proof warehouse P the same building I got my Explosion Proof Phone from. The heating range was 74 to 46.

It was never warmer then the low 40's in the winter in them and in the 40's and 50's in the summer. Monday when it was 87 degrees outside it was awesome cool in warehouse I.

Once again I am glad I thought this out aand got an example to save for History and for My Electric Maintaince friend he was thrilled with his one I got and restored for him.

--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

Dave Z

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Pretty cool thermostat Dave. I knew you would fine one! Just a matter of time.

I went to Kinsey Monday and Tuesday after work to get some parts and to get and restore a 1930's Minneapolis-Honeywell HEAT regulator from one of the Old Explosion Proof warehouses. I got one for myself and one for My Friend Paul who built most of my Explosion Proof Light sets. And I got the housings to put them in.

The Housing is Crouse - Hinds and the Thermostat is a rare Early Honeywell Product with their Old Original Name " Minneapolis - Honeywell" the top being made of Bakilite and metal casting, 90 % of the units are trashed but I found two that are only missing the Dust covers which would most likely have been missing many years before the Plant closed. Unlike the two switches I talked about on one of my two other threads the Things were sealed so tight it took two days and breaking the heads off the bolts in the wall to get them. Then a large Pipe wrench the remove the fixture with Chico sealent in it.

1. This is the one I restored for my friend without its housing.

2.Here is a side view of my restored Explosion Proof Thermostat complete

3. Here is an above view of my Clean Polished, marked where it came from and restored Explosion proof Thermostat from Old Explosion Proof warehouse P the same building I got my Explosion Proof Phone from. The heating range was 74 to 46.

It was never warmer then the low 40's in the winter in them and in the 40's and 50's in the summer. Monday when it was 87 degrees outside it was awesome cool in warehouse I.

Once again I am glad I thought this out aand got an example to save for History and for My Electric Maintaince friend he was thrilled with his one I got and restored for him.

--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

Dave Z

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Here's an update to the lamp I am building. I went to a fabricator & had them make me a base. It was just easier. It came out great & is 18x18 with a nipple welded in the center. The base alone is 30 Lbs. More than enough to support these, even with the heavy globe on.

I am hoping to wire this tomorrow or Friday. I'll update then.

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I will be getting mine together soon also, Kinsey lives on at Rods House and at Kinsey Dsp-Pa.-12 east my house! Getting my pipes tonight mine may take a bit till I get it wired but looking forward to adding it to go with my Whiskey Barrel table and awesome pilot lights.

Anyway to preserve the History of Kinsey distillery is great, because there was never a neater place to work.

Everybody check out my restored Explosion Proof Thermstat regulator from the plant back on page 84 post 840 I just posted it today.

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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Dave,

Doesn't look like I will be able to make it down this weekend. I forgot I have a wedding to attend Saturday and it's supposed to rain heavily Sunday. Go figure. One of these days I will get down there again!

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Here is a old Billboard for Hallers County Fair BIB Bourbon Whiskey. I still have a couple of old 1940'/ 1950's 4/5 bottles of it, and I'll tell you what it is a great Bourbon. I still love the old Bourbons from back in the day. And Hallers after Old Hickory was a very Big seller for us.

I just perfer anything made in the 1940's/50's and 60's to anything made today!

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Drink Old Hickory

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America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

Dave Z

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Well I am getting there, here is my Explosion Proof light setup with out the Shade and base which has been ordered. I am going to have a professional Electrician that does contracting here where I work wire it next week. Just went out and bought 18 feet of 16 gauge wire and a heavy duty Plug.

I will put a 100 watt Fluorecent Bulb in it so it does not get red hot which would not be safe.

1. My Light in my work office. The type of switch was my Idea for our Lamps it is a late 1930's Crouse - Hinds Explosion Proof switch and mine is from Warehouse K. The internal parts our from the Old Kinsey Bottle House and the shade and bell are from Warehouse K.

These are the rarest switch in the plant and had to do with the electric door locks on the warehouses. Most of them had one, right beside the big roll door at the front dock.

This and My Whiskey Barrel table are something awesome to me. This however is costly as the base was alot of money and the two pipes and wiring ran high but it will be one of two from Kinsey.

However Rod and I can say we have floor lamps from Kinsey!

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

---------------------------------------------------------

Dave Z

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You'll be glad to know I finally started restoration of my barrel! I found an oil preservative that soaks into dried woods that does not change the color of the wood much and leaves no shine or shell on the wood. It's only $25 a gallon and will last years and years. Since it penetrates deep into the wood, it even re-expands the wood a little, which will tighten the barrel back up slightly. Once I've got the barrel fully coated, I am going to get a piece of glass or plexiglass and fit it into the head so it won't be exposed to the weather anymore. This barrel is going to be an excellent display piece! I'll post pictures once it's done!

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On Saturday I found another one of a Kind Historic Expolsion Proof Switch from the 1930's.

It had a Large Emergensy Light Holder on it so I am going to Put my Blue / Green Globe on It and I put my one only Large red one on the regular swith I had made up.

Here are 3 Pictures starting with My large Red light glowing on my desk and the a shot of the Old switch turned off and then a shot turned on. It will have its original Globe Holder as I found it on a pipe and will go where I had the other one with blue globe. My Electrican friend will wire it very soon. And I will take my small red globe home then and put it at the base of my coming soon Explosion proof lamp.

1. Large Red globe Lighted

2. 1920's/1930's Explosion Proof switch in turned off position

3. Switch with lever Pulled up switch on. This is the only switch of this type I know of at Kinsey and finding it where someone was going to take it for Scrap makes it sweeter yet!

4. Ethan you aked me what exactly did the warehouses look like when the racks were full of Whiskey.

This picture is from the companys very first Brosure before they went on the stock market and this is one of the warehouses in Linfield right after being filled in 1947/48. The Man is Bud Seward I know because I asked Ludy and he said right away who he was. That floor in the picture has 333,333 barrels. Each floor had that many.

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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Walking around the Plant last week I thought about working in the Warehouse Gangs. On a tipical day we would have lists of barrels to be dumped or Racked or filling barrles, and when you got to the Warehouse you were going to the government Man with you would have to cut the Lead Seal on the Padlock so you could open the warehouse. Next turn on certain switches including the Flip lever one that shut off the Electric Door momitors.

Then the lead man would have sheets with the numbers of the Barrels you would be dealing with. And each man was given his job be it rolling barrels in the racks or Out of them, or just rolling them. Maybe dumping them or running the Lift taking them out or Putting them in the racks. Or if there was no Dump trough in the building rolling them to the dock for one of the 1941 Ford Trucks to take them to another Gang in a building with a trough to dump them.

I had many Happy days doing different jobs like this from working in the racks to filling the barrels with the large Pump end like a gaint Gas Pump which I have the One from Warehouse O in my Garage having saved it from the metal theifs years ago!

Also I remember stenciling with India Indelable permant Ink. Better have your Gloves on as you could not get it off!

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

Dave Z

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