A new Kentucky bourbon brand debuts this September as one of the state’s fastest-growing distilleries shifts from contract production to retail sales. Jackson Purchase Distillery will release its first bourbon bottles at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival on September 5.
Jackson Purchase Distillery Enters Retail Market After Three Years
Jackson Purchase Distillery has operated in Hickman, Kentucky, since 2021, producing over 100,000 barrels exclusively for other distilleries and investors. The company built its reputation through contract distilling before developing its own brand.
Master Distiller Craig Beam, recently inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, leads production alongside Assistant Master Distiller Terry Ballard. Beam brings seven generations of bourbon-making expertise from his tenure at Heaven Hill. Ballard previously served as Head Distiller at Willett.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYThe distillery sources grain from local farmers and uses calcium-rich water from underground aquifers. Located in Fulton County at Kentucky’s westernmost tip, the facility benefits from the Mississippi River Valley microclimate.
“With the average temperature here being 4-5 degrees higher than the rest of the state, we can’t believe how quickly our whiskey has taken on a deep color and rich flavor,” said Beam. “At four years old, I’d put Jackson Purchase Bourbon up against most 8-10 year old bourbons on the market.”
Jackson Purchase Bourbon “Batch No.1” Details and Availability
The inaugural release features a mash bill of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley. The bourbon aged four years in new white oak barrels with a #4 char. Distillers entered the spirit at 120 proof and bottled it at 117.8 proof.
Trending Content
Official tasting notes describe hints of cinnamon spice and bananas alongside vanilla, caramel and oak flavors.
Jackson Purchase Bourbon “Batch No.1 – Full Proof” will retail for $59 (USD) when it launches at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. Beam and Ballard will sign bottles at the event. Select Kentucky retailers will stock the bourbon around the same time.
CEO Lloyd Jones explained the company’s approach to entering the retail market. “We built our business around the bourbon first, not marketing or visitors,” he said. “By offering a limited number of bottles on the retail market, we’re giving bourbon drinkers a rare opportunity to taste for themselves what we can do.”
