The Maven Distillery has launched The Maven Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, its debut flagship expression, at select Kentucky retailers this month. The 94-proof toasted-barrel bourbon carries a suggested retail price of $199 (£148) and follows a decade of development by the Shelbyville-based distillery.
The release is a blend of six whiskeys drawn from what the brand describes as “the most diverse privately owned bourbon library in America.” The library was assembled over 10 years by IJW Whiskey Company through self-distillation, custom-specified sourcing and selective barrel acquisition.
Master Distiller Kevin Curtis, Master Blender Steve Hughes and Associate Master Blender Ashley Moore led the project.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORY“With The Maven, we set out to move beyond the singular mindset that has defined the bourbon category for most of my career,” said Master Blender Steve Hughes.
He added: “We built a library spanning different mashbills, whiskey styles, barrel types and oak profiles, giving us an entirely new palette to work from. That breadth lets us layer flavor to achieve a level of complexity that we previously had not explored. Blending became less an act of combination than an act of discovery.”
The bourbon’s maturation method relies heavily on toasting, which develops deeper caramelized wood sugars than charring alone.
Trending Content
The blend combines whiskeys matured their full term in toasted American oak with whiskeys first aged in charred oak and finished in toasted rare oak casks.
Hughes developed the proprietary toasting profile in partnership with the brand’s barrel supplier.
Five distinct oak types inform the final blend: American oak, Kentucky Chinkapin oak, Pacific Northwest Garryana, French oak, and Mizunara imported from Hokkaido, Japan.
The expression is bottled at 47% ABV and carries an age statement of seven-plus years.
According to the official notes from the brand, the bourbon opens with aromas of apricot jam, baked apple and graham cracker, framed by toasted coconut and crème brûlée. The palate offers dried stone fruit, caramelized vanilla, toasted almond and gingerbread spice, while the finish yields to toasted coconut, caramelized sugar and toasted oak.
The whiskey earned a 99-point score and a Double Gold medal at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Distribution will expand to New York, California and nationwide online retailers.
