Dixon Dedman was somewhat of a whiskey wunderkind at Kentucky Owl, an old family label he resuscitated in 2014 after nearly a century, sold in 2017 to Stoli Group and then left in 2021. Not even 40 years old when he walked away from Kentucky Owl, Dedman suddenly found himself with a lot of new opportunities in the whiskey world.
Eventually, the right opportunity came from Prestige Beverage Group, which had thousands of barrels of Kentucky whiskey aging in warehouses but no firm plans about what to do with it. Dedman has some ideas, and was soon named master blender.
Dedman said he took part of the six-year-old high-rye bourbon, split it into two additional batches, aged one for at least six more months in a new barrel with #3 char and the other for at least six more months in #4 char. Ultimately, then, he had four whiskeys to blend into the final release — the original high-rye bourbon, the low-rye bourbon, and the two newly finished high-rye bourbon batches.
Tasting notes: 2XO The Innkeeper’s Blend Kentucky Straight Bourbon
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Vital Stats: Blend of four batches of Kentucky straight bourbon, aged at least six years; 104 proof/52% alcohol by volume; SRP of $99.99 for a 750 ml bottle.
Appearance: Dark amber, tending toward brown.
Nose: Banana bread and cotton candy, frosted flakes over whole milk, brown sugar, cherries, and molasses.
Palate: Whereas the nose was sweet and balanced, it comes on fairly strong in the mouth; not what I could call balanced. But the flavors are enjoyable. It’s spicy up front, followed by caramel and chocolate. There’s a dark, rich mouthfeel to it, almost as if you could chew it. I get toffy, dark chocolate, and walnuts. The finish lingers at the back of the tongue, spicy again.
