Bluegrass Distillery Barrel

Right out of the gate, they launched both wheated and rye bourbon recipes with three different expressions of each. In the wheated category, they offer the award-winning 90-proof Wheated Bourbon, a Bottled-in-Bond Wheated Bourbon, and a Single-Barrel Wheated Bourbon. And for the high-rye bourbon, they offer a 100-proof Mash Bill 1 (rye bourbon), a Single-Barrel Mash Bill 1, and the Toasted Oak Bourbon, which is Mash Bill 1 finished in a lightly toasted oak barrel for at least 21 days. The latter release has won a handful of awards from Whisky Advocate and others. 

In 2017, they launched another award-winning bourbon, this time using blue corn as the majority grain in the mash bill. Blue corn creates an earthy, nutty and mildly vanilla flavor in the whiskey, and their 90-proof Blue Corn Bourbon earned them a Gold Medal in 2021 and Double Platinum in 2022 in the ASCOT Awards. 

In 2021, they announced they’d be expanding and relocating the distillery to nearby Midway, Ky., at the historic Elkwood Farm property, where they’ll be able to not only increase production but grow their own blue and yellow corn. The farm was built in 1835 and is on the National Historic Register. Bluegrass Distillers is adding a full distillery, barrel warehouses, a visitor center and event space, as well as a tasting room inside the renovated Elkwood Mansion. And most importantly, production has expanded from one barrel per day to about 20 barrels every eight hours.

And while work was being finished in Midway, Bluegrass Distillers decided to launch a new line of experimental rye whiskeys under a new brand and new label: Midway Distilling Co. The new brand allowed them to explore various flavor profiles and tell stories of the rich history of Bluegrass Distillers’ new home in Midway. Also, the new name has a rich connection with the bourbon industry as it was a brand that was popular before Prohibition. The series of five releases has been garnering much-deserved attention from industry insiders and includes rye whiskey that has been finished in rum barrels, Sauternes barrels, vermouth barrels, toasted French oak barrels, and re-charred oak barrels. 

Now that things are up and running at the new Midway distillery, Bluegrass Distillers is poised to grow and expand its reach even more. With distribution in 12 states and online sales in 40 states, this is just the beginning for this craft distillery.  

Bluegrass Distillers combines age-old Kentucky bourbon traditions with distilling innovation to create delicious and drinkable bourbon and whiskey. With a decade of experience under its belt, Bluegrass Distillers is one of the top craft distilleries in Kentucky.