The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Passport map is growing again. This time, the addition is a new Bourbon distillery from Luxco makers of bourbon brands such as Rebel Yell, Blood Oath and Ezra Brooks. The map won’t veer too far off its usual path though, this distillery is in the heart of Bourbon country, in fact, it’s in the “Bourbon Capital of the World,” Bardstown, KY.
The plan to start this distillery was announced in late 2015 but this latest news confirms the company has finalized plans to build on a 70-acre site off state highway KY-245. Construction on the $35 million project will begin in the summer of 2016. Buzick Construction has been awarded the contract for the project. When finished, the distillery will be approximately 18,000 square feet, have six barrel warehouses holding approximately 23,000 barrels each and will employ an estimated 34 people.
In addition, the distillery will feature a tasting room, event space and will offer visitors a new stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. No name has been released for the new distillery. It’s expected to be fully operational by late 2017.
“We are looking forward to building the distillery on this scenic property and in such a central location in Bardstown,” says David Bratcher, President and COO of Luxco. “We intend the distillery to be a welcoming stop for those visiting the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and we are excited to bring our bourbon experience and brands to Nelson County.”
The distillery will be built alongside an existing house on the property, which is registered as a National Historic Place and will remain. You can see it on the left side of the architectural drawing on top of this page.
With the rapid growth of Luxco’s bourbon brands, such as Rebel Yell, Blood Oath and Ezra Brooks, the company decided to build this new distillery in order to meet its increasing whiskey demand.
“At Luxco, we are always looking to be innovative,” says Bratcher. “Building this distillery will allow us to control our own production as well as offer us the ability to experiment with new and innovative mash bills, barrel types and aging techniques.”
“We are pleased with the support we have received from the Kentucky Economic Development Cabinet, the Nelson County Economic Development Agency and City and County government officials,” said Donn Lux, Chairman of Luxco.
The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) preliminarily approved the company for $1.3 million in tax incentives for the project. The Joint City-County Planning Commission also approved rezoning of the land for this project. Luxco also owns 50 percent interest in the Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KY run by Steve and Paul Beam – which produces Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
