The Story
The 'Old Pepper' label was proudly produced by Colonel James E. Pepper during his lifetime and marketed as 'The Oldest and Best Brand of Whiskey made in Kentucky.' Through Col. Pepper's advocacy on behalf of the bourbon industry, it was the first label in Kentucky to be bottled at the distillery, and his invention of the 'signature strip stamp' was later incorporated into the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, assuring consumers of the quality of the whiskey in the bottle. Our label today incorporates historic fonts and designs from the 1880s through the turn of the century, including the signature strip label—once again giving consumers valuable information about where and when the whiskey was made and bottled.

Technical
Unique blends of distinct mash bills, consisting of Corn, Rye, Malted Barley & Malted Rye; Aged in new toasted & charred barrels made from Kentucky Oak, air seasoned a minimum of 18-24 months; Water source from the historic distillery well. Distilled and bottled at the historic James E. Pepper Distillery (DSP-KY-5) in Lexington, Kentucky. Aged a minimum of 4 years and bottled at 100 proof. Distilling season listed on signature strip label.

Tasting notes: Very drinkable; Rich notes of caramel, vanilla, spices and malt.

'Old Pepper' Line Extensions / Limited Releases: Single Barrels bottled at barrel proof; Finest Kentucky Oak (secondary finish in a new toasted barrel, bottled at barrel proof); NOTE - some limited releases & single barrels have in the past been bottlings of whiskey distilled at other distilleries; details will be on labels.

Awards / Accolades
Double Gold Medal - 2023 New York World Spirits Competition

Elijah Pepper began distilling whiskey at the dawn of the American Revolution and during the War of 1812, he built the first log cabin distillery in Versailles, Kentucky. Eventually, he passed the family business on to his son, Oscar, and then on to his grandson, James E. Pepper. Colonel James E. Pepper was one of Kentucky's first Bourbon aristocrats he raced thoroughbreds in the Kentucky Derby, traveled in a private rail car and made famous the Old Fashioned cocktail. "Pepper Whisky is an old fashioned whisky, made in the old time way from a formula used for more than 100 years by three generations of the Pepper family," wrote James, in an advertisement dated August 22, 1887. "We claim not only to make the oldest but absolutely the purest and best brand of whisky made in America, and we invite comparison with any whisky of any age." In 1958, after the whiskey industry fell on hard times, the James E. Pepper Distillery was forced to close its doors. During its tenure, Pepper Whiskey, or "Old 1776 Whiskey" as it became known as, was a favorite of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant, and was preferred by Daniel Webster, a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts. Today the re-launched brand is back in full force. "We did extensive research and spent years collecting and analyzing full, preserved bottles of original Pepper Whiskey," says Amir Peay. They even acquired a letter written by Pepper himself, detailing the exact mash bill and recipe used to create Old 1776. "We wanted to pay homage to Pepper's legacy and do our best to recreate the original Pepper Whiskey something that was part of American history," he says. The limited-quantity Single Barrel Rye Whiskey contains some of their best barrels. Crafted from a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, this straight rye is double oaked, meaning it goes for a second round of maturation in heavily toasted Kentucky oak barrels that have been air-dried for 2 years. It's a rich and complex 4-year-old rye that is bottled at 110 proof.