When Kentucky Artisan Distillery first opened its doors in 2013, it became Kentucky’s first contract distilling operation. Founded by longtime bourbon legend Steve Thompson and his business cohorts Chris Miller and Mike Loring, the Crestwood, Ky.-based distillery was designed to be a place where people could “bottle their dreams.”
They made a little less than 300 barrels that first year, and now, thanks to the booming bourbon business and integral leadership, the craft distillery now produces more than 3,000 barrels a year — and that number continues to climb.
Kentucky Artisan takes great pride in being one of Kentucky’s finest farm-to-bottle operations, with grains being grown just a mile away at Waldeck Farm.
Co-founder Steve Thompson, who unfortunately passed away in 2021, was an icon of the bourbon industry for most of his adult life, having previously served as president of Brown-Forman.
Brown-Forman is a Louisville-based global spirits company that owns brands such as Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve and Old Forester.
Thompson poured his passion for bourbon into every inch of Kentucky Artisan Distillery, and his legacy continues to live on through the many whiskeys made and bottled there.
Kentucky Artisan currently produces bourbon and whiskey for leading brands that are sold around the world, including one highly recognized brand with bottles that sell for thousands. In addition to the exceptional expressions produced, the distillery also offers small, intimate tours to the general public and features a Visitor Center where people can purchase bottles and distillery merchandise.
Kentucky Artisan is a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Craft Tour.
The distillery’s partnership with CaskX has allowed it to expand operations, including improving its bottling line, building additional barrel warehouses and updating existing equipment. It’s a win-win for a distillery of this size, and it’s always a highlight for CaskX clients who come to Kentucky to peek behind the bourbon curtain.
CaskX sells two mash bills from Kentucky Artisan — a rye bourbon and a wheated bourbon. To learn more about bourbon barrel investment, click here. And to learn more about Kentucky Artisan and CaskX’s partnership, check out this video below.
