We’ve been tracking the progress of Kentucky Peerless Distillery for a few months now. Construction is nearing its conclusion and the distillery equipment is finally up and running. The distillery owners announced yesterday they had finally barreled their first run of whiskey in nearly 98 years, since the originally Henderson, Kentucky distillery shut down in 1918.
For a long time, Kentucky Peerless was the second largest distillery in Kentucky. After shutting down in 1918, then-owner Henry Kraver spent the following years selling off the distillery’s equipment, supplies and excess bourbon. His great grandson, Corky Taylor, grew up with stories and memorabilia from the distillery, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that Taylor decided to resurrect his family’s distillery with his son, Carson.
The Taylors decided to place the facility in Louisville on Whiskey Row to take advantage of the huge bourbon boom happening in Louisville right now. It’s the first thing you seen when you enter the city from the West, a nod to their Henderson roots. The distillery is expected to be mostly completed and open to the public by Derby Day, though there won’t be a Grand Opening until everything is completely finished in the summer. When it reaches peak capacity, it will be making 24 barrels of whiskey per day.
Cheers to Kentucky Peerless Distillery, the Taylor family and everyone who made this distillery possible, adding to Louisville’s already rich culture of bourbonism. We can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the place. Welcome to the neighborhood, Kentucky Peerless Distillery!
Photos Courtesy of Max Sharp Photography
