So far as icons of American whiskey go, Stitzel-Weller is up there with the greats. The distillery was based in 1935 as a partnership between spirits distributor W.L. Weller & Sons and A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, and at its head had been Arthur P. Stitzel, Alex T. Farnsley, and Julian Van Winkle Sr. (who got here to be often called Pappy). Collectively, the three males introduced a handful of legendary bourbon manufacturers to prominence, together with Outdated Fitzgerald, W.L. Weller, Insurgent Yell (now often called Insurgent), and Cabin Nonetheless; they made every whiskey with wheat, not rye, a transfer that popularized wheaters amongst American whiskey drinkers. However when whiskey started its downturn within the second half of the 20th century, Stitzel-Weller was bought to a forerunner firm of Diageo in 1972 and finally shuttered 20 years later.
The stills at Stitzel-Weller have remained basically silent ever since—extra a relic of whiskey previous than the workhorse it was in its heyday. However Diageo invested $2 million into the ability again in 2014, opening a brand new customer’s middle and ultimately a bottling line (which closed earlier this 12 months), in addition to firing up a tiny hybrid nonetheless that’s able to producing as much as two barrels of whiskey per week that go towards experimentation, in addition to its Blade and Bow, I.W. Harper, and Orphan Barrel manufacturers.
Now Diageo has bottled a whiskey beneath the Stitzel-Weller model identify for the primary time in 30-plus years: 24 12 months outdated Stitzel Reserve. Based on Diageo’s account of occasions, director of American whiskey liquid growth Nicole Austin got here throughout ultra-aged barrels within the Stitzel-Weller warehouse in 2023. Whereas practically half of the barrels in that lot had been both casualties of the angel’s share or aggressively oaky and tannic, the rest had been one thing particular—leaving one diamond within the tough apart as a yet-to-be-released single barrel, Austin pulled 9 barrels and blended them collectively to make Stitzel Reserve.
Simply 191 bottles of the cask energy (61.7% ABV), 24 12 months outdated whiskey can be found, unique to the distillery in Shively, Kentucky for $1,600 every; pours of Stitzel Reserve are additionally accessible on the distillery’s Backyard & Gun Membership bar for $200, and can include an etched whiskey glass, branded bag, and Stitzel-Weller pin in tow. Future Stitzel Reserve releases will equally function ultra-aged whiskey, with Diageo heralding this collection as a highlight for its archival barrels.
Chances are you’ll be asking your self this query: If Stitzel-Weller shut down in 1992, and didn’t begin making (tiny) portions of whiskey once more till 2014, the place then did this 24 12 months outdated whiskey come from? Whereas Diageo can’t say for certain (the corporate is “not contractually capable of disclose the place the whiskey was distilled, nor by whom”), it gave one clue: It was initially distilled at one other historic Kentucky bourbon distillery. There are a number of potentialities: 4 Roses was essentially the most well-known provider for Diageo’s Bulleit model (its major American whiskey) again then, however in accordance with American whiskey author Charles Ok. Cowdery, Brown-Forman and Beam each supplied whiskey at varied factors. Bernheim Distillery, as soon as a part of Diageo however at the moment owned by Heaven Hill, can be a chance.
