Kentucky Distillers’ Association Announces

New Board Officers & Directors

2025 BOARD READIES SIGNATURE INDUSTRY FOR GLOBAL GROWTH, CHALLENGES

FRANKFORT, KY.— The Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) today announced that Ken Lewis has been elected Chair of the 144-year-old non-profit trade group that unites, promotes, and protects the signature Kentucky Bourbon and distilled spirits industry.

Lewis, founder of New Riff Distilling, will begin his term as Chair beginning Jan. 1, 2025, and will serve through December 2025. He succeeds Jessica Pendergrass, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Heaven Hill Distilleries, who is finishing her second turn as Chair.

“It is an honor to serve as Chair of the KDA. I’m proud to have been a part of all the work KDA has done over the years to grow our industry into a $9 billion economic engine,” said Lewis, who retired this year as President and CEO of New Riff and is now its Operating Owner.

“As I enter this new leadership role, I have eyes wide open to the opportunities and challenges our industry will face in the coming months and years. We’ve always found success when we work together as one distilling family, and I look forward to building upon that legacy.”

KDA President Eric Gregory, who is finishing his 17th year leading the historic organization, said he looks forward to working alongside Lewis and the entire Board as they continue to build upon the strategic plan to strengthen the KDA as the Worldwide Voice for Bourbon™.

“We are blessed to have a visionary and engaged Board of Directors that has perfectly positioned the KDA and our members to confidently advocate for Kentucky Bourbon and American Whiskey on a global scale,” Gregory said.

“This coming year will bring many opportunities and challenges for our signature spirit. With Ken leading our dynamic Board of Directors, we are poised to elevate Kentucky Bourbon even further across the world, both as a leading beverage and a thriving tourism behemoth.”

Alongside Lewis, the Board also named Gigi DaDan, General Manager of Louisville Distilling Co., as Vice Chair; Kaveh Zamanian, Founder, Whiskey Maker & CEO of Rabbit Hole Distillery, as Secretary; and Chris Morris, Master Distiller Emeritus at Brown Forman Corp. as Treasurer.

Other Board officers include Pendergrass as the Immediate Past Chair; Wally Dant, President and Distiller of Log Still Distillery, representing “Proof” level members; and Jeremy Buchanan, CEO and Owner of Hartfield & Co., representing “Craft” level members.

Other Board members for 2025 include:

·     Bardstown Bourbon Co.: Mark Erwin, President and CEO

·     Castle & Key Distillery: Will Arvin, Co-Founder

·     Diageo North America: Antoine Smith, Vice President of Distillation and Maturation North America

·     Four Roses Distillery: Ryan Ashley, Chief Operations Officer

·     Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.: Robert G. Downing III, Senior Corporate Counsel

·     Lux Row Distillers: Erika Lapish, Vice President of Human Resources

·     Michter’s Distillery: Andrea Wilson, Chief Operating Officer & Master of Maturation

·     Suntory Global Spirits: Crady deGolian, Director of Public Affairs

·     Whiskey House of Kentucky: David Mandell, Co-Founder and CEO

·     Wild Turkey Distillery: Marco Barassi, Campari Government Relations and Sustainability Director, North America

·     Willett Distillery: Britt Kulsveen, President

·     White Dog Trading & Storage: Tyler Harris, President

About Ken Lewis: 

Ken Lewis of Cincinnati, Ohio, is a spirits expert and groundbreaking policy leader, Lewis graduated college as a trained English teacher, but left shortly into his young career for the world of spirits retail. He championed efforts for Sunday sales and initiated litigation that allowed retailers to use credit cards for sales, eventually building The Party Source megastore, the first of its kind in the country. Learning the industry from the bottom up, Lewis brought innovation and entrepreneurship as the founder of New Riff Distilling in Northern Kentucky, paving the way for the craft Bourbon boom that now counts dozens of Kentucky distilleries.

New Riff Distilling joined the KDA in 2014 and became a Heritage member in 2024. Lewis has served on the KDA Board since 2020 and this year served as the Vice Chair. Since 2022, he has served on the KDA’s Government Affairs Advisory Group and the KDA’s Bourbon Trail PAC Committee. He also has served on the Boards of Directors at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, and MeetNKY.

“This coming year will bring many opportunities and challenges for our signature spirit. With Ken leading our dynamic Board of Directors, we are poised to elevate Kentucky Bourbon even further across the world, both as a leading beverage and a thriving tourism behemoth.”

— Eric Gregory, KDA President

 Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the Worldwide Voice of Bourbon™.

About the Kentucky Distillers’ Association:

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the legendary voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s landmark economic engine and its thriving, timeless craft. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com.

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT®, BOURBON TRAIL™ and KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME® are trademarks/service marks owned by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

The Bourbon State: Challenges Mount Amid Record Production & Landmark Barrel Inventories

Bourbon Industry Breaks Barrel Records As It Fights Headwinds That Could Disrupt Trajectory

FRANKFORT, KY.— The looming return of retaliatory tariffs on American Whiskey is threatening the unprecedented growth of the Commonwealth’s signature distilling industry, which is now aging a record 14.3 million barrels of Bourbon, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association announced today.

Industry leaders are sounding the alarm globally that the threat of returning retaliatory tariffs on spirits – which have swept Kentucky Bourbon into trade disputes unrelated to whiskey – will disrupt growth, cost American jobs, jeopardize investment, and hurt local economies across the Commonwealth.

The European Union is set to reinstate tariffs on exports of American spirits at a crippling 50% rate in March if nothing is done. Retaliatory tariffs from the E.U. and other countries have cost Kentucky Bourbon a half-billion dollars in exports since 2018.

“Bourbon continues to drive Kentucky’s economy as our homegrown industry is generating more jobs, more payroll, more tax revenue, more tourists and more distilleries in more counties than ever before,” said Eric Gregory, President of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

“But we are up against a triple threat of back-breaking tariffs, snowballing taxes and shifts in consumer trends that have slowed sales. If tariffs targeting American Whiskey are levied, distillery workers, farmers, truckers, coopers, hospitality staff and entire industries that depend on Bourbon will suffer.”

Gregory said the KDA understands that trade is a complicated issue and tariffs are an effective tool in some circumstances. “However, as proud American manufacturers, we are concerned about the potential retaliation that could impact our products,” he said.

“As the Worldwide Voice of Bourbon, it’s the KDA’s job to make sure decision-makers across the globe understand the far-reaching impact of the Bourbon economy and how American jobs would be lost if we continue to get dragged into unrelated trade wars.”

The new numbers released are based on inventories reported as of Jan. 1, 2024. Submitted to the Kentucky Department of Revenue for tax purposes, the numbers represent all distilling companies in Kentucky, the vast majority of which are KDA member distilleries.

As the barrel inventory has skyrocketed, so have the taxes on those aging barrels – more than doubling in the last five years alone. Since 2009, taxes on aging spirits have soared more than 450% and continue to escalate at an unsustainable rate.

To counteract the mounting tax issue that puts distillers at a competitive disadvantage, legislators passed a law last year that will phase out the barrel tax over 20 years, while protecting funds for schools, fire departments and EMS districts, and giving local governments time to plan and diversify their tax bases.

“With an eye on building a strong Kentucky for generations to come, we are grateful that the pro-growth Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 5 to put our signature Bourbon industry on a level playing field with all other states and countries that do not levy such a discriminatory fee,” said Ashli Watts, President of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Newly-elected KDA Board Chair Ken Lewis said the industry will have to carefully navigate tariffs, taxes and other challenges in the coming years to ensure growth is sustainable for all distilleries, both large and small.

“We’re eager to continue telling the story of Kentucky Bourbon and find solutions with governments around the world that will protect jobs, investments and livelihoods back here at home,” said Lewis, founder of New Riff Distilling and a recent inductee into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame®.

“Global trade has helped spirits of all kinds reach new markets, and while international Bourbon curiosity has grown tremendously, it’s not the only spirit people are turning to,” he said. “As governments work through disputes, the Bourbon industry wants to do all it can to keep spirits out of the line of fire.”

Gregory said inflation and changing consumer trends also have implications for the future. “It’s no secret that our industry is experiencing a slowdown in sales and still working to recover from the pandemic and the last round of tariffs. We are clawing back, but all these challenges are real and come with success.

“Kentucky Bourbon has gone global, more barrels are aging than ever before, and distillers have big plans for the future,” Gregory said. “The one thing we know is that at every turn in history, good things follow when Kentucky distillers are unburdened and allowed to focus on making great whiskey.”

“We are up against a triple threat of back-breaking tariffs, snowballing taxes and shifts in consumer trends that have slowed sales. If tariffs targeting American Whiskey are levied, distillery workers, farmers, truckers, coopers, hospitality staff and entire industries that depend on Bourbon will suffer.”

— Eric Gregory, KDA President

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the Worldwide Voice of Bourbon™.

About the Kentucky Distillers’ Association:

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the legendary voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s landmark economic engine and its thriving, timeless craft. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com.

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT®, BOURBON TRAIL™ and KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME® are trademarks/service marks owned by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

Our December 2024 Auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids from 7pm (BST) Friday 20th December until 7pm (BST) Sunday 5th January 2025.

www.whiskyhammer.com

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Bowmore – 52 Year Old (ARC-52)

Springbank – 50 Year Old (Millennium Limited Edition) 75cl

Lagavulin – 12 Year Old (White Horse, 1970s)

Karuizawa – 35 Year Old (1981) Single Cask #8223

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.com.

Earlier this year we were delighted to welcome our friend Olivier Arnold on another visit to the Isle of Harris where he spent time in our Ardhasiag warehouses sampling spirit.

After much enjoyable deliberation he eventually selected the cask #1612 to create the very first Swiss Single Cask release for his home country. He tells us…

‘Over 8 years ago, the foundation stone was laid for our joint journey with the Isle of Harris Distillery. The launch of the first Swiss Single Cask marks another milestone in our collaboration and we are both proud and humbled to be part of the history of the distillery. We’re delighted to be able to contribute to the goals and sustainable success of the Isle of Harris’ distillery in this way.’

This Hearach Single Cask offering has been bottled at 60.7% ABV with a total of 249 bottles and has been exclusively made for Orakei boutique distributors and importers.

This special dram was officially launched during the Whisky & Music Festival in November and is now available in Switzerland via www.harrisdistillery.ch and with selected Swiss retailers for CHF 134 per bottle.

ORDER IN SWITZERLAND

In the embrace of the longest night, we find the promise of returning light

The longest night of the year has arrived, we at Glengoyne wish you a joyous and peaceful Winter Solstice. We hope this season brings warmth and light to you and your loved ones. We are thrilled at the response the Winter Solstice 2024 limited release has had from the Glengoyne family. This limited release draws inspiration from a year-long solargraphy project, capturing the sun’s journey over Glengoyne Distillery throughout the year. As the nights grow shorter, we eagerly anticipate its return. We have a very limited number of bottles remaining – Don’t miss out on this final chance to own a bottle of our Winter Solstice whisky, crafted to celebrate the season’s spirit.

Winter Solstice

Penelope Bourbon introduces Havana

Annual release in Penelope’s Cooper Series of cask finishes stands apart as an indulgent bourbon experience that balances tropical elements with rich, warm maple notes

ST. LOUIS (Dec. 10, 2024) – Penelope Bourbon announced its latest innovation in cask-finished bourbon with the release of Havana. Always at the forefront of innovation, the Penelope team capitalized on the popularity of maple with Havana, and redefined the double cask finish by taking a Caribbean rum finish for a base of molasses and tropical sweetness and enhancing it with a unique maple syrup cask finish to transform the entire flavor journey. The casks for the second finish have a distinctive life cycle – they were used to age Penelope bourbon, then were repurposed to age maple syrup before being used for Havana’s second finish. This special finish adds depth and warmth for an innovative and distinctive yet approachable experience for bourbon connoisseurs and adventurous newcomers alike.

“This is much more than a rum-finished bourbon – it’s a standout in our collection of cask-finished bourbons,” said Danny Polise, Penelope Bourbon Founder and Master Blender. “The maple finish is the perfect complement to the initial rum-finished bourbon by further elevating the blend and creating balance between savory, sweet and oak spice.”

As the latest premium release in the Penelope Cooper Series of cask-finished bourbons, Havana begins with Penelope’s signature Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged four years with a mash bill of 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat and 3% malted barley. The final expression is the result of aging 12 months in Caribbean rum casks and one month in the unique maple syrup barrels. Bottled at 93 proof (46.5% ABV), a limited allocation of 4,500 cases (6-in) ship this month at a suggested minimum retail price of $79.99.

Havana imparts an aroma of molasses, banana bread and rich maple with tastes of robust caramel corn, charred oak and candied pecans. The finish features lingering vanilla, brown sugar and syrup with hints of mellow tobacco and spice.

“We’ve been working on Havana for a long time to deliver the perfect product, and we couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out,” said Michael Paladini, Penelope Bourbon Founder and Vice President of Strategy for MGP Ingredients. “We really try to push the boundaries of innovation with every release in our Cooper Series. Havana’s double cask finish delivers rich flavor and complexity we think our fans will love.”

Penelope Havana is one of five special annual cask finish releases in Penelope Bourbon’s award-winning Cooper Series. The other offerings include Rio, double finished in American honey and Brazilian oak casks; Rosé, finished in French Grenache rosé wine casks; Tokaji, finished in Hungarian wine casks; and Valencia, finished in Vino de Naranja casks from Sevilla, Spain. A product locator for the Penelope family of bourbons can be found here.

ABOUT PENELOPE BOURBON

Founded in 2018, Penelope Bourbon has become one of the country’s fastest-growing whiskey brands. Named after founder Michael Paladini’s daughter, Penelope Bourbon offers a range of uniquely blended and finished straight bourbon and rye whiskey expressions, known for their smoothness and rich flavor, perfect for sipping neat or mixing in cocktails.

Penelope’s core expressions, including Four Grain, Barrel Strength, Architect, and Toasted Bourbon, have won more than 40 awards across the spirits industry. In 2024 alone, Penelope won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for Barrel Strength and Toasted Rye, alongside innovation awards for limited releases such as Rio.

Penelope Bourbon continues to innovate within its Cooper Series, Limited Releases, and Estate Collection, further establishing its place among the top premium whiskey brands. Today, Penelope is available in 49 states and seven countries, proving that with passion, dedication, and love, anything is possible.

For more information, visit penelopebourbon.com or follow us on social media @penelopebourbon (Instagram/Facebook).

Whisky Auctioneer Extended December Auction

20.12.24 – 06.01.2025

Now Live: Extended December Auction

Featuring over 8,000 rare whiskies and fine spirits, this auction offers a truly unique opportunity to bid on some of the world’s most sought-after bottles.

This month’s highlights include the exceptionally rare and legendary Port Ellen 12 Year Old Queen’s Visit 1980, an impressive vertical of over 21 Macallan 18 Year Old bottlings from 1966–1986, and the ultra-rare Tormore 1966 Samaroli Sherry Wood / Silver Cap, complete with a hand-drawn label by Samaroli himself.

We’re also delighted to present over 250 miniature bottles, featuring many whiskies that have scored 90+ on Serge Valentin’s Whiskyfun.com – a fantastic opportunity for collectors to sample and experience legendary malts.

 Impressive Macallan 1966-1986 18 Year Old Vertical x 21

Legendary Port Ellen 12 Year Old Queen’s Visit 1980

Tormore 1966 Samaroli Sherry Wood / Silver Cap – Hand-drawn Label Version

Photo 5 – 250+ Incredible Whisky Miniatures

Jefferson’s Presidential Select 1991 18 Year Old Bourbon / Stitzel-Weller

Finn Thomson Invergordon Single Grain 50 Year Old 1974

This rare single grain whisky from Invergordon, Scotland’s northernmost grain distillery, is a masterpiece shaped by time and tradition. Known for producing whiskies with a uniquely smooth and creamy profile, this 50-year-old expression exemplifies the transformative power of extended maturation. Left undisturbed in a single cask for exactly half a century, the whisky has evolved into an extraordinary spirit, showcasing a stunning array of flavours.  This rare release not only celebrates the art of grain whisky but also redefines its potential, proving that, when given time, grain whisky can rival even the most revered malts in depth and complexity.

£370.00

Tasting Notes:

Bursting with notes of ripe peaches, nectarines, and delicate vanilla cream, it offers a velvety mouthfeel complemented by subtle hints of almond, coconut, and a whisper of oak

Finn Thomson Tamnavulin 33 Year Old 

Few distilleries tell the modern story of scotch whisky better than Tamnavulin. Built in the height of the blended whisky boom in the 1960s, much of its production was destined for the expanding American market. The style of the distillery represented the consumer tastes of the time: malty and light, this was a malleable whisky and a blender’s dream.

With the fall in fortunes of the industry in the 1990s, Tamnavulin was one of many distilleries victim to closure. Indeed, this very cask was filled just a few years before the distillery was mothballed and not opened again until 2007.

That old style of Tamnavulin is almost lost, and what makes this cask so special is that the character of the original distillery shines through. Childhood memories of eating bowls of Golden Grahams come flooding back.

£500.00

This is a flashback to the best of the 1990s, sadly never to be repeated again.

Our US Site Has Landed

Today, we’ve launched a dedicated website for our US customers! Shopping with us just got even better—US-based customers, you can now browse and shop on your very own version of our website, designed to offer improved shipping rates and a more seamless experience.

On our new US site, you’ll find your favourites from Kingsbarns Distillery and Wemyss Malts. We can’t wait for you to explore the new site. Cheers to making things simpler, smoother, and just a little bit more special for our US customers!

Sláinte,

The Wemyss Malts Team

Visit Our US Site

A Note On Shipping Costs:

1 lb – 12 lb (1–4 bottles) – $10.00
13 lb – 24 lb (5–8 bottles)  – $34.00
25 lb – 36 lb (9–12 bottles) – $51.00
37 lb – 48 lb (13–15 bottles) – $68.00
49 lb – 60 lb (16–19 bottles) – $85.00

Scallywag

Signature Series – 13 Years Old

This extraordinary expression has been expertly crafted and matured for 13 years in the finest Spanish Sherry Oak Casks, delivering a rich and indulgent flavour profile that embodies the true spirit of Scallywag.

Timorous Beastie

Signature Series – 18 years Old

This special release has been crafted with meticulous care and aged to perfection in the finest Spanish Sherry Casks. Limited to just 650 bottles globally, you can expect a richer, sweeter profile of vanilla, juicy barley and dark chocolate…

Big Peat

Hameldaeme Edition

We have finished this rare marriage of Islay Single Malt in specially selected White Port Casks. The resulting Big Peat Blended Malt delivers a defined Islay peat smoke combined with spiced fruit, toffee, and honey, fused with waves of almond and vanilla. Sip, savour and enjoy this unique taste of Islay.