The Blending House Opens In Kentucky To Help Distilled Spirits Brands Navigate Turbulent Times

New Kentucky facility provides blending, bottling, and barrel storage infrastructure to help spirits brands scale with confidence amid industry change.

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. – February 23, 2026 – The nature of the distilled spirits industry is changing–there is no question. As brands and craft distilleries consider how to pivot, leading Kentucky-based spirits consulting firm The Spirits Group, in partnership with Indiana-based construction company The Koetter Group, is proud to announce the opening of The Blending House. The newly constructed, 30,000-square-foot blending and bottling facility sits on 108 acres in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and is positioned as essential infrastructure for the next era of disciplined growth. Developed after years of working with third-party bottlers, the operation was designed to incorporate industry best practices while addressing critical gaps. With a dedicated focus on vertically integrating post-distillation needs, The Blending House provides state-of-the-art barrel storage, expert blending, precision bottling, and back-office support — all under one roof and staffed by industry veterans with decades of experience.

CEO Monica Wolf Brown explains: “As the distilled spirits industry evolves, the strategies that built brands over the past decade won’t necessarily sustain them in the decade ahead. We built The Blending House to give brands a reliable base of operations, allowing producers to protect quality, operate efficiently, and grow without the capital burden of building and operating their own facility. Currently, there are no other facilities like it in Kentucky or the United States. We were built to bottle, with no competing priorities. When brands work with us, they know their production isn’t an afterthought; it’s our core mission.”

Bottling services are delivered end-to-end, including filtration, proofing, and packaging. The Blending House features a custom-built bottling line supporting formats from 200 mL to 1.75 L–with both automated and artisanal packaging options–as well as a dedicated secondary line for hand-finished and custom products. The facility has the capacity for up to 250,000 cases annually and operates at speeds of 35–40 bottles per minute.

Director of Operations, Matt King, adds: “Our facility layout, equipment, and overall concept allow us to put our customers first, with flexibility to align our operations around their timelines and standards. Our mission is to be a trusted partner, treating every brand with the same level of care as if it were our own.”

The Blending House meets rigorous QA standards and has the ability to provide expert guidance on labeling and regulatory approval. In addition, clients have the option to select from a menu of back-office support options, such as packaging development, logistics, bookkeeping, graphic design, marketing, and domestic product distribution. Brands including Ten Runner find this, and other aspects of the white-glove service, extremely valuable.

“One of the most important things to have when trying to accomplish something big is to surround yourself with a great team. When I decided to create Ten Runner, I turned to Monica, Ashley, and The Blending House to help craft a truly special blend of the highest quality. They have been excellent to work with and have become a key part of our growing success.” – Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Champion & Founder of Ten Runner Bourbon Whiskey.

For brands interested in blending services, operations are conducted in a dedicated sensory lab and are led by Master Blender Ashley Barnes. Having trained under industry legends, she is recognized for her work developing premium spirits brands. Her expertise includes warehouse profiling, flavor projection, product development, and quality control. Blending services are available to both emerging and established brands seeking precision, consistency, and distinctive flavor development.

The Blending House showcases The Koetter Group’s innovative K-RAX® Premium Barrel Storage system across seven state-of-the-art rickhouses, each with a 20,000-barrel capacity. Engineered to support optimal maturation, the system promotes consistent airflow around every barrel, helping whiskey age more evenly and develop balanced flavor profiles. Integrated 3D barrel mapping and digital tracking ensure accurate inventory management, while enhanced structural stability and access to every barrel allow for efficient sampling and quality monitoring throughout the aging process. All seven rickhouses are complete, with over 120,000 barrels currently on site.

Brands seeking a dependable contract bottling partner for sustained growth are encouraged to contact The Blending House to explore long-term production solutions at theblendinghouse.com.

About The Blending House

Spanning 108 acres, The Blending House serves as a centralized production hub designed specifically to optimize operations for spirits brands of all sizes. It is home to a 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art blending and bottling facility and seven cutting-edge K-RAX® rickhouses. It represents the next chapter for The Spirits Group, a distilled spirits consulting firm founded in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2017 by seasoned industry veterans and co-founders Monica Wolf and Ashley Barnes. Their private, hands-on team offers more than a decade of experience across the industry in the service of helping customers define, hone, and execute their goals.

Campbeltown 8 Year Old 2016 Hogshead Import 48% 70cl

£53.33

A surprisingly vibrant, fruit-forward Campbeltown blended malt from celebrated independent bottler Hogshead Import. Drawn from a first-fill barrel filled back in 2016, it’s understood that this release contains whiskies distilled at both Glen Scotia and Springbank. It’s a fascinating Campbeltown expression that, while still offering all manner of classic regional funk, feels more summery than you might expect. Just 318 bottles have been released at natural colour.

The Zodiac Series
Where Stars and Spirit Align

Inspired by the 12 signs of the zodiac, we’ve scoured Scotland in search of casks with the perfect combination of flavours to evoke the character and feel of these ancient archetypes. It’s a striking series, one perfect for adding to your collection, or a birthday gift you won’t find anywhere else.

Our first four bottlings celebrate the star signs of Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. Each dram embodies the essence of its zodiac, its character as distinctive and singular as the sign it represents. With The Zodiac Series, there’s a whisky for everyone. Discover yours.

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Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask

Ralfy 11YO North Star Spirits 10th Anniversary Blended Malt Whisky

A special charity bottling from North Star Spirits in collaboration with Ralfy to celebrate 10 years of North Star Spirits. Proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support. This release is a blended malt made up 2013 Teaninich from Sherry Octaves (29%), 2013 Secret Campbeltown from Refill Barrels (28%), 2015 Caol Ila from Refill Hogsheads (14%), 2010 Secret Speyside from First Fill Sherry Hogsheads (10%), and 2007 Auchroisk from Refill Sherry Hogsheads. Only 1320 bottles have been produced.

£68.00

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Heaven Hill Distillery Celebrates 20 Years of Innovation with Bernheim Wheat Whiskey 20th Anniversary Limited Edition

Bardstown, Ky. — (February 23, 2026) Heaven Hill Distillery proudly announces the release of Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey 20th Anniversary Limited Edition, a special bottling commemorating two decades since Bernheim pioneered a new style of American Whiskey and helped usher in the modern whiskey renaissance.

Launched in 2005, Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey was the first truly new American Whiskey style introduced since Prohibition, boldly using soft winter wheat as its primary grain. At the time, the category-defining innovation marked a turning point for American Whiskey — one that has since become an enduring legacy.

“This release is both a celebration and a thank you,” said Max L. Shapira, Executive Chairman of Heaven Hill Brands. “When we launched Bernheim Wheat Whiskey 20 years ago, we took a chance on a new mashbill and a new idea. The support we received in those early days helped shape not only this brand, but the expansion in popularity of different styles of American Whiskey we continue to see today.”

Crafted from Bernheim’s signature soft winter wheat recipe, the 20th Anniversary Limited Edition features a special selection of barrels aged 10 years and is bottled at 115 proof (57.5% ABV), delivering a rich and complex tasting experience that honors both tradition and innovation. Produced at the historic Bernheim Distillery and aged in rickhouses in Bardstown, Kentucky, this small batch release reflects Heaven Hill’s continued commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

Presented in a bright copper hue, the Whiskey opens on the nose with notes of cinnamon and baking spices layered with vanilla and oak. The palate follows with rich flavors of molasses and butterscotch, leading into a peppery finish that lingers with warmth and balance.

The commemorative bottle design underscores the significance of the release, featuring a distinctive copper plate on the front as a visual marker of its limited-edition status and a nod to the heritage and craftsmanship behind the brand. Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey 20th Anniversary Limited Edition is available in limited quantities nationwide for a suggested retail price of $84.99.

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 2 million barrels aging in more than 70 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, Henry McKenna, Parker’s Heritage Collection along with its extensive and diverse collection of unique and innovative products. In the past five years alone, Heaven Hill Distillery has been named Distiller of the Year eight times, including 2024 and 2023 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year. Other recent honors include 2024 and 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition’s Most Awarded Distillery and the 2023 Icons of Whisky World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon. For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

Timorous Beastie at its most refined.

Aged for 18 years and finished in the finest Spanish Sherry Casks, this limited release brings a richer, sweeter depth to the Highland Malt at its core. Expect layers of vanilla, juicy barley and dark chocolate, leading into a decadent finish of macerated dark fruits and spiced orange.

Only 650 bottles exist worldwide, and this edition is available exclusively online. It’s a true pinnacle expression – and one that won’t be easy to find again once it’s gone.

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Redbreast Moscatel Finished Irish Whiskey (750ml) $104.99 View

The Redbreast Iberian series celebrates the relationship between their founder and the imports of special Iberian peninsula wine casks dating back to the 1800s. Using Moscatel casks from Malaga, Spain, the single pot still Irish whiskey from the famed Midleton distilelry is finished in these casks form Bodegas Quitapenas that held Moscatel wine for 24 months before being emptied and sent to Midleton, where they were filled with Redbreast whiskey in 2024.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
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