Stoli Group Kentucky Owl releases The Wiseman Bourbon, its first Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced and distilled by Kentucky Owl® in collaboration with the Bardstown Bourbon Co. The product is a blend of Kentucky Owl® 4-year-old wheat and high-rye bourbons, along with 5 ½-year and 8 ½-year-old Kentucky-sourced bourbons.
This is the first Kentucky Owl release under John Rhea, who began in June. Rhea previously served as Four Roses Distillery‘s chief operating officer, where his responsibilities included quality control, maturation, evaluation and product blending. He was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2016 and served as chair of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association board of directors.
Stoli Group purchased Kentucky Owl in 2017. Founded by C.M. Dedman in 1879, the Kentucky Owl Bardstown distillery went dark during the Prohibition era and remained dormant until a descendent revived the brand in 2014. Since then, the company’s small batch releases have sold out quickly and received rave reviews.