In 1876, John D. Willett — one of Kentucky’s original bourbon aristocrats — transferred his interest in the Willett & Frenke Distillery to his son-in-laws, Benjamin Mattingly and Thomas Moore. Mattingly and Moore continued to operate the Willett & Frenke Distillery together until 1881, when Mattingly finally sold his stake in the company to a group of investors. Within a few years, Thomas Moore acquired complete control over the distillery and eponymously renamed it. Moore would continue to operate the distillery for another five decades, until he was ultimately forced to close his doors at the onset of Prohibition. 

Today, the Barton 1792 Distillery operates on the same site as the historic Tom Moore Distillery, and continues to use the same methods that Moore used over a century ago when distilling his own bourbon.

1792 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a mash of 75% corn, 15% rye and 10% barley. While the use of corn in the bourbon’s recipe adds classic notes of butterscotch and roasted nuts, the heavy use of rye in the bourbon’s mashbill yields a more complex and full-bodied whiskey. After the grains are harvested, they are mashed and fermented before being distilled through a copper-pot still.

After distillation, the bourbon is aged in new, American oak casks in Warehouse Z on the distillery’s estate in Bardstown, Kentucky. Warehouse Z is situated on the edge of a bluff and as a result, enjoys the intense heat and humidity that are ideal for maturing whiskey. “In order to create this unique bourbon,” says Ken Pierce, Barton 1792’s master distiller, “the finest barrels are selected and tasted from the best aging warehouses. Only those barrels deemed ‘exceptional’ are then bottled individually, one by one. This preserves the distinct character of each barrel.”

Once the bourbon has matured for a minimum of eight years, it is brought to proof with water drawn from the Tom Moore spring. The iron-free, Kentucky limestone water — the same water used by Moore over a century ago when crafting his own whiskey — adds a subtle touch of complexity and depth to the bourbon.

Like the standard issue 1792, the single barrel’s nose is carried by sweet butterscotch notes, though a bit fruitier overall, with hints of ginger and Fuji apple. The palate is caramel-forward, with just a nip due to the rye, leading to a sweet finish tempered with warm bitter cloves.

Previous limited-edition releases from 1792 sold well and became scarce quite quickly, and we expect the same from this award-winning distillery’s new single barrel release.

Take home one of these limited edition bottles today!