Stitzel-Weller is a name that makes diehard fans of Kentucky bourbon swoon. The distillery is no longer in existence, but parent company Diageo still has whiskey-related operations going on at the Louisville site. And just this week it announced the release of a new bourbon called Stitzel Reserve, an extremely limited-edition (and expensive) 24-year-old expression.
The Stitzel-Weller Distillery, which opened in 1935, was named after two existing operations: W. L. Weller & Sons and the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery. Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr. was one of the founders, and for many years Old Fitzgerald Bourbon was produced there (that brand is now made at Heaven Hill, and continues to be a wheated bourbon like the original). The distillery changed hands and names over the years, ultimately closing in 1992 under its original name returned. Diageo, which emerged from United Distillers, reopened it in 2014 as a visitor center and maturation site and is now the home of the Blade and Bow and I.W. Harper brands.
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There’s a lot that we don’t know about what’s actually in the bottle for this first Stitzel Reserve release, but here’s what we do know. The bourbon was not distilled at the old S-W Distillery, and all the brand will say is that it’s a Kentucky bourbon and that it was at least partially matured onsite (according to the brand, there is no original S-W whiskey left onsite). “For a bourbon of this age, by far the biggest contributor to its flavor is maturation,” said a rep for the brand. “This release is about showcasing the possibilities from the rickhouses at Stitzel-Weller Distillery, and what can be accomplished through careful blending of the precious barrels in our archives through masterful hands.” Those hands belong to the incredibly talented Nicole Austin, director of American whiskey liquid development and capabilities for Diageo. She was previously the general manager and master distiller for George Dickel at the Cascade Hollow Distillery in Tennessee, and while she continues to oversee production there her role has been greatly expanded.
Austin is credited with selecting and blending just nine barrels of this 24-year-old bourbon (likely with rye as the secondary grain in the mashbill, not wheat), ultimately yielding just 191 bottles at 61.7 percent ABV. “At Stitzel-Weller Distillery, we are fortunate to have inherited some of the most remarkable aging barrels in the country,” she said in a statement. “The launch of Stitzel Reserve is a pivotal moment for our distillery… This exceptional 24-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has spent decades maturing under careful supervision, developing a profile rich with notes of cracked leather, saddle oil, and burnt sugar. It embodies the craftsmanship and dedication that defines Stitzel-Weller Distillery.”
We did not get to sample Stitzel Reserve because of how limited the release is, so we’ll have to take Austin’s word for it (hey, she’s the expert). The first release is available now for purchase at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery for $1,600 per bottle, or you can buy a 1.5-ounce pour at the Garden & Gun Club there for $200. If all of this kind of sounds like one of Diageo’s Orphan Barrel releases, that’s kind of understandable—and you can find those whiskeys (bourbon, scotch, and Tennessee whiskey) available to purchase now at ReserveBar.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker