History

Rabbit Hole Distillery is an American whiskey producer founded by Kaveh Zamanian in Louisville, Kentucky. According to the company’s stories, Kaveh grew up with a historical approach to bourbon and rye, worked in bars in various cities (California, Phoenix, New York and Chicago), and ended up building a home for his vision in Kentucky. The distillery is known as an architectural icon on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and sits in the NuLu district, where they combine Kentucky tradition with modern innovation and an open, gastronomic approach to whiskey-making. There is an emphasis on creating a movement around originality, art, and the future of American whiskey.

Production / Manufacturing

Rabbit Hole describes itself as a house where the process is like a kitchen: a culinary approach to grains and mashbills, with a focus on depth, complexity and balance. They use a low entry proof during wood aging, which gives more sugar and wood sweetness to influence the flavor. Barrels are treated through a two-step process: toasted and charred wood, which creates caramelized sweetness and smoky depths.

Several of their expressions clearly demonstrate large-scale craftsmanship: Cavehill (4-grain) aged in hand-selected Kelvin Cooperage American white oak casks; Boxergrail (Sour Mash Rye) uses Vendôme copper stills and limestone sources; many of the series use finishes in ex-rye or exotic casks (PX Sherry, Mizunara, Amburana, rum- or vermouth-finishes). Mashbills vary, but are pursued through a culinary approach that selects particular grains and malting (e.g., four-grain, malted wheat malt, and other added malts) to achieve different flavor profiles. They pursue small batches (often a maximum of about 15 barrels per batch) and imbue the products with a pursuit of unique finishes and small-batch collections.

The first and most prominent series include Distillery Series (cask-strength and exotic finishes) and Founder’s Collection (numbered and handcrafted boxes, often with special finishes such as Mizunara or Amburana). There is an emphasis on open details about the process and architectural transparency in the building — a focus on transparency and innovation as part of the brand’s identity.

Products / Whisky Series

• Cavehill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – 4-Grain, 70% Corn, 10% Malted Wheat, 10% Honey Malted Barley, 10% Malted Barley. Toasted and Charred barrels. Small batch blending (about 15 barrels).
• Boxergrail Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey – 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley. Toasted & Charred barrels. Boxergrail explicitly linked to Louisville boxing heritage. The distillery uses Vendôme copper still and Kentucky water; un-chill-filtered.
• Dareringer Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks – 65% Corn, 25% Malted Wheat, 10% Malted Barley. PX Sherry finish; not chill-filtered; small-batch finishing with handmade PX casks from Spain.
• Mizunara Founder's Collection – 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in Japanese Mizunara casks; Mashbill approx. 78.5% Corn, 13% Rye, 8.5% Malted Barley; highly exclusive, individually numbered.
• Amburana Founder's Collection – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Amburana Brazilian Oak; mash: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley; finish in Amburana casks; detailed notes of vanilla and caramel.
• Dareringer Founder's Collection – PX Sherry finish with wheated bourbon; mash: 65% Corn, 25% Wheat, 10% Malted Barley; limited edition with a unique bottle and box.
• Cavehill – Four Grain Bourbon (Cavehill) – 70% Corn, 10% Malt Wheat, 10% Honey Malted Barley, 10% Malted Barley; toasted/charred finish; small batch.
• Seasong Distillery Series – Bourbon finished in rum casks; mash 70% Corn, 25% Malted Rye, 5% Malted Barley; cask-strength finish in rum casks; limited edition.
• Sucrûlé Distillery Series – Cavehill-based 4-Grain triple malt bourbon finished in a Maple Brûlé finish; mash 70% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malt Rye, 4% Chocolate Malt Wheat, 3% Chocolate Malted Barley; limited edition at 106.9 proof (available for Rabbit Hole Distillery).
• Rabelo Distillery Series – Straight Bourbon finished in Ruby Port casks; mash 65% Corn, 25% Wheat, 10% Malted Barley; cask strength and limited release.
• Dareringer Founder's Collection – PX Sherry finish (see above) – combines wheated bourbon and PX finish for a unique profile.
• Boxergrail Founder's Collection – 8-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye – Rye-based with malted barley as flavoring; cask-strength finish.
• Mizunara Founder's Collection – as described above; Mizunara finish.
• Amburana Founder's Collection – Amburana Brazilian Oak finish; Founder's Collection.
• Liddel Vodka – not whiskey, but another spirit in Rabbit Hole’s portfolio (French Winter Wheat base; vodka).
• Raceking – Limited edition “Double Chocolate Malt” bourbon finished in a profile of chocolate malted wheat and chocolate malt barley; 5-grain, 3-malt blend; finished in new American oak casks.
• Distillery Series (general) – 4-6+ year-old, cask-strength bourbons with exotic finishes (sherry, port, rum, vermouth, etc.) and label art by prominent artists.
• Founder’s Collection – special, numbered, high-end expressions with unique finishes and gift boxes, produced as part of Rabbit Hole’s core vision of craftsmanship and art.
• Mizunara – Founder's Collection – 15-year-old bourbon finished in Mizunara casks; particularly exclusive.
• Amburana Founder's Collection – as described above.

Visits / Experiences

• Tours: Tours are by reservation, a maximum of 8 people per tour; guests must be of legal drinking age for tastings.
• Overlook Bar: The Overlook and the Courtyard offer open visits and cocktails; the Overlook Bar can host private events (private event buyouts) and public cocktail and flight experiences at the distillery.
• The Distillery as an Architectural Icon: Rabbit Hole is described as an architectural icon on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail; the opportunity to see the entire process (grain to bottle) in an open, transparent building structure.
• Space for private events and functions: Overlook Bar, Courtyard, and private event options.

Philosophy

• Rigorous engagement in innovation through grain and technology: a culinary approach to mashbills, a constant, experimental and collaborative culture; no single 'master distiller' credited, but works as a collective.
• Low entry proof and two-step wood treatment (toasted & charred) to highlight natural sweetness and the wood's complex characteristics.
• Limiting to small batches (max about 15 barrels per batch) and ongoing collaborations with artists for label design (Single Barrel series) to connect whiskey art with visual art.
• Founder’s Collection and Distillery Series as key pillars: exclusive, individual expressions with special finishes that represent Rabbit Hole's ambition to push the boundaries of American whiskey.

Closing Remarks

Rabbit Hole presents itself as a modernist, ambitious whiskey brand with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship, finish, and artistic collaboration, coupled with an open and architectural approach to the whiskey-making process and a clear drive to combine bourbon/tradition with new, global influences.