Blackland Distillery

Overview of the distillery

Blackland Distillery is located in the heart of Fort Worth's Foundry District and is a grain-to-glass distillery producing bourbon, rye, vodka, and gin. Founded in 2019, the distillery combines local Texas grains, modern iStills, and an extensive water purification process. On-site there is a tasting room and cocktail lounge, guided tours, and a barrel program, so visitors can experience the process from grain to bottle.

History

Blackland Distillery was established in 2019 by Markus Kypreos as a grain-to-glass project in Fort Worth's Foundry District. Markus, with a background in both law and gastronomy, assembled a team and hired Ezra Cox as master distiller, and the distillery quickly developed a portfolio of vodka, gin, bourbon and rye as well as flavored whiskeys. The range grew with new releases such as Texas Pecan Brown Sugar, Prairie Gold and Texpresso, and the company later entered into a strategic investment agreement with Terlato Wine Group. During the growth phase Blackland rolled out its distribution to more states, and in 2025 the distillery's products reached national availability, while gaining press coverage and awards in several spirit competitions.

Raw materials and production

Blackland operates with a consistent grain-to-glass mindset: all grains come from Texas and are supplied via Fort Worth-based TexMalt. The distillery uses modern, computer-controlled iStills as well as stainless steel mash tuns, which provides a technological approach to distillation rather than purely traditional methods. The water undergoes a three-stage purification consisting of saltwater filtration for softening, reverse osmosis, and a 72-hour slow-drip activated carbon filtration, so the raw water is neutral before mashing. After distillation, spent grains are returned to local farmers for use as feed and fertilizer, a practical closed-loop solution. Production covers classic mash bills for bourbon and rye, grain-to-glass single-grain components, as well as botanical-driven gin and a red winter wheat-based vodka.

Maturation and barrel types

Most of Blackland's spirits mature in new American white oak, often with three to four years of aging for their bourbon and rye releases. The reference to charring in the name is directly tied to the traditional, controlled charring of oak barrels. The distillery also offers a Custom Barrel Program, where customers can work with the master distiller on their own barrel and batch, opening opportunities for experimentation with barrel type, charring, and finish.

Whiskeys

Blackland's range covers classic Texas whiskeys and modern craft spirits: the house's 83-proof and 100-proof variants of both bourbon and rye, the selected Prairie Gold 100-proof straight bourbon, flavored whiskeys such as Texas Pecan Brown Sugar and Texpresso, as well as vodka and gin. The products are produced in Fort Worth with local grains and are sold online and through a number of retailers. The tasting room serves both as a sales location and as an experiential space for new releases and seasonal cocktails.

Whiskey	Type / Series	ABV	Age	Barrel and Style	Flavor Profile	Status
Blackland Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey 83 Proof	Bourbon; Texas Bourbon	41.5 %	3-4 years	New American white oak	83-proof Texas straight bourbon, aged 3–4 years in new American white oak. Built with a blend of corn- and triticale-based mash bill.	Current; Core range; Online and select retailers
Blackland 100 Proof Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey	Bourbon; Texas Bourbon	50 %	4 years	New American white oak	100-proof version of the house Texas straight bourbon, designed for bartenders and cocktails. Aged four years in new American white oak.	Current; Core range; Online and select retailers
Blackland Prairie Gold Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey	Texas Straight Bourbon	50 %	3-4 years	New American white oak	Prairie Gold is a 100-proof Texas straight bourbon, small-batch and described as a limited release. Aged 3–4 years in new American white oak.	Limited; Limited, select channels
Blackland Texas Rye Whiskey 83 Proof	Rye	41.5 %	3-4 years	New American white oak	83-proof Texas rye whiskey, a blend of craft rye and grain-to-glass rye, aged 3–4 years in new American white oak.	Current; Core range; Online and select retailers
Blackland 100 Proof Texas Rye Whiskey	Rye	50 %	4 years	New American white oak	100-proof rye, designed for cocktails and spirit-forward drinks; higher ABV for better control of dilution.	Current; Core range; Online and select retailers
Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon	Flavored Whiskey	35 %		New American white oak (from bourbon base)	Flavored whiskey made with small-batch bourbon and aged bourbon base, infused with pecan essence and Muscovado brown sugar from Mauritius.	Current; Core range; Online and select retailers
Blackland Texpresso Coffee Whiskey	Flavored Whiskey	35 %		New American white oak (from whiskey base)	Coffee-infused flavored whiskey combined with pecan and artisanal brown sugar; suitable neat or in espresso martini.	Current; Core range; Online and select retailers
Blackland Craft Vodka	Vodka	40 %			Grain-to-glass vodka made from 100% red winter wheat from Texas, through a carbon-filtration process for a clean finish.	Current; Core range; Online and select retailers
Blackland Craft Gin	Gin	40 %			New Nordic inspired gin with 12 botanicals, including a prominent juniper profile as well as coriander, orris, citrus peels and chamomile for floral and citrus balance.	Current; Core range; Online and select retailers

Whiskey Style and Flavor Profile

Across the portfolio, several consistent flavor directions recur: noticeable oak- and toasted-notes from new American white oak, sweetness in the form of muscovado brown sugar and honey in both bourbon and flavored whiskeys, and a warm spicy character from the rye releases. Coffee notes and pecan are highlighted in Texpresso and Texas Pecan, while the gin supports floral and citrus notes from its botanicals. Overall, the profile builds on oak, spice, and sweeter, nutty elements.

Visit the distillery

Blackland welcomes visitors with a full-service tasting room and cocktail lounge in the middle of a working distillery. Guided tours are available on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 PM and Saturday at 1:00 PM, require advance booking via Tock and cost $30 per guest. A tour includes a distillery walkthrough, a tasting flight and a welcome cocktail, lasting around two hours and is open to guests 21+. The tasting room hours are Wed–Thu 16:00–23:00, Fri 16:00–00:00, Sat 13:00–00:00; Sun–Tue closed. On-site parking is available, and private events and a barrel program are also offered.

The stated hours are Tasting room: Wed–Thu 16:00–23:00; Fri 16:00–00:00; Sat 13:00–00:00; Sun–Tue closed. Distillery tours: Wed & Thu at 18:00; Sat at 13:00.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Blackland's stated values center on local rooting and technological consistency: the grain-to-glass production model, sourcing from Texas farmers via TexMalt, and returning spent grains to agriculture. The distillery prioritizes raw material purity through systematic water purification and uses modern, computer-controlled distillation equipment to achieve consistency and precision in small batches.

Sustainability

Spent grains are returned to local farmers as feed and fertilizer (closed loop).
Local sourcing of grain from Texas to support regional agricultural players.

Awards and recognition

New Orleans Spirits Competition - coverage (Prairie Gold)
Multiple international gold medals (Gold medals at five international competitions, as noted in the press roundup)