Historie

Old Commonwealth Distillery traces its roots back to 1889, when S.O. Hackley founded the distillery along Hammonds Creek in Anderson County, Kentucky. The early production was sour mash bourbon with a mashing capacity of 15 bushels of grain per day.

In 1893, Hackley partnered with Ike and George Hoffman, and the distillery became Hoffman and Hackley Distillery. After a year, Hackley sold his remaining stake, and the facility became Hoffman Distilling Company, known for iconic brands such as Old Hoffman and Old Spring.

From 1912 to 1916, economic difficulties followed, and the distillery went bankrupt and temporarily closed. By the time Prohibition began in 1920, the temperance movement had grown even stronger, and much of the Hoffman distillery was torn down shortly before Prohibition began.

In 1934, the Lawrenceburg brothers Robert and Ezra Ripy purchased the property and built a new distillery, then known as Hoffman Distilling Company. The Ripys became known as bourbon barons with a range of variants and white-label production for other brands.

In 1957, Ezra Brooks became an iconic brand during a period when the distillery faced a branding- and trademark-related dispute over copying the Jack Daniel’s bottle design. In 1960, Hoffman won a trademark protection lawsuit, and Ezra Brooks continued.

In 1968, the distillery was renamed Ezra Brooks Distillery. In 1976, Ezra Brooks was purchased by Charles Medley Distillery. In 1979, the Ezra Brooks production became more decanter-focused, but demand for American spirits fell and the distillery closed.

In 1983, Julian Van Winkle III purchased the dormant Hoffman distillery and named it Commonwealth Distillery, where he used the facilities to bottle and sell his reserves for nearly two decades. In 2002, Commonwealth Distillery closed following an agreement with Buffalo Trace to bottle Van Winkle’s products.

In 2019, Zachary Joseph and Andrew English purchased the facilities and revived them by relaunching the historic labels and preserving the legacy. They are committed to offering the finest bourbon and rye, with careful sourcing to ensure high quality.

In 2024, they launched two expressions: Old Commonwealth 10 Year (OC10) and Kentucky Nectar. OC10 sold quickly, and Kentucky Nectar is described as a double-barrel, cask-strength bourbon finished in a honey finish. The mission is to revive forgotten brands and honor the legends who came before.

Produktion / Fremstilling

Historically the distillery was built by Hammonds Creek in an area of limestone beds, suitable climate and purifying water, which provided ideal conditions for maturation. The early production included sour mash bourbon with a mashing capacity of 15 bushels of grain per day.

Produkter / Whisky-serien

Currently, four expressions appear in the expression overview: D.H. Cromwell, Kentucky Nectar, Colonel Randolph and Old Commonwealth. Kentucky Nectar is described as a double-barrel, cask-strength, wheated Kentucky straight bourbon finished in a honey cask. In 2024, Old Commonwealth 10 Year and Kentucky Nectar were launched as the first expressions in the revived line.

Besøg / Oplevelser

There is no information in the provided content about visits or distillery tours.

Filosofi

Old Commonwealth Distillery describes its mission as reviving forgotten brands and honoring the legends who came before. They emphasize quality and premium expressions, and speak of a careful search for the best ingredients and craftsmanship to ensure a high standard in their bourbon and rye. The marketing shows a deep respect for the historical whiskey industry’s heritage and a desire to produce ultra-premium bourbon through a revived legacy.