Historie

Neeley Family Distillery is a small, family-owned and -operated distillery nestled in the rolling bluegrass of Kentucky. The family has distilled and illegally bootlegged in Eastern Kentucky for eleven generations, until 2015, when the tenth generation Roy Neeley and eleventh generation Royce Neeley took the business legitimate for the first time. Roy built the distillery himself in Sparta, Kentucky, near Interstate 71, Belterra Casino and just a few meters from Kentucky Speedway, where NASCAR fans come each year to watch high-speed racing. Royce is Lead Distiller and perhaps the world's youngest distillery owner. Production uses historical methods: old family mash recipes, pot stills, Cypress fermenters, Sweet Mash, locally sourced corn, Kentucky Limestone water and Neeley Family Yeast Strain, which are bred at the distillery. All spirits are non-chill-filtered to preserve the natural flavors. Neeley Moonshine recipe remains one of the best in the Eastern Kentucky mountains, and Roy and Royce maintain this quality in the authentic spirits they distill today. The family is dedicated to honoring the craft of their ancestors through the production of spirits; the family distills history every day. Through this dedication, Royce believes the family distills some of the best Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey in the world.

Additionally, the film “Neeley Family Distillery: A Heritage Distilled” is described, documenting the unique family history and the craftsmanship behind the distillery, as well as the availability of DVD and streaming on Amazon.

Produktion / Fremstilling

Neeley Family Distillery uses old-school methods such as pot stills, Cypress fermenters, and Sweet Mash along with the local grain assortment and Kentucky Limestone water. They use the Neeley Family Yeast Strain, and all products are non-chill-filtered to preserve the natural flavor. The distillery produces two full 53-gallon kettles of triple-pot-distilled Kentucky Bourbon and Rye Whiskey every day.

Additionally, Absinthe Verte belongs to the distillery; Neeley uses the world’s only functional pre-ban French absinthe pot-still in North America, built in the 1890s. The absinthe is produced from an 1871 Old World Smiss-inspired recipe with eight botanicals including wormwood, fennel and anise, which yields a natural green color that becomes more yellow over time.

The products range from pure Kentucky Moonshine and flavored moonshines to rum- and brandy-like drinks and to Youth- and Classic Finish variants. The neon labels are handwritten and batch numbers are individual. The Hidden Barn series and the various finish variants show the distillery’s attempt to combine historic craftsmanship with modern taste and finish.

The distillery is an active part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour and B-Line and also produces brandy and moonshine aged in used Kentucky Bourbon barrels. Production and distribution are supported by the ability to buy online and experiences such as tours and bottle-your-own editions.

Produkter / Whisky-serien

Kentucky single barrel straight bourbon

A rotating selection of three different single-barrel, barrel-strength recipes is available in the gift shop. The bourbon is non-chill-filtered and bottled at barrel proof directly from the barrel and aged in local barrels. The production description highlights that the bourbon is handmade and distilled by Neeley Family Distillery, and that it is ready for online purchase.

Neeley Bottled in Bond Four Grain Bourbon

63% corn, 17% oats, 8% wheat and 12% malt. Blended by Rebekah Neeley. Available as single barrels, bottled in bond, and in very small batches. The product is described with flavor notes and is one of the newer initiatives from master distiller Royce Neeley.

R.D.r Neeley Sweet Thumped Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Rye whiskey produced at lower temperatures and a proprietary copper-thumper on the third potstill distillation to highlight the sugary notes in the rye.

Hidden Barn Small Batch (Series One)

Produced at Neeley Family Distillery (DSP-KY-20039) in Sparta, KY, with a mash bill of 70% corn, 20% rye and 10% malt, fermented for five days with wild Kentucky yeast and Northern Kentucky aquifer water. Double-pot distillation, bottled at 127 proof. The distillate matures in a two-year seasonally aged American white oak barrel, and is bottled at 110 proof using only a sediment filter. The series consists of several batches with varying proofs and barrel counts.

Hidden Barn Organic Wheated Bourbon Batch 2

This bourbon is produced with organic grains from Michigan and is USDA and Kentucky Department of Agriculture certified organic. The mash bill is 70% corn, 25% wheat and 5% rye. Batch 2 is batched and proofed by Jackie Zykan and aged/bottled by Neeley Family Distillery. The product is kosher-certified.

Old Pap Neeley’s Reserve – Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Aged Moonshine

The oldest legally sold moonshine – aged in used Kentucky bourbon barrels, and presented as a family historical legend.

Neeley’s Wormwood Absinthe Verte

Distilled on North America’s only pre-ban absinthe still. Contains eight botanicals including wormwood and anise and has won numerous international awards, including a platinum medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Sediment-filtered to improve the flavor.

Authentic Kentucky Moonshine

The family preserves its classic moonshine, distilled in a triple-pot copper still, with a distinctive 11-generation ecosystem and special yeast strains. The moonshine is clear and pure in 100% local corn and Kentucky Limestone water, and has been legally available since 2017.

Southern Dew-series and flavor products

Moonshine-based products such as Chocolate Moonshine Truffle, Orange Moonshine Creamsicle and Bourbon Ball Moonshine; Salted Caramel Moonshine and Cinnamon Whiskey as well as Apple Pie Moonshine and Blackberry Moonshine. These products are described with notable flavor notes and handwritten batch numbers.

Other finish variants from the Old Jett Brothers series

Finish variants include Apricot Brandy Finish (8 months), French Cognac Finish (7 months), Portuguese Madeira Finish (7 months), Barbados Rum Finish (9 months), New Toasted French Oak (14 months), Double Barreled New Charred French Oak (14 months), and French Chateau Rieussec Sauternes Finish (14 months).

Besøg / Oplevelser

The Distillery describes itself as a place that blends historic illegitimate Kentucky distilling history (including older family stills and newspaper articles) with modern, custom-built distilling facilities modeled after Leonard Neeley’s Still. Two full kettles of triple-pot-distilled Bourbon and Rye are produced daily, and the distillery is a stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour and B-Line. Tours include Bottle Your Own Single Barrel Bourbon straight from the Barrel for USD 39.99, and there is the opportunity to purchase Neeley products in the shop. The distillery’s address is 4360 KY-1130, Sparta, Kentucky 41086, and the hours are Monday–Saturday 11:00–18:00 and Sunday 13:00–18:00.

Filosofi

Neeley Family Distillery focuses on preserving and expressing the historical Kentucky distilling culture through unadulterated craftsmanship. They describe their products as non-chill-filtered to preserve flavor, and they emphasize the use of local ingredients, limestone-forming water and a particularly preservative yeast strain. Their ambition is to produce some of the best Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey and to carry on the family’s long tradition of distilling – both historic and contemporary.