EP 35: Howl at the Owl

The Friskey Whiskey Podcast

Kentucky Owl was founded by Charles Mortimer Dedman in 1879, operating until prohibition became law in 1916. At this point, the government seized some 250,0007 gallons of Kentucky Owl, taking it away for safekeeping.
One night, the warehouse where the bourbon was stored burned to the ground. Oddly, for a building filled with alcohol, the fire lasted only a matter of hours, leading many to suspect the entire Kentucky Owl stock had been whisked away by organized crime to fuel their booming speakeasies. Number one suspect was Al Capone.
A hundred years later, the great, great-grandson of C.M Dedman, Dixon Dedman revived the family business and set about blending a bourbon worthy of the Kentucky Owl name.

Kentucky Owl St. Patrick's Edition $99 (-$135) 100 proof Mash bill: Unknown. . blend of 4-11 year old bourbons

In celebration of the long-standing ties that bind Irish and Kentucky whiskey making together, Kentucky Owl has partnered with Irish Whiskey Bonder, Louise McGuane to bring her craft in selecting rare whiskey barrels for their unique flavor profiles to this collaboration with Master Blender, John Rhea, to deliver this exceptional blended bourbon together.

Nose: Caramel, honey, spice
Taste: caramel, butterscotch, frosted cinnamon roll, chocolate orange, citrus peel, fruit, vanilla , wood

Kentucky Owl Takumi Edition $119 (- $150) proof. Mash bill unknown. blend of 4, 5, 6, and 13 year old bourbons

A collaboration with John Rhea, Kentucky Owl’s master blender, and Yahisa Yusuke, Japanese whiskey master blender for Nagahama Distillery in Japan.
Takumi means "master" [or “artisan”] in Japanese, with the name of the release celebrating the art and craft of modern whisky blending. Rhea and Yahisa worked together to create the resulting Takumi Edition blend, with Rhea selecting four different formulations and sending the samples to Japan. Yahisa evaluated those samples, which represented different ages and mash bills available from Kentucky Owl. Yahisa then created different blends with those formulations to develop one most reflective of his Japanese whisky style.

Nose: rye, caramel, fruit salad (bread, caramel, fruit, tobacco, oak)
Taste: butter rye bread, caramel, cinnamon, apple , pear (caramel, cinnamon, apple pie crust, leather, oak, raisin)