A taste of Bourbon History!

This release is special to me, not because I had a hand in the whiskey. I have a clear memory of reading this article in December 2017. I didn’t know Bill Thomas at that time and had only bumped into Mike Veach briefly at a bourbon event. Seelbach’s hadn’t even launched yet. But it inspired me. It made me see that you can use imagination and creativity to shape your own path in the bourbon world.
 
Since then, Bill and I have become friends, and I still see him as one of the most important figures in bourbon. That is why I was thrilled when he called to tell me about a project he was working on. No explanation was needed. I had been tracking the progress of this bourbon through Veach’s blog for years!
We have plenty of bottles filled with accolades and hype on Seelbach’s. But if you want to taste a piece of bourbon history, if you want a bourbon reminiscent of the dusty bottles collectors chase today, a bottle that will never be made again, I can’t recommend this one enough.

This email may seem like I’m laying it on thick, but rarely do we have a bottle that checks every box for what I love. I hope you give it a try. You’ll love what you taste.

 
Caramel apple, peach ring candies, unsweetened chocolate, heavily charred oak, and soft smoke - a uniquely expressive start to a bourbon that leans more toward some of the American single malts we love.

The palate delivers layers of flavor, moving from raisin and dried cranberry to thick vanilla custard, freshly brewed espresso, and charred barrel smoke. It continues with rich mocha and peach iced tea, circling back to elegant citrus and cardamom that lift the dense, heavy flavors.

The finish is long, with sweet candied pecans, chocolate, and oak, while plenty of dried fruit and creamy custard carry on, slowly adding touches of smoke the longer you rest between sips.

Bill And Mike’s Excellent Adventure

Age: 7-Years 4-months
 
Mash Bill: 65/20/12/3 Hickory Cane White Corn/Rye/Distiller's Malt/Chocolate Malt
 
Proof: 100 proof
 
Source: Kentucky Artisan Distillery
 
Barrel: Heavy Toast, Char no. 3
 
Barrel Entry Proof: 103 proof; Industry average is 125 proof
 
Story: My grandfather made moonshine in Barren County during the Depression, using what he had—Hickory Cane white corn. People at his funeral swore he made the best moonshine around, and that story has stuck with me ever since. I’ve always wanted to make bourbon using that same corn. During a visit to Kentucky Artisan Distillery, Stephen Thompson encouraged me to bring the idea to life, and later Bill Thomas, owner of Jack Rose in D.C., offered to back the project and sell it at his bar. With his support and Jade Peterson’s expertise as distiller, we began what I like to call “Bill and Mike’s Excellent Adventure.”
 
We developed a mash bill of 60% Hickory Cane white corn, 25% rye, 12% malted barley, and 3% chocolate malt, with a possible wheat variation in the works. Using a fruit-forward yeast, we’ll distill to 125–130 proof, barrel at 103 proof in heavy toasted #3 char barrels, and age it at least four years for a bonded bourbon. It’ll mature low in the rickhouse to avoid excess tannin, and perhaps longer if needed. The whiskey will be owned and sold by Bill through Jack Rose, likely under a revived Barren County label. I’ll document the process in future blogs as we see how this experiment evolves—and taste what history, Hickory Cane corn, and a bit of adventure can create.