Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon Series 1: Batch #23A

About: The Hidden Barn Small Batch is produced at the Neeley Family Distillery (DSP-KY-20039) Sparta, KY, with a 70% Corn, 20% Rye, 10% Malted Barley mash bill. The Small Batch is fermented for five days using wild-caught Kentucky yeast and Northern Kentucky aquifer water. It is then double pot distilled and collected at 127 proof. The distillate is then matured in a two-year seasoned American white oak barrel and filled at 110 proof using only a Sediment filter.

Fermentation: The sweet mash process makes for better bourbon, but is a painstaking process that requires significantly more time and effort because it produces more bacteria that must be killed off between processes. Cleaning is time consuming and requires more steam, but the flavor it imparts is worth it. We only use a mash once. Rather than pumping the spent mash and grains of the fermentation back into a second distillation, we partner with neighboring cattle farms who use our spent mash for feed. This makes for very happy cows, and good neighbors. If you’re ever in Sparta, Kentucky, stop by to get a good smell of the sweet mash as it is fermenting. We would love to share a pour or cocktail with you!

Distillation: With every run of the still, the “head” and the “tail” must be cut to ensure only the best, purest distillate makes it to the barrel. Nosing and tasting the distillate throughout the process is the only way to know when you've hit “the heart of the run,” where the bourbon is the best it can be. Like all the best parts of whiskey making, it’s more art than science, and the end product reflects our Master Distiller's distinctive palette. It's a job he will leave to no one else, meaning he's personally finding the heart in every single batch of Hidden Barn.

Barrels: Hidden Barn's barrels take the long view. While most distillers age their staves for six months, ours cure for a full two years. This process, though costly and time consuming, pays off by removing bitter, astringent tannins from the whiskey. Our slow heat toasting draws flavors forward and transfers them into the whiskey as it matures, giving the liquid its warm amber color and distinctive taste