Episode Details

Castle & Key Distillery has resurrected a giant in the Kentucky Bourbon industry, the Old Taylor Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. And after many years of restoring the fabled location, Castle & Key has released their first whiskey. Restoration Rye, an aptly named whiskey, is the first rye whiskey to be released from this location as well. We are joined by co-founder Wes Murry and Blender Brett Connors to discuss the distillery's history, its whiskey, and their plans for the future. We taste through Batch 1 of Castle & Key's Restoration Rye during the episode and find that it was well worth the wait.

We appreciate everyone who has taken the time to give us feedback on our podcast. If you enjoy our content, consider giving us a 5 star rating on your podcast app, leave us a review, or tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show.

Follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at TheBourbonLens@Gmail.com.

Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts, or even purchase your own Bourbon Lens tasting glass or t-shirt.

Cheers, Scott, Michael & JakeBourbon Lens

About the Distillery:

Castle & Key is steeped in Kentucky distilling history, and yet it also presents a reimagining of Kentucky spirits for the future. When attorney Will Arvin came across photographs of an abandoned distillery in 2012, he couldn't stop thinking about its legacy and the history of the property, previously known as Old Taylor Distillery. He decided to take a visit to the property, and within minutes this industry outsider was inspired to abandon a successful career path to build a meaningful new life for the distillery. After meeting financial advisor, Wes Murry, through a mutual friend, both of their visions became centered around the belief that consistency in flavor is not the only important factor that spirits enthusiasts' value, but rather that people are drawn to high-quality spirits that offer a new tasting experience.

The Old Taylor Distillery has a revered place in Kentucky distilling history. In 1887, when Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. built the distillery, he intended it to both produce high-quality spirits and stand out from the crowd with its distinctive architectural charm to become the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Inspired by European architecture, the site features a Castle, a classical Springhouse, and Sunken Garden. In 1920, however, Prohibition forced the closing of the distillery and over the course of the next century, the property changed owners and occupants several times, until it fell into ruin.

In 2014, Will and Wes began restoring this historic bourbon icon with a focus on changing the narrative around Kentucky spirits. They created a team of like minded people from inside and outside the industry to resurrect the castle by creating Castle & Key Distillery, which opened its doors in 2018. Taking up Colonel Taylor's dedication to his home state, Castle & Key strives to use local ingredients when possible. Castle & Key makes everything that they sell from carefully selected grains and always chooses to do things in a thoughtful way – even when it's not the easy way.

About the Spirits:

Castle & Key's strategy works to reimagine how Kentucky spirits is showcased by creating consistently high- quality expressions that are unique with each release, instead of striving for one singular flavor profile.

Restoration Rye, the first whiskey from the Castle & Key team since its founding in 2014. The highly anticipat