| Category | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
|---|---|
| Country | Region | U.S. | Crestwood, KY |
| Distillery | Kentucky Artisan Distillery (contract distilled) |
| Age statement | 4 years 8 months |
| Alcohol % | Proof | 59.2% | 118.4 pf |
| Release | Limited Single Barrel — Store Pick |
| Mash bill | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Cask type | New American Oak |
| Price point | $99 |
| Bottle status | Active |
Cream of Kentucky Single Barrel Cask Strength Modern Pick
Appearance / Color
Deep amber to burnished copper; thick, oily legs cling to the glass
Nose / Aroma / Smell
Rich caramel, toffee, toasted oak, dried fruit, dark baking spice, subtle leather
Flavor / Taste / Palate
Milk chocolate, butterscotch, graham cracker, vanilla, sweet fruit, hearty oak, nutty backbone, dense coating mouthfeel
Finish
Long and warming with assertive oak tannins, spiced caramel, and dark cherry. Fades into toasted pecan and lingering baking spice. The high proof carries heat but stays sweet through the tail end.
Cream of Kentucky traces its roots to 1888, when I. Trager & Co. of Cincinnati first introduced the brand. After Prohibition’s repeal, the Schenley Company acquired the name and relaunched it in 1934. Through the 1930s and 1940s, Cream of Kentucky became one of America’s leading bourbon brands — famously illustrated by Norman Rockwell in a series of ads that cemented the label’s cultural presence. The bourbon glut of the 1960s–70s eroded the brand’s market, and Schenley discontinued it by the 1980s. The trademark sat dormant for decades until Stephen Camisa and Jon Mowry acquired it with a plan to revive the heritage label. They partnered with Jim Rutledge — a Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer who spent 49 years in the industry, including 20 as Master Distiller at Four Roses — to develop new expressions starting in 2018. The current Cask Strength expression is produced at Kentucky Artisan Distillery (KAD) in Crestwood, KY, the same facility that produces Jefferson’s Bourbon. KAD operates a farm-to-bottle model, processing roughly 270 bushels of grain daily from neighboring Waldeck Farm’s 700 acres. The 72/18/10 mashbill mirrors a classic Kentucky bourbon profile — corn-forward sweetness with enough rye to push spice and complexity. Store pick single barrels represent Cream of Kentucky’s newest release tier, first introduced in late 2025. Each barrel is hand-selected by the purchasing retailer and bottled at cask strength — no dilution, no blending — making every bottle a one-of-one expression.
Cream of Kentucky Single Barrel Cask Strength Modern Pick
- Category
- Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Distillery
- Kentucky Artisan Distillery (contract distilled)
- Country | Region
- U.S. | Crestwood, KY
- Age Statement
- 4 years 8 months
- Alcohol / Proof
- 59.2% / 118.4 pf
- Price Point
- $99
- Mash Bill
- 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
- Cask Type
- New American Oak
- Release
- Limited Single Barrel — Store Pick
Appearance
Deep amber to burnished copper; thick, oily legs cling to the glass
Nose
Rich caramel, toffee, toasted oak, dried fruit, dark baking spice, subtle leather
Palate
Milk chocolate, butterscotch, graham cracker, vanilla, sweet fruit, hearty oak, nutty backbone, dense coating mouthfeel
Finish
Long and warming with assertive oak tannins, spiced caramel, and dark cherry. Fades into toasted pecan and lingering baking spice. The high proof carries heat but stays sweet through the tail end.
Cream of Kentucky traces its roots to 1888, when I. Trager & Co. of Cincinnati first introduced the brand. After Prohibition’s repeal, the Schenley Company acquired the name and relaunched it in 1934. Through the 1930s and 1940s, Cream of Kentucky became one of America’s leading bourbon brands — famously illustrated by Norman Rockwell in a series of ads that cemented the label’s cultural presence. The bourbon glut of the 1960s–70s eroded the brand’s market, and Schenley discontinued it by the 1980s. The trademark sat dormant for decades until Stephen Camisa and Jon Mowry acquired it with a plan to revive the heritage label. They partnered with Jim Rutledge — a Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer who spent 49 years in the industry, including 20 as Master Distiller at Four Roses — to develop new expressions starting in 2018. The current Cask Strength expression is produced at Kentucky Artisan Distillery (KAD) in Crestwood, KY, the same facility that produces Jefferson’s Bourbon. KAD operates a farm-to-bottle model, processing roughly 270 bushels of grain daily from neighboring Waldeck Farm’s 700 acres. The 72/18/10 mashbill mirrors a classic Kentucky bourbon profile — corn-forward sweetness with enough rye to push spice and complexity. Store pick single barrels represent Cream of Kentucky’s newest release tier, first introduced in late 2025. Each barrel is hand-selected by the purchasing retailer and bottled at cask strength — no dilution, no blending — making every bottle a one-of-one expression.