JAMES E. PEPPER BARREL PROOF 750ML

In December 2017, the Pepper Distillery began producing its own whiskey in Lexington, Kentucky, and it’s been steadily churning out new make ever since. Now those whiskeys are maturing and hitting the market, with new labels and, of course, an all new drinking experience. While the old 1776 brand is still available, Pepper has three homegrown whiskeys now available, all three of which we review here. Of special note is how complicated the recipes for these spirits are. The bourbons are complex blends of four different whiskeys made with both raw and malted rye, plus corn and barley malt, and aged in a variety of barrel types including toasted and char levels 1 through 4. Similarly with the rye, two whiskeys are used in the blend. One is 95% raw rye, 5% malted rye; the other is 100% malted rye. The final blend goes into toasted and charred barrels.