James E. Pepper Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey 750ml

James E. Pepper Distillery holds designation DSP-KY-5 and operates in Lexington, Kentucky, on a site with roots stretching back to 1780. James E. Pepper himself was a third-generation distiller who ran the operation until his death in 1906, and the brand counted admirers among several U.S. presidents. The distillery eventually closed in 1958 as American whiskey fell out of favor, sitting dormant until 2008, when Amir Peay of Georgetown Trading Co. acquired the rights and set about reviving the historic name and rebuilding production in Lexington.

Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon is crafted from a proprietary blend of mash bills incorporating corn, rye, malted barley, and malted rye. The whiskey matures in new, charred Kentucky oak barrels that are air-seasoned for eighteen to twenty-four months before filling, and it is bottled straight from the barrel with no dilution or chill filtration. The result typically carries an average age of around five and a half years and a cask strength near 105 proof.

The bourbon offers aromas of apricot, white grape, vanilla, and light charred oak. On the palate, cinnamon, golden raisin, stewed peach, and citrus unfold over toasted oak, leading into a long finish marked by rye spice, leather, and dried dark fruit.