Shawn McCormick, owner & founder of B. H. James Distillers, proudly announces the filling of their first whiskey barrel. This is exciting news for owner Shawn McCormick and the distilling team at B.H. James Distillers because they are currently using a small 25-gallon pot still while plans to install an 800-gallon pot still are in review.
Shawn and distiller JR Hunter filled a used 53-gallon bourbon barrel with 34 gallons of Kentucky Grit® Corn Whiskey on March 31st, 2023. Yes, the barrel was only mostly filled as it took 2 months to distill that amount on the small but mighty still. The former contents of the used bourbon barrel are now part of the upcoming Batch Three of Burton James Whiskey. The Kentucky Grit Corn Whiskey was made with 81% Logan County Non-GMO Yellow Corn, 10% Logan County Rye, 5% Kentucky Grown & Malted Barley, and 4% Oats. The corn and rye were grown a few miles away from the distillery by Walnut Grove Farms of Schochoh, KY. Caseland Farms and South Fork Malthouse in Cynthiana, KY, grew and malted the barley. A small amount of our first on-site distilled, barreled and aged whiskey will be removed, bottled and available at the distillery during the 75th Adairville Strawberry Festival May 19-20, 2023.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (https://www.sfspiritscomp.com/about/) was founded in 2000. It is the oldest and largest competition of its kind and the most prestigious and closely watched spirits competition in the U.S. The 2023 Competition had more than 5,500 entries from around the world. B.H. James Distillers received awards for their Burton James Whiskey and James Lake brands from the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition:
Gold Medal – Burton James Whiskey Batch 2 – Rookie Season: Batter Up
Silver Medal – Burton James Whiskey Batch 1 – Rookie Season: Opener
