Shawn McCormick, owner & founder of B. H. James Distillers, proudly announces the opening date of his distillery in Adairville, Kentucky, on Saturday, November 5, 2022. McCormick is excited to open his distillery in Adairville as it and Logan County have been home to his family for more than 130 years.
A ribbon cutting will be held on November 4, 2022, with officials from the City and County and business community members. The products produced by B. H. James Distillers will be available to purchase from 11:00 AM until 5 PM Saturday, November 5th. The distillery will have a small retail bottle shop open Thursdays thru Saturdays starting November 10, 2022. Products will also be distributed by Heritage Wine and Spirits, starting first in Western Kentucky and then throughout the commonwealth.
Initially, B. H. James Distillers will produce two spirit brands. The namesake brand is Burton James Uniquely American Whiskey. This flagship spirit is crafted from a variety of sourced premium American whiskies. Each batch comprises 5 to 7 hand-selected, thoughtfully aged, proofed, and married to create a unique and delightful expression of American Whiskey. The one-of-a-kind batches are released in limited quantities 3 to 4 times a year. The future Burton James roster of whiskies may include a line-up of premium ready-to-drink cocktails and real fruit-infused whiskies.
Batch one of Burton James Whiskey, debuting on Saturday, November 5, 2022, is named Rookie Season – Opener. The blend was made from seven lucky barrels, including three American whiskies styles. The final blend was comprised of 34.4% – 7.7-year-old Bourbon (with 21% rye content), 27.4% 6.9-year old Bourbon (with 36% rye content), 36.9% 7.6-year old Rye Whiskey (with 95% rye content) and 1.3% Light Whiskey. All the whiskies were distilled in Indiana. The Rookie Season – Opener was proofed down to 53.2% Alc./Vol. (106.4 Proof) which the team determined provided the best overall drinking experience when enjoyed neat. It is a full-flavored experience when enjoyed neat with an initial sweetness of brown sugar and caramel followed by baking spices and cinnamon. The baking spices become more dominant with a nice sweet brown sugar background with additional sips.
Once distilling operations are ready, B. H. James Distillers will distill Bourbon, Rye, Corn, and other American whiskies using as much locally grown grain as possible.
B.H. James Distillers and Burton James, Uniquely American, was chosen by the owner, Shawn McCormick, as a tribute to the legacy of his great-grandfather, Burton Hulon James (well known as B. H. or Huse). James played professional baseball from 1908 – 1919 when he and his wife, Estelle, settled on her family farm in Adairville, KY. James opened and operated B.H. James Grocers from 1921 to 1939 and was involved in the local dark-fired tobacco industry as the Eastern Dark Fired Tobacco Association director from 1933 until 1959. He also served as Vice President and Director of the First National Bank in Adairville from 1944 until 1959. He was elected a Logan County, KY Magistrate in 1931 and served until his death in January 1959.
Being a long-time bourbon drinker and wanting to own a business, McCormick became inspired to open a distillery after going on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 2012. In January 2015, he purchased his first 16 barrels of Bourbon & Rye whiskies to start the aging process. His original goal was to open the distillery before 2020; however, like a fine whiskey, good things can happen with a little more age. His now 10-year dream is coming to reality on November 5, 2022, when he opens his doors at 11:00 AM to begin selling his spirits.
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