Peerless Single Barrel Bourbon is a hand-selected Kentucky straight bourbon from the Louisville distillery that revived the historic R.S. Peerless name in 2015 produced using a sweet mash process (rather than the industry-standard sour mash), non-chill filtered, and bottled at 90 proof from individually selected barrels, allowing each release to express the unique character of a single barrel’s maturation.

The Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company was originally founded in Henderson, Kentucky in 1889 by Henry Kraver. The revived distillery, opened in 2015 by Corky Taylor and his son Carson, chose to distinguish their bourbon by using a sweet mash process fermenting each batch with fresh yeast on fresh grain without adding spent mash backset from a previous fermentation. Industry convention uses sour mash (backset addition) for consistency and pH control; sweet mash produces a different flavor development in fermentation, contributing to the rich, fruit-forward character Peerless is known for. Single barrel bottlings showcase the natural variation between barrels each release is its own expression of how the distillery’s sweet mash bourbon has developed in one specific barrel over its maturation period.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Toasted oak, caramel, gentle vanilla, and a hint of dried fruit the sweet mash fermentation character contributing fruit-forward depth
• Palate: Smooth warmth with layered warm spice, rounded sweetness, and steady oak structure at 90 proof
• Finish: Lingering and clean oak-driven spice and soft sweetness sustained through a medium-long close

Specs

• Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company, Louisville, Kentucky (est. 2015, reviving 1889 original)
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel
• Process: Sweet mash fermentation (not sour mash)
• Filtration: Non-chill filtered
• ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

Browse all American whiskey at Wooden Cork.

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