The Western Kentucky Distilling Co. broke ground on its $30-million state-of-the-art distillery in November 2022. They began crafting their versions of bourbon and rye whiskeys this past July and have already put away 8,000 barrels.
Eighth-generation distiller and Kentuckian Jacob Call serves as the COO and Master Distiller. He launched the distillery with fellow Kentucky native J.D. Edwards, who serves as the president. The two boast decades of experience in the industry and take pride in delivering whiskey made from the finest ingredients, under quality craftsmanship and with traditional techniques.
“From the best ingredients to an ideal climate for aging, Kentucky is known worldwide as the best place for making whiskey,” Call said. “As someone whose family goes back eight generations in both Kentucky and distilling, I’m proud to be a partner and to help build the new Western Kentucky Distilling Co. At the distillery, we’re celebrating all things Kentucky, from our ingredients and equipment to our 100% Kentucky ownership.”
Call’s bourbon family heritage dates back to 1791, when his ancestor Samuel Call began distilling the spirit in Bourbon County with a dozen fermenters. More recently, his grandfather and father worked at Jim Beam and had a firm understanding of the industry and its history.
They were the first to tell Call about the Medley Distillery, once active in Owensboro. Call decided to take a chance and move to Owensboro to renovate Medley’s and convert it to Green River Distillery, as it is today.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished in Owensboro, and I want to continue to build on the success we had there,” he said. “We’re working on a lot of new things here at Western Kentucky Distilling Co., including revitalizing several historical brands with western Kentucky roots. We want to be a premiere distillery in western Kentucky.”
While the distillery already has 8,000 barrels in the rickhouse, Call said the aging process takes a minimum of 4-5 years. The facility is now operating around the clock, with plans to develop additional rickhouses in the near future. Each rickhouse holds 16,000 barrels.
Call said the Western Kentucky Distilling Co. sources its corn and other ingredients locally and, in return, donates all byproducts to local farmers.
They plan to begin distilling a rye option this fall and look to begin offering tours soon.
“We appreciate the community’s support,” Call said. “We’re proud of everything we did Owensboro, and we’re grateful to Ohio County. We’re excited about having another distillery in the area.”
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