Whiskey House of Kentucky

As the year comes to a close, we could not be more thankful for the tremendous support that we’ve received from our customers, vendors, and partners. Bringing Whiskey House of Kentucky to life has been an incredibly rewarding experience for all of us, and we’re so grateful to have the best team in American Whiskey. We could not have done any of this without them. Even with all of the momentum, we’re just getting started. Whiskey House is fundamentally transforming the contract whiskey industry in the United States and abroad. We’re bringing together the best brands and companies under one roof. We not only provide the highest quality, customized whiskey from the most advanced distillery in the world, but we’re also hyper-focused on our exclusive customers. With no brands of our own, no conflicts of interest (because we don’t compete against our customers in the marketplace), and a facility closed to the public, we put all of our time and energy into helping our customers build sustained brand value. The following is a list of a some of our most important accomplishments from the past year: · Designed, built, and successfully started-up the most sophisticated distillery in the United States in record time and established Whiskey House as the most exciting, transformational distillery in the American Whiskey industry, with a reputation for innovation, quality, and customer service. · Dialed in our highly sophisticated manufacturing system, brought our proprietary software online, and began operating in full automation mode, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within 12 days of starting operations. · Assembled the “Best Team in American Whiskey” with 67 members and more than 347 years of distilling experience. · Since July, produced more than 50,000 barrels for our 29 exclusive customers. · Developed and produced 54 different recipes and 18 unique mash bills. · With a syndicate of five banks, secured $145 million in long term capital to support the growth of our transformational custom whiskey production business. · Received numerous accolades for the quality of distillate production, including from former Four Roses Master Blender, Jim Rutledge, who called our distillate the “best he has tasted from any contract manufacturer today,” and former MGP Master Blender, Sam Schmeltzer. · Built the most sophisticated laboratory in the distilling industry that includes three full sensory tasting booths, with dedicated HVAC systems, RO water sinks, red light to mask liquid color, all for complete blind sensory analysis. · Developed and launched a first-of-its-kind proprietary Customer Portal that provides secure and accurate inventory and production information. In the near future, the portal will also provide customers information on chemistries, sensory data, and ultimately full traceability on every aspect of production. · Partnered with Whiskey Capital to launch $150M fund to support new fill production and aged whiskey purchasing for brands.

As Robert Louis Stevenson so aptly put it, "don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." We could not agree more. This Christmas, the Whiskey House of Kentucky team collected more toys for the WQXE Quicksie Toy Factory than any single company in their 33 year history. Congratulations everyone. Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Wonderful New Year.

We could not be more excited to announce a new relationship with Whiskey Capital Finance Co. and their $150 million lending facility, a flexible financing vehicle for whiskey brands. It provides a unique, comprehensive solution for whiskey brands and distilleries to fund new fill and aged inventory without personal guarantees or dilution. Consistent with our mission at Whiskey House of Kentucky, we are constantly looking for ways to assist our exclusive customers and help them create sustained brand value. Here is a link to the press release: https://lnkd.in/eDGi8UY2   ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (Dec. 10, 2024) - - - Whiskey House of Kentucky has partnered with Whiskey Capital Finance Co. on the creation of a first-of-its-kind collaboration to provide Whiskey House clients with barrel financing options. Whiskey Capital, through its latest $150 million lending facility, provides non-dilutive, non-recourse debt capital to whiskey brands and distilleries, backed by whiskey barrel collateral. This partnership establishes Whiskey Capital as a preferred financing provider to Whiskey House’s exclusive distilling customers. Whiskey Capital’s individual loans vary in size from $1 million to $30 million with options to defer a portion of interest costs during the initial years of the loans. Customized solutions are available for a mixture of borrower profiles, ranging from early-stage pre-cash flow to mature nationally distributed brands. “We could not be more excited to partner with Whiskey Capital,” said Whiskey House co-founder and CEO David Mandell. “Along with Whiskey Capital’s deep industry knowledge and proven track record in supporting brands, our exclusive customers gain access to financing solutions uniquely tailored to the demands of whiskey production. This partnership is a win-win, empowering our customers to grow, while reinforcing Whiskey House’s commitment to their success.” Today’s announcement further bolsters Whiskey House’s transformative position in the contract whiskey manufacturing industry. Since the start of operations in July, Whiskey House has produced more than 45,000 barrels, 18 unique mashbills, and 28 different recipes for its exclusive custom whiskey production customers. The 110,000 square foot distillery boasts a highly sophisticated manufacturing system that runs on proprietary software, is fully automated, and runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about this new program, please visit www.whiskeyhouse.com or email Barry Younkie at byounkie@whiskeyhouse.com. For more information about Whiskey Capital Finance Co. and its solutions, please visit https://lnkd.in/egCJfVcf or contact Jack Hellige at jack@whiskeycapitalfinance.com.

“Quality is essential, but innovation is key." Check out what our CEO David Mandell and others are saying about what is in store for American Whiskey in 2025 and beyond. https://lnkd.in/e7saDdxp

Creating a culture of customer service isn’t easy. As Danny Meyer so eloquently put it in his book, Setting the Table, “when there is an abundant mutual respect and trust, and people are continually looking for opportunities to help one another, that infectious spirit becomes the culture.” At Whiskey House of Kentucky, we work each and every day to foster that infectious spirit. We truly have the Best Team in American Whiskey, and we could not be more proud of them. Last night was a time to celebrate our achievements together at our company holiday party. Thank you to the team at Ernie's Tavern in Bloomfield, Kentucky for creating a truly memorable evening for us.

  Meet A.B.E. our “Advanced Barrel Encoder.” A.B.E.’s unique capabilities enable us to quickly and efficiently print a QR code on each barrel with a specialized wax ink. This code tracks every aspect of the manufacturing process from the contents of the grain to location of the barrels in the rickhouse and everything in between. At Whiskey House of Kentucky, we’ve implemented one of the most advanced digital transformation strategies in the distilling industry. It’s built on a technological foundation that captures data from every aspect of our manufacturing process so that we can provide our customers with the information to not only tell deeper richer stories about their brands, but also to provide them with the tools to make their businesses more efficient.   Stay tuned for what is coming from Whiskey House . . . you haven’t seen anything yet.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln said, “honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”   His words are just as important and powerful today as they were during the American Civil War. As we face so many international challenges, it’s critical we recognize and honor the men and women of the United States military that serve and served this great country.   At Whiskey House of Kentucky, we would like to personally thank the following members of our team that kept us safe and secure.   - Justin Dixon, FSQA Sr. Manager (Marines) - Jerry Hall, Maintenance & Controls Manager (Army) - John Hargrove, Co-Founder, President & COO (Army) - Roger Henley, VP of Engineering & Technology (Army) - Joshua Marquis, EHS Manager (Army) - Phil Mays, Warehouse Asst. Manager (Army) - James Oeswein, Director of Engineering (Marines) - Kevin Powers, Logistics & Supply Chain Integration Sr. Manager (Army) - Michael Silva, Distillery Utility Operator (Army) - Quentin Snider, Reliability & Facilities Sr. Manager (Navy) Thank you for your service. We could not be more grateful.

At Whiskey House of Kentucky, we’ve built one of the most sophisticated labs in the distilled spirits industry. Led by Justin Dixon, Senior Manager, Food Safety Quality Assurance, and Alexandra Martin, Senior TTB Certified Chemist, the lab plays a critical role in not only assuring we produce the highest-quality, differentiated whiskey for our exclusive customers, but it’s also responsible for driving innovation and experimentation. Whiskey House will be the first distillery in the world to pursue seven ISO certifications, including 9001, 14001, 45001, FSSC 22000, 27001, and BRC certifications. We already achieved NSF Kosher certification prior to start-up. In addition, the lab was designed for our customers to be able to work side-by-side with us and includes three full sensory tasting booths, with dedicated HVAC systems, RO water sinks, red light to mask liquid color, that allow us to complete unbiased sensory analysis of distillate and aged whiskey. We’ve implemented some of the most advanced laboratory equipment available in the distilling industry. This includes the latest GC (Gas Chromatography) and HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) equipment to test for TTB congeners, geosmin, ethyl carbamate, ethanol content, sugar levels, and yeast cell count. Our setup leverages the Gerstel system for parts-per-billion sensitivity in detecting ethyl carbamate, incorporating both SPME (Solid Phase Microextraction) and Twister capabilities, which are up to 1000 times more sensitive than traditional SPME. This system enables the simultaneous extraction of multiple samples, ensuring high productivity with minimal labor. Additionally, we offer comprehensive testing capabilities such as: - Free amino nitrogen analysis - Yeast cell vitality assessment - Carbohydrate profiling - Chlorine detection - Full digital data structure integrity through our custom-developed system We've recently commissioned our LECO nitrogen analyzer, which determines the nitrogen content in grain samples for each mash bill. This allows us to link nitrogen levels directly to yield and sensory attributes. Our goal is to explore how far we can push the boundaries for the maximum amount of alcohol produced in each fermenter. With our sophisticated real-time data collection and the use of AI, we plan to conduct many experiments that may change the way we think about distilling.

At Whiskey House of Kentucky, we’ve built one of the most sophisticated labs in the distilled spirits industry. Led by Justin Dixon, Senior Manager, Food Safety Quality Assurance, and Alexandra Martin, Senior TTB Certified Chemist, the lab plays a critical role in not only assuring we produce the highest-quality, differentiated whiskey for our exclusive customers, but it’s also responsible for driving innovation and experimentation. Whiskey House will be the first distillery in the world to pursue seven ISO certifications, including 9001, 14001, 45001, FSSC 22000, 27001, and BRC certifications. We already achieved NSF Kosher certification prior to start-up. In addition, the lab was designed for our customers to be able to work side-by-side with us and includes three full sensory tasting booths, with dedicated HVAC systems, RO water sinks, red light to mask liquid color, that allow us to complete unbiased sensory analysis of distillate and aged whiskey. We’ve implemented some of the most advanced laboratory equipment available in the distilling industry. This includes the latest GC (Gas Chromatography) and HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) equipment to test for TTB congeners, geosmin, ethyl carbamate, ethanol content, sugar levels, and yeast cell count. Our setup leverages the Gerstel system for parts-per-billion sensitivity in detecting ethyl carbamate, incorporating both SPME (Solid Phase Microextraction) and Twister capabilities, which are up to 1000 times more sensitive than traditional SPME. This system enables the simultaneous extraction of multiple samples, ensuring high productivity with minimal labor. Additionally, we offer comprehensive testing capabilities such as: - Free amino nitrogen analysis - Yeast cell vitality assessment - Carbohydrate profiling - Chlorine detection - Full digital data structure integrity through our custom-developed system We've recently commissioned our LECO nitrogen analyzer, which determines the nitrogen content in grain samples for each mash bill. This allows us to link nitrogen levels directly to yield and sensory attributes. Our goal is to explore how far we can push the boundaries for the maximum amount of alcohol produced in each fermenter. With our sophisticated real-time data collection and the use of AI, we plan to conduct many experiments that may change the way we think about distilling.

Thank you David Meltzer for having our Co-founder & CEO, David Mandell, on the show this week! Looking forward to having you come visit soon.