This news follows that of its parent company, S.P.I. Group, acquiring the rights for “The Wise Man's Bourbon”, adding a whiskey brand with a rich history to its wine & spirits portfolio.
Stoli Group enters whiskey market with Kentucky Owl |
Sometime after Prohibition was enacted in 1919, a mysterious fire destroyed the warehouse where Kentucky Owl was being stored. It’s thought that Al Capone or a similar big-time crime boss of the era cut a deal for the contents of the warehouse before it burned down.
In 2008, Charles Mortimer Dedman’s great-great-grandson Dixon
Dedman, joined forces with family friends and California winemakers, Mark and
Sherri Carter, to bring Kentucky Owl small batch bourbon back to the market.
Commenting on the news, Dmitry Efimov, CEO of S.P.I. Group,
said: "When we began considering American whiskies, we were attracted to
Kentucky Owl because of its complex, yet very smooth taste profile. Upon
sitting down with the owners and hearing the story, we became really
enthusiastic about revitalizing the brand and concluded that this would be the
bourbon to anchor a whiskey line for S.P.I. Our USA team is poised to bring
this to market."
Dixon Dedman will continue to play a key part in Kentucky
Owl’s future in the role of as Brand Ambassador, as the pre-prohibition bourbon brand now looks to
expand nationally and internationally.
Posted by Steve Rush