Alben W. Barkley of McCracken County served as U.S. Senator from Kentucky from 1927-1949 and again in 1955 until his death in 1956. He was Vice President of the United States under President Harry S Truman from 1949-1953. A Democrat, he served as both Senate Minority and Senate Majority Leader.

“Barkley, as Vice President, was in a class by himself. He had the complete confidence of both the President and the Senate.” —Harry S Truman

Each new batch of Kentucky Senator Bourbon Whiskey carries the namesake of an esteemed Kentucky senator. The Alben W. Barkley Release marks Kentucky Senator’s first limited edition small-batch Bourbon since the brand was revived in 2019. The Kentucky Senator brand is steeped in history with a revival that has opened a window to Bourbon distilling of the past.

In many ways, Alben W. Barkley’s larger-than-life political career mirrors the richness of taste and flavorful experience we have created with our first small-batch release. With a forty-two year career in U.S. government, Alben Barkley was the last Vice President to preside over the Senate and he was adored equally by both Congress and the White House. Alben Barkley was known as a great orator and storyteller, with the ability to diffuse partisanship with oaken strength. His manner of speaking was extremely distinct and his fiery speeches resonated with all who came in contact with him.

Alben Barkley worked his way up from county attorney in McCracken County to Kentucky’s Senator to Vice President and next in line to the presidency. As U.S. Vice President, Alben Barkley personified effective leadership and he was a professional standard for his peers to study, imitate and equal. A remarkable individual, Alben Barkley was able to hold on to public confidence – even public adoration – for the entirety of his career in the legislative branch and, for 4 years, he made the vice presidency a highly-positive and well-respected position.

Today, the idea that a Kentucky senator would not be in support of the Bourbon Industry is preposterous. Yet, Alben Barkley was a product of his time. Along with many of his counterparts in the 1930’s, Barkley was a prohibitionist and anti-gambler. Even with this in mind, we chose Alben Barkley for this release because of his substantial weight in Kentucky and national politics, coupled with his rich manner of speaking and ability to enliven every room he entered.

Were Alben Barkley alive today and able to sample our work, we know he would bring the same, persistently good-natured attitude that he was so known for in Washington D.C. After all, Alben Barkley loved the smell of wood smoke and had an immense gift for humor and for riling up lethargic delegates. For proof of Alben Barkley’s infectious energy, look no further than the farewell address he made to the Democratic Convention in 1952. It was during this farewell speech, having just gracefully bowed out from his presidential run, that Alben Barkley received a 35-minute ovation when he took the podium and a 45-minute ovation at the end.

The final speech Alben Barkley ever delivered was a passionate keynote address made to the students of Washington and Lee University in 1956. He had just been elected to the U.S. Senate again, having not been able to stay away from politics in his retirement. As was his style, Alben Barkley finished his speech by poking fun at himself. He joked about sitting in the back of the Chamber as a “freshman” senator, refusing to sit up with senior leadership.

In words now-famous, Alben Barkley professed: “I'm glad to sit on the back row, for I would rather be a servant in the House of the Lord than to sit in the seats of the mighty." With those words, Alben Barkley finished his final speech, collapsed on stage, and died from a massive heart attack. An unplanned twist of fate, the great Kentucky Senator said goodbye to this world while doing what he did best, with all the panache and drama that his legacy has left behind.

In the 1960's, the US Army Corps of Engineers honored Alben Barkley's legacy through the creation of one of our country's largest manmade lakes: Lake Barkley. The reservoir was so aptly named after Alben Barkley, who had lived just a short drive north in Paducah. Coincidentally, this region of Kentucky was a popular hideaway for distilling alcohol during Prohibition with ties to the notorious gangster, Al Capone.

We carry the spirit of Alben Barkley to every individual who samples this fine Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Aged fifteen years, our first release is a flavorful experience with a mash bill of 78.5% corn, 13% rye and 8.5% malted barley. May it energize and brighten you in the same way Alben Barkley could, as he bellowed out to the delegates who loved him.

Each limited-edition batch of Kentucky Senator Bourbon Whiskey carries the namesake of an esteemed Kentucky senator. The William J. DeBoe Release is much anticipated and marks the second Bourbon to be added to Kentucky Senator’s portfolio since its brand revival in 2019. This limited-edition, small batch release has been aged a total of six years, the same number of years William DeBoe served his country in the U.S. Senate. It is available at liquor stores, bars and restaurants throughout Kentucky, with single barrel private selections at Liquor Barn, Party Mart and DEP's retail outlets. The William J. DeBoe Release is also available online at www.BourbonOutfitter.com and is featured at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, D.C.

William DeBoe was born in 1849, a year before the first blended whiskey was produced. He grew up during the latter half of the nineteenth century, also remembered as the golden age of the saloon. At this time, whiskey was the preferred drink of the working class and the prohibition movement was picking up steam.

Raised on his family’s farm in Crittenden County, William DeBoe was the fourth of nine children. As if that weren’t rambunctious enough, William DeBoe also had seven, younger half siblings. He attended the local public schools and studied both law and medicine at Ewing College in Illinois. William DeBoe attended medical school at the University of Louisville, practiced medicine for a few years, and eventually traded out his medicine bag for law books. He was admitted to the bar in 1889 and practiced law in Marion, Kentucky. A talented and decidedly busy person, William DeBoe was also a superintendent of Crittenden County Schools before he ventured into politics.

William DeBoe served as a member of the Kentucky State Senate from 1893 to 1898, at a time of violent and sometimes bloody politics in the Commonwealth. When his fellow legislators were tasked with electing the next U.S. Senator, William DeBoe’s name was up for consideration. This particular election became gridlocked, thanks in part to the historical significance of the race. Indeed, William DeBoe will forever carry the distinction of being the very first Kentucky Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate.

During a special session of the legislature, William DeBoe was eventually declared the winner. Then Kentucky Governor William O'Connell Bradley called in the National Guard to keep members behaving peacefully. As fate would have it, peace did not come so easily for the Kentucky legislature at this time. As William DeBoe and others worked to elect the next KY Governor just a few years later, gubernatorial candidate William Goebel was assassinated. Interesting fact: the identity of Goebel's assassin remains a mystery to this day. William DeBoe served one, six-year term in the U.S. Senate from 1897 to 1903. His time in office included service under President William McKinley and President Theodore Roosevelt. William DeBoe played a significant role during the start of the McKinley administration in parceling out federal patronage.

William DeBoe also sponsored the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 17th Amendment was an important game-changer in American politics that provided for the popular election of U.S. Senators. William DeBoe was also active in appointing local postmasters, and he himself would eventually become the postmaster of Marion, Kentucky (1923-1927).

William DeBoe was chairman of the Committee on Indian Depredations and the Committee to Establish the University of the United States. During his tenure, William DeBoe worked to have the Smithsonian become a degree-confirming university of the United States.

After his term in the U.S. Senate ended, William DeBoe returned to Marion and pursued business ventures in the mining industry. He was also chairman of the Republican Party of Kentucky and was chosen as a delegate for the 1912 Republican National Convention. He died in Marion in 1927 and was laid to rest in Maple View Cemetery.

Let’s raise a glass to William DeBoe and make a toast to his historic six years of service. Aged six years in oak barrels, this pleasantly sweet Bourbon has a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley. The William J. DeBoe Release creates a flavorful experience you’re sure to enjoy with friends, especially while pondering the legacy and mettle of our historic local leader, William J. DeBoe. 

John Griffin Carlisle (1834 – 1910) was a leader of the Bourbon Democrats who fought for the passage of the very first piece of legislation to protect Americans from tainted whiskey. The successful Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, celebrating its 125^th anniversary in 2022, is part of John G. Carlisle’s legacy today. He is considered to have been a stabilizing force in the liquor industry. John G. Carlisle’s extensive political career includes service as speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1883 to 1889), a U.S. Senator (1890 to 1893), and an appointment by President Grover Cleveland as Secretary of the Treasury (1893 to1897). Carlisle County, Kentucky was named in his honor.

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Each new batch of Kentucky Senator Bourbon Whiskey carries the namesake of an esteemed U.S. Senator from Kentucky. The John G. Carlisle Release marks Kentucky Senator’s third limited-edition, small batch Bourbon since the brand’s revival in 2019. This release has been aged a total of seven years. It is available at liquor stores, bars and restaurants throughout Kentucky, with single barrel private selections at Liquor Barn, Party Mart and DEP retail outlets. The John G. Carlisle Release is also available online at www.BourbonOutfitter.com and is featured at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, D.C.

John G. Carlisle grew up in what is now Kenton County, Kentucky, near Covington. He was the oldest child of 11 and began teaching in local schools at just 16 years old. While teaching requirements have significantly improved since then, a Covington elementary school still bears his namesake. This is because John G. Carlisle is one of the most influential politicians to be born in northern Kentucky.

As the eldest child, John G. Carlisle was expected to support his family after his father’s death. He studied law under John W. Stevenson and enjoyed a wildly successful law practice by age 23. Where there is law, there is also politics. It wasn’t long before John G. Carlisle took the political stage and he served Kentucky throughout the 1860’s. His service included time spent in the Kentucky House of Representatives, the Kentucky State Senate and as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.

Turning his attention to Washington, John G. Carlisle served in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms. A rising star in the federal government, John G. Carlisle became a leader of the Bourbon Democrats and was elected Speaker of the House three times. A popular figure at the time, with whispers of a presidential run, John G. Carlisle was chosen by his party to succeed U.S. Senator James Beck in 1890.

Also a friend to President Grover Cleveland, John G. Carlisle was appointed Secretary of the Treasury in 1893. As the story goes, President Cleveland and John G. Carlisle were playing poker when John G. Carlisle bluffed his way to victory. Feigning anger, President Cleveland warned Carlisle to never lie to the president again. He then promised Carlisle a cabinet post if he was re-elected to the presidency. President Cleveland won a second, non-consecutive term in 1892 and Carlisle became the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

During the 1800’s, whiskey bought from local markets could easily be contaminated with substances like paint thinner, iodine and tobacco juice. This same whiskey would then be used to treat child illnesses. It was such an issue that the prominent Kentucky distiller, Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr., began pleading with the U.S. government to impose rules on how authentic whiskey was made. John G. Carlisle joined the effort while he was Secretary and the historic Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 was passed into law.

Bottled-in-Bond whiskies, or “bonded” whiskies, became very popular in the early 1900’s. Bonded whiskey was required to follow specific rules related to how the spirit was stored, aged, bottled and taxed. Barrels were stored in governmentally supervised warehouses and came with certain guarantees. The successful Bottled-in-Bond legislation was one of the first examples of consumer protections in the U.S. and the act still stands to this day.

John G. Carlisle's political career fizzled after the Panic of 1893 and the political upheaval that followed. However, his influence in the liquor industry continues today. While newer regulations exist, the Bottled-In-Bond Act still stands as U.S. law.

John G. Carlisle was certainly a Kentucky senator with high standards – and we celebrate him today through the stringent standards we set for our small batch Bourbon whiskey. Aged seven years in oak barrels, this pleasantly sweet Bourbon is 107 proof with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley. Please join us as we raise a glass of Bourbon to John G. Carlisle, an indispensable ally and supporter of the South’s go-to spirit.

John Sherman Cooper, Republican of Somerset in Pulaski County, served three non-consecutive, partial terms in the U.S. Senate before being elected to two full terms in 1960 and 1966.

One of the most consequential Kentuckians of the 20^th Century, he also served as State Representative, County Judge, Circuit Judge, as well as U.S. Ambassador to India and East Germany. He was a close friend of President John F. Kennedy and later served on the Warren Commission which investigated the Assassination of JFK.

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Each new batch of Kentucky Senator Bourbon Whiskey carries the namesake of an esteemed U.S. Senator from Kentucky. The John Sherman Cooper Release proudly celebrates one of the most popular figures in the Commonwealth, post World War II.

Extremely popular for a politician, John Sherman Cooper holds records for the largest victory margins (of any Kentucky Senator) during the 1960s. He was also the first Kentucky Republican to be elected to the U.S. Senate more than once.

Born in Somerset in 1901, John Sherman Cooper’s family was heavily involved in Pulaski County politics. His father held an appointed position by President Theodore Roosevelt, both his parents were active in abolitionism, and local circuit and county judges could be traced back through the family ancestry.

John Sherman Cooper was known for working tirelessly to improve the lives of others. He enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II, in the middle of his professional career at the age of 41. Because of his legal background, he became a trusted advisor for the over 300,000 displaced persons in Nazi occupation zones – people looking for legal repatriation after being brought to Germany as slaves.

Once John Sherman Cooper’s own political career started in the 1920s, he quickly established himself as a bipartisan heavyweight and master of backroom deals. By 1946, John Sherman Cooper had been elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served on and off for the next 20 years.

He was a charmer, criticized many times for finding common ground across the political aisle. John Sherman Cooper’s most notable accomplishments include an appointment by President Harry S. Truman as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, and his position as special assistant during the formation of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

John Sherman Cooper's most honored legacy as a statesman was his sheer dedication to public service. He was a serious political player; even sent by President John F. Kennedy on a secret fact-finding mission abroad in Moscow. After the assassination of President Kennedy, John Sherman Cooper was invited to serve on the Warren Commission that investigated the president’s untimely death.

In the early 1950s, some of his staunchest supporters even formed a committee to elect him president. John Sherman Cooper passed away in 1991 at the age of 89, but his dedication and memory lives on in Kentucky Senator’s fourth release of fine Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: the John Sherman Cooper Release.

John Sherman Cooper was a savvy politician with a keen eye – a serious and dedicated public servant who fought for his constituents and his country…Were he here today, there is no doubt John Sherman Cooper would recognize and celebrate a good bottle of Kentucky bourbon too. So, in honor of John Sherman Cooper's legacy, please raise a glass (of Kentucky Senator Bourbon’s latest) and toast to a life lived fully with a full glass of good bourbon. Cheers!

1757–1837

The John Brown Release pays homage to Kentucky’s very first U.S. Senator, an elusive forefather who helped establish Kentucky as a Commonwealth and who served with the likes of U.S. President George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

Born in Augusta County, Virginia, much of John Brown’s life is shrouded in mystery. As for his young life, we know John Brown was raised by a Presbyterian minister and was educated at Liberty Hall Academy and Princeton University. While in college, John Brown’s path was momentarily altered by the Revolutionary War, and he did not return to his education until after military service. John Brown later attended William and Mary, he studied law under Thomas Jefferson, and was ultimately admitted to the Virginia Bar.

Before becoming Kentucky’s first U.S. Senator, John Brown represented Virginia in the Continental Congress (1777 – 1778) and US Congress (1789 – 1791). At the same time that John Brown represented Virginia, his uncle received a Kentucky land grant and appointed John Brown as executor of that estate. Living in Frankfort, John Brown advocated separating Kentucky from Virginia and sponsored legislation that ultimately granted Kentucky its statehood.

President George Washington signed the act in 1792. As Kentucky took its rightful place among the stars on the nation's flag, John Brown became the first of Kentucky’s representatives to the United States Senate, where he twice served as president pro tem. He worked for open navigation of the Mississippi River and helped initiate the movement that brought about the treaty for New Orleans and the Louisiana Purchase (1803).

John Brown also petitioned for the Kentucky Capitol to be in Frankfort, on the banks of the Kentucky River. He designed and built his home, Liberty Hall, which is now a museum. He owned about 10,000 acres of Kentucky land and oversaw the construction of public institutions.

John Brown retired to Liberty Hall in 1805. He had been defeated for re-election in the Senate but continued to be involved in several public matters for the remaining thirty years of his life. He purchased a ferry that crossed the Kentucky River at Frankfort. He was a founding member of the Frankfort Water Company and was director of the first Bank of Kentucky.

Senator John Brown was a pioneer, founder, leader and revolutionary – whose legacy will live on in every sip of Kentucky Senator Bourbon’s 5^th Small Batch Whiskey. As glasses are raised in John Brown’s honor, let us remember the man behind the name.