For decades, the Old Taylor Distillery near Frankfort has endured a precipitous decline from its halcyon days as a jewel of the Commonwealth’s bourbon industry.
For decades, the Old Taylor Distillery near Frankfort has endured a precipitous decline from its halcyon days as a jewel of the Commonwealth’s bourbon industry. Erected in 1887 by E.H. Taylor, Jr., this venerable facility was the first to produce an astounding one million cases of straight bourbon whiskey – a feat that drew admiration from far and wide.
In those gilded years of the late 19th century, the distillery complex was a tourist destination rivaling even the splendor of the state capitol itself. Visitors would arrive aboard the “Riney-B,” the Richmond, Nicholasville, Irvine & Beattyville Railroad, where they were afforded tours of the premises and gifted miniature bottles of Old Taylor’s coveted whiskey. Its proximity to the Old Crow Distillery proved mutually advantageous, as the two operations shared warehousing and production machinery.
Though acquired by National Distilleries in 1935, Old Taylor ultimately fell under the stewardship of Jim Beam before its doors were shuttered in 1972. With each passing year thereafter, the buildings succumbed to an ever more dilapidated state until 1999, when Cecil Withrow, a former employee, purchased the property with aspirations of restoring its glory through a natural spring bottling operation, whiskey distillation, and an arts and crafts mall within the erstwhile bottling house.
While the mall briefly opened, Withrow’s noble vision was never fully realized. The complex changed hands again in May 2005, acquired by Scott Brady, whose plan entailed selectively demolishing warehouses in advanced stages of decay, with the reclaimed wood and materials marketed under the “Heart Pine Reserve” label until the company’s insolvency.
Thence commenced a period of profound uncertainty for Old Taylor, as portions collapsed while others lingered in severe disrepair, the complex teetering perilously on the brink of the landfill. But on May 8, 2014, a rebirth was heralded by Peristyle, a fledgling company proposing a $6.1 million investment to restore and reopen the hallowed distillery, creating 10 full-time jobs. The venture secured tentative approval for up to $200,000 in tax incentives through Kentucky’s Business Investment program and $50,000 more via the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act.
With renovations slated for completion by autumn 2015, this resuscitation of Old Taylor Distillery could scarcely be more timely. Neighboring exemplars like Woodford Reserve, the impending revival of Old Crow, and the bourgeoning success of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail augur fortuitously for this latest renaissance along the Commonwealth’s sacred trail of bourbon.
