106: Castle & Key Restoration Rye Whiskey

Castle & Key Distillery has resurrected a giant in the Kentucky Bourbon industry, the Old Taylor Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.  And after many years of restoring the fabled location, Castle & Key has released their first whiskey. Restoration Rye, an aptly named whiskey, is the first rye whiskey to be released from this location as well.  We are joined by co-founder Wes Murry and Blender Brett Connors to discuss the distillery’s history, its whiskey, and their plans for the future.  We taste through Batch 1 of Castle & Key's Restoration Rye during the episode and find that it was well worth the wait.

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About the Distillery: 

Castle & Key is steeped in Kentucky distilling history, and yet it also presents a reimagining of Kentucky spirits for the future. When attorney Will Arvin came across photographs of an abandoned distillery in 2012, he couldn’t stop thinking about its legacy and the history of the property, previously known as Old Taylor Distillery. He decided to take a visit to the property, and within minutes this industry outsider was inspired to abandon a successful career path to build a meaningful new life for the distillery. After meeting financial advisor, Wes Murry, through a mutual friend, both of their visions became centered around the belief that consistency in flavor is not the only important factor that spirits enthusiasts' value, but rather that people are drawn to high-quality spirits that offer a new tasting experience.

The Old Taylor Distillery has a revered place in Kentucky distilling history. In 1887, when Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. built the distillery, he intended it to both produce high-quality spirits and stand out from the crowd with its distinctive architectural charm to become the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Inspired by European architecture, the site features a Castle, a classical Springhouse, and Sunken Garden. In 1920, however, Prohibition forced the closing of the distillery and over the course of the next century, the property changed owners and occupants several times, until it fell into ruin.

In 2014, Will and Wes began restoring this historic bourbon icon with a focus on changing the narrative around Kentucky spirits. They created a team of like minded people from inside and outside the industry to resurrect the castle by creating Castle & Key Distillery, which opened its doors in 2018. Taking up Colonel Taylor’s dedication to his home state, Castle & Key strives to use local ingredients when possible. Castle & Key makes everything that they sell from carefully selected grains and always chooses to do things in a thoughtful way – even when it’s not the easy way.

About the Spirits:

Castle & Key’s strategy works to reimagine how Kentucky spirits is showcased by creating consistently high- quality expressions that are unique with each release, instead of striving for one singular flavor profile.

Restoration Rye, the first whiskey from the Castle & Key team since its founding in 2014. The highly anticipated release pays tribute to the restoration of the historic property, which was once the iconic Old Taylor Distillery, originally built over a century ago. Castle & Key will also release Roots of Ruin Gin and Sacred Spring Vodka, all of which will appear in dynamic newly designed bottles. All new releases will be available for purchase in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia beginning in December.

In addition, Castle & Key also reveals its new look with the introduction of Restoration Rye, Sacred Spring Vodka and Roots of Ruin Gin. “We partnered with Stranger & Stranger to make our vision come to life and we couldn’t be more excited about the new look,” says Co-Founder Wes Murry. “The new bottle designs honor the history of our property, those who helped restore the property to its former glory, and the imaginative team that crafted our spirits.”

Restoration Rye

• (BATCH #1: 51.5% ABV; $39.99 SRP; 13,200 bottles)
• (BATCH #2: 49.5% ABV; $39.99 SRP; 12,540 bottles)
• The 2020 Restoration Rye, a name that speaks to the restoration of the distillery, features two batches, both with unique flavor profiles. Batch #1 is created from a blend of 60 barrels, and Batch #2 is comprised of 57 barrels. During the blending process, barrels are grouped into pods with specific sensory profiles. Those pods are then blended to achieve the unique, high-quality flavor profiles. No whiskey release from Castle & Key will ever taste the same as each other.
• Batch #1 Tasting Notes:
  • AROMA: Brown Sugar, Cinnamon Toast, Dried Figs, Pipe Tobacco, Baking Chocolate, Orange Peel
  • TASTE: Sweet Baking Spice, Cinnamon Roll, Caramelized Sugar, Dried Currants, and LightlY Roasted Almonds
  • FINISH: Sweet with light hints of maple syrup and dark honey
• Batch #2 Tasting Notes:
  • AROMA: Bright, Lemon Peel, Toasted Oak, Apricot, Wildflower, Honey, Graham Cracker
  • TASTE: Pie Crust, Honeysuckle, Mint, Agave Nectar, Dry Cinnamon, Light Stone Fruit
  • FINISH: Cooling, Camphoraceous with light mouth numbing

Roots of Ruin Gin

• (53% ABV; 750ml, $32.99)
• A spirit that speaks to the restoration of the property from its ruinous state, Roots of Ruin Gin represents the overgrowth of botanicals used in the recipe. A classic spirit, reimagined to delight, Castle & Key gin begins with their rye whiskey base that is distilled into vodka. The vodka distillate is then redistilled, and vapor infused with juniper and a thoughtful selection of seven native herbs and botanicals. The result is a distinct, complex, and heavily aromatic flavor profile offering bright and floral and soft pine scents and balanced notes of citrus and lemon verbena, followed by spicy ginger and sweet chamomile flower.

Sacred Spring Vodka

• (40% ABV; 750ml, $26.99)
• Sacred Spring Vodka is crafted from a whiskey base and redistilled to the highest proof and purity to maintain a vibrant character and rich mouthfeel.
• The aroma offers a light and sweet scent, with hints of cashew and citrus. The taste has clean citrus notes followed by vanilla bean and a hint of buttered toast, while the finish is silky and rich with lingering sweetness.

About Co-Founder Will Arvin

Will is a lifelong Kentucky resident born and raised in Lexington. Before founding Castle & Key, he was an attorney whose experience with construction and real-estate projects made him well-suited for the challenges of resurrecting this bourbon icon. Will is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, where he earned degrees in Economics and Spanish, before attending Cumberland School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate Degree. In 2014, Will left his law practice to pursue his dream of owning a Kentucky distillery and, as luck would have it, he came across the distillery online that was only a 30-minute drive from his home in Nicholasville, KY, and one visit later he fell in love.

Growing up in bourbon country, it’s natural that Will developed an admiration and appreciation for the craft of creating spirits - from the grains and mashing, to the distillation process, the aging and the blending. The challenge to restore the site and start a new venture in crafting unique spirits was the opportunity that he had always been looking for.

About Co-Founder Wes Murry

Wes brings over two decades of financial and operational experience to Castle & Key. His industry experience spans a wide range from transportation to finance to consumer goods. Originally from Lancaster, PA, and growing up with a strong work ethic from working at both his grandfather and father’s businesses, Wes gained the skills that are instrumental in becoming a successful businessman. Wes moved to Kentucky in 2011 and is a graduate of Dickinson College located in Carlisle, PA, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics and Computer Science before attending Vanderbilt University, where he earned an MBA in finance, operations, and strategy.

In the fall of 2014, Will introduced Wes to the former site of the Old Taylor Distillery and it didn’t take Wes long to realize the opportunity and instrumental role he could play in building Castle & Key. Wes began to research the industry and was given the opportunity and excitement he always dreamt of having in his career. 

Wes and Will continue to maintain the vision of Castle & Key and make sure each member of the team is continuing to drive company strategy while holding true to the company’s core values.

About Brett Connors, Blender and Brand Ambassador 

Brett Connors knows hospitality. Having spent more than a decade in food and beverage, he has refined his skills in the industry and has built a wealth of knowledge in the world of spirits, wine, and beer. As Blender and Brand Ambassador at Castle & Key Distillery, Brett applies his expertise in these fields to reimagine how Kentucky spirits are presented to the world by working on the creative side of Castle & Key's research and development team, utilizing his tasting skills to test different flavors while blending, as well as assisting with product strategy in order to produce spirits that encompass distinct flavor profiles.

Brett grew up in Winchester, VA, before attending George Mason University. After graduating with a double major, Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Conflict Analysis Resolution in 2011, he went on to attend a dual master’s degree program, between George Mason and the University of Malta. Upon returning to the United States, Brett moved to Kentucky, where he opened Old Bourbon County Kitchen in 2015, and after that he knew he wanted to pursue his passion for bourbon more actively by working with a producer directly, that producer was Castle & Key. 

Brett began working with Castle & Key in 2016 and throughout his time he has worked with the team to identify the best barrels for production each year, and even assisted Castle & Key with getting listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He has worked with the research team to create unique and ever evolving seasonal gins that expand Kentucky's reputation beyond bourbon distillation.

Today, each day is different for Brett. From hosting visitors and sharing the story and products of Castle & Key to pursuing his passion for blending by getting creative in the “kitchen,” he wears many hats while at the Castle. In the future, he hopes to continue to create experiences and products that capture the excitement and passion for the site’s history and overall quality of the spirits they produce, and to create an honest space where spirits can be accurately and openly discussed.   

Castle & Key As a Destination: 

• Located at 4445 McCracken Pike, Frankfort, KY
• Popular travel destination for spirits and history enthusiasts alike as it offers experiences of the many historical parts of the property including, the Boiler Room, Taylorton Station, Counter 17, the Springhouse and the Botanical Trail, as well as explorations of its production process and guided tastings.
• The distillery is currently open for guests to explore the grounds at their leisure from Friday - Sunday from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Note that currently, guided tastings and production experiences are not available due to COVID-19.
• For information about Castle & Key please visit https://castleandkey.com or follow on Instagram and Facebook

Libsyn photo credit: Castle & Key