When it comes to bourbon, provenance matters

My wife Amber and I returned home, to the heart of where it all began for me – the Bluegrass. A day at the races at Keeneland felt like stepping into a painting: the autumn sun catching the coats of the Thoroughbreds, the crowd humming with excitement. The next night, we watched on as the Kentucky Wildcats nearly toppled Texas under the lights at Kroger Field, the air electric with hope.

But it was afterward, on the backroads, that Kentucky spoke loudest. Horses grazed behind old stone fences; the sweet, yeasty scent of mash rolled out of the distilleries that dot the countryside. In those quiet miles, I remembered how deeply I love this place and how fiercely I’ll defend her bounty, both her people and her goods.

I was moved to write a kind of manifesto: my brief guide to enjoying bourbon and to honoring the hands and heritage that make it worthy of its name.

The distillers and distributors must be Kentucky-based and preferably family-owned and operated. The true keepers of bourbon’s soul are Heaven Hill, Willett Distillery, Buffalo Trace and Brown-Forman.

Heaven Hill deserves special distinction. Founded in 1935 by the Shapira family, it remains the largest independent, family-owned distillery in Kentucky, a rarity in an industry now dominated by global corporations. Heaven Hill’s portfolio stands as proof that family stewardship still produces greatness: Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna, Evan Williams, Old Fitzgerald and their old-line cousins J.T.S. Brown, J.W. Dant and T.W. Samuels. These are bourbons tied not to marketing departments, but to lineage, craftsmanship and the families who built Kentucky’s bourbon tradition.

Willett Distillery, another Bardstown treasure, continues to bottle authenticity through generations of the Willett family and its labels such as Johnny Drum, Willett Reserve, Noah’s Mill and Rowan Creek testify to an unbroken commitment to small-batch excellence.

Buffalo Trace, owned by the New Orleans-based Sazerac Company, bridges Kentucky’s bluegrass roots with Louisiana’s river heritage – it was Kentucky bourbon’s first export market after all. Its masterpieces are Colonel E.H. Taylor, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, Weller and the revered Pappy Van Winkle line.

They remind us of the deep cultural kinship between Kentucky and New Orleans: two regions bound by history, hospitality and whiskey. Few partnerships capture that spirit better than Buffalo Trace and the Van Winkle family, whose shared devotion to time, patience and provenance makes their bourbon nearly mythic.

Brown-Forman, though publicly traded, remains a family-controlled Kentucky institution. Through Woodford Reserve, Old Forester and their variants, the Brown family continues to guard a century-old tradition that still bears their name.

And finally, a note of caution. Never drink from Beam Suntory. Though some of its labels may once have been personal favorites, its Japanese ownership and Chicago headquarters place it far from the hills, people and heritage that define true bourbon.

However hard the sacrifice, one must forgo Basil Hayden, Maker’s Mark, Baker’s, Booker’s and Knob Creek in favor of the families and distilleries who remain faithful to Kentucky’s soil, culture and craft.

In bourbon, as in life, provenance matters. Drink from those who still make it, not those who merely market it.

This article was originally published in The Spectator’s December 8, 2025 World edition.