One of Owensboro’s most historic whiskey names is returning to shelves as Sazerac Company launches two new Kentucky whiskeys carrying the Glenmore name.
Sazerac has introduced Glenmore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Glenmore Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, reviving a name whose roots stretch back more than 150 years in Owensboro and Kentucky whiskey history.
The new releases are inspired by the heritage of the Glenmore Distillery, which traces its beginnings to 1869, when Richard Monarch began distilling whiskey in Owensboro. The operation that eventually became known as Glenmore grew into an important part of Kentucky’s whiskey industry and remained a fixture in the western Kentucky city for generations.
The historic Glenmore property remains part of Owensboro today. Sazerac operates The Glenmore Distillery at 2001 E. Fourth St., along the Ohio River, where the company maintains significant production, barrel and bottling operations.
Glenmore’s story includes surviving Prohibition as one of a small number of distilleries permitted to bottle whiskey for medicinal purposes. The operation continued distilling whiskey for more than 120 years before distillation at the Owensboro facility ended in the early 1990s. Bottling and warehousing operations continued at the property.
Sazerac eventually acquired the operation and restored the Glenmore Distillery name. The company has continued investing in the Owensboro facility, including approximately $40 million since 2020 to improve processing capabilities, barrel equipment, distillery controls and bottling lines.
Now Sazerac is bringing Glenmore back not simply as the name of its Owensboro operation but as a whiskey brand consumers can once again find on store shelves.
“The Glenmore name has an incredible history, and we’re honored to help write its next chapter,” Lauren Selman, global growth and innovation director at Sazerac, said in announcing the release.
Both new whiskeys are bottled at 100 proof, but Sazerac designed them with distinctly different flavor profiles.
Glenmore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is described as having a rich, oak-forward character with notes of crème brûlée, toasted marshmallow, vanilla custard, caramelized sugar and toasted pecan, followed by a smooth, rounded finish.
Glenmore Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey leans toward traditional rye characteristics, with rye spice complemented by black pepper, toasted grain and subtle sweetness before a bold, warming finish.
The company also looked deep into its archives while developing the reborn Glenmore identity.
“The archives reveal generations of people, ideas and ingenuity that helped build the Distillery and its brands,” Nick Laracuente, Sazerac’s bourbon archaeologist and lead archivist, said. “We studied advertisements, labels, photographs and records to help us piece together the Distillery’s story.”
For Owensboro, the launch connects the modern bourbon boom with a whiskey history that predates many of the brands now attracting visitors to Kentucky.
While much of Kentucky bourbon tourism is associated with Louisville, Bardstown, Frankfort and central Kentucky, Owensboro has its own deep whiskey-making heritage. The Glenmore property remains an active part of Sazerac’s Kentucky operations and one of the enduring links between western Kentucky and the state’s signature bourbon industry.
The revival also comes as Sazerac continues investing heavily across Kentucky. In addition to Glenmore in Owensboro, the company operates Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort and Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown and recently acquired the Garrard County Distilling facility in Lancaster.
Glenmore Bourbon is shipping to retailers, bars and restaurants through Sazerac’s U.S. distribution network. Glenmore Rye is scheduled to become available in September.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the price.
Both 100-proof expressions carry a suggested retail price of just $19.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle, positioning the revived Glenmore name as an accessible Kentucky whiskey rather than a premium-priced or highly allocated release. Availability and pricing may vary by market.
For a name that has been associated with whiskey in Owensboro for generations, Glenmore’s return gives Kentucky whiskey drinkers an opportunity to rediscover a piece of western Kentucky bourbon history — this time from a bottle bearing the Glenmore name once again. To learn more, visit glenmorewhiskey.com.
ABOUT GLENMORE WHISKEY
Glenmore Whiskey is a new American whiskey brand inspired by the history and pioneering spirit of the historic Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky, which produced whiskey from 1869 to 1992. Featuring Glenmore Bourbon Whiskey and Glenmore Rye Whiskey, both bottled at 100 proof, the brand celebrates the craftsmanship, ingenuity and whiskey-making heritage that shaped the Glenmore name for generations. Today, Glenmore carries that historic Kentucky whiskey name forward into a new era crafted for a new generation of whiskey enthusiasts.
ABOUT SAZERAC
With over 400 years of history, Sazerac is one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies. Now in the fourth generation of current family ownership, Sazerac strives each day to bring the finest spirits to consumers and communities around the world.
Over 500 of the world’s most extraordinary brands are part of the Sazerac portfolio, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Wheatley Vodka, Sazerac Rye Whiskey and many more. To learn more visit www.sazerac.com.
