Kentucky Owl has announced the release of its new Takumi Edition Bourbon Whiskey. This latest limited edition showcases Kentucky bourbon through the eyes of Japanese whisky, a collaboration between master blenders John Rhea of Kentucky Owl and Yusuke Yahisa of Nagahama Distillery. “Takumi” means “master” in Japanese.
Rhea selected four different formulations and sent the samples to Japan. Yahisa evaluated those samples, representing different ages and mash bills available from the distiller. He then created different blends with those formulations to develop one most reflective of his Japanese whisky style.
The Takumi Edition Bourbon is a blend of 4-, 5-, 6- and 13-year-old Kentucky straight bourbons, with mash bills containing corn, rye or wheat, and malted barley.
This is the fourth release under Rhea, who previously served as Four Roses Distillery’s chief operating officer, where his responsibilities included quality control, maturation, evaluation and product blending. He was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2016 and served as chair of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association board of directors.
Stoli Group purchased Kentucky Owl in 2017. Originally founded by C.M. Dedman in 1879, the Kentucky Owl Bardstown distillery went dark during the Prohibition era and remained dormant until a descendant revived the brand in 2014.
This new expression follows the March release of Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Limited Edition Bourbon Whiskey.
Click here to sign up for The Bourbon Flight Newsletter.
