We are excited to announce our newest, super-limited bourbon selection, W. B. Saffell Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This gem is the third release in The Whiskey Barons Collection by Campari, the firsts being Old Ripy and Bond & Lillard. All three of these special releases have celebrated the rich distilling history of our hometown, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
Mr. Saffell was born in 1843 and led operations at McBrayer Distillery for over 20 years. In 1889, he started his own distillery right here in Anderson County, KY. Although Mr. Saffell passed away in 1910, his distillery remained operational until Prohibition shut him down and his self-titled W.B. Saffell Bourbon was never produced again – that is, until now. Just like with his bourbon baron contemporaries, his legacy has remained strong. The Saffell name still adorns one of the local elementary schools where Tamara and Dawn learned all about the evil of merry-go-rounds and how to write in cursive. Tamara’s mama is still a teacher there today. The Saffell House built in 1890, featured prominently on the label, is just down the road from Sweet Mash. It sets two doors down from the Ripy House and across the street from the home where our idol, Mary Dowling, got busted during probation for the 100 or so BARRELS of bourbon in her basement. (She managed to get off with no jail time but that’s a blog for another day!) We do know that the old tunnels under the Saffell House, used to bootleg bourbon, still exist today. Happy to see they also make an appearance on the new label. How lucky are we to be in the middle of all this incredible, delicious bourbon history everyday!
According to The Bourbon Review, Saffell is non-chill filtered and bottled at 107 proof. Official tasting notes include “complex spice, caramel and wood flavor, with creamy vanilla and dried fruit.” Its a blend of 6, 8, 10, and 12 year old bourbons aged in No. 4 charred barrels, also known as the heaviest “alligator char.
You’ll want to get in here fast to grab a bottle of this local legend before they are all gone!