Old Commonwealth 10 Year Bourbon 2024

The first expression from Old Commonwealth Distillery is Old Commonwealth 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, a highly-limited release of exquisite cask strength liquid.

Old Commonwealth was a bourbon brand created in the 1970s by Julian Van Winkle II, the son of “Pappy” Van Winkle, using Stitzel-Weller liquid in various ceramic decanters. In 1983, when Julian Van Winkle III, needed a venue to continue the family business, he found a rundown distillery on Glensboro Road, in Lawrenceberg, Kentucky. Opened in 1889, it was now the Hoffman Distillery, though it had since closed and was up for sale.

Julian bought the property, rechristening it Commonwealth Distillery. For nearly two decades, Julian tirelessly bottled and launched innumerable brands and, in 1997, he released Old Commonwealth 10 Year, as a 107-proof wheat bourbon. It’s believed to be sourced from the Stitzel-Weller distillery. Only a few hundred cases of Old Commonwealth 10 were made, and the scant bottles left today command thousands at auction. The last bottling of Old Commonwealth by Julian was in 2002.

Our Fall 2024 release of Old Commonwealth 10 Year shares a few similarities to the original, including the age statement, the iconic label and the light green glass bottle traditionally used for fine cognac. However, our evolution of the brand saw us departing from the traditional wheat-based mashbill towards one that has a low amount of rye, but still drinks as sweetly. Sourcing a limited allotment of special barrels from a renowned Kentucky heritage distiller, we found that the liquid shines brightest at cask strength—131.83 proof—so we left it there.