Castle & Key Almost Ready To Open To Public

Col. Taylor’s garden,
restored to its former splendor
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

Castle & Key Distillery, formerly known as Old Taylor, announced on Wednesday the official opening of its newly restored, 130-year-old castle distillery in Millville, Kentucky. After more than four years of restoration of the 113-acre property, the historic site will begin hosting curated experiences for bourbon tourists beginning September 19, 2018. Guests may book an experience today at castleandkey.com.

Built in 1887 by legendary distiller Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. this groundbreaking distillery was a destination with a European-inspired castle, peristyle springhouse and sunken gardens. The property, now home to Castle & Key, has long been celebrated as the birthplace of bourbon tourism, but was shuttered more than 40 years ago. In 2014, Castle & Key Founding Partners Will Arvin and Wes Murry, two industry outsiders, purchased and began restoring the property with a vision of creating an immersive distillery experience. The founders later hired prospect Marianne Eaves away from Brown-Forman and named her Master Distiller, Kentucky’s first female to hold the title of Master Distiller of bourbon since Prohibition, to create thoughtfully made spirits with locally-sourced ingredients.

“For the last four years we’ve worked incredibly hard to create a destination where discerning tastemakers can experience history in motion,” said Will Arvin, Founding Partner. “Many people thought this day would never come, but we’re proud that we had the courage to keep pursuing this dream.”

“The opportunity to revive this historic property to its original glory and build a company from the ground-up was too enticing to turn down,” said Wes Murry, Founding Partner. “We can’t wait to show our guests this property and all we’re doing to create spirits with conviction over pocketbook.”

A New Destination in Spirits Tourism
Beginning September 19, Castle & Key will offer distillery guests a curated look at the property’s iconic structures and its restoration, an in-depth look at Castle & Key’s principled distilling approach and a unique tasting of cocktails made with Castle & Key’s Restoration Release Gin and Vodka. Experiences are curated based on each guest’s unique interests in Castle & Key’s story. Guests will experience:

• Each step of the distilling process within Col. Taylor’s historic Castle
• The property’s Sunken Gardens, which were originally designed by Col. Taylor based on those at Windsor Castle and restored in 2014 by famed landscape designer Jon Carloftis
• A quarter of a mile long Botanical Trail featuring ingredients used in Castle & Key’s Restoration Release Gin
• A train depot once used to move product and Col. Taylor’s guests, which is being transformed into a tasting room and, eventually, a café
• The longest aging warehouse of its design in the world, measuring 534 feet from end to end with the capacity for 35,000 barrels