Barrell Global Offers Post-Prohibition Style Bourbon

Barrell Global is a company based squarely on making the purchase of individual barrels of whiskey more accessible to consumers, either as individuals or in groups. But rather than operate strictly as a middleman, who acquires barrels of stock whiskey, they have ventured into the role of contract producing specific products aimed at filling particular niches. One such niche is the Lost Mashbill Project, focusing on post-Prohibition bourbon, or the bourbon made between the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and the industry’s diversion to industrial alcohol during World War II.

The company is contract producing through Castle & Key for this project. To create bourbon in a post-Prohibition era style, the project draws inspiration from historical documents and bourbon production practices of the early twentieth century. The recipe was uncovered by Murray David Harwich III, a sixth-generation descendant of the family that founded the former Old Taylor Distillery in 1887. Murray made the discovery while searching the archives of his family’s estate. Harwich is also the “Leader of Experience” at Barrell Global.

Said Harwich, “Researching early bourbon history has felt a little like treasure hunting, because I was aware that I could uncover something that hadn’t been looked upon or used in decades, but which could allow me to carry forward that work.

Further research into archives provided additional clues as to how bourbon was produced during this period, informing the production process for the Lost Mashbill Project. Heirloom grains have been sourced from Walnut Grove Farms and custom barrels made from naturally-seasoned, air-dried wood have been sourced from Kelvin Cooperage, with the aim of producing a heritage-style bourbon as authentically as possible.

George Koutsakis, CEO and founder of Barrel Global, said: “We’re thrilled to revive this old recipe and to offer our clients such a unique piece of living history, a heritage bourbon crafted with early twentieth-century methods and the rigor of modern distilling.”

This inaugural release of the Lost Mashbill Project will be offered exclusively through Barrel Global. Each barrel will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence while showcasing a historically-inspired approach to bourbon production rooted in early twentieth-century traditions.