Kara Newman is a spirits reviewer and author of several cocktail books, including Shake.Stir.Sip., Nightcap, and Cocktails with a Twist. View the full story at WineEnthusiast.
The spiritual home of bourbon has deep historic roots. Now, a new generation of distilleries is shaping its future.
A ‘Forest’ Grows at RD1 Distillery
If it’s not aged in new American oak barrels, it’s not bourbon. But that criterion leaves a big white space for creative wood finishes—and that’s where RD1 is stepping in.
Shorthand for “Registered Distillery One,” RD1 was originally established as Ashland Distillery in 1865. The facility was the first to obtain a distillery license in Lexington. It shuttered during Prohibition, but in 2020, a group of investors, including former University of Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops, revived the operation.
Working with whiskey produced by Western Kentucky Distilling, RD1 uses wooden casks, staves, blocks, and more to add complexity and dimension to the distillate.
“We focus on the wood aspect of bourbon,” says Master Distiller Jarrad Gollihue. “We’re known for amburana wood, but we’ve also used sandalwood, eucalyptus, teak, mulberry wood, sassafras wood, apple wood, and balsam,” which is grown in South and Central America to shade coffee trees. They’re also known for experiments like bourbon finished with French oak staves steeped in maple syrup, creating flavors reminiscent of a stack of pancakes.
In 2025, RD1 opened a research and development distillery, including a tasting room, glass-enclosed lab, and 800-gallon pot still. The facility also includes an on-site “forest” for visitors to explore, which highlights the different woods used to finish whiskey, and includes a pair of selfie-friendly rope swings amid the woodsy backdrop.
Making Celeb Whiskeys at Bespoken
Bespoken’s tasting room is housed in the bustling Greyline Station, a former bus terminal converted into a market. A glance at the shelves reveals recognizable names: Sable Bourbon, a marquee bottle launched with Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, and Malcolm D. Lee, that aligned with the 25th anniversary of their 1999 film The Best Man. Private-label collabs with bands including Lynyrd Skynyrd and Whiskey Myers. “Kickoff bottles” and “victory bottles” for Ole Miss and other college sports teams.
Named for its focus on bespoke, special-edition whiskeys, Bespoken was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2018, with the intent to use technology-driven techniques to age wine (and later, whiskey). While many purists frown on so-called “rapid aging,” the company secured star-studded financial backing from baseball player Derek Jeter and billionaire scientist T.J. Rodgers. Bespoken relocated to Lexington in 2024.
“We have no barrels here,” says John Gilger, a tour guide and brand ambassador for Bespoken. Already-matured bourbon is sourced from contract giants like MGP and Bardstown Bourbon Co. Then the liquor is manipulated via a battery of non-traditional gadgets like laser stoves to flash-char oak, sous-vide-like water baths, and shiny pressure cookers—all to whip up whiskey dreams in a matter of days.