Inspired by the barrier island south of Charleston, South Carolina where Blender, Dixon Dedman, unwinds with family and friends
Fast Facts about The Kiawah Blend
- Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Mashbill: two proprietary mash bills, a high rye 35% bourbon mash bill and a moderate rye 18% bourbon mash bill.
- Proof: 104 (52% ABV)
- Age: NAS
- Price: $99.99
- Availability: available nationwide and online at ReserveBar.
Full Details on the Release:
Renowned American whiskey blender Dixon Dedman is excited to launch The Kiawah Blend, a limited-time small batch blend and the fourth release in 2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey’s Icon Series. The Kiawah Blend (SRP $99.99) is a nod to Dixon’s happy place, Kiawah Island, a barrier island on the Atlantic coast located 25 miles southwest of Charleston, South Carolina. It’s where Dixon goes with his family and friends to relax, unwind, and recharge. The Kiawah Blend will be available nationwide and online at ReserveBar.
Kiawah Island is a special place for me. It’s where my family has been vacationing since I was a kid, where my wife and I have been taking our children. It’s my happy place – where I can get away with family and friends and step off the grid.
Dixon Dedman
2XO, meaning Two Times Oak, refers to Dixon’s pioneering blending process where every 2XO expression has additional oak exposure. The Kiawah Blend is comprised of two proprietary mash bills, a high rye 35% bourbon mash bill and a moderate rye 18% bourbon mash bill. Dixon double barrels the high rye 35% bourbon mash bill into new charred oak barrels, both #3 and #4 char levels, for 9 months to a year. The double-barreled high rye mash bill makes up 60% of The Kiawah Blend, and that additional oak interaction builds the sweetness to balance out the spice from the rye in the mash bills. The Kiawah Blend’s mouthfeel is viscous and rich with notes of vanilla, oak, clove, lemon, and a light peppery spice.
The Kiawah Blend follows previous award winning 2XO releases, including limited-time blends from the Icon Series (The Phoenix Blend, The Innkeeper’s Blend, and The Tribute Blend), American Oak, the first in the Oak Series, an everyday offering perfect for classic whiskey cocktails, and Gem of Kentucky, a double-barreled, single barrel limited-time annual release. The Kiawah Blend should be sipped neat or on the rocks in your happy place, and as with all 2XO Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys, enjoyed responsibly.
All 2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys are brought to life in partnership with Prestige Beverage Group, an industry leading importer and brand innovator of award-winning wines and spirits. Together, Dixon and Prestige Beverage Group aim to offer the most unique, sought-after whiskey blends to spirits enthusiasts everywhere. Learn more about 2XO and The Kiawah Blend at www.2xowhiskey.com and follow @2xowhiskey on Facebook, and Instagram.
About the Brand:
2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was created by renowned American whiskey blender Dixon Dedman. Dixon grew up on the Kentucky whiskey trail infusing the learnings from industry legends with his culinary expertise from running his family’s business, the famed and James Beard award-winning Beaumont Inn. He was originally known for his high-proof, robust Kentucky Owl Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey blends, a brand he relaunched in 2014 from his great-great grandfather, C.M. Dedman, after it went dark in 1916 around the time of Prohibition.
2XO, meaning Two Times Oak, refers to the blending process Dixon pioneered where every 2XO expression has additional oak exposure. The additional oak interaction builds the sweetness to balance out the spice from the rye in the mash bills and creates a unique combination of intense flavors, character, and complexity with each expression.
The 2XO brand consists of an everyday blend offering (Oak Series), a series of limited-time, small batch blend offerings (Icon Series), and a series of single barrel releases (Gem of Kentucky). Dixon’s blends have garnered awards and recognition, earning their place among the finest American whiskeys in recent memory. He has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Robb Report, Esquire, Food and Wine, Playboy, Maxim, Garden & Gun Magazine, Whisky Advocate and more.
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