Reviving Bourbon de Luxe: A Historic Bourbon Returns
Rolling Fork Spirits has announced the revival of Bourbon de Luxe, an iconic brand with origins dating back to 1911, which hasn’t been available in retail for years. Originally created by Fort Worth whiskey merchant Milton Eppstein, Bourbon de Luxe is being relaunched as a super-premium Kentucky Straight Bourbon by Rolling Fork co-founders Turner Wathen and Jordan Morris.
Fast Facts about Bourbon de Luxe Batch 2024-01:
- Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Mashbill: Not disclosed
- Batch Components: Batch 2024-01 is a blend of three barrels of 8-year-old barrel-strength Straight Kentucky Bourbon.
- Proof: 119 (Cask Strength)
- Age: 8 Year
- Distilled and aged: in Bardstown, Kentucky
- Price: $64.99
- Availability: Limited to 528 Bottles; Exclusively at Seelbachs.com beginning at 3:00 PM ET on October 30, 2024.
More Details on the Bourbon de Luxe Release:
Bourbon Historian Brian Haara noted, “Under Epstein’s ownership, Bourbon de Luxe grew in popularity before Prohibition and it continued as a medicinal whiskey brand during Prohibition. In 1926,Kentucky’s R.E. Wathen Co. acquired the Bourbon de Luxe brand, and it continued to flourish with the American Medicinal Spirits Co.”
After being acquired by Kentucky’s R.E. Wathen Co. in 1926, the brand flourished, even battling counterfeit imports after Prohibition’s repeal. It became a staple under National Distillers, which produced it until the early 2000s.
Wathen and Morris, partners since 2016, aimed to revive a historic brand linked to Wathen’s family legacy. “Bourbon de Luxe is one of a few brands that my family produced that Jordan and I had admired for a long time,” Wathen said. “We would not act on a brand revival unless we were able to source very high-quality Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Once we secured the trademark and the bourbon, we were off to the races.”
Bourbon de Luxe is an 8-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, bottled at cask-strength (119 proof), featuring notes of caramel, vanilla, cream, and orange peel, complemented by seasoned oak and light pepper. The first batch consists of 528 bottles, available exclusively at Seelbachs.com for $64.99, with plans for future releases in 2025.
About Bourbon de Luxe
Bourbon de Luxe traces its roots back to 1911. The brand survived Prohibition after being acquired by the R.E. Wathen Co. in 1926, and it was folded into American Medicinal Spirits Co. portfolio in 1927 (one of six permit holders to sell medicinal whiskey). The return of Bourbon de Luxe in 2024 marks the revival of this historic brand, which follows the motto created by the Wathen family in 1788: No Finer Spirits Can Be Made. For more information, visit their website and follow the brand on Instagram at bourbon.de.luxe.
Listen to Bourbon Lens on your favorite podcast app or stream on Spotify. If you’d like to support Bourbon Lens, subscribe to our Patreon, sign up for our “Weekly Pour” Newsletter, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
If you like cocktails, subscribe to our second podcast, Cocktails with Friends. Cocktails with Friends is hosted by our good friend and partner, Bob Cutler.
Recent Bourbon Lens Coverage
- Redwood Empire Acquires Savage & Cooke Distillery
- Blitzen’s Bar at the Omni Louisville Hotel: New Holiday Pop-Up You Won’t Want to Miss
- Laws Whiskey House Builds New, Stunning “Whiskey Sanctuary” in Denver
- Buffalo Trace Distillery’s New Holiday Advertisement Stars Freddie Johnson
- Company Distilling Announces New Location in Lynchburg, Tennessee
- Woodford Reserve x Compartés Partnership Adds New Chocolate Bar
