Old Pogue is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Located in Maysville, Kentucky, the Old Pogue Distillery carries strong family ties dating back to the 1870s, and is privately owned by members of the Pogue family.[1]
| Company type | Distillery |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1876 |
| Headquarters | Maysville, Kentucky |
History
editThe Pogues created the bourbon Old Pogue in 1876.[2][3][4] Its original distillery was Kentucky registered distillery number 3, in Maysville, Kentucky.[5] However, the brand's distillery was shut down by Prohibition in 1920,[6] making the distribution and distilling of alcohol illegal.[6] Shortly after this, many distillers including the Pogues were finding other ways up distribute their alcohol. The only exception to the prohibition was the case of medicinal purposes, because distillation was not allowed they sold a restricted amount of the whisky for medicine.[3] When times became harder and alcohol was at a higher demand than ever, with the help of George Remus, they sold their whisky through bootlegging.[3] It was revived after 18 years and then shut down again during World War II.[7] The brand was then off the market for about 60 years.
The brand name was revived around 2005 by descendants of the Pogue family, who re-launched the brand using whiskey purchased from another company before opening their own new distillery. This bourbon has been passed down through six generations of Henry Edgar Pogues (I-VI), and is still owned by a descendant of the first Henry Pogue.[8]
The family established a new distillery in Maysville in 2012.[7][9] That year, the company joined the Kentucky Distillers Association and the distillery became part of the newly launched "Craft Tour" of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.[10][11] The distillery produces roughly 200 barrels of bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskey each year.[12]
Although the company has established a new distillery, it has not yet been in operation long enough to produce bourbon aged as long as what is used for the brand. The actual production of the brand has been contracted out to the Willett Distillery of Bardstown, Kentucky, which has used spirits distilled at the nearby Heaven Hill distillery for the product.[4][13] Thus, the bottles for the modern (post-2010) brand identify Bardstown rather than Maysville on the label as the origin of the product.[citation needed]
Spirits
editOld Pogue is bottled at 45.5% abv (91 U.S. proof), and is created from a rye mash bill with nine-year aging. The modern day Old Pogue is considered a close rendition of the original.[14] Like most bourbons, Old Pogue is typically consumed neat.[15]
One expression of the brand is a "Master's Select" bottling.
References
edit- ^ "Whiskey Review: Old Pogue Old Maysville Club Kentucky Straight Rye". The Whiskey Wash. 2019-02-04. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ "A Visit To Kentucky's Old Pogue Distillery". The Whiskey Wash. 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
- ^ a b c "American Whiskey: Maysville, Kentucky and the Pogue whiskey family". www.ellenjaye.com. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ^ a b Charles K. Cowdery, Non-Distiller Producers; Make The Brands, But Buy The Whiskey Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, American Distiller #89, Reprinted with permission from The Bourbon Country Reader, Volume 10 Number 5 (September 2007). (Access date December 13, 2010.)
- ^ History Archived 2013-11-12 at the Wayback Machine page on official web site.
- ^ a b "Prohibition". HISTORY. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ a b "Old Pogue has original DPS number". Ledger Independent. 2018-07-09. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
- ^ "The Old Pogue Distillery:Old Pogue". The Old Pogue Distillery. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ^ Weisstuch, Liza (2022-10-10). "Savoring Bourbon, and Its Storied History, in Northern Kentucky". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
- ^ Bourbon Trail launches new tour of artisan distilleries, Lexington Herald-Leader, October 12, 2012.
- ^ Craft distilleries across the state added to Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience, The Lane Report, October 12, 2012.
- ^ Walters, Amanda Boyd (2022-09-26). "Sipping History at Old Pogue Distillery". Cincinnati Magazine. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
- ^ Charles K. Cowdery, Who Made That Whiskey?, The Chuck Cowdery Blog: American Whiskey & Other Stuff, February 19, 2008. (Access date December 13, 2010.)
- ^ "Spirits". The Old Pogue Distillery. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ^ "Bourbon For Beginners: The Best Ways to Drink Bourbon". The Stock & Barrel. 2019-07-07. Retrieved 2021-11-30.