Ironclad The Old Kernel Straight Bourbon

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 50% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

The Old Kernel is based on a mash bill of 78% Pungo Creek Mills Heirloom Indian Corn, 12% malted barley and 10% rye. Ironclad distils the mash in a copper pot still. The resulting spirit then matures for three years in small 30-gallon French oak barrels. The bourbon is bottled at 50% without chill filtration or added colouring.

The history of its principal corn variety is integral to this bottling’s identity: Bill Savage obtained the corn in 2007 from a family on Virginia’s Eastern Shore whose grandfather had cultivated it since 1870. Savage later supplied this rare grain to Ironclad for the bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose reveals dark cherry syrup, freshly baked cookies and a hint of caramel.
• Palate: Sweet corn and honey-butter cornbread combine on the palate with a subtle accent of rye spice.
• Finish: Maple syrup emerges in the sweet, lingering finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Ironclad Distillery Co produces The Old Kernel in Newport News and bottles it itself. The distillery operates beside the James River in the S. W. Holt & Co. Warehouse, built in 1913. The name Ironclad refers to the 1862 naval battle between armoured ships that took place within sight of the site.

The distillery follows a grain-to-glass approach, turning grain from Virginia into bourbon. In The Old Kernel, this regional focus on raw materials is particularly evident in the rediscovered heirloom corn from Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Facts: