The Craft: Kentucky Through and Through
RD1 Spirit’s Straight Bourbon is distilled in Kentucky using 100% copper equipment, aged 4+ years in Kentucky and bottled in Kentucky. We use 100% Kentucky corn and local limestone well water in our sour mash (also non-chill filtered). This traditional mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley is a Bluegrass favorite for a reason.
The Packaging: Honoring the Past With Eyes Wide Open to the Future
RD1's custom glass bottle honors the first federally registered distillery in Lexington and the many brands it produced - the beautiful tree on the neck label is reminiscent of Ashland Distillery's old label and the glass lettering honors the Old William Tarr bottle. RD1's modern, concave bottle shape features the iconic horse farm fences of Lexington around the base in etched glass.
The Experience: Tried-and-True Lexington
This traditional Kentucky Straight Bourbon invites you in with delicious aromas of vanilla wafers and roasted almonds. When sipping, orange flavors are followed by honeyed caramel, herbal tea and peppery oak. A long, warm finish ends dry with a spicy hint of ginger and cinnamon.
If traditional tasting notes aren’t your style, you may…
See – Your go-to piece of gold jewelry
Smell – The Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Taste – Your favorite cigar
Feel – Like you own a Lexington horse farm
The Buzz: What Others Are Saying
Bartender Spirits Awards: “Light notes of toasted cereal and stone fruit on the nose open up to a rounded palate of white chocolate. Ends in a subtle, pleasant oak finish and would stand out well in an Old Fashioned.” June 2024
2024 Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge: “A touch of grapefruit. A very nice citrus complexity to this well made Bourbon. Gold!” March 2024
The Tasting Panel: “Aged four years, this is made from Kentucky-grown corn, rye and barley blended with limestone well water. It’s subtle in caramel, vanilla, and baked pineapple, presenting as both expansive and powerful on the palate, with a lengthy finish of baking spice.” November 2023
USA Ratings: “A straight bourbon with rich, floral notes of maple syrup and honeysuckle. Has delightful medium-long finish with baking spices and caramel.” August 2023
John Barleycorn Awards: “A beautiful honeysuckle nose leads to nutty oak on the palate with a warm, cinnamon spiced, and lingering finish. Double Gold for me and double trouble. Bartender another round please.” June 2023
Ultimate Spirits Challenge: “A full and regal nose carries aromas of pipe tobacco, leather, mandarin orange peel, and clove. Flavors of caramel corn, buttered honey biscuits, and baking chocolate come through on a complex yet comforting palate before subtle cinnamon and spice notes round out the finish.” June 2023
Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards: “A solidly delicious, well balanced bourbon with spice, oak and a long, pleasant finish.” May 2023
London International Spirits Competition: “A bourbon with flavors and aromas of toasted corn, malt, oak and some sweetness and long finish, complex and intense with wood and vanilla hints.” March 2023
101 Proof (ABV 50.5%)
MAY ONE ALWAYS PUSH YOU FURTHER
RD1 crafts impressive Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon to celebrate the firsts in our lives – those who were first to create, first to believe, first to remove barriers. Just like the gutsy mavericks who built Lexington’s first registered distillery in the late 1800s, RD1 was started in 2020 by modern-day entrepreneurs who have the spirit to dare, a gift all firsts possess.
History & Innovation
In 1865, Ashland Distillery became the first federally registered distillery in Lexington, Kentucky, and was assigned the distinction of RD#1. Later renamed the William Tarr Distillery, it was a powerhouse producer in the state until prohibition.
In 2020, Lexington entrepreneurs – awe-struck by the stories of these bourbon firsts – formed a new brand, RD1 Spirits, to keep the history alive and to help write the next chapter by specializing in wood-finished bourbon.
Today, RD1 has earned a spot on the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail®. All are invited to visit our current home in Lexington’s Distillery District and our new R&D distillery, under construction just a few miles away.
Nose
It opens with inviting aromas of vanilla wafers and roasted almonds, giving a warm, comforting first impression.
Palate
The sip reveals layers of orange flavors followed by honeyed caramel, herbal tea, and peppery oak. The combination of sweet and spice creates a balanced experience.
Finish
The long, warm finish is dry, with a spicy hint of ginger and cinnamon, leaving a lingering heat.
*SHIPPING NOTICE- If possible, please use a business address for shipping. All shipments require an adult signature which is much more reliable at a place of business.
All orders usually ship within 24-48 hours unless noted otherwise