Stitzel-Weller Time Line

[bunghole]

During an all too short visit to Louisville in early June, 2007 I was able to capture these images. All photos property of Linn Spencer and copywrite Linnin Images 2007.

[bunghole]

The Van Winkle Family Gravesite.

[bunghole]

Thanks to Professor Veach and his many inside connections, we were able to gain access to the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. I am very pleased to report that the distillery is well taken care of, and is in excellent condition as the next series of photos well attest.

[bunghole]

The only parts of the distillery that are in poor shape are the stillhouse and physical plant, due to the extreme expense of asbestos removal. This is a sad thing as the still is the heart and soul of any distillery.

[bunghole]

Two more! The weathervane atop the gazebo at Stitzel-Weller and some barrels waiting to be bottled.

All photos property of Linn Spencer. Copywrite Linnin Images 2007.
Sorry for all this legal stuff.

I hope you enjoyed the series.

Linn

[bourbonv]

Linn,
Awesome shots. I do have to give a little possible correction though - those barrels are just as likely to be flavoring whiskey for Crown Royal or Seven Crown as Bulliett.

The Cave Hill shots are great. I like the Weller family marker and the shadow of the cross over Pappy's stone.

[bunghole]

Linn,
Awesome shots. I do have to give a little possible correction though - those barrels are just as likely to be flavoring whiskey for Crown Royal or Seven Crown as Bulliett.

The Cave Hill shots are great. I like the Weller family marker and the shadow of the cross over Pappy's stone.

Reality not withstanding as to the destiny of the bourbon in the barrels, I am pleased that you liked the photos.

So much so, that I am going to post three more!

Ha!

Linn

Photos property of Linn Spencer. Copywrite Linnin Images 2007.

Yeah! Yeah! Whatever.

[bunghole]

"A Kind Word Never Broke A Tooth."

[Dump Bucket]

Mike,

1943 - Cabin Still is withdrawn from the market because of a whiskey shortage due to the war (Liquor Store Magazine, Feb., 1970).

When was Cabin Still reintroduced to the market?

Was the Juice from Old Fitz/SW up until HH bought them in 1993?

[cowdery]

Nice pictures, Linn.

There was a period when only Maker's Mark was using the site, but now I think most of the activity is Diageo, as they are getting new make from a couple of different sources and barreling, and aging, it there. They're using that whiskey for Bulleit and I. W. Harper, and for both their American and Canadian blends.

Diageo is such a big company, and American whiskey is such a low priority for them, that it's hard to get answers about what they might do with this facility in the future. A mid-level Diageo exec opined to me not long ago that they need some kind of "homplace" for Bulleit, but he couldn't speculate about what that would be and it may have been just one man's opinion. Homeplace doesn't necessarily mean a distillery. It could be a restaurant/bar like the Maker's Mark one in Louisville. It could take any number of different forms.

We know Diageo recently kicked the tires over at Wild Turkey, but nothing seems to have come of it. I would be surprised if Diageo makes any bold moves in the American whiskey arena until the world economy settles down a bit more.

The place has such a strong identification with the Van Winkle family, with the Stitzel-Weller company, and with the Old Fitzgerald brand, that it's hard to imagine how they could effectively preserve its history while taking it in a different direction. They could conceivably reacquire Old Fitzgerald from Heaven Hill, but Fitz is probably Heaven Hill's #2 bourbon brand, volume-wise, after Evan Williams, so that seems unlikely.

The office building there is also quite nice. When the place was still operating, the plant manager was using Pappy's old office and he said it was nicer than the office of the company's CEO in Great Britain.

[bunghole]

Nice pictures, Linn.

A compliment!

By Chuck Cowdrey, no less.

I am honored. I do my best in all my photographic endevors.

Linn

[Dump Bucket]

Mike, et al,
Is there a list of the bourbons that were being produced inder Stitzel/Weller during prohibition?

[cowdery]

Old Fitzgerald
W. L. Weller
Rebel Yell
Cabin Still

Of course, there were many variations of each, especially Fitz and Weller. What am I forgetting?

[bourbonv]

During prohibition there were no bourbon produced before 1929. Then the list chuck gave is pretty accurate. Now if you want to know what they SOLD during prohibition then that is a different story. They sold a lot brands, even a few of their own. These Brands include: Old Fitzgerald, Cabin Still, W L Weller, Mammoth Cave and Carolina Club. They represented Henry Mckenna, Waterfield and Frazier, Cascade, Old Charter, and a couple of others that I don't recall.

[cowdery]

Sorry, I mis-read the question.

Pre-prohibition, W. L. Weller and Sons was a broker, not a distiller, but they bought a lot of their whiskey from A. Ph. Stitzel. Pappy Van Winkle kept the company going with a medicinal whiskey license and they, as a consolidation warehouse, picked up a bunch of other brands. It was during Prohibition that Pappy acquired Old Fitzgerald from Charles Herbst and merged Weller and Stitzel. They were the first distillery to make whiskey in 1929, when the government permitted some distilling because stocks (for medicinal pursposes) were running low. Rebel Yell wasn't even created until long after Prohibition ended.