As the Applejack for batches 3 & 4 were being crafted and placed in their wooden homes to age, Tom was already thinking about the next step for our little artisan distillery. I find at times that my roll consists of reining him back in a bit until the dust settles from one project before we move on to the next, but, this time, he was unstoppable. Tom found that he was enjoying the process so much that he wanted to take it to the next level, and that just wasn’t going to happen with our beloved "Hoga" still. 

So, in true MacGyver fashion (or sometimes it can be MacGruber-ish), Tom started listening for any ripples in the air, making phone calls and doing his research.  At the end of the day, he got a bug in his ear about a really incredible and historic set of Copper Pot Stills that just might be up for sale.  He was truly excited, and, after getting Lianne on board, Tom wasted no time following up on this bug and drove to Bardstown, Kentucky to meet with David Beam, owner of these lovely girls and their choir of parts. 

The incredible copper pot stills had been tucked away in a barn by David’s hotel.  David bought them from the Michter’s Distillery in the early 1990’s with the dream of someday putting them back in to production with his sons. In the meantime they were on display there as both a museum and monument to the equipment and the historic distillery where they once lived.  Tom was instantly in love and, one Gentleman’s handshake later, he was the new owner of these gleaming beauties.

Now Tom’s wheels were really spinning as he was now the owner of stills designed for making whiskey.  Whatever shall we do?  Why, how about making some very traditional Sour Mash Bourbon along with our very traditional American Applejack?  No more reining this one in…..