Old Pepper Small Batch Single Malt Whiskey
Old Pepper Small Batch Single Malt Whiskey is a 100-proof (50% ABV), 750mL Kentucky single malt — 100% malted barley, fermented, distilled, and bottled in very small batches at the historic James E. Pepper Distillery in Lexington — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Mash bill: 100% malted barley
- Barrel: new charred oak
- Origin: James E. Pepper Distillery, Lexington, Kentucky — distilling restarted December 2017
- Heritage: Pepper family whiskey brand with roots in the American Revolution; relaunched 2008 by Amir Peay
A Lexington Legend, Reborn as Single Malt
The Pepper family name runs through Kentucky whiskey history like a fault line: the family built and operated two landmark distilleries — first the site that today hosts Woodford Reserve, later the James E. Pepper Distillery in Lexington — before the brand and distillery were abandoned in the late 1960s. After half a century of neglect, entrepreneur Amir Peay relaunched the brand in 2008 following a decade of historical research, and in December 2017 the rebuilt distillery began distilling again. Old Pepper Small Batch Single Malt is the distillery's love letter to its own most flavorful ingredient: malted barley has always been a staple of Pepper whiskey, and here it stands alone — a singular expression of that complex grain, one the Colonel himself would be proud of.
Tasting Notes
Nose: inviting caramel and oak, with hints of fresh-cut hay and citrus. Palate: well-balanced — brown sugar and stone fruits like peaches, subtle grassy undertones, and a distinctive malt character reminiscent of rising bread dough. Finish: smooth and satisfying, with lingering malt and a touch of sweetness.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Glencairn to catch the malt and hay aromatics, or with a splash of water to open the stone-fruit notes. For American single malt collectors, this is a bottle with a genuine heritage story — pour it next to a Scotch single malt and taste what Kentucky does with 100% malted barley and new charred oak.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as James E. Pepper 1776? It is the same distillery family — James E. Pepper Distillery in Lexington — but Old Pepper is the heritage single-barrel/small-batch line, and this is its single malt expression.
What makes it a single malt? It is distilled from 100% malted barley at a single distillery — the defining requirements of an American single malt.
What proof is it? 100 proof (50% ABV) — bottled in bond strength, uncut and full-bodied.
Kentucky single malt with two centuries of history behind it — order Old Pepper Small Batch Single Malt online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.