The original Kentucky Owl was founded in 1874 by C.M. Dedman in Bardstown, and continued distilling until Prohibition became law in 1916, when the government allegedly seized some 250,000 gallons of Kentucky Owl, taking it away for safekeeping – though there are rumours that the stock was actually pinched by bootleggers.
However, the brand was revived in 2014 when the brand was revived by Dixon Dedman, a descendant of the founder. He quickly built up the reputation of Kentucky Owl by sourcing and bottling high-quality whiskeys, both bourbon and rye, from other distilleries.
In 2017 Kentucky Owl was purchased by the Luxembourg-based Stoli group, announcing plans to build a vast pyramid-shaped distillery and brand home in Bardstown. Then in 2021, the company announced that Dixon Dedman was moving on and John Rhea (formerly of Four Roses) had been signed as master blender. Seeing as the distillery isn’t yet operational, the wheat and high-rye bourbons currently available from the brand are distilled for Kentucky Owl by Bardstown Bourbon Co.