Few families are as intertwined in bourbon history as the Peppers.
The Pepper Distillery was established in 1780 by Elijah Pepper. Across three generations, Elijah, Oscar, and James made huge contributions to the bourbon industry. Oscar, alongside Scottish chemist James Crow, invented the sour mash process, which helps distilleries control the bacterial growth within a mash and ultimately regulate the bourbon from batch to batch. No big deal.
James E. Pepper lobbied the KY government to create a law which allowed distilleries to bottle their bourbon on site, rather than selling barrels to informal bottlers who could contaminate or counterfeit the bourbon. With this change, James also trademarked the sealing of a bourbon bottle with a signature stamp across the top.
There’s also a slight rumor that the Old Fashioned cocktail was invented in James’ honor. Historians have pretty much debunked that one as an old fashioned lie, but either way the Peppers’ contribution to bourbon society can stand on its own.
Despite the family’s significance, the distillery ultimately ceased production in 1967. It wasn’t until a few years ago that the distillery’s doors reopened and introduced the James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon and the 1776 Rye Whiskey counterpart.
While it appears the new distillery is at least partially sourcing their supply, the final bourbon is still uniquely Pepper. The James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon is fully rounded with rich vanilla and chocolate flavors, but quickly followed by a kick of balanced spices like cloves and, as luck would have it, pepper. The result is a sweet bourbon with an almost rye finish. And for only $30 a bottle? Sign us up.
Stepping out of the shadow of bourbon legacy was no easy task, but this bourbon would certainly have made the Peppers proud.
STATS: James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon
- Price for us: $30 for 750 mL
- Proof: 100
- Aged: 3-4 Years
- Distillery: James E. Pepper Distilling Company
- Recommendation: Neat
