Castle and Key Distillery

For those of you who have never heard of this Frankfurt, Kentucky distillery, bourbon connoisseurs will immediately recognize the man who built it. In 1887 a man by the name of Colonel Edmund Hayes Taylor, Jr built a new kind of distillery. During that time, most distilleries weren’t that glamorous. However, EH Taylor had a different vision for his new venture.

Castle and Key Distillery would be designed to resemble a medieval castle, inspired by European architecture. The spring house, which he said was ultimately his “key to success” is unlike any you will see. It is literally shaped like a key hole in the ground, built with Kentucky limestone. That same limestone water which makes Kentucky such an ideal place to produce bourbon in the first place. Glenns Creek flows through the property, providing natural resources for their spirits. It also makes for a nice backdrop along their Botanical Trail. Did we mention there’s an adjacent sunken gardens designed  and walk-up bar inside the historic Taylorton Station?

Visitors from many different eras have visited this distillery to varying degrees. When it was first built, they would travel in by rail. There, they were greeted with a huge mural or advertised branding on the side of the rickhouse in the back of the property. This bourbon aging warehouse was the longest of its kind.

In 2016 the historic property was purchased by investors. In 2018 they started distilling vodka and gin. In December 2020, they released their first aged spirit in Redemption Rye. Castle and Key Distillery bourbon is expected to be released in 2021.