How a Bardstown bourbon distillery becomes a name
In 1876 our great-great-great-grandfather, Elijah Hayes, dug a well into the limestone shelf that runs under Nelson County, Kentucky. That water — naturally filtered, free of iron, rich in calcium — is still what we mash with today. He built his first rickhouse the same year. Six generations later, the Hayes family is still inside the same warehouse walking the same wooden floors, pulling samples from barrels we ourselves filled.
Kentucky bourbon is defined by federal law: at least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 160 proof, aged in new charred American oak. Inside those rules, what separates a great Kentucky bourbon from an average one is the patience of the people making it. We don't cut corners. We don't chill-filter. We don't artificially age. The bourbon you pour from a Bourbon & Oak bottle is exactly what came out of a barrel in our rickhouse.
What we make
Our core lineup is built around three Kentucky bourbon styles — each one a different expression of the same limestone water and charred-oak aging.
- Single barrel bourbon — one cask, one bottling, the barrel number printed on the label. See our guide to how master distillers pick a single barrel.
- Small batch bourbon — a hand-married selection of 8 to 30 honey barrels, blended for a consistent house style. Lower price than single barrel, same craft.
- Bottled-in-bond and barrel-proof — federally regulated styles for drinkers who want bourbon as the distiller bottled it. Bottled-in-bond is exactly 100 proof, from one distillery, one distilling season, aged at least four years.
Beyond the core lineup we carry allocated releases — including the Pappy Van Winkle, E.H. Taylor, Eagle Rare and William Larue Weller lines — that we hand-source through our distributor relationships. Browse the full collection to see what's in stock right now.
How we ship Kentucky bourbon
We ship to every state where it's legal to receive bourbon by mail. Every package requires an adult signature at delivery and government-issued ID matching the order name. Full details on state restrictions, transit times and free-shipping thresholds are on our shipping page.
Visit the distillery
We're a stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and run guided tastings, warehouse walks and private barrel-pick experiences year-round. Book a tour or read about what each experience covers on the tours page. Bardstown is a thirty-five minute drive south of Louisville and ninety minutes west of Lexington.
Bourbon & Oak is licensed and regulated by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and a member of the Kentucky Distillers' Association. You must be 21 or older to purchase from this site. Please drink responsibly.