Old Pogue Distillery: Maysville, Kentucky

19 hours ago

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Old Pogue is a family-owned bourbon and rye distillery in downtown Maysville, Kentucky, with a story that runs from 1876 through Prohibition and a long gap to a family revival.

History

Wikipedia says the Pogue family created the Old Pogue bourbon in 1876 and that the original distillery was Kentucky registered distillery number 3, in Maysville. A DePauw University story says Henry Edgar Pogue bought the Maysville distillery where he worked in 1876 and re-established it as Old Pogue Distillery. Prohibition shut the distillery in 1920. Wikipedia says it was revived after 18 years and closed again during the Second World War, leaving the brand off the market for about 60 years.

Descendants of the family relaunched the brand around 2005, using whiskey bought from another company before building their own distillery. The family established a new distillery in Maysville in 2012, the year the company joined the Kentucky Distillers Association and the distillery became part of the newly launched Craft Tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The brand has passed through six generations of men named Henry Edgar Pogue, according to Wikipedia and the official site.

People and production

The distillery's website names Paul Pogue and John Pogue, fifth and sixth generation Pogues, as the distillers. Wikipedia cites Cincinnati Magazine for output of roughly 200 barrels a year of bourbon, rye and wheat whiskey. It lists the flagship Old Pogue as bottled at 45.5 percent ABV (91 proof) from a rye mash bill, with a Master's Select bottling also made.

Visiting

The Old Pogue property includes the historic home of the Pogue family. It sits on the Craft Tour of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and Kentucky Tourism lists it as family owned and operated. Check the distillery for current tour times.

Sources

Wikipedia, Old Pogue, citing The Whiskey Wash, the Ledger Independent, Cincinnati Magazine and The New York Times
The Old Pogue Distillery (oldpogue.com), search summary
DePauw University, A twist of fate (March 2020)
Kentucky Tourism listing

Gaps

The Wikipedia account of the post-Prohibition revival is brief and we have not confirmed the exact dates of each reopening. We have not verified still sizes or the current range. If you have more information about this distillery, or spot something we have got wrong, contact Whisky Clan and we will update this profile.