By Andy Young, editor TheShout
New figures released by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association show that production of bourbon in the state has hit a 48-year high.
Kentucky distilleries filled 1.88 million bourbon barrels in 2015, the highest level since 1967. That number represents a 44 per cent increase on 2014, which is the biggest year-on-year difference since 1967.
There are currently more than 6.6 million barrels of bourbon ageing in Kentucky, which the KDA says is the highest amount since 1974.
Eric Gregory the KDA’s president said: “This is astounding, phenomenal, mammoth. This truly is the golden age of Kentucky Bourbon. We are filling more barrels, creating more good-paying jobs, generating more tax revenue and attracting more tourists than ever before.
“The entire commonwealth, and especially our local distilling communities, is realising the benefits of the growing global thirst for bourbon.”
With several distilleries adding capacity, it is possible that production could soon pass the 1967 high of 1.92 million barrels filled in a year.
According to the ALSA-IRI State of the Industry Report, bourbon returned to growth in 2015, up by 0.3 per cent on the previous year and traditional bourbon accounts for more than 90 per cent of the bourbon segment’s value.