If you love great bourbon stories, you need to turn your attention to the far western corner of Kentucky. Down in Fulton County, right along the Mississippi River in a town called Hickman, something special is happening. Jackson Purchase Distillery is making serious waves, and they are doing it by blending deep state history with absolute whiskey royalty.

I was recently invited to one of their Nashville launch events.  Here’s what I learned:

The Story Behind the Name

The name takes us back to 1818. General Andrew Jackson, along with former Kentucky Governor Isaac Shelby, negotiated a massive treaty with the Chickasaw Nation. They purchased a huge tract of land bounded by the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee rivers, which added a big chunk of territory to western Kentucky and Tennessee. Today, that exact region is still called the Jackson Purchase. 

While most people think of central Kentucky as the heart of bourbon country, this western frontier may an ace in the hole. The region gets the longest, warmest summers in the state, and the local limestone aquifer provides perfect water for mashing grain. That extra heat means the barrels breathe deep, giving the whiskey a rich maturity even at a young age.  

A Distilling Legend Returns

The real magic behind the liquid comes down to one name: Craig Beam.

If that surname rings a bell, it should. Craig is a seventh generation distiller. His father was the legendary Parker Beam, the longtime master distiller at Heaven Hill. Craig spent thirty-five years working right alongside his dad, crafting some of the most iconic whiskeys on the planet.  

After his father passed and Craig spent some years away from the stills running his family farm and grain business, a phone call changed everything. The founders of Jackson Purchase reached out to him about buying grain, and that conversation coaxed a master out of retirement. Craig teamed up with another industry heavyweight, Head Distiller Terry Ballard, who helped build the modern fame of Willett. Together, they brought over two centuries of collective family heritage to this new western Kentucky operation.  

What is in the Bottles?

While the distillery does a lot of custom contract distilling for other brands, they recently launched their own flagship bottle: Jackson Purchase Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The team settled on a classic, robust recipe for their own house release:

•  70% Corn
•  20% Rye
•  10% Malted Barley

They go into the barrel at 120 proof using a heavy number four char. The initial small batch releases have been bottled at a fiery, uncut strength of around 117.8 proof. Despite being young, the local microclimate and Craig’s expert cuts give it a heavy, oily mouthfeel full of rich sweet corn pudding, baking spices, and dark cherry notes.  

At the launch event, we tasted thru several expressions, and I was surprised at the quality of the distillate. On the nose, there was brown sugar and caramel. On the palate, I found a rich mouth coating with vanilla, caramel and cinnamon. The finish was surprisingly long with baking spices and soft oak.  This is an exceptional value for ~ $60.  I stopped by a local retailer and picked up a bottle the next day.  I don’t need another bottle just to have it.  This release earned it.

They also do private selection single barrels, which are already winning rave reviews across the state. With a vault of other experimental recipes aging in their warehouses, including wheated bourbons, ryes, and single malts, Jackson Purchase is a distillery you will want to keep a very close eye on.