J.W. Rutledge Cask Strength Cream of Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

Thanks to my longstanding friendship with legendary Master Distiller Jim Rutledge, not only did I manage to secure a small allocation of his recent uber-limited release of 2025 Cream of Kentucky Small Batch before it hits the rest of the state, but I was also given a six-pack of the even more limited, more special Cask Strength release.

For those who don’t know the story (and trust me, you want to know this story), Cream of Kentucky isn’t just another bourbon brand. Born in 1888, this historic label was so prestigious that Norman Rockwell himself created the artwork for their bottles back in the 1930s and 40s.

Incredibly, the legend behind Four Roses, Jim Rutledge decided to leave and start his own company and while doing so, he purchased the Cream of Kentucky brand. After searching long and hard for barrels with special juice in them, he found this sleeping giant. He decided the barrels needed to be made under the iconic branding, crafting a “double-rich” bourbon that honors its pre-Prohibition legacy while setting new standards for modern craft distilling.