Most contract distilleries lean on decades of history to build credibility. Western Kentucky Distilling Company, which opened in Beaver Dam, Kentucky in October 2023, leans on something older: an 8th-generation master distiller whose family has been making whiskey since 1791. Backed by a $30 million investment, a 50,000-barrel annual capacity, and a Vendome copper still that stands 40 feet tall, WKD is the newest serious contract distillery in Kentucky and the production home for one of the fastest-growing bourbon brands in the country.
Western Kentucky Distilling Company sits on 80 rolling acres at 1880 Old Liberty Church Road in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, a small town in Ohio County about 30 miles southeast of Owensboro. The distillery opened in October 2023 as the first licensed distillery in Ohio County since Prohibition, backed by a $30 million investment that built one of the most modern production facilities in the state.
The operation is 100% Kentucky-owned and operated, a point the founders emphasize as a differentiator from the corporate and private equity-backed distilleries that dominate the contract landscape. Co-Founder, COO, and Master Distiller Jacob Call is an 8th-generation Kentucky distiller whose family lineage in whiskey production traces back to 1791. President JD Edwards brings industry operations experience. Together they built WKD with a clear mission: contract distilling done with craft-level care and Kentucky-sourced everything.
That “Kentucky everything” commitment is not just branding. All cooking, fermenting, and distilling equipment was purchased from Kentucky manufacturers, including the centerpiece Vendome Copper & Brass Works still. The distillery plans to source all corn locally from Kentucky farms. Even the construction was done by Kentucky contractors.
One interesting footnote: Jacob Call also serves as Master Distiller at Green River Distilling Company in Owensboro, just 30 miles up the road. That dual role connects WKD to the broader Lofted Spirits ecosystem, though WKD itself is independently owned.
WKD launched as a contract-first operation. The distillery is selective about partnerships, maintaining what they describe as a “limited, select family of brands” to ensure quality and service levels that larger operations cannot match.
RD1 Spirits is the anchor client and the relationship that defines WKD’s early chapter. RD1 signed a 5-year contract in 2023 for production of up to 15,000 barrels per year. The partnership runs deep: RD1’s owners are also part-owners of Western Kentucky Distilling. Jacob Call handcrafts RD1’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon at WKD, while RD1 team members handle the wood finishing of barrels across separate bourbon warehouses in Central Kentucky.
RD1 (which stands for “Registered Distillery One,” honoring Lexington’s first federally registered distillery from 1865) has built its brand identity around wood finishing innovation: French Oak, Brazilian Amburana wood, Oak and Maple double finishing, and other experimental barrels. The base bourbon is distilled at WKD, then the finishing happens elsewhere under RD1’s direct supervision. That split production model, where distillation and finishing are handled at different locations, is increasingly common in the NDP space and reflects a sophisticated approach to flavor development.
Hemingway Rye Whiskey is another confirmed WKD contract client, announced alongside the distillery’s KDA membership in late 2023.
WKD occupies a niche between the mega-facilities (MGP, Bardstown Bourbon Company) and the tiny craft operations. With 50,000-barrel annual capacity, it can handle meaningful volume without losing the personal relationship that craft brands value. The “no ridiculous forms and long email chains” philosophy appeals to entrepreneurs who want direct access to their master distiller, not a corporate account manager.
The independent, Kentucky-owned structure also matters for brands that want to market genuine Kentucky provenance without any corporate parent or PE fund in the background. In an industry where authenticity claims are currency, WKD’s ownership story is clean and simple.
The production facility is built around a 40-foot tall, 36-inch Vendome full copper beer still, complemented by copper condensers and a copper doubler. The all-copper distillation path is a deliberate choice that affects flavor: copper catalyzes chemical reactions during distillation that remove sulfur compounds and promote the formation of fruity esters, producing a cleaner, more refined distillate.
The fermentation program runs 15 state-of-the-art fermenters, giving the distillery flexibility to run multiple mashbills simultaneously for different clients. Annual capacity is up to 50,000 barrels of bourbon and rye whiskey, with the distillery already looking at expansion due to expected demand.
Jacob Call’s 8th-generation expertise is the production differentiator. While modern technology ensures precision and consistency, Call applies generational knowledge, the kind of sensory intuition about fermentation timing, distillation cuts, and barrel selection that cannot be taught in a textbook, to every batch. WKD positions this as “the crossroads of yesterday and tomorrow,” and the combination of a cutting-edge facility run by a heritage distiller is genuinely unusual in the contract space.
WKD ages whiskey in new charred American white oak barrels on the Beaver Dam property. The 80-acre campus has room for substantial warehouse expansion as the aging inventory grows. For contract clients like RD1, the barrel management is split: WKD handles distillation and initial barreling, while RD1 manages its own wood finishing program at separate warehouses in Central Kentucky. This split model allows the NDP to control the finishing and blending process, the steps that most directly determine the final flavor profile, while relying on WKD for the base distillate.
Western Kentucky’s climate is similar to the Owensboro area (Green River territory), with slightly warmer conditions than the Bardstown cluster of central Kentucky distilleries. This can produce a somewhat faster aging curve, which is relevant for brands planning their product timelines.
WKD is one of the newest contract distilleries in Kentucky, having produced its first barrel in July 2023. That means the oldest WKD-distilled whiskey currently in existence is not yet three years old. For bourbon, which requires a minimum of two years aging for a “straight” designation and typically hits its stride between 4 and 8 years, this means the best bottles from this facility are still years away.
That timeline is exactly why the RD1 relationship matters. RD1’s current releases use bourbon distilled under Jacob Call’s supervision, with the brand’s innovation happening in the wood finishing stage rather than the base distillate. As WKD’s barrels age into the 4, 6, and 8-year range, the quality and complexity of the available stock will only improve.
For consumers, the WKD connection signals a few things. First, the bourbon is genuinely Kentucky-distilled, on Kentucky equipment, with Kentucky grain, by a Kentucky distiller with an 8-generation pedigree. Second, the operation is small enough that the master distiller is personally involved in every client’s production. And third, the facility is brand new and purpose-built, meaning the equipment, infrastructure, and processes are modern and optimized from day one.
RD1 Straight Bourbon Double Finish Oak and Maple showcases the wood finishing innovation that defines the RD1 brand, built on a WKD base bourbon.
RD1 Small Batch Finished with Brazilian Amburana Wood layers South American wood influence over the Kentucky straight bourbon distilled at WKD, with tropical fruit, cinnamon, and vanilla notes from the Amburana barrels.
Western Kentucky Distilling is a bet on the future of Kentucky bourbon. The $30 million investment, the 50,000-barrel capacity, the 8th-generation distiller, the selective partnership model: all of it is designed for a distillery that plans to be around for decades, not a quick flip. As the first barrels age into maturity over the next several years, WKD’s whiskey will improve, its reputation will grow, and its contract client list will likely expand.
For now, the RD1 portfolio is the primary way to taste what this facility produces. OAKR’s blind tasting panel evaluates every spirit on 100+ flavor notes, giving you the objective data to judge whether WKD’s distillate, finished through RD1’s innovative wood program, matches your palate. The spirits data does not care how old the distillery is. It only cares what the liquid tastes like.
Bourbon enthusiast, spirits industry analyst, and the voice behind OAKR's distillery guides, brand reviews, and bourbon education content. Visiting distilleries, dissecting mashbills, and translating the craft into data since 2024.
Western Kentucky Distilling pairs an 8th-generation master distiller with a $30M modern facility. OAKR’s blind tasting data tells you whether the bourbon lives up to the pedigree.
