Busch family making bourbon in Owensboro

Sep. 28—The name Busch is usually associated with beer.

But Steven Busch, great-grandson of Adolphus Busch, the founder of Anheuser-Busch, has entered the whiskey business with his Walker's Cay Bourbon.

And it's made in Owensboro at Green River Distilling Co.

"We're starting to get recognized throughout the country," Jacob Call, master distiller at Green River, said Monday. "We're having a lot of people wanting to do business with us. We're on their radar now."

Green River also makes Terry Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Duke Spirits' Duke Bourbon and Duke Rye, and Wheel Horse Rye and Wheel Horse Bourbon, among other brands, for other companies in addition to its own bourbons.

Wheel Horse has become so popular that it's often hard to find, Call said.

But it is available in Owensboro, he said.

"We're talking to other celebrities now as well," Call said.

Those announcements will come later.

Walker's Cay Bourbon, Call said, "is a higher rye bourbon. It's very smooth and easy to drink. It's a little sweeter because it's aged in new Missouri oak barrels with sherry cask staves."

The Missouri oak barrels are a nod to the Busch family's St. Louis heritage.

The residual sherry in the staves gives the sweeter taste, Call said.

He said working with the Busch family, as it enters the bourbon market, is an added prestige for the distillery.

"It's good for us, and it's good for Owensboro," Call said.

Spy.com named Walker's Cay Bourbon its "Whiskey of the Week."

It's currently available only at MashandGrape.com for $36.99.

Spy.com says, "The whiskey's name comes from an island in the Bahamas where the younger Busch apparently spends much of his time fishing, and he's giving back a portion of each sale to the King Spirits Giving Initiative, a foundation that will donate money to nonprofits in the Bahamas to assist local communities. The whiskey itself is distilled at Green River, a distillery that's been around in some form or other since the late 1800s. Most recently, production started up there again in 2016. So obviously, the whiskey coming out of the facility is not very old, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"The mash bill here is 70% corn, 21% winter rye and 9% malted barley. That's a relatively high amount of rye, and it shines through on the palate. The nose is full of toast and grapefruit notes, which is followed by vanilla and grain on the palate, with spiced pear, apple, orange and some caramel on the finish."

The article concludes, "Overall, this is a good if not remarkable new whiskey, and its reasonable price point makes it even more appealing. It does register as a younger bourbon, but the flavors are developed and balanced. If you're looking to try something new and don't want to pay upwards of $50 for a sourced bourbon with a dubious brand backstory, this is a good bottle to try."

Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301 klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com