Hartfield & Co

Paris, Kentucky might seem an unlikely place to resurrect Bourbon County's distilling legacy, but Hartfield & Co. has done exactly that. Founded in 2014 by Andrew Buchanan and Curtis Mackley, this operation became the first legally operating distillery in Bourbon County since Prohibition shuttered the region's whiskey makers in 1919. The fact that modern bourbon's birthplace had gone more than 90 years without a working distillery makes Hartfield's presence all the more significant.

History & Heritage

The distillery began life as "The Gentleman Distillery" before trademark issues led to its rechristening as Hartfield & Co. in 2015. The name honors Andrew Buchanan's ancestors, Isaac and Leopold Hartfield, who operated their own distillery in Green County, Kentucky until 1870. Andrew's brother Jeremy joined the operation and now serves as Master Distiller and President, keeping the whiskey-making within the family bloodline.

The Whiskey

Hartfield & Co. builds its reputation on pre-Prohibition techniques that most modern distilleries abandoned long ago. Their high-malt mash bill runs 62% corn, 19% rye, and 19% two-row malted barley, allowing the malt to contribute significantly to flavor development. They employ grain-out fermentation, removing solids before fermentation begins, and single-pass distillation at barrel entry proof of 117. Notable expressions include their Pre-Prohibition Style Bourbon, the wheated Old Bourbon County Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and the annual Frankenwhiskey blend. Their Hartfield Family Reserve 9-Year earned Double Gold at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Why It Matters

This distillery represents more than geographic novelty. By sourcing grains within 50 miles and using local limestone-filtered water, Hartfield connects modern whiskey making to the practices that established bourbon's reputation in this very county. Their commitment to historical methods produces expressions that taste like bourbon's past, making them essential for anyone seeking to understand how American whiskey developed its character.