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OUR STORY . 1888 TO TODAY
Double Rich.
One name.
One promise.
A Cincinnati distiller bottled the first Cream of Kentucky in 1888. It survived Prohibition, starred in Norman Rockwell's ads, went quiet for nearly fifty years, and came back with a single barrel that whiskey writers lined up to review. This is how a name outlasted everything.
1888
THE FOUNDING
1933
THE SCHENLEY YEARS
1940s
THE ROCKWELL ERA
1970
THE QUIET YEARS
2018
THE RETURN
CHAPTER I . 1888 TO 1918
The Founding
In 1888, Cincinnati distiller I. Trager crafted the first batch of Cream of Kentucky under the banner of I. Trager & Company.
The name caught on fast. By 1901 Cream of Kentucky was a registered trademark, staking its claim as a distinguished Kentucky bourbon at a time when a good name was everything on a back bar.
Then came 1918. With Prohibition closing in on American distilling, I. Trager & Company closed its doors.
1933
Schenley Distillery secures the rights
1934
Cream of Kentucky re-introduced
1940s
Grows into a leading American bourbon
1970
Last known bottling at Schenley
CHAPTER II . 1933 TO 1970
The Schenley Years
As Prohibition ended, Lewis S. Rosenstiel of Schenley Distillers Corporation secured the rights to Cream of Kentucky.
Schenley re-introduced the brand in 1934 and placed it in one of the most famous portfolios in American whiskey. Through the 1930s and 1940s, Cream of Kentucky grew into one of the country's leading bourbon brands.
CHAPTER III . THE 1940S
When Norman Rockwell painted the ads
At the brand's height, America's most beloved illustrator, Norman Rockwell, created much of Cream of Kentucky's award-winning artwork.
Those ads carried the name into magazines across the country, and they're a big part of why the name still rings a bell for anyone who grew up around a good back bar.
CHAPTER IV . 1970 TO 2018
The Quiet Years
After the last known bottling at Schenley in 1970, Cream of Kentucky went quiet. The name lived on in old ads, collectors' shelves, and the memories of people who used to ask for it by name.
1970
2018
CHAPTER V . 2018 TO TODAY
The Return
In 2018, Cream of Kentucky came back with an 11.5 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Every release since has carried the same "Double Rich" promise.
11.5 Year Single Barrel
2018
The relaunch 102 proof
12.3 Year Single Barrel
2019
Bourbon 102 proof
Estate Bottled in Bond Rye
2021
100% Rymin rye only 70 barrels
16 Year Bourbon
2023
Oldest age statement 116 proof
7.5 Year Single Barrel Rye
2023
Bottled-in-bond 100 proof
Cask Strength
2024
Distilled under Jim Rutledge
BOURBON . 2023
2024
100% Rymin rye only 70 barrels
SF World Spirits Competition
2025
Double Gold
All 7 Bottles
THE MAN BEHIND THE RETURN
His name is on the label for a reason.
Our 2024 Cask Strength and Small Batch were distilled under the guidance of Master Distiller Jim Rutledge, and his signature sits on the label of the releases he personally curated.
When a distiller signs the bottle, it's a promise you can hold. That's the same promise Cream of Kentucky made in 1888.
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