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Kentucky Peerless names Caleb Kilburn master distiller
American whiskey maker Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company has appointed Caleb Kilburn as master distiller.
Caleb Kilburn has been named Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co master distiller
Kilburn, who distilled his first whiskey for the brand in 2015, started at Peerless while the distillery was still undergoing renovation. At the time, he shadowed the distilling team while finishing a degree in chemistry.
Having worked at the distillery for four years, Kilburn has reportedly refused to accept the title of master distiller for many of those “as that was a title reserved for his heroes and his mentors”.
However, Kilburn has now been given his new title by Kentucky Peerless Distilling chairman Corky Taylor.
Randy Allender, Kilburn’s former mentor and instructor at Moonshine University, said: “It’s not often I see someone that has dedicated their life to a craft the way Caleb has taken to distilling.
“He is deserving of the title of master distiller and will serve as a great example to others that may follow him into the industry.”
While working at Kentucky Peerless Distilling, Kilburn has introduced a sweet mash process, which involves distilling to a proof no higher than 132 (66% abv), a lower barrel entry proof of 107 (53.5% abv) and a non-chill-filtration process that has been used to create the brand’s rye and Bourbon whiskeys.