Dixon Dedman expands 2XO

Launched last year, the 2XO brand is releasing more permanent and affordable offerings.

When Dixon Dedman left Kentucky Owl, the family whiskey brand that he revived in 2014, he already had his next great idea. Everything released under the 2XO brand, which stands for ‘two times oak’, would have some sort of secondary oak exposure. But, as he navigated the open market, he found eager investors interested in Bourbon primarily as a means for profit.

Dedman sold Kentucky Owl to Stoli Group in 2017, and left the business in 2021, citing a difference in vision. He was determined to keep his next endeavour grounded.

“The bigger you get, you start focusing on cases, cases, cases, and creating things that are not genuine, and not real,” Dedman said. “You lose any real personal connection you have with people who are into your stuff. I’m not going to let that happen to this brand.”

While he expected to do some freelance blending and consultation, he quickly linked up with Prestige Beverage Group, which had been laying down Bourbon since 2015, contract distilling at two Kentucky distilleries and working with a proprietary mashbill that uses 35% rye. Once Dedman tasted the whiskey, he knew he had found his partner. He needed inventory, and Prestige Beverage needed a concept. “It just came together,” he said. “Not having to chase barrels on the market, not having to run those types of things down. I pinch myself every day.”

2XO launched in November 2022 with The Phoenix Blend and is back this month with a pair of new whiskies. American Oak is the first in the ongoing Oak Series, priced at US$50. The Tribute Blend is the third instalment in the Icon Series and is listed at US$100.

While Dedman says he tastes the spirit runs to make sure they are on profile, he sees no need in messing up a good thing, preferring to make his mark once the whiskey is fully matured. While he is humble when discussing his skill as a blender, there is no denying that his name carries weight within the industry and played a significant role in propelling 2XO early on.

“I’m not some Bourbon savant, there [are] people with a lot better palates, but I think I did the Kentucky Owl thing long enough for people to understand, stylistically, the kind of Bourbons that I make. I look for complexity, I look for depth,” he said. “I think my reputation and my name [have] made this a lot easier.”

For American Oak, Dedman took barrels aged between five and six years and inserted eight to 10-foot charred oak chains, which equate to about 75% of the surface of a new barrel. Dedman says that as the Bourbon market continues to grow, new charred oak barrels will become even harder to obtain, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the laws surrounding Bourbon are amended in the coming years to account for that shortage.

“I was trying to find a process that allows me to scale this and grow this [without] relying on new charred oak barrels a second time,” he said. The chains were left inside the barrels for eight months. “I think there’s a lot more going on here than you see in other bottles at that price point.”

Dedman plans to add a French Oak expression to the Oak Series and says that the line will be permanently available. “This is where we get our growth. This is where we really scale, [and] build an everyday understanding of 2XO.”

The Icon Series presents a different, but familiar proposition. Similar to the batched Bourbon and rye releases he created at Kentucky Owl, these one-off expressions will allow consumers to continue to follow him and his whiskey journey, finding their favourite along the way.

He speaks glowingly about conversations he’s had with fans. One man told him that he opened The Phoenix Blend to celebrate the start of a new career, while another said he shared the second release, The Innkeepers Blend, with his father, to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of their family business. More than positive reviews, this is what fuels Dedman to blend.

“Being a part of their lives, being a part of the way people deal with grief,” Dedman said, “It’s what makes me work harder to make the next one better.”