Hidden Barn will release a 7-year-old bourbon

Hidden Barn, a bourbon brand launching in 2022, will release a seven-year-old double-barrel bourbon on July 7.

The brand was acquired by Royce Neeley of Neeley Family Distillery and is still created in partnership with Master Blender Jackie Zykan. This acquisition elevates the brand from its beginnings as an NDP (non-distiller producer) to having a brick-and-mortar home.

Hidden Barn’s first release under the Neeley label is a seven-year-old wine, aged for five years in 24-month open-air barrels, then barrel-aged for an additional two years in new, charred French oak barrels.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Jackie at Hidden Barn and ironically release her seventh Hidden Barn Bourbon blend. Jackie has access to my entire inventory for her blending,” said Royce Neeley, Master Distiller and owner of Neeley Family Distillery, in a press release. “I’ve basically given her the keys to the warehouse and we can look forward to more unique releases in the future now that she has thousands of barrels to play with.”

Hidden Barn Seven-Year-Old Bourbon has already won a gold medal with a score of 91 points at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024. The release is a blend of five barrels distilled at Neeley Family Distillery with a mash consisting of 70 percent corn, 20 percent rye and 10 percent barley malt.

Like all Neeley Family Distillery distilleries, this bourbon was double-pot distilled after fermentation with wild-harvested Appalachian yeast, a Neeley family practice dating back generations. The unique process also includes the use of sweet mash and open cypress fermentation tanks to create products with rustic depth and dimension.

Through Jackie’s meticulous blending process, which begins with sampling from the many barrels available to her at Neeley Distillery in northern Kentucky, blends are constructed to represent harmony amid what appears to be an endless variety of profiles. For this particular blend, Zykan used just five barrels to achieve the final profile.

“It’s actually more difficult to create a blend from fewer barrels than you might think,” Zykan noted. “People think starting with a smaller base is easier because there are fewer flavor ingredients at play, but it’s actually more difficult. With large batches, it is easier to achieve consistency and camouflage outliers. But for a smaller batch, such as one containing only five barrels, everything must be intentionally incorporated because any disconnections will be immediately visible.

This speaks to Jackie’s approach to mixing (and life), which focuses on balance, structure, and celebrating unique nuances.

This whiskey has not been chill filtered before bottling and is bottled at barrel strength (109.4 proof). The suggested retail price for Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Seven Year Old is $79.99. It will be released on July 7 at Neeley Family Distillery and will also be available online and in retail stores in Kentucky, Indiana, New York, California, Georgia, Colorado and New Mexico.

Read more: Old forester, taster Jackie Zykan leaves

About the Hidden Bourbon Barn

The name Hidden Barn is a nod to the local communities that painted their barns black during Prohibition in solidarity with the distillers. This sense of community continues today through the passion for quality whiskey and the camaraderie shared by the three partners: Jackie Zykan, Royce Neeley and Nate Winegar. Together, the three friends bring their strengths – a great palate, distilling skills and a powerful blend – to create Hidden Barn Bourbon. The brand is available online and in select states.

For more information, visit hiddenbarnwhiskey.com.