What Castle & Key does

Castle & Key is a Kentucky distillery operating from the restored 1887 Old Taylor Distillery site in Frankfort, KY, originally founded by Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. as a bourbon hospitality pioneer. The property was re-acquired in 2014 by co-founder Will Arvin and a small group of investors after decades of abandonment, reopened in 2016 following a multi-year restoration, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. The company produces five core spirits on-site using Vendome stills, limestone-filtered spring water drawn from on-property springs, American white oak barrels supplied by Speyside Cooperage, and grains sourced from local Kentucky farms including Walnut Grove Farms. The core product range comprises Small Batch Bourbon (6 years, $55), Small Batch Wheated Bourbon ($60), Restoration Rye ($55), Roots of Ruin Gin ($36), and Sacred Spring Vodka ($30), supplemented by seasonal gins (Rise, Harvest), a cask-strength wheated bourbon, and an on-site-only Experimental Series featuring limited releases such as Extra Old Haitian Rhum and Martinique Rum.

The business model is a diversified DTC and hospitality platform. Revenue streams include spirit sales through the e-commerce storefront, the Castle & Key 502 retail and cocktail bar in downtown Louisville, the on-site Boiler Room gift shop, and select third-party retailers located via a spirit locator tool. Experiential revenue comes from guided distillery tours, tastings, private experiences, weddings and corporate events (the Shooking Building holds up to 200 guests), curated lodging properties, and a contract distilling service for brand partners. Branded merchandise — including Barbour and Peter Millar apparel, barware, cocktail mixers, and pet accessories — is sold across the same channels. In 2025 the company completed Phase 1 of a 1.2 MW solar PV project (754 panels) in partnership with Solar Energy Solutions and Weidmuller, the largest solar installation at any distillery in Woodford County, and received $2M in USDA Rural Development funding. Castle & Key is privately held with no disclosed institutional or PE backing.

Name

Castle & Key

Legal name

Castle & Key Distillery

Website

https://castleandkey.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Castle & Key is a restored historic Kentucky distillery operating from Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr.'s 1887 site, producing premium bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, and experimental spirits. It serves consumers through e-commerce, a Louisville cocktail bar, distillery tours, weddings, lodging, and contract distilling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Spirits Distillery

NAICS

Distilleries (31214), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

akta.pro primary industry

Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (CRANACAB)

Keywords

• Craft bourbon distillery
• Premium whiskey production
• Distillery tours experiences
• Event venue rentals
• Contract distilling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Spirit Sales: Direct-to-consumer and retail sales of bourbon, rye, gin, and vodka products through the company's e-commerce platform and distillery locations. Products include Small Batch Bourbon ($55), Small Batch Wheated Bourbon ($60), Restoration Rye ($55), Roots of Ruin Gin ($36), Sacred Spring Vodka ($30), and seasonal/experimental releases.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel (Barbour, Peter Millar, logo apparel), accessories, barware, drinkware, home goods, stationery, and pet accessories through the online store and distillery gift shop.
3. Experiences and Events: Revenue from guided distillery tours, tastings, private experiences, and event hosting including weddings and corporate gatherings. The distillery offers booking for experiences and venue rentals at various historic spaces.
4. Contract Distilling: Castle & Key offers contract distilling and bottling services, working with partners to develop spirits that are 'true, memorable, and distinct.'
5. Lodging: Managed vacation rental properties including The Shanklin House (4BR), The Field House (5BR), The Stone House (3BR), and Hacienda Chekul (4BR villa in Yucatan), available through Airbnb and direct booking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Castle & Key is a historic Kentucky distillery that produces premium craft spirits — bourbon, rye whiskey, gin, vodka, and limited experimental releases — on-site using limestone-filtered spring water and Vendome stills. The company also operates as a bourbon hospitality destination offering distillery tours, tastings, weddings and corporate event hosting, lodging, branded merchandise (apparel, barware, pet accessories, cocktail mixers), contract distilling services, and the Castle & Key 502 retail and cocktail bar in Louisville.

Product overview

Castle & Key is a historic Kentucky distillery founded in 1887 by Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr., now restored and operated as both a premium spirits producer and experiential destination. The product portfolio centers on five core spirits: Small Batch Bourbon (aged 6 years), Small Batch Wheated Bourbon (aged 5-7 years), Restoration Rye Whiskey (aged 5 years), Roots of Ruin Gin (crafted with 8 botanicals), and Sacred Spring Vodka (using limestone spring water). Additional offerings include seasonal gins (Rise Gin, Harvest Gin), cask strength expressions, and the Experimental Series featuring limited-release experimental spirits like Extra Old Haitian Rhum and Martinique Rum. The portfolio extends to cocktail mixers, apparel and accessories, barware and glassware, and pet accessories. Beyond products, Castle & Key operates as an experiential destination offering distillery tours, event venue rentals (The Shooking Building, Sunken Garden, Springhouse), lodging properties, and the downtown Louisville retail location Castle & Key 502. The distillery also offers contract distilling services for brand partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Batch Bourbon Six-year-aged Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey with a mashbill of 73% wheat, 10% rye, and 17% malted barley, bottled at 101 proof (51% ABV); tasting notes of oak, vanilla, baking spice, and smooth sweetness. Sold directly to consumers and through select retailers.
• Small Batch Wheated Bourbon Wheated bourbon whiskey aged five to seven years, with wheat replacing rye in the mashbill for a softer, sweeter profile; tasting notes of cane sugar, dried fruit, and toasted oak; bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV).
• Restoration Rye Whiskey

Quantifiable outcome

• Roots of Ruin Gin won Gold at 2022 San Francisco Spirits Competition
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Solar Energy Solutions (SES)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Castle & Key partnered with Solar Energy Solutions (SES) for a large-scale 1.2 MW solar PV project to enhance sustainability and reduce energy costs. This represents the largest solar project at any distillery in Woodford County, Kentucky. A second phase is planned, with the project designed to meet strict deadlines for grants and regulatory approval while integrating renewable energy into the heritage site.
• WeidmullercoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Weidmuller partnered with Castle & Key Distillery for the solar PV project, providing equipment and technical expertise as part of the collaboration with Solar Energy Solutions for the 1.2 MW renewable energy installation.
• Jon CarloftisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Renowned landscape architect partnered with Castle & Key in 2015 to restore the historic gardens, returning the Sunken Garden to its original beauty and creating the botanical trail. Jon Carloftis breathed new life into the space after it was cleared of decades of overgrowth.
• Speyside CooperagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCastle & Key partners with Speyside Cooperage for barrel production. Barrels are made using fully matured American white oak that is seasoned longer than average, then toasted and charred to optimal specifications for Castle & Key's whiskey aging process.
• Walnut Grove FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Kentucky farming partner that grows white corn, yellow corn, and heirloom grains for Castle & Key. This partnership gives Castle & Key whiskies a distinct sense of place by sourcing grains from farms throughout Kentucky.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Riff Distilling: Kentucky craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and other spirits with a similar DTC and barrel-aging-driven model. Directly comparable craft producer operating in the same Kentucky bourbon category with comparable pricing and distribution approach.
• Wilderness Trail Distillery: Kentucky craft distillery in Danville producing bourbon and rye. Comparable craft producer with on-site production, barrel-aged inventory, and DTC/wholesale distribution model targeting premium spirits consumers.
• Rabbit Hole Distillery: Louisville-based craft distillery with a strong DTC retail/cocktail bar (the 'Rabbit Hole') and modern brand positioning. Directly comparable on craft bourbon production plus hospitality/retail-bar experience monetization in Kentucky.
• Bardstown Bourbon Company: Kentucky craft distillery offering both proprietary bourbon and a major contract distilling business. Directly comparable to Castle & Key's contract distilling plus proprietary spirits model and Kentucky tourism positioning.
• Willett Distillery (Kentucky Bourbon Distillers): Family-owned Kentucky craft distillery with strong premium bourbon and rye portfolio plus aged-inventory depth. Closely-held peer with similar craft positioning, premium pricing, and limited release appeal.
• WhistlePig: Premium rye whiskey producer with strong DTC, farm-to-bottle positioning, and aged inventory focus. Comparable craft spirits positioning, premium pricing ($50-$85+), and reliance on aged inventory economics.

Broad incumbents

• Woodford Reserve (Brown-Forman): Premium Kentucky bourbon brand owned by Brown-Forman with a major tourism destination distillery in Versailles, KY. Broader incumbent with significant marketing budget, national distribution, and comparable heritage/tourism positioning.
• Buffalo Trace Distillery (Sazerac): One of the largest and most historic Kentucky bourbon producers, owned by Sazerac. Sets the category benchmark for aged bourbon inventory scale and bourbon trail tourism traffic; benchmark peer for production and aging economics.
• Four Roses Distillery (Kirin): Historic Kentucky bourbon distillery with strong craft positioning and a popular visitor center. Comparable on bourbon tourism and premium craft bourbon production, with much broader distribution scale.
• Old Forester (Brown-Forman): Historic Kentucky bourbon brand owned by Brown-Forman with a Louisville distillery on Whiskey Row offering tours and tastings. Comparable heritage brand and tourism-driven Louisville presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/castleandkey
• Facebookfacebook.com/castleandkey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Castle & Key