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We sit down with Bill McBrayer to trace how a forgotten Kentucky bourbon legacy turns into a living brand, starting with a family story, a trademark deadline, and a mash bill hidden in the historical record. We talk through the hard parts of building a whiskey company the right way, plus the joy of watching family history become something you can taste and share.
• the moment a trademark requirement forces real bourbon production
• digging up William Harris McBrayer’s story and why it matters to bourbon history
• finding the 1870 mash bill reference and recreating a high-corn legacy recipe
• partnering with Wilderness Trail and using heirloom Bloody Butcher corn
• navigating licensing, controlled-state hurdles, and early bottling decisions
• securing the Cedar Brook trademark and rebuilding brand identity
• visiting and buying land tied to the Cedar Brook distillery site near Lawrenceburg
• Whiskey Trust and Prohibition context that shaped Kentucky bourbon brands
• walking through the current lineup: legacy mash bill, bottled-in-bond, and weeded bourbon
• single barrel releases, Legacy Club access, and expanding distribution
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A family name can disappear from bourbon shelves for decades, but it doesn’t have to stay gone. We’re joined by Bill McBrayer, president and steward of McBrayer Legacy Spirits, to unpack the true story behind bringing an old Kentucky bourbon lineage back to life and why it started with something as unromantic as a trademark deadline.

We talk about the rabbit hole that begins with genealogy research and a historic blog post, then turns into a real distilling plan when Bill learns he has to “use” the brand to keep it. From there, the conversation gets wonderfully specific: an 1870 letter connected to E H Taylor, a high-corn mash bill, heirloom Bloody Butcher red corn, and working with Wilderness Trail to recreate a legacy profile that stands out in today’s crowded craft whiskey market.

The story also moves beyond the bottle. Bill shares what it takes to navigate licensing, distribution, and the slow economics of aging Kentucky bourbon for 8, 10, or 12 years. We dig into Lawrenceburg history, the Cedar Brook distillery site, the Whiskey Trust era, and how protecting a heritage brand becomes a responsibility, not a hustle.

If you care about bourbon history, bottled-in-bond releases, single barrel picks, and building a family-owned whiskey brand with long-term purpose, you’ll want this one. Subscribe, share with a bourbon friend, and leave us a review with your favorite “lost brand” comeback story.

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