Southern Distilling Company Launches Limited Release Southern Star Bourbon Finished in Honey Barrels

STATESVILLE, N.C. (November 20, 2024) - To celebrate the holiday season, North Carolina’s Southern Distilling Company—celebrated for its award-winning line of bourbons and rye whiskeys—is launching a limited release Southern Star Bourbon Finished in Honey Barrels. This launch will be exclusively available for purchase at Southern Distilling Company’s Statesville Tasting Room beginning December 14, while supplies last.

Southern Star Bourbon Finished in Honey Barrels is a cask-strength bourbon, bottled at 106.8 proof and finished in a honey-drenched barrel for a year. A tribute to craftsmanship that spans generations, this spirit is elegant enough for a special occasion, while also being delicious for a daily indulgence. A meticulous blend of local grains and a final year maturing in a wildflower honey-saturated barrel create a spectacular depth of flavor with hints of toffee, fruit, walnut, and a delicate sweetness that balances warm, peppery spice.

“A few years back, a local honey producer asked us for a barrel to age some of his honey in, to infuse it with the flavor of whiskey. After the honey had aged, they sent the barrel back and the inside was still coated with honey. Of course, we couldn’t let it go to waste,” shared Pete Barger, co-founder and CEO of Southern Distilling Company.  “We filled the barrel with one of our select bourbons that had already been aging several years and put it in the rickhouse for another 12 months. When we finally tasted it, we were floored. It’s a limited release, so you’ll want to get your hands on a bottle.”

This release will be first available at Southern Distilling Company’s Honey of a Holiday event held at the Statesville distillery (211 Jennings Road, Statesville NC 28625) on December 14, 2024 from 2:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. EST. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to secure a bottle of this seasonal release, limit one bottle per person. The celebration will include product sampling, signature cocktails, Bushcraft BBQ food truck, live music, complimentary 750 mL bottle engraving, shopping, and more. 

Southern Star Bourbon Finished in Honey Barrels 

(106.8  Proof / $59.95 / 375 mL)

Tasting Notes

• Color + Appearance: Rich amber color with a warm glow
• Nose + Aroma: Sweet and butterscotchy with a hint of black pepper 
• Palate: Toasted Werther’s Original, delicate honey with a rich, creamy texture

For more information, visit SouthernDistillingCompany.com

About Southern Distilling Company 

Southern Distilling Company has reignited North Carolina’s distilling tradition while embracing the innovation of America’s craft spirits industry. The 20-acre distillery campus is proudly located in Statesville, North Carolina, a city with a big role in bourbon’s history. Before Prohibition, Statesville was known as the “Liquor Capital of the World.” It is now home to a state-of-the-art 36,000 square-foot distillery where days are spent distilling the highest quality bourbons and ryes and watching over more than 65,000 barrels patiently aging in the rickhouses.

Southern Distilling Company has grown to become one of the country’s largest privately owned distilleries since being co-founded by Pete and Vienna Barger in 2013. It offers a diverse range of standard and custom new fill whiskeys, extensive aged barrel inventory, warehouse barrel storage, private label production, and co-packing for more than 140 brands globally. Southern Distilling Company supports sustainability and regenerative agriculture processes and sources quality grains from farms within 20 miles of its facility. It also produces Southern Star bourbons and rye whiskeys—its own line of award-winning artisan spirits. The distillery, located along Interstate 77 near the I-40 interchange is open for tours, tastings, cocktails, and bottle sales. It also hosts public events and experiences throughout the year. For more information, visit SouthernDistillingCompany.com.