Popular Kentucky Distillery: Neeley Family Distillery

OriginSparta, Kentucky, United States
ManufacturerNeeley Family Distillery
EstablishedFounded in 2015
OwnershipRoyce Neeley

Introduction

The Neely Family Distillery has a rich and storied history dating back to the 1740s when the family patriarch, James Neeley, immigrated from Northern Ireland to the United States, bringing with him the tradition of whiskey-making. Over the generations, the family continued to produce whiskey, even moving to the remote Owsley County in Eastern Kentucky in the 1850s to avoid government taxation.

The family’s history is not without its controversies, as evidenced by the 1906 incident where 14-year-old Leonard Neeley shot and killed a moonshiner over the family’s illegal whiskey production. Despite these challenges, the family persevered, with Leonard Neeley living to the age of 101 while continuing to make and sell whiskey.

In 2015, Royce Neeley, an 11th-generation distiller, decided to take the family business public, opening the Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta, Kentucky in 2017. The distillery now produces a range of award-winning products, including their flagship Kentucky Single Barrel Straight Bourbon and R.D.r Neeley Sweet Thumped Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, as well as absinthe and moonshine.

The Neely Family Distillery’s unique production methods, including their use of a triple-pot distillation process and open-air fermentation, have helped to cement their reputation as a producer of high-quality, small-batch spirits. The distillery’s rich history and commitment to tradition have also made it a popular destination for bourbon enthusiasts and tourists alike.

Kentucky Single Barrel Straight Bourbon

R.D.r Neeley Sweet Thumped Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Timeline

  • 1740s: James Neeley, the family patriarch, immigrates from Northern Ireland to the United States, bringing copper pot stills and starting the family’s whiskey-making tradition.
  • 1850s: Joseph Neeley, James’ great-great-grandson, moves the family to the remote Owsley County in Eastern Kentucky to continue making whiskey without interference from the government’s plans to tax it.
  • 1906: Leonard Neeley, a 14-year-old family member, shoots and kills a moonshiner named Robert Allen in a confrontation over the family’s illegal whiskey production.
  • 1991: Leonard Neeley dies at the age of 101, having spent his entire life making and selling whiskey.
  • 2015: Royce Neeley, an 11th-generation distiller, decides to take the family’s whiskey-making business public and opens Neeley Family Distillery.
  • 2017: Neeley Family Distillery officially opens in Sparta, Kentucky, next to the Kentucky Speedway.

Famous Product Releases

  • Neeley Family Bourbon and Rye Whiskey: The distillery’s flagship products, made using a triple-pot distillation process passed down through generations.
  • Neeley Family Absinthe: The distillery’s award-winning absinthe, made on a French absinthe still from the 1890s, the only one of its kind in North America.
  • Neeley Family Moonshine and Moonshine Cream: The distillery’s line of traditional moonshine and flavored moonshine cream products.

Important People in Distillery History

  • James Neeley: The family patriarch who immigrated from Northern Ireland in the 1740s and started the family’s whiskey-making tradition.
  • Leonard Neeley: The 14-year-old family member who shot and killed a moonshiner in 1906, continuing the family’s illegal whiskey production.
  • Royce Neeley: The 11th-generation distiller who decided to take the family business public and opened Neeley Family Distillery in 2017.
  • Earl Sizemore: Royce’s maternal grandfather, who used to buy moonshine from the family’s paternal great-grandfathers.

Significant Historical Events

  • The family’s move to Owsley County in the 1850s to avoid government taxation on whiskey.
  • Leonard Neeley’s confrontation with and killing of the moonshiner Robert Allen in 1906.
  • The family’s history of moonshining and legal troubles, including family members being killed or jailed.
  • The transition from illegal moonshining to the legal opening of Neeley Family Distillery in 2017.

Interviews with Distillery Personnel

  • Royce Neeley, the 11th-generation distiller and co-owner of Neeley Family Distillery, has shared the family’s rich history of moonshining and whiskey-making.
  • Earl Sizemore, Royce’s maternal grandfather, has recounted his own experiences buying moonshine from the family’s paternal great-grandfathers.

Other Information

  • Neeley Family Distillery is the only distillery in Kentucky that uses a triple-pot distillation process, which is the original way both moonshine and bourbon were made.
  • The distillery uses cypress fermenters and open-air fermentation, allowing local yeast strains to contribute to the unique flavor profile of their products.
  • Neeley Family Distillery is a proud member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour and the B-Line, a bourbon tourism trail in Northern Kentucky.

Sources


[1] https://foodanddine.com/the-neeley-family-11-generations-of-whiskey-makers/
[2] https://thebline.com/a-taste-of-the-b-line-with-kathrine-nero-neeley-family-distillery/
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/10/travel/kentucky-bourbon-whiskey-trail.html
[4] https://www.neeleyfamilydistillery.com/the-distillery
[5] https://www.distillerytrail.com/blog/a-day-on-the-trail-neeley-family-distillery-a-tale-of-moonshine-gunfights-and-the-pen/