Spirits · Frankfort, Kentucky
Pinhook
Vintage-dated bourbon and rye named for Kentucky racehorses.
- Founded
- 2010
- Founded by
- Sean Josephs, Jamie Hill, Mike McMahon
- Based in
- Frankfort, Kentucky
Their story
Pinhook was started in 2010 by three friends with 20 barrels of whiskey and no industry experience. Sean Josephs, a certified sommelier, became master blender, joined by Jamie Hill and Mike McMahon, third-generation horsemen.
The name comes from pinhooking, the practice of buying a young horse on its pedigree, raising it and selling it once it matures. The founders saw the same logic in buying young bourbon and letting it age. Each year's flagship bourbon and rye are named for a horse from Bourbon Lane Stables that the team thinks could win the Kentucky Derby.
How it's made
Early releases used whiskey sourced from MGP in Indiana, and since 2017 Pinhook has been made at Castle & Key in Frankfort, Kentucky, the restored Old Taylor Distillery. Each vintage is blended to show the best whiskey of that year and is not repeated once it sells out.
Our featured pick
High Proof Rye (750ML)
$65.00
Showcasing exceptional balance at 122 proof, Pinhook High Proof Rye brims with warm and nutty notes of chocolate, black pepper and cedar wood. Black cherry and sorghum notes permeate the palate.
Why we carry them
We like that every Pinhook release is a snapshot of a single year, so there is always something new to taste. It is a fun bottle for anyone who loves bourbon and Derby season.
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