Carson Taylor

Carson Taylor

In 2010, Carson Taylor’s recently retired and restless father phoned his youngest son and proposed reopening a distillery that had been out of operation since the 1930s. The plan was to revive a site initially founded as Worsham Distilling and founded by Carson’s great-grandfather, Henry Kraver, in 1889. Worsham was at one time a highly respected spirit but had not survived Prohibition, though it was briefly allowed to exist as a “medicinal” alcohol during those dark days. When the idea for the distillery was presented, Carson already enjoyed a satisfying and lucrative career in construction. Nevertheless, he was all in with the idea for the new venture.

Carson’s background in building eventually gave him the freedom and ability to purchase and revitalize a dwelling on Louisville’s historic Whiskey Row, which then existed as a repurposed factory dating back more than 100 years. At the eastern edge of the Portland neighborhood of Louisville near Downtown, the facility was initially a tobacco warehouse some 130 years ago. It was then converted to the Walker Bag Company before it sat vacant for many years. While Carson set about leading the massive demo and construction project, the elder Taylor, Corky, was able to recapture Kraver’s old DSP #50 and his recipes, and the new enterprise was soon christened Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company.

Carson, now 46, who, in addition to being co-founder, also serves as president of the operation, also had an opportunity to envision and design the inside of Peerless’ 43,000-square-foot distillery, gift shop, and tour area.  Inside the space are several sentimental and historical items, including a 1968 Volkswagen Westfalia on display inside the tasting room. The van has belonged to Carson himself since he was 18, and the curtains hanging inside the van were hand-sewn by his grandmother. In fact, not only has father and son personally revived the Peerless heritage, but they have also restored history by designing and rebuilding what is said to be one of the best landmarks in modern downtown Louisville today. The Peerless distillery has cutting-edge technology and is one of the most automated distilleries on the planet. All under one roof, select grains are milled, cooked, fermented, double-distilled, barreled, and bottled as Kentucky Peerless bourbon and rye whiskies. While the fixtures and equipment are state-of-the-art, great care was taken to preserve the history of the structure. “I wanted to make it like you were going back in time 100 years, but at the same time, I wanted to maintain the fit and finish and feel of the building,” says Carson.

Peerless’ attention to detail in its premises, as well as its product, speaks for itself.  In 2024, the Peerless distillery tour enjoyed almost 30,000 paid visitors, with the expectation of that number growing by 10% in 2025. Moreover, about 85% of those who come in are from out of state. Overall sales from tours and retail items, including bottles, are up 30% from 2023, as well as being up about 20% at the wholesale level. The Peerless Distillery tour was recently named one of USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice for craft distilleries.

Likewise, Peerless has already seen two of its expressions earn top honors at the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition. Peerless Toasted Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was the only bourbon to earn a 98 and the “Outstanding Gold” Award on a blind taste test out of hundreds of other spirits, while the High Rye Bourbon Kentucky Straight Whiskey was voted the top gold medal winner out of 12 gold-medal bourbons. In 2019, Peerless Bourbon was named “Best Kentucky Bourbon” at the World Whiskies Award. Whiskey Advocate christened Peerless Rye “One of the Top 20 Whiskeys in the World”. Finally, 2024 culminated in  Carson’s father, R. M. “Corky” Taylor, being elected to the illustrious Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Not insignificant is the fact that the bottle motif, which Carson designed himself, including the labeling and which features Henry Kraver’s unique signature, also recently won a design award as well.

With their many accolades, one would think that the Taylors and the Peerless staff would finally rest on their laurels. But Carson, having recently celebrated Peerless Barrel #1’s tenth birthday, denies having any plans to do so. We are truly excited about what the future holds for this remarkable story of repurposing, revitalization, and recommitment to one of Kentucky’s most historical bourbon brands.

Contributed by: Tracy McLemore, Dickson, Tennessee