OLD KENTUCKY PEERLESS, a fine Kentucky bourbon whiskey was produced from the late 1800s until about 1920 by the Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., a bourbon producing company located in Henderson, Kentucky owned and operated by Henry Kraver.

Then came Prohibition, that weird period in United States history from 1920 to 1933 during which the 18^th Amendment to the United States Constitution generally prohibited the production, importation, transportation or sale of alcoholic beverages.

Although production of OLD KENTUCKY PEERLESS ceased as a result of Prohibition, the company still had a considerable amount of barrel aging product on hand and obtained a governmental license permitting it to continue distributing its inventory for prescribed "medicinal purposes." Blissfully, effective December 5, 1933, Prohibition was repealed by the 21^st Amendment to the United States Constitution. This was too late for Kentucky Peerless though, along with numerous other pre-Prohibition brands, PEERLESS never resumed production; by killing numerous brands, the Temperance Movement had succeeded in part.

Fast forward to today, the popularity of Kentucky Bourbon is at an all-time high, especially small batch premium bourbons. The craft bourbon business is booming. So it's timely that the iconic old brand, KENTUCKY PEERLESS, like a Phoenix, is experiencing new life. Corky Taylor, the great-grandson of Henry Kraver, along with Corky's son, Carson, are bringing back the family brand.

The Taylors have organized Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company, LLC, and have acquired a former warehouse located a half block North of Main Street in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, a block from the Museum Row stretch of Main Street. They have rehabilitated the space into a craft distillery to give re-birth to the family bourbon brand.

Proactively pursuing trademark protection in association with the re-birth of the family brand, The new Kentucky Peerless has reserved with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (the "PTO") the historic family brand name, PEERLESS^TM, and has already registered the mark in various foreign countries. In addition to the PEERLESS^TM brand, the new Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company will distill and age a premium Kentucky bourbon to be branded HENRY KRAVER^TM in honor of the owner of the earlier Kentucky Peerless Company. That mark too has been reserved with the PTO. Consistent with the branding theme of family pride, Kentucky Peerless has also reserved for trademark protection the tagline MADE WITH HONEST PRIDE^TM.

This re-birth is not just a dream, it has become reality. The grain formulation has been concocted, and the first batch of grain has been cooked, fermented, distilled, and barreled. On March 4, 2015, the bourbon aging process associated with the re-birth of PEERLESS began when "Barrel No. 1" was filled. Watch here â

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We are in the Lenten season so I suppose it is appropriate that I confess. Indeed, it is especially appropriate considering the photographic proof below. My confession is, not all of the first small batch of PEERLESS^TM made its way into Barrel No. 1.

Perhaps I should have another. Please join me. We need not wait long. Just as many of the new craft bourbon distilleries are doing, while Barrel No. 1 and the numerous that follow are aging 4 to 6 years to evolve into a fine Kentucky bourbon, Kentucky Peerless will be commercializing some of its distilled spirits output without first aging it â moonshine. The Kentucky Peerless moonshine will be branded LUCKY KENTUCKY MOONSHINE^TM. The Kentucky Peerless Moonshine will soon go to market with a variety of flavors such as chocolate nut pie, peach, green apple, coconut cream, pineapple, lemon drop,and CINNAMON FIRE^TM.

We at TRADEMARKOLOGY salute Corky and Carson Taylor and everyone else at Kentucky Peerless. We wish you the best.

Cheers . . . Prost . . . Salud . . .Yung sing . . . Gom bui . . . Salute!

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