The story of Kentucky bourbon is one that has been told many times but not always in its entirety. Castle & Key Distillery hopes to change that and better diversity with its latest release, The Untold Story of Kentucky Bourbon Chapter 1.

The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey Chapter 1 label. (Image via Castle & Key)

The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey series will shed light on African Americans’ roles in the bourbon whiskey sector. The new release is sponsored by The Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild, which has published a manual also titled “The Untold Story of Kentucky Whiskey.” Proceeds from the book’s sales will go to The Castle & Key Scholarship Fund, “a scholarship established to promote diversity and inclusion within the distillery industry.”

“As distillers and admirers of American whiskey, it is our responsibility to share the history of how the spirit came to be,” said Wes Murry, co-founder of Castle & Key. “We are honored to have partnered with the Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild to amplify these untold stories and to launch this important scholarship fund. Our is hope is to amplify the diverse history of our industry and to support a more equitable future for prospective distillers.”

Each year, Castle & Key will publish new “chapters” of The Untold Story. Each version relates another facet of how African Americans have influenced Bourbon.

“With this program, we hope to inspire a new generation of distillers and to challenge the conventions of the past,” said Jonathan Newton, director of sales. “We hope to incorporate more of this historical narrative into the experience at Castle & Key, and we hope that this initiative inspires more of this important work throughout the industry.”

At Blue Grass Community Foundation, Castle & Key Distillery established the Diversity in Kentucky Distilling Scholarship to aid students of color who want to pursue a career in distilling in Kentucky. The scholarship is worth $5,000 and is renewable for one more year of study. More information about this award and requirements for eligibility may be found on the Blue Grass Community Foundation’s website.

Available for purchase at $149.99 per bottle, 100% of net proceeds will go towards the Diversity in Kentucky Distilling Scholarship program which was co-founded by Castle & Key and the Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild.

Here at Whiskey Raiders, we do more than write about current events in whiskey. We are the only media property reviewing whiskeys and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the whiskey world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of whiskey in your morning email, sign up for our Daily Dram Gram!