Four Gate

Bill Straub and Bob D'Antoni started Four Gate in Louisville in 2018 with 120 barrels of Kentucky straight bourbon aged 5 to 11 years. They buy aged Kentucky and Indiana whiskey, then finish each batch in casks built or sourced with Louisville's Kelvin Cooperage.

The signature is the Split Stave barrel. Kelvin's William Hornaday took apart toasted, number 2 char and number 4 char barrels, then rebuilt them stave by stave, alternating. One cask now delivers toasted barrel creaminess and double barrel depth together, a result that usually takes two separate finishes. Batches are numbered, limited and bottled at barrel proof. Batch 4 was 2,700 bottles at 115.6 proof.