Our Story

Our floating barrelhouses return bourbon back to its roots by harnessing the power of the river to produce extraordinary spirits.

A History

The Mississippi River has long served as inspiration to those who know it. In the early 1800s, whiskey distillers realized they could reach markets beyond the horizon through river transportation. This distribution not only brought new customers, but time spent in barrels traveling down river played a key role in the maturation and improvement of flavor of the whiskey.

Orrin Henry “Hank” Ingram III’s family has been moving goods on the river for five generations since the first O.H. Ingram began shipping oak logs in 1857. As the bourbon industry grew, the river was left behind in favor of less expensive and more predictable modes of transportation. With a river heritage and unabashed curiosity, Hank sought to understand if the magic of those early barrels of whiskey was lost as the river faded from the whiskey making process.

The floating barrelhouses of O.H. Ingram River Aged return bourbon back to its roots when it was mellowed on the Mississippi.

Illustration of O.H. Ingram barge carrying whiskey barrels

Our Unique Process

Moored on the banks of the Mississippi River in Columbus, KY, our barrels are exposed to the microclimate and humidity of the river, along with its drastic rise and fall, to provoke a unique interaction between wood and spirit. These conditions are not available inside a traditional barrelhouse, and the result is a whiskey with a smooth taste mature beyond its years.

Animation of barrels constantly agitated by the motion of the river

Motion

The Mississippi River’s motion keeps the whiskey inside our barrels constantly churning, exposing more liquid to the surface of the barrel where it extracts more flavor from the wood.

Temperature

Temperature on the river fluctuates significantly between day and night. The heat from the daytime sun causes the pores in the wood to expand and absorb more whiskey. At night, the river pulls the heat from the barge causing the pores to squeeze the whiskey back into the barrel along with the flavors it has extracted.

Animation of temperature fluctuating on a thermometer as the days and nights change
Animation of condensation encasing the barrel

Humidity

The river’s humidity keep our barrels moist. Aside from slowing down evaporation of the whiskey – aka the Angel’s Share – the sugars in our barrels do not dry out in the heat, keeping a nice molasses-like consistency. This allows the whiskey to better extract the flavors from the wood.

Where the
Magic Happens

Surrounded by rolling hills and corn fields, Columbus, Kentucky sits below the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. This is an especially wide and turbulent section of water, making it the perfect place to river age.

Our Team

Hank Ingram

Hank Ingram

Founder & Proprietor
  • Hank’s family has been in business on the river for five generations.
  • Responsible for bringing the dream to life.
Scott Beyer

Scott Beyer

Master Blender
  • Scott loves to talk about whiskey almost as much as he likes to drink it.
  • Responsible for the taste of every batch.
Steven Nicodemo

Steven Nicodemo

Brand Manager
  • Steven is Canadian.
  • Responsible for sales support for retailer and on-premise relationships.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got something else to ask us? Drop us a line, and we’ll get back to you!

How is Ingram River Aged different?

Ingram River Aged is the only whiskey in the world aged inside a floating barrelhouse on the Mississippi River. Here, our whiskies are exposed to the constant motion of the river along with its intense humidity and microclimate. This has a profound effect on the spirit and produces an extraordinary final product.

We are changing the way people think about the aging process.

Where is it aged and for how long?

Our floating barrelhouse is moored to the banks of the Mighty Mississippi in Columbus, KY. All of our whiskies are aged at least three years.

Where is it distilled?

Our mash bills are crafted and distilled at Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, KY. It’s our recipe, but we use their kitchen. We receive the new make barrels from them, and they go directly into our floating barrelhouse the next day.

Where can I buy Ingram River Aged?

We are currently available for purchase in Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Tennessee, Georgia and Wisconsin. But fear not – we are expanding! And of course, depending on the state you’re in, there may be online options too.

Visit our Shop page to see where you can find your nearest bottle.

Where are you located and do you offer tours?

We are located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Columbus, Kentucky, 35 miles southwest of Paducah.

Tours are by invitation only. Check out our Explore page if you’d like to enter your name for a chance to visit.

Got something else to ask us? Drop us a line, and we’ll get back to you!