Ten High |
|
| Type | whiskey |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sazerac Company |
| Country of origin | Kentucky, United States |
| Introduced | 1879 |
| Alcohol by volume | 40.00% |
| Proof | 80 |
| Related products | Barton Brands |
Ten High is a brand of American whiskey currently produced by Barton Brands, which is part of the Sazerac Company. According to the label, it was established in 1879, although production of the brand actually began in the 1930s. The 1879 date refers to the founding of the Tom Moore distillery – which was not associated with the Hiram Walker & Sons company that actually started the brand.
It has historically been a Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey (80 Proof). However, starting in 2009, the brand switched to being a blend rather than a straight whiskey — at least in some bottlings.[1][2][3][4]
The name Ten High refers to a barrel storage location at least ten ricks high, as barrels in the upper part of the aging warehouse mature faster.[1] Although the brand name evoked this storage method, the manufacturer did not actually promise that the brand was from barrels aged in such locations.[1]
The brand was originally produced by Hiram Walker & Sons (a company owned by Harry C. Hatch at the time) at a distillery in Peoria, Illinois, starting shortly after the end of the Prohibition period of 1920–1933.[1][5] It was a major brand (and the leading brand of Illinois-made bourbon) until the late 1960s when the American whiskey market went through a particularly difficult period.[1][3] The distillery stopped operating in 1973 and closed completely in 1981.[1][6]
The Ten High brand is currently produced by Barton Brands, which is now owned by the Sazerac Company, and is distilled in Owensboro and Bardstown, Kentucky.