Shortbarrel Bees Knees V - The Honey Pot

This release is an annual release that comes out in the fall of each year!

Bees Knees isn’t just a finished bourbon—it’s a system.

Every release is built with a single idea in mind:
honey should reflect where the whiskey is going.

Instead of sourcing one universal honey and scaling it across the country, we take the opposite approach. Each state release uses locally sourced honey from that region, creating a version of Bees Knees that’s tied directly to place.

Florida tastes different than Georgia.
Georgia tastes different than Tennessee.
And that’s exactly the point.

Why We Use State-Specific Honey

Most honey-finished bourbons aim for consistency.

We don’t.

Honey is one of the most terroir-driven ingredients in the world—its flavor is shaped by local flowers, climate, and seasonality. By sourcing honey from each state we release in, we’re not just finishing bourbon—we’re capturing a regional flavor profile inside the bottle.

Regional Honey Profiles

• • Georgia Wildflower → bright and floral, with light citrus lift and a clean, lively finish
  • Florida Honey → rich and dense, with deeper sweetness and subtle tropical weight
  • Tennessee Honey → structured and balanced, with soft spice and a darker, rounded sweetness
  • Kentucky Honey → classic and refined, with gentle clover sweetness, vanilla, and a smooth, even profile
  • Texas Honey → bold and robust, with darker floral tones, slight earthiness, and a richer, molasses-like depth

This gives every release its own identity while still staying true to the Bees Knees profile.

Same concept.
Same structure.
Different expression.

OUR Process

Bees Knees is built in layers—not shortcuts.

1. Blend First

We start by building a base bourbon using multiple mash bills and age ranges (typically 5–9 years).
The goal here is structure, balance, and depth before any finishing happens.

Nothing gets hidden later—we build it right up front.

2. Honey Barrel Conditioning

We don’t just add honey to whiskey.

Instead, we introduce honey into the barrel environment, allowing the wood and residual sugars to interact before and during finishing. This creates:

• Better integration
• More controlled sweetness
• A profile that leans structured, not syrupy

3. Double Oak Finishing

After the base is built, the whiskey moves into new Kelvin Cooperage barrels.

These barrels are carefully selected across toast and char levels to layer in:

• Caramelized sugars
• Oak structure
• Texture and weight

The honey and oak work together—not against each other.

4. Time + Integration

Most barrels rest for 8–12 months in Atlanta, where heat cycles drive deeper interaction between:

• Honey influence
• Oak extraction
• Base bourbon structure

The result is a whiskey that’s fully integrated—not artificially flavored.

What Makes It Different

Most honey-finished bourbons fall into one of two categories:

• Too sweet
• Too thin

Bees Knees avoids both.

Because we:

• Build the blend first
• Use honey as part of the process—not a shortcut
• Finish with intention using new oak

You get a bourbon that drinks like bourbon first—with honey acting as structure, not sugar.

The Result

• Honey shows up as texture and depth, not just sweetness
• Oak provides backbone and balance
• Each state release carries a distinct regional fingerprint

It’s not just a flavored bourbon.

It’s a place-driven, process-built whiskey.

One Name. Multiple Expressions.

Bees Knees isn’t a single product—it’s a platform.

Each release:

• Uses local honey
• Follows the same process
• Delivers a different experience

That’s how we keep it consistent—
by allowing it to be different where it matters.