When three friends wandered into a Louisville bar back in 2020, they had no idea that a chance conversation would lead them to launch one of the Southeast's fastest-growing whiskey brands. Adam Dorfman, Clinton Dugan, and Patrick Lemmond were there for a routine barrel pick when everything changed. They ended up buying their first barrels and creating Shortbarrel, an Atlanta-based bourbon company that's now shipping to 47 states across America.
Image credit: Shortbarrel
The brand just announced it's taking its flagship product, Shortbarrel Four Grain Straight Bourbon, nationwide after building a loyal following throughout the Southeast. At $39.99 per bottle, the bourbon is already on shelves in Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas, and anyone in 47 states can now order it directly from the company's website.
The name Shortbarrel comes from an old whiskey term that describes something pretty special. When a barrel loses half its contents to what distillers call "the angel's share" - basically evaporation over time - what's left behind is incredibly concentrated and flavorful. That's exactly what the founders are going for with every bottle they produce.
Image credit: Shortbarrel
What makes this bourbon different is how Co-Founder and Master Blender Clinton Dugan put it together. He sourced barrels from two well-respected Kentucky distilleries: Wilderness Trail in Danville and Green River in Owensboro. These aren't just any barrels - Dugan picked specific ones that would work together to create something new.
The Wilderness Trail barrels contain a high-wheat mashbill with 64% corn, 24% wheat, and 12% malted barley. Meanwhile, the Green River barrels bring a different profile with 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. By blending these two recipes, Dugan created a final product that includes all four core American whiskey grains: 65% corn, 3% rye, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley.
"Our deep relationships, resources and the state of the American whiskey industry have given us access to some of the most impressive barrels on the open market," Dugan said. "This allows us to select from only the best of the best when blending our whiskies, while also making them affordable enough for everyone to have an exceptionally high-quality, go-to everyday bourbon."
Image credit: Shortbarrel
The blending approach is deliberate. Dugan leaned heavily on the Wilderness Trail whiskey because wheat creates a softer, smoother base compared to traditional corn-forward bourbons. The wheat provides that gentle character, while the rye-heavy Green River whiskey adds spice and structure. It's a balancing act designed to give drinkers the best of both wheated and high-rye bourbon styles in one bottle.
Bottled at 92 proof and non-chill filtered, the bourbon is meant to be approachable for everyday drinking. The blend delivers sweetness from the corn and wheat, a touch of spice from the rye, and subtle depth from the malted barley. Everything comes together in a way that doesn't overwhelm the palate.
Here's where the Georgia connection really comes into play. While the initial aging happens in Kentucky rickhouses using a combination of Char #3 and Char #4 barrels - that's the traditional approach - Shortbarrel adds a finishing step that takes advantage of Atlanta's climate. The barrels get moved to the company's Atlanta warehouse for secondary aging.
Image credit: Shortbarrel
Georgia's higher humidity and warmer temperatures speed up the aging process and add extra layers of flavor. The warehouse isn't climate-controlled, and the barrels are stacked on pallets four to five rows high. This setup gives Dugan hands-on access to monitor each barrel individually, allowing him to determine the perfect moment for blending. It's a level of control that wouldn't be possible in a massive Kentucky facility.
The whiskey itself offers a specific flavor profile. Right off the bat, you get caramel, vanilla, and honeyed grains on the nose, followed by warm baking spices, toasted oak, and just a hint of malt. When you taste it, the corn sweetness and creamy wheat hit first, balanced by gentle rye spice and soft chocolate notes from the barley. As it develops on the palate, brown sugar and citrus peel make an appearance. The finish stays smooth with caramelized oak, vanilla bean, and a final touch of pepper and toasted grain lingering after each sip.
The bourbon's age statement puts it at four to five years old, which is relatively young in whiskey terms but right in the sweet spot for capturing vibrant flavors without excessive oak influence. That youth, combined with the Georgia finishing, creates a whiskey that drinks differently than pure Kentucky bourbon despite its Kentucky origins.
Image credit: Shortbarrel
Since starting in 2020, Shortbarrel has expanded beyond just bourbon. In 2023, the company acquired Old Fourth Distillery, a local Atlanta operation known for white spirits and specialty whiskeys. Now they're running two distinct operations under one roof: Shortbarrel as the nationally available American whiskey brand, and Old Fourth Distillery as the hyper-local offering with what they call "true hometown flare."
The company's distribution strategy combines old-school retail presence with modern direct-to-consumer shipping. In Georgia, they work with Empire Distributors. Kentucky Eagle handles Kentucky, while Green Light covers both Florida and Texas, and Advintage takes care of Tennessee. For everyone else in the 47 states where it's legal, orders go straight through the company's website using what they describe as one of the most sophisticated direct-to-consumer operations in the spirits industry.
This dual approach means someone in California can order a bottle online just as easily as someone in Atlanta can grab one off the shelf at their local liquor store. It's a modern distribution model that legacy brands with traditional three-tier distribution systems can't always match.
Image credit: Shortbarrel
The founders built Shortbarrel on what they call a simple belief: the future of American whiskey belongs to brands that combine authenticity, transparency, and innovation with actual performance. In practical terms, that means being upfront about where their whiskey comes from (sourced Kentucky distillate), how it's made (specific mashbills and blending ratios), and what makes it different (Georgia finishing in uncontrolled warehouses).
The $39.99 price point is strategic too. Premium bourbon has exploded in price over the past decade, with allocated bottles hitting hundreds or even thousands of dollars on secondary markets. Shortbarrel positions itself as high-quality whiskey that doesn't require taking out a second mortgage. It's the kind of bottle you can open on a Tuesday night without feeling like you're wasting something precious.
The company's rapid growth reflects broader trends in American whiskey. Craft distillers and independent bottlers have carved out significant market share by offering alternatives to the big Kentucky and Tennessee brands that have dominated for generations. Consumers increasingly want to know the story behind their whiskey, and they're willing to try new brands that bring something different to the table.
Image credit: Shortbarrel
Shortbarrel's story - three friends buying barrels on a whim and building a business around careful blending and finishing - fits perfectly into that narrative. It's accessible enough to feel authentic but professional enough to deliver consistent quality. The fact that they're transparent about sourcing from established Kentucky distilleries rather than pretending to distill everything themselves also builds trust with educated whiskey drinkers who know the industry.
The four-grain approach itself isn't entirely new - plenty of bourbons incorporate all four grains - but the specific ratio and blending of distinct mashbills gives Shortbarrel a unique flavor profile. By starting with already-aged Kentucky bourbon and finishing it in Georgia, they're essentially creating a regional variation similar to how Scotch distillers might finish whisky in different cask types or climates.
As American whiskey continues evolving beyond traditional Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, regional finishing and blending operations like Shortbarrel represent one possible future for the industry. Instead of waiting decades to build distillery infrastructure and age their own whiskey from scratch, they're working with existing high-quality distillate and adding value through careful selection, blending, and finishing.
For consumers, this means more options and potentially better value. For the whiskey industry, it means increased competition and innovation. And for Shortbarrel, it means taking a bourbon that started in Kentucky rickhouses and giving it a Georgia accent before sending it out to bars and homes across America.
The nationwide expansion marks a significant milestone for a brand that's only been around since 2020. Going from a chance bar conversation to distribution in 47 states in less than six years is no small feat in the heavily regulated spirits industry. It suggests that whatever Dugan, Dorfman, and Lemmond are doing in that uncontrolled Atlanta warehouse is resonating with whiskey drinkers looking for something both familiar and new.
Whether Shortbarrel Four Grain Bourbon becomes a permanent fixture on American back bars and home shelves remains to be seen, but the early signs point to a brand that understands both the craft of whiskey-making and the business of selling it in a crowded marketplace. At under forty dollars, it's positioned to compete with established mid-tier brands while offering a story and flavor profile that stands apart from the usual suspects.
For now, the bourbon is available through the company's website and in retail locations across five states, with plans presumably in the works to expand that retail footprint as distribution deals come together. Anyone curious about what happens when Kentucky bourbon gets a Georgia finish can find out for themselves without breaking the bank or hunting down an allocated bottle.
