For a brand that has been around since before the Civil War, Chicken Cock Whiskey does not seem too concerned with playing it safe. The Kentucky distillery, which traces its roots all the way back to 1856, just dropped something it has never done before in its 168-year history — a wheated bourbon. And for fans of the brand who have grown to love its rye-forward style, this is a pretty big deal.
The new release, called Chicken Cock Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon, is now officially part of the brand's core lineup. It takes the place of the previous Chicken Cock Small Batch, which means this is not just a limited-edition curiosity. This is the new direction, and the brand is leaning into it hard.
A Different Kind of Bourbon From a Brand Known for Boldness
Chicken Cock built its reputation on a high-rye mash bill that delivered citrus notes, butterscotch, and a gentle peppery kick. The new wheated expression goes in a completely different direction. The mash bill is made up of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley — a combination that produces the kind of soft, approachable bourbon that tends to bring in drinkers who find rye-heavy whiskeys a little too sharp for everyday sipping.
The whiskey comes in at 94 proof and has been aged a minimum of five years. It is finished using a number four barrel char, which adds warmth and a deeper layer of complexity to the final product.
Will Woodington, Chicken Cock's Director of Brand Engagement, put it plainly. "Our wheated bourbon brings something entirely new to the table for the Chicken Cock brand, while staying true to the quality our customers and fans have come to expect, who are familiar with our traditional high-rye recipe products," he said. "Our wheated bourbon leans more into rich, stone fruit flavors, bringing well-rounded oak to the table on the finish, while our high-rye recipe brings more citrus, butterscotch, and a gentle spice side of the flavor spectrum. Equally delicious, beautifully different."
That last line says a lot. Chicken Cock is not abandoning what made it famous. It is adding another lane.
What Is Actually in the Glass
For anyone who has spent time around wheated bourbons, the flavor profile here will feel familiar in the best way. The palate opens up with cordial cherries and a hint of cream soda, with caramel weaving through the middle. The finish brings in baked dough, brown sugar, dried fruit, and a soft touch of baking spices — the kind of finish that lingers without overpowering.
It is the sort of bourbon that works just as well poured neat after a long week as it does in a simple cocktail. There is nothing harsh or aggressive about it, which is exactly the point. Wheated bourbons are known for their smoothness, and this one fits that mold while carrying the Chicken Cock identity throughout.
The bottle itself keeps the brand's signature look intact. It features the distinctive honeycomb glass design, which is a nod to a medicinal bottle style from the 1800s, along with the famous rooster emblem on the label under the words "The Famous Old Brand." At a suggested retail price of $54.99 and available nationally, it is priced right in the sweet spot for a quality, aged American bourbon.
A Brand With More History Than Most People Know
To understand why this release matters, it helps to know where Chicken Cock actually came from. James A. Miller founded the brand in Paris, Kentucky in 1856, though his first venture into the whiskey business started even earlier in the late 1830s with something called J.A. Miller's Old Bourbon. Over time, the whiskey grew into a nationally recognized name and became the first bourbon from Bourbon County to be shipped internationally.
From there, Chicken Cock showed up in Old West saloons, found its way into the private clubs of the Gilded Age, and somehow kept flowing through Prohibition thanks to its presence at Harlem's famous Cotton Club. For a whiskey to survive that kind of historical turbulence and still carry the same name says something about how much people valued what was in the bottle.
The brand eventually went dormant, as many historic American whiskey names did. But in 2012, entrepreneur Matti Anttila, who serves as CEO of Grain & Barrel Spirits, brought Chicken Cock back to life. The revival was not just a marketing exercise. The brand rebuilt itself with a serious focus on quality and authenticity, partnering with Bardstown Bourbon Company through a collaborative distillation program that has produced some genuinely impressive limited releases alongside the core lineup.
Since its comeback, Chicken Cock has become one of the faster-growing American whiskey brands, picking up awards along the way for both its Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Kentucky Straight Rye expressions.
The Brand Is Building Something Real in Kentucky
Part of what makes this wheated bourbon release feel like more than just a new product is the momentum happening around Chicken Cock as a whole. In 2024, the brand opened its first physical home — a visitor experience called Circa 1856 Bardstown, housed inside one of the oldest residences in Bardstown, which has long been known as the Bourbon Capital of the World. It is a full immersive destination for anyone who wants to dig into the history and craftsmanship behind the brand.
That is just the beginning. In 2025, Chicken Cock is set to open Circa 1856 Louisville, a tasting room and speakeasy tucked into Louisville's NuLu neighborhood. NuLu has become one of the more interesting corners of Louisville in recent years, and a Chicken Cock speakeasy fits that area's energy well. It gives fans of the brand a second place to experience it the right way — with a glass in hand and the full story behind it.
Why This Moment Feels Significant
There is something worth noting about a brand with 168 years of history choosing now to try something it has never done before. It is not a desperate move. Chicken Cock is growing, not struggling. The wheated bourbon is a genuine expansion of the brand's identity, an acknowledgment that the bourbon world is wide enough to hold more than one flavor philosophy — even within a single brand.
For the bourbon drinker who already has a shelf full of high-rye expressions and wants something a little different without straying too far from familiar territory, Chicken Cock Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon is worth serious attention. It carries real age, real craft, and the kind of backstory that most newer brands simply cannot fake.
At $54.99, it is not asking for a leap of faith. It is asking for a glass.
