Kentucky Senator Bourbon's Latest Release Honors a Legend Who Shaped the Game — On the Field and in Washington
There are not many people who can say they threw a perfect game in the major leagues and then went on to serve two terms in the United States Senate. Jim Bunning did both. And now, a Kentucky bourbon company is making sure nobody forgets it.
Kentucky Senator Bourbon has announced its seventh small-batch release — The Jim Bunning Release — a limited-edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey set to hit shelves later this month. For anyone who follows bourbon closely, or who remembers Bunning's career in baseball and politics, this one is going to mean something.
Who Was Jim Bunning?
Born in 1931 in Southgate, Kentucky, Jim Bunning grew up in a household built on hard work and faith. His father ran a ladder-manufacturing company, and his mother raised her children with Catholic values and a no-nonsense approach to life. Bunning took those lessons and ran with them — lettering in three sports in high school, earning an economics degree from Xavier University, and in 1952 marrying his childhood sweetheart, Mary Catherine Theis. They stayed married for more than 60 years and raised nine children together.
He signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1950, but held off on turning pro until he finished college — a decision made out of respect for his parents. When he finally got to the majors, the results were hard to argue with. By 1957 he led the American League in wins. A year later, he threw a no-hitter. He went on to earn nine All-Star selections over 17 seasons and became one of the most dependable arms in the game.
Father's Day, 1964 — The Perfect Game
If there is one moment that defines Jim Bunning's baseball career, it happened on June 21, 1964, at Shea Stadium in New York. Bunning was pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies that afternoon, a Father's Day game against the Mets. He had seven kids at home. He had something to prove. And over the course of nine innings, not a single Mets batter reached base.
Twenty-seven up, twenty-seven down. A perfect game. The first in the National League in 84 years.
In the ninth inning, with history on the line, catcher Gus Triandos walked out to the mound. Bunning asked him if he could tell him a joke. Triandos laughed and walked back behind the plate. Bunning struck out the final two batters and sealed his place in history.
"It couldn't have come at a more appropriate time," Bunning said afterward.
When he retired in 1971, Bunning had 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts. The Phillies retired his number 14. In 1996, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
From the Pitcher's Mound to the Senate Floor
Bunning did not slow down after baseball. He moved into politics with the same competitive edge he brought to the mound — serving on city council, then in the Kentucky State Senate, then in the U.S. House of Representatives, and finally two terms in the U.S. Senate from 1999 to 2011. He was known for being direct, independent, and unafraid to take unpopular positions on spending and principle.
But as far as bourbon drinkers are concerned, his most important moment in Washington came on August 2, 2007. That was the day Bunning introduced Senate Resolution 294, which officially designated September as National Bourbon Heritage Month. The resolution also gave bourbon a title it has carried ever since — "America's Native Spirit."
That phrase is now printed on distillery walls, repeated in tasting rooms, and used by producers and enthusiasts across the country. It came from Jim Bunning. A Kentucky man who understood what bourbon meant to the Commonwealth and fought to give it the recognition it deserved at the federal level.
"Bunning's Senate Resolution 294 was a landmark moment for the bourbon industry," said co-founder Damon Thayer, a 2025 inductee into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame for his legislative advocacy work. "This release, and the continuation of our vertical series, reflects our commitment to both quality and Kentucky's bourbon heritage."
Jim Bunning passed away in 2017 at the age of 85. He remains to this day the only Major League Baseball player ever elected to both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the United States Senate.
The Bottle Itself
The Jim Bunning Release is not a token gesture. Kentucky Senator Bourbon has put real thought into what goes into the bottle and what it represents.
The bourbon is aged eight and a half years and bottled at 107 proof. The mash bill breaks down to 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley — a high-rye recipe that points toward a bolder, spicier profile with the depth that comes from nearly a decade in the barrel. It is distilled and aged in Kentucky, with bottling handled at Bardstown Bourbon Company, one of the most respected names in the state's bourbon production industry. Distribution is managed through Kentucky Eagle Wine & Spirits.
Approximately 4,000 bottles will be available, priced at a suggested retail of $119.99. That puts it in line with the company's previous John Edwards release from last year, which won award recognition and helped establish Kentucky Senator Bourbon as a label worth paying attention to.
The Vertical Series
Part of what makes this release interesting beyond the label is what it means within Kentucky Senator Bourbon's broader lineup. The Jim Bunning Release marks the seventh small-batch bourbon in the company's portfolio and continues what the founders describe as a vertical series — a collection that lets buyers track how the same bourbon develops as it gains an additional year of aging with each subsequent release.
"This vertical series allows collectors to experience how this bourbon develops with an additional year of aging," said co-founder Andre Regard, who is a direct descendant of bourbon pioneer Basil Hayden.
For collectors and enthusiasts who have been following the series, this is a chance to add a release that will stand out both for what is in the bottle and for the name on the label.
The People Behind Kentucky Senator Bourbon
Kentucky Senator Bourbon was launched last year by Damon Thayer and Andre Rigard with a clear mission: to bring vintage bourbon back to what they describe as its glory days. Thayer is a former Kentucky legislator and 2025 inductee into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Rigard brings a family connection to bourbon history through his lineage as a descendant of Basil Hayden, the distiller whose name still appears on one of the best-known bourbons on the market today.
The company's approach has been to tie each release to a significant Kentucky figure, building a portfolio that doubles as a kind of tribute to the people who shaped the Commonwealth. Previous releases have included the award-winning John Edwards bottle, and with The Jim Bunning Release, the brand continues down that same path — honoring Kentuckians whose contributions went beyond their primary careers.
"Jim Bunning gave bourbon its official recognition as America's Native Spirit, and we're proud to honor that contribution," said Regard.
Where to Find It
The Jim Bunning Release will be available at select Kentucky retailers, bars, and restaurants beginning later this month. It can also be ordered online through BourbonOutfitter.com and KySenatorBourbon.com for those outside Kentucky or who prefer to shop that way.
A limited number of bottles will also be featured at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, D.C., and at the Premier Drams Bottle Shop — a fitting touch given Bunning's Senate career and his connection to the capital.
Given the limited production run of roughly 4,000 bottles and the track record of the company's previous releases selling through quickly, anyone with serious interest in picking this one up would be well advised not to wait.
Why This One Matters
There is no shortage of limited-edition bourbons on the market. New releases land every week, and it takes something extra to stand out. The Jim Bunning Release has that something extra — not just because the liquid inside has genuine credentials, but because the story behind it is real.
Bunning was not a ceremonial figure. He was a competitor who dominated one of the most demanding sports in the world, then walked into one of the most demanding political environments in the country and made his mark there too. The resolution he introduced in 2007 was not a headline grab — it was a substantive piece of recognition for an industry that means a great deal to Kentucky's economy and identity.
The founders put it plainly when they describe this release as honoring a man who was "old, uncompromising, and distinctly Kentucky" — someone who "never shied away from a challenge, whether on the pitcher's mound, in the halls of Congress, or standing up for Bourbon itself."
That is the kind of backstory that makes a bottle worth opening. And at 107 proof with eight and a half years in the barrel, The Jim Bunning Release is built to back it up.
"Raise a glass to Jim Bunning — number 14 on the mound and number 1 in our hearts. Hall of Famer. Senator. And a true champion of America's Native Spirit."
