From Bootleggers to Bourbon: How the Taub Family Brought Jacob's Pardon to Every Corner of America
There are whiskey brands with backstories, and then there are whiskey brands with proof. Jacob's Pardon falls firmly in the second category. Palm Bay International is launching Jacob's Pardon Bourbon into national distribution, marking the first bourbon from the American whiskey brand founded by Palm Bay's Taub family. It is a moment nearly a century in the making — one that connects a presidential pardon, a family's climb from federal prison to the upper tier of the American spirits industry, and a meticulous four-grain blend designed to stand among the finest bourbons available at any price point.
The bourbon category is glutted with invented origin stories, romantically embellished tall tales, and heritage brands that trace their roots to little more than a marketing meeting. Jacob's Pardon is something altogether different. The documentation is real. The history is documented. The pardon was issued by one of the most consequential presidents in American history. And now, for the first time, anyone who wants to taste that legacy can walk into a store anywhere in the country and do exactly that.
The Arrest, The Prison, The Pardon: Understanding Why This Brand Exists
To understand why Jacob's Pardon Bourbon matters, you have to go back to the winter of 1929. Nearly a century ago, Jacob and Abner Taub crafted and bootlegged their own whiskey during Prohibition to support their family — then, one fateful winter night in 1929, their world came crashing down during a sting that would land the brothers behind bars. The charges were serious. The authorities caught wind of their operation and raided their whiskey plant on February 11, 1929. The brothers were charged with violation of Section 88, Title 18 US Codes — transportation of whiskey barrels and making of whiskey.
What followed was six years of federal incarceration. The Taub brothers had bet everything on their whiskey operation and lost, at least temporarily. Then history intervened. In 1929, brothers Jacob and Abner were arrested for bootlegging whiskey during Prohibition, a violation of the Volstead Act, and in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt granted the brothers pardons. The timing was not incidental — Prohibition had been repealed in 1933, and the country was in the slow, complicated process of rebuilding a legal spirits industry. Roosevelt's decision to pardon the brothers allowed them to re-enter that industry with their reputations, if not their records, intact.
Baltimore Club Whiskey and the Birth of a Family Dynasty
The pardon did more than restore the brothers' freedom. It set the trajectory for generations of Taub family involvement in American whiskey. Six long years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued presidential pardons to the Taub brothers. They were able to reignite their family business together with their brother Martin — Marc's grandfather — and help launch Baltimore Club Whiskey. This set into motion a family tradition that has spanned generations and serves as the inspiration behind the name Jacob's Pardon.
For decades, the full scope of that history was not widely known, even within the family itself. The third generation of a family of alcohol distributors, Marc guessed that there was more to the origin story of the business than he knew, but wasn't privy to the details for most of his life. He describes growing up and seeing a metal box in his grandfather's office, next to the bar set. Eight years ago, after his father passed away, Marc opened the box to discover evidence of his grandfather Martin Taub and great-uncles' original business: whiskey production.
That metal box contained more than old documents. It contained the seed of an entirely new chapter in the family's whiskey story. "You don't just snap your fingers upon the repeal of Prohibition and decide to get into the liquor business," says Marc Taub, president and CEO of Taub Family Cos. and co-founder with his son Jake of Jacob's Pardon American whiskey. The implication is clear: the Taub family's foothold in the spirits business was earned the hard way, well before any licensing was involved.
Palm Bay International and the Modern Taub Legacy
The Taubs who launched Jacob's Pardon in the modern era came to the project with substantial industry experience already in hand. Founded by Marc D. Taub and his son Jake, Jacob's Pardon builds on their Palm Bay International legacy, blending global, multi-generational partnerships. Palm Bay International is a Port Washington, New York-based wine and spirits importing business, and the Taub family has operated it with the kind of rigor that comes from deep institutional knowledge of how beverages move through markets.
Today, third-generation Marc Taub — Jacob's great-nephew — and his son Jake have been exploring America's finest whiskey-, bourbon-, and rye-producing territories, cherry-picking select barrels and befriending America's foremost spirits expert, F. Paul Pacult, along the way. That phrase, "cherry-picking select barrels," is not casual language for people in this industry. It reflects a philosophy of curation over production, of patience over expediency — one that has defined Jacob's Pardon since its inception.
A Brand Built on Limited Releases First
The new bourbon builds on the foundation established by Jacob's Pardon's Heritage Collection. That first line of American whiskies debuted in 2019 with Small Batch #1 and introduced the brand to collectors and American whiskey enthusiasts, while drawing attention to the documented Prohibition-era history behind the name.
Those early releases established something important: this was not a brand interested in flooding the market. Unlike mass-produced whiskies, Jacob's Pardon focuses on rarity and individuality. The brand sources well-aged barrels of American whiskey, often with unique mash bills and extended aging profiles, to craft one-of-a-kind expressions. The Heritage Collection releases — some pushing 15, 16, and even 18 years of age — attracted collectors and drew critical attention, building exactly the kind of reputation that makes a national bourbon launch land with credibility rather than skepticism.
The progression of those releases showed real ambition. The brand eventually moved into sherry cask finishing, collaborating with storied Spanish producers. In collaboration with Master Blender F. Paul Pacult and Bodegas Williams & Humbert, the debut release of the Cask Collective Finish Series showcased exceptional craft and heritage. Each release served a dual purpose: adding to the portfolio and reinforcing the brand's identity as a premium, thoughtfully constructed whiskey house — one that would eventually have the credibility to put a nationally distributed bourbon on shelves.
F. Paul Pacult: The Man Behind the Blend
No discussion of Jacob's Pardon is complete without a detailed look at the man whose palate has shaped every expression in the lineup. Forbes magazine dubbed Pacult "America's foremost spirits authority," and that description is not marketing copy — it reflects decades of work that has made Pacult one of the most credentialed figures in the global spirits world.
Since 1989, when Paul began writing about distilled spirits, he has formally reviewed more than 31,000 whiskeys, brandies, agave spirits, gins, rums, liqueurs and more. His publication, F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal, has been running since 1991. He is the only journalist worldwide to concurrently be a life member and Master of Keepers of the Quaich whisky society in Edinburgh, Scotland, a life member of Kentucky's Bourbon Hall of Fame, and a life member of France's Company of Armagnac Musketeers. These are not honorary titles handed out at industry dinners — they represent recognition from the most discerning bodies in global spirits evaluation.
In 2019, Paul became Master Blender for Palm Bay International's whiskey project, Jacob's Pardon. The early engagement was something of a creative experiment. Palm Bay International, a Long Island–based importer, asked him to see what he could do with 2,600 barrels of whiskey they'd purchased from MGP and George Dickel. Pacult married 60 of them into a new blended American whiskey called Jacob's Pardon. That initial project proved the concept. Now, seven years into the partnership, Pacult is applying that same methodology to a full-scale national bourbon launch.
A Blender's Philosophy
Pacult's approach to the new Jacob's Pardon Bourbon is an articulation of blending philosophy at its most disciplined. "Blending takes patience. Countless combinations are evaluated until every element transforms into perfect harmony. This is a blend that made me say 'wow,'" Pacult said. That kind of direct, unguarded enthusiasm from someone who has evaluated tens of thousands of spirits carries real weight.
The outcome Pacult was chasing with this bourbon was one that collectors and casual drinkers rarely get to share: a whiskey complex enough to reward close attention, approachable enough to not require it. "The four-grain approach gives us the ability to build complexity while simultaneously keeping the profile balanced, concentrated, and consistent. Blending isn't about creating novelty. It's about making a bourbon that people want to come back to." That last point is worth pausing on. In an era where limited editions and one-off releases dominate the premium bourbon conversation, Jacob's Pardon Bourbon is positioning itself as something a drinker can rely on — a nationally available expression built for repeatability, not rarity.
The Mashbill: Why Four Grains Matter
Most American bourbons are built on three grains at most: corn, a secondary grain like rye or wheat, and malted barley. Jacob's Pardon Bourbon does something more ambitious. The brand's new bourbon is composed of liquids from Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, with a four-grain mashbill including corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley. That decision to include both rye and wheat — grains that typically define competing styles of bourbon — is not accidental. It is the mechanism by which Pacult achieves the layered character he was after.
With this expression, Master Blender F. Paul Pacult brings together four grains to create a layered yet cohesive profile. Corn provides the foundation, while rye, wheat, and malted barley contribute spice, softness, and additional depth. The architecture of that flavor profile is deliberate: corn delivers the sweetness and body that defines bourbon as a category; rye adds the spice and structural edge that gives the whiskey backbone; wheat softens and rounds without blurring; malted barley supplies the enzymatic complexity and subtle nuttiness that ties everything together.
The Multi-State Sourcing Strategy
The decision to draw from three different states — Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana — reflects a sourced bourbon strategy that has become increasingly sophisticated in the American whiskey market. Each state's distilling tradition and climate produces spirits with distinct characteristics, and blending across those geographic signatures allows for a more nuanced final product than any single source could provide. The whiskeys included were selected for their mix of spice, gentle, soft flavor profile, and balance. That selection process, conducted by Pacult across what the brand describes as countless evaluated combinations, produced a liquid designed to perform consistently across every bottling.
The launch of this new bourbon is the culmination of an extensive process of evaluating various blends until each component worked in perfect harmony, with the result being a 90-proof bourbon crafted with balance and complexity. Ninety proof — 45% ABV — is a proof point that bourbon drinkers have come to associate with a certain category of premium, seriously constructed whiskey. It is high enough to carry the flavor load without dilution, yet controlled enough to remain inviting across a range of drinking occasions.
Tasting the Liquid: A Profile Built to Last
The sensory profile that Jacob's Pardon Bourbon presents is built around approachability with depth — a difficult balance to strike, and one that separates competent blends from exceptional ones. According to Jacob's Pardon, the result is a complex, multi-layered 90-proof whiskey that begins with a nose of dried cherries, clover honey, and candied orange peels. The palate is centered on caramelized sugar, toasted vanilla beans, oak, and gentle baking spices. The finish is lingering, warm, and clean, ending with a mix of sweetness and spice.
That aromatic opening — dried cherries, clover honey, candied orange — is the signature of well-integrated wheated and high-corn whiskeys softened by time and a thoughtful blending hand. The palate's movement toward caramelized sugar and toasted vanilla beans is exactly what a corn-forward mashbill produces when it has been given proper time and barrel contact, while the oak and gentle baking spice indicate the presence of the rye component keeping things from tipping into pure sweetness. The finish is clean, polished, and lingering, offering enough structure for sipping while remaining approachable enough for cocktails.
At 90 proof, the four-grain profile of Jacob's Pardon Bourbon gives enough sweetness and body to sip neat, while its balanced spice and clean, controlled warmth keep it from getting lost or overpowered when mixed, so it holds its own in a cocktail as well. That versatility — the ability to perform at the top of a glass of ice or in a well-made Old Fashioned — is harder to engineer than it sounds, and it reflects the practical thinking that has gone into this release. A nationally distributed bourbon needs to work for more than one kind of drinker.
National Distribution: What It Means for the Brand and the Category
Jacob's Pardon Bourbon will expand the whiskey house beyond its limited releases with a nationally available expression, while maintaining the brand's focus on thoughtful whiskey selection and provenance. That is a deliberate tension the brand is navigating: how do you scale a whiskey with a heritage-first identity without sacrificing the qualities that gave it that identity in the first place? The answer Jacob's Pardon has landed on is Pacult's blending discipline — a process rigorous enough to produce consistency across large production volumes while preserving the character that makes the liquid worth buying.
At $59.99, the bourbon is positioned within the premium category while remaining broadly available nationally. That price point is a considered strategic decision. The bourbon market at $60 is competitive — it sits above the crowded $35–$45 segment where name recognition drives most purchases, and below the $80–$100+ tier where limited editions and barrel-proof expressions compete for collector dollars. At $60, Jacob's Pardon Bourbon is asking drinkers to choose it based on quality and story, not scarcity. Given Pacult's involvement and the care evident in the blend's construction, that ask seems reasonable.
The Voice of the Founder
Marc D. Taub, president and CEO of Palm Bay International and founder of Jacob's Pardon, said: "This is an important step for Jacob's Pardon. The Heritage Collection established the foundation for the brand among enthusiasts. With our first bourbon, we're bringing that same commitment of exceptional quality and delivering a bourbon that bourbon lovers will thoroughly enjoy."
The measured tone of that statement reflects a founder who understands the stakes. The Heritage Collection was built for enthusiasts — collectors willing to seek out limited releases, pay premium prices, and engage with the brand's history on a deep level. The new bourbon is built for everyone else, too. It is the product that transforms Jacob's Pardon from a niche collector's brand into a genuine national player in the premium American whiskey space.
Historical Parallels: The Sourced Bourbon Model in Context
Jacob's Pardon is far from the first brand to build a reputation on sourced and blended American whiskeys. The practice has deep roots in American spirits history — going back to the era before Prohibition, when rectifiers and blenders played a central role in shaping the whiskey market. What is different about Jacob's Pardon is the authenticity of the historical connection. In today's world of American whiskey, a portion of the time tales told of sourced brands and their ties to bootleggers and the like can feel like overhyped marketing. There are brands out there, however, which have legitimate claims to a Prohibition past, and recently emerged Jacob's Pardon looks to be one of those.
The Taub family's return to whiskey also represents something meaningful about the arc of American spirits culture. A family that made whiskey illegally because there was no legal avenue, served time for it, received a presidential pardon, built a legal whiskey business, expanded into wine and spirits importing, and then brought the original whiskey-making identity back to the forefront — that is a genuinely American story. Their story shows what can happen when a family is willing to risk it all, and how that choice can inspire future generations to lead with courage and commitment.
Jacob's Pardon marks the Taubs' return to their roots as rectifiers in the spirits business. The word "rectifier" has specific historical meaning — it refers to those who blend, redistill, or otherwise refine whiskey purchased from distillers. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, rectifiers were among the most powerful figures in American spirits. The Taubs are operating squarely within that tradition, updated for a modern market that values transparency, provenance, and the story behind the liquid.
What Enthusiasts Should Know Before They Buy
For bourbon drinkers approaching Jacob's Pardon Bourbon for the first time, a few things are worth keeping in mind. First, this is a blended bourbon drawn from multiple states and distilleries, which is neither a weakness nor a shortcut — it is a deliberate methodology executed by one of the most respected sensory evaluators in the business. Jacob's Pardon Bourbon is a 750-mL, 90-proof (45% ABV) four-grain bourbon blending whiskey from Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. The geographic diversity of the source material is the point, not a compromise.
Second, the price reflects genuine premium positioning. The 90-proof whiskey retails at $60 a bottle and follows the Jacob's Pardon Heritage Collection of American whiskies that debuted in 2019. Compared to the Heritage Collection's elevated price points — the Cask Collective 16-year-old expression, for instance, carried an SRP of $124.99 for 750ml — the new bourbon represents a more accessible entry into the Jacob's Pardon family. But accessible is not the same as compromised. The blending process behind this expression is identical in rigor to the one that produced those higher-end releases.
Third, the sensory profile — dried cherry, clover honey, and orange on the nose; caramel, vanilla, oak, and baking spice on the palate; a warm, clean finish — suggests a bourbon that will reward patience. Letting it open in the glass for a few minutes before the first sip will allow the four-grain complexity to present itself more fully. Those who prefer their bourbon on ice will find that the 90-proof strength holds up well to dilution, maintaining the flavor structure rather than collapsing it.
A Brand at an Inflection Point
Jacob's Pardon has spent the better part of a decade earning the right to make this move. The Heritage Collection introduced the brand with integrity. The limited releases — 15-year single barrels, 18-year small batches, the sherry-finished Cask Collective — demonstrated that the team could execute at the highest level. Though relatively young in its modern revival, Jacob's Pardon has quickly gained critical acclaim within the spirits community. Its rare releases have been praised for their quality, balance, and the brand's commitment to showcasing unique aged stocks.
Now the brand is making its most consequential bet yet: that a nationally available, $60 bourbon can carry the same weight as those limited, collector-grade releases. Together, Marc, Jake, and Paul expertly blend this new family of whiskeys which includes a collection of ultra-fine, aged single-barrel releases and a series of small batches showcasing unique junctures in American whiskey. The national bourbon is not a departure from that philosophy — it is an extension of it, designed to bring the brand's commitment to curation and quality within reach of a much larger audience.
For American bourbon drinkers, the arrival of Jacob's Pardon Bourbon on national shelves represents exactly the kind of story the category does best: a family, a crime, a pardon, a dynasty, and now a bottle that anyone can open. The Taub brothers went to federal prison for making whiskey without permission. Nearly a century later, their descendants are putting that same spirit — properly licensed, meticulously blended, and nationally distributed — into the hands of every bourbon drinker in the country. That is a redemption arc worth raising a glass to.
