Whiskey Legend Jackie Zykan Unveils New Hidden Barn Bourbon Made With Wild Yeast

Hidden Barn, the whiskey brand helmed by Jackie Zykkan, announced a new bourbon named “Slow Fade.” (Photo: Hidden Barn Bourbon)

Hidden Barn Bourbon, the brand run by Old Forester alum Jackie Zykan, announced the release of the second whiskey within its Series One line, “Slow Fade.” This particular bourbon takes its name from the bourbon’s distinctive finish.

Slow Fade is the 10th release from Hidden Barn and was blended by Zykan. Royce Neeley of the Neeley Family Distillery distilled the bourbon from a mashbill of 70% corn, 20% rye and 10% malted barley. The bourbon was fermented using sweet mash in cypress tanks with wild-crafted Appalachian yeast.

Slow Fade clocks in at 106.5 proof and has a suggested retail price of $79.99. The bourbon will be available at stores in California, New York Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada, according to the brand.

Zykan claims the release is balanced, with a nose that is full of “black cherry,” “a bit of orange zest” and “brown butter.”

“Dark cacao and hazelnut lead on the palate, and the mouthfeel is perfectly viscous,” Zykan claims. “The sweetness slow fades on the finish, rounding out with balanced warmth and clean longevity.”

Jackie Zykan announced the launch of Hidden Barn Bourbon in July 2022. The project launched a mere three weeks after she left her master taster position at Old Forester with Brown-Forman.

Zykan never had the desire to be a master distiller and maintained her passion for blending.

“I like to take the pieces and tell a story with them. I like to paint a picture with them.”

Her vision for Hidden Barn was a series of single-barrel offerings and a small batch of bourbon that will be more permanently available.

“But when I say small batch, let me be very clear,” Zykan said at the time. “But that’s what made sense to me to do. I think the bigger your batch size, the more you lose that individual nuance of every barrel. And if you’re able to produce batches in a small enough size and just embrace the differences, why not? So yeah. Hidden Barn. That’s what it is.”