Whiskey Blender Who Revived Kentucky Owl Launches 1st Bourbon Under New Brand

Dixon Dedman has launched 2XO The Phoenix Blend. (Photo: 2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey)

Dixon Dedman, the whiskey blender known for reviving Kentucky Owl, which is now owned by Stoli, has launched The Phoenix Blend, the first small-batch bourbon blend from his new brand, 2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Brought to market through Prestige Beverage Group, The Phoenix Blend will be available in select markets nationwide in limited quantities and online at ReserveBar, where it is available now for preorder, at a suggested retail price of $100 per 750-milliliter bottle.

The Phoenix Blend is Dedman’s re-entry into the bourbon world after he departed Kentucky Owl, a brand founded in 1879 by his great-great-grandfather, Charles Mortimer Dedman. Dixon Dedman relaunched Kentucky Owl in 2014, and the brand was acquired by Stoli in 2017.

“I named The Phoenix Blend very intentionally,” Dixon said in a news release. “Like a new beginning, 2XO aims to create something unique in American whiskey, and every release will strive to achieve something special. The initial response to The Phoenix Blend has been very well received. I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter.”

“2XO,” which means “Two Times Oak,” refers to Dixon’s blending process, in which he re-barrels his aged whiskey into new charred oak barrels. The Phoenix Blend is a blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys composed of two mashbills from different distilling partners, one with moderate rye content and the other with high rye content.

The Phoenix Blend, which is bottled at 104 proof, will be followed by two small-batch blends and a single barrel release in each consecutive year, the brand said in the news release.

Dedman first announced his X2O bourbon brand in May.

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