Kentucky may have written bourbon into America’s DNA — its limestone-filtered water, hot summers, cool winters, and time-honored distilling traditions gave it an unrivaled claim to the spirit’s soul. For generations, if you wanted the best bourbon, it was assumed that you needed one from Kentucky.
But bourbon is not bound by the Bluegrass State. Across the U.S., distillers are harnessing their own landscapes, grains, and water sources to create uniquely regional interpretations of America’s native whiskey. From the mountains of Colorado to Oregon’s high desert to the urban grit of New York City, these bourbons are proving that Kentucky doesn’t hold a monopoly. In Colorado, TINCUP Bourbon bottles the ruggedness of the Rockies. In Oregon, Pendleton 1910 Bourbon channels rodeo grit and glacier-fed purity. And in New York, where water quality reigns in creating the best bagels and pizza, Great Jones Straight Bourbon reclaims the state’s rightful place in whiskey history. Together, they highlight a new truth: Some of the best bourbons are now born far from Kentucky rickhouses.
To understand why that matters, I spoke with Matt Klette, Proximo Spirits’ Head of Advocacy — and a proud Kentuckian. He admitted that even for him, bourbon’s expanding geography was once hard to embrace. But tasting these new regional expressions changed his mind.
TINCUP Bourbon – The Mountain Whiskey
TINCUP Whiskey got its start when founder Jess Graber set out to capture Colorado’s mining past and outdoor spirit in a bottle. Its name honors the old town of Tin Cup, where prospectors sipped whiskey from battered tin cups after long days in the Rockies — a detail echoed in the brand’s own tin cap, which doubles as a sipping cup. Even the hexagonal bottle nods to utility; it won’t roll away on rocky ground.
Crafted with Rocky Mountain water at 5,251 feet of elevation and aged at least four years in charred new American oak, TINCUP’s bourbon is approachable in price but uncompromising in quality. “Because it’s crafted with Rocky Mountain water, TINCUP is able to stand out with a very distinct, smooth profile,” says Klette. Expect aromas of vanilla and worn leather, a palate of butterscotch, dried orange, clove, tarragon, and peach, and a bold, sweet finish. True to its tagline as The Mountain Whiskey, TINCUP was made for campfires, trails, and the bonds forged when people come together in pursuit of adventure.
Pendleton® 1910 Bourbon – Rodeo Roots in the Pacific Northwest
Founded in Pendleton, Ore., the brand takes its name from the iconic Pendleton Round-Up, one of the nation’s most storied rodeos. Pendleton Whisky was built to embody that rugged independence, and its latest release, Pendleton 1910 Bourbon, doubles down on those roots.
The bourbon’s name pays homage to the first Round-Up in 1910, and the ornate bottle design evokes the tooled leather of a prize-winning saddle. Inside, you’ll find a premium 90-proof bourbon aged 10 years in white American oak and proofed with glacier-fed spring water from Oregon’s highest peak, Mt. Hood. “The water source is more than symbolic,” Klette explains. “In addition to that uncommonly smooth taste and rich, complex flavor that sets Pendleton apart, it lends clarity and a crisp, clean finish with caramel, vanilla, and rye spice layered into a long, lingering finish.” A true representation of the bold spirit of independence and hard work ethic of the American cowboy and cowgirl.
Great Jones Straight Bourbon – a Manhattan Original
New York City isn’t the first place you’d expect bourbon to come from, but Great Jones Distilling Co. set out to change that in 2021, opening Manhattan’s first and only legal whiskey distillery since Prohibition. Its goal: to put bourbon at the center of a modern New York experience, equal parts grit and glamour.
Led by Head Distiller Celina Perez, Great Jones produces whiskey from grain grown entirely in New York’s Black Dirt region — nutrient-rich soil that imparts a spicy edge. Distilled, aged, and bottled on-site, the whiskey is cut with Hudson Valley-sourced water, the same resource New Yorkers credit for their bagels and pizza crusts. “Even when you think about some of these really big brands in Kentucky, it’s not 100 percent Kentucky grain,” says Klette. “With Great Jones, it’s a true reflection of New York.”
That terroir shows in the glass. Great Jones is drier and spicier than corn-heavy Kentucky bourbons, with peppery rye notes balanced by vanilla creaminess. “At this point in my life, I like my bourbon to be more on that kind of drier, spicier side,” Klette admits. “That’s what I personally like about Great Jones.” Like the city it calls home, it is bold, uncompromising, and unapologetically distinct — a true, modern interpretation of America’s native spirit.
Beyond Kentucky
What unites TINCUP, Pendleton, and Great Jones isn’t a shared flavor profile but a philosophy: bourbon as an expression of place. Local water, grain, and climate matter — and each of these distilleries embraces that distinctiveness.
As Klette put it: “What is the traditional bourbon profile? That’s the beautiful part of bourbon — and whiskey as a whole — that you can have fun with it. People are ready to branch out and try new things, not just stick with the same flavor profile. And while I might be from Kentucky, these bourbons feel like home to me now.”
This article is sponsored by Proximo Spirits.
