2026 Black Maple Hill 11 Year Old Premium Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 700ml

2026 Black Maple Hill 11 Year Old Premium Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey marks the return of one of American whiskey's most mythologized labels to its Kentucky roots. Bottled at 95 proof (47.5% ABV) in a 700ml format, this age-stated small batch is drawn from rare, long-aged Kentucky stocks — a deliberate revival of the profile that made early Black Maple Hill bottlings benchmarks of the modern bourbon era. Rare Character announced the revival in July 2026, calling it a restoration of the identity that helped shape the modern bourbon conversation.

First introduced in 2000 by Paul Joseph of California's CVI Brands, Black Maple Hill was never a distillery, yet it became one of bourbon's most coveted sourced labels. Early releases were produced by Julian Van Winkle III and are widely believed to have included wheated bourbon from the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery. Bottling moved to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers from 2009 to 2014, with well-aged releases reaching up to 22 years old, before tightening Kentucky inventory pushed production to Oregon in 2014 — a departure from the profile that defined its early acclaim.

Now Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington, Kentucky — the team behind revivals and cult bottlings such as Brook Hill, Pride of Anderson County, and Old Cassidy — has brought the label home. The 2026 relaunch restores the brand's original 95 proof presentation and its age-stated tradition, with proof selected to highlight barrel depth and balance. Eleven years of Kentucky maturation build the deep oak, dark caramel, dried fruit, leather, and baking-spice character that defined the brand's most celebrated age-stated releases.

For longtime enthusiasts, this is the bottle that answers two decades of what-ifs: an age-stated Black Maple Hill, bottled in Kentucky again, at the original proof. Pour it neat, or add a few drops of water to open the oak. Distinct from the no-age-statement 2026 small batch, the 11 Year Old sits in the range as the collector's tier — limited long-aged stocks, a 700ml presentation, and a label whose earlier Kentucky bottlings became some of the most hunted in bourbon.

• Size: 700ml
• Proof: 95 (47.5% ABV)
• Age: 11 Years
• Origin: Kentucky, USA
• Distillery: Undisclosed Kentucky distilleries; bottled by Rare Character Whiskey Co., Lexington, KY
• Style: Age-stated small batch Kentucky straight bourbon