05/31/2026
Most whiskey brands start by creating a story.
J.W. Kelly & Co started by digging one up. 🔎
When Ed Kohl’s grandson stumbled across the name James Watt Kelly in old Chattanooga newspapers, it kicked off years of research into a whiskey figure who once dominated the city’s spirits trade before Prohibition erased much of the memory.
What followed wasn’t a marketing exercise. It became a mission to reconnect Chattanooga with a piece of its whiskey history that had nearly disappeared.
What I found most interesting is that the same attention to detail shows up in how they run the brand today. They openly acknowledge they’re a non-distilling producer, employ a dedicated historian, and have spent years researching the original labels, people, and places behind the name.
In an industry where heritage is sometimes created, J.W. Kelly is rebuilding one that already existed.
📖 Full feature now live on Bourbon Blenders:
https://bourbonblenders.com/the-blendz-blog/f/jw-kelly-co-the-brand-that-did-its-homework
💬 What’s the most interesting piece of whiskey history you’ve ever come across?
