Durham Distillery pours a decade of know-how into its first bourbon.
“Civilization begins with distillation”—William Faulkner’s words refuse to age as the gin house that helped put the Bull City on the spirits map makes a “damn fine” foray into whiskey business.
“With our gins, every component has a purpose,” Durham Distillery co-founder Melissa Katrincic tells RM, “and Lee brought that same approach to blending this bourbon.”
And they didn’t rush it. More than a decade after launching, co-founder, President and Master Distiller Lee Katrincic is putting his name behind Damn Fine Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. At just 2,080 bottles, the limited first-batch eight-barrel blend draws on his distilling moxie, flavor-balancing prowess and years behind the still—plus a whiskey-blending education that includes a master class with one of modern American whiskey’s most influential figures: the late Dave Pickerell.
And the magic is in the mix. Distilled and aged in Kentucky, Lee handpicked six mature rye-recipe barrels for structure, depth and a lingering finish, then two wheated barrels for softness and approachability, developing the final rich, rounded blend at
Durham Distillery.
“What feels distinctly us,” says Melissa, “is the thought put into the finished spirit: how the flavors work together and how it drinks, whether you’re enjoying it neat or in a cocktail.”
Aged a minimum of four years, that versatile result walks an intentional tightrope, with enough depth and personality to sip neat and enough spice to hold its own in a cocktail, adds Melissa. On the nose, warm vanilla, toasted oak and caramel meet an inviting pop of bright rye spice and crisp apple before giving way to butterscotch, brown sugar and soft milk chocolate. A high-rye backbone carries through to a lingering finish of warm cinnamon, cracked pepper, toasted nuts and oak. Lee’s preferred pour? A Damn Fine Manhattan riff (see below).
So why bourbon—and why now? “Gin has been such an important part of our story, but our curiosity about spirits has always extended beyond it,” says Melissa. “The right time came when we had a blend we were proud to put our name on.”
As for whether Damn Fine signals a bigger whiskey chapter, the distillery isn’t spilling that just yet. For now, it’s focused on giving those first eight barrels the attention they deserve—and hearing what drinkers think. But more whiskey isn’t off the table—“We’re definitely excited about expanding the lineup,” teases Melissa. We’ll drink to that.
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