Ken Pierce

“From Georgia to Heaven’s Door”

Ken Pierce’s journey in American whiskey began in Barton Brands’ food science laboratories of Georgia, where he joined that company as a Plant Chemist and later Quality Control Manager.  After six years in Georgia, Barton transferred him to Bardstown, Kentucky, to the distillery now known as Barton 1792 Distillery. Arriving in Kentucky as a Senior Chemist, Pierce swiftly advanced to Chief Chemist, then Director of Distillation and Quality Assurance, and ultimately Master Distiller, shaping the distillery’s small but tight-knit and loyal 1980s whiskey portfolio.

During his time at the Bardstown facility, Pierce had an interesting opportunity. He was asked to participate in the historically accurate rye-whiskey distillation project at Mount  Vernon Plantation for the George  Washington  Distillery  Project. Beginning in 2000, with a $2.1 million grant from the Distilled Spirits Council and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Mount Vernon began the restoration of Washington’s Virginia distillery. 2003 saw many of America’s notable distillers joining Pierce at Mount Vernon, including Jim Beam’s Fred Noe, Wild Turkey’s Bruce Russell, Ted Huber from Indiana’s Starlight distillery, and Wes and Kyle Henderson from Angel’s Envy, among others. Pierce and his team completed the project in 2007, allowing for the revival and enhanced understanding of 18th-century distillation methods. The enterprise was partially credited with playing a part in the resurgence of American rye whiskey, though Prohibition-era Virginia laws at the time forbade the human consumption or sales of whiskey there.

Back at Barton 1792, by the mid-2010s, Pierce’s imprint on product development was clearly visible. As Director of Distillation, he was noted for being the architect of the intense flavor profile of 1792 Port Finish expression, and more broadly, Barton’s small-batch releases like 1792 Sweet Wheat. Pierces' guiding role in recipe design and finishing choices even before his elevation to Master Distiller became apparent. His time at Barton Brands also coincided with arguably bourbon whiskey’s lowest and highest peaks, from the dreadful ‘bourbon glut’ of the 1970s and 1980s to the spirits' recent glory years from the 2010s through the mid-2020s.

Back at Barton 1792, by the mid-2010s, Pierce’s imprint on product development was clearly visible. As Director of Distillation, he was noted for being the architect of the intense flavor profile of 1792 Port Finish expression, and more broadly, Barton’s small-batch releases like 1792 Sweet Wheat. Pierces' guiding role in recipe design and finishing choices even before his elevation to Master Distiller became apparent. His time at Barton Brands also coincided with arguably bourbon whiskey’s lowest and highest peaks, from the dreadful ‘bourbon glut’ of the 1970s and 1980s to the spirits' recent glory years from the 2010s through the mid-2020s.

On Friday the 13th of May, 2016, after more than thirty years, Ken Pierce retired as Master Distiller at Barton 1792. Pierce was leaving Barton, having held the highest rank in bourbon production at the oldest fully operating distillery in Kentucky. As Master Distiller at 1792, Pierce had been involved in every aspect of bourbon production, from evaluating incoming grain for quality to selecting mature whiskey. As a result of his expert tutelage, Barton 1792 Distillery’s bourbon won the gold medal at the 2015 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, one of his last acts for the brand.

Pierce’s retirement from Barton marked the close of a major chapter in his career…but it was not the end of his whiskey story.

Later in 2016, Pierce embarked on a second act. He joined startup distillery Six  Mile  Creek  in Pleasureville, Kentucky, as Master Distiller, bringing with him what was now three-and-a-half decades’ industry experience. Soon, it was announced that Six Mile Creek was to be purchased in part by entertainer Bob Dylan and renamed Heaven’s Door in homage to perhaps Dylan's most famous song, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door.” At Heaven’s Door, Pierce immediately played an integral role in the design, startup, and operations of the distillery facility. Located on over 160 acres of rolling hills astride rustic Six Mile Creek, the picturesque property that is now Heaven’s Door distillery was once owned by Squire Boone, the brother of legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone. The distillery features two separate stillhouses, each in its own towering western horse barn, a Visitor’s Center with tasting rooms and lounges overlooking the valley and Six Mile Creek, an eighteenth-century working grist mill, two eighteenth-century cabins, and a Moravian barn, all of which have been painstakingly restored.  

Then there is the whiskey—under Pierce’s watch at Heaven’s Door, the portfolio continues to expand. Releases such as the Bootleg Series Volume V (November 2023) and the Exploration Series (February 2024) position him as the distillation lead alongside Master Blender and distillery co-owner Alex Moore. In parallel with product innovation, Pierce has emphasized operational quality and sustainability. The facility earned an EPA Energy Star score of 94, and only sources non-GMO grains from local farmers; it also works with cooperages committed to air-dried oak and wood-fired toasting and charring. Through it all, Pierce’s guiding professional themes of quality assurance, patience, and sustainability continue to mirror the technical, analytical mindset he carried through his Barton years.

Now, perhaps in the twilight of his career, Ken Pierce continues to serve as a Master’s Master Distiller, guiding production and mentoring the next generation while reflecting on a career that now spans nearly fifty years. His tenure at both a major global distillery and an award-winning startup has produced a phenomenal list of respected and commercially successful whiskies. Having helped design Heaven’s Door from the ground up and contributed mightily to its growth into a recognized name, he remains a steady presence: an experienced craftsman whose influence continues to shape modern American whiskey to this day.

Sources:

  1. Heaven’s Door Website, “Meet The Maker: Ken Pierce”, www.heavensdoor.com

  2. Bourbon & Banter, “Master Distiller Ken Pierce to Retire…”, May 4, 2016

  3. The Whiskey Wash, “Master Distiller Ken Pierce…”, May 4, 2016

  4. The Whiskey Lifestyle, “Heaven’s Door Announces New Distillery”, Rashaun Hall 

  5. Whiskey Advocate, “…Heaven’s Door Pushes its Creative Boundaries”, Julia Higgins, February 21, 2024

  6. DistilleryTrail, “Bob Dylan to Open 160-Acre Heaven’s Door Distillery…”, June 8, 2023

  7. WKMS 91.3 (Murray State University), “Master Distiller Retiring…”, Matt Markgraf, May 5, 2016

  8. Breaking Bourbon (press page), “Heaven’s Door to Open Distillery…”, Apr. 20, 2023

  9. Breaking Bourbon, “Heaven’s Door Spirits…Exploration Series”, Feb. 14, 2024

  10. The Washington Post, “Summoning the Spirit of a Bygone Era”, Oct. 20, 2003

Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee