Where NBC Began
Every company has a founding moment. For Nashville Barrel Company, it was the purchase of 14 single barrels from Indiana's MGP distillery — hand-selected before NBC had a name, before it had a tasting room, before it had a logo. Just 14 barrels that the founders believed were worth holding onto.
The choice of MGP Indiana was deliberate. MGP's 75/21/4 mashbill — 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley — produces a bourbon with more structure and spice than standard Kentucky high-corn recipes. The decision to age each barrel in Kelvin cooperage — a Glasgow-based cooperage known for heavier char and distinctive vanilla and toasted oak character — added an additional layer of uniqueness that separates every Founders barrel from standard MGP releases.
Each of the 14 barrels was numbered at bottling. #1 came first, then #2, then all the way through #14 — released one or a few at a time over seven years as NBC grew from a concept into Tennessee's most awarded craft whiskey blender.
14 barrels. 8 years in Kelvin oak. The bottles that made NBC who they are.
Distilled in: Indiana (MGP) · Mashbill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley · Cooperage: Kelvin (Glasgow) · Age: 8 Years · Proof range: 126–130° · Type: Cask Strength · Non-Blended Single Barrels
The Tasting Profile
Because all 14 barrels share the same distillate, cooperage, and age, the Founders Fourteen has a recognizable house character across every release — with individual barrel variation adding its own nuance. The common thread:
- Nose: Rich caramel, vanilla, dark baking chocolate, toasted Kelvin oak — bolder on the nose than standard MGP due to the cooperage selection
- Palate: The 21% rye makes itself known immediately — baking spice, cracked black pepper, dried fruit — balanced by MGP's characteristic vanilla sweetness and the dark caramel that the Kelvin barrel contributes
- Finish: Long and warming. Cask strength means there's no proofing water between you and what the barrel actually produced. The Kelvin oak adds a smoky, slightly savory quality to the tail end that standard MGP releases at lower proof don't deliver
The Barrels — Available Now
Earlier Releases — Sold Out
Barrels #1 through #8 were released in the earlier years of NBC's history, most as VIP or limited releases for NBC's founding community. Many sold in hours. They're documented here because every barrel in this series is part of the same founding story — if you tasted #7 or #3 at a tasting room two years ago, you were drinking from the same 14 barrels that started NBC.
Why These Barrels Matter
Taste the Founders Fourteen at NBC
425 Church Street, Nashville · Walk-in whiskey flights from $35 · Available Founders barrels in tasting rotation
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