Mellow Corn
The history of Mellow Corn Whiskey dates to 1945 when it was created by the Medley Distilling Company in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1993 when United Distillers were trimming many brands, These included Old Fitzgerald, Dubonnet and Grand Canadian. In addition to these brands was the lowly Mellow Corn. When Heaven Hill President Max Shapira was asked “You want to take this, too?”, he said, “Yeah, throw it in.”
Corn whiskey, similar to bourbon, has several rules in place to guarantee its integrity. The whiskey must be made from a mash bill containing at least 80% corn, and is then aged in non-charred or used barrels. If it aged for two or more years, it may be labeled as straight corn whiskey; it can also follow more stringent bottled-in-bond requirements.
Mellow Corn Whiskey comes in a distintive bottle carrying its original 1945 logo of a barrel resting on bright, yellow corn stalks. It is made from a mash bill of 80% corn, 8% rye, and 12% malted barley. Note that this is very similar to Evan Williams’ mash bill of 78% corn, 12% rye, and 10% malted barley. The finished distillate is aged in used Evan Williams barrels.
