It is well known that Kentucky’s master distillers are fiercely independent, each claiming that his bourbon is the best. But when hardship strikes one of their own, they band together like long-lost brothers and rise to the occasion to achieve the greater good.
This was the case with the sad news that Parker Beam, master distiller emeritus for Heaven Hill, had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. In response, Kentucky’s major bourbon distilleries—Heaven Hill, Buffa…