Jacob's Pardon, the American whiskey label built on a documented Prohibition-era family narrative, is entering the bourbon category for the first time with a 90-proof, four-grain blend sourced from distilleries in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. The expression carries a suggested retail price of $59.99 and is available nationally as of October 1, positioning the brand squarely in the premium bourbon segment alongside established competitors at that price tier.
The Liquid and the Lineup
Master Blender F. Paul Pacult assembled the blend using corn as the base grain, with rye, wheat, and malted barley added to build what the brand describes as layered complexity within a balanced profile. Tasting notes cite cherry, honey, and orange on the nose, transitioning to caramel, vanilla, and spice on the palate, with a clean, extended finish. At 90 proof, the expression is engineered to function both as a sipping whiskey and a cocktail base — a dual-use positioning that has become increasingly standard for premium bourbons targeting on-premise and off-premise channels simultaneously.
"Blending takes patience," said Pacult. "The four-grain approach gives us the ability to build complexity while simultaneously keeping the profile balanced, concentrated, and consistent. Blending isn't about creating novelty. It's about making a bourbon that people want to come back to."
The new release extends Jacob's Pardon's portfolio beyond the Heritage Collection, a limited-release line that debuted in 2019 with Small Batch #1 and cultivated a following among collectors and American whiskey enthusiasts. The step into a nationally available, non-allocated SKU represents a meaningful commercial escalation for the brand and for its parent, Palm Bay International, a family-owned wine and spirits supplier with a domestic and international portfolio.
Prohibition Provenance as Brand Equity
The Jacob's Pardon story traces to 1929, when brothers Jacob and Abner Taub were arrested for bootlegging whiskey in violation of the Volstead Act. Six years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt granted the brothers pardons — an origin story the brand has used as a differentiator since launch and one that carries growing resonance in a bourbon market crowded with heritage-positioning.
Marc D. Taub, president and CEO of Palm Bay International and founder of Jacob's Pardon, framed the bourbon launch as a natural extension of that foundation. "The Heritage Collection established the foundation for the brand among enthusiasts," he said. "With our first bourbon, we're bringing that same commitment of exceptional quality and delivering a bourbon that bourbon lovers will thoroughly enjoy."
Market Positioning and Outlook
The $59.99 price point lands the expression in a contested zone of the premium American whiskey shelf, above mass-market bourbons but accessible relative to the ultra-premium tier that has driven much of the category's recent volume and margin growth. According to industry data tracked across spirits categories, consumer trade-up behavior in bourbon has remained durable even as broader discretionary spending has softened, making the premium tier one of the more defensible positions in beverage alcohol.
For Palm Bay International, the launch also signals an ongoing investment in building proprietary domestic brands alongside its imported wine and spirits distribution business — a diversification strategy that several mid-tier suppliers have pursued as importer margins face pressure from consolidation among wholesalers and retailers. The Jacob's Pardon bourbon will compete for shelf and back-bar placement in a market where on-premise whiskey programs are increasingly selective about new premium additions. Whether the four-grain blend and its documented backstory can accelerate trial beyond the brand's existing enthusiast base will be the commercial test to watch.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
