COMMUNITY FIRST
Kentuckians have been known to stand united. The same sense of community that was so crucial to the production of bootleg whiskey in those hidden barns of Kentucky is the same spirit that inspires the Hidden Barn brand today.
SHARED PASSION
Local gatherings to unwind, trade stories and share a good pour of whiskey are where the founders of Hidden Barn found their friendship. The shared desire to build connection and fellowship drove them to become business partners.
ALCHEMY
It is the combination of art and science that teases out the subtle variations and nuances that make this whiskey special. We aim to bottle products with quality at the forefront which are thoughtfully blended to encourage sharing with friends old and new. We believe in honest transparency and hope to inspire conversations over shared pours.
FELLOWSHIP
It all started with a pour. Meet the four partners who united over a shared passion for quality whiskey and good company.
ROYCE NEELEY
PARTNER & MASTER DISTILLER
For Royce Neeley, owner and Master Distiller of the Neeley Family Distillery, whiskey is in his bloodline. Eleven generations of bloodline specifically. An unbroken lineage of distilling dates all the way back to the mid 1700s when his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, James John Neeley immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland and brought with him copper pot stills and valuable some whiskey know-how.
Like generations before him, Master Distiller Royce Neeley has been making whiskey (legally and illegally) most of his life, stubbornly adhering to the traditions that make whiskey great— like sweet mash, steam cleaning, wild yeast harvested by hand, double and triple copper pot distilling and cypress fermentation.
With a bachelors of science from Transylvania University, and an MBA with an emphasis on distillery tourism and operations from Midway University, Royce is a rising star in American Whiskey. Renowned for his moonshine as well as his whiskey, Royce had led distillery teams to earn 17 double gold medals, four gold medals and has been honored with a number of best in class and double gold awards including Best Barrel Strength Bourbon at the New Orleans Bourbon Festival (2022) and Best Single Barrel Bourbon at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition (2021).
JACKIE ZYKAN
PARTNER & MASTER BLENDER
Known for having one of the most respected palates in American Whiskey, Jackie Zykan’s approach to blending looks a lot like her approach to life – focused on balance, structure and celebrating the unique nuances of each blend. A native of St. Louis, and now calling Louisville, Kentucky home, she brings more than 16 years of beverage alcohol industry experience to Hidden Barn.
With degrees in biology and chemistry, and experience in multi-concept beverage directorship, cocktail strategy, category education, product development, and global marketing, her career has taken her to nearly every corner of the industry, giving her both balance and structure that few can match. She’s regarded not only for her technical know-how, but for her personal style of whiskey education, which is relatable and focused.
Most recently, Jackie served as Master Taster for Old Forester where she came to develop her hallmark style of blending and descriptive analysis, while remaining focused on quality, integrity and her signature approachability. For Zykan, it’s not meant to be pretentious – whiskey is meant to be a celebration.
NATE WINEGAR
PARTNER & BRAND AMBASSADOR
What started as an informal weekly gathering to unwind and share a good pour of whiskey turned into a life-changing path for Nate Winegar. Today, Colorado’s 5280 Whiskey Society is regarded as one of the premier whiskey societies in the United States.
The same values of building connection and fellowship through whiskey brought Nate to Hidden Barn – applying that same passion to building community, growing the brand and sharing its story with friends near and far.
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