Wilderness Trail Distillery announced in its e-newsletter that it will double its bottling production rate with a machinery upgrade in January.

The machinery is needed to enhance production because the barrel inventory of aged, ready-to-bottle Bourbon and Rye Whiskey is doubling from 2022 to 2023, the distillery reported. Inventory is expected to double again in 2024.

The current bottling line, with an inline filler, a corker and an inline labeler, is capable of processing 3,100 barrels per year on one shift (3,000 bottles per day). In 2023, the distillery needs to process 5,000 barrels in bottling (6,400 bottles per day). 

Presently, the limiting factor on the line is the inline label machine. It restricts the line to 18 bottles per minute. In mid-January, Wilderness Trail plans to upgrade to a rotary label machine made by PE Labelers. The new machine will allow the bottling line to run 28-30 bottles per minute.

New case conveyors also will be installed to enhance productivity. The new machinery will allow the distillery to meet bottling needs through 2025 running across one and two shifts.

In 2026, WTD is planning on installing a brand new bottling line, and the label machine will be redeployed to that new line, where it will be capable of running up to 90 bottles per minute.

Danville, Ky.-based Wilderness Trail began operations in 2013. Owned by Shane Baker and Dr. Patrick Heist, the distillery offers three core expressions: a Single Barrel Bottled in Bond Bourbon made with small grain wheat; a bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon small batch of 12 barrels made with rye small grain, and a Kentucky straight Rye Whiskey single barrel cask strength.