Kentucky whiskey producer Wilderness Trail Distillery announced in its e-newsletter that it will double its bottling production rate this month thanks to a machinery upgrade, according to Fred Minnick.
The distillery said this upgrade is needed because its barrel inventory of aged bourbon and rye whiskey is doubling from 2022 to 2023 and is expected to double again in 2024.
The current bottling line is capable of processing 3,100 barrels per year (3,000 bottles per day). In 2023, the distillery needs to process 5,000 barrels per year (6,400 bottles per day).
The current technology is limited by the inline label machine, which restricts the line to 18 bottles per minute. This month, Wilderness Trail will upgrade to a rotary label machine capable of running 28-30 bottles per minute.
The distillery will also install new case conveyors to improve productivity.
In 2026, Wilderness Trail plans to install a new bottling line, which will use the new label machine to run up to 90 bottles per minute.
Wilderness Trail was purchased by Campari Group in October in a massive deal valuing the distillery at $600 million.
Here at Whiskey Raiders, we do more than write about current events in Whiskey. We are the only media property reviewing whiskeys and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the whiskey world in one place. We also scour the internet daily in search of the best whiskey deals out there. If you’re interested in having a great whiskey deal and the latest news and reviews delivered to your inbox each morning, sign up for our Daily Deal Newsletter!