Jacob's Pardon, the American whiskey brand rooted in a documented Prohibition-era family history, is entering the bourbon category for the first time with a 90-proof, four-grain expression priced at $59.99 suggested retail. The bourbon is now available nationally through Palm Bay International, the family-owned wine and spirits supplier that distributes the brand.
The release marks a strategic shift for Jacob's Pardon, which launched in 2019 through a limited Heritage Collection aimed at collectors and American whiskey enthusiasts. The new bourbon broadens the brand's retail footprint with a widely distributed, premium-tier SKU positioned to compete across on- and off-premise accounts — including the c-store spirits set, where $50–$65 premium bourbons have gained shelf presence as operators upgrade their packaged liquor selections.
The Liquid
Master Blender F. Paul Pacult assembled the expression from distillate sourced across Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana — a multi-distillery approach that gives the brand flexibility in building a consistent flavor profile at scale. The four-grain mashbill layers corn as the base with rye for spice, wheat for softness, and malted barley for additional depth. On the nose, cherry, honey, and orange lead into caramel, vanilla, and spice on the palate, with a clean, lingering finish. "Blending isn't about creating novelty. It's about making a bourbon that people want to come back to," Pacult said.
At 90 proof, the bottle is pitched as versatile enough to sip neat or carry through in cocktails — a key consideration for on-premise and spirits-forward foodservice accounts where bartenders need a mid-premium pour that holds up in mixed applications. Pacult developed a signature serve, the Jacob's Revival, combining the bourbon with fresh lemon juice, crème de cassis, simple syrup, and optional bitters.
Brand Heritage and Channel Outlook
The Jacob's Pardon name traces to 1929, when brothers Jacob and Abner Taub were arrested for bootlegging during Prohibition. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt granted them pardons — the documented history the brand has built its identity around since the Heritage Collection's debut.
"The Heritage Collection established the foundation for the brand among enthusiasts," said Marc D. Taub, president and CEO of Palm Bay International and founder of Jacob's Pardon. "With our first bourbon, we're bringing that same commitment of exceptional quality and delivering a bourbon that bourbon lovers will thoroughly enjoy."
For c-store buyers, the $59.99 price point lands in the premium bourbon tier that has driven outsized category growth over the past several years. NACS data and supplier reports have consistently flagged spirits — particularly American whiskey — as one of the stronger packaged-beverage and alcohol categories in the convenience channel, with premium SKUs punching above their weight in margin contribution relative to shelf space. A nationally distributed, story-driven bourbon from an established supplier like Palm Bay gives single-store operators and regional chains a credible premium option without the allocation friction that surrounds allocated or limited releases.
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.
