Jacob Kiper

Dixon Dedman has become one of the most recognizable names in American whiskey, first gaining a following through his early releases of Kentucky Owl. After a seven-year run with the brand, Dedman departed in 2021. In November 2022, he launched 2XO, short for Two Times Oak, with The Phoenix Blend serving as the debut release. In 2026, Dedman unveiled the seventh installment in the 2XO Collectible Series, The Hip-Hop Blend.

On January 19, 2025, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau officially recognized American single malt whiskey as a category of American whiskey. That designation may be new, but American single malt whiskey is not. American distillers had been developing their own approach to malt whiskey for years before the category received official recognition.

Old Elk was founded in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2013 by Curt and Nancy Richardson, who are best known as the creators of OtterBox. Rather than wait years for whiskey distilled in-house to reach maturity, the company partnered with Indiana’s MGP, where whiskey was distilled to proprietary recipes developed specifically for Old Elk. Central to that relationship was legendary distiller Greg Metze.