Black Maple Hill
The Black Maple Hill collection at Midnight Whiskey holds both eras of the label under one roof: the classic-era 16-year small batch, and the 2026 revival — a no-age-statement small batch, an 11-year, and a 16-year, all reintroduced under Rare Character Whiskey Co. — alongside Pride of Anderson County, a single-barrel bourbon from the same Rare Character program.
One Label, Two Eras
Black Maple Hill was introduced in 2000 by Paul Joseph of CVI Brands and has never been a distillery — every release, then and now, is sourced, selected, and bottled under the name. The eras matter, and this shelf keeps them straight. From the original run we hold the classic-era 16-year small batch, legacy stock that is no longer produced. From the July 2026 reintroduction by Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington, Kentucky, we hold its 2026 revival counterpart at sixteen years, the revival's 11-year small batch, and the no-age-statement revival small batch — the lineup Rare Character announced, every one a Kentucky straight bourbon at 95 proof. Beside them sits the Anderson County single-barrel bourbon, a Rare Character bottling named in the same announcement. No page on this shelf names a source distillery, because the label never has — the eras, ages, and proofs are the facts, and they are stated on every bottle's own page.
- Introduced in 2000 by Paul Joseph of CVI Brands, California — a non-distiller label from the first bottle.
- Early classic-era releases were produced by Julian Van Winkle III; bottling ran through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, from 2009 to 2014, then shifted to Oregon in 2014.
- Officially reintroduced in July 2026 by Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington, Kentucky.
- The revival lineup: a no-age-statement small batch, an 11-year, and a 16-year — all Kentucky straight bourbon at 95 proof (47.5% ABV).
- Every Black Maple Hill bourbon on this shelf, either era, is bottled at the same 95 proof.
- Source distilleries and mash bills are undisclosed across all eras; no page in this collection asserts one.
The Label's Timeline
The Black Maple Hill story runs in chapters, and the bottles on this shelf come from the first and the latest. Paul Joseph of CVI Brands created the label in California in 2000 to bottle sourced Kentucky whiskey, and its early releases — produced by Julian Van Winkle III — built the reputation the name still trades on: high age statements, small quantities, and a refusal to say where the whiskey was distilled. As that old stock thinned, the age statements came off. From 2009 to 2014 bottling ran through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, the Willett family's operation in Bardstown, and in 2014 production shifted to Oregon, leaving the Kentucky bottlings as legacy stock. By the time collectors were paying classic-era prices, the label itself had gone quiet. On July 9, 2026, Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington, Kentucky announced it had officially reintroduced Black Maple Hill, returning the name to Kentucky straight bourbon with a three-bottle lineup — a no-age-statement small batch, an 11-year, and a 16-year, all at the label's traditional 95 proof.
Reading the Eras
Two eras share one label, so the era is the first thing to read on any Black Maple Hill bottle. The classic-era 16-year here is remaining legacy stock in the original 750 mL format — no longer produced, priced accordingly, and carrying the early-2000s history that made the name. The revival bottles are current 2026 releases: the no-age-statement small batch and the 11-year arrive in 700 mL, and the sixteen-year wears the era's "Red Label" small-batch trade dress as an allocated release. What does not change across eras: every Black Maple Hill bourbon is bottled at 95 proof, and no era of the label has ever disclosed its source distillery or mash bill — so the revival's history begins in 2026, and the classic bottle's history should never be borrowed to sell it. Pride of Anderson County is the shelf's neighbor rather than a Black Maple Hill: a Wild Turkey single barrel from the same Rare Character program, with its strength and age hand-written on each bottle.
Collection Bottle Matrix
| Bottle | Era | Age | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic era | 16 years | 95 | |
| 2026 revival | 16 years | 95 | |
| 2026 revival | 11 years | 95 | |
| 2026 revival | NAS | 95 | |
| Current — Rare Character program | Varies (per barrel) | Varies (barrel strength) |
The Black Maple Hill collection at Midnight Whiskey holds both eras of the label under one roof: the classic-era 16-year small batch, and the 2026 revival — a no-age-statement small batch, an 11-year, and a 16-year, all reintroduced under Rare Character Whiskey Co. — alongside Pride of Anderson County, a single-barrel bourbon from the same Rare Character program.
One Label, Two Eras
Black Maple Hill was introduced in 2000 by Paul Joseph of CVI Brands and has never been a distillery — every release, then and now, is sourced, selected, and bottled under the name. The eras matter, and this shelf keeps them straight. From the original run we hold the classic-era 16-year small batch, legacy stock that is no longer produced. From the July 2026 reintroduction by Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington, Kentucky, we hold its 2026 revival counterpart at sixteen years, the revival's 11-year small batch, and the no-age-statement revival small batch — the lineup Rare Character announced, every one a Kentucky straight bourbon at 95 proof. Beside them sits the Anderson County single-barrel bourbon, a Rare Character bottling named in the same announcement. No page on this shelf names a source distillery, because the label never has — the eras, ages, and proofs are the facts, and they are stated on every bottle's own page.
- Introduced in 2000 by Paul Joseph of CVI Brands, California — a non-distiller label from the first bottle.
- Early classic-era releases were produced by Julian Van Winkle III; bottling ran through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Bardstown, from 2009 to 2014, then shifted to Oregon in 2014.
- Officially reintroduced in July 2026 by Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington, Kentucky.
- The revival lineup: a no-age-statement small batch, an 11-year, and a 16-year — all Kentucky straight bourbon at 95 proof (47.5% ABV).
- Every Black Maple Hill bourbon on this shelf, either era, is bottled at the same 95 proof.
- Source distilleries and mash bills are undisclosed across all eras; no page in this collection asserts one.
The Label's Timeline
The Black Maple Hill story runs in chapters, and the bottles on this shelf come from the first and the latest. Paul Joseph of CVI Brands created the label in California in 2000 to bottle sourced Kentucky whiskey, and its early releases — produced by Julian Van Winkle III — built the reputation the name still trades on: high age statements, small quantities, and a refusal to say where the whiskey was distilled. As that old stock thinned, the age statements came off. From 2009 to 2014 bottling ran through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, the Willett family's operation in Bardstown, and in 2014 production shifted to Oregon, leaving the Kentucky bottlings as legacy stock. By the time collectors were paying classic-era prices, the label itself had gone quiet. On July 9, 2026, Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington, Kentucky announced it had officially reintroduced Black Maple Hill, returning the name to Kentucky straight bourbon with a three-bottle lineup — a no-age-statement small batch, an 11-year, and a 16-year, all at the label's traditional 95 proof.
Reading the Eras
Two eras share one label, so the era is the first thing to read on any Black Maple Hill bottle. The classic-era 16-year here is remaining legacy stock in the original 750 mL format — no longer produced, priced accordingly, and carrying the early-2000s history that made the name. The revival bottles are current 2026 releases: the no-age-statement small batch and the 11-year arrive in 700 mL, and the sixteen-year wears the era's "Red Label" small-batch trade dress as an allocated release. What does not change across eras: every Black Maple Hill bourbon is bottled at 95 proof, and no era of the label has ever disclosed its source distillery or mash bill — so the revival's history begins in 2026, and the classic bottle's history should never be borrowed to sell it. Pride of Anderson County is the shelf's neighbor rather than a Black Maple Hill: a Wild Turkey single barrel from the same Rare Character program, with its strength and age hand-written on each bottle.
Collection Bottle Matrix
| Bottle | Era | Age | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic era | 16 years | 95 | |
| 2026 revival | 16 years | 95 | |
| 2026 revival | 11 years | 95 | |
| 2026 revival | NAS | 95 | |
| Current — Rare Character program | Varies (per barrel) | Varies (barrel strength) |