American whiskey producer Lofted Spirits has elevated Nick Smith to Master Distiller, placing him in charge of spirits production across Bardstown Bourbon Company, Green River Whiskey, and Lofted Custom Spirits.
Smith succeeds Bourbon Hall of Fame member Steve Nally, who will transition into the role of Master Distiller Emeritus after leading distillation operations since the company's inception. In his expanded remit, Smith will direct day-to-day distillation, maturation, and liquid innovation across one of the largest contract distilling networks and whiskey suppliers in the United States.
The promotion coincides with a major operational milestone for the group, with Bardstown Bourbon Company having recently filled its one-millionth barrel since commencing commercial distillation in September 2016.
"Nick played a crucial role in taking Lofted Spirits to the largest distiller of contract spirits in Kentucky," said Mark Erwin, Chief Executive Officer of Lofted Spirits. "He brings equal parts operational precision and creative experimentation to this role, and we're excited to see where Nick takes us as we continue to think differently about what's possible in this space."
Leadership Succession and Production Remit
Smith joined Bardstown Bourbon Company in 2016 during the facility's construction and commissioning phase, collaborating closely with Nally over the past decade to build the company's high-capacity manufacturing base.
In his new post as Master Distiller, Smith oversees production across three integrated operating divisions:
Bardstown Bourbon Company: Directing distillation and grain-to-glass blending for the brand's proprietary whiskey releases, including its estate brands and collaborative finish series.
Green River Whiskey: Overseeing operations for the heritage Owensboro label, one of Kentucky's historic bourbon and rye whiskey producers.
Lofted Custom Spirits: Managing bespoke mash bills, distillation parameters, and maturation programmes for commercial contract partners and third-party brands.
As Master Distiller Emeritus, Nally will continue to serve as a national brand ambassador for Lofted Spirits and the wider Kentucky bourbon industry, alongside his wife Donna Nally, who is also an inductee into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.
"Nick and I have worked closely together for the past decade, and I have no doubt he can take on this role and expand upon the work we did together while continuing our hallmarks of transparency, trust, and partnership," said Nally.
Distilling Background and Technical Experience
A native of Bardstown and a graduate of the University of Kentucky, Smith began his spirits industry career at Jim Beam, advancing through various operational and processing posts to develop technical mastery across fermentation, distillation, and barrel ageing.
Since joining Bardstown Bourbon Company in 2016, Smith has directed primary recipe formulation and process engineering across several hallmark releases:
Signature Formulations: Formulated Bardstown Bourbon Company's core High Wheat bourbon recipe.
Small-Batch Distillation: Directed experimental trials across heritage grains, custom yeast strains, and non-traditional barrel char profiles.
Multi-Category Custom Distilling: Broadened Lofted Custom Spirits' manufacturing capabilities beyond conventional bourbon and rye into alternative spirits categories, including commercial rum production.
The leadership appointment reflects the rapid industrial evolution of Lofted Spirits over the last eight years.
Nally, who spent more than five decades in the distilled spirits industry—including a long tenure as Master Distiller at Maker's Mark and founding distillation leadership at Wyoming Whiskey—joined Bardstown Bourbon Company as employee number one in 2016.
Together with Smith, the team built a technologically advanced contract manufacturing and custom distilling platform that allows independent brand owners and multinational drinks conglomerates to develop bespoke liquid profiles with verified batch transparency.
Reaching the one-million-barrel production mark in late 2026 underscores the company's rapid throughput acceleration, establishing Lofted Spirits as Kentucky's largest independent contract distiller. The company plans to mark both Smith's elevation and the one-millionth barrel milestone at an internal ceremony later this year.
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