2XO Whiskey

2XO Whiskey is a Louisville, Kentucky whiskey blending house founded in 2022 by Dixon Dedman, the whiskey maker behind the revival of Kentucky Owl, in partnership with Prestige Beverage Group. Rather than distilling, 2XO builds its Kentucky Straight Bourbon and rye expressions through a signature double-oaking process, re-barreling hand-selected aged whiskey into new charred oak to add a second layer of wood influence before release.

History & Heritage

Dixon Dedman announced the launch of 2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in November 2022, entering the market with a track record already well known to bourbon collectors. Dedman had earlier revived the historic Kentucky Owl brand in 2014, built it into one of the category's most sought-after labels, sold it to Stoli Group in 2017, and departed the company in 2021. 2XO marked his return to whiskey with full creative control, launched in partnership with Prestige Beverage Group, an importer and brand developer of wines and spirits. As of July 2026, 2XO Whiskey is owned jointly by Dedman and Prestige Beverage Group, with the brand based out of Louisville, Kentucky. There is no dedicated 2XO distillery; the operation centers on sourcing, aging, and blending rather than proprietary distillation, with Prestige Beverage Group handling the business and distribution side of the partnership.

The Whiskey

The name 2XO stands for "Two Times Oak," a description of Dedman's core technique: hand-selected, already-aged whiskey is re-barreled into new charred oak, or exposed to inserted charred oak chains, for a second stage of wood interaction before bottling. The goal is to build sweetness that offsets the spice of higher-rye mash bills. The lineup is organized into three series. The Oak Series is the flagship tier, built on an 18% rye bourbon mash bill and differentiated by the type of oak used for the second exposure: 2XO American Oak Bourbon Whiskey (the first release in the series), 2XO French Oak, and 2XO White Oak Rye, which shifts to a 95% rye mash bill. The Icon Series is a run of limited, small-batch blends tied to chapters of Dedman's life, including The Phoenix Blend, The Innkeeper's Blend (a nod to the Dedman family's history in hospitality), The Kiawah Blend (named for Dedman's favorite vacation spot), The Sneakerhead Blend (inspired by his interest in sneaker culture), The Vinyl Blend, and The Tribute Blend. The Gem of Kentucky series sits apart as a single-barrel program: a double-barreled Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey built on a high-rye, 35% mash bill.

Why It Matters

2XO has drawn rapid critical attention for a brand only a few years old. 2XO American Oak Bourbon Whiskey earned a 94-point score and Double Gold at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a 93-point Best Buy rating from Wine Enthusiast, and ASCOT Gold in 2024. 2XO French Oak took a 93-point Gold Medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 90 points from the IWSC. Across the Icon Series, The Kiawah Blend landed at #14 on Whisky Advocate's Top 20 of 2024 with a 93-point score, alongside SFWSC and ASCOT Gold honors, and The Innkeeper's Blend, The Phoenix Blend, The Tribute Blend, and Gem of Kentucky have each collected SFWSC or ASCOT Gold and Double Platinum recognition. That density of accolades for a brand launched in late 2022 reflects both Dedman's blending reputation from the Kentucky Owl years and the distinctiveness of the double-oaking process itself, which sets 2XO apart from standard single-barrel or single-mash-bill bourbon releases.

The Sentinel Room's Reserve Whiskey Library carries 2XO American Oak Bourbon Whiskey, offering a direct way to taste the technique that defines the brand: a moderate-rye bourbon given a deliberate second pass through charred oak to round out its spice with added sweetness.