Inside the Bottle: Never Say Die rises to its legendary lore

Never Say Die // Photo by Mike Dahlor

It was a dark, stormy night. 

While that may sound like a cliché introduction, it is the actual setting for what became one of the most incredible stories behind any whiskey I have ever heard. 

In 1951, on Pat Madden’s family horse farm in Hamburg Place, Lexington, KY, a foal was born amid nature’s fury. Due to difficulties with its birth, it didn’t look like the young horse would survive the night. Legend has it that in a last-ditch effort to keep the foal alive, bourbon was poured down its nose. 

Well, not only did this foal live, but it set its hooves firmly on the patch of destiny. Madden’s family named this foal Never Say Die as a tribute to its tenacity and unwillingness to give up. 

Flash forward to 1954 when we find this virtually unknown horse, Never Say Die, 4,000 miles away from home preparing to race before the Queen in England’s Epsom Derby. 

On the other side of the country in Liverpool, Mona Best felt a connection to Never Say Die. Some accounts have her down on her luck and in dire straits, while others say she just had her eye on a 15-room home in her neighborhood that reminded her of her childhood home in India. Whatever the reason, all accounts agree that she pawned every piece of jewelry she owned and placed it all on the Kentucky horse. 

At an almost overwhelming 33:1 odds, it seemed likely this might be the end of the story and Never Say Die would simply fade into history’s sea of horses who never won.

But this little colt lived up to its name. Under the skillful jockeying of rookie Lester Piggot, Never Say Die won and became the first American-bred horse to win the Epsom Derby since 1881. 

Mona Best used her winnings to purchase and renovate that 15-room house. In its basement, she founded the Casbah Coffee Club. There are some music fans out there who are beginning to connect the dots. 

Best booked the Les Stewart Quartet for her opening night, but they canceled due to conflicts within the group. The guitarist for the Les Stewart Quartet said he knew a couple of fellows in a little group known as the Quarrymen who could fill in.  

So, on opening night, in the basement of the 15-room house Best had purchased with her winnings from a bet placed on a little-known American horse, the Casbah Club welcomed John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Stuart Sutcliffe to the stage. Not too long after that opening night, Best’s son, Pete Best, joined the group we all know now as The Beatles.

No bourbon, no Beatles? Now, that’s a story!

It was in the spirit of this incredible story that co-founder Pat Madden envisioned launching the Never Say Die brand—a bourbon that is bottled and sold from England’s shores. 

How can bourbon be sold from England? This charming bottle begins its life in Kentucky where it is distilled and aged four years. Then, much as its namesake, it makes the wave-tossed journey across the Atlantic where it is aged another full year in England’s, by far less tumultuous climate.  

Never Say Die Straight Kentucky Bourbon 

On the Nose

Ironically enough, in no small way helped along by this 21% Rye mash bill, this nose begins gently with notes of fresh hay and honey, followed by soft baking spices.  Light oak and caramel can be teased out of the depths, but I suspect that an extra year in a more tempered climate has rounded this whiskey, pushing those oak char notes to the background. 

On the Palate

The first sip is very soft and approachable with hints of sweet vanilla. There is a viscosity to this pour that speaks to a higher ABV than the 47.5% it is bottled at. As it rounds the second corner, the 21% Rye pushes those lovely spice notes to the front. 

Finish

The home stretch brings a surprising mix of honey, powdered sugar, and vanilla. It crosses the finish line with a distinct baked apricot note I truly wasn’t expecting. 

Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley

ABV: 47.5% (95 proof)

Rating: 90 (by a nose) I don’t know if “hoarding” is the correct perspective, but man, what a story to share as you share a pour!

Price: $69.95 Though one may find it on limited shelves in KS or MO, this wonderful “story in a bottle” can be found from online retailers like Seelbachs.

Rating Key:
90-100: Buy & hoard it. Share it only with Whiskey nerds you want to be indebted to you.
70-89: Buy it, enjoy it liberally because you can get more when you want to.
40-69: Worth it to try because you can always make a cocktail if you need to.
20-39: Go ahead if you want to, experience is learning.
0-19: You were warned.