An Augusta County, Virginia icon is being resurrected and is now available statewide.
J. Bumgardner’s, with roots tracing back to 1820, is back for the first time since prohibition, now being distilled, aged and bottled by master bourbon maker Alex Toomy and the team at Ragged Branch.
Whereas Ragged Branch’s renowned headquarters is in Albemarle County, J. Bumgardner’s Pure Old Straight Bourbon is being meticulously crafted on Toomy’s father’s farm in neighboring Augusta County, approximately five miles from the original Bumgardner distillery. The arrival of J. Bumgardner’s and the Augusta County operation marks an expansion of the Ragged Branch brand.
“In reading about the history of gristmills and distilleries of the Shenandoah Valley, one brand kept coming up over and over again … J. Bumgardner’s,” says Toomy. “They put Virginia whiskey on the map and, in fact, they were making bourbon before bourbon was even a thing over in Kentucky. We’re very proud of everything we make, and, with this expansion, this will certainly be no exception.”
Toomy says he worked with the local Bumgardner family to obtain the original 1800s recipe. In its heyday, J. Bumgardner’s was shuttled up and down the Shenandoah Valley, becoming a popular sipping staple in D.C., Richmond and beyond.
Today and just like yesteryear, the pure bourbon whiskey in its latest chapter involves the finest grains — specifically an Augusta County-bred heirloom, open-pollination rye — and an aging process of five-plus years with new American white oak barrels. The result is pure bourbon gold — smooth, robust, with notes of caramel and oak. The bourbon is 90-proof, or 45 percent alcohol by volume.
The label is also a near replica of the original, showcasing a tree-surrounded farm and the Bumgardner family’s original distillery landscape, with horse-drawn wagons ready to usher barrels of bourbon to the masses, and cattle roaming about. Worth noting and similar to the bourbon-making process of the 1800s, Toomy says not only does the operation involve growing their own crops, but grain waste from the process is fed to the farm’s cattle. He says, “everything we’re doing here is old school and true to the original Bumgardner brand.”
The Augusta County family farm where J. Bumgardner’s is made is currently solely a production facility. Toomy says that the goal is to morph that space into a tasting and touring facility, too. For now, folks can try J. Bumgardner’s as well as other Ragged Branch bourbons at the company’s tasting room in Albemarle County, located at 1015 Taylors Gap Road. Beyond tastings, 750-milliliter bottles of J. Bumgardner’s Pure Old Straight Bourbon are now available statewide at Virginia ABC stores — bottles run $29.99.
“The Bumgardners are very proud of their heritage and we’re very proud to be helping resurrect this brand,” says Toomy. “Most people would have no idea that such a well-known brand came from Augusta County. I say that if it’s not right, I won’t put it in a bottle and my motto is, ‘do it right and do it right now.’ Now is the time for J. Bumgardner's. I hope the people of Virginia know that it’s priced to sell, and it’s priced to be Virginians’ everyday bourbon.”
For more information, visit bumgardnerbourbon.com.
