Ron Call

Master Distiller

A seventh-generation distiller and veteran of both the rum and bourbon industries, Ron Call began his career at Jim Beam in 1974. He celebrates his 50th year of distilling this year. He started out as a Lab Technician, and throughout his 16 years with the company, worked his way up to Quality Manager, where he remained until being recruited to Florida Distillers in 1990. While at Florida Distillers, he led the development of nearly all of Cruzan’s flavors, as well as its award-winning Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum.

Ron began working with Papa’s Pilar in 2012. As Master Blender, he hand-selects the rums that make up each of Papa’s Pilar’s blends, as well as the barrels used to finish each expression. Ron balances the art and science of blending and aging, ensuring that every pour is consistent, bold and delicious.

Ron has taken his passion and 50 years of experience to Hemingway Rye Whiskey where he helps hand source, blend, and finish the highest quality straight rye whiskeys on the market.

The Calls are a family with Bardstown roots and more than 230 years of distilling experience. The family’s distilling history stretches back to the earliest days of bourbon when Samuel Call distilled whiskey on his Kentucky farm in the late 1700s and had dealings with bourbon legend Elijah Craig.