latest incarnation of United Distillers following a 1997 merger with Grand Metropolitan, reopened the facility 2014 with a $10–18 million investment. Speaking of the opening, Diageo CEO, Larry Schwartz said, "We are the heirs of Pappy Van Winkle and certainly the great brands that were distilled here through the years." Brands The facility produced brands such as W. L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Pappy Van Winkle, Old Weller, Rebel Yell, and Weller's Cabin Still. Along with the 1972 closure, Rebel Yell was sold to The David Sherman Corporation, W.L. Weller to the Ancient Age distillery, to eventually be distilled by Buffalo Trace under the Sazerac Company, and the Old Fitzgerald brand to Heaven Hill. As of 2017, owner Diageo has restarted bottling Bulleit Bourbon at the site. Stitzel–Weller was influential along with Maker's Mark, for championing the making of wheated bourbon, substituting wheat for the rye more popularly used in bourbon making. It was also notable for often aging its spirits longer than the normal industry standard of the time, storing product at times 10 years or more. Capacity Upon opening in 1935, the facility had two warehouses with combined capacity to store 25,200 barrels. At its height, the facility boasted a workforce of 220 and a capacity of 800,000 cases annually. As of 2001 the facility was composed of 18 total warehouses with a combined capacity to store 300,000 barrels. The original doubler was reclaimed and in use as of 2017 at the Bulleit distillery in Shelbyville, Kentucky. As of 2017, the facility was used mostly for aging, with only one still in operation, producing about a barrel per day, and used for experimentation and research. Master distillers Will McGill served as the first Master Distiller for the Stitzel–Weller Distillery. McGill was previously affiliated with the Early Times and Tom Moore distilleries in Nelson County, Kentucky, and when he died in 1952, he was the "oldest executive distiller in the industry" at 87. He was followed as master distiller by Andry J. Corcoran (died 1958), Roy Hawes (ending in 1971), and Woodrow Wilson. Wilson has previously spent 12 years as an assistant to Hawes. Tour Beginning on September 16, 2014, the site became a tourism attraction called the "Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience" as part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. As of 2015, 8,400 visitors had toured the site. See also American Whiskey Trail Distilled Spirits Council of the United States