, ▁as ▁corn ▁liqu or , ▁a ▁certain ▁amount ▁would ▁be ▁c ask ed ▁in ▁char red ▁bar rel s ▁with ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁d ried ▁app les ▁for ▁flav or . ▁This ▁would ▁be ▁aged ▁for ▁about ▁one ▁year . ▁C ly de ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁hot ▁Alabama ▁sum mers ▁acceler ated ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁ag ing , ▁requiring ▁only ▁one ▁year ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁minimum ▁of ▁two ▁required ▁for ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁called ▁a ▁Stra ight ▁Bour bon . ▁This ▁would ▁be ▁bott led ▁and ▁given ▁to ▁friends ▁and ▁val ued ▁customers ▁as ▁" Christ mas ▁Wh is key ". ▁Always ▁operating ▁outside ▁the ▁state ▁liqu or ▁laws , ▁C ly de ▁May ▁served ▁an ▁ 1 8 - month ▁sentence ▁at ▁Max well ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁He ▁gave ▁up ▁his ▁cell ▁to ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁conv icted ▁him , ▁Att orney ▁General ▁John ▁N . ▁Mitchell , ▁who ▁was ▁conv icted ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁on ▁charges ▁from ▁the ▁Water gate ▁sc andal . ▁ ▁When ▁C ly de ▁May ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁his ▁son ▁Ken ny ▁began ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁honor ▁his ▁father ' s ▁memory ▁by ▁producing ▁legal ▁whis key ▁from ▁his ▁reci pe . ▁Care ful ▁planning ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁production ▁run ▁of ▁ 4 0 0 0 ▁bott les ▁of ▁C one cu h ▁R idge ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁Though ▁C one cu h ▁Br ands '