William Brown IV
Age: 24
Hometown: Bardstown, Kentucky
Resides: Bardstown
The company: A bourbon business that sells barrels of aged distillate to small, craft distilleries and other buyers.
Education history: Bethlehem High School, Bardstown, Kentucky; bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Kentucky; master’s degree in business administrations from Western Kentucky University
Hobbies: My biggest hobby is live music — I love seeing live music of any kind. I try to schedule at least one live concert to attend every couple of weeks. My music tastes range from rock ‘n roll to opera, and even electronic music.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/william-brown-13b6141a5/
Favorite tech gadget: Other than my phone, the tech gadget that I use the most is certainly my AirPods. I am the kind of person who needs music or some kind of noise while I am working.
How did you get into the career you have today?
Being born and raised in Bardstown, Kentucky, I have always had a strong interest and admiration for the bourbon industry. I grew up driving past the rows of rickhouses and smelling the sweet smell of sour mash. I, like many Bardstown natives, have had many friends and family go to work at various distilleries, bottling lines and bourbon warehouses. Though I have always been interested in the bourbon industry, I never thought I would be contributing to it myself.
However, almost two years ago, I learned of opportunities to invest in the aging of a barrel of bourbon. This is done by buying a barrel of newly made bourbon distillate and waiting for it to mature. I found that, once matured, a barrel of bourbon can be sold to an end-user for a very handsome return. These end-users can be small distilleries or blenders that do not have the time or capital to produce their own distillate or to sit and wait for a barrel of new distillate to mature.
At first, I simply thought that this would be a great investment for myself and for other members of my family to supplement their retirement accounts. Shortly thereafter, I realized that many Kentuckians (and people abroad) would like to benefit from an investment in bourbon — something that we all know and love. We started Brown Water Bourbon Xchange with the intent to offer the opportunity to invest in bourbon to more people and allow them to participate in such an important facet of the bourbon industry.
What’s one thing Kentucky can do to improve its tech and/or startup ecosystem?
There seems to be a common sentiment among young people in Kentucky, from high school through college, that they do not want to stay here into their adult lives. They feel that it is necessary to go elsewhere in order to get started in their career or to gain life valuable experiences. When you think “startup” companies, it is usually young people who start them. So it is my belief that in order to improve Kentucky’s startup ecosystem, we must do a better job at retaining young people and keeping them in the state.
Kentucky culture is rooted deep in tradition — whether it be the industries we most commonly prop up, or the entertainment and events that we enjoy every year. Everyone (in Kentucky and abroad) can normally name three or four things that Kentucky is famous for off the top of their head. We are proud of these traditions, and we don’t want to lose them or their importance to our culture. However, I feel that too often not enough emphasis is put on new industries and new entertainment that might be more attractive to younger audiences.
Who has been one of your top mentors?
My No. 1 mentor throughout my life has certainly been my father, Gilbert Brown. Throughout my life, my father has been my sports coach, my oracle of advice, my personal inspirational speaker, and, above all else, one of my closest friends. I grew up watching him work 14- to 16-hour days throughout tax seasons, growing a very successful tax and accounting firm in Bardstown. His entrepreneurial success inspired me, and I dreamed of one day starting, owning and operating a business. He has instilled in me an intense desire to help others and find the best possible outcome for each and every one of my clients.
What innovative company (other than your own) do you admire and why?
One company that I have recently discovered, and truly admire, is Barrels and Billets. Located on Main Street in Downtown Louisville, Barrels and Billets offers a bourbon-tasting experience with an innovative twist. They bring you into their tasting room and give an informative presentation on their history in the bourbon and cooperage industry, then the tasting begins. They present various bourbons all with different wood finishes, and they explain how each wood finish affects the chemistry and flavor of the bourbon.
Then, you actually get to blend these bourbons to your specifications and taste pallet, creating the ideal bourbon taste for each person. After you have created your blend, Barrels and Billets will take your recipe, duplicate it, and bottle it with a custom label for you to take home.
My brother and I recently took our father to Barrels and Billets for his birthday, and we were all blown away by how immersive the experience was.
