The Manager, Single Barrel Experience will lead the continued development and day-to-day execution of Castle & Key's signature single barrel and private client experience program. This role combines commercial awareness, exceptional hospitality, bourbon knowledge, relationship building, and strong operational follow-through. The Manager will guide the customer journey from invitation and barrel selection through bottling, delivery, and ongoing relationship development. Working across Sales, Marketing, Hospitality, R&D, Operations, Logistics, Finance, and Leadership, this role will help grow the program while maintaining the quality, exclusivity, and personal nature of the Castle & Key experience. This is a highly visible role and an important ambassador for Castle & Key. The ideal candidate is collaborative, entrepreneurial, commercially minded, and comfortable balancing the customer experience with the operational details required to deliver it consistently.
OPERATIONS & PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Own the day-to-day coordination and execution of the Single Barrel Experience program, including customer commitments, timelines, barrel availability, selections, bottling, labeling, fulfillment, and delivery. Maintain accurate program records and ensure processes, checklists, communication standards, and tools support consistent execution. Coordinate with R&D, Distilling, Sensory, Warehousing, Bottling, Quality, Compliance, Finance, and Logistics to move selections and orders efficiently through the process. Monitor program capacity and identify operational challenges, opportunities for efficiency, and process improvements. Develop and maintain the program operating playbook, including clear roles, timelines, and cross-functional handoffs. Ensure the program's operational execution supports a high-quality customer experience.
PROGRAM GROWTH & COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Lead the continued development and growth of the Single Barrel Experience program as a differentiated, premium offering. Develop plans for customer engagement, barrel allocation, pricing, revenue, expenses, capacity, and program growth in partnership with leadership and cross-functional teams. Build and maintain relationships with private clients, trade partners, corporate groups, bourbon clubs, collectors, and other key customers. Manage prospective customers through qualification, proposal, deposit, barrel selection, and final purchase in partnership with Sales and distributor partners. Monitor pipeline, conversion, barrels sold, revenue, margin, repeat activity, and other key program metrics.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & BRAND
Lead memorable barrel selection experiences that are educational, engaging, personal, and reflective of the Castle & Key brand. Maintain service standards and experience offerings appropriate for a premium, invitation-led program. Anticipate and coordinate customer needs, including travel, lodging, transportation, dietary needs, special occasions, and guest preferences. Continue customer engagement through bottling updates, delivery, launch support, future invitations, and ongoing relationship development. Partner with Marketing and creative teams on certificates, custom labels, storytelling, photography, selection materials, packaging, and other customer touchpoints.
EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS & INTERNAL COLLABORATION
Develop relationships with Kentucky's luxury hospitality, culinary, travel, equestrian, retail, restaurant, and experiential partners. Identify partnerships, events, and other opportunities that strengthen the customer experience, create demand, and support program growth. Support trade-account activation through education, tastings, content, photography, point-of-sale support, and hosted events. Serve as a key connection point between customers and internal teams, ensuring commitments, timelines, and expectations are clearly communicated and delivered. Build strong partnerships across Sales, Marketing, Hospitality, R&D, Operations, Logistics, Finance, and Leadership. Bring teams together around shared goals and help resolve obstacles that could impact the customer experience.
INITIAL PRIORITIES
Refine and implement the Single Barrel Experience strategy, including the customer journey, experience offerings, pricing, barrel economics, calendar, and sales approach. Establish consistent standards and processes for the barrel selection experience. Build the operating playbook and strengthen cross-functional roles, communication, and handoffs. Strengthen the customer and trade pipeline and begin converting qualified opportunities. Establish a seamless process for buyer communication, labeling, bottling, fulfillment, and post-purchase relationship management.
QUALIFICATIONS
8+ years of experience in bourbon/spirits, luxury hospitality, private-client services, experiential sales, premium brands, events, or a related field. Demonstrated ability to build relationships, develop business opportunities, and manage high-value customer experiences. Strong business judgment and comfort with pricing, budgets, forecasting, performance metrics, and program economics. Exceptional hospitality instincts, discretion, presence, and communication skills. Strong project-management skills and ability to coordinate multiple teams, partners, deadlines, and customer-specific details. Working knowledge of bourbon, rye, barrel maturation, sensory evaluation, and the spirits industry preferred. Existing relationships within Kentucky bourbon, luxury hospitality, travel, culinary, equestrian, or private-client networks are valuable but not required. Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
WORKING REQUIREMENTS
This role requires regular on-site presence at Castle & Key Distillery; participation in guest experiences; evening, weekend, and race-day availability as needed; regular travel within Kentucky and periodic national travel. The position requires the ability to taste and evaluate spirits responsibly in accordance with company policy and applicable law.
