KANSAS CITY, MO. — Kentucky Legend, a bacon and ham brand produced by Delphi, Ind.-based Indiana Packers Corp. (IPC), recently announced the launch of its new line of Bourbon Barrel Smoked ham and bacon products that will be available to retail and foodservice customers this fall.

When launching the products, the company discussed building on the brand’s heritage and craftsmanship for premium flavor and smoking techniques. Kentucky Legend also touted its proximity to the world’s bourbon capital. 

“Craftmanship has always been the differentiator for Kentucky Legend,” said Eric Sheiss, executive vice president for IPC. “That is why it is the country’s leading boneless ham brand. We’re excited to announce the addition of bourbon barrel smoked hams and bacon to our portfolio. We worked with partners to upcycle spent and broken bourbon barrels to develop a set of products with smoked characteristics that are different from anything you find on the shelf today.”

According to IPC, the premium hams and bacon carry a combination of flavors from the oak barrels, the char on the inside of the barrel, and the subtle complexity of the spicy flavors from the bourbon that has soaked into the wood – sometimes over the years.

“Eighty-one percent of consumers surveyed during concept testing agreed the bourbon barrels would give the products unique and delicious flavor,” said Bruce Johnson, vice president of marketing and innovation at IPC. “An overwhelming majority [91% for ham, 95% for bacon] indicated they will purchase the products multiple times per year. We’re excited to fill their appetite for a new and unique flavor profile that isn’t just for special occasions.”

The Kentucky Legend Bourbon Barrel Smoked products will be sold in quarter-sliced, half, and whole hams for retail and food service. The company plans to have 16 oz bacon packages for retail that are gas-flushed and vacuum-packed for foodservice configurations.

The company stated that the product was available on Sept. 15.

Kentucky Legend is owned and operated by Specialty Foods Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of IPC. 

The ham products are produced at the company’s Owensboro, Ky., plant, which has been in operation for more than 100 years and is the birthplace of the Kentucky Legend brand. The bacon is produced at the Delphi, Ind., location.

The company plans to launch six items under the Bourbon Barrel Smoked hams and bacon product line, that will be formatted for both retail and foodservice hoping to reach anyone from a weekend family breakfast to a topping for a burger.

To learn more about the new products and how they are produced, MEAT+POULTRY talked with Bruce Johnson, vice president of marketing and innovation at IPC.

Johnson began his career in sales at a major food and beverage company before transitioning to marketing at another large brand. Over the years, he held a variety of commercial and general management roles in the protein industry. When Indiana Packers Corporation (IPC) sought to enhance the industry’s understanding of their capabilities as an integrated supplier offering both fresh pork and processed products for retail and foodservice and Johnson’s experience aligned the company’s goals. 

MEAT+POULTRY: What went into coming up with this product? 

Bruce Johnson: We wanted to create something new that would complement Kentucky Legend’s heritage but also show that we aren’t afraid to shake up the ham and bacon categories. We gathered over 22 ideas and vetted them with Kentucky Legend buyers and category buyers. Five ideas separated from the rest. Upcycling spent bourbon barrels for smoke was among those ideas.

MP: It’s always interesting to hear the research and development stories about these products. When did the idea start? What went into executing it? 

BJ: It all began about 18 months ago when we started testing claims and then followed up with some sensory testing of our current portfolio. We had a recognized point of differentiation in both hams and bacon. Then, it became an ideation process to evaluate what forms, flavors, and characteristics would complement the brand and answer the only real question in the innovation space, “Why in the world does the customer/consumer/diner /operator need another (fill in the blank) and that is when the hard work began.

MP: Explain where this plant sources its meat and its relationship with local farmers and suppliers. 

BJ: A good portion of the material that is going into the Bourbon Barrel Smoked platform comes from our harvest. We are vertically integrated, so we prefer to use what we harvest but not always exclusively.

MP: What processing technologies did you use for ham and bacon? 

BJ: We choose a more crafted approach but use pretty standard thermal processing and smoking. In this case, it is all about the source of the smoke.

MP: Take me through the smoking techniques with the ham and bacon to get the right textures and flavors you wanted. 

BJ: It is all about the chips. Finding the source of the barrels that could be used for chips was very difficult. I mean very difficult. Once we had the chips, it was about dialing in the smoke program. This smoke behaves differently than standard chips used for bacon and ham.

MP: How long has the Kentucky Legend brand been around and how important is it to have a brand like this tied to the product you are trying to sell? 

BJ: Field Packing (another brand of IPC) has been around for over l00 years. In the 70’s, the company wanted to call out the traditions of smoked meats that had influenced Field Packing’s products with the Kentuckian brand. The company kept refining their brand over the years until they arrived at Kentucky Legend in the 90s and we have not looked back. As for the fit with using spent bourbon barrels to smoke the ham and bacon? That was a no brainer and consumers agreed.

MP: Companies are trying many specialty products for ham and bacon. What do you do to differentiate in the market? 

BJ: It really goes back to answering the only meaningful question in innovation, “Why in the world does the customer/consumer/diner /operator need another (fill in the blank)?” Consumers indicated this platform was seen as different and surprisingly incremental. There have never been commercially available Bourbon Barrel Smoked products. 

MP: What goes into having consistent flavors when using bourbon barrels to age certain ham/bacon products? 

BJ: Flavor consistency comes from monitoring the quality of the chips going into the smokers and being meticulous about the smoke cycles.

MP: How do you identify emerging consumer trends with product innovation? 

BJ: There is not a single answer to where trend identification comes from. It is really about setting up a filter that can catch brand and category-appropriate signals and let everything else pass through. Bourbon Barrel Smoked specifically came from qualitative groups paired with a deep understanding of behaviors outside of the ham and bacon categories.

MP: What are the biggest headwinds you face when getting a new product in front of people? 

BJ: The biggest challenge is cutting through the clutter and clearly communicating Bourbon Barrel Smoked ham and bacon is truly different and will bring sales to your shelf or menu.

MP: What is the best thing about putting together a new product? 

BJ: The best part really comes five years from now when you can look back at the ideas the team had that were big enough to stick.

MP: What are some of the packaging solutions for these meat products? 

BJ: Packaging innovation was out of scope for this idea. We are packaging both the hams and the bacon in the same formats as their sister SKUs.

MP: Which retailers would people see this product pop up in? 

BJ: We’ve had a lot of enthusiasm around the product and have early orders. Retailers are very optimistic and excited to see how the product will perform.