Men’s Journal reported on Wednesday that Old Commonwealth dropped a new whiskey within the recently resurrected brand’s storied collection: D.H. Cromwell 15 Year Bourbon. The “D” and “H” represent the initials of Dirty Helen, a speakeasy owner and sex worker. Cromwell became somewhat of an underground figure known for her — erm — colorful vocabulary and relationships with gangsters like Al Capone.
The juice clocks in at 106 proof and Old Commonwealth distilled it from a mashbill of 75% corn 13% rye and 12% malted barley. It hosts a price of $299 and will go up for sale on May 22 at the brand’s website.
“Helen Cromwell was a woman who was too bold to be polite and too loud to be ignored,” Old Commonwealth’s President of Operations Zachary Joseph said in a statement. “That’s precisely how we feel about the delicious 15-year bourbon we selected for our release of D.H. Cromwell.”
Cromwell earned her nickname “Dirty Helen” because she had a habit of swearing at unruly customers. Whether or not her previous career as a sex worker had something to do with her nickname remains a mystery.
Helen Cromwell — known as Dirty Helen — at her speakeasy. (Photo: Old Commonwealth)
Undoubtedly, the idea of a woman pivoting from a career of sex work to owning a speakeasy was practically unheard of in the 1920s. It was an era where women were expected to be neither “bold” nor “loud” but relegated to the domestic sphere and essentially seen and not heard.
In bourbon history, many female figures central to the growth of this spirit have often been erased. Women like Mary Dowling and Dirty Helen are mothers of bourbon in their own right, regardless of how unconventional their backgrounds may be.
It appears the Old Commonwealth Team wanted to honor Cromwell the right way, and they sourced over 100 barrels, according to the outlet, and sampled them for six months. After a rigorous tasting process, four barrels were selected for the Cromwell offering.
Joseph claimed the re-barrelling of this whiskey in new charred oak barrels for six months gave this whiskey a “fruity, red candy note” commonly associated with older whiskeys.
Men’s Journal shared that a portion of the proceeds from purchases are set to be donated to the Refuge for Women. Refuge for Women is a charity that supports sexually trafficked women to “live a life of freedom.”
The outlet reported that even though Dirty Helen appeared to be tough and had quite the mouth on her, she offered money to the women who worked at her brothel to get an education at Marquette University. Old Commonwealth’s move to support sexually exploited women honors her legacy.
Old Commonwealth was started by the Van Winkle family, and the Van Winkles ran the operation until Buffalo Trace closed it down in 2002. In November 2024, the Robb Report shared that Zachary Joseph and Andrew English brought the brand back to life with the release of a 10-year-old Kentucky bourbon that clocked in at a hefty 131.83 proof.
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