Southern Grace Distilleries, the first distillery in the United States to be located in a former prison, has released its first bourbon after opening its doors three and a half years ago: Conviction Small Batch Bourbon.

“The hard time aging in oak barrels behind bars here at Whiskey Prison has created a cask strength bourbon that’s subtly sweet and smooth,” says Southern Grace Distilleries CEO Leanne Powell.

Conviction Small Batch Bourbon enters the world bourbon market having already received high praise for its taste. Earlier this week the spirit won a Gold Medal at the MicroLiquor Spirit Awards.

Southern Grace Distilleries makes a charitable contribution for every bottle it sells, and the charitable partner for Conviction is the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, the oldest and largest sustainable agriculture organization in the Southeast. “Without corn you can’t have bourbon,” says Powell. “When you enjoy bourbon, thank a farmer. I’m so glad we can help support the efforts of the Carolina Farm Stewardship and their project at the Lomax Incubator Farm which is right down the road from our distillery.”

Southern Grace Distilleries, known as Whiskey Prison, was founded in 2014 and is located in a former North Carolina state prison in Cabarrus County, NC, located about 25 minutes northeast of Charlotte. Conviction is now available in North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, DC, and available online via cellar.com.