American Whiskey Report September 2026

American Whiskey Report 2026

Guess what? The trade war is still going, and it’s getting worse. For background, Canadian provinces removed American spirits from store shelves in March of 2025 in response to US aggression toward the nation’s sovereignty, which led to a 70% decrease in exports year-over year. Alberta and Saskatchewan eventually lifted the bans, but then Saskatchewan implemented a 50% tariff on American spirit imports. So instead of doing anything to fix the problem, the White House decided to ban the import of Canadian produced spirits and then renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America. 

So anyway, here’s what DISCUS President Chris Swonger has to say about the situation, which has literally nothing to do with the spirits industry but has impacted it anyway: “For more than a year and a half, American distillers have shouldered the brunt of this trade dispute. Canadian provinces' removal of U.S. spirits from store shelves caused U.S. spirits exports to Canada to fall by more than 70%. We urge leaders on both sides of the border to reach a negotiated solution that restores U.S. spirits to retail shelves throughout Canada and returns the spirits sector to a permanent zero-for-zero tariff framework.”

Buzzard’s Roost 2026 French Oak

Product Releases

• Buzzard’s Roost has released its third edition French Oak finished Bourbon, this time with a new mashbill.

• Michter’s has released US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye bottled at cask strength.

• Journeyman has released a Bourbon flavored with peach.

• Four Roses has released its 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, Non-chill filtered and bottled at 109.2 proof, blended from three of Four Roses’ mash bills, OBSK, OESK, and OESV aged 14-23 years. Four Roses has also released a 10-year-old, barrel-strength OESQ single barrel available in the gift shop to support the 10th Annual Salt River Cleanup.

• Phifer Pavitt Spirits has released Late Night and Reserve Bourbons, but only for its club members unless you were lucky enough to buy them at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival earlier this month.

Joseph Magnus 10 yr Rye

• Joseph Magnus has released the brand’s first rye whiskey since 1918, a 95% rye aged 10 years and bottled at a cask strength of 113.44 proof.

• Town Branch has released IMPERIUM MMXXVI Kentucky Straight Bourbon at 115.1 proof, a blend of three Kentucky Bourbons: Pot-still Kentucky Bourbon with a mash bill of  72% corn / 15% rye / 13% malted barley, Column-still Kentucky Bourbon with a mash bill of 72% corn / 15% rye / 13% malted barley, and Column-still Wheated Bourbon with a mash bill of 70% corn / 22% wheat / 8% malted barley.

Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled in Bond

• Chattanooga Whiskey has released Bottled-in-Bond Vintage: Fall 2022.

• Penelope is releasing its 2026 Estate Collection, which includes Conundrum 12 Year Straight Rye Whiskey, Founders Reserve 13 year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Penelope Private Select 10 year Bourbon, and Single Barrel 10 year Bourbon.

• Brown-Forman has revived its Kentucky Boy Bourbon label in honor of Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris’ 50 year career. It is comprised of Bourbons that Morris helped to create during his career, including Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, King of Kentucky, and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.

• Heaven Hill’s 2026 Parker’s Heritage Collection is  a 14 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey made with rye backset.

• Pursuit Spirits and Shortbarrel have banded together to release Found Footage, a blend of Sapsquatch bourbon and Pursuit United Double Oak Rye.

• As Above, So Below Distillery has released Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Bourbon.

• Kooper’s Whiskey has released The Prodigal Son Bourbon blended from two four-year and two six-year old Kentucky Bourbons. 

Chicken Cock Whiskey decanter

• Chicken Cock Whiskey released a rooster-shaped decanter to celebrate its 170th birthday.

• Neeley Family Distillery has released Papaw’s Legacy Bourbon, a triple distilled pot still Bourbon named for founder Royce Neeley’s grandfather, Earl Sizemore.

• Midwest Grain Products has released MGP Chapter One: Out of the Shadows, a 10 year old Indiana straight Bourbon with a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley, the first whiskey named for the massive former Seagram’s distillery.

• Penelope has released Cigar Sessions: Chapter 2, which includes a cigar pairing recommendation from Alec Bradley Cigars.

Pappy Van Winkle lineup

• The 2026 Pappy Van Winkle Whiskey Collection has been released by Buffalo Trace.

• Silver Brothers has released a 3 year batch no. 2 rye whiskey.

• Buffalo Trace has released Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition, the first ever barrel strength single barrel Elmer T. Lee.

• O.H. Ingram has released batch 6 of its Flagship Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a blend of 25 barrels ending up at 113.8 proof at 7 years old, a wheated bourbon with a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted barley.

• Wilderness Trail has two new releases out: "Symphony of Disruption" 10-Year-Old Wheated Small Batch Kentucky Bourbon and 8-Year-Old Cask Strength Kentucky Rye Whiskey.

• The Maven Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is out now from IJW Whiskey and The Maven Distillery.

• Jim Beam has released Knob Creek 12 Year Old Cask Strength bottled at 121.2 proof.

• Copperworks has released Craft Malt Month 2026 American Single Malt Whiskey Single Cask #488 distilled from Baronesse Barley (unknown GN content) matured in a rye cask and bottled at a cask strength of 63.2% ABV.

• B.R. Distilling Co. has released Blue Note Honey Bourbon and Honey Rye Cask Whiskey.

Jeremy Murray Director of Sales at Koopers Whiskey

People News

• Koopers Whiskey has named Austin Hospitality Veteran Jeremy Murray Director of Sales.

• Peggy Noe Stevens, Susan Reigler, and Collin Blake have banded together to create the American Whiskey Scholars education and certification program.

• Rawnica Dillingham has launched the Fallow Collective to connect brands across hospitality and beverage sectors.

• Gary Ray Gayheart, former Buffalo Trace Master Distiller who retired in 2005 and helped to launch Blanton’s Bourbon, passed away on Sept. 1, 2026.

Other News

Buffalo Trace on Tour

• Buffalo Trace is taking it on the road with On Tour with stops in Denver, Branson, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Kansas City.

• Leiper’s Fork is celebrating 10 years since filling its first barrel in Tennessee and helping to reshape Tennessee whiskey.

• Copperworks is close to opening the Copperworks Tavern in Kenmore, Washington.

• The Kentucky Bourbon Festival has announced next year’s dates: September 16-19, 2027.

• Here’s a chance to win some rare whiskeys and support charity: Give270 Bourbon Raffles.

Bonus Cocktail Recipe

Blade and Bow Paper Plane

Blade and Bow Paper Plane Cocktail

This Blade and Bow twist on the modern classic, The Paper Plane, which was created in 2008 in Chicago and named after a hit 2000s song. It’s a riff on the Last Word, an equal-parts, pre-Prohibition-era cocktail. Instead of gin, herbal green liqueur, maraschino liqueur and lime juice, it uses bourbon, a grappa-based amaro, light Italian bitter aperitif and lemon juice.

0.75 oz. Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
0.75 oz. Grappa-based Amaro
0.75 oz. Light Italian Bitter Aperitif
Lemon Juice
Lemon Twist

Using a sharp knife and a cutting board, remove a long slice of lemon skin, leaving as little pith on the peel as possible, gently curl into a twist and set aside. Combine bourbon, light Italian bitter aperitif, Grappa-based amaro, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until combined and strain into a coupe glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink to express the oils, then add as garnish.