American Whiskey Report August 2025

We’re right on the eve of Bourbon Heritage Month. Everything is happening in Kentucky in September, including the Kentucky Bourbon Festival and Bourbon & Beyond. Many Kentucky distilleries chose September to release rare and special whiskeys, so be on the lookout in your local stores. Now for the American whiskey news you can use!

Product Releases

Chicken Cock is releasing a limited edition American Whiskey, Miller’s Reserve, named for James A. Miller’s legendary lost barrels, sunk in the A.O. Tyler steamer accident of 1860. It includes a blend of a 10-year double oak Kentucky Whiskey, 8-year high rye Bourbon from Indiana, 8-year wheated Bourbon from West Virginia, and 10-year wheated Bourbon from Ohio, bottled at 115 proof.
Breckenridge Distillery has released a mushroom flavored whiskey called Mountain Shot.
The World Whiskey Society has released a 9 year Kentucky Bourbon in what they are calling a “modern bottle.” Additionally, WWS is releasing four new Doc Holliday Bourbons: Doc Holliday 8-Year Oloroso Sherry finish, Doc Holliday 13-Year Oloroso Sherry finish, Doc Holliday 8-Year Armagnac finish, and Doc Holliday 13-Year Armagnac finish.
A. Smith Bowman has released a whiskey aged in Hungarian Oak casks.

Westland Whiskey Wine Cask and Beer Cask Finish

Westland Whiskey has two new releases on the market, one beer cask finished American Single Malt and one wine cask finished American Single Malt.
Heaven Hill has released the 19th edition of Parker’s Heritage, an 11 year old American Whiskey bottled at 122.5 proof.
Blue Note has released honey cask Bourbon, bottled at 113.86 proof.
Flaviar’s popular whiskey advent calendar is available for pre-order.
Yellowstone has released three ready-to-drink cocktails, a Gold Rush, an Old Fashioned, and a riff on an Espresso Martini.
J. Mattingly has released Frankfort Rising to aid victims of the Ohio River Valley flooding.

New Riff has re-released its coveted Red Turkey Wheat Bourbon, a 5-year bottled-in-bond.
Southern Distilling has released a bottled-in-bond rye whiskey, Southern Star Bottled-In-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey.
Penelope has released a black walnut old fashioned RTD as well as an estate collection, all minimum 10 year age stated, that includes Founders Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a new Omega Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Omega French Oak barrels, and Single Barrel and Private Select bourbons.
Kings County Distillery has released its yearly Empire Rye, a prized New York State rye, which will now become part of Kings County distillery’s core offerings.
Cedar Ridge is releasing a first-ever anniversary Bourbon to celebrate the distillery’s 20th anniversary.
High West is re-releasing its popular Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon featuring a mash bill of 36% rye and 64% non-GMO yellow corn aged 4 years and distilled entirely at the High West Distillery in Utah.
Woodford Reserve has released its yearly distillery series, a first-ever American Single Malt Whiskey, aged 12 years.
Single Cask Nation is releasing three new American whiskeys: New York Distilling 10 year old Rye Whiskey, Balcones 4 year old peated American Single Malt Whiskey, and Cedar Ridge 5 year old peated American Single Malt Whiskey.
Union Horse Distilling is now offering its bottled-in-bond Bourbon as a year-round release.
Woodinville 9 Year OId Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Harvest release, and Triple Barrel II will all be released to celebrate the distillery’s 15th anniversary.
Remus Repeal Reserve IX is out at 104 proof.
Old Forester’s yearly release of Birthday Bourbon for 2025, which celebrates the September birthday of Brown-Forman Founder George Garvin Brown, is 12 years old, 92 proof, and is a sweet mash Bourbon, made after a scheduled maintenance shutdown.
Maker’s Mark’s 2025 Cellar Aged, a blend of 74% 11-year-old, 10% 13-year-old and 16% 14-year-old Maker’s Mark bourbon at 112.9 proof, will be available starting September 5th.
Buzzard’s Roost has a new cigar blend Bourbon coming out next week. It’s double oaked, 105 proof, and has a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Knob Creek has released Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch, a cask strength Bourbon.
Michter’s will release its popular US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash Whiskey in September at 86 proof.
Blue Run Spirits has released a gin barrel finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon called Glimmer.
Milam & Greene has a new permanent line extension called Provisions which is Kentucky-made Bourbon that was aged in Texas.
Lost Lantern has released Far Flung Bourbon III, a blend of straight Bourbons from Frey Ranch in Nevada, Wollersheim in Wisconsin, Rock Town in Arkansas, Rich Grain in Mississippi (which went out of business in 2020), Still Austin in Texas, and Smooth Ambler in West Virginia.
Barrell Craft Spirits has two new releases out: Barrell Armegnac Finished Bourbon and Barrell Foundation Single Barrel.

People News

Luis Gonzalez, former CEO of Old Elk, has been appointed CCO of Middle West Spirits after the company’s acquisition of Old Elk.

Other News

Tamworth Distilling in New Hampshire has marked a decade of distilling and is in the midst of a $10 million expansion that will include three more barrel houses, a 10k sq ft production facility, and 105 additional acres of farmland.
Jackson Purchase Distillery has been elevated to Heritage Member by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
National Bourbon Week dates for 2026 have been announced: June 14-21, 2026.
Sometime in September, Jack Daniel’s will mark the 150th birthday of founder Jack Daniel.
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival has announced dates for 2026: September 10-13, 2026.
Pursuit Spirits has finally opened its visitor experience on Louisville’s Whiskey Row, offering cocktails, a retail shop, and tasting options for Pursuit Spirits.
Buffalo Trace Distillery will open a cafe in the first floor of the Elmer T. Lee Clubhouse with a target open date of spring 2026.
Lexington, Kentucky based RD1 has been ranked number one fastest-growing company in Kentucky and No. 280 nationally on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies.
The World Bourbon Toast, put on by the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, will stream live on September 14 from Bourbon and Beyond.

“We applaud Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to restore reciprocal zero-to-zero tariffs for Kentucky Bourbon and many other remaining goods covered under the USMCA. We hope this action will jump start negotiations on a permanent trade deal, benefiting both American businesses and Canadian consumers seeking to enjoy America’s only native spirit. We look forward to the day when Canadians can toast the return of Kentucky Bourbon to their provinces and territories, and we thank the leaders of Alberta and Saskatchewan for their earlier decisions to return Kentucky Bourbon and other American alcoholic beverages to their shelves.” — Eric Gregory, Kentucky Distillers' Association President