Bourbon Classic 2024 Changes & 5 Predictions

Editor's note: There were big changes at the 11th annual Bourbon Classic held in Louisville, Kentucky in February 2024 starting with the location which was hosted by the largest venue yet, the Kentucky International Convention Center. Our intrepid Bourbon correspondent Maggie Kimberl not only shares the changes to this year's Bourbon Classic but also her predictions.

Changes at the Bourbon Classic

A New Location

The Kentucky International Convention Center location was great because it was very spacious and did not feel overcrowded. There was plenty of parking despite a big event going on nearby at the arena. Unfortunately, because the convention center is so large there was also a gymnastics competition taking place, so it was a bit odd to see so many children at a major whiskey festival. But the security was tight and there were no children inside the event itself.

Bottles for Sale

Also new for this year was bottle sales. The Commonwealth of Kentucky is leading the way in making distilled spirits tourism a priority, starting with DTC shipping of spirits (which is still being worked on). This year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival was the first major event during which producers could legally sell bottles directly to consumers at the event, and the distilleries made the most of this by offering unique and limited edition bottles. The same was true at the Bourbon Classic this year. Jim Beam even offered a bottle that had been set to sell only through global travel retail but which never made it there because of the pandemic. Not all of the producers were able to sell products, but many took advantage, which meant that most people were walking around with shopping bags while they were trying different offerings.

Competition Changes

Seth Thompson The Bourbon Review, Tony Butler FSA Management, Glen Dougan The Kitchen Table, Haley Hogan The Kitchen Table, Mark Bowling, Chief of Staff, Kentucky Department of Agriculture

Another change this year was that during the cocktails and small plates competition, there was only one round. In years past it would begin with classic cocktails and small plates and then switch to contemporary. But now that there are so many brands competing it no longer makes sense to have everyone do two pairings. It used to be a marathon to try to get around to try everything, but this year’s cocktail and small plate challenge was much more relaxed. My favorite small plate was Bri Hlava’s smoked lamb pho, which, unfortunately, did not win.

The winners of the cocktail and culinary challenge are:

Judges’ Choice Best Cocktail

Representing Michter’s Distillery, LLC

Bartender: Justin Keating Bluegrass Hospitality Group

Cocktail: Rye Me Up

Judges’ Choice Best Small Plate

Representing Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.

Chef: Seth Kinder, Executive Chef, Barn8 in Hermitage Farm

Dish: Bison Tartare Cone

Featuring: Woodland Farm Bison and Shuckman's Paddlefish Roe

Judges’ Choice Best Pairing

Representing Heaven Hill Brands

Bartender: Celeste Downey, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean

Cocktail: What’s the Tea?

Chef: Chef Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean

Dish: Freedom Run Farm Lamb Tartare with 9 Spice Pomegranate Crisp

Featuring: Freedom Run Farm Lamb

People’s Choice Best Cocktail

Representing Michter’s Distillery, LLC

Bartender: Justin Keating Bluegrass Hospitality Group

Cocktail: Rye Me Up

People’s Choice Best Small Plate

Representing James B. Beam Distilling Company

Chef: Glenn Dougan, The Kitchen Table

Dish: Confit Chicken Tostada, Bourbon Mole, Charred Mandarin Marmalade

Featuring: Cedar Creek Farms Chicken

People’s Choice Best Pairing

Representing James B. Beam Distilling Company

Bartender: Haley Hogan, The Kitchen Table

Cocktail: Holy Mole

Chef: Glenn Dougan, The Kitchen Table

Dish: Confit Chicken Tostada, Bourbon Mole, Charred Mandarin Marmalade

Featuring: Cedar Creek Farms Chicken

Another big change this year was the absence of Pappy at the Top Shelf event, although because the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection was offered the absence was not as noticeable.

The classes offered on the final night were some of the best yet. Fred and Freddie Noe of Jim Beam led a whiskey and country ham pairing, which ended with a sample of their own country ham. Other classes included Buzzard’s Roost’s whiskey and chocolate pairing, Lynn House’s history of Heaven Hill Brands, and a tasting of the Buffalo Trace verticals.

5 Trend Predictions

KY is King (of Events)

Bottle sales at events puts Kentucky right back on top when it comes to whiskey events. It’s unlikely other states will be able to accomplish this anytime soon, making Kentucky the king of whiskey events for now.

A Thirst for Single Barrels

Single barrels are going to continue to grow in popularity. Heaven Hill reports doing more than 400 single barrel selections each year in Bardstown alone, and others will order single barrels from samples. Even Kentucky Peerless reports doing an astronomical number of single barrels each year for such a small facility. It seems that whiskey consumers still can’t get enough of the single barrels.

Prices May Have Peaked

Prices for whiskey are going to contract a little bit. Chatter from consumers was pretty solid on this. The days of paying $300 for an 8-year product are over. Producers have found the ceiling on whiskey prices and if they want to stay in the game they are going to have to focus on pricing competitively.

Supply Meeting Demand

Capacity is going to continue to grow, and we aren’t looking at a glut any time soon. People are still willing to travel from all over to visit Kentucky and they are looking for bottles to take home. Once they get home, they are going to keep looking for bottles in their home markets because they have that connection now. In attendance were people from Texas, Canada, California, and more, and many of the people I spoke with at the festival had only recently discovered Bourbon.

Keeping it Real

Producers are starting to feel nervous about their success and the openness that built this Bourbon boom is starting to go away. Some of the producers who used to be totally candid with me are no longer doing so because their marketing department is telling them not to. It took an abundance mentality to create the Bourbon boom, but this scarcity mentality is threatening it. Consumers want authenticity. If your marketing team ever says anything close to “we control the narrative,” it may already be too late for your brand.