Bourbon and Distillery News for April 25, 2025

Please enjoy this week’s Bourbon and Distillery News! Our next Bourbon Release News newsletter will be published on Friday May 2, 2025, but you can read the most recent version here. Our podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts or your favorite platform. You can also find it here. New episodes of our Bourbon News and Bourbon Releases podcasts are released on Mondays.

Without further ado, let’s get on with the Distillery & Bourbon News For April 25, 2025!

Distillery & Bourbon News For April 25, 2025

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Distillery & Bourbon News For April 25, 2025

But First, Here’s What’s New on BourbonObsessed.com!

Here are a few of our latest whiskey reviews!

• Minden Mill Rye Whiskey Review
  Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey is a 94-proof, estate-produced rye crafted by Minden Mill Distilling in Nevada’s Carson Valley. It is made from 100% estate-grown grains and pure water, sourced from a well fed by Sierra Nevada snowmelt. It’s a full flavored rye with a complexity which unfolds over time. Read my full review here.
• Minden Mill Nevada Straight Bourbon Review
  Another estate produced whiskey from Minden Mill Distilling, Minden Mill Nevada Straight Bourbon Whiskey is crafted from a four grain mash bill using 100% estate grown Earthtone Heirloom corn, Rye, Barley, Oats. Aged for four years, it has classic bourbon flavors, with just the right amount of dry oak, fruit and spice. It’s a very enjoyable pour, which I think will please most bourbon fans. Read my full review here.
• McLaughlin 3799 Bourbon Review
  McLaughlin 3799 Bourbon is distilled, aged and hand-bottled at McLaughlin Distillery in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. It is crafted from a mash bill of 100% corn, and aged a minimum of 5 years in 10 gallon barrels. While the dry spicy oak from the barrel is definitely evident, it is not overpowering and is well balanced with the bourbon’s sweeter flavors. If you enjoy a well-made small batch craft bourbon with noticeable, but not overpowering dry spicy oak, then you’ll want to give this bourbon a try. Read my full review here.
• Old Elk Slow Cut Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review
  Old Elk’s Slow Cut Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey represents the evolution of Old Elk’s original Straight Bourbon. This bourbon features a high malt mash bill, and is contract distilled at MGP. After maturation, Old Elk’s unique “Slow Cut” process gradually proofs the whiskey down over extended time to preserve flavor. It’s bottled at 88 proof and priced around $40, and is a very enjoyable pour. Both the proof and price point make this a great buy. Read Laura’s full review here.
• The Representative Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review
  From Proof & Wood Ventures, The Representative Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an MGP-sourced bourbon that is blended in batches of approximately 20 barrels. It is non-chill filtered, and bottled at barrel proof. Aged a minimum of four years and priced at around $50, Ray found this bourbon to be a solid, higher proof option at a reasonable price point. Read his full review here.

Distillery & Bourbon News For April 25, 2025

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Distillery & Bourbon News For April 25, 2025

Bourbon and Distillery News

Once again, we have quite a bit of news!

Garrard County Distilling Placed Into Receivership Amid $28 Million in Debt

The Garrard County Distilling Co. saga continues. The distillery, which opened in January 2024 and ceased operations less than a year later, has been placed into emergency receivership following lawsuits revealing over $28 million in debt. Truist Bank, the distillery’s largest creditor, filed suit claiming more than $26 million is owed due to loan defaults and delinquencies. Aurora Management Partners has been appointed by the court to oversee the distillery’s operations and assets, with the authority to pursue bankruptcy or liquidation. The $250 million distillery was once one of Kentucky’s largest new builds, producing sourced whiskey under the All Nations brand, with plans to distill for its own brands as well as serve as a contract distillery. Read the full article here.

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery Announces Layoffs Amid Operational Changes

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, owned by Constellation Brands, laid off approximately 15 (of 19) production employees, including the general manager, due to shifting consumer and industry dynamics. The distillery, which produces Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey and Nelson Brothers Bourbon, will otherwise continue operations, including its restaurant, bar, events, tours, and tastings. The future of distillery operations is uncertain. Read the full article here.

Distillery & Bourbon News For April 25, 2025

Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2025 Tickets Sell Out In Record Time

Tickets for this year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, KY, scheduled for September 5-7 have sold out in record time. The VIP tickets sold out to “Bourbon Insiders” during the presale on April 16, and the 3 day general admission “Weekend Bourbon Taster” tickets sold out on the first day of public sales. At this point, limited “1 Day Sunday Sampler” tickets are all that remain available. Even the $7000 VIP Oris President’s Club tickets sold out the first day. For information about the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, visit: kybourbonfestival.com

Gregg Snyder Joins Four Branches Bourbon as Master Distiller

Four Branches Bourbon announces the appointment of Master Distiller, Gregg Snyder, as a strategic advisor to the brand. He will serve in an advisory capacity as Master Distiller, and guide the brand’s future limited releases and support innovation while preserving the quality and character that Four Branches was founded on. Previously, Gregg has served in numerous roles at major companies in the industry, including Seagram Company, Brown-Forman, Wild Turkey/Austin Nichols and Jim Beam. His most recent role has been Master Distiller for Chicken Cock Whiskey. Read the full article here.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Recovery Progresses Following April Flooding

Buffalo Trace Distillery has made significant strides in recovering from historic flooding that impacted its campus in Frankfort, KY. Campus cleanup is now complete, with restoration underway inside buildings which were affected by flood waters. Limited retail operations are now located on the second floor of the Visitor Center. Tasting experiences are now also available. Check-in has resumed in the Freehouse building, however all visitors must make advance online reservations during the upcoming weeks. In anticipation of Derby week, the distillery will be closed April 28 to return retail operations into the first floor of the Visitor Center. In addition, Buffalo Trace Distillery will soon be announcing details of an online charity auction, featuring some of the Distillery’s most sought-after bourbons, to aid in statewide relief efforts for those facing the difficult road of recovery coming off these spring storms. buffalotracedistillery.com

Distillery & Bourbon News For April 25, 2025

Kentucky Lottery Launches Bourbon Trail-Themed Games in Partnership with Kentucky Distillers’ Association

The Kentucky Lottery and the Kentucky Distillers’ Association today rolled out Kentucky Bourbon Trail themed lottery games as part of a new partnership focused on promoting the organizations’ missions. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail themed lottery games include a $5 Scratch-off ticket with four top prizes of $75,000; a $5 Fast Play ticket where players have a chance to win 50 percent of the current Fast Play jackpot; and an Instant Play (online) game with multiple price points and a chance to win up to $250,000, as well as a second chance promotion. Read the full article here.

Left Bank Bourbon Joins Kentucky Distillers’ Association, Honoring Bourbon’s Historic Downriver Journey

Left Bank Bourbon has become the newest member of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA). The brand’s name reflects the traditional route bourbon barrels took along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to reach markets in New Orleans and beyond. Left Bank Bourbon is distilled and aged on the banks of the Ohio River in Kentucky. Then it takes a winding journey on the river to New Orleans, where it is carefully married into small batches and bottled. Recently Left Bank Bourbon has opened a tasting room in the Logan Street Market, near downtown Louisville. Read the full article here.

James B. Beam Distilling Co. Unveils 2025 Distillery Event Lineup

The James B. Beam Distilling Co. has unveiled an exciting lineup of events for 2025, inviting bourbon lovers to experience the heritage, craftsmanship, and hospitality of the First Family of Bourbon. From exclusive tastings and bourbon-paired dinners to immersive experiences like “Noe The Craft” and the “Smoke + Oak: A Bourbon and BBQ Feastival”, the distillery offers something for every bourbon enthusiast. Additional highlights include the monthly Clermont Supper Club dinners with Fred and Freddie Noe and “Oaked: A Taste of Beam” and “Horses + Heritage: A Beam Bourbon Social” during Derby Week. Read the full article here.

Devils River Distillery Assets to Be Auctioned in May 2025

LSD Lending, LLC has announced a public auction of all assets belonging to Devils River Distillery and Devils River Holdings, LLC, scheduled for May 5, 2025. The auction will be conducted via telephone and is open to qualified bidders. This sale includes the distillery’s equipment, inventory, accounts, intellectual property and other intangibles. Read the full article here.

RD1 Spirits to Open New Lexington Brand Destination Distillery with Exclusive 12-Year Bourbon Release

RD1 Spirits is set to open its new RD1 Distillery at The Commons, in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 14, 2025. This two-story, 10,215-square-foot facility will feature a research and development distillery, wood finishing lab, bar, speakeasy, gift shop, and event spaces. Their new brand home focuses on RD1’s expertise in finishing bourbon with wood from across the world to create distinct tasting experiences. To commemorate the opening, RD1 will release a limited-edition 12-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon bottled at cask strength (121.1–127.3 proof). Limited to 250 bottles, each is presented in a crystal decanter-like bottle with gold lettering and housed in a black-on-black display case and priced at $799. Read the full article here.

California Distillery Challenges New York’s Direct Shipping Law in Federal Court

The Obscure Distillery, a Los Angeles-based craft producer, has filed a federal lawsuit against the New York State Liquor Authority, contesting a 2024 law that restricts out-of-state distilleries from shipping directly to New York consumers unless their home state offers reciprocal privileges. Represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, the distillery argues that this reciprocity requirement discriminates against out-of-state businesses, violating the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause. The lawsuit seeks to overturn the law, potentially setting a precedent that could impact interstate liquor shipping regulations nationwide. Read the full article here.

Distillery & Bourbon News For April 25, 2025

Well, that’s it! I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Bourbon News! Stay tuned for our New Bourbon Release News, coming on Friday May 2. If you would like our bourbon and distillery news delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletters here. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. I hope you have a great weekend! See you next time! Cheers!🥃

If you would like to read some of my other recent newsletters, then check out my Bourbon Release News for April 13, 2025 and my Bourbon and Distillery News for April 11, 2025. You can also head over to our Newsletter Archive to see all the prior editions.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!