Bourbon and Distillery News For January 9, 2026

Welcome to the latest edition of the Bourbon Obsessed Bourbon and Distillery News and my first newsletter of 2026! News is starting to pick up again, although new releases are still pretty sparse.

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

We’ve been doing quite a few reviews these last couple of weeks, as well as an article about flavorful low-proof bourbons. We reviewed a clear sphere ice maker, too. I’m only including half of the new reviews now. I’ll share the other half next week.

• Cut the Proof, Not the Taste: 15 of the Best Flavor-Packed Low Proof Bourbons For Damp January (or Any Time)
  Do you want to cut back on your post-holiday alcohol consumption, but Dry January is a bit too extreme? Then, how about Damp January instead? Unfortunately for bourbon drinkers, the current non-alcoholic options are less than ideal. So, how about we just drink low proof bourbon instead and lower our alcohol, as well as our calorie, intake! Read on for some flavorful options.
• ecozy Vaultico Grande Sphere Ice Maker Review
  I’ve previously reviewed ecozy’s 2″ sphere ice maker, so I was curious to see how their latest model compared. The Vaultico Grande makes larger 2.4-inch ice balls that are said to “melt slower, chill deeper, and preserve whiskey’s pure flavor.” Read my review to learn how it performed in my real-world testing.
• Rabbit Hole Amrûlé Review
  Rabbit Hole Amrûlé is a limited Distillery Series release built on Boxergrail Sour Mash Rye, finished for nine months in custom Maple Brûlé barrels. It’s bottled at 104.4 proof and sold distillery-only for $49.99. Read my review.
• Remington Reserve Open Season Bourbon Review
  Remington Reserve Open Season is an 86-proof proprietary blend of Kentucky and Tennessee bourbons, bottled by Log Still Distillery in collaboration with Remington and featuring a writable back “memory” label. Read my review.
• Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 3 Review | The Declaration
  Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 3: The Declaration is a limited-edition whiskey blend combining Indiana rye, Canadian corn, and Virginia malt whiskeys, bottled at 115.74 proof. Finished in part with apple brandy barrels, this release offers layered complexity from start to finish. Read my review.
• Augusta Buckner’s 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Review (HAZMAT)
  Augusta Buckner’s Limited Edition 13-Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon comes in hot at a fiery 141.1 proof HAZMAT. Ray Marcano takes it neat, then with a touch of ice, to see how this powerhouse evolves from start to finish. Read Ray’s Review.

Bourbon and Distillery News For January 9, 2026

Bourbon and Distillery News

What the 2025–2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Say About Alcohol

Recent headlines have suggested that the 2025–2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines represent a major shift in federal advice on alcohol, but the reality is more measured. So far, only the short-form summary of the guidelines has been released. Differing from prior summaries, it is coming under fire for not setting specific daily limits for alcohol consumption, instead stating more generally to “consume less alcohol for better overall health.” In addition, the new guidelines are being criticized for not mentioning any associations between alcohol consumption and cancer. Importantly, the full guidelines and the executive summary have not yet been published, so we do not know what they will contain. Furthermore, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee deferred its alcohol review to a separate National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, which does acknowledge associations between alcohol and breast cancer in women. Until the complete guidelines are released, conclusions about how alcohol-related health risks are addressed remain premature. Read my full analysis here.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Earns ENERGY STAR Certification Again

Bardstown Bourbon Company, part of Lofted Spirits, has once again earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR certification, recognizing the distillery as performing within the top 25 percent of comparable industrial facilities nationwide for energy performance. Bardstown Bourbon Company was among the first U.S. distilleries to receive the ENERGY STAR certification in 2023, and the renewed designation reflects continued improvements in energy performance. Despite more than doubling production capacity since 2018, the distillery now uses approximately 30 percent less energy by capturing and reusing heat generated during distillation. The certification highlights ongoing investments in operational efficiency while maintaining production scale and consistency. bardstownbourbon.com

Bourbon and Distillery News For January 9, 2026

Ohio’s A.M. Scott Distillery Files for Bankruptcy

A.M. Scott Distillery, a craft spirits company founded in Troy, Ohio in 2022 that operated locations including the now-closed Moeller Brew Barn in Troy, Dayton, and Monroe, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Court filings list the company’s assets at under $500,000 and liabilities of approximately $3.35 million amid mounting losses and bad debt that outpaced revenue. Owner Anthony “Tony” Scott is awaiting trial on criminal charges alleging he deprived a victim of more than $6,500 in business product and attempted to pass a bad check, and the business has faced at least one civil lawsuit from an investor alleging improper treatment of related entities. The bankruptcy petition and related legal troubles come after business partner disputes and the closure of multiple locations. Sources: kentucky.com | daytondailynews.com

Whiskey House of Kentucky Achieves Triple ISO Certifications

Whiskey House of Kentucky announced it has earned ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems), and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems) certifications through NSF, less than 18 months after completing construction of its Elizabethtown, Kentucky distillery. The three internationally recognized certifications confirm that the facility meets established standards for quality management, environmental responsibility, and workplace safety. According to the company, ISO 9001 supports consistent product and service delivery through process control and continual improvement, ISO 14001 provides a framework for identifying and reducing environmental impacts, and ISO 45001 establishes requirements to reduce workplace risk and prevent injury and ill health. Whiskey House of Kentucky is a purpose-built contract distillation facility, and the company stated it is also working toward additional certifications in 2026, including FSSC 22000 and ISO 17025. whiskeyhouse.com

Meat Church BBQ Takes Minority Stake in Pursuit Spirits

Meat Church BBQ has acquired a minority ownership stake in Pursuit Spirits, marking a strategic partnership between the barbecue lifestyle brand and the American whiskey producer. The investment, led by Meat Church founder and pitmaster Matt Pittman, is intended to support Pursuit Spirits’ growth initiatives, operational enhancements, product innovation and “brand awareness to the Meat Church congregation that has surpassed 1M+.” The investment “was also part of the build-out” of Pursuit Spirits’ Whiskey Row tasting room in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 2018 by Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil, Pursuit Spirits produces the Pursuit United line of bourbon and rye whiskeys and emphasizes blending whiskeys sourced from multiple distilleries. The partnership represents the first equity collaboration between influencers in the barbecue and bourbon categories and is expected to include joint product development and cross-promotional efforts. pursuitspirits.com

Bourbon and Distillery News For January 9, 2026

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