Bourbon and Distillery News for November 21, 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of the Bourbon Obsessed Bourbon and Distillery News! There’s quite a bit going on again this week, so let’s jump right in!

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

• Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2025 Review
  Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged returns for 2025 with an 11-, 13- & 14-year blend of bourbons that underwent their final maturation in the distillery’s limestone cellar. What’s this year’s release like? Read our full review to learn all about it!
• Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C925 Review
  Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon returns with Batch C925, the youngest release in the series to date. At 129 proof with a 9-year, 1-month age statement, this one offers a somewhat different balance of flavors than many past batches. Read our full review to learn all about it!
• Oaklore Story Series Oloroso Sherry Cask Finished Four Grain Bourbon Review
  Oaklore Distilling’s latest Story Series release brings a subtle but flavorful Oloroso sherry finish to its four grain bourbon—layering dark fruit, gentle spice, and a touch of dry oak without overwhelming the base whiskey. Read our full review to learn more!

Bourbon and Distillery News For November 21, 2025

Bourbon and Distillery News

Starlight Distillery wins Best Overall Bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

According to Starlight Distillery’s Facebook page, their Mizunara Reserve took home Best Overall Bourbon and Best Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Their Single Barrel Bourbon earned Best of Class – Craft Distiller Whiskey. Winners for these top categories were selected from whiskeys which had already won Double Gold Medals earlier this year.

(Editor’s note: I can’t confirm winners on the The Tasting Alliance’s website as they haven’t listed them yet, but The Whisk[e]y Wash seems to have the list of winners on their website. Other bourbon class winners include: Best Straight Bourbon: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C924; Best Small Batch Bourbon – Up to 5 Years: 1792 Small Batch; Best Small Batch Bourbon – 6 to 10 Years: ASW Distillery Fiddler Encore Bourbon – Georgia Oak; Best Overall Small Batch Bourbon & Best Small Batch Bourbon 11 Years & Older: O.K.I. Bourbon 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon)

Wenzel Distillery’s Rectifier’s Rye Batch 3 Named Best American Rye Whiskey at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Wenzel Distillery has announced that its Rectifier’s Rye Batch 3* was named Best American Rye Whiskey at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The nine-year-old rye whiskey, bottled at 121.6 proof, earned a Double Gold medal earlier this year before being selected as the top American rye at the SFWSC Awards Gala in San Francisco. The competition, founded by The Tasting Alliance in 2000, received nearly 5,500 entries across all categories in 2025. Wenzel Distillery, located in a historic 150-year-old building in Covington, KY, and added to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 2025, offers its Barrel Proof Rye Batch 3 at its distillery and through select regional retailers. wenzeldistillery.com

In related news, again according to The Whisk[e]y Wash, Never Say Die Rye won Best New Rye of 2025. I very much enjoyed that rye when I tried it, but since I reviewed it back in May 2024, I am a little confused by the category. Nonetheless, congratulations to both Wenzel Whiskey and Never Say Die!

*Editor’s Note: It turns out that the name Rectifier’s Rye was used for Batches 1 & 2. However, this whiskey is now known as Barrel Proof Rye Batch 3. The Rectifier’s Rye name has been dropped.

Brown-Forman Increases Cash Dividend for 42nd Consecutive Year

Brown-Forman Corporation has approved a 2% increase to its regular quarterly cash dividend, raising it to $0.2310 per share on Class A and Class B common stock. The dividend is payable on January 2, 2026, to shareholders of record on December 5, 2025. According to the company, this marks Brown-Forman’s 42nd consecutive year of dividend increases and its 80th year of paying regular quarterly dividends. Source: businesswire.com

VisitLEX Launches Bourbonland Pass

The Lexington Herald Leader has reported that VisitLEX has launched a new Bourbonland Tasting Pass, allowing visitors and locals to sample tasting flights at six Lexington-area distilleries: Barrel House Distilling Co., Bespoken Spirits, Bluegrass Distillers, Dark Arts Whiskey House & Alchemy Lab, Fresh Bourbon Distillery, and James E. Pepper Distillery. The 1-Day Tasting Pass costs $45 and includes flights at up to three distilleries, while the 3-Day Ultimate Tasting Pass costs $75 and includes flights at all six (maximum three per day). Passes must be used within 60 days of purchase and are delivered by text and email. Each purchase includes a free Bourbonland shot glass, available for pickup at the Lexington Visitors Center. Get your passes here: visitlex.com/things-to-do/bourbon.

Bourbon and Distillery News For November 21, 2025

Black Button Distilling’s New Owner Lays Off Entire Staff

In Rochester, N.Y., Black Button Distilling’s new owner (Blackstar), a firm led by former Buffalo Trace executive Kris Comstock, has eliminated all staff — including founder Jason Barrett — and is liquidating the distillery’s inventory.  WXXI News reports that Barrett and his team were let go in mid‑October and that he has been hired back as a contractor to assist in selling barrels and bottles. Ironically, and sadly, it was in my September 26, 2025 newsletter when I reported that Blackstar had acquired Black Button and would “continue distilling, bottling, and selling its award-winning lineup … while maintaining its current team and day-to-day operations under founder Jason Barrett.” That all sounded very promising, but apparently, that wasn’t the plan after all.

Black Button was Rochester, NY’s first grain to glass distillery since prohibition and was founded in 2012 and expanded in 2023. The current plan is to sell existing inventory while the future of the brand under Blackstar remains unclear. Source: WXXI News NPR

Rogue Ales & Spirits Closes

Oregon’s pioneering Rogue Ales & Spirits — known for Dead Guy Ale and Dead Guy Whiskey — abruptly closed on Nov 15.  Whisky Advocate recounts that the 37‑year‑old brewery‑distillery announced to its landlord that it would cease operations and shut down all breweries, distilleries and pubs, laying off nearly all employees. Rogue was founded in 1988 and began making spirits in 2003. They became famous for single‑malt Dead Guy Whiskey (which debuted in 2006) and for housing their own cooperage. The closure follows years of declining sales and heavy debts — the company owed the Port of Newport over $545,000 in unpaid rent and another $30,000 in back taxes.  Attempts to focus on beer and sublet its distillery space were not enough to stave off the shutdown. According to Fox 12 Oregon, the employees were not given advance notice of the closures and are scrambling to find jobs before the holidays. Source: multiple, including: Whiskey Advocate

A couple of other closings:

• The Watershed Kitchen + Bar in Columbus, Ohio — a restaurant and cocktail bar inside Watershed Distillery — closed permanently on Nov 8. The restaurant closed because of “economic challenges” and the need to focus on the core distilling business. Watershed’s distillery and bottle shop remain open, and the company plans to reimagine the space for educational and entertainment events. Sources: Columbus Navigator and Yahoo! News
• Louisville’s The Silver Dollar closed after one final service on Saturday, Nov 15. The bar, named one of GQ magazine’s top whiskey bars in 2013, first opened in 2011, went up for sale in 2023 and re‑opened in August 2024 under new owner Brian Downing. Despite the refresh, the business is closing amid a wave of neighboring restaurant closures. Source: Courier Journal

Luca Mariano Distillery files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

I had reported in my November 7, 2025 Bourbon and Distillery News Newsletter that Luca Mariano Distillery planned to seek bankruptcy protection, and court records now confirm the company’s Chapter 11 filing, according to BankruptcyObserver.com. The voluntary petition filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on Nov 12 lists assets and liabilities both between $10 million and $50 million and notes 50–99 creditors. The filing allows the distillery to reorganize and pursue a potential sale while continuing limited operations. This is Luca Mariano’s second bankruptcy; its holding company filed for Chapter 11 in July, also in the Eastern District of Michigan.

Lexington Herald Leader:
According to the filing, the distillery and its parent filed the bankruptcy cases “with the goal of consummating the sale of all of their assets and business operations” as a going concern. To that end, SummitBridge (the holding company’s top creditor) has agreed to provide up to $1.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing, according to the filing. The financing would allow the distillery to pay various mortgages and employees, continue operating and stave off liquidation, according to the filing.

US Distiller in $6.5 Million Bid to Acquire Collapsed Waterford Whisky

Tennessee Distilling Group is in exclusive talks to acquire Waterford Whisky for approximately €6 million (about $6.5 million USD). The proposed deal would include the Waterford distilling facility, intellectual property, and existing bottled whiskey, but would not include the nearly seven million liters of cask whiskey remaining under receivership. Waterford Whisky has been in receivership since November 2024 under Interpath Advisory, with several prior bids having fallen through. Reportedly, Tennessee Distilling intends to reopen the Waterford facility and resume distilling in Ireland.

The Irish whiskey sector has been under pressure from global oversupply and softening demand, leading to several restructurings and receiverships, including Powerscourt Distillery. Waterford Whisky — founded by Mark Reynier on Diageo’s former Waterford brewery site — was one of the first to encounter financial trouble during this downturn. Source: The Times.

(Editor’s Note: This story broke the day after my last newsletter, but I included it because it’s not often we see Tennessee Distilling in the news. They’re a major behind-the-scenes contract distiller with no public-facing brand — if you’ve ever seen “Distilled in Columbia, TN” on a label, it was probably made by them. I think of them as the “MGP of Tennessee,” which is why this move stood out.)

Jack Daniel’s and ASYMCA Launch 15th Year of “Operation Ride Home”

Jack Daniel’s and the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) have launched the 15th year of “Operation Ride Home,” a program that helps junior-enlisted service members and their families travel home for the holidays. Since the program began in 2011, 14,361 people have been able to travel home through ORH. For the 15th anniversary, Jack Daniel’s increased its annual kick-off donation to $150,000 and is encouraging additional support via OperationRideHome.com. To date, more than $3.5 million has been raised to assist active-duty service members (E-5 and below) from all military branches with travel by air or car. Eligibility and participating installations are listed at asymca.org/operation-ride-home. Learn more and donate at: jdoperationridehome.com.

Bourbon and Distillery News For November 21, 2025

Upcoming Bourbon (and other whiskey) Events 🥃

Kroger Ultimate Bourbon Auction to End Hunger

Kroger’s annual bourbon auction to help end hunger in the Kentuckiana area is now live! Proceeds go to benefit Dare to Care Food Bank. The online auction runs from 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12 through 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23 (EST), so you still have time to enter. There are a wide range of auction items, as well as raffles. Support a worthwhile cause and have a chance to win some whiskey! ultimatebourbonauction.com

Buffalo Trace’s 27th annual Holidays at the Trace Celebration

Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky will host its 27th annual “Holidays at the Trace” celebration from Dec 4 through Dec 31. During this time, visitors can shop during extended hours as well as online, enjoy the Holidays at the Trace: Drive-Through Light Show from the comfort of their car, nightly from 5:30pm-8:30pm, or attend the ticketed Spirited Nights*.

Spirited Nights offers two experiences, both requiring tickets, which have already sold out*. First is the complimentary Light Trail Experience, which is family friendly and allows guests to explore Buffalo Trace Distillery after hours, strolling through their holiday lights and decorations, and be able to enjoy seasonal food & beverages offerings (I believe there is a fee for most of those). Complimentary tastings of Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream will be available. Cocktails & Cheer is an upgraded experience, where guests will also receive three winter cocktails featuring Buffalo Trace brands, along with take-home gifts including a Spirited Nights tote bag, a Buffalo Trace souvenir cup and Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream minis, all for $25 per person. Reservations are required.
https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/events/upcoming.html.

*Tickets went on sale on Tuesday November 18, and already appear to be sold out. However, you can always check back and see if there are cancellations.

Kentucky Bourbon Country Auction & Celebration Announces Inaugural 2026 Event

The Kentucky Bourbon Country Auction & Celebration (KBCA) will debut February 13–15, 2026, in Louisville, launching a new three-day event aligned with President’s Day Weekend and America’s 250th anniversary. The KBCA will feature tastings, culinary events, distillery tours, and a live auction benefiting the Bob Woodruff Foundation, with participating distilleries including Brown-Forman, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, and J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery. Ticket sales begin November 20, 2025, with individual events starting at $150 and weekend passes at $1,550. More details can be found and tickets can be purchased at kybca.com.

Many distilleries are hosting holiday experiences in December. Check your favorite distillery’s website to learn about their events.

If you are involved with any upcoming festivals or events, please contact me and if I feel they are of interest to my readers, I would be happy to include them here.

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Bourbon and Distillery News For November 21, 2025

Well, that’s it! I hope you have enjoyed reading this week’s Bourbon and Distillery News! If you would like our newsletters delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up here. Our next New Bourbon Releases News may be published on Friday November 28, but will more likely be the following Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. In addition, the podcast and YouTube versions of this newsletter will go live on Monday November 24. If you enjoy our content, I would greatly appreciate if you would follow us on Instagram and Facebook. I hope you have a great weekend! See you next time! Cheers!🥃

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!