Bourbon and Distillery News for October 10, 2025

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

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

• Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Discovery Series 13 takes the art of blending to a new level with its first-ever double-barreled release. Finished in both American and Hungarian oak, this richly layered bourbon delivers mature notes well beyond its age. Read our full review
• The new Whiskey Row Bourbons, now owned by Avalon Spirits and crafted at Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, Kentucky, feature a refreshed lineup that includes Small Batch Triple Wood, Bottled-in-Bond and Cask Strength expressions. Each highlights a different aspect of traditional Kentucky bourbon craftsmanship, blending pot-still character with classic flavor profiles. Read our reviews of all three bourbons.

Bourbon and Distillery News For October 10, 2025

Now, let’s dive into the news!

Bourbon and Distillery News

Jack Daniel’s and McLaren Formula 1 Team Extend Global Partnership

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and the McLaren Formula 1 Team have announced a multi-year extension of their global partnership, continuing a collaboration that began in 2022. The partnership will expand co-branded initiatives, including limited-edition Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey bottles and immersive Jack’s Garage activations in select international markets. Since its inception, the partnership has delivered special whiskey releases and fan events across Australia, Great Britain, and the United States, celebrating milestones such as McLaren’s 2024 Constructors’ Championship title. The 2025 limited-edition bottle honoring the partnership launched earlier this year in select U.S. markets and F1 race cities worldwide. jackdaniels.com

The Crown Royal Rig Returns for the NFL Season with Taylor Rooks

Crown Royal is back for its fifth year as the Official Whisky Partner of the NFL, hitting the road with the iconic Crown Royal Rig — a massive 18-wheeler featuring two XXL Double Wood casks and the all-new Royal Seat. This year, Emmy-nominated sports journalist Taylor Rooks joins as the brand’s “Passenger Princess,” surprising fans at NFL games in 10 cities with premium seat upgrades and special giveaways. Fans can also participate in the Purple Bag Project, packing wellness essentials for active military members through the brand’s partnership with Packages from Home. Those unable to attend can follow along online, track Purple Bags packed nationwide, and find game day cocktail recipes at crownroyal.com/royalrig.

Bourbon and Distillery News For October 10, 2025

Buffalo Trace Distillery Fills Its 9 Millionth Barrel Since Prohibition

Buffalo Trace Distillery has announced the filling of its nine millionth barrel of bourbon since Prohibition — a milestone achieved faster than ever before, thanks to the recent completion of the Distillery’s $1.2 billion expansion project. The decade-long expansion, completed earlier this year, increased production capacity by 150% with new stills, fermentation tanks, warehouses, and other major upgrades. “The filling of our nine millionth barrel represents a historic chapter in the Distillery’s story, which began more than two centuries ago and is still being written today,” said Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Master Distiller. “Every barrel filled ensures that generations to come will be able to enjoy the same quality and craftsmanship that has defined the Distillery since the 1850s.”

Since official barrel counting began in 1933, Buffalo Trace has marked multiple millionth-barrel milestones — the first in 1942 and the most recent prior in 2022. The nine millionth barrel was signed by team members and placed inside Warehouse V, the world’s only single-barrel warehouse, where it will remain until the ten millionth barrel is filled. Visitors can view the barrel during regular distillery hours. For more information, visit buffalotracedistillery.com.

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Jack Daniel’s Ends Long-Running Cow Feeder Program in Moore County

Jack Daniel’s is ending its decades-long Cow Feeder Program, which provided local cattle farmers with the distillery’s corn byproduct—known as “slop”—at little to no cost. The program, which helped support livestock operations across Moore County, Tennessee, will officially end on March 31, 2026. The change comes as the company partners with Michigan-based 3 Rivers Energy Partners to convert its distilling byproducts into renewable fuel and fertilizer. While the shift supports Jack Daniel’s environmental goals, it has left local farmers facing steep feed cost increases and uncertain futures. Some plan to reduce herd sizes or switch to commercial feed as they adapt to the loss of a critical local resource. Source: Tennessee Lookout.

Coppercraft Tasting Room Reopens as CraftCo Distillery and Social House

CraftCo has announced the reopening of its Holland, Michigan tasting room as the newly reimagined CraftCo Distillery and Social House. Formerly known as the Coppercraft Distillery Tasting Room, the refreshed venue brings together CraftCo’s full portfolio of award-winning premium spirits — Coppercraft, Flying Ace, Fox & Oden, Thatcher’s Organic Artisan Spirits, and Jos. A. Magnus & Co. — under one roof. The new space offers hand-crafted cocktails, curated food pairings, seasonal events, exclusive onsite-only releases, private barrel selections, and guided distillery tours. Ali Anderson, CEO of CraftCo, noted that the reopening “represents our roots in Holland and offers our guests a place to truly connect.” The CraftCo Distillery and Social House officially opened to the public on October 1, 2025. craftcobrands.com.

Chicken Cock Whiskey to Open New Tasting Room in Louisville’s NuLu District

Chicken Cock Whiskey, one of America’s oldest whiskey brands, is expanding to Louisville with the opening of a new tasting room in the city’s NuLu neighborhood. The new location marks the second of the brand’s Circa 1856 tasting rooms, following the original in Bardstown, Kentucky, which opened in 2024 and is now part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Set to open this fall, the space will feature curated flights, guided tastings, craft cocktails, and limited-edition releases in a stylish, heritage-inspired environment. Read the full press release here.

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Ryan Norwood Named Master Distiller at Sagamore Spirit

Sagamore Spirit has announced the promotion of Ryan Norwood to Master Distiller after nearly a decade with the award-winning Maryland rye distillery. Norwood, who joined the company in 2016 and played a key role in defining Sagamore’s signature flavor profile, most recently has served as Vice President of Operations. In his new role, he will oversee innovation and production, continuing to shape the character of Sagamore’s rye whiskey while honoring its Maryland heritage. Norwood has contributed to major releases including 10-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey, High Rye Bourbon, and Baltimore Ravens Festivus Maximus Small Batch Rye. sagamorespirit.com

Pursuit Spirits Expands to the UK and EU

Pursuit Spirits, founded by the creators of the Bourbon Pursuit podcast, has announced its first international expansion through a partnership with European distributor N10 Bourbons. The brand’s award-winning Pursuit United Bourbons and Ryes are now available in the United Kingdom and European Union. The launch includes Pursuit United Bourbon and Rye (88 proof), Pursuit United Double Oaked Bourbon and Rye (108 proof), and limited allocations of Pursuit United Barrel Proof Bourbon and Rye. The initial rollout will be available via thewhiskyexchange.com (UK), colibrispirits.com, and deinwhisky.de (EU markets). pursuitspirits.com

Kentucky Distillers Face Record Barrel Inventory and Soaring Taxes

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) has announced that the Commonwealth now holds a record 16.1 million barrels of aging Bourbon — the highest in history and part of a total 17.1 million barrels of aging spirits across the state. However, this milestone comes as distillers face a record $75 million in aging barrel taxes, marking a 27% increase from 2024 and a staggering 163% rise in the past five years. Kentucky remains the only place in the world that taxes barrels while they age.

KDA President Eric Gregory described the record as a “mixed blessing.” While the state boasts 127 licensed distilleries operated by 103 companies — creating jobs and attracting nearly three million visitors annually through the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® — rising taxes, global trade uncertainty, and shifting consumer trends are posing significant challenges for the industry.

Relief is expected through the 20-year phase-out of the barrel tax enacted by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2023, with the first 4% reduction beginning next year. Gregory emphasized the need for continued cooperation with policymakers and the importance of tariff-free international trade to sustain global growth. “Every one of our 17.1 million barrels represents a Kentucky Bourbon promise to our farmers, our workforce, our communities, and Bourbon lovers worldwide,” Gregory said. “We will innovate, problem-solve, adapt, and come out stronger than ever.” kybourbon.com

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Bourbon and Distillery News For October 10, 2025

Barrel Global Named Official Spirits Partner of Peaky Blinders

Barrel Global, a U.S.-based barrel ownership platform, has been named an Official Spirits Partner of Peaky Blinders through a licensing agreement with Banijay Rights. Under the partnership, Barrel Global will produce and distribute a line of Peaky Blinders–branded spirits, beginning with a rollout in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in early 2026.

(Editor’s note: No details about the forthcoming spirits themselves are provided. In addition, there have been Peaky Blinders spirits in the past, going back to this news story from 2017, as well as a more recent Bushmills collaboration, so it is unclear if this spirit line is an extension of the prior one, or something entirely new. For those not familiar with Peaky Blinders, it refers to both the popular British historical crime drama television series and the loosely based real-life gang it depicts in the aftermath of World War I, according to Google.) Read the press release here.

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Bankruptcy Judge Rejects Bourbon-Backed Debt Plan for Kentucky Owl / Stoli

A federal bankruptcy judge in Texas has rejected the plan by Stoli Group and Kentucky Owl to pay off $78 million in debt using 35,000 barrels of bourbon, calling the current whiskey market “dismal” and warning of a “race to the bottom” in pricing. Judge Scott Everett said he had too many doubts about the barrels’ collateral value. Fifth Third Bank, the lender, objected to the plan, citing depressed barrel valuations. A status hearing was set for Wednesday, and the judge has encouraged the parties to propose alternative solutions. Earlier, majority stakeholder Yuri Schefler asked the court to approve the plan, attributing financial distress to a ransomware hack as well as injustices blamed on Russian President Putin, while criticizing Fifth Third for liquidity constraints. Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (Editor’s note: A nice review of the details of the ransomware attack on Stoli’s servers and issues with the Russian government can be found here.)

This last news story belongs both in this newsletter as news, and in my New Bourbon Releases Newsletter as new releases, so you’ll probably see it again:

Buffalo Trace Announces 2025 BTAC Lineup and Adds E.H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond

Buffalo Trace Distillery has unveiled its 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) celebrating its 25th release, and introduces E.H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond as a new permanent addition alongside its five legacy expressions. All bottles carry an SRP of $149.99. The 2025 expressions include:

• E.H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon — aged 15 years, 4 months; bottled at 100 proof
• Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon — aged 18 years, 4 months; bottled at 101 proof
• George T. Stagg Bourbon — aged more than 15 years, 4 months; bottled at 142.8 proof
• Sazerac 18-Year-Old Rye Whiskey — aged 18 years, 5 months; bottled at 90 proof
• Thomas H. Handy Rye Whiskey — aged over 6 years; bottled at 129.8 proof
• William Larue Weller Bourbon — aged 14+ years; bottled at 129 proof

This marks the first new addition to BTAC in nearly two decades, and the first time E.H. Taylor has been permanently included. Read the full press release here.

Upcoming Bourbon (and other whiskey) Events 🥃

All events take place between now and early November in Kentucky or nearby. If you have any upcoming festivals to add to the list, please contact me.

• America’s River Roots Festival – “Bourbon Experience” – Cincy/NKY area (Cincinnati/Covington/Newport) – Oct 8–12, 2025 – More Info
• Nashville Whiskey Festival & Battle of the Spirits – Nashville, TN – October 9–12, 2025 – More Info
• Ohio Craft Whiskey Festival – Henmick Brewery & Farm – Delaware, OH – October 25, 2025 – Details Coming Soon
• Bourbon & Bubbles – Dayton, OH – Nov 7, 2025 – More Info
  

Bourbon and Distillery News For October 10, 2025

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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 will be published on Friday October 17, and the podcast and YouTube versions of this newsletter will go live on Monday October 13. 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!