4 New Bourbons and 1 Rye Worth Hunting This Month
The fall whiskey rush has begun, bringing rare barrels, experimental finishes, and some very old bourbon along with it
September 17, 2026 –––––– Sean Evans
September is a great month to be a bourbon fan. National Bourbon Heritage Month signifies the commencement of fall’s allocation run, a stretch through the holidays when distilleries ship their scarcest annual releases and retailers start calling their waitlists. The Kentucky Bourbon Festival, held mid-month in Bardstown, the bourbon capital of the world, doubles as a launch pad for a slew of expressions, with distillers pouring new whiskeys for the crowds before they reach distillery gift shops and liquor stores.
Labels revived from company archives, century-old family brands, and anniversary blends from Kentucky's biggest distilleries all arrive within weeks of each other, leaving drinkers with more worthwhile bottles than shelf space. These five are worth the chase.
Bluegrass Distillers Elkwood Reserve 19 year old bourbon, 64.5%, $450
It’s a steep price, but this 19 year old Kentucky straight bourbon is well worth it. It’s one of three single barrels Bluegrass Distillers has been hanging onto since it acquired a parcel of 30 Barton 18-year barrels. “We thought these could handle another year of age,” says Ben Franzini, Bluegrass Distiller’s co-founder. He was correct. This particular barrel, at 64.5%, is a fresh Dr Pepper bomb, fizzy and heavy on the cherry syrup, with plenty of grip but nowhere near over-oaked. Released as part of a trio of barrels at Kentucky Bourbon Fest, and with a little less than 100 bottles per barrel, this is one to hunt. Will there be a 20-year next year? “Who can say?” Franzini smiles.
Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon, 54.9%, $70
Despite the 7-year age statement on this cask strength release, it’s almost entirely 8 and 9 year old liquid, says Brett Connors, Castle & Key’s head blender. “It’s the best wheated we’ve done so far. It’s silky, sexy, and easy drinking.” The mouthfeel is hefty, and there’s a nice punch of aged oak upfront, followed by stone fruit, golden raisins, dates, peach, and apricot. There’s plenty of grip without being too biting, and a longer finish than a typical 7 year old whiskey has. “I opt for a really good toast density on our casks, which helps pull more developmental sugars from the wood,” says Connors. With lower entry proof—this liquid is 53.5% at the time of filling—the extra sugars help sweeten the final product. Pour it over ice, and you may mistake it for an Old Fashioned.
Dark Arts 19 year old Mizunara Finished bourbon, 57.5%, $500
Lexington-based non-distiller producer Dark Arts has been on a heater streak. Last year’s release of 16 year old BuffTurkey was a sought-after banger. This September, Dark Arts dropped a series of offerings, including a $200 21 year old MGP-made light whiskey finished in custom French oak called Supernova at 71.35 proof (it drinks far sweeter and creamier than the hazmat proof would indicate) and another hazmat 11.5 year old bourbon named Flight of the Icarus. But the buzz is louder for its Cuvée 19-year Kentucky straight bourbon finished for 7 years(!) in Japanese mizunara oak casks. “We put the blend together in a way where there wasn’t too much tannic structure,” says Dark Arts owner and chief alchemist Macaulay Minton. This one-off experimental Jim Beam mashbill (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley) gives light sandalwood, salted caramel, toasted marshmallow, and barrel spice that’s all remarkably balanced.
Pursuit Spirits x Shortbarrel Found Footage, 56.2%, $100
What happens when bourbon aged in maple syrup barrels meets double-oaked rye featuring tobacco staves? Deliciousness. Found Footage marries two barrels of Sasquatch, the maple barrel finished bourbon,from Atlanta-based Shortbarrel, with two rye barrels from Louisville producer Pursuit Spirits, leaving you with a sip that’s a harmonious blend of sweetness and rye. Ryan Cecil, Pursuit co-founder and master blender, calls it a drinkable maple-bacon doughnut. All those notes pop up in the effervescent whiskey, along with some grape Nerds candy notes, and some sweet pepper on the finish. For the release, 660 bottles went to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, with another few hundred going to Seelbach’s. “We release new quarterly products to our P.Club first,” says Kenny Coleman, Pursuit’s other co-founder, so look for similarly tasty barrel mashups there.
Very Olde St. Nick Pirate Booty Rye, 55.4%, $200
Preservation Distillery doesn’t miss, and all of its six releases for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival prove it, but one interesting expression stands out: Pirate Booty Rye. Per Kyle Lloyd, Preservation Distillery’s master of maturation, Pirate Booty is built from some of the oldest rye barrels made at owner Marci Palatella’s farm. “When Preservation started pot distilling rye, we laid a very small number of casks down across a spread of toast and char profiles to see what each one would do,” says Lloyd. “Pirate Booty combines a few of those barrel profiles in a way we haven't put into a Preservation-distilled rye before.” The result is a semi-traditional rye profile—you’ll pick out herbaceous dill notes amid the rye bread nose—with a little more sweetness on the palate, perfectly balancing out the spice.
