News Notes: Four Roses Sale Is Done, Crater Lake Is Sold, Rarities From Dallas Dhu & More

Storied bourbon brand Four Roses is now owned by Gallo, while Oregon’s distilling scene saw some consolidation this week with the sale of Bend-based Crater Lake to Hood River Distillery, maker of McCarthy's whiskey. In Scotland, shuttered distillery Dallas Dhu will be showcasing some of its oldest scotch whiskies during the Spirit of Speyside festival at the end of the month. Meanwhile, travel from the mainland to Islay has become easier thanks to the addition of a new ferry.

E. & J. Gallo Finalizes Purchase of Four Roses

After announcing a deal to acquire Four Roses back in February, Gallo has finalized its agreement with distillery owner Kirin Holdings. The existing Four Roses team, including master distiller Brent Elliott, will remain in place. Kirin put Four Roses up for sale in October 2025; while the company was aiming to raise $1 billion, the deal ultimately closed at $775 million.—Julia Higgins

Hood River Acquires Crater Lake

Hood River Distillers, owner of Clear Creek Distillery, producer of McCarthy’s American single malt, and other brands, has acquired Oregon-based Crater Lake Spirits for an undisclosed sum. Its portfolio, which will continue to be produced at its Bendistillery outpost in the city of Bend, includes the flagship Crater Lake label (vodka, rye, bourbon, gin, and rock & rye) and Black Butte American single malt.—Danny Brandon

Dallas Dhu To Showcase “Drams From the Archives”

The Spirit of Speyside festival returns in late April with hundreds of scotch whisky events, including a special date at Dallas Dhu Distillery. Drams from the Archives, which won the Best New Event at the 2025 festival, will be back for one day only on May 2^nd. The 90-minute experience costs around $240 a ticket and offers a tour of all areas of the shuttered distillery, which closed in 1983. Guests will learn about the plans by Aceo Limited, owner of independent bottler Murray McDavid, to reopen the distillery. Five historic Dallas Dhu whiskies distilled during the 1970s and 1980s will be tasted to finish the experience during a tutored masterclass hosted by Murray McDavid’s head of whisky creations Dean Jode in the old distillery maltings.—Jonny McCormick

Getting to Islay Just Got Easier as New Ferry Sets Sail

MV Isle of Islay, a new ferry linking Islay and Jura to the mainland, completed its inaugural passenger sailing on March 31. The CalMac ferry can carry up to 450 passengers and 100 cars, boosting the route’s capacity by around 40%. That should make it easier for whisky lovers to tour Islay’s distilleries and fill the trunk with exclusive bottlings. The new ferry’s launch is part of a wider fleet modernization announced in 2018, with three sister ships due between 2026 and 2027. With Fèis Ìle set to boost visitor numbers to Islay and Jura in May, the state-owned ferry service has been under pressure due to a large number of vessels out of commission with technical problems and for scheduled annual maintenance.—Jonny McCormick

Defiant Whisky Named Sponsor of Arch Racing

North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Distilling Co. has partnered with Arch Racing—a Keanu Reeves-owned motorcycle company—and V10 Entertainment, with its Defiant Whisky becoming an Arch Racing sponsor for the 2026 MotoAmerica Super Hooligan season. At each of the season’s races, Defiant will be served at a VIP team suite, and its branding will appear on Arch's team, bikes, semi-truck, and all promotional material. The brand will also feature in a forthcoming television series, The Arch Racing Project.—Julia Higgins

Jeptha Creed Expands Visitor Experiences

In early February, we reported that Shelbyville, Kentucky-based Jeptha Creed saw a 28% increase in tourism at the distillery last year. Now the distillery is taking advantage of that increased interest by expanding its visitor experiences. The program now includes an enhanced guided bourbon tasting ($5) and a full immersive Distillery Tour & Tasting program ($15) that walks visitors through Jeptha’s grain-to-glass approach to making whiskey. There’s also a barrel thieving package ($45) that explores master distiller Joyce Nethery’s approach to picking single barrels.—Danny Brandon

Warbringer Bourbon Heads to Colorado and Texas

California’s Sespe Creek Distillery has signed a deal with wholesaler Misa Imports to bring its Warbringer mesquite-smoked bourbon to Colorado and Texas. The agreement initially covers the brand’s flagship Original expression, but others like Warmaster, Cowboy, and Bullet are expected to follow in the coming months.—Danny Brandon

Broadstreet Infamous Inks Partnership with Gas South Arena

The Georgia-based Broadstreet Infamous bourbon label has been named the official bourbon of the Gas South Arena in Duluth, which hosts sporting events, comedy specials, concerts, and other live events. As part of the deal, Broadstreet Infamous bourbons will be available throughout the arena’s various bars, both as neat pours and in cocktails. This builds on an existing partnership between Broadstreet Infamous and the Atlanta Gladiators minor-league hockey team, who call the Gas South Arena home.—Danny Brandon

New Spirits Releases

Denizen Rum has launched The Wander Series, a line that focuses on cask finishing. The inaugural release explores port casks, featuring a blend of pot and column-distilled Jamaican rums aged for 8 years in bourbon and other whiskey barrels, then finished for 3 months in port casks. It’s available in California at a suggested retail price of $78, with distribution to Georgia expected to follow next month.