Carbon & Oak

Four Roses uncorked the oldest bourbon in its history this week — a 21-year-old at $500 a bottle — while Brown-Forman went hunting for a new CEO. The numbers still say the top shelf is the only shelf growing, and down at the pit, beef keeps climbing as a new Food Network showdown lights the burners.

Uncle Nearest finally finds a buyer, Sazerac sweeps the International Whisky Competition, new distilleries open their doors, and the James Beard Awards crown a new class of restaurants. Plus: BBQ festivals and bourbon events on the calendar this weekend.

A busy week for bourbon watchers — Sazerac closed a $20 million deal to acquire the former Garrard County Distilling property in Kentucky, Buffalo Trace dug into Prohibition-era history, and the industry handed out its mid-year awards. Here's everything worth knowing.