Bourbon News June 28 – July 3,2026

A busy week for bourbon watchers — a major distillery changed hands, Buffalo Trace dug

into Prohibition history, and the industry handed out its mid-year hardware. Here’s

everything worth knowing.

Big Move: Sazerac Buys Garrard County Distilling

The week’s biggest headline belongs to Sazerac, which closed a $20 million deal on June

29 to acquire the former Garrard County Distilling property in Lancaster, Kentucky. The

purchase — made through Sazerac affiliate Tom Collins Distilling — came via a court-

ordered auction, with Tom Collins as the sole bidder for a property once appraised north of

$27.9 million.

Some backstory: Garrard County Distilling opened its $250 million, 210-acre facility in

January 2024, developed by Atlanta-based Staghorn and billed at the time as the largest

independently owned bourbon distillery in Kentucky. Production stopped in April 2025 after

Truist Bank sued to recover roughly $26 million in unpaid loans, taxes, and liens, pushing

the company into receivership.

Sazerac hasn’t announced production plans for the site yet, but the acquisition extends the

company’s Kentucky footprint well beyond its flagship Buffalo Trace operation. Local

officials in Lancaster welcomed the news, with the mayor telling LEX 18 he’s confident the

facility will get back up and running under new ownership.

Why it matters: This is another data point in the industry’s ongoing shakeout — a big

independent build that couldn’t survive the current oversupply cycle, absorbed by one of

the majors. Expect more consolidation stories like this through the back half of 2026.

Distillery News: Buffalo Trace’s 2026 Prohibition Collection #3

Announced June 30, the third installment of Buffalo Trace’s Prohibition Collection honors

five historic “medicinal whiskey” brands that were legally sold during Prohibition under

permit holder Albert B. Blanton. The set includes:Henry Watterson Rye — 140.6 proof

Kentucky River (blend) — 100 proof

John G. Carlisle (bourbon) — 100 proof

Walter B. Duffy (10–14 year blend) — 107 proof

Cove Spring (wheated bourbon) — 120.2 proof

The five-bottle set (375ml each) carries a suggested retail price of $999.99 and begins

shipping to select markets this month. As with past Prohibition Collection releases, expect

this one to be tightly allocated — the storytelling angle (legal whiskey during a dry decade)

has made the series a favorite with collectors.

New Releases & What’s Coming Up

Several new bottles and announcements landed this week:

Four Roses Experimental Series No. 001 — Four Roses launched a brand-new limited-

edition line built around single-variable experiments, starting with a six-year-old OBSK

bourbon finished in rare Japanese Mizunara oak. Bottled at 104 proof in 375ml bottles

($55 SRP), it arrives at the Four Roses Visitor Center in Lawrenceburg starting July 30.

Bulleit 20-Year-Old Rye — Bulleit’s oldest rye release to date, bottled cask strength

and limited to just 1,776 bottles — a nod to America’s 250th anniversary.

Lost Lantern “United States of Bourbon” — officially launched June 27, this is the

first-ever blend combining straight bourbon from all 50 states. It comes in three

expressions: 100 Proof ($79.99), Cask Strength ($99.99), and a limited 1776 Edition

($199.99) blending barrels from the original 13 colonies to mark the country’s 250th

birthday. Every contributing distillery is listed on the label.

Green River Distillery Select: Toasted Double Oak Bourbon — the inaugural release in

Green River’s new Distillery Select series and the oldest bourbon the distillery has put

out to date, finished six months in a toasted new American oak barrel and bottled at

115.1 proof.

Looking ahead: Four Roses also confirmed its “Anthology Chapter One: Origin” — a 21-

year-old bourbon and the brand’s oldest release ever — will be available at the Visitor

Center on July 10, followed by the Whiskey Row event July 11. Limited to roughly 1,200

bottles at $500 each.

Around the Industry: Awards & Notable Developments

2026 ASCOT Awards — On June 30, the American Spirits Classic Overall Tasting

competition narrowed its 291 medal winners down to 17 best-in-category finalists.

George T. Stagg 2025 (142.8 proof) took Best Extra-Aged Bourbon outright, while

Kentucky Peerless Henry Kraver 10-Year won Best Craft Bourbon.

Scotch tariffs set to climb — The Scotch Whisky Association is warning that U.S. tariffs

on Scotch could jump to 35% starting this month, as a five-year suspension tied to the

Boeing-Airbus dispute winds down. It’s a reminder that trade policy keeps shaping the

competitive landscape for bourbon on American back bars, even when the headlines are

about Scotch.

That’s the week. As always — check with your local shop for actual availability, since

distillery “release” dates and shelf dates rarely line up.