Chasing the Unicorn: Bourbon & American Whiskey

Tuesday's American Whiskey Industry Brief opens on the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof D926 TTB COLA confirmation — 130.4 proof, same as the C926 that sold through most retailers in 72 hours, with pre-allocation at $69.99 to $79.99 expected to open any day. The Cut Spotlight is Elijah Craig 18-Year 2026: pre-allocation at $89.99, hard close June 25, two days left — Whisky Advocate has scored the expression within one point of Knob Creek 18 across four vintages while Knob Creek runs $49 higher for the same age statement. Secondary Spotlight: Parker's Heritage Collection 2025 Heavy Char at $274 realized, down 29.7% from its $390 peak.

Today's full written brief (free): https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/podcast/2026-06-23-the-cut-daily/

The American Whiskey Industry Brief: https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/the-brief/

Monday's American Whiskey Industry Brief opens on the Knob Creek 2001 Vintage Reserve distributor letter — a 24-year expression at 118.4 proof with single-digit per-account bottle counts, no public lottery, no portal, and a phone call as the only access path. The Cut Spotlight is Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch: Brent Elliott confirmed the late-July recipe reveal at his June 21 Lawrenceburg session, and four vintages of secondary history show the pre-allocation window at $139.99 compresses within 48 hours of that announcement. Secondary Spotlight: Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year at $870 realized — 63.8% floor erosion from its $2,400 peak, crossed below $1,000 for the first time since 2023.

Today's full written brief (free): https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/podcast/2026-06-22-the-cut-daily/

The American Whiskey Industry Brief: https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/the-brief/

Sunday's edition of The Cut Weekend sets up the week ahead — two moves with real deadlines and a few things worth putting on a list so they don't catch you off guard. Franklin covers the Elijah Craig 18-Year pre-allocation closing Thursday at $89.99, the Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph lotteries open across six states through the 25th–28th, and a closer look at Four Roses' unusual 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch process, where the recipe doesn't get named until July 19th in Lawrenceburg. Plus a quick look ahead at Michter's Fort Nelson and the first Maker's Mark FAE-02 reviews expected in late July.

This Saturday recap follows the week's through-line: 18-year bourbons are no longer a single-bottle lottery. Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig 18 lands at $89.99 with a pre-allocation window closing June 25, Knob Creek 18 checks in at $99.99, and King of Kentucky sits above $150 — three bottles, same age, different grain stories. Franklin also walks through the Michter's US★1 10-Year walk-up event at Fort Nelson in Louisville on July 11–13, explains why it's worth the drive, and rounds out the week with a few honest, shelf-available pours for anyone still looking on a Saturday night.

Friday's American Whiskey Industry Brief opens on a community verdict with a retail deadline: r/bourbon ran Wild Turkey 101 versus Elijah Craig Small Batch to 280 upvotes and 94 comments and produced a gift-buying framework specific enough to use at the register on the last viable retail day before Father's Day. The Cut Spotlight is Elijah Craig 18-Year 2026 Pre-Allocation — $89.99 MSRP, 18-year age statement, Whisky Advocate scored the 2025 vintage 92 points, pre-allocation window closes June 25 in six days. Also covered: the Maker's Mark FAE-02's 18% stave-contact claim and the Bardstown Fusion Series #6 secondary floor correction at 21.6% erosion.

Today's full written brief (free): https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/podcast/2026-06-19-the-cut-daily/

The American Whiskey Industry Brief: https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/the-brief/

Thursday's American Whiskey Industry Brief opens on a single clock: the E.H. Taylor Jr. Old Warehouse C Bottled-in-Bond 2026 has a Father's Day ground-ship cutoff before 5 PM ET today. The bottle is $69.99 MSRP with a confirmed BiB credential and pre-Prohibition Warehouse C provenance on the Buffalo Trace campus — baking spice and stone fruit, slower extraction, 89–91-point track record. The Cut Spotlight is Wild Turkey Master's Keep 2026 Triumph: 116.4 proof, 17-year minimum, free lottery entry in six states closing approximately June 25–28.

Today's full written brief (free): https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/podcast/2026-06-18-the-cut-daily/

The American Whiskey Industry Brief: https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/the-brief/

Wednesday's American Whiskey Industry Brief opens with the most time-sensitive MSRP call in the current window: Heaven Hill's Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Spring 2026 Decanter at 100 proof and an 11-year minimum age statement — the most defensible bourbon gift in the $75–$90 tier, with Father's Day ground-shipping deadlines expiring tomorrow. The Cut Spotlight is the Elijah Craig 18-Year 2026 at $89.99, pre-allocation open through June 25. First Sip covers The Mash Bill — the grain-by-grain framework that resolves the 18-year bracket's $10 price gap into a palate question rather than a value question.

Today's full written brief (free): https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/podcast/2026-06-17-the-cut-daily/

The American Whiskey Industry Brief: https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/the-brief/

Tuesday's Cut: Michter's confirmed the Fort Nelson walk-up window for the US★1 10-Year 2026 — July 11, 12, and 13 in Louisville, no lottery, no reservation, $159.99 MSRP against a $350 to $450 secondary floor. First Sip Concept 46 covers the three access mechanisms — pre-order, lottery, and walk-in — and when each one rewards a buyer. Cut Spotlight: Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch, TTB confirmed 108.2 proof, pre-allocation open at $149.99 before the recipe reveals and secondary adjusts. Bar Talk: EC18 at $89.99 and 86 proof versus Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C926 at $79.99 and 130.4 proof. Full American Whiskey Industry Brief at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/the-brief. Written brief at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

Monday's American Whiskey Industry Brief opens with the value reset that reshapes the premium tier: Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig 18-Year Straight Bourbon confirmed at $89.99 — the brand's first 18-year age statement, 6,000 bottles through standard retail, pre-allocation closes June 27. A year older than Eagle Rare 17 at ten dollars less. First Sip Concept 9 covers age statements versus NAS and what the 18-year federal floor actually guarantees. Cut Spotlight is Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph 2026 — today is the final day at primary retail, with pre-sale secondary tracking $280 to $320 on 11,400 bottles at 17 years and 116.4 proof.