Bardstown Bourbon Company launched its new Finishing Series this week, and the first bottle is a real swing: a blend of 10- and 11-year bourbon plus 11-year rye, finished 27 months in pineapple rum casks. Bottled at 106 proof, $139.99, under 350 nine-liter cases, Kentucky-exclusive. Disclosed base-whiskey ages make the long finish more credible than most.

Beam Suntory confirmed its Booker Noe plant is back to full seven-day production after an eight-month partial idle, and its Clermont site is restarting slower, at 60 percent capacity. Same mash bills, same yeast — just more bourbon, starting now. It's a bet that the years-long inventory glut has cleared enough to justify making more, with full output not expected until early 2027.

Franklin walks through the week ahead: a free Ohio lottery for Weller Antique 107 closing tonight, the pre-allocation window for Wild Turkey's Master's Keep Triumph closing Thursday, and the real story of the week — Old Forester Birthday Bourbon arriving at retail early, well before its usual September 2 release date. He traces the bottle's roots as a family birthday tribute and explains why this early window is a rare shot at buying it honestly, at retail.

Saturday's recap ties the week together around one idea: the honest bottle keeps winning. Franklin walks through a Heaven Hill supply squeeze, New Riff's first 8-year Bottled-in-Bond, an August price increase on Elijah Craig and Larceny, and the feature story — a blind tasting at The Sawyer in Louisville where a twenty-seven dollar Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond beat Weller in front of forty voters who walked in rooting for it. He closes with three bottles still pourable this weekend.

A Louisville bar ran a blind tasting of four wheated bourbons — Maker's Mark, Weller Special Reserve, Larceny Barrel Proof, and Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond. Forty drinkers submitted ranked ballots. The $27 Old Fitzgerald BiB won by more than double the next closest bottle, beating Weller, which trades for four times the price on secondary.

Virginia's free E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch lottery closes tonight at 11:59pm — 340 bottles, no purchase required, and better odds than the marquee lotteries everyone actually chases. John also covers a Wilderness Trail founder signing bottles in Danville, and a same-day walk-up, pre-order, and lottery all running at once — the three ways an allocated bottle actually reaches you.

Heaven Hill confirmed a 6-8% wholesale price increase on Elijah Craig and Larceny, effective August 1 — the second hike on these two bottles in fourteen months. Elijah Craig Small Batch is headed toward $32-$33; Larceny toward $29-$30. Today's Chase: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026 is already shipping, weeks ahead of its usual release date.

New Riff cleared TTB approval for its first 8-year Bottled-in-Bond, the Newport, Kentucky distillery's first age statement to rival the legacy houses. It's unallocated, shipping to Kentucky and Ohio shelves by Friday. Also today: Texas clears direct-shipping for craft distilleries, the TTB tightens "non-chill filtered" labeling, and a fresh Weller lottery opens in North Carolina.

Heaven Hill's Bernheim distillery restart has slipped from mid-July to early August after a fermentation-tank supplier delay. Bottling of aged stock continues on schedule, but Heaven Hill has told retailers to expect thinner Bottled-in-Bond allocations on Evan Williams and Elijah Craig through late summer. Also today: Four Roses names its first public Master Distiller successor track in a decade, and Wild Turkey finishes a debt-free capacity expansion six months early.

It's Sunday, and Franklin trades the rearview for the windshield. Michter's Toasted Barrel Finish pre-order and Virginia's George T. Stagg lottery both close Monday, July 20th, so this is the week to act. He also previews E.H. Taylor's August distributor ship date and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, September 10–13.