This week in bourbon, every story traced back to the same question — whose name is on the list, and which door do you walk through? Franklin walks through five days of allocation windows, age-statement releases, and secondary floors that tell you exactly where genuine scarcity lives. Wild Turkey made history this week with both Master's Keep Landmark and Triumph open for pre-allocation at the same time — and a few doors are still open heading into the weekend.

riday's American Whiskey Industry Brief leads with Wild Turkey's Master's Keep 2026 lineup — both Landmark at 14 years and Triumph at 17 years in pre-allocation at the same time, a first for the series. First Sip covers the Angel's Share: the production math behind why three additional Kentucky barrel seasons cost what they do before the distillery ever sets a price. Also in today's edition: the Michter's Fort Nelson walk-up closes tomorrow at 801 West Main in Louisville, both US★1 expressions at $59.99 with no lottery required; and William Larue Weller 2025 with 63.5% floor erosion from its $2,850 peak.

Today's full written brief (free): https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/podcast/2026-06-26-the-cut-daily/

The American Whiskey Industry Brief on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChasingTheUnicornPodcas

Thursday's American Whiskey Industry Brief leads with a hard midnight deadline: Elijah Craig 18-Year Straight Bourbon 2026 pre-allocation closes tonight at midnight Central — $89.99, 18-year age statement, 90 points on the prior Whisky Advocate vintage, no extension in recent release history. Today's edition also covers the age statement versus NAS distinction, the Michter's Fort Nelson walk-up through June 28, the 86-proof debate running on r/bourbon, and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A926's 14.3% secondary floor erosion from its $98 peak to $84 realized.

Today's full written brief (free): https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/podcast/2026-06-25-the-cut-daily/

The American Whiskey Industry Brief on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast

Wednesday's American Whiskey Industry Brief opens on Weller Antique 107 Batch 2026-02: TTB-confirmed at 107 proof, with a secondary floor holding $65 to $85 against a $49.99 MSRP while W.L. Weller Special Reserve has returned to near-retail at the same distillery. The divergence follows per-account allocation, not brand name alone — and two consecutive same-year batches are now in distribution overlap at MSRP. Cut Spotlight is Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph 2026 at $199.99, pre-allocation open through mid-July. Secondary Spotlight is Parker's Heritage Collection 2025 Cognac Cask Finish — 32.9% floor erosion from its $295 peak to $198 realized.

Today's full written brief (free): https://chasingtheunicornpodcast.com/podcast/2026-06-24-the-cut-daily/

The American Whiskey Industry Brief on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast

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 on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast

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 on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast

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 on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast

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 on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast