Monday's American Whiskey Industry Brief leads with the BTAC 2026 lottery now open in Virginia and Ohio — free entry, George T. Stagg at $129 MSRP, secondary floor above $1,100, Virginia portal open through June 27, Ohio opens June 10. First Sip Concept 44 covers BTAC Explained: the five expressions, their pricing, and the production architecture behind the Collection. Hunt Spotlight: BTAC 2026 Lottery, WORTH THE CHASE. Also in this edition: Larceny Barrel Proof A926 at a series-record 126.8 proof, actively shipping now. Full report at patreon.com/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast.

Franklin sets the table for the week ahead on this Sunday look-ahead edition of The Cut Weekend. The Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph window closes June 15 — seventeen years old, 116.4 proof, around eleven thousand bottles nationally at $199.99 — so a retailer call this week is worth making. The bigger story is the 2026 Pappy Van Winkle lottery calendar coming into view: Ohio's OHLQ opens July 22, Virginia ABC on July 28, with Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Mississippi following in the weeks after. Franklin explains how state lotteries work, why they're worth entering, and which dates to put somewhere you'll actually see them.

The week opened quietly — Beam Suntory's Clermont campus restarted after fourteen weeks dark, a decision whose consequences won't land on shelves until 2035. Then it accelerated: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C926 at 130.4 proof and Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2026 both closed pre-allocation lists Thursday at midnight, Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch arrived at a series-high 108.2 proof, and Larceny Barrel Proof A926 set a series record at 126.8. Franklin closes with a deep look at the Four Roses recipe system — two mash bills, five yeast strains, ten distinct bourbons — and what the 108.2 proof tells you before July's recipe reveal even arrives.

Friday's American Whiskey Industry Brief leads with the Father's Day proof-versus-age debate: Larceny Barrel Proof A926 confirmed at a series-record 126.8 proof at $69.99 MSRP with a June 7–10 ship window, against Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph 2026 at 116.4 proof and $199.99 MSRP with 10 days left. First Sip covers proof and ABV — what the number means and what water does to a barrel-strength pour. Hunt Spotlight: Larceny Barrel Proof A926, WORTH THE CHASE. Secondary Spotlight: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2025 at 58.3% floor erosion. Full report at patreon.com/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast.

Thursday's American Whiskey Industry Brief leads with two simultaneous pre-allocation deadlines closing at midnight — Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2026 at $79.99, 100 proof, wheated BiB from Bernheim with Father's Day delivery confirmed; and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C926 at $79.99, 130.4 proof, the highest-proof C-batch in series history. First Sip covers the three access paths — pre-order, lottery, and walk-in — and when each one applies. Hunt Spotlight: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C926, WORTH THE CHASE. Secondary Spotlight: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2024 at 40.4% floor erosion. Full report at patreon.com/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast.

Wednesday's American Whiskey Industry Brief leads with Four Roses' 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch — TTB-confirmed at 108.2 proof before Master Distiller Brent Elliott publishes the recipe in July, with pre-allocation windows open at specialty accounts now. First Sip covers the Four Roses recipe system — two mash bills, five proprietary yeast strains, ten possible combinations, and why the proof confirmation is already telling you the barrel cohort is strong. Hunt Spotlight: Parker's Heritage Collection 2026 Bottled-in-Bond, WORTH THE CHASE, ships Saturday at $99.99. Full report at patreon.com/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast.

Tuesday's American Whiskey Industry Brief leads with Heaven Hill's Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C926 — TTB-confirmed at 130.4 proof and 14.2 years average age, the highest-proof C-designated batch in the expression's history — shipping June 8 with pre-allocation closing Thursday at $79.99. First Sip covers what barrel proof actually means and the water technique that makes 130.4 readable in the glass. Hunt Spotlight: Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2026 at $149.99, WORTH THE CHASE, reserve window open through mid-June. Full report at patreon.com/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast.

Monday's Cut: Beam Suntory's Clermont distillery — the world's largest bourbon production campus — restarted full operations this morning after a 14-week production pause. Every barrel going in today becomes Knob Creek in 2035. First Sip: bourbon shortage cycles and how to read production pauses before they reach your shelf. Hunt Spotlight: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2026, WORTH THE CHASE, pre-allocation closes June 4 at $79.99. Secondary Spotlight: George T. Stagg 2025 at 56.4% floor erosion. Full American Whiskey Industry Brief at patreon.com/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast.

Friday's Cut: Heaven Hill ran two wheated Bottled-in-Bond pre-allocation windows in the same week — Parker's Heritage 2026 BiB closed last night at $99.99 for a 10-year expression, and Old Fitzgerald BiB Fall 2026 is still open through June 4 at $79.99 for an 11-year expression from the same Bardstown distillery. First Sip covers wheated vs. high-rye vs. traditional mash bills and how to taste the difference. Cut Spotlight: Old Fitzgerald BiB Fall 2026, $79.99, worth the chase. Secondary Spotlight: Blanton's Gold Label at 71.2% floor erosion. Full American Whiskey Industry Brief at patreon.com/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast.

Thursday's Cut: Ohio's BTAC 2026 lottery closes tonight and Pennsylvania's closes tomorrow — free entry, no purchase required, for a bottle realizing 8 to 10 times retail at auction. First Sip: the full BTAC breakdown — all five expressions, what they're worth, and which ones to chase. Cut Spotlight: Parker's Heritage 2026 Bottled-in-Bond, 10-year BiB, $99.99, pre-allocation also closes tonight. Bar Talk: Parker's Heritage BiB versus Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C926 — same distillery, opposite bottles, one closes tonight. Full American Whiskey Industry Brief at patreon.com/ChasingTheUnicornPodcast.