KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL® PROGRAM LAUNCHES “BUILD YOUR OWN BOURBON TRAIL®” TRIP BUILDER

Plan, Personalize, and Explore the Bourbon Trail™ Like Never Before

FRANKFORT, KY.— The Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience has launched its first-ever online trip builder to help visitors customize and personalize their ideal Bourbon adventure.

Visitors can now “Build Your Own Bourbon Trail®” itinerary through a streamlined planning experience at kybourbontrail.com. The digital feature is designed to inspire travel to Kentucky communities and help tourists experience all that Bourbon has to offer.

“Millions of people from all over the world are making the pilgrimage to Kentucky each year to immerse themselves in the art, science and craft of America’s only native spirit,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association that founded the KBT® in 1999.

“But as we’ve grown to a record 68 Bourbon Trail™ destinations, we get a lot of questions about where and how to start planning the trip. This interactive tool will make planning fun and easy to manage and share, while highlighting the beautiful countryside of our beloved Commonwealth.”

Gregory said the “Build Your Own Bourbon Trail®” tool feature puts all the planning essentials in one place so visitors can easily find distilleries, tasting rooms and many other partner experiences.

Guests can curate personalized itineraries, save their plans and conveniently share their trip with friends, family and travel companions. “We’ve spent more than a year thinking through every detail, even down to driving times between distillery experiences,” Gregory said.

Watch the video about how to use the new feature online, here.

Bourbon is one of Kentucky’s most treasured signature industries, generating $10.6 billion in economic impact every year, supporting 24,000 workers with $2 billion in salaries and benefits, and pouring more than $370 million into local and state taxes.

There are now KBT® experiences in 35 of the Commonwealth’s 120 counties, from rural, historic and craft distilleries to modern tasting rooms in Kentucky’s urban core, with Official Gateway partners in Louisville, Lexington, Bardstown, and Northern Kentucky.

Dee Ford, longtime Chair of the KBT® Advisory Group, said the new “Build Your Own Bourbon Trail®” tool offers more than just convenience – it’s a way to find exciting experiences that might not have been on a visitor’s radar.

“After visitors determine which part of Kentucky will be their home base, they’ll now be able to find and explore the many experiences just around the corner,” said Ford, who is Angel’s Envy Brand Home General Manager and a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame®.

“Our new trip builder tool takes into account what’s important for our visitors, including the excitement of discovering that next hidden gem,” she said.

“That’s something that makes the Bourbon Trail™ special. There is so much to see and taste, and always something new. We encourage visitors to slow down and unplug, savor the experience, and come back thirsty for more.”

Across the globe, those curious about what Kentucky Bourbon has to offer can start building their Bourbon Trail™ experience today at kybourbontrail.com.

The feature was developed in collaboration with the KDA’s partner agency Lewis, which has won multiple top-tier awards for its rebranding and marketing of the Bourbon Trail™ tour to appeal to new and returning visitors.

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) is the Worldwide Voice of Bourbon®.

About the Kentucky Distillers’ Association: 

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the Worldwide Voice of Bourbon®. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s timeless craft. Kentucky Bourbon is a $10.6 billion economic engine generating nearly 24,000 jobs. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com.

Single Barrel, Cask Strength, No Compromise
K&L Exclusive Aged Canadian Whisky Duo from Found North
“Allow me to be the first to tell you that this brand is probably the most exciting new bottler in years.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

These selections are labeled as 12-year bottlings since the base component (50%) comes from 12-year-old stock, but over 30% of the blend is made up of whiskies aged more than 20 years. The result is an under-the-radar gem that wildly overdelivers—offering far more than its age statement or price tag would ever suggest.

The unreal run that Found North has achieved over the last several years is truly unprecedented. The two brothers behind the brand understand whisky—and the whisky business—like few founders in the industry today. They know that every bottle they release must astonish the customer who opens it.

They’ve created a new style of whisky that, while nodding to great innovators before them, transcends traditional categories. Using exceptionally high-quality, well-matured stock from Canada, paired with thoughtful cask selection and a deft blending hand, they’ve developed a system for producing world-class aged whiskies that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest in the world.

We’ve always said “yes” to any offer from Found North, so when they presented us with two single casks this year, we snapped up the best of the lot. These powerhouse whiskies were distilled in Canada, aged separately, and then blended and given additional maturation in top-quality barrels.

— Josh Gelfand, K&L Spirits Buyer

Found North “Season 6 – Madeira Finish #6131” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Canadian Whisky ($99.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer

If you’re not yet familiar with Found North, allow me to be the first to tell you that this brand is probably the most exciting new bottler in years. The Taylor brothers, who founded the company, seem to have cracked some sort of whisky cheat code. What they’ve proven is that mature whisky doesn’t need to spend its entire life in fresh wood to be complete. If you take well-aged whisky, blend it skillfully, and finish it thoughtfully, you can create something far greater than the sum of its parts.

Of course, it’s not that simple—you need great whisky and great wood from the start. Blending is a huge factor as well, but it’s clear these guys are overachievers on both fronts. We’ve never had a Found North release that didn’t overdeliver, and these two new barrels are no exception.

Let’s start with the Madeira Cask Finish. This one isn’t rye- or corn-heavy; instead, it perfectly balances its aromatic and palate-driven elements. The color is a lovely russet (1.3). The nose is explosive, offering baked orchard fruit, exotic spice, tense earthy oak, candied apricot, gravel, and caramel candies. On the palate, it’s dusty and old-school, with loads of rye spice and earthy warehouse floor notes. With some air, the nose opens beautifully to sweet peach tea, fig jam, pink peppercorn, and wet cement. The palate stays bold, spicy, and earthy, while adding layers of sweet oak and candied corn.

A tremendous and surprising whisky that fits into no box—and doesn’t need to. It’s simply delicious.

Josh Gelfand | K&L Spirits Buyer

These guys sure know how to pick them. Here’s a Canadian whisky that defies what most Americans might expect from the north. Blended from 49% rye, 48% corn, and 3% malted barley—and drawn from barrels aged between 12 and 25 years before a final rest in Madeira casks—this is a stunning example of thoughtful craftsmanship. Each grain and the finishing cask have their moment to shine.

The nose opens with sarsaparilla, allspice, toasted coconut, and buttery pastries, all of which carry gracefully onto the palate. The flavors unfold further, revealing lemon custard (a hallmark of Madeira cask aging), orange marmalade, white chocolate, and a cascade of baking spices. It finishes with a touch of earthy potpourri, laced with spice, dried flowers, and cream soda. Despite the high proof, it drinks with deceptive ease and leaves you wondering what other treasures might be resting in those northern warehouses.

K&L Notes: The resulting mashbill for each barrel is 50% 12yr rye (w/ malted barley, 3% 21yr rye, 13% 15yr corn, 3% 17yr corn, 27% 22yr corn, 4% 25yr corn). These single barrels could not technically be classified as either bourbon or rye, if they’d been distilled here, but barrel #6131 delivers a heady combo of both. Expect sweet stone fruit, earthy soft tannins, exotic wood and wild funk finish. We’re proud to continue supporting Found North. Bottled at cask strength without any dilution, chillfiltration, or additions of any kind.

Found North “Season 6 – Tawny Port Finish #6118” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Canadian Whisky ($99.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer

Let’s see how an old Tawny Port cask works with these exceptional aged Canadian rye and corn whiskies. The color is a deep, sanguine auburn (1.5)—an absolute about-face from the Madeira cask—offering dense red fruit notes of cherry, cassis, and raspberry. Next come layers of roasted nuts and rich herbal tones such as cassia bark, cinchona, and kola nut. The palate shows dense rye spice and earthy warehouse floor character more overtly than the Madeira, with the spice kicking up at the end. It begins with sweet, jammy red fruit—dark cherry and fudge—before melding into gravelly rye spice and exotic herbs.

Josh Gelfand | K&L Spirits Buyer

If you really want to see how much a finishing barrel can transform a whisky, look no further. The Found North team continues to uncover exceptional spirits and display blending skills rarely seen from our neighbors to the north. This exclusive release—like its Madeira-casked counterpart—combines an almost even split of corn and rye whiskies with a touch of malted barley, all aged between 12 and 25 years. The blend is then finished in tawny Port casks, creating something that, as cliché as it sounds, is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

The nose opens with blackberry jam, figs, and Mexican chocolate, all wrapped in the warm air of a dusty saloon. Those rich, stewed berries carry through to the palate, joined by clove, anise, wet bark, and a touch of molasses, before finishing with black cherry compote over dense dark chocolate. It’s remarkable how distinct it is from the Madeira-cask version, proving just how dramatically different fortified wine barrels can shape a great blend. Both are stunning and well worth tasting side by side.

K&L Notes: The resulting mashbill for each barrel is 50% 12yr rye (w/ malted barley, 3% 21yr rye, 13% 15yr corn, 3% 17yr corn (new wood), 27% 22yr corn, 4% 25yr corn. These single barrels could not technically be classified as either bourbon or rye, if they’d been distilled here, yet this delicious barrel #6118 delivers the best of both – a bomb of spice, sweet red fruit, dusty earth and sweet oak. We’re proud to continue supporting Found North. Bottled at cask strength without any dilution, chillfiltration, or additions of any kind.

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Ascent Of Dram 10 Year Old Blended Malt ‘Phase One’

Initiate: Phase One! Behold… The Ascent Of Dram – a new evolutionary step from Decadent Drams. This is our tentative toe in the world of living, evolving casks. Angus has cobbled together a potion of various malt whiskies, peated and sherried, all at ‘least’ 10 years old (some a fair bit older) and married the lot in a refill sherry hogshead. This is the first 100 bottles of Ascent of Dram. Once these are gone, Angus will top up the cask with something different and we’ll see how this potion is evolving when we bottle the next 100 bottles in Phase Two! If you get your mitts on one and try it, let us know what you think. Why not give us some suggestions of what to add to it next that will send it off down mysterious and delicious evolutionary paths…

£95.00 incVAT

Sensory Appreciation for the Weekend

We’re doing something a little different in May… hosting a course on a Saturday! The next Certificate in Sensory Appreciation takes place on 9 May, making it a rare weekend treat. Even better, it follows straight after our flagship Diploma in Single Malt Whisky (7 & 8 May), Expect plenty of practical exercises in this hands-on exploration of taste and aroma with teachers Vic Cameron and Gordon Steele.

📖 Learn More

Did you manage to try our Just a dash ‘Heresy’ releases? While our online stock sold out in record time, our Members’ Rooms still have a few last bottles of  Batch 36: Just a dash – Jammy cobbler and Batch 37: Just a dash – Dundee cake explosion.* Head to your local Members’ Room this upcoming week and check them out!

*Not available at Greville Street

dram-cierge@smws.com

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Heaven Hill Distillery Honors a Storied Legacy with Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey

Limited-edition release marks one of the final opportunities to experience Bourbon fully matured at the historic Deatsville campus as it transitions out of active aging

Bardstown, Ky. — Heaven Hill Distillery announces the release of Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey, a limited-edition expression drawn from one of the most distinctive aging sites in the distillery’s 90-year history. Bottled from just 17 barrels aged on the third floor of Rickhouse AA, this release represents one of the final few opportunities to experience Bourbon fully matured entirely at the Deatsville campus before the site transitions out of active aging.

The Deatsville campus, originally home to the shuttered T.W. Samuels Distillery, has been an enduring part of Heaven Hill’s heritage since the early 1980s, when the company first assumed stewardship of the rickhouses. Today, the site encompasses nine Heaven Hill owned rickhouses with capacity for aging a total of 167,000 barrels.  It is the only Heaven Hill barrel aging campus constructed with tiered roof architecture, a distinctive design that promotes a natural stack effect, allowing warm air to rise and escape while drawing cooler air inward through lower openings. This airflow dynamic creates subtle differences in maturation, contributing to Deatsville’s signature influence within Heaven Hill’s aging inventory. Heaven Hill ages whiskey across six distinct warehouse sites in Kentucky, each imparting its own character based on structure, airflow, and environment.

Crafted from a traditional mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey reflects thirteen years of maturation within this unique structure. The MSRP for this limited release will be $199.99.

“For nearly a century, Heaven Hill has believed that great Bourbon is made by giving barrels the time, space and natural airflow they need to become themselves,” said Susan Wahl, Vice President, American Whiskey. “This release pays tribute to the barrels, brands, and people who brought those rickhouses to life.”

Over the decades, Deatsville barrels contributed to multiple Heaven Hill expressions and played a meaningful role in a large portion of the Parker’s Heritage Collection lineage. The acclaimed 7th Edition ‘Promise of Hope’ and the widely celebrated 11th Edition Single Barrel release both drew from Parker Beam’s favorite rickhouse site. Those selections reflected Parker’s instinct for the site’s aging character and further cemented its place in Heaven Hill’s history.

As part of Heaven Hill’s long-term stewardship of its aging assets, all nine Deatsville rickhouses will transition to regauge-only status over the next 12–24 months, marking the gradual aging out of the campus from active maturation. The buildings will remain standing and secure. Heaven Hill continues to invest in new rickhouses across the Commonwealth which will impart their own unique characteristics to our aging barrels. Most barrels currently aging at Deatsville will be relocated to other Heaven Hill sites and may be referenced in future releases as having spent a portion of their maturation at Deatsville. This 13-Year-Old release is the first chapter in a multi-year tribute to the Deatsville site, with additional releases and commemorative moments planned through 2027.

In a rare opportunity, guests will be able to access the private Deatsville rickhouse campus through a Deatsville Tour & Tasting experience. The tour includes visits to two rickhouse sites, allowing guests to see firsthand how structural differences—including Deatsville’s tiered roof design—impact maturation and flavor development. Early access to the Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey will be exclusively available through this tour experience. Tickets for this tour will be available beginning on March 15 through the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience website.

Heaven Hill maintains more than two million barrels aging across Kentucky and holds the second-largest inventory of aging American Whiskey. As the company continues to steward its extensive aging portfolio, the Deatsville campus stands as a singular and distinctive chapter—one whose influence will continue to live on in the whiskey it helped mature, leaving a lasting legacy even after these rickhouses transition out of active aging. Heaven Hill Deatsville 13-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey invites enthusiasts to experience that chapter while it can still be poured.

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 2 million barrels aging in more than 70 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, Henry McKenna, Parker’s Heritage Collection along with its extensive and diverse collection of unique and innovative products. In the past five years alone, Heaven Hill Distillery has been named Distiller of the Year nine times, including 2024 and 2023 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year. Other recent honors include 2024 and 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition’s Most Awarded Distillery and the 2023 Icons of Whisky World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon. For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

A BOUQUET OF DELICIOUS “ROSES”

Based in Lawrenceburg Kentucky, Four Roses Distillery is one of America’s oldest and most historic bourbon producers dating back to the late 19th century with the name trademarked way back in 1888. Over the decades, Four Roses changed owners, survived Prohibition by selling medicinal whiskey and rebounded through the 20th century after the end of prohibition. In 2002 the brand was purchased by Kirin Brewery  company out of Japan and, just last week, ownership changed once again when it was acquired by Gallo Winery, which asserts its intention to maintain the overall focus on quality bourbon production that has earned the distillery its stellar reputation.

One of the main things that sets Four Roses apart in the world of bourbon is its unique approach to recipe variation and blending. The distillery produces ten distinct bourbon recipes by combining two mash bills — one higher in rye and one lower — with five proprietary yeast strains. Each recipe is encoded with a four-letter code, and these are aged in new charred American oak barrels for at least five years before bottling. The letter codes on the tag of each bottle tell you what yeast strain, recipe, and aging location were used.

SHOP FOUR ROSES

Big News! Recently in Louisville, VDC Blue Ridge Toasted Barrel Finish was named 🥇 Best American Single Malt at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards. This incredible recognition reflects the dedication and passion of our entire team. We couldn’t be prouder. 🙌  If you haven’t experienced this award-winning whisky yet, we hope you’ll pour a glass and celebrate with us. 🥃✨

ralfy review 1118 Extras – Some single malt forensics, ‘Cask Policies’