THE VAN WINKLE FAMILY ANNOUNCES THE 2026 RELEASE OF ITS ANNUAL WHISKEY COLLECTION

The highly anticipated release returns with six bourbon and rye whiskeys carrying forward generations of Van Winkle craftsmanship

 FRANKFORT, Ky (September 10, 2026) – Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery and Buffalo Trace Distillery today announced that the 2026 Van Winkle Whiskey Collection is on its way, once again delivering one of American whiskey’s most sought-after and closely watched annual releases.

Produced in highly limited quantities, the collection represents four generations of Van Winkle whiskey-making tradition and decades of patience, with six aged expressions ranging from ten to twenty-three years. The 2026 collection includes Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10-Year-Old, Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15-Year-Old, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20-Year-Old, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23-Year-Old, and Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13-Year-Old.

“Every year, we look forward to the opportunity to share these whiskeys with people who have followed our family’s story and appreciate the time and care behind each bottle,” said Preston Van Winkle, Vice-President and 4th Generation, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery. “There are no shortcuts when you’re talking about whiskey that has spent this many years aging. Our responsibility is to remain patient, protect the quality and carry forward the standards our family has valued for generations.”

While the six expressions return each year, every release offers something that can never be replicated again. Time and maturation leave a distinct imprint on each barrel, creating subtle variations in character from one release to the next. Each year, the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley carefully select only the barrels that meet the exacting standards established for each expression, making every bottling a singular reflection of patience, craftmanship and an uncompromising commitment to quality.

The Van Winkle family’s legacy in American whiskey dates more than a century, beginning in the late 1800s when Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. started his career with Louisville’s W.L. Weller & Sons before helping establish the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, which opened in 1935. His commitment to quality and carefully aged whiskey laid the foundation for the Van Winkle Collection, a celebrated family of bourbon and rye whiskeys that carries his name and enduring philosophy. In 2002, the Van Winkle family partnered with Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, where that legacy continues today through the careful crafting and aging of each expression.

The 2026 Van Winkle Collection will be available in limited quantities to retailers, bars and restaurants across the United States via Sazerac’s distribution network at varying retail prices. The suggested retail prices for the 2026 collection are as follows (local fees/taxes apply):

• Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon 10-Year-Old – $169.99

Vanilla and caramel unfold on the nose, complemented by rich pecan and seasoned oak. The palate is beautifully smooth and mellow, balancing robust wheat and ripe cherry against a deepening presence of oak. The finish is long and smoky, with lingering fruit and warm spice giving way to refined oak tannins.

• Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old – $199.99

Dried mango and spiced peach lend an elegant fruit character, with cocoa adding subtle depth. Honey unfolds across the palate alongside seasoned oak and tobacco, creating a rich interplay of sweetness and structure. The finish is beautifully balanced and dry, leaving a lingering trace of warmth.

• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15-Year-Old – $299.99

Rich and commanding, this 15-year-old bourbon balances the sweetness of caramel corn and vanilla with layers of leather, seasoned oak and complex fruit. Its depth builds across the palate before resolving into an exceptionally smooth finish, where warm spice meets lingering oak tannins.

• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20-Year-Old– $399.99

Two decades of maturation reveal themselves in a whiskey of exceptional depth, elegance, and presence. Intense yet remarkably smooth, the palate opens with vibrant citrus zest before unfolding into delicate sherry notes, dried fruit and vanilla, each layer emerging with measured complexity and beautifully composed balance. The finish is extraordinarily long and elegant, lingering with a richness and refinement that speaks to the patience behind every bottle.

• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23-Year-Old – $499.99

Twenty-three years of patience are expressed in remarkable depth, with ripe apple and cherry bringing brightness to layers of caramel, deeply developed oak and tobacco, all underscored by a subtle trace of chocolate. The palate is commanding and beautifully structured, allowing the pronounced wood character to take center stage while an elegant caramel sweetness provides richness and balance. Long after the sip, that sweetness endures with an exceptionally lingering finish defined by mature oak, rich caramel and unmistakable refinement.

• Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13-Year-Old – $299.99.

An elegant, softly spiced nose reveals chestnut, vanilla and fruit, unfolding with understated warmth. Cocoa and vanilla lend richness to the palate, accented by vibrant spice and a refined touch of white pepper. The finish is exceptionally long and complex, as caramel and lingering spice settle into beautifully dry oak.

“I’ve had the privilege of watching this collection become something that means a great deal not only to our family, but to people around the world,” said Julian P. Van Winkle III, President, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery. “For me, each bottle is a connection to the generations who came before us and to the patience, pride and traditions they passed down. Seeing that same appreciation carried forward by the people who seek out these whiskeys year after year is incredibly special to our family.”

The Van Winkle family reminds fans that neither they nor Buffalo Trace Distillery controls prices set by individual retailers and strongly recommends purchasing Van Winkle whiskeys only through licensed sellers. Purchases made through unlicensed secondary markets or online sellers may carry an increased risk of counterfeit products, fraud, and alcohol scams.

Consumers who believe they may have purchased a counterfeit bottle or been the victim of a scam should not consume the product. They are encouraged to report the incident to the Better Business Bureau and their State Attorney General’s office, and to contact their credit card provider regarding available fraud protection policies.

To learn more about the Van Winkle family of bourbons, visit www.oldripvanwinkle.com.

About Van Winkle Bourbon

The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery carries a proud four-generation legacy. The Van Winkle family’s roots in the bourbon industry trace back to the late 1800s with Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr., who began his career as a traveling salesman for the W.L. Weller and Sons wholesale house in Louisville. In time, Pappy and his colleague, fellow salesman Alex Farnsley, purchased the wholesale house and joined forces with A. Ph. Stitzel, purchasing his distillery. Together, the three merged their ventures, creating the renowned Stitzel-Weller Distillery after Prohibition.

In May of 1935 at the age of 61, Pappy opened the newly completed Stitzel-Weller Distillery in South Louisville. Its prominent brands were W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still.  Pappy had a heavy influence on the operations there until his death at the age of 91. His son, Julian, Jr. took over operations until he was forced by stockholders to sell the distillery in 1972. The rights to all of their brands were sold to Norton Simon, Inc. Later, United Distillers, who eventually ended up with the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, sold off all of the original labels around 1999.

After selling the distillery, Julian Jr. resurrected a pre-Prohibition label, the only one to which the Van Winkles kept the rights, called Old Rip Van Winkle. He used whiskey stocks from the old distillery to supply his brand. Julian Jr.’s son, Julian, III took over in 1981 when Julian, Jr. passed away. Julian III has continued with the Van Winkle tradition of producing high-quality wheated bourbon. His son, Preston, joined the company in 2001 and the Van Winkles look to continue that tradition for generations to come.

In 2002, the Van Winkle family partnered with Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, reuniting the Van Winkle and Weller bourbons under one roof. The collaboration was a natural fit, as Buffalo Trace was already producing the wheated mash bill used in Weller bourbon. Today, all Van Winkle whiskey is crafted at Buffalo Trace Distillery, produced with the same uncompromising standards the family has upheld for generations. Learn more about the Van Winkle family of bourbons at www.oldripvanwinkle.com.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery    

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1775 and it is a National Historic Landmark, as well as listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site. The Distillery has won more than 40 distillery titles since 2000 and garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. Its William Larue Weller, Stagg, Eagle Rare 10, and Thomas H. Handy received Gold Awards at the 2025 International Wine & Spirits Competition and its flagship Buffalo Trace Bourbon received a Master Medal at the 2025 Global American Whiskey Masters. Buffalo Trace Distillery has a deep commitment to supporting charitable initiatives. Nonprofit organizations interested in learning more about the Distillery’s efforts are encouraged to register their charity here. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery, visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2027

Every year – the most updated whisky book on the market! Malt Whisky Yearbook 2027 will be published 1st October. This is the 22nd edition of a book that whisky enthusiasts look forward to every autumn. The main part of the book covers no less than 1,017 malt whisky distilleries around the world with all the facts updated.

• New exciting articles by distinguished writers such as Felipe Schrieberg, Stefan van Eycken, Jan Wisniewski, Kristiane Westray and Nick Morgan,
• More than 200 tasting notes, including independent bottlings
• A listing of more than 150 of the world´s greatest whisky shops
• The Whisky Year That Was – the most comprehensive summary you´ll find of the news and trends in the industry
• An entire chapter about the world´s leading independent bottlers
• All the latest info on bottlings and web sites as well as the latest statistics and figures
• More than 500 colour photos

The Malt Whisky Yearbook is the brainchild of editor Ingvar Ronde and was first published in autumn 2005. Since then a new and completely revised edition has been published yearly. What started out as a go-to book for whisky enthusiasts wanting to keep abreast of the ever-changing malt whisky world, soon became a tool also for the whisky industry. Many producers now buy it for their staff (brand ambassadors, tour guides, sales people etc.) to keep them informed about the latest developments.

The Malt Whisky Yearbook 2027 is sold through www.maltwhiskyyearbook.com for £16.95 plus shipping.

Ingvar Ronde – Editor Malt Whisky Yearbook and Keeper of the Quaich
ingvar.ronde@magdig.com
Published by MagDig Media Ltd.
Publication date; 1 October 2026
ISBN 978-1-7394492-3-0
Recommended retail price in UK; £16.95
Contact; ingvar.ronde@magdig.com
www.maltwhiskyyearbook.

The Art of the Pour

Sometimes the best tasting note isn’t a tasting note at all.

When Bardstown Bourbon Co. blender Dan Callaway and Kentucky artist Margaret Archambault joined us at The Party Source this past Friday, Margaret was talking about the artwork she created for the new barrel-finished releases. Then we heard her say something we haven’t stopped thinking about:

“I wanted the labels to look the way the Whiskey tasted.”

Look at the bottle again. Suddenly, you can see it. The color. The movement. The layers. The contrast. The artwork isn’t simply decorating the whiskey—it’s translating what’s inside the bottle into something you can see before you taste it.

Inside the bottle, Bardstown’s blending team layers straight bourbon character with the influence from Single Malt Scotch whisky barrels, both ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry. Those barrels influence the Lochs of Jura barrel finish, bringing another dimension of fruit, malt, oak, and complexity to the final whiskey.

$139.99

Discover Lochs of Jura →

Glenfiddich Aston Martin F1 Team Release No.2 Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch 2026 Whisky
16 Year Old
70cl · 43% ABV

Some master what others can’t see. Brian Kinsman, Glenfiddich’s Malt Master, and Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Formula One Team’s Managing Technical Partner, have shaped worlds beyond most people’s comprehension-air and liquid, the beauty, the complexity and possibility of each.

Adrian Newey forms air around car and driver to unlock their hidden potential. Whilst Brian Kinsman reveals and harnesses flavour, marrying infinite possibilities. Glenfiddich brings the unseen worlds of their visionary minds into reality, unveiling their ability to see beyond the ordinary, beyond the conventional-beyond the visible.

A masterfully balanced marriage of whiskies influenced by first fill bourbon barrels, and the finest wine and fortified wine casks. At its heart lies Glenfiddich’s signature fruitiness, gently sweetened by a finish in bourbon barrels, then deepened and drawn outward through marrying with specially selected whiskies, each fully matured or finished in four distinct types of casks: Port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks, wine casks and a final, delicate whisper of Fino sherry butts.

With each passing layer, richness gathers and unfolds-silken, oaky, assured-until the flavour once imagined stands fully revealed in the glass.

£72.95

This September marks 32 years of Murray McDavid.

Since our founding in 1994, we’ve championed exceptional Scotch whisky through inspired cask maturation, bold thinking and an unwavering passion for flavour. While our journey has taken us across Scotland, one place has always held a special place in our story…

The Isle of Islay.

Today, we’re proud to launch our brand-new Islay Exclusive Release — a collection of six exceptional single malt Scotch whiskies that celebrates the island where Murray McDavid first began.

From two remarkable expressions of our iconic Leapfrog, to rare bottlings from Ardbeg, Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain Mòine, every whisky has been carefully selected by our Whisky Creations Team to showcase the extraordinary diversity of Islay and the craftsmanship that has defined Murray McDavid for more than three decades.

Whether matured patiently in American oak, enriched by luxurious Sherry casks or elevated through our signature cask finishing, each bottle is a celebration of the Art of Maturation.

This collection isn’t simply a new release:

• It’s a tribute to our heritage.
• A celebration of 32 years of innovation.
• And a return to where our story began.

Discover the full story behind the Islay Exclusive Release and explore the collection today.

READ MORE

Glenglassaugh 15 Year Old

£77.50

Glenglassaugh 15 Year Old captures the rich character of the distillery’s coastal home, combining Pedro Ximénez sherry cask maturation with the influence of Spanish wine casks. The result is a rich and indulgent expression shaped by the luscious depth of Pedro Ximénez sherry and the character imparted by Spanish wine casks. Sultry swirls of chocolate sauce and luscious salted caramel laced with bright Spanish orange, dark manuka honey and rich date oil. Rolling waves of unctuous salted treacle and caramelised date meld with juicy orange papaya within an enveloping chocolate and coffee elixir

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Benromach 12

Joining the Speyside distillery’s signature range alongside the 15 and 21 Year Olds, Benromach 12 Year Old is matured in first-fill sherry casks, with notes of cinnamon, cocoa, raspberry and rich fruitcake, alongside peppery spice and delicate smoke.

After maturing exclusively in first-fill Sherry casks, our signature Benromach 12 Year Old delivers rich fruitcake, vibrant raspberry and orange notes with freshly cracked pepper and a touch of smoke. Bottled at 46% and non-chill filtered, the 12 Year Old is the perfect balance between rich cask influences and subtle smoke characteristics. It’s a whisky with great depth yet wonderfully harmonious all at the same time.

Shop now

The 12 Years Old marks an exciting milestone for Benromach, showcasing not only our evolved whisky stocks but also in making our long-term vision a reality. At Benromach, we hand select our casks to ensure the best quality, which imparts important and complex flavours to our whisky. The result for the 12 Years Old is a rich single malt with great depth, all while staying true to our distinctive subtly smoky character. With an ABV of 46%, you can also expect more of the whisky’s natural character, texture and flavour.

Inchdairnie (Strathenry) 10 Year Old 2016 Unicorn for TWB

£49.00 GBP

Speyside · 17 Year Old

Knockando 2009

£118

47.5% · 70cl · 168 bottles

A 17 Year Old Speyside single malt matured in a hogshead and bottled as part of the Càrn Mòr Strictly Limited range. Rich and intense, with coffee cake, chocolate and burnt sugar.

View Bottle →

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

CASK TRADE BOTTLING UNVEILS PERSONALISED BOTTLING SERVICES WITH GIFTING OPPORTUNITY FOR CHRISTMAS

Cask Trade has long supported cask bottlings for private clients and independent bottlers. However, with increasing demand for partial cask bottlings and smaller runs, Cask Trade Bottling has introduced a new ‘ready to bottle’ bespoke service, allowing clients to commission their own label for bottle runs starting from 30 bottles per order, without having to buy a full cask. To celebrate the new service, Cask Trade Bottling have launched a festive campaign which will deliver bespoke bottles of Speyside 2015 to clients, ready for gifting in December.

A Gift Worth Raising a Glass To

The new service invites clients to personalise a premium single malt Scotch whisky with either their own artwork or a considered written message – an opportunity to transform a fine bottle into a genuinely personal statement for loved ones and close friends, or into a distinctive branded gift for clients, colleagues and business partners. Each bottling draws from a single, identifiable cask: an 11-year-old single malt from a Speyside distillery, matured in a bourbon barrel, bottled at 46% ABV in a 700ml bottle, with tasting notes of honey, apple, floral honeysuckle, citrus, vanilla and toffee.

Founder and CEO of Cask Trade, Simon Aron, says: “Whisky has always been about more than the liquid in the glass – it’s about provenance, occasion and story. Whether it’s a private client marking a family celebration or a business wanting to put its own brand on a premium gift for its best clients, this service lets them create something no one else will ever own: a bottle carrying their own artwork or words, tied to a single cask.”

Two Ways to Personalise

Customers can choose between two personalisation options:

–    Personalised Artwork: Customers can bring their creative vision to life by supplying their own branding or artwork to be printed on the top front section of the label.
–    Personalised Message: Customers write their own greeting to be printed on Cask Trade’s pre-designed festive label template.

Perfect For Client Gifting and Corporate Branding

The Personalised Artwork option is equally suited to businesses seeking a distinctive, branded gift for the festive season. Companies can apply their own logo, corporate artwork or campaign design to the label, turning a single-cask Scotch whisky into a memorable and prestigious gift for clients, partners and colleagues – a more considered alternative to conventional corporate hampers.

The Personalised Message option offers a simpler route for businesses that wish to print a seasonal greeting from the company on Cask Trade’s festive template, ready to send across a wider client or staff list.

How It Works

The ordering process follows five simple steps:
1.    Select an option – choose between personalised artwork or a personalised message.
2.    Send personalisation – submit the chosen artwork or written message to the Cask Trade Bottling team.
3.    Confirm – sign off and lock in the final label design.
4.    Receive – bottles are delivered ahead of the festive period.
5.    Enjoy and gift – bottles are ready to give to clients, colleagues, friends or family.

Orders can be placed by emailing bottling@casktrade.com or calling +44 (0)20 3746 3030. For more information, visit the website.

Acquiring a Bottling

Bottles are priced at £50 each, or £300 per case of six, plus VAT, inclusive of delivery and standard label printing. As each release is drawn from a single cask, orders are supplied in full cases of six bottles only, with a minimum commission of 30 bottles (five cases) – a scale well suited both to private clients building a family collection and to businesses stocking a client gifting or corporate entertaining programme for the season.

Orders must be placed before September 25th to ensure delivery by December 4th 2026.

Beyond the Festive Season

While the service launches with a festive theme, Cask Trade Bottling has confirmed that the core commissioning service is not confined to Christmas. Ready to bottle whisky is now permanently available on the Cask Trade stocklist, allowing clients to select their preferred liquid and create a bespoke bottling without having to buy a full cask or wait decades for liquid maturation. This allows personalised bottling for any occasion beyond festive celebrations, such as significant birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and births, as well as for corporate occasions including product launches, staff recognition, client appreciation events and anniversaries of the business itself. The Cask Trade Bottling team supports at every stage from liquid selection, through to design support and final product delivery.

ABOUT CASK TRADE

Cask Trade was set up by Simon Aron in 2018, born from his personal experiences of buying casks as a passionate whisky collector for more than 20 years.
Having found cask ownership difficult to navigate with few reputable companies operating, he envisioned creating a marketplace that made buying and selling casks transparent, open, and honest.
Cask Trade has grown from strength to strength, building its success on several core values:
•    Stockists, not brokers – Cask Trade own all its stock, giving buyers a 100% transactional guarantee and the peace of mind that all casks have been through stringent quality checks.
•    Market-leading stock list – since 2018, Cask Trade has represented over 170 distilleries across the world of whisky, rum, Cognac and Armagnac.
•    End-to-end support – Cask Trade nurtures client relationships beyond the point of sale and offers full cask management, sampling, re-gauging, and multiple exit options when customers come to sell their cask.
•    Trust and transparency – The company’s casks are held in the best HMRC bonded warehouses, regularly visited and approved by Cask Trade whisky masters. All stock holdings have a complete paper trail.
•    Expert team – above all, the Cask Trade team are passionate about cask ownership and strive to help clients achieve their goals, whether they are looking to buy, sell or bottle their casks.
Alongside cask sale and ownership, Cask Trade offers other unique services which elevate client experience and cask exit when the time is right:

Cask Trade Warehouse

In 2025, Cask Trade opened its own bonded warehouse. The unit is situated in Speyside, Scotland, and has the capacity for up to 25,000 casks. Clients can now book onto open days to visit the warehouse, see where their cask is stored, and sample directly from their cask or taste an indicative sample in the custom-built tasting room.

Auction Your Cask 

Auction Your Cask is the world’s first dedicated online cask auction site. With four auctions a year, clients as well as the public can either submit a cask to sell or bid on other casks with 0% seller fees and an agreed reserve.

Recognition

Acknowledgement for the achievements of Cask Trade has been recognised by the FT1000 when the business was ranked as one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe; listed in The Sunday Times Hundred fastest-growing private companies in Britain and named among the UK’s most innovative new businesses’ by StartUps 100 Index. CEO and Founder Simon Aron and Director Colin Hampden-White have also been listed again in the Spear’s 500 Top Recommended Whisky Advisors 2025.

www.casktrade.com