Whiskey Roundup — Week of March 2–8, 2026
March 8, 2026
Whiskey Roundup — Week of March 2–8, 2026
Your weekly dispatch from the Backyard Whiskey Club.
Big moves defined this week in whiskey — a landmark Texas first, a blockbuster acquisition reshaping the bourbon landscape, and a fresh wave of releases worth tracking down. Whether you’re hunting allocated bottles or just staying in the know, there’s plenty to digest with your dram this weekend.
This Week’s Headlines
- Garrison Brothers drops its first-ever Bottled-in-Bond — a 6-year Texas straight bourbon at 100 proof, now available for pre-order
- E&J Gallo acquires Four Roses Bourbon from Japan’s Kirin for up to $775 million
- Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2026 hits shelves: a 22-year barrel-proof Kentucky straight bourbon at $319.99
- World Whiskies Awards America 2026 gold medal winners announced; Eddie Russell honored with DISCUS Lifetime Achievement Award
- Isle of Raasay “The Chinkapin” — believed to be the first Scotch whisky fully matured in Chinkapin oak casks
New & Notable Releases
Bourbon
Heaven Hill kicked off March with the announcement of its Heritage Collection 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon — the oldest in the series since it debuted in 2022. Distilled in 2003 from Heaven Hill’s traditional mashbill (78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley), the 270-barrel release is bottled at barrel proof, non-chill filtered, and priced at $319.99. It’s launching nationally in very limited quantities, so if you see it, treat it like the unicorn it is.
Also shipping from Louisville this month: Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon (2026 Edition), approved by Master Distiller Dan McKee and bottled at its characteristic 94.4 proof (47.2% ABV) at a suggested $195. Michter’s always ages beyond the 10-year mark before selecting barrels, which shows. And for those who appreciate a wine-cask finish, Blood Oath Pact No. 12 is arriving soon — finished in Montepulciano and Sangiovese casks at 98.6 proof, MSRP $129. An interesting expression that bridges bourbon and the world of Italian winemaking.
Rye
High West Bourye 2026 is here — the Utah distillery’s beloved annual blend of rich bourbon and rye from 10+ year-old whiskeys returns with an elevated ABV this year. It’s one of the few expressions that makes you rethink the bourbon-vs-rye debate entirely. Worth hunting down at your favorite retailer.
On the craft front, Shiner Brewing & Distilling (the century-old K. Spoetzl brewery in Shiner, Texas) released its Texas Legend Straight Rye Whiskey — a cask strength monster at 125.4 proof (62.7% ABV), priced at $199 and available exclusively at the distillery. Made from malted rye, yellow dent corn, and two-row barley, double copper pot distilled and non-chill filtered, this inaugural rye from only three barrels is a must-visit reason to make the drive to Shiner.
Scotch
The most intriguing Scotch story this week comes from the Hebrides: Isle of Raasay “The Chinkapin” is believed to be the first Scotch whisky fully matured in Chinkapin oak (quercus muehlenbergii) casks. Bottled at 50.2% ABV, non-chill filtered and naturally colored, it joins the distillery’s core range alongside The Draam and Dùn Cana. Chinkapin oak is better known in American craft bourbon circles, so seeing a Scottish distillery embrace it is genuinely exciting.
On the more approachable end, Johnnie Walker Black Cask launched March 1 as a new permanent expression — aged exclusively in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels at 43% ABV, $34.99. It’s a bourbon lover’s entry point into Scotch, and at that price point, it fills an interesting gap in the JW lineup.
Irish & Japanese
The Whisky Exchange released two exclusive single casks worth noting. Redbreast 20-Year-Old Small Batch Oloroso Cask is a single pot still Irish whiskey aged in third-fill Sherry casks and bottled at 60% ABV (£275/$368). Complex and rare, with citrus, Turkish delight, and incense on the nose. Alongside it: Mars Komagatake 2017 7-Year Sumo Series #5, a 7-year Bourbon-cask Japanese single malt at 57% ABV, limited to just 168 bottles worldwide (£225/$301). The Sumo Series labels printed on traditional washi paper make these as beautiful to own as they are to drink.
Craft & Limited Editions
In Scotland, Aberargie Distillery (Morrison family-owned) is releasing its inaugural single malt this month — a milestone after beginning production in 2017. Expect a fruit-forward Lowland-style spirit with orchard fruit, vanilla, and cereal sweetness. Back stateside, Nashville Barrel Co. is expanding into Louisville with a new independent bottling operation in the NuLu district, a $3+ million investment set to open in late May. More curated sourced whiskey options are always welcome.
Texas Distillery Spotlight
Garrison Brothers — A Texas First: Bottled in Bond
The biggest Texas whiskey news in recent memory dropped this week. Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, Texas — the first legal bourbon distillery in the Lone Star State — released its first-ever Bottled-in-Bond Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the 10th expression in the distillery’s lineup. Distilled in the fall of 2019 and aged six years, it’s bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV) per the strict Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, meaning single distillery, single season, and a federally bonded warehouse.
For a distillery famous for big cask-strength releases like its annual Cowboy Bourbon, this BiB is something of a departure — more restrained, but still unmistakably Texan. The extreme Texas heat accelerates barrel extraction in ways Kentucky can only dream of, meaning six years here drinks more like a decade from a milder climate. It’s available for pre-order now, expected to ship mid-to-late March. If you’ve never explored Garrison Brothers, this is an approachable starting point.
What We’re Pouring This Week
The Garrison Brothers Bottled in Bond is the obvious grab if you can get it — a historic release at a price that won’t require a second mortgage. For everyday drinking, the Johnnie Walker Black Cask is a clever buy for bourbon fans curious about Scotch. And if you happen to be in Shiner, Texas any time soon, that Shiner Texas Legend Rye is a genuine road-trip-worthy bottle. On the industry side, the Four Roses / Gallo acquisition is worth watching closely — Four Roses has been a remarkably consistent super-premium brand under Kirin, and how Gallo stewarts it going forward matters to every bourbon drinker.
On the Horizon
Keep an eye out for Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A126 and Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A126 from Heaven Hill, both expected in the coming weeks. The Campbeltown Malts Festival is approaching, and Glen Scotia’s 7-year Ruby Port finish festival bottling (53.9% ABV) will be one to track. And whiskey enthusiasts in Austin should mark their calendars for Whiskey Riot on April 25 at Fair Market — over 150 spirits under one roof, with Balcones, Garrison Brothers, Still Austin, and more all represented.
“Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretense.” — Marcus Aurelius. Whiskey, at its best, rewards exactly that kind of presence. Slow down, nose it properly, and taste it like it matters.