Whiskey Roundup — Week of March 29–April 4, 2026
August 5, 2026
Your weekly dispatch from the Backyard Whiskey Club.
April arrived with a bang for whiskey lovers — right here in Texas, Garrison Brothers was drawing crowds at dawn, while Louisville’s best were stacking up accolades and headlines. From a landmark rye release in Louisville to coveted Irish and Japanese single-cask exclusives across the pond, and a seismic acquisition shaking up the bourbon landscape, it was a week that had something for every palate.
This Week’s Headlines
- Garrison Brothers unveils the 2026 Lady Bird — bottled at 114 proof and first-come, first-served at the Hye distillery starting at 8 a.m. on April 4, with online release following April 13
- Gallo acquires Four Roses from Japan’s Kirin for up to $775 million, bringing the iconic Kentucky brand back under American ownership for the first time since 2002
- Angel’s Envy drops a landmark dual cask strength release — the annual Bourbon and the brand’s first-ever age-stated rye, both arriving on shelves April 17
- World Whiskies Awards 2026 global winners announced on March 25 in London, with New Riff Bottled in Bond taking home Best Kentucky Bourbon
- DISCUS honors Eddie Russell of Wild Turkey with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Annual Conference in Louisville
New & Notable Releases
Bourbon
Garrison Brothers 2026 Lady Bird Texas Straight Bourbon (114 proof, $179.99) — The Hill Country’s most anticipated annual release is here. This honey-infused, Cognac-cask-finished bourbon starts as Small Batch, ages four years in new white American oak, rests 8–9 months infused with Burleson’s Texas Wildflower Honey, then finishes three more years in French Cognac XO casks before bottling under Prairie Purple wax. Nationwide, 7,000 bottles are released alongside a smaller run of Lady Bird Cask Strength Single Barrel ($189.99). The first 2,000 bottles went to the distillery in Hye on April 4; online release follows April 13.
Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat (Buffalo Trace, 10 Years Old, ~$550) — The Weller line continues its experimental series, following 2023’s Emmer Wheat with a spelt wheat mashbill. Shipping began this week to select retailers, bars, and restaurants nationwide — expect it to be scarce and allocated. If you see it, it’s worth investigating.
Blood Oath Pact No. 12 (98.6 proof, ~$130) — Lux Row Distillers’ annual Blood Oath series returns finished in Italian Montepulciano and Sangiovese wine casks. Limited to 17,000 three-pack cases, this one balances bold Kentucky sweetness with an earthy red-wine finish that’s distinctly left-field.
Michter’s 2026 Legacy Series — Two crowd favorites return this spring. The 2026 Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey (91.2 proof, $110) showcases caramel malted barley in 24-month French oak and 60-month American oak casks. Its companion, the 2026 Bomberger’s Declaration (108 proof, $120), goes bolder with Chinquapin and Hungarian Oak cooperage. Both are limited and heading to select retailers this spring.
Rye
Angel’s Envy 10-Year Cask Strength Rye (111.6 proof, $269.99) — The milestone release of the week. Angel’s Envy is marking its 15th year with a first: its debut age-stated rye at cask strength. Distilled in 2013 and 2015, aged in new charred American oak, then double-matured in Caribbean rum casks for up to four additional years. Only 10,800 bottles available nationwide starting April 17. Its companion, the 2026 Cask Strength Bourbon (117.8 proof, $249.99), features Ruby Port barrel finishing and draws on some of the brand’s oldest stocks.
New Riff Silver Grove 6-Year Straight Rye (115 proof) — Newport, Kentucky’s New Riff releases its oldest Silver Grove rye yet: a 95% rye mashbill aged six years. The nose opens with candied orange and warm baking spice, finishing long on oatmeal raisin. Backed by its World Whiskies Award win this year, New Riff is having quite a moment.
Scotch
The Glenlivet 14 Year Old Scottish Oak Barrel Finish (57% ABV) — Speyside goes experimental with this 2010 vintage, finished in Scottish oak barrels — a relatively rare cask type that imparts earthier, more resinous notes than traditional American or European oak. Worth tracking down for fans of non-traditional Speyside profiles.
Aberargie Distillery First Single Malt — A genuinely exciting moment in Scottish whisky: Aberargie Distillery in Perthshire released its first-ever single malt this spring. The distillery, nestled in Scotland’s East Highlands, represents a wave of new Scottish producers bringing fresh perspectives to a centuries-old craft.
Irish & Japanese
Redbreast 20 Year Old (The Whisky Exchange Exclusive) — A 20-year-old Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey matured entirely in Oloroso sherry casks. Redbreast at 20 years in sherry wood is a genuinely rare proposition, offering rich dried fruit, dark chocolate, and tobacco-leaf complexity that you just don’t find at standard retail.
Mars Komagatake Single Cask — Sumo Series — Alongside the Redbreast, The Whisky Exchange dropped a single-cask Mars Komagatake as part of its Sumo Series Japanese exclusives. Komagatake, from Hombo Shuzo in the Japanese Alps, remains one of the most sought-after single malts in Japan, and single-cask expressions are especially prized.
Craft & Limited Editions
Horse Soldier Liberty Edition (50% ABV, $800) — A 13-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, limited to exactly 1,776 bottles. The patriotic packaging is bold, but the liquid underneath earns its independence.
Midleton Very Rare 2026 Vintage — Ireland’s Midleton Distillery confirmed the 43rd annual edition of Midleton Very Rare, the longest-running annual Irish whiskey release in the world. A benchmark expression for fans of the Irish tradition.
Texas Distillery Spotlight
Garrison Brothers — Hye, Texas
If you only follow one Texas whiskey story this month, make it this one. Garrison Brothers officially unveiled the 2026 Lady Bird Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Infused with Honey & Finished in Cognac Casks, and it’s everything fans have come to expect from this release — plus a little more.
The bourbon begins as Small Batch, ages four years in new white American oak barrels, then rests 8–9 months infused with Burleson’s Texas Wildflower Honey before moving into French Cognac XO casks for a final three years of finishing. The result is sealed in Prairie Purple wax at 114 proof. A separate Cask Strength Single Barrel is also available this year.
Beyond the liquid, this release carries real meaning: to date, Lady Bird bourbon has helped raise more than $100,000 for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, supporting wildflower conservation and native plant programs across Texas. For those who missed the distillery event, a limited quantity hits the Garrison Brothers online store on April 13 — set your alarms.
What We’re Pouring This Week
If you want the best value-to-excitement ratio this week, Blood Oath Pact No. 12 is on shelves now and that Italian wine cask finish makes for a genuinely interesting sipping experience at a reasonable price. For those with patience, the Angel’s Envy 10-Year Cask Strength Rye drops April 17 and is shaping up to be the rye release of 2026. And if you’ve got the budget for a splurge, the Redbreast 20 Year Old Oloroso is the kind of Irish whiskey that changes how you think about the category entirely.
On the Horizon
April 17 brings the Angel’s Envy dual cask strength release to shelves, and April 22 marks Kentucky Peerless’s historic first 10-year bourbon drop at the distillery in Louisville. On April 25, Whiskey Riot returns to Austin’s Fair Market with over 150 spirits — featuring Texas favorites Balcones, Garrison Brothers, Milam & Greene, and Still Austin all in the room. The Gallo / Four Roses acquisition is expected to close by Q2 2026 pending antitrust review — no production changes are planned, but it’s a seismic shift worth watching.
As Seneca wrote: “Omnia aliena sunt, tempus tantum nostrum est” — all things are borrowed, only time is truly ours. Slow down with a good pour, and let it be worth the time you give it.