Whiskey Roundup — Week of April 26–May 2, 2026
April 26, 2026
Whiskey Roundup — Week of April 26–May 2, 2026
Your weekly dispatch from the Backyard Whiskey Club.
This week delivered one of the biggest industry shakeups in recent memory alongside a flood of exciting new pours — from an age-stated rye that’s been years in the making to a 10-year Kentucky benchmark finally hitting shelves. If your whiskey shelf has felt a little quiet lately, it’s about to get very loud.
This Week’s Headlines
- E&J Gallo acquires Four Roses Bourbon from Japan’s Kirin Holdings for up to $775 million — one of the largest bourbon deals in years
- Angel’s Envy drops its first-ever age-stated rye, a 10-year cask strength expression at 111.6 proof launching alongside its annual cask strength bourbon
- Jack Daniel’s releases Special Release Small Batch Rye from three distinct barrelhouse locations — distillery-only, extremely limited
- New Riff Bottled-in-Bond wins World’s Best Bourbon at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards, a remarkable win for a $40 bottle
- Garrison Brothers 2026 Lady Bird sells through its distillery allocation in hours, with online bottles moving fast
New & Notable Releases
Bourbon
Kentucky Peerless 10-Year “Henry Kraver’s Old Reserve” dropped on April 22 and it’s turning heads across the bourbon world. This is the Louisville distillery’s first-ever 10-year expression and a major milestone for a craft house that has steadily earned its reputation for patience and quality. Limited distillery and select retail availability; if you spot it, don’t hesitate.
Michter’s 2026 Legacy Series is back with two beloved annual releases: Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey ($110 SRP) and Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon ($120 SRP). Both honor the distillery’s Pennsylvania and Kentucky roots and are among the most thoughtfully crafted limited releases in American whiskey. Expect them to move quickly through allocated accounts.
Wenzel Sherry Barrel Finished Bourbon Batch 2 landed on April 22 with only 679 bottles at $109 each, available at the Covington, Kentucky distillery and online. Batch 1 won World’s Best Finished Bourbon at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards — a tough act to follow, but the whiskey’s pedigree speaks for itself.
Rye
Angel’s Envy 2026 Cask Strength Rye is the big rye story of the month. This is the brand’s first-ever age-stated rye — a 10-year expression finished in Caribbean rum casks and bottled at 111.6 proof (55.8% ABV). With around 10,800 bottles hitting U.S. shelves at $269.99, it’s a premium pour but a genuine collector’s piece. The dual release launched April 17 alongside the annual Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon.
Jack Daniel’s Special Release Small Batch Rye is a true enthusiast’s find. Five batches of barrel-proof Tennessee Rye Whiskey were drawn from three distinctive barrelhouse locations — Coy Hill, Boiler Hill, and Fire Brigade Fields — each imparting different characteristics. Available only at the distillery’s White Rabbit Bottle Shop in Lynchburg at $64.99 for a 375mL bottle. Road trip worthy.
Scotch
Oban 15 Port Cask Finish continues its rollout after debuting in March. This single malt spends 15 years in American oak hogsheads, then finishes in 100% American oak ruby Port casks sourced from Porto, Portugal. The result is a classic West Highland Oban character deepened with dark fruit and a touch of sweetness — a solid addition to any shelf that trends toward approachable coastal Scotch.
Irish & Japanese
This week was relatively quiet on the Irish and Japanese front, but keep an eye on Voting for the English Whisky Awards 2026, which opened this week. Several Japanese-influenced expressions made the nomination lists, reflecting the continued cross-pollination of whisky styles globally. Results are expected in coming weeks.
Craft & Limited Editions
New Riff Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon made huge news by taking home World’s Best Bourbon at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards — an almost unbelievable achievement for a bottle that retails around $40 with wide distribution across all 50 states. If you don’t have one on your shelf, fix that this week. It’s the rare case where the best and the affordable are the same bottle.
Texas Distillery Spotlight
Garrison Brothers — 2026 Lady Bird
The Hye, Texas distillery had its biggest release week of the year with the 2026 Lady Bird, a Texas Straight Bourbon infused with Burleson’s Texas Wildflower Honey and finished in French Cognac XO casks. The process is a labor of love: four years in new white American oak, then 8–9 months of honey infusion, then another three years resting in cognac casks. The result is a lush, layered Texas bourbon with a floral sweetness that honors Lady Bird Johnson’s legacy of wildflower conservation.
This year’s release totaled 7,000 bottles — the first 2,000 went out the door at 8 a.m. on April 4 at the distillery, and an online allocation followed on April 13. Both rounds moved fast. If you missed it, watch secondary markets carefully or mark your calendar for next April. The 2026 release also includes a new Cask Strength edition for those who want the Lady Bird experience without the softening touch of dilution.
Garrison Brothers remains one of the most important distilleries in Texas — not just for their bourbon, but for what they’ve built in the Texas Hill Country and the national conversation about what Texas whiskey can be.
What We’re Pouring This Week
The Four Roses acquisition news is all the conversation at the bar, but the pour of the week has to be New Riff Bottled-in-Bond. When the same bottle wins World’s Best Bourbon and costs $40, you owe it to yourself to crack one open and understand why. Pair that with some reflection on the Wenzel Sherry Barrel if you’re feeling indulgent — two very different approaches to finishing, both worth your glass time this week.
On the Horizon
The Angel’s Envy 10-Year Rye will continue flowing into allocated accounts over the next few weeks, so check with your local whiskey shop if you’re chasing a bottle. The DISCUS 2026 Awards are wrapping up, with Eddie Russell of Wild Turkey taking the Lifetime Achievement honor — expect some celebratory Wild Turkey releases in the months ahead. And with tariff pressures and overproduction creating unusual dynamics in the American whiskey market according to recent Bloomberg reporting, the smart money may be looking at value bottles now rather than chasing allocated labels.
“Do not indulge in expectations of what is not yet here, but rather enjoy what you have now to the full.” — Marcus Aurelius. A good dram is always the one in your hand.