Whiskey Roundup — Week of May 24–30, 2026
May 25, 2026
Whiskey Roundup — Week of May 24–30, 2026
Your weekly dispatch from the Backyard Whiskey Club.
This week delivered a full pour of action across the whiskey world — from a Texas Hill Country sweepstakes that’s basically every backyard bourbon lover’s dream, to WhistlePig stirring up a patriotic campaign to crown rye as America’s official spirit. Add a landmark 30-year Scotch, a round of strong new bourbon releases, and an Irish distillery milestone, and the glass is anything but half empty.
This Week’s Headlines
- Garrison Brothers teams up with Tuff Shed to build the ultimate Backyard Bourbon Barn — and they’re giving one away in a sweepstakes running through September 30.
- WhistlePig launches a “Rye Revolution” with two new America 250 releases and a petition to make rye whiskey the official spirit of the United States — aiming for Congress by July 4th.
- Glenmorangie’s The Thirty (30-year Highland single malt, $990) now stands as the oldest expression in the distillery’s core range, with availability expanding to more markets this month.
- Heaven Hill takes “America’s Greatest Whiskey 2026” at the ADI International Spirits Competition — and it’s a rye expression leading the charge.
- Shed Distillery marks a milestone with its 10-year-old Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, celebrating a decade of distilling in Connacht.
New & Notable Releases
Bourbon
Preservation Distillery’s 2026 Immaculata is the kind of release that makes whiskey hunters set an alarm. This three-barrel blend combines an 8-year Wheated Pot Distilled Bourbon, a 10-year High Rye Kentucky Bourbon, and a 19-year Kentucky Bourbon — all at a punchy 118.2 proof. It dropped May 16 at the distillery, and if you missed it, start hunting the secondary now.
High West Bourye 2026 is back with an elevated 101 proof and a blend of straight bourbon and rye whiskeys aged between 10 and 19 years. This national limited release is one of High West’s most beloved expressions, and the extra proof bump this year should make it even more interesting in the glass. Keep an eye on your local specialty retailer.
Maker’s Mark Star Hill Farm Whisky (Second Release) deserves attention if you can find it. This is only the second release of Maker’s first new mash bill in seven decades — and their first wheat whisky ever. It’s a genuinely historic bottling for a distillery that doesn’t change its recipe lightly.
Rye
WhistlePig’s America 250 lineup gave rye lovers two new bottles this week. The Rye, White & Blue PiggyBank is a 10-year Straight Rye at 55% ABV, bottled in a pig-shaped patriotic decanter — available now online and at select retailers. Declaration Wheat Whiskey rounds out the pair: 86 proof, high wheat mashbill, double-aged in new American oak, positioned as an easy summer sipper. Alongside the releases, WhistlePig launched the “Rye Revolution” petition — if it hits 1,776 signatures by July 4th, they’re taking it to Congress to get rye declared America’s official whiskey. Worth signing just on principle.
Abraham Bowman Special Release #26 Rye already passed through its lottery window (May 4–11), but winners have until May 31 to pick up bottles in person at the A. Smith Bowman gift shop in Fredericksburg, Virginia. If you entered and won, don’t sleep on it.
Scotch
Glenmorangie The Thirty is the headliner north of the border this month. Released at 43% ABV and priced at $990 USD, this 30-year Highland single malt blends Burgundy red wine cask-matured spirit (two-thirds of the recipe, aged at least 15 years in those casks) with classic bourbon cask Glenmorangie. The result, crafted by Dr. Bill Lumsden MBE, is described as layered and vinous with classic Glenmorangie elegance. Produced in small batches as a permanent core expression.
Glen Scotia’s Campbeltown Malts Festival Release is a more approachable (and fun) Scotch pick this week. This medium-peated 7-year-old was finished for six months in ruby port casks and bottled at cask strength — 53.9% ABV — for just £59. The Festival draws whisky fans to Campbeltown each May, and this bottle captures that bold, regional character perfectly.
Irish & Japanese
Shed Distillery’s Drumshanbo Single Pot Still 10 Year Old is a landmark release — the first 10-year-old from the distillery that brought legal distilling back to Connacht, Ireland after more than a century. Since first distillation on December 21, 2014, Shed has been building a reputation for precise, site-specific Irish whiskey. This expression matured in French Tronçais oak casks and represents a serious coming-of-age moment for the distillery. Watch for wider release details.
On the auction side, Bonhams Hong Kong runs its “Legendary Japanese Whisky” sale on May 30 — potentially the highest hammer-price sale of the month for collectors following the rare Japanese market.
Craft & Limited Editions
New Riff 2026 Single Malt Whiskey hit shelves May 15 at the distillery and select retailers nationwide — 7 years old, bottled at 111.7 proof, priced at $69.99. New Riff has been quietly building a single malt program that punches well above its price point. This is a great opportunity to try an American single malt from one of the Midwest’s most serious craft producers.
Texas Distillery Spotlight
Garrison Brothers Distillery — Hye, Texas
Texas’s first and oldest legal whiskey distillery is in the news this week for something a little different: a collaboration with Tuff Shed, Inc. to build an absolutely loaded Backyard Bourbon Barn. The 10×12 structure lives at the Hye distillery through September 30, where visitors can step inside and experience the Hill Country bourbon retreat vibe firsthand — barn wood siding, a six-foot bar, leather furniture, custom LED signage, and all. More importantly, they’re giving one away. Enter the Garrison Brothers Tuff Shed Backyard Bourbon Barn Sweepstakes at their website for a chance to have Tuff Shed deliver and install the barn at your home, with Garrison Brothers finishing the interior themselves. The sweepstakes runs through September 30, 2026.
Meanwhile, Garrison Brothers’ Cowboy Bourbon was named the must-try bottle at the 2026 Texas Whiskey Festival — continuing its run as one of the most sought-after high-proof Texas bourbons on the market.
What We’re Pouring This Week
The WhistlePig Rye, White & Blue PiggyBank is the easy pick if you want something festive and well-aged for the Memorial Day weekend. But the real sleeper buy this week is the New Riff Single Malt — seven years, cask strength, under seventy bucks. American single malts don’t get nearly enough love, and New Riff’s version is a worthy introduction. If you’re in the mood for something Texas, dig into the Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon — the Whiskey Festival co-sign just validates what we already knew.
On the Horizon
The Sotheby’s Whisky & Whiskey online auction runs June 11–26, with all proceeds benefiting the Bernheim Forest and Arboretum — a rare chance to bid for a good cause. Expect more Texas Whiskey Festival coverage to surface in the coming days as the event recap rolls in. And keep an eye on Balcones Distillery in Waco, which recently began filling 500-liter virgin oak barrels to experiment with 8-, 10-, and 12-year expressions — Texas may be entering its long-age era sooner than anyone expected.
“Do not indulge in expectations that reach into the future — enjoy what is here, in what is given.” — Marcus Aurelius. Every dram is an invitation to be exactly where you are.