American Whiskey Report January 2025

American Whiskey Report January 2025

One of the biggest American whiskey news stories right now are Brown-Forman’s layoffs of 12% of its global workforce, including the shuttering of its Louisville Cooperage, as the global whiskey market contracts. Fortunately, there’s still good news in the whiskey space, namely that the TTB has FINALLY recognized American Single Malt as a category as of January 19, 2025. Really. It’s for real this time! Now on to the American Whiskey news you can use.

Product Releases

Good Deeds Batch 2

• Good Deeds Spirits has released Good Deeds Whiskey Batch #2, a mingling of Bourbon and rye barrels from different distilleries, the sales of which support ACSA’s STEPUP Foundation which helps provide training for individuals from underrepresented groups.

• Woodford Reserve has a new limited release — Woodford Reserve Batch Proof. In additional Woodford Reserve news, its beloved Double Double Oaked Bourbon, once only available in Kentucky is now available nationwide in a 700ml bottle.

• Chattanooga Whiskey’s last experimental batch of 2024 is Batch 002: Smoked High Malt, a whiskey that features multiple barleys and multiple wood smokes.

• The Van Winkle collection was released at the end of 2024 and includes ORVW 1 year Bourbon, Van Winkle Family Reserve 12 year Bourbon, Van Winkle Reserve 13 year Rye, and Pappy Van Winkle 15 year, 20 year, and 23 year Bourbons.

Penelope Havana

• Penelope has released Havana, a Bourbon with a double-cask finish that includes a rum barrel and a 17 year old light whiskey.

• Town Branch has released its oldest yet Bottled-in-Bond American Single Malt whiskey at 15 years old.

• Log Still Distillery has partnered with the Archdiocese of Louisville to release a special collaboration bottle, Faithfully Crafted: The Trinity Blend Bourbon. A portion of proceeds will go to the Archdiocese to support its local missions.

• Old Forester has released its 1924 expression in the Whiskey Row series, a 10 year old Bourbon, for the second year.

• Oxmoor Bourbon Company is releasing its first single barrel on January 17, 2024.

• Hinterhaus is releasing a new batch of American Single Malt  in its Discovery Series in partnership with Admiral Malting.

• The third release of Raconteur Rye is headed to shelves now. It is batched from two Kentucky distilled 95/5 rye whiskeys and is finished in Mizunara barrels.

QuintEssential Bottle Wine Club

• Cedar Ridge’s The QuintEssential has released Special Release: Wine Club The First Meeting, an American Single Malt whiskey aged and finished in a variety of casks.

• Buffalo Trace has released the Prohibition collection, featuring labels that were sold during the Prohibition era. There’s also a corresponding series of cigars made by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group available separately.

• Garrard County Distilling has a new All Nations Kentucky Straight Bourbon release featuring 5-7 year old whiskeys sourced and blended by the team.

People News

John Scarborough CEO Pinhook

• Pinhook Bourbon has appointed John Scarborough as CEO.

• Freddie Johnson was the star of a new Buffalo Trace ad, which first aired during Yellowstone. Grab your tissues — it’s a tear jerker.

• Emily Pennington, formerly of Wine & Spirits Daily & Park Street University, has been named COO of the ACSA.

• Dan Leese is stepping down as CEO of Hotaling & Co.

• Uncle Nearest’s Raise the Bar Initiative has announced its latest cohort:

• Andre Sykes paired with Kate Gerwin

• Brandon Archilla paired with Jon Santer 

• Michael “Daddy Long Legs” George paired with Chris Cabrera 

• De’Qustay Johnson paired with Eddie Simeón 

• Diesha Banner paired with Tiffanie Barriere 

• Eli Brown paired with Miguel Lancha 

• Hansel Morales paired with Kate Boushel 

• Kai Lucas paired with Tracie Franklin 

• Monique Vaughan paired with Ivy Mix

• Rhianna Fairchild paired with Anu Apte

• Shelby Burgess paired with Erick Castro

• Sho Jackson paired with Karl Franz Williams

Other News

• Bardstown Bourbon Company has partnered with the Brindiamo Group to provide a new service to NDPs buying barrels of whiskey. Companies now have the option to only purchase the liquid inside the barrel while leasing the barrel itself, cutting the cost of the barrel out of the equation.

• Balance Distilling Company has joined the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

• American Single Malt Whiskey is now officially a real thing! The new definition, finally approved by the TTB after YEARS of negotiations, goes into effect on January 19, 2025. Hooray!

• Brown-Forman has reached its goal of 100% regenerative agricultural practices being used by all the farmers it works with directly. The company has also announced the closure of its Louisville cooperage, eliminating over 200 jobs during a global restructuring to reduce the workforce by 12%.

• Laws Whiskey House has opened a new tasting room called the Whiskey Sanctuary.

New Riff Distilling Bottling Line

• New Riff Distilling has announced that its core products are now available in all 50 states.

• The Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition, an industry group made up of 52 trade organizations, is working against the clock to prevent retaliatory whiskey tariffs of 50% from being placed on American-made whiskeys.

• The TTB has proposed labeling regulations for nutritional facts and major allergens on all wine, beer, and spirits as well as changes to the way alcohol content is listed. If passed, this will be a slow phase-in, so don’t look for carb counts on your favorite beverage for several years.

Bonus Cocktail Recipe

Milam & Greene Lone Star Cocoa 

1.5 oz Milam & Greene Unabridged Vol. 3 Bourbon

3 oz prepared Mexican hot chocolate

.5 oz Ancho Reyes

3 dashes Hella Mexican Chocolate Bitters

Add whiskey, bitters and Ancho Reyes to a tin mug. Stir well. Add hot chocolate next and stir well again. Garnish with a dusting of cinnamon and if you’re feeling frisky, drop some mini marshmallows on top and a dusting of cinnamon and cayenne.