It's This Week in Bourbon for April 17th 2026. Sazerac has reportedly approached Brown-Forman regarding a potential merger, MGP stops distilling operations at Limestone Branch Distillery and Lux Row Distillers, and Oscar Mayer has announced its first bacon innovation in five years with the launch of Maple Bourbon Bacon with Evan Williams.

Show Notes:

Sazerac has approached Brown-Forman with a rival merger bid, complicating Brown-Forman’s ongoing "merger of equals" talks with Pernod Ricard
Sazerac has rebranded its La Vergne, Tennessee, site as the AJ Bond Distillery and will launch its first Tennessee whiskey this summer
MGP Ingredients is idling distilling operations at two Kentucky facilities for at least 12 months starting May 1, 2026, to address market oversupply
Kentucky Artisan Distillery Program launched a new single barrel program offering smaller 15- and 25-gallon barrels to increase accessibility for consumers
A new 60-seat speakeasy focused on bourbon history and Prohibition-era legends will open beneath Louisville's Hotel Distil on May 5, 2026
Give 270's 19th Whiskey Wednesdays round, the "Bourbon Buddy Bonus," features weekly raffles for rare whiskey through June 24, 2026
GALLO has acquired Four Roses Bourbon from Kirin Holdings, bringing the historic brand back under U.S. family ownership
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail hosted 2.7 million visitors in 2025, with 80% traveling from outside Kentucky and 62% reporting household incomes over $100,000
Foley Family Wines & Spirits launched Gambit No. 6, a 6-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in six different barrel types, priced at $69.99
James B. Beam Distilling Co. launched the Blender's Edition 01, a 10-year-old, 106-proof release priced at $44.99
New Riff/Rhinegeist released DUET American Whiskey, a 6-year-old, 111.2-proof blend of malted barley, raw barley, and rye priced at $79.99
Hard Truth French Oak Finished Bourbon, a sweet mash whiskey finished in French oak casks, is available now for $69.99
Rabbit Hole Raceking’s new 6-year-old, 5-grain mash bill bourbon debuts on April 14, 2026, at its Louisville distillery
Buffalo Trace is releasing the Single Oak Rye Bourbon ($74.99) and the Experimental Collection Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon ($46.99) this April
Oscar Mayer partnered with Evan Williams to launch a new maple bourbon-cured bacon as part of an annual innovation strategy
Koopers is releasing 225 bottles of a 7-year-old, Cognac-cask finished rye on April 11, 2026, priced at $80 per bottle
The third "Greats of the Gate" bottle, honoring Hall of Fame horse Northern Dancer, releases April 16, 2026, to support Kentucky nonprofits

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