4 New Whiskeys Worth Hunting This Week, From Whiskey Row to Weston

A members-only rye from Whiskey Row, a dessert-named blend, an archived 11-year rye and a 10-year birthday bourbon from Missouri. Here's what's new this week.

Mid-October is when the release calendar stops trickling and starts pouring. In just the last week, four new bottles were announced that each scratch a different itch: one for the barrel-proof rye fiend, one for the blend nerd, one for the collector who loves an archived barrel, and one for the road-tripper willing to drive just north of Kansas City for a distillery-only drop. None of these has made our lists yet, so pull up a stool.

1. Pursuit United XS Double Oak Rye

The Pursuit Spirits crew (yes, the Bourbon Pursuit podcast folks) just launched a new line called XS Double Oak, with "XS" standing for "Extra Special." The first release takes a blend of straight ryes from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Sagamore Spirit and gives it nearly two years of secondary maturation in full-size American oak barrels from Seguin Moreau's Napa cooperage, built with a No. 3 char and toasted heads. Those barrels reportedly cost about six times what a typical new barrel runs. Only 720 bottles exist. Co-founder Kenny Coleman put the philosophy simply: "The intentionality with XSDO is making sure the barrels are not a commodity." The official notes call out pepperoni and dried herbs on the nose, toffee and maple, burnt sugar on the palate and a pipe tobacco, cola and roasted mocha finish.

Proof: 126.2 (barrel proof) | Suggested price: $149.99 | Availability: 720 bottles, only at Pursuit's Whiskey Row location in Louisville starting October 14. 92% go to existing P. Club members, the rest to new members who join in person. No online sales or shipping.

How to pour it: Can't land a bottle? It's also being poured at Trial + Error, the cocktail lounge underneath Whiskey Row. Order it neat, let it breathe, then add a few drops of water to tame that 126 proof.

2. Barrell Craft Spirits 12-Year French Toast(ed)

Louisville blending house Barrell is back with its second 12-year bourbon finished in French oak, this time with a name that tells you exactly where the flavor lands. It's a blend of straight bourbons from Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Wyoming, aged 12 to 17 years, then finished in several French oak casks with different toast levels, with a focus on Grand Chauffe barrels. Barrell says the French toast notes "naturally emerged from the blend": toasted brioche, vanilla custard, roasted nuts, cinnamon, clove and crème brûlée. Founder Joe Beatrice says the team takes "a vintage-like approach with each batch," so don't expect it to taste like last year's.

Proof: 107.24 | Suggested price: $159.99 | Availability: Online at barrellbourbon.com and select retailers, announced October 13

How to pour it: This one's built for brunch, so lean in. Pour it neat next to a cup of black coffee on a slow Sunday morning and see if you get the crème brûlée.

3. Proof & Precedent M11 Straight Rye

Louisville brand Proof & Precedent kicked off a new limited edition series with M11, an 11-year straight rye built from four archived barrels with a No. 3 char. The whiskey was distilled in Illinois in the spring of 2015 and aged in Bardstown. Here's the cool twist: once Chief Blender Marcus Niemann assembled the blend, it went back into one of the original barrels for another month of rest before bottling. It's barrel strength and non-chill filtered.

Proof: Barrel strength (exact proof not announced) | Suggested price: $185.99 | Availability: Limited quantities beginning October 2026, exclusively through Seelbach's

How to pour it: An 11-year rye deserves a proper Glencairn and some patience. Try it neat first, then make yourself a stirred rye Manhattan with a splash of the leftovers if you're feeling generous.

4. Ben Holladay 10 Year Bourbon

Our wild card comes from Weston, Missouri, where Holladay Distillery (founded in 1856) is celebrating its 170th anniversary year with its oldest bourbon yet. It's the original Ben Holladay mash bill, aged ten years in the distillery's iron-clad rickhouses, with Master Distiller Kyle Merklein hand-selecting the standout barrels. On landing at 111 proof, Merklein said, "we felt like we found the sweet spot."

Proof: 111 | Suggested price: Not announced | Availability: Distillery only in Weston, Missouri, starting Saturday, October 17 at 10 a.m. Limited quantities, one bottle per person, while supply lasts.

How to pour it: Make it a road trip. Get there early Saturday, take your first pour neat, and raise a glass to 170 years of Missouri whiskey making.

The Bottom Line

If you're in Louisville and you're a P. Club member, the XS Double Oak Rye is the week's must-hunt. The best bet for everyone else is Barrell's French Toast(ed), which you can actually order online. Rye collectors should be watching Seelbach's for M11, and if you're anywhere near Kansas City this Saturday, Holladay's 10-year is worth the drive.

Which one is going on your hunt list? Drop your pick in the comments, and keep listening to Barrels, Banter & Blind Tigers, the Blind Tiger Collective podcast, for more stories from the rickhouse and beyond.

Please enjoy responsibly. Prices are suggested retail and may vary by market.

Sources: Breaking Bourbon (Pursuit Spirits press release); The Whiskey Wash (Pursuit United XS Double Oak); Breaking Bourbon (Barrell press release); The Whiskey Wash (Barrell French Toast(ed)); Breaking Bourbon (Proof & Precedent press release); PR Newswire (Holladay Distillery press release).

Header photo by Timothy James on Unsplash.