Wildcask Bourbon 2026 release is bottled and ready to hit shelves
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 16, 2026) — Following its inaugural release in 2025, Wildcask Bourbon has returned with a new release to be sampled and enjoyed with friends this spring.
Students in the University of Kentucky James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits spent the entire academic year developing the new release of UK’s first and only bourbon brand in the Commercialization of Distilled Spirits course.
With the second release, students were able to carry over elements they enjoyed about the first and put a new spin on the spirit.
The 2026 release has an entirely different blend from the first edition, from four sources: 24% James B. Beam Distilling Co. eight-year (mash bill 78/13/0/9), 24% Four Roses eight-year (mash bill 60/35/0/5), 39% Bardstown Bourbon Co. six-year (mash bill 53/0/39/8) and 13% Bardstown Bourbon Co. five-year (68/0/20/12). All proceeds from Wildcask Bourbon are invested back into the Beam Institute to support student education and research.
“Being involved in the blending process was one of my favorite parts of the class,” said Isaac Downs, a UK senior majoring in business management with a minor in international business. “We talked a lot about branding in the first semester and how to put your story in every part of your product from the packaging to the stuff inside the bottle. We drew on that knowledge when we learned to blend, and we developed a bourbon that is unique, approachable and full of flavor.”
Throughout the two-semester course, industry professionals spoke to the class about their respective areas, including blending, distribution, finance, and bottle and enclosure procurement. Students also visited label printing facilities, distribution warehouses and different-sized distilleries, gaining first-hand access to some of the strongest minds in the beverage industry.
Gavin Lincavage is taking the course as well, but his full-time job is being a winemaker at Talon Winery. He said the class has taught him more about the industry.
“The business side of the alcohol industry has always felt mysterious to me,” Lincavage said. “We had so many great members of our team and amazing support from the Beam Institute."
Those who would like to purchase Wildcask can reserve their bottles ahead of time. Bottles will be held until April 27, when consumers must purchase and pick up their bottles at the Beam Institute, 1320 Nicholasville Road in Lexington. Instructions on parking and when to arrive for pickup will be sent to the email address customers used to reserve their bottles.
Wildcask Bourbon is made possible by the support of Suntory Global Spirits, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Four Roses Bourbon, ByQuest packaging, Cursive Solutions Inc., and W. Bahan Designs.
“The students continue to impress with this 2026 edition,” said Seth DeBolt, Ph.D., director of the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits. “The level of energy, enthusiasm and learning is wonderful. They used the mash bills to blend one of the smoothest whiskies you will meet, and I’m truly blown away.”
Sign up to reserve your bottles of Wildcask Bourbon’s 2026 release.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.