The new year is just beginning, but we’re already excited about the bourbon landscape in 2025!
Thanks to public label filings with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, we whiskey fans have a semi-reliable crystal ball to peer into the future of bourbon releases. While not every label that a brand files comes to fruition (and there’s certainly no accounting for the timeframe when these releases will hit stores if they are indeed coming), it’s still fun to stretch our imagination and predict what may be coming down the pipeline.
Again, we can’t guarantee that all of these expressions will see the light of day and a fair bit of this is purely speculative, but we’ve certainly got our fingers crossed! To compile this list, we took a combination of public declarations from brands (i.e., Heaven’s Door and Penelope), public label filings with the TTB, and speculation based on previously announced release schedules (i.e., Daniel Weller). Lastly, we’re hoping all of these releases hit liquor stores, so instead of ranking them, we’ll lay out the full wishlist alphabetically and include a note on whether or not the brand has confirmed each release.
With that out of the way, let’s get into our list of the top 25 upcoming bourbons we’re excited about in 2025!
Booker’s Bourbon The Reserves 2025
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
When Booker’s The Reserves was launched in 2024, Jim Beam made it clear that this would be a new annual expression intended to expand the Booker’s lineup and allow newly minted Master Distiller Freddie Noe some leeway to tinker with his grandfather’s most prized bourbon brand.
The inaugural release was a smash hit, and given how many incredible new releases Beam put out in 2024, there should be no doubt that 2025’s The Reserves will be another winner.
Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
While previous years have seen one member of Buffalo Trace’s vaunted Antique Collection held back due to quality control concerns, you can pretty much expect each of these bottles to hit shelves each year in early November. Last year’s lineup featured a stellar Thomas H. Handy bottling and a predictably impressive George T. Stagg, and we’re definitely excited to see how the 2025 bunch compares!
Buffalo Trace O.F.C. 2006
Release Status: Unconfirmed TTB Filing
The Whiskey:
One of the newest TTB-approved labels on our list understandably comes with some of the fewest details, but based on previous O.F.C. releases, it’s also one of the bottles we’re most pumped about! Here’s what the back label will reportedly say:
“The Year is 2006. Walt Disney announces the acquisition of animation studio Pixar in a groundbreaking all-stock transaction. Twitter launches, sparking the rise of microblogging. The International Astronomical Union redefines Pluto as a dwarf planet, sparking a worldwide debate over the understanding of our Solar System.”
While the label doesn’t include this detail, the TTB filing clarifies that this is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Finally, this edition of O.F.C. was distilled in 2006 (thus the name), which means this is potentially 19-year-old bourbon!
Buffalo Trace Distillery Prohibition Collection 2025
Release Status: Confirmed
The Whiskey:
The 2025 Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection has officially been announced, and it marks the second time that Buffalo Trace has mined its archives to revive brands from the Prohibition era to recreate them for the modern drinker. This year’s collection features five expressions: Anderson’s Belle, a wheated bottled in bond bourbon, Very Oldest Procurable, an aged Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Silver Wedding, 125-proof rye, Mountain Corn, a corn whiskey, and Mirror Brook, a bottled in bond whiskey blend.
Each label is directly tied to the former President of the then-George T. Stagg Distillery, Albert B. Blanton. Those connections were traced by Sazerac’s Lead Archivist, Nick Laracuente, through copious notes and correspondences that Blanton kept.
Fun fact: much of that original archiving was done by a single longtime Buffalo Trace employee who simply thought the pictures were cool!
Colonel E.H. Taylor Distiller’s Council Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Release Status: Unconfirmed TTB Filing
The Whiskey:
What can we say about E.H. Taylor Distiller’s Council Bourbon? Well, not much. The release has not been confirmed by Buffalo Trace, and with the only news about it coming from the scant TTB label filing, the only thing we know for sure is that if this expression is coming, and if it’s released in 2025, it will be a bottled in bond bourbon.
That, however, doesn’t mean we aren’t excited! Watch this space for any potential updates throughout the year.
Colonel Randolph 16-Year Single Barrel Bourbon
Release Status: Confirmed
The Whiskey:
If a 16-year, single-barrel, Kentucky Straight Bourbon selected by Gordon Hue doesn’t make your heart start racing, either you aren’t into bourbon, or we need to educate you. Hue is behind the iconic A.H. Hirsch bourbon, famously known as “the best bourbon you’ll never taste.” You can learn a little bit more about that bottle here.
Hue was also responsible for the original Colonel Randolph 16-Year Bourbon, an offshoot of A.H. Hirsch, and now Old Commonwealth Distillery is reviving the brand with this 2025 offering. Made from a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% wheat, and 12% malted barley, this bourbon will be released in only a matter of weeks, and if it’s half as good as the original, expect it to be an instant whiskey of the year contender.
Daniel Weller
Release Status: Safe To Assume
The Whiskey:
When the first release of Daniel Weller was announced, Buffalo Trace said there were “plans to release one limited expression every other year.” Well, because that inaugural expression hit the market in 2023, we’re going to go ahead and say that we can likely expect Daniel Weller’s 2nd edition to land in 2025, which is cause for celebration.
Buffalo Trace has slowly been expanding their premium portfolio, and if Eagle Rare 25 being named UPROXX’s Whiskey of the Year in 2023 is any indication, we’re ready to welcome that expansion with open arms.
Dream Spirits “It Was All A…” Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon
Release Status: Confirmed
The Whiskey:
This single-barrel bourbon was hand-selected by Dream Spirits founder Prav Saraff in collaboration with UPROXX’s Head Whiskey Writer Frank Dobbins, and obviously we’re really excited about this one! This 11-year bourbon was distilled in Indiana and grew of age at Dream Spirits’ Leesburg, Virginia facility before being selected for non-chill filtered bottling alongside a core of additional industry veterans Da’Mon Brown and Denaya Jones.
Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon 2025
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon is perhaps the most underrated annual limited edition in the bourbon world. This is seriously delicious stuff, and by our count, the lineup hasn’t had a single “off” expression throughout its history. Sure, some years are better than others.
Still, Brent Elliott has been operating at a consistently high level since ascending to the role of Master Distiller in 2015, and with 2025 marking his tenth anniversary, it’s possible he could have something truly special up his sleeves for this year’s release.
Heaven’s Door Bootleg Series Volume VI
Release Status: Confirmed
The Whiskey:
This expression is 100% confirmed, and it’s already available for pre-sale here. So, what is it? How does a 12-year, wheated straight bourbon that was finished in air-dried, lightly toasted Limousin cigar barrels sound? Typical of all the Bootleg Series releases, this bottle features custom artwork by Bob Dylan himself (whose having quite a year already), and it’s packaged inside a leather carrying case.
Jack Daniel’s 14-Year Tennessee Whiskey
Release Status: Safe To Assume
The Whiskey:
We’ll be honest: this is the most “confirmed” of the “unconfirmed” bottles on this list. Several images of this bottle and label have hit the net recently, but we’ll hold off on making that call until Jack Daniel’s officially announces it.
What we know for now is that this is expected to be the newest member of Jack Daniel’s age-stated lineup, bottled at “batch proof”, and matured for 14 years, making it the oldest and highest ABV expression in the series to date. That alone is enough for us to start eagerly awaiting an official confirmation from the folks out of Lynchburg, Tennessee.
K. Luke Barrel Strength Single Barrel Bourbon
Release Status: Unconfirmed TTB Filing
The Whiskey:
K. Luke’s barrel-proof batches have been flying under the radar as some of the best bourbons in the game for far too long. If this TTB filing is to be believed, K. Luke’s introduction of a single-barrel product to their portfolio should help drum up some genuine excitement. Expect that excitement to reach a fever pitch if they open a single-barrel program to retailers and private groups.
Of course, we’ll have to wait and see because, for now, this one is purely speculative.
King Of Kentucky Bourbon
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
Brown Forman’s King of Kentucky has ascended to the throne of annual bourbon releases quite quickly in the seven years since its inaugural relaunch in 2018. Now, in 2025, it’s fair to say that this is the best and most sought-after annual bourbon release year in and year out, so it’s only right we give it a slot on this list.
There aren’t currently any details on 2025’s release, but 2024’s outstanding expression was age-stated at 16 years and earned an impressive spot on our Best Bourbons of the Year list.
Knob Creek Cask Strength Single Barrel Select Bourbon
Release Status: All But Confirmed
The Whiskey:
We’ve covered the full Knob Creek lineup here on UPROXX before, and to sum it up for the TL;DR crowd: it’s loaded with bangers. If this TTB filing is accurate (and imminent), then the top of that list should face some stiff competition when we see barrel-proof Knob Creek single barrels hitting the market.
Notably, the TTB filing says this is a single-barrel select bourbon, which indicates that this expression will exclusively feature private selections and not distillery selections. Word is that these selections have already begun, so we’ll surely see them hitting liquor store shelves soon.
Update: A label was just TTB-approved for a rye version of this expression as well.
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2025
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
We’ve been outspoken fans of every Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged release, so naturally, we’re pumped to see what the legacy distillery has in store for us this year. You know the details by now: Maker’s Mark delicious wheated bourbon matured for at least 12 years, with the latter part of that maturation cycle taking place in their cellar, which naturally slows oak extraction while continuing to develop flavor.
The bottom line is that last year’s release was some of the best bourbon produced in Maker’s Mark’s 71-year history, and we have no doubt that they can one-up that offering this year.
Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon 2025
Release Status: Safe To Assume
The Whiskey:
We’re only wary about this one because Michter’s quality control team is tight. So much so that they actually opted not to release the 2022 version of this expression, holding it back an extra year before dropping the award-winning 2023 edition. The Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon that we got in 2024 was equally exceptional, earning high praise on a bunch of our blind tastings and premium bourbon round-ups from last year.
With that kind of wind beneath its wings, we’re anxious to see the heights that Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon can reach in 2025.
Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond Decanter Series Bourbon
Release Status: Confirmed Biannual Release
The Whiskey:
The Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series has always kept us guessing. With different age statements coming with each release, things were already unpredictable. Then, in 2024, Heaven Hill decided to dust off some whiskey distilled in 1999 and dumped in steel tanks in 2013, where it rested for 11 long years before seeing the light of day.
Who knows what 2025’s Old Fitzgerald releases will be, but let’s just say our expectations are sky-high after a successful 2024 campaign.
Old Forester 1924 Batch 2
Release Status: Confirmed
The Whiskey:
News of this expression was recently released, and though Old Forester is sticking to the same script as 2024’s inaugural release, we’re perfectly fine with that. Last year’s initial offering from this lineup was a kingslayer that held its own in several of our toughest blind-tasting matchups.
The best thing we could ask for with Old Forester 1924 is more of the same, and thankfully, for 2025’s release, the good folks at Brown-Forman will be obliging.
Parker’s Heritage Collection 19th Edition
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
For the 18th Edition of Parker’s Heritage, whiskey fans were treated to 14-year-old Malt Whiskey aged in the upper floors of Rickhouses O and Q that was finished in reconstructed ex-Cognac barrels that included new heavy-toast staves. Each year’s Parker’s Heritage expression to date has featured a curveball to create a lineup that counts bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskey, among other styles in its number.
It’s anybody’s guess what Edition 19 will be, but given the consistently impressive quality of each release, we can’t say that we care. We just can’t wait to get our hands on it.
Penelope Havana Bourbon
Release Status: Currently Available For Purchase
The Whiskey:
Penelope has always excelled at creating wholly unique blends that others in the industry either fall over themselves to imitate or whisper behind closed doors that they wish they had thought of first. The latest iteration in that enviable legacy is “Havana,” a straight bourbon whiskey double-finished in Caribbean rum and 100% farm-sourced maple syrup barrels.
While the specs make this sound like a decadent dessert in a glass, we have faith that Penelope Master Blender and co-founder Danny Polise will thread the needle and deliver a whiskey that can serve as a main course as much as a nightcap.
Pinhook Bourbon Vertical Series Aged 10 Years
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
Pinhook’s Vertical Series of bourbon and rye has been one of the most intriguing, innovative lineups in the American whiskey world over the past few years.
The idea is simple enough: use the same stock of 1,350 MGP-distilled bourbon barrels over their life cycle for an annual release to showcase their growing maturity and continued evolution. Now that these barrels are finally hitting double-digits, we’re in the 7th year of an anticipated 9-year journey that will conclude once these barrels hit 12 years of age.
Preservation Distillery Very Olde St. Nick Bourbon “Straight Outta Bardstown” Aged 10 Years
Release Status: Safe To Assume
The Whiskey:
Details on this expression are scant, after all, we are basing our excitement on an unconfirmed TTB filing. Despite that, what we do know is that we loved Preservation Distillery’s 9-year “Straight Outta Bardstown” bourbon, and with an additional year of maturity, we expect this release to be even better than its predecessor.
Update: Images of this bottle sporting a green label, similar to the 9-year release, have hit the net, so we upgraded this from “Unconfirmed TTB Filing” to “Safe To Assume.”
Rare Character Old Cassidy II
Release Status: Unconfirmed/Speculative
The Whiskey:
Rare Character’s founder, Pablo Moix, has always been adamant that last year’s wildly successful Old Cassidy Single Barrel Bourbon (selected by yours truly) would be the only release from the brand in 2024. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t see a sequel to the historic release in 2025.
This one is purely speculative right now, but if there is a follow-up release of Old Cassidy, we’re here for it, no matter what form it takes.
Russell’s Reserve 13-Year Bourbon
Release Status: Safe To Assume
The Whiskey:
It seems that this spectacular age-stated series from Russell’s Reserve is something us bourbon fans can look forward to for the foreseeable future! Last year brought us Russell’s Reserve 15-Year Bourbon, which was arguably the most critically acclaimed release of the year, and now the brand is returning to the age statement that kicked the series off with a 13-year bourbon.
The first few batches of Russell’s Reserve 13-Year immediately received a warm welcome from the bourbon community and it’s continued to hold up even against an onslaught of new releases from other top brands, and within the Wild Turkey portfolio itself. With that said, we know this is going to be another can’t-miss release.
Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Bourbon
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
The Single Rickhouse series from Russell’s Reserve has been shining a light on the unique characteristics and stellar whiskey of various Wild Turkey campuses and warehouses for three years now. Last year’s Camp Nelson B expression soared high enough to be awarded our number-two bourbon of the year and it’s safe to say our expectations are higher than they’ve ever been for the lineup as we eagerly anticipate 2025’s entry in the series.
Starlight 10-Year Bourbon
Release Status: Unconfirmed/Speculative
The Whiskey:
Starlight has been a darling of the craft bourbon world for years now, and it’s clear they’ve only polished their products and added luster to that rising star with fantastic finished offerings and straight whiskey that keeps getting better with age.
While this upcoming expression ain’t exactly confirmed, it ain’t exactly not confirmed. In speaking with the brand’s Spirits Director, Andrew Jerdonek, he told me that though they haven’t publicly announced this release, he’s been excitedly sharing the news with visitors to the Huber Orchard. Now, the wider world can start getting excited. Double-digit age-stated Starlight bourbon is a major milestone.
Widow Jane The Vaults 2025
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
Widow Jane The Vaults used to be our absolute favorite expression from the brand, which we’ve always held in high regard. Although 2024 marked the introduction of our new favorite Widow Jane offering we’re still pumped to see what 2025 brings for one of the Red Hook, Brooklyn distillery’s crown jewels: The Vaults.
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Aged 8 Years
Release Status: Unconfirmed TTB Filing
The Whiskey:
Is the 8-year age statement coming back to Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon? There’s been speculation that the brand could be making the complete switch after last year’s 70th Anniversary, 8-year 101-proof bourbon expression. That tracks with the recently filed label fitting these specs and whispers we’ve been hearing around the distillery.
Time will tell whether this marks the end of the non-age-stated version or it represents an expansion of Wild Turkey’s core lineup, but either way, we’d be overjoyed to see those dreams come true in 2025.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon
Release Status: Confirmed Annual Release
The Whiskey:
While the Master’s Keep series has been stunning Wild Turkey fans for a tidy ten years now, rumors ran rampant in 2024 that “Triumph” would be the final edition. Well, thanks to a recent TTB filing, fans are rejoicing as it seems we’ll see at least one more Master’s Keep expression, which appears to be called “Beacon.
While we don’t have any additional details yet, stay up-to-date with the latest news in the bourbon world by tapping in with UPROXX throughout 2025.
