The unicorn bottle hunt is real, and there’s no better place to see it for yourself — and participate! — than at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival (KBF). VIP tickets sell out in minutes mainly because it gets you in the festival grounds an hour before general admission.
So what does this mean?
It means at 11 a.m., thirsty and hungry bottle hunters are prepared to storm the event grounds. They burst through the entrance like the running of the bulls, and their main goal is to get to a high-stakes booth, one they know will have some great, rare bottles, as soon as possible. Because after about two minutes, lines form, bottles sell out and hopes are dashed.
This year’s KBF — which took place Sept. 11-13 in Bardstown, Ky. — was no different. And there were some amazing unicorn bottles up for grabs.
I’m going to run down the Top 10 of those bottles people were hunting, but clearly I do not know about all of them. Some of these bottles are so niche that the average bourbon fan might not know even be in the know. I’m looking at you, Dark Arts Whiskey House! I saw many people running to their tent first, but I can’t tell you for what.
And remember, I only have 10 spots. There were SO MANY limited-edition bottles out there, I could easily make this 50. But nobody has time for that!
Here are my Top 10 bottles from KBF 2026:
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026
This annual release has bourbon nerds salivating. This year’s bourbon is 11 years old and bottled at 97 proof. It was only sold on Friday during the festival, with several drops selling out in minutes. I was able to score a sample and can attest that it’s worth the harrowed hunt.
Another annual release, Maker’s Cellar Aged is the company’s oldest compilation of bourbon. Basically, the barrels age in a standard rickhouse for about 6-7 years, and then those barrels are put into the distillery’s cooler-temp whiskey cellar to age another 5-7 years. This year’s release included a blend of bourbon that was aged a total of 11, 12 and 14 years.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. Lochs of Jura
This interesting release has a lot going on inside, and it’s delicious! Basically they blended bourbon and rye whiskey, and then aged it an additional 32 months in single malt scotch whisky barrels from the remote Isle of Jura. And those particular scotch casks were a blend of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry barrels, so you’ve got that going, too.
Michter’s can do no wrong in my eyes, and they brought out some really nice bottles to sell at KBF this year. Even though lines were long, I saw lots of people with smiling faces holding Michter’s bags. This is one of my favorites from their catalog, especially as we wait for the next Toasted Bourbon to be released in a couple of years (I believe it’s every three years).
Now this one is truly unique. This year’s special “Reserves” series features your typical high-proof bourbon (125.1 proof) that was finished in apple brandy barrels and infused with cinnamon. Apparently it’s a nod to one of Booker’s holiday concoctions he used to make for his friends, which he called “A.B.C. Wassail.” It was an apple wine recipe that he put into bourbon barrels and added cinnamon to. I was able to try a sample of this Booker’s at KBF, and it’s the quintessential fall sipper for sure.
This new product from Brown-Forman honors Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris, and it was created without his knowledge to honor the three products he has contributed to the most. It is a blend of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, King of Kentucky, and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. Of course now he knows about it and is truly honored, he says. He was there every day of the festival to sign the bottles. Now that’s dedication!
Old Forester/Brown-Forman definitely brought out the big boys for KBF. This was the unicorn release on the second day, and it went just as fast as the Birthday Bourbon. The King of Kentucky is an annual single-barrel release that is HIGHLY coveted by bourbon collectors, and this year they decided to release a small batch version — three different batches, actually. It is a stout 12 years old and quite tasty, as you can imagine.
Jackson Purchase KBF Single Barrel
I didn’t know just how tasty this KBF-picked single barrel of Jackson Purchase was until they sold out of them the very first day! Thankfully they saved me a pour, but that’s about it. Had I known, I would have bought two!
Bluegrass Distillers’ Elkwood Reserve 19-Year
This 19-year-old single barrel bourbon comes from the folks at Bluegrass Distillers, and their Elkwood Reserve series always offers extra aged bourbons at cask strength that are sometimes finished, sometimes not. They saved this release just for KBF.
I love a good throwback decanter, and Beam has bowled a strike with their Ten-Pin release that features 10-year Jim Beam bourbon. Their entire tent this year took on a bowling theme, and I loved it all. And the 10-year juice inside isn’t too shabby, either. Delicious!
