Luxco Brings Six New Whiskey Releases to Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2026

Kentucky Bourbon Festival has become one of the best places to see what the bourbon industry plans to put in enthusiasts’ glasses next, and Luxco is bringing plenty to Bardstown this year.

From September 10–13, 2026, Luxco’s portfolio of bourbon brands will descend on Bardstown with new releases from Penelope, Remus, Yellowstone and Ezra Brooks, along with a particularly interesting first: MGP Chapter One, Out of the Shadows, the company’s first branded bourbon release.

For bourbon hunters heading to KBF, these are the bottles I’d have on my radar.

Remus Repeal Reserve Straight Rye

Perhaps even more interesting for rye drinkers is the first-ever Remus Repeal Reserve Straight Rye.

The 111-proof rye is a blend of 10- and 11-year-old whiskey, again selected by Stirsman from Ross & Squibb’s reserves.

A first-ever expression carrying the Repeal Reserve name is automatically worth some attention, particularly when it’s an age-stated, high-proof rye.

This will be one of the bottles I’d want to taste rather than simply read about.

Yellowstone Recollection Series II

Yellowstone Recollection Series II continues the brand’s decanter-inspired series under seventh-generation Master Distiller Stephen Beam.

The ornate packaging draws from historic Yellowstone back-bar decanters, making this one as much about presentation and brand history as the whiskey itself.

For collectors and Yellowstone fans, the Recollection series gives the brand another avenue to explore its considerable history while working with more premium whiskey.

Ezra Brooks 12-Year Single Barrel

Then there’s the sleeper.

The Ezra B. 12-Year Single Barrel is a 99-proof bourbon made from a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. More importantly for anyone attending KBF, this release is only available at Lux Row Distillers and at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

That limited availability makes it one of the more interesting bottles to put on a physical KBF hunting list.

It’s also the sort of release that could easily get overlooked while everyone is chasing the more heavily marketed bottles.

MGP Chapter One: Out of the Shadows

And then there’s the release that may ultimately prove to be the biggest story.

MGP Chapter One, Out of the Shadows marks MGP’s first branded bourbon release.

For decades, MGP’s Lawrenceburg operation has been one of the most important whiskey producers behind the scenes, supplying whiskey that ultimately found its way into bottles carrying other names. Following MGP’s acquisition of Luxco in 2021, the company has increasingly built out its own branded spirits portfolio.

Now MGP is putting its own name on the bottle.

That’s a meaningful shift, and it’s why this release deserves attention beyond the bottle itself.

What Luxco Is Bringing to KBF

The releases will be accompanied by tastings and meet-and-greets throughout Kentucky Bourbon Festival weekend, with representatives from the various brands appearing at both Lux Row Distillers and the festival grounds.

Among those scheduled to appear are John Rempe, Steve Beam, Ian Stirsman, Michael Paladini and Daniel Polise.

Luxco will also host a Thursday evening Meet the Makers event at Lux Row Distillers, while the festival grounds will feature sampling, bottle sales and brand activations throughout the weekend.

For those interested in the broader portfolio, Yellowstone fans can also catch Stephen Beam at Limestone Branch Distillery for the Saturday morning “Biscuits & Barrels” event.

But for me, the events are secondary.

The bottles are the story.

Why This Matters

Luxco’s KBF lineup is interesting because it represents several different directions at once.

There are established annual releases like Repeal Reserve. There are brands reaching further into older whiskey, like Penelope’s 12-year Conundrum and 13-year Founders Reserve. There’s a first-ever Remus Repeal Reserve rye. There’s a highly limited Ezra Brooks single barrel. And then there’s MGP stepping directly into the consumer-facing bourbon conversation with its own branded whiskey.

That’s a lot more interesting than simply another collection of festival exclusives.

It also gives bourbon drinkers a snapshot of where one of the industry’s larger branded spirits portfolios is headed: older whiskey, more premium expressions, limited releases and a greater emphasis on the distilleries and people behind the brands.

MGP’s current Branded Spirits portfolio spans multiple distilleries, including Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon and Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, with brands including Ezra Brooks, Yellowstone, Penelope and Remus.

And that makes KBF a particularly good place to see those brands side by side.

Bourbon Bishop Bottom Line:

If you’re heading to Kentucky Bourbon Festival, don’t treat the Luxco booth as just another stop for free samples.

Penelope Conundrum, Remus Repeal Reserve Rye, Ezra Brooks 12-Year and MGP Chapter One are the releases I’d be most interested in getting a closer look at, with the broader Repeal Reserve and Estate Collection releases rounding out a surprisingly deep lineup.

I’ll be paying particular attention to MGP Chapter One. The whiskey itself will have to earn its place, but the bigger story is what it represents: a company that spent decades helping build other people’s whiskey brands now stepping out from behind the curtain to build one of its own.

That’s a bottle and a story worth watching.

At KBF: Luxco brands will be at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival grounds September 11–13, with additional events at Lux Row Distillers and Limestone Branch Distillery throughout the weekend.