Brad is back from the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival with a car full of bourbon, including an Elijah Craig 21, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2026, King of Kentucky, Silk Velvet, Knob Creek 12 Year Cast Strength, and plenty more.

This is a full recap of the trip, including what Kentucky Bourbon Festival was like this year, what you can expect from VIP access, which releases stood out, and the bottles Brad managed to bring home.

There were some genuinely unexpected discoveries along the way. The biggest surprise of the festival was Silk Velvet, a bourbon Brad had somehow missed previously that ended up becoming his favorite bottle he tried at KBF. The trip also included some extremely rare pours at Heaven Hill, including a 14-year VVS, a 16-year William Heaven Hill, a 22-year Heaven Hill, and a Parker’s Heritage 24 Year.

Brad also goes through the bottles he picked up from Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Old Forester, Maker’s Mark, New Riff, Evan Williams, Silk Velvet, and Jack Daniel’s, including several bottles that will receive full reviews in future videos.

If you’re planning a Kentucky Bourbon Festival trip yourself, Brad also shares his experience with VIP tickets, the cost of attending, the differences from last year, and why expectations matter when deciding how to approach the festival.

What was the best bottle you found at Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2026? And if you attended without VIP access, how was your experience?

Chapters:
00:00 What did I bring home from Kentucky Bourbon Festival?
00:49 Was Kentucky Bourbon Festival better than last year?
03:03 What bottles did I get at Jim Beam?
06:40 What did I find at Heaven Hill?
08:07 Which bottles stood out on day one?
10:08 What was the most hyped bottle at the festival?
12:01 What did Old Forester release at KBF?
13:29 What was my favorite bottle at the festival?
15:00 What was the craziest bottle I brought home?
16:00 What happened inside Heaven Hill’s rickhouses?
17:49 Was Parker’s Heritage 24 Year the best bourbon I’ve ever had?
19:15 Why did I drive to Jack Daniel’s?
20:49 Would I go back to Kentucky Bourbon Festival?

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