Kentucky's bourbon industry is facing turbulent times

These curated articles revolve around the Kentucky bourbon industry's struggle with declining demand, financial instability and trade issues. Major distillers like Bulleit and Wild Turkey have reported drops in sales. External factors like trade tensions, such as the boycott by Canada due to tariffs, further complicate the situation. Financial difficulties are evident with distilleries entering bankruptcy or facing legal disputes, like Limestone Farms and Kentucky Owl.

Whiskey is aged in barrels at Green River Distillery in Owensboro, Ky., on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 1: AS SALES SLOW, BARREL INVENTORY HITS NEW RECORD. WHAT IT MEANS FOR KENTUCKY BOURBON

Kentucky bourbon makers are sitting more barrels of whiskey than ever: | Published October 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Wild Turkey 101 8-Year-Old Bourbon is returning to shelves in Kentucky and elsewhere in the U.S. for the first time in nearly three decades.

NO. 2: SALES SLUMP 8% FOR KENTUCKY BOURBON WILD TURKEY DESPITE NEW RELEASES

In what might be the clearest sign yet that bourbon demand in the U.S. | Published August 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

A rendering of the Kentucky Owl Park designs released by Stoli Group from Shigeru Ban Architects, who have been chosen to create the new bourbon distillery and tourist destination in Bardstown. By Rendering from Shigeru Ban Architects/Stoli Group

NO. 3: WHAT KILLED KENTUCKY OWL’S DEAL? JUDGE SAYS BOURBON BARREL MARKET IS ‘DISMAL’

How bad is the current “dismal” bourbon barrel market? | Published October 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength Bourbon has more intense notes of butterscotch, fruit and wood than regular Bulleit Bourbon. By Charles Bertram

NO. 4: ANOTHER KENTUCKY WHISKEY BRAND REPORTS A BIG DROP IN BOURBON SALES

Another major Kentucky distiller has reported a big drop in bourbon sales. | Published August 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Publix Liquors, adjacent to Publix Super Market, shown during a sneak peek of Lexington’s first Publix grocery store, March 3, 2025 in Lexington, Ky. The 3,200-square-foot liquor store will offer beer, wine, and spirits such as Kentucky-made bourbons. By Brian Simms

NO. 5: BLAME CANADA? THE PARTY’S OVER FOR KENTUCKY BOURBON. AT LEAST FOR NOW

Bourbon’s biggest annual party, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, roars into Bardstown the first weekend in September, with samples to taste, master distillers to meet and rare bottles to line up for. | Published September 3, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Limestone Farms Distillery in Georgetown is facing more than $2 million in liens and a lawsuit over unpaid bills. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 6: KY BOURBON ASSOCIATED WITH FORMER UK QB TIM COUCH SUED, FACES $2M+ LIENS

A Kentucky bourbon distillery that included Kentucky football legend Tim Couch as a partner is facing more than $2 million in liens and multiple lawsuits. | Published August 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Kentucky Cooperage, shown in a photo on its web site, announced that the barrel maker is laying off 110 from its Lebanon, Ky., plant in October.

NO. 7: KY BARREL MAKER ANNOUNCES JOB CUTS IN ANOTHER HIT TO BOURBON INDUSTRY

In a further sign of the bourbon industry’s slow down, Kentucky Cooperage is laying off 110 workers from its Lebanon plant. | Published August 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Piper Hansen, Janet Patton

CBC in Ontario reported on Thursday that officials from Diageo told workers at a Crown Royal bottling plant it would be closing in February. About 160 employees will be impacted. The global spirits company, which also makes Bulleit in Kentucky, has said it wants to cut costs by $625 million over the next three years.

NO. 8: SPIRITS GIANT DIAGEO ANNOUNCES FIRST MAJOR CLOSURE AMID CUTS. HERE’S WHERE

Global spirits giant Diageo has announced the first major closure since the company said earlier in August that it planned to cut jobs as part of efforts to save $625 million over the next three years. | Published August 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Video of an Ontario liquor store employee removing bottles of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Brown-Forman’s product, and other American bourbons from shelves on Tuesday went viral.

NO. 9: CANADIAN READERS RESPOND: BLAME TRUMP FOR KENTUCKY’S BOURBON WOES, NOT US

Canada would like Kentucky to know: | Published September 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

NO. 10: MAJOR SHAREHOLDER OF STOLI, KENTUCKY OWL BLAMES PUTIN, FIFTH THIRD FOR BANKRUPTCY

In an unusual move, the majority shareholder in Stoli, owner of Kentucky Owl bourbon, is asking a bankruptcy judge to approve the company’s plan to pay off its debt with bourbon, despite objections from Fifth Third Bank. | Published September 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

To combat overall declining sales of the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Brown-Forman said it will launch a blackberry version later this year.

NO. 11: JACK DANIEL’S PARENT BROWN-FORMAN ANNOUNCES $400M STOCK BUY-BACK PLAN

Kentucky-based spirits giant Brown-Forman announced Thursday its board of directors has approved buying back up to $400 million in shares. | Published October 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Luca Mariano Distillery in Danville has been shut down and its parent company is in bankruptcy since July. The court set an Oct. 28 deadline to file a reorganization plan.

NO. 12: SHUTTERED KENTUCKY DISTILLERY FACES NEW DEADLINE TO FILE BANKRUPTCY PLAN

A shuttered Kentucky distillery must file a plan to come out of bankruptcy by the end of Oct. | Published October 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Blue Run Spirits released renderings of the $51 million distillery that is planned for Georgetown. Construction will begin later this year; it’s expected to open in 2025.

NO. 13: ANOTHER ALCOHOL COMPANY WITH TIES TO KENTUCKY BOURBON ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS

Another major alcohol company has announced big layoffs, the latest in a wave of financial trouble in the U.S. | Published October 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg. Nov. 29, 2010. The building is 100 years old. Vicky Broadus/staffFour Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg. Nov. 29, 2010. The building is 100 years old. Vicky Broadus/staff

NO. 14: REPORTS: HISTORIC KENTUCKY BOURBON DISTILLER FOUR ROSES FOR SALE FOR $1B

One of Kentucky’s biggest bourbons is for sale. | Published October 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.