Bourbon Bytes Podcast

Pappy season arrives with the 2026 Van Winkle lineup, MGP finally puts its own name on a 10-year bourbon, Neeley unveils a $300 PaPaw’s Legacy Reserve, 2XO teams up with The Sugarhill Gang, and WhistlePig finishes rye with Egyptian black honey and tiger nuts. Then Clifton delivers an early review of Redwood Empire The Hyperion Batch 001 — a 110-proof blend of bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and single malt.

Bourbon Heritage Month is officially heating up, and this week’s Bourbon Bytes is packed with limited-edition whiskey news, a huge Nintendo surprise, and a fall-ready Elijah Craig review. Heaven Hill kicks things off with the 20th Parker’s Heritage Collection: a 14-year Kentucky straight bourbon made using rye backset during fermentation. Bottled at 118 proof and limited to just 100 barrels, this is one of the releases I’m most excited to hunt this fall. Brown-Forman is also bringing Kentucky Boy Bourbon back from the dead for a special release honoring master distiller Chris Morris’ 50-year career, while Four Roses is blending a massive 23-year-old OESK component into its 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch. Then Woodinville finally reaches double-digit age with its first 10 Year Bourbon, and Ardbeg adds a new permanent 15-year-old expression, Trudernish, to its core lineup. On the gaming side, Nintendo dropped one of the biggest nostalgia bombs of the year: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is getting a full Nintendo Switch 2 remake. We’re talking modernized visuals, fully voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, orchestral music, and a November 5 release date. As someone who grew up with classic Nintendo, this one hit me right in the nostalgia. Then it’s time for a Byte-Sized Review of the 2025 Elijah Craig Ryder Cup Limited Edition. This 94-proof bourbon takes classic Elijah Craig and finishes it with toasted sugar maple and applewood staves as a nod to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. The result surprised me. Expect oak, brown sugar, caramel pie crust, cinnamon, baked apple, maple sweetness, and a rich dessert-like profile that immediately made me think of warm apple pie at Thanksgiving. Originally released around $70 and now showing up in some markets for considerably less, is this forgotten Ryder Cup bottle actually worth grabbing? 🥃 Topics covered: Parker’s Heritage 14 Year Bourbon Kentucky Boy Bourbon returns Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch Woodinville 10 Year Bourbon Ardbeg Trudernish 15 Year The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake Nintendo Switch 2 Elijah Craig 2025 Ryder Cup Limited Edition review Is this the best Elijah Craig Ryder Cup release yet? Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro – Parker’s Heritage, Zelda & Elijah Craig00:30 Welcome + Bourbon Heritage Month01:35 Parker’s Heritage 14 Year Rye Backset Bourbon03:10 Kentucky Boy Bourbon Returns05:01 Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch06:44 Woodinville 10 Year Bourbon08:27 Ardbeg Trudernish 15 Year09:27 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake11:32 Byte Club + Bourbon Bytes Update12:29 Byte-Sized Review – Elijah Craig 2025 Ryder Cup18:35 Outro

Beautiful bottles meet ambitious blends this week as Jim Beam revives its collectible Ten-Pin Decanter, Brough Brothers honors the Belle of Louisville, Redwood Empire combines four whiskey styles in The Hyperion, and Cedar Ridge goes wild with a five-cask finish. After some major Gamescom gaming news, Clifton reviews the new Stetson Bourbon collaboration with Green River and Bardstown Bourbon Company—and finds that there’s more here than just a gorgeous bottle.

Sazerac unveils a 131-proof Mr. Sam Tribute Whiskey, Maker’s Mark announces Cellar Aged 2026, Bardstown Bourbon Company gets experimental with Jura and Garryana oak, and Nintendo raises the price of the Switch 2. Then Clifton reviews an Onyx & Amber 8-year single barrel identified as Willett distillate — a $95, 119.6-proof bourbon that earns an impressive score.

Garrison Brothers unleashes a 141-proof Cowboy Bourbon, Buffalo Trace reveals a cask-strength Elmer T. Lee, and Jameson introduces a new five-oak Distiller’s Batch. Clifton also runs through August gaming releases before finally reviewing the elusive orange-label Weller Single Barrel — and deciding whether this allocated bourbon is actually worth the hunt.