Steeped in Kentucky distilling history, Castle & Key Distillery announces the release of Castle & Key Wheated Bourbon Cask Strength, the latest edition of the distillery’s wheaters with an additional two years of aging, and Castle & Key Straight Rye Finished in Extra Old Haitian Rhum Casks, the new experimental series bottling. 

Both expressions are available online at castleandkey.com for shipping to California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas City, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin, with the bourbon also available at the distillery shop in Frankfort, KY.  

Housed on the former site of the historic Old Taylor Distillery founded in 1887, Castle & Key is a testament to reinvention. Castle & Key now bottles its Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon at seven years of age—a true landmark for a distillery that began releasing aged spirits in 2020. 

The Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon earned Double Platinum at the 2025 ASCOT Awards and is composed of 73% locally grown non GMO white corn, 10% winter wheat, and 17% malted barley before being barreled at 108.2 proof. Meanwhile, the experimental series consists of intentional small batches, always bottled at cask strength, with this year’s release aged 18 months in cask finish barrels and bottled at 116.1 proof. 

“Although many of our spirits are guided by tradition, we enjoy letting our minds wander,” Brett Connors, Master Distiller at Castle & Key, said in a news release. “Our experimental series offers the chance to test new boundaries, with unique barrel finishes, blends and mashbills. These are rare by design and only 1,800 cases were produced of the Straight Rye Finished in Extra Old Haitian Rhum Casks.” 

“Our wheated bourbons are a reflection of patience, precision, and the evolving character of our barrels,” Connors added. “The 2025 edition showcases the richness and depth of our wheated mash bill and is a reimaging of our flagship bourbon. This was crafted at our castle to enjoy at yours.”

Castle & Key first introduced its Small Batch Wheated Bourbon in 2022 with two initial batches, followed by its first cask-strength bourbon in 2024. Earlier this year, Castle & Key released a new, older small-batch bourbon, Castle & Key 6-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon (50.5% ABV; $39.99 SRP, 750ml), marking a significant evolution in Castle & Key’s whiskey portfolio. 

Read more: Castle & Key Expands Distribution to California

ABOUT CASTLE & KEY  

Castle & Key is steeped in Kentucky distilling history. With its stunning site dating back to 1887, the distillery is known both as the birthplace of bourbon hospitality and for the high-quality Kentucky spirits made there today. In 2014, Co-Founder Will Arvin began restoring The Old Taylor Distillery — which had fallen to ruin after decades of neglect — with a vision of creating an immersive distillery experience. Today, the restored distillery has become a popular travel destination for enthusiasts of spirits and history alike. For information about Castle & Key’s spirit offerings, tours, and tastings, please visit  CastleAndKey.com.