BHAKTA Spirits House of Vintages announced the launch of BHAKTA 1868 AMERICA250 Edition (SRP $250) — a blend of Bourbon whiskey and vintage Armagnac spanning from 1868–2014. 

Available for pre-orders here with a formal release taking place on June 2nd, this is a unique opportunity to experience something only BHAKTA Spirits can offer. Conceived as a highly limited, historically rich collector’s release to honor the nation’s semiquincentennial, only three barrels will be available via e-commerce with the remaining two barrels available in the marketplace.

A rare release even in the world of rare spirits, the creation of BHAKTA 1868 AMERICA250 Edition amounts to a brazen act of unabashed patriotism uniting bourbon — the quintessential American whiskey — with vintage Armagnacs of astonishing age. While most Semiquincentennial releases lean on patriotic symbolism, BHAKTA 1868 AMERICA250 Edition stands apart as a truly collectible luxury spirit, featuring authentic vintages that lived through defining chapters of the nation’s 250-year history.

“To celebrate our 250^th birthday, we did something only BHAKTA Spirits can do,” Founder Raj Peter Bhakta said in a news release. “We poured the crown jewels of our ancient vaults on earth into just 5 barrels to honor the United States of America.  Each barrel is named. Each bottle is numbered. Each sip contains over 100 vintages of spirits.”

This inaugural America250 expression of the BHAKTA 1868 line is composed of five barrels — each named for a towering figure of national lore. Crafted barrel-by-barrel and bottled at cask-strength, this bourbon-based blend carries an average age of over 30 years. For the blend, each is anchored by 1868 Armagnac, the founding vintage of the BHAKTA House Of Vintages, and deepened with the following award-winning expressions:

1962 Armagnac: Best Brandy (Esquire 2025), 97 points and Double Gold at the 2024 SFWSC
1973 Armagnac: No. 1 Spirit in the World, Chairman’s Trophy, and 99 points at the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge
1981 Armagnac: Awarded 95 points by both the 2023 IWSC and the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge
2005 Bourbon: Raj’s first acquisition under the BHAKTA name, and the oldest Bourbon in the House at 21 years old
2014 Bourbon: Named World’s Best Bourbon at the 2025 TAG Global Spirits

To give each barrel historical depth and true collector character, a Legacy Armagnac Vintage is added for refinement and a unique finish.

BHAKTA 1868 BARREL 1 WASHINGTON (SRP $250)
Refined by an 1878 Armagnac Legacy Vintage, honoring George Washington’s steady strength on which the republic was first built.

BHAKTA 1868 BARREL 2 JEFFERSON (SRP $250)
Refined by an 1900 Armagnac Legacy Vintage to honor Thomas Jefferson’s enduring faith in self-government.

BHAKTA 1868 BARREL 3 HAMILTON (SRP $250)
Refined by an 1893 Armagnac Legacy Vintage to honor Alexander Hamilton’s strength put to national purpose.

BHAKTA 1868 BARREL 4 LAFAYETTE (SRP $250)
Refined by an 1904 Armagnac Legacy Vintage to honor Marquis De Lafayette’s courage and the alliance that followed between France and America.

BHAKTA 1868 BARREL 5 LINCOLN (SRP $250)
Refined by an 1924 Armagnac Legacy Vintage to honor Abraham Lincoln’s raw strength, which held the nation together.

Each barrel possesses its own character, but this collection speaks as one: America as not just history seen from afar, but as the spirit of time experienced firsthand. The BHAKTA 1868 AMERICA250 Edition was created for a milestone that will not come again. 

Read more: BHAKTA Spirits Releases Limited BHAKTA 2011 Bourbon

About BHAKTA SPIRITS 

BHAKTA Spirits was founded by entrepreneur Raj Peter Bhakta — also the founder of WhistlePig Whiskey and Hogsworth Bourbon — and offers a luxury spirits portfolio of limited-release single vintage whiskeys, brandies, rums, and blends, anchored by its ancient and awe-inspiring Armagnac holdings dating back to 1868. BHAKTA Spirits is headquartered on its BHAKTA-GRISWOLD Campus in Poultney, VT, the former site of Green Mountain College. For more information, visit https://bhaktaspirits.com/.