Everything to Know About Preservation Distillery's 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival Releases

Four new Very Olde St. Nick expressions, one new Wattie Boone, and one beloved recent release is coming back for KBF 2026.

We're thrilled to be back as a featured exhibitor at the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival, occurring from September 10th through September 13th in our hometown of Bardstown, Kentucky.

We're offering six expressions for sale, including five new releases, and we're bringing back one expression beloved by all Preservation Distillery fans. Here's what you can buy, a little description on each whiskey, and insight on the bottles from our owner Marci Palatella.

Very Olde St. Nick Straight Outta Bardstown

Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey | 12 years | 127.4 proof | $350

The S.O.B. line picks up in the richest, most beautiful way, continuing with the journey of last year’s barrel.  Anyone who has bought these before knows what exceptional quality they're getting, aged twelve months longer. This one is a single barrel. Our releases usually run one to three barrels, but when a barrel stands up on its own, we bottle it that way. This is one of those. We set it aside three years ago and the angels got thirsty: what would have filled about 150 bottles now fills closer to 100. “This is a very big whiskey, exploding with flavor,” says Preservation owner Marci Palatella. “If you’re a fan of prior S.O.B releases, this will not disappoint. I personally love it.” 

Very Olde St. Nick Superfreak "Freakazoid"

Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey | 11+ years | 113.4 proof | $350

Last year's Superfreak was a huge hit amongst whiskey geeks and fans who want to experiment with something different. It sold out quickly.  This year we created additional Superfreak blends to release separately as the barrels come ready. Freakazoid is the latest.

Some of these barrels came from a cooperage working with a lower char level than what went into earlier Superfreak releases. Less char means the oak itself has more room to come through, so the wood character here reads as big toasty flavors, with a rich caramelized sweetness. “Freakzoid is a whiskey with a lot of layers,” says Palatella. “I’d recommend a stemless wineglass for enjoying it best. Give it a few swirls, let it rest, and watch it beautifully open up.”

Very Olde St. Nick Notoriou$ O.S.N. "The Shiz"

Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey | 19 years | 131.6 proof | $1,150

Past Notorious releases crushed. So when we wanted a label worthy of a nineteen-year-old micro-batch, this was it. A few of our special barrels crossed nineteen years recently, so meet The Shiz. It's a three-barrel blend and it yielded fewer than 150 bottles which, at less than 50 bottles per barrel, means its super concentrated. At 131.6 proof, it's the highest we've bottled the Notorious line. “It’s beyond appropriately named,” says Palatella. 

Very Olde St. Nick Pirate Booty Rye

Rye Whiskey | 55.4% ABV / 110.8 proof | $200

A brand new release, built from some of the oldest rye barrels we made. When Preservation started distilling rye, we laid a very small number casks down across a spread of toast and char profiles to see what each one would do. Pirate Booty combines a few of those barrel profiles in a way we haven't put into a Preservation-distilled rye before.

Wattie Boone 16 Year

Kentucky Straight Whiskey | 16 years | 123.4 proof | $350

Marci bought this lot of barrels from a legacy distiller years ago. We've known for a while that they were good, but our attention was on Preservation's own products and the barrels kept sitting. The experimental mashbill isn't a traditional bourbon recipe, which is why the label says straight whiskey, though the flavor profile is squarely in bourbon’s territory. We put out a small teaser release in June, but this is the formal release, and it's fewer than 200 bottles.

Rare Perfection 10 Year

Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey | 129.8 proof | $230

Rare Perfection launched earlier this year and the response was overwhelming. What we're looking for in a Rare Perfection barrel is one that drinks with intense flavor and none of the heat. “We want Rare Perfection to roll off into a very long and memorable finish,” says Palatella. “At 129.8 proof, that's a narrow window. Finding barrels that match the first lots has been challenging, but when we do, we'll continue to bottle and release them.” 

Where to Find These Preservation Distillery New Releases

All six go on sale Thursday, September 10, at our tent at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival and are available while supplies last through the end of the festival.

These bottles are also available at the Preservation Distillery gift shop starting Friday, September 11th and through Sunday, September 13th, while supplies last.

Check back in the fall to see whether any of your favorite labels make a resurgence.