Slowing Down to Enjoy the Experience

Every new year brings a familiar temptation for bourbon drinkers. New labels. Limited releases. Another bottle with a wax top or a story that promises greatness if you can just find it fast enough. For a long time, I played that game. Sometimes it paid off. Often, it didn’t.

As 2026 begins, I’m making a conscious shift in how I approach bourbon—both as a drinker and as someone who has spent years writing, tasting, and talking about American whiskey. My resolution is simple, even if sticking to it won’t always be easy: I’m done chasing every new label that hits the shelf. I have purchased bottles over the years that I truly regretted. Please click here to view my humorous take on my whiskey wall of shame.

Quality Over Urgency

The bourbon marketplace has changed. Not overnight, but steadily. The flood of new brands, sourced barrels, and rapid-fire releases has made it harder—not easier—to separate meaningful whiskey from clever packaging. Too often, bottles are purchased before they’re understood, tasted, or even needed.

In 2026, my focus is on identifying quality bourbon, tasting it deliberately, and purchasing it at a fair price. That means fewer impulse buys and more patience. It means revisiting distilleries and brands that have earned my trust over time. Distilleries that respect their customers and do not release inferior products. And it means accepting that missing out on a bottle isn’t a failure, it’s often a blessing. I will continue to study bourbon history to realize why I enjoy this American story, and why that history is special.

A Market Finding Its Balance

We’re also seeing clear signs that the bourbon boom is flattening. The frenzy that once defined releases is easing, replaced by something closer to reality. Production decisions are changing. Inventory levels are adjusting. The market is exhaling.

The recent decision by Jim Beam to suspend distilling operations at its Clermont, Kentucky, facility is one of the strongest signals yet that the industry is recalibrating. This isn’t a collapse, but it is a correction. Supply is finally catching up with demand, and that has both good and bad consequences.

The Real Truth for Small Distilleries

Not every distillery will survive this phase. Some smaller operations are already in financial peril, and more closures are likely. Rising costs, slower sales, and overextended expansion plans have put real pressure on producers who entered the market during its hottest years.

That’s the uncomfortable side of this moment. Bourbon is still romanticized, but it’s also a business. When the hype fades, only solid whiskey, sound pricing, and honest branding tend to endure.

The Upside for Drinkers

For consumers, however, there is a silver lining. Availability is improving. Bottles that once required connections, lotteries, or inflated secondary prices are starting to show up on shelves again. Even better, pricing is stabilizing closer to MSRP—where it always should have been.

This is a rare opportunity to reset habits. To stop buying bourbon like it’s a disappearing commodity and start buying it like what it really is: a drink meant to be opened, shared, and enjoyed.

My Bourbon Resolutions for 2026

In 2026, I plan to drink less bourbon—but better bourbon. I’ll spend more time tasting before buying. I’ll support brands that respect both the whiskey and the drinker. And I’ll walk past plenty of bottles without regret.

Bourbon doesn’t need to be chased to be appreciated. Sometimes the best thing you can do is slow down, let the dust settle, and rediscover why you fell in love with it in the first place. That’s my resolution for the year ahead.  Happy New Year!