In Kentucky, greatness tends to echo. It lingers in the hills, in the barns, and, most memorably, in the glass. Bluegrass Distillers has captured that spirit once again with the release of its Mystik Dan Commemorative Bourbon, a distillery-exclusive bottling that celebrates one of the Commonwealth’s proudest recent moments: Mystik Dan’s 2024 Kentucky Derby victory.
Mystik Dan’s Derby win was the kind of story Kentucky lives for grit, timing, and a surge of heart down the stretch. Bluegrass Distillers set out to mirror that same intensity and character in liquid form, selecting a single barrel and bottling it at cask strength. The result is a bourbon that doesn’t shy away from boldness. It leans into it.
There’s no dilution, no compromise. just a full, unfiltered expression meant to reflect the weight of the moment it honors.
Even more fitting, Mystik Dan’s ownership team was present at the distillery, tasting through the barrel alongside the Bluegrass team. That collaboration adds something intangible but important: authenticity. This isn’t just a commemorative label, it’s a shared experience, from track to rickhouse.
On the nose, expect baked apple and poached pear, layered with warm spice, molasses, and seasoned oak, a profile sounds both comforting and complex, like a Kentucky autumn in a glass.
The palate will be full-bodied richness, delivering orchard fruit, brown sugar, and baking spice, all balanced by a steady backbone of oak
This is the kind of bourbon that invites you to slow down. To sit with it. To reflect.
In a world where limited releases often vanish online in seconds, Bluegrass Distillers has taken a more traditional route. The Mystik Dan Commemorative Bourbon is available exclusively at their Midway, Kentucky distillery—specifically at Elkwood Farm. No online drops. No secondary shortcuts. If you want a bottle, you’ll have to make the pilgrimage.
At $99, it’s positioned right where a meaningful, cask-strength single barrel should be, accessible enough for enthusiasts, but rare enough to feel like a true find. And with its limited nature, it’s unlikely to linger long.
What Bluegrass Distillers has done here is something bourbon does better than almost anything else: preserve a moment. The Mystik Dan release isn’t just about celebrating a Derby winner, it’s about capturing the pride, the energy, and the unmistakable identity of Kentucky itself.
For collectors, it’s a keepsake.
For drinkers, it’s a bold and rewarding pour.
For anyone who loves the intersection of bourbon and Bluegrass State heritage—it’s both.
And like Mystik Dan’s run at Churchill Downs, this is one you won’t want to miss.
