BARDSTOWN, Ky. — One Kentucky Bourbon Festival attendee left Bardstown with more than a memorable tasting experience after winning an entire barrel of bourbon from CaskX.
Paul Jones won a barrel of 2026 Jackson Purchase bourbon during the CaskX Barrel Competition, which narrowed 15 finalists to five before determining the winner with a spin of the company’s Bourbon Wheel.
CaskX CEO Jeremy Kasler made the final spin, which landed on Jones’ assigned number. Jackson Purchase Distillery representatives Nichole Beam and Andrew Newton joined Kasler for the winning moment.
The barrel giveaway capped a busy festival weekend for CaskX, which recorded 2,354 spins of its Bourbon Wheel. The attraction drew 698 spins Friday before setting a one-day record with 1,140 spins Saturday.
Festivalgoers won pours from a rotating lineup of rare, limited-edition and sold-out whiskeys, including six bottles of Pappy Van Winkle.
Comedian and bourbon enthusiast Jim Gaffigan also visited the CaskX activation during a special Fathertime Bourbon takeover. Gaffigan spun the wheel, and the winning bottle was opened and shared with people gathered nearby.
The CaskX Lounge hosted clients, investors, distillers and invited guests for tastings and conversations about distillation, barrel maturation, finishing and whiskey production.
Featured pours included a Jackson Purchase Festival Single Barrel, Kentucky Artisan Distillery’s Oldham County Reserve 11-Year-Old Bourbon, Rabbit Hole Dareringer, Bluegrass Distillers’ 19-Year-Old Elkwood Reserve, a Bardstown Bourbon Co. Single Barrel Master Blender Festival Pick and a Castle & Key Experimental Series Hungarian Tokaji release.
Guests included Craig Beam and Terry Ballard of Jackson Purchase Distillery; Jade Peterson of Kentucky Artisan Distillery; Matt Gandolfo and Jake Vollmer of Rabbit Hole Distillery; Sam Rock and Ben Franzini of Bluegrass Distillers; Dan Callaway of Bardstown Bourbon Co.; and Jon Newton and Brett Connors of Castle & Key.
Kasler also joined Beam and Peterson for a main-stage discussion moderated by bourbon writer Steve Coomes. The panel examined the current whiskey market and the role contract distilling plays in an industry where many brands rely on outside distilleries to produce and mature their whiskey.
CaskX Director of Whiskey Sara Havens later participated in a writers and influencers panel with Jesse Jones of the Bourbon Showdown Podcast, Claudia Coffey of The Best Bet Podcast and spirits journalist David Thomas Tao.
Before the festival, CaskX hosted a private investor showcase at Rabbit Hole Distillery in Louisville. Guests toured the distillery and sampled whiskey directly from barrels while learning about bourbon barrel investment and maturation.
The 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival was held Sept. 10-13 in Bardstown. 2027 dates have been announced and will be Sept. 16-19.
