The Cut Weekend: On Deck — June 28, 2026 — SE02E63 — Michter’s Toasted Barrel Walk-Up Opens July 11

SE02E63 — On Deck

This is The Cut Weekend. I’m Franklin. The week ahead hasn’t started yet, so let’s get out in front of it while it’s still quiet. There’s more on deck than most Sundays, so let’s work through it.

There’s one date with a hard clock on it — July 11th through the 13th. Michter’s Fort Nelson in Louisville is running a walk-up for the Toasted Barrel Finish 2026 at $59.99. No reservation, no lottery, no application. You show up, you pay MSRP, and you walk out with a bottle. Three days only, and prior Fort Nelson programs haven’t restocked once weekend inventory clears. If you’re anywhere near Whiskey Row, mark the calendar now. That’s your most concrete move of the week.

The other thing worth moving on — and moving on soon — is Elijah Craig Barrel Proof D926. The TTB published that label last Sunday, and based on how the prior batch played out, pre-allocation windows are opening at participating retailers any day now. The C926 batch at the same 130.4 proof sold through most accounts in 72 hours. D926 follows the same playbook. If you’re not already on a hold list, call your retailer tomorrow morning.

A little further out: Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch is still in pre-allocation at $139.99 and the window is open right now. But Brent Elliott has confirmed his recipe reveal for late July, and when that announcement drops, the pre-allocation compresses fast — last year it was 72 hours from announcement to sold out at most accounts. You can wait for recipe confirmation and join the crowd, or commit now at the same price without the crowd. That’s just the documented history of how this window behaves. Also coming in mid-July: pre-allocation windows are expected to open on the Knob Creek 18-Year Single Barrel Reserve 2026, which cleared TTB last week at 100 proof and $99.99. Keep an eye on your specialty retailer.

Now here’s something worth putting on the calendar that has nothing to do with a pre-allocation form. On July 24th, during Tales of the Cocktail week in New Orleans, the North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition is hosting a “Best of” tasting at Antoine’s Restaurant — one of the oldest dining rooms in the country. The event features the top 24 products from the competition’s scored results, available to taste in one room on one evening. This isn’t a trade show floor or a distillery open house. It’s a curated pour of what a rigorous blind-judging process called the best in American whiskey, set inside a landmark French Quarter restaurant in the middle of the most concentrated spirits week on the calendar. If you’re already heading to New Orleans for Tales, that’s an evening worth planning around. If you’re close enough to make the trip, it might be the reason to go. That’s July 24th, Antoine’s, New Orleans.

Two moves for the week. First — if the Michter’s Toasted Barrel walk-up is realistic for you, July 11th opens the window. Put it somewhere you’ll actually see it. Second — settle the Four Roses question before late July turns it into a scramble.

Everything I just walked through — the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof window opening this week, the Four Roses timeline before Elliott’s recipe reveal, the Michter’s July dates, the Knob Creek 18-Year windows coming in mid-July — all of it lives in the allocation calendar inside The Perfect Pour. The app holds the dates and nudges you before a window closes, so you’re not working from memory when late July gets crowded. It launches July 4th at theperfectpourapp.com.

That’s what’s on deck. If The Cut Weekend earned a few minutes of your Sunday, do me one favor — follow the show wherever you’re listening, so Saturday’s edition finds you on its own. The written brief’s always free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com, and the full American Whiskey Industry Brief is on our Patreon. I’m Franklin. Pour something you like, share it with somebody worth sharing it with — and remember, your unicorn is out there.