Whiskey Thief Announces Whiskey Sourcing + Fall Festival News

Whiskey Thief Distillery is making a significant change to how it brings whiskey to fans, announcing today that the company will begin sourcing whiskey from top barrel warehouses across Kentucky. The news was shared first with Bourbon Lens in a special edition of Thursday Thoughts, recorded live at Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

“So much is going on with Whiskey Thief, and I wanted you guys to be the first ones I told it,” said Walter, who purchased the distillery — formerly Three Boys Distillery — nearly seven years ago.

The decision comes on the heels of rapid growth for the brand. Whiskey Thief drew more than 60,000 visitors to its farm last year and expects to welcome 65,000 this year, while its Louisville-area location is on pace to top 100,000 visitors in 2026.

“We had two choices basically — either start putting stuff out younger and younger, which we didn’t really want to do, or go and find some of the best whiskey available and bring it to our fans until our production catches back up with the demand,” Walter said.

Investing in Production & Blending

Alongside the sourcing announcement, Whiskey Thief revealed it has acquired two new stills this year and is expanding its production capacity. Master Distiller Lisa Wicker, previously featured on the Bourbon Lens podcast, is leading the brand’s first foray into blended whiskey, a departure from Whiskey Thief’s longstanding single-barrel, straight-from-the-barrel, uncut and unfiltered approach.

“We’ve always been a single barrel, straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered kind of company. But we’re getting into the blends, especially because we have this talented blender on our team,” Walter said.

Fans can also expect to see older-than-the-distillery bottlings hit shelves, with some releases aged 16 years or more — older than the distillery itself, which turns 14 this October. Walter emphasized that transparency around mash bill, proof, and sourcing details will remain a core commitment as the brand grows.

New Limited Releases: “Outtakes” and “Hazmat Rye”

At Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Whiskey Thief also debuted its new “Outtakes” series — ultra-limited bottlings made from the flavorful, highly oxidized whiskey that remains at the bottom of a barrel after thieving, typically around 30 liters per barrel. Each release features its own theme and bottle count as small as 30 bottles, with the series continuing through the distillery’s anniversary celebrations in October.

The distillery also released its “Hazmat Rye,” an early-harvested version of its popular Mayday Rye, pulled after a hot summer instead of the usual winter rest.

Whiskey Thief Fest Returns October 9–10

Whiskey Thief will close out its anniversary month with Whiskey Thief Fest, a two-day music event on October 9–10 at its Frankfort farm, located just off I-64 and a half-mile from Keeneland. The festival is presented in partnership with Adam Duritz of Counting Crows’ Underwater Sunshine Festival, rebranded the “Underwater Moonshine Festival” for this collaboration.

More details on sourced product releases, the Whiskey Thief Fest lineup, and the distillery’s 14th anniversary events will be posted at whiskeythief.com and shared on Bourbon Lens.

About Whiskey Thief Distillery

Whiskey Thief Distillery, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, has operated for nearly 14 years, known for its single-barrel, uncut, unfiltered whiskey and its interactive “thieve your own barrel” tasting experience.

About Bourbon Lens

Bourbon Lens is a bourbon-industry podcast and media brand covering distillery news, tastings, and conversations with the people shaping the whiskey world, including its regular series Thursday Thoughts with Jake.