Overview: Bulleit Frontier Whiskey introduces a new core expression named Bulleit ’87, marking the distillery’s first-ever blend of bourbon and rye. The spirit is designed to be sipped neat and will be available nationwide beginning September 2026.
The Full Story
Bulleit ’87 serves as the brand’s first new core expression since the debut of Bulleit 95 Rye in 2011. Named in honor of 1987, the year Bulleit was founded, the name is not an age statement but marks the moment the brand set out to do things differently. This whiskey features bourbon and rye finished with toasted staves then married together, creating a bold pour that’s built to sip. The product features a new blue label on the brand’s signature frontier-style bottle, cut on the familiar slant.
The spirit is a blend of bourbon (distilled, barreled, and aged in Shelbyville, KY) and rye (distilled and aged in Indiana). Both components are aged for a minimum of four years and finished separately in original barrels with toasted American and French oak staves for four to six weeks before being blended and bottled in Shelbyville. The whiskey is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV). Bulleit ’87 leads with aromas of caramel and brown sugar before opening up to warm baking spices and structured oak. It rounds out with a layered, gentle finish of sweet-and-spicy warmth.
The brand is conducting a sampling tour across 15 cities including New Orleans, Austin, New York, Los Angeles, and Louisville featuring local food pairings. Each stop will feature Bulleit ’87 paired with iconic local foods inspired by the cities being visited, exploring dual flavors in food to complement the blend of bourbon and rye in each bottle. The suggested retail price is $29.99 for a 750mL bottle, with availability beginning in September 2026.
Production & Profile
The whiskey was designed to be sipped neat to showcase the unique flavor characteristics, and marries bourbon and rye whiskeys in one balanced blend. The bourbon is your delicious sponge, while the rye acts like chocolate shavings on top, according to Phil Gelineau, Whiskey R&D Manager at Bulleit. The staves are described as the buttercream that brings it all together.
Bulleit ’87 shows up in the brand’s signature frontier-style bottle, featuring a bold, striking blue label, a first for the brand. It complements Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit 95 Rye in Bulleit’s three-bottle core line-up. The whiskey is bottled at 90 proof and 45% ABV, with each whiskey component developed specifically for its role in the blend.
Brand & Industry History
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey was founded in 1987 and was inspired by an old recipe that turned into one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America. Unlike traditional corn-forward bourbons, Bulleit is known for using a high rye mashbill, resulting in a bold, spicy character that is backed by caramel sweetness and a finish that holds its ground. The distillery opened in 2017 and is a key fixture on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. As a brand that is passionate about awakening our frontier spirit, Bulleit Distilling Co. has continued to develop a modern, technological, and sustainable approach to making bold whiskey.
The Frontier Whiskey was recognized for winning a Gold medal for Bulleit Bourbon and Double Gold medal for Bulleit Rye at the 2024 Tag Spirits Awards. Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories, including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
What This Means
Bulleit ’87 unites the distinctive qualities of both spirits in one new bottle, balancing signature bourbon sweetness with rye spice. The brand states that Bourbon and rye whiskey are at the heart of their brand since its founding and guide their philosophy to do things differently. Now, ’87 unites them in one special bottle, balancing our signature bourbon sweetness with our rye spice in a bottle.
The release takes that same restless energy and pushes it further, showing up in stores and bars alike while hitting the road with a sampling tour across the country. The brand encourages those 21+ to sip boldly and responsibly, noting that whiskey is best enjoyed with a glass of water.
Consumer Takeaway
This bottle offers a balanced blend of bourbon sweetness and rye spice in one special bottle, available at select retail stores nationwide beginning September 2026. The spirit features a new blue label on the brand’s signature frontier-style bottle and is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV). It is recommended for sipping neat or pouring over ice, exactly how it was built to be enjoyed.
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