BCA Private Selection • 119 Proof • Member Exclusive
Our first true custom bourbon blend was built barrel by barrel at Barrel King.
In late 2025, Gary Penna and Justin Mills traveled on behalf of the Bourbon Club of Arkansas to create something different from a traditional single-barrel pick: a purpose-built, multi-distillery private blend made from mature bourbon and tailored to our club’s palate.
This project marked a major step forward for our barrel program. Rather than choosing one finished barrel, we worked through a deep inventory of mature whiskey and assembled a six-barrel blend designed around balance, texture, depth and finish.
This was not a routine barrel pick. It was our first true custom private blend—and, at the time, the oldest whiskey project BCA had produced.
119
Final Proof
6
Barrels Used
8–12
Years Old
$150
Member Price
Building the Blend at Barrel King
Barrel King’s private-pick program is built around a hands-on blending experience. Groups taste through available barrels, discuss blending options and work with the Barrel King team to create a whiskey that fits their goals.
Gary and Justin spent the day evaluating mature bourbon from multiple distilleries, then testing combinations and proportions until the whiskey delivered the profile we wanted: dark fruit, pastry richness, mature oak, a silky texture and a long finish.
The result was a high-proof bourbon blend with enough age to show deep oak character, but enough fruit and sweetness to remain balanced and expressive.
The Final Barrel King Private Blend Recipe
The finalized composition was announced on December 24, 2025. Percentages below represent each whiskey’s share of the completed blend.
24%
12-Year MGP Bourbon
36% Rye Mash Bill
74%
9-Year Green River Bourbon
21% Rye Mash Bill
1%
9-Year Green River Bourbon
13% Rye Mash Bill
1%
8-Year
Wild Turkey Bourbon
A Note About the Early Preview Formula
The first announcement described a working blend that included separate MGP, Green River, Wild Turkey and O.Z. Tyler layers. Blending is an iterative process, and that early structure was not the final recipe. The percentages above reflect the composition released after the whiskey was finalized and bottled.
What Each Bourbon Brings to the Blend
The descriptions below explain the intended role of each component based on the final recipe and tasting profile; they are not separate official tasting notes for the source barrels.
12-Year MGP
The oldest and highest-rye component supplies mature oak, concentrated sweetness, baking spice and structural intensity. At 24% of the blend, it gives the whiskey age and authority without overwhelming the fruit-forward center.
9-Year Green River
The dominant 21%-rye Green River component forms the core of the blend, contributing body, dark fruit, caramelized sweetness and a broad mid-palate. A small amount of the 13%-rye recipe adds another layer of balance.
8-Year Wild Turkey
At only 1%, the Wild Turkey bourbon acts like seasoning rather than a base. Its role is to sharpen the aromatic profile, reinforce spice and help carry the finish beyond the richer, sweeter center of the whiskey.
Official Barrel King Private Blend Tasting Notes
Shared by Gary Penna for the Bourbon Club of Arkansas on December 24, 2025
Nose
Aged, charred rickhouse first, followed by dark jam preserves. With time, whipped butter and brown sugar emerge beside deep stone fruit and bakery notes reminiscent of cinnamon rolls topped with icing.
Palate
Buttery and extremely silky, with a highly viscous mouthfeel. Dark fruit spreads across the tongue while pie crust and donut dough create a Danish-pastry character through the mid-palate. Gentle heat builds into a classic Kentucky hug, and the whiskey generally drinks below its 119 proof.
Finish
Cream soda, sweet oak, dark berries and light cocoa powder lead into a long, lingering finish.
The Distilleries Behind the Whiskey
MGP / Ross & Squibb — Lawrenceburg, Indiana
The Lawrenceburg distillery traces its history to 1847. Its 36%-rye bourbon recipe is one of MGP’s established high-rye mash bills and provides the oldest component in our blend.
Green River — Owensboro, Kentucky
Green River’s Owensboro roots date to 1885. The property operated under the O.Z. Tyler name after distilling resumed in 2016 and reclaimed the Green River identity in 2020. The 9-year Green River bourbon forms the overwhelming majority of our finished blend.
Wild Turkey — Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Wild Turkey is known for a consistent house style shaped by lower barrel-entry proof, heavy char and a long-running distilling tradition. Although it represents only 1% of this blend, that small addition helps complete the aromatic and finishing profile.
Why This Private Blend Matters to BCA
Our club has built its reputation through hands-on barrel selections, shared experiences and member access to distinctive whiskey. This project expanded that work from selecting a barrel to designing an entire bourbon from multiple mature components.
It also demonstrated what becomes possible when a bourbon club develops trusted relationships with experienced blenders and gains access to whiskey of different ages, recipes and distillery origins.
For BCA, the Barrel King private blend was more than another bottle. It was proof that our selection program could become a true blending program.
Release and Member Availability
The whiskey was finalized and bottled in December 2025, with member availability planned for January 2026 at a club price of $150. It was created as a Bourbon Club of Arkansas member-exclusive release. Because this is a historical release page, current inventory should be confirmed directly with BCA.
Experience Future BCA Selections
Membership is the best way to follow upcoming barrel picks, private blends, tastings and club-exclusive releases.
Barrel King Private Blend FAQ
It is the Bourbon Club of Arkansas’s first true custom private bourbon blend, created from six barrels of mature whiskey at Barrel King rather than selected from a single barrel.
The finalized Bourbon Club of Arkansas private blend was bottled at 119 proof, or 59.5% alcohol by volume.
The final recipe includes 12-year MGP bourbon, two 9-year Green River bourbon recipes and a small amount of 8-year Wild Turkey bourbon.
The release was created for Bourbon Club of Arkansas members and announced at a club price of $150. Current inventory should be confirmed directly with BCA because this page documents a historical release.
Source and Editorial Notes
The project details and tasting notes were shared by Gary Penna for the Bourbon Club of Arkansas in December 2025. The final recipe supersedes the initial working blend described in the first preview. The 36%, 21% and 13% figures have been formatted as rye percentages based on the released recipe shorthand; confirm them against the final bottle or selection sheet before publication. Distillery-history context was checked against Barrel King, MGP and Green River materials. Descriptions of how individual components may function within the blend are editorial interpretation and are identified as such.
Please enjoy responsibly. Bourbon Club of Arkansas content is intended for adults of legal drinking age.