PUBLISH DATE: April 24, 2026
Day 1 is officially underway for Bourbon Club of Arkansas at the 2026 Barrel King Bourbon Games.
After arriving in Bourbon, Missouri on Thursday morning, Gary Penna and Justin Mills kicked off what is shaping up to be one of the most important weekends in club history. This year’s Barrel King Bourbon Games are about more than competition. They also mark the beginning of a special charity barrel project that could directly benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.
For Bourbon Club of Arkansas, Day 1 at Barrel King was the official start of two major missions: competing in the Barrel King Bourbon Games and selecting a single barrel that carries a much bigger purpose.
In Gary’s first video update from Barrel King in Bourbon, Missouri, he confirmed the team’s arrival and teased what was ahead.
“Morning BCA, back here in Bourbon, Missouri at Barrel King’s.”
Moments later, he added:
“About to do something extremely exciting. For the time being, be patient, have your notifications on, and be ready.”
At that point, members knew something big was coming. By the end of the day, that picture became much clearer.
Video Caption:
Gary Penna arrives at Barrel King in Bourbon, Missouri for Day 1 of the 2026 Barrel King Bourbon Games.
Bourbon Club of Arkansas Selects Charity Barrel at Barrel King
Later in the day, Gary sat down with Jason Callori of Mash and Drum to reveal one of the most important parts of this year’s Barrel King Bourbon Games.
As part of the competition, Bourbon Club of Arkansas selected a single barrel tied directly to charity.
If Bourbon Club of Arkansas wins this first leg of the Barrel King Bourbon Games, 100% of the proceeds from this barrel will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.
For Gary Penna and Justin Mills, this mission is personal.
Both men are military veterans. Gary served in the Air Force through seven deployments, while Justin served six years in the Army, including two years in Afghanistan. Both are disabled veterans, making support for wounded veterans a cause that hits close to home.
This charity barrel is not just another bourbon release. It is a chance to give back to fellow veterans through one of the most meaningful projects Bourbon Club of Arkansas has taken on.
Day 1 Tasting Notes from the Barrel King Bourbon Games
During the Day 1 barrel selection, Jason Callori broke down the profile of the selected bourbon and what made it stand out in the lineup.
According to Jason, the barrel offers a spice-forward profile built around a high-rye mashbill, delivering a balance of bold flavor and long-lasting finish.
Early tasting notes from the Barrel King charity barrel included:
- orange peel
- ginger spice
- maple syrup
- honey
- black tea
- faint maraschino cherry
Gary Penna noted that as the whiskey sat in the glass, the orange peel notes became stronger while honey and candy-like sweetness developed more fully.
The selected barrel carries a 36% rye mashbill, making it a true high-rye bourbon by modern standards. That elevated rye content helps explain the spice-forward structure while maintaining the viscosity and mouthfeel that stood out during the tasting.
For Bourbon Club of Arkansas, first impressions are strong.
This barrel has the potential to become one of the club’s most unique releases to date.
Wounded Warrior Project Selection
Recorded at Barrel King Headquarters, Bourbon, MO.
[+] View Word-for-Word Transcript
Introduction and Charity Mission
[00:00] Gary Penna: All right, Jason, you ready?
[00:01] Jason Callori: Yeah, yeah. I’m getting behind.
[00:02] Gary Penna: All right, folks, I’d like to welcome Jason from Mash & Drum. You guys know who he is. Have you seen him plenty of times over the years. He’s going to tell a little bit about what we’re doing here.
[00:10] Jason Callori: Yeah, so today we… we selected a single barrel for you guys that is going to be obviously… all the proceeds go to charity, which is probably the best thing about this… whole endeavor. But, as we taste through these barrels and as we taste through this whiskey, it’s… the flavors in here, I personally love. I just love how spicy it is. It’s not like that deep rich cherry note you get from some of those older MGPs. This is a little bit more of an elevated classic MGP where you get the spice, the ginger, the orange, a little bit of maple syrup in there too.
Tasting Notes and Mouthfeel Profile
[00:41] Jason Callori: So there’s some really nice flavors here, but… as you taste through this, I do think the viscosity gets better. I think the finish lasts a… a very long time, which is my favorite part of it. But… yeah, it’s a killer single barrel. It’s got some even some gristle on the bottom of it, which everybody loves.
[00:58] Gary Penna: Does it. I’m picking up… I’m picking up a little bit of… like you just opened the wrapper in a bit of honey and it’s like sticking to the wrapper and you’re pulling it off. And like as you’re drinking it, you get those crispy outside bits of that hard candy as they start to melt.
[01:13] Jason Callori: Yeah, the honey factor in here is definitely… and that’s where I think that black tea comes in… on the back end. It’s like a black… it’s like black tea, honey, with a… like a big slice of orange in it. And then on top of that, there’s a very, very faint hint of like a bright maraschino cherry right in the mid-palate that hits. It’s very faint, but I think as this opens up, you could actually find it even more and more.
Technical Specs and High-Rye Profiles
[01:34] Gary Penna: I definitely get the orange peel note on it. And as it’s sitting here in the glass, it’s getting better. At first, I had this impression this was a rye, and I’m like, this doesn’t taste or… or smell like a rye, so I was totally confused by it. And then it’s like, no, it’s a 36% rye. So it’s a higher rye, which… as we know, 12% to 36% is considered high rye, which is insane. But… it’s just got a really, really nice mouthfeel to me and it finishes real well.
[01:58] Jason Callori: Yeah, the mouthfeel on it, the spice of it—that’s going to… what’s that’s what’s going to stand out about this barrel. So… yeah, guys, buy some bottles, raise some money for charity, help these guys win the first leg of the competition and… well, we’ll see how it goes.
Military Service and Wounded Warrior Support
[02:11] Gary Penna: So we’re doing… Wounded Warrior. That’s one of the ones true to my heart. So, both Justin Mills and myself are all… both former military. I’m retired Air Force, he’s… retired Army. Not technically retired, but he did his… six, eight years. What did you do total?
[02:27] Justin Mills: Six years. Two years in Afghanistan.
[02:29] Gary Penna: Six years, two years in Afghanistan. I did seven deployments as well. So… both in the Wounded Warrior program, we’re both disabled veterans. So… it’s a very near and dear to my heart. So 100% of the proceeds if we win will go to this charity, which I think is a very worthy one. So I want to thank Jason from Mash & Drum. Obviously, if you don’t follow him, you need to follow him and go to his… his site and like and subscribe to it. And… keep watching, this is going to be a long, arduous…
[02:55] Jason Callori: There’s a lot of stuff planned for them this weekend that even I don’t know about.
[02:58] Gary Penna: Arduous my f***ing ass for drinking whiskey for free! I mean, like oh, put me in jail, make me drink whiskey. Okay. So, I appreciate it guys. Cheers, peace.
[03:09] Jason Callori: Cheers. Thanks, man. I appreciate it.
Video Caption:
Gary Penna and Jason Callori discuss Bourbon Club of Arkansas’s charity barrel during Day 1 of the Barrel King Bourbon Games.
Why the Wounded Warrior Project Matters to Bourbon Club of Arkansas
Choosing the Wounded Warrior Project was intentional.
For Gary and Justin, both military veterans and disabled veterans, supporting wounded service members goes beyond charity. It is personal.
That connection made this barrel selection one of the most meaningful moments of Day 1 at Barrel King.
If Bourbon Club of Arkansas advances and secures the win in this portion of the Barrel King Bourbon Games, the proceeds from this barrel will directly support wounded veterans and their families.
That gives this entire competition a deeper purpose.
For members of Bourbon Club of Arkansas, it also creates an opportunity to support a meaningful cause while adding a special bottle to their collection.
To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit Wounded Warrior Project.
What Happens Next at Barrel King?
Day 1 at Barrel King in Bourbon, Missouri laid the foundation for what could become a major weekend for Bourbon Club of Arkansas.
Between the Barrel King Bourbon Games competition and the development of a charity-focused barrel release, the energy is already building.
And according to Jason Callori, there is still plenty left to come.
“There’s a lot of stuff planned for them this weekend that even I don’t know about.”
That is exactly the kind of unpredictability that makes the Barrel King Bourbon Games exciting.
Day 2 coverage will continue as Gary Penna and Justin Mills push forward in the competition and continue building momentum toward what could become one of Bourbon Club of Arkansas’s most meaningful bourbon releases.
Stay tuned.
We are just getting started.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Barrel King Bourbon Games is a bourbon competition hosted by Barrel King that brings together whiskey groups, creators, and bourbon enthusiasts through barrel selections, challenges, and charitable initiatives.
Gary Penna and Justin Mills are representing Bourbon Club of Arkansas during the 2026 Barrel King Bourbon Games in Bourbon, Missouri.
Bourbon Club of Arkansas selected the Wounded Warrior Project as its charity partner for this Barrel King barrel selection.
Barrel King is located in Bourbon, Missouri at 126 West Pine Street.
