Redemption 18 Year Bourbon Returns: Barrel Proof, $399.99
Eighteen years is a long time to leave bourbon alone in a barrel, and Redemption is bringing its 18-Year-Old Bourbon back for a second year. It comes from the brand's Ancients Series and is bottled at barrel proof without chill filtering, so what's in the glass is as close to the barrel as the label allows. It first appeared in June 2025, and this year's version is back in limited quantities at a suggested $399.99.
Why This Return Matters
Older bourbon is getting harder to find, and a second annual edition tells you Redemption has a rhythm going. Eighteen years in oak concentrates a bourbon's flavor and rounds its edges, and the brand says it bottles at barrel proof to keep the full weight of that time intact.
Forbes reported in October that the 2026 bottling is very similar to last year's because the barrels came from neighboring lots. The same review noted perhaps a bit more chocolate this time around. If you caught the first edition, expect a familiar profile. If you missed it, this is your second chance.
The return was announced on August 13, 2026, alongside Redemption Single Barrel Bonded Bourbon, the first release in the relaunched Higher Marques Collection.
Inside the Bottle
The whiskey is Indiana bourbon, drawn from select barrels. Forbes reports most of it comes from MGP's mash bill of roughly three quarters corn, with about a fifth rye and a little malted barley. Reports differ by a point or so on the exact numbers. Master Blender Alan Kennedy formulated it.
Barrel proof means no water was added to bring it down to a standard strength. Here that works out to 102.85 proof (51.43% ABV). Non-chill filtered means the whiskey skips the cold filtering step that can strip out some oils and texture, which often gives a fuller feel on the palate.
According to Redemption, it pours a deep dark oak to brown sherry color. The nose has warm oak, cherry jam, cinnamon and a hint of mint. The palate brings vanilla, cherry, sweet corn and leather balanced against the oak. The finish is long, with oak, vanilla and cherry.
The bottle looks the part. It is a square, decanter-style bottle with an engraved wheat design, a wooden stopper and a leather-wrapped neck. A patinated metal Redemption plaque sits on the front, and the whole thing arrives in a kraft-colored gift box with an "18" label.
The Story Behind Redemption
Redemption has built its identity on bold, rye-forward whiskeys with attitude, and the brand's own line is that honoring tradition and pushing the category forward are not mutually exclusive. Its whiskeys are distilled in Indiana and bottled by Redemption Barrel Selections in Frankfort, Kentucky.
That sourcing is the heart of the brand's approach. Instead of making everything from scratch, the team goes looking for barrels with something to say. Kennedy calls bottling a single barrel or a small selection "a bet on our own barrels," because each one has to earn its place.
The Ancients Series is where that patience shows most. The 18-Year-Old arrived in June 2025 as the brand's showpiece for age. Now it is part of an upper tier the company is reshaping, with the Higher Marques Collection getting a new bottle design that evolves Redemption's Eagle packaging.
Price, Proof and Availability
Official Name: Redemption 18-Year-Old Bourbon (Ancients Series)
Category: Bourbon
Bottle Size: 750mL
ABV/Proof: 102.85 proof (51.43% ABV), barrel proof, non-chill filtered
Age: 18 years
Price (SRP): $399.99
US Availability: Released in fall 2026 in limited quantities at retail stores "where available." Forbes reported in October that it is available in limited supply at retail and online. The states carrying it have not been announced, so check with your local retailer
Limited Edition: Yes, second annual release. Redemption has not announced a bottle count
Did You Know?
The Single Barrel Bonded Bourbon launched alongside it is aged at least six years, two beyond the four-year bonded minimum. The 18 spends three times as long in oak.
Tonights Poison Take
At $399.99, this is a special-occasion bottle, and Redemption is treating it that way with the decanter, leather neck and gift box. The flavor notes of cherry, leather and baking spice sit right in the classic old-bourbon zone, so it should appeal to people who already love aged pours. Because the 2026 batch is so close to last year's, anyone who chased the first edition knows what they are getting. Limited supply means that if one turns up near you, it is worth a conversation with your local shop.
Bar Talk: Redemption's 18-Year-Old Bourbon is back for year two at barrel proof, and it's built from neighboring lots to last year's barrels.
Know someone who has a spot on the shelf for an 18-year-old bourbon? Send them this one.
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About the author: Jas Sawhney (Tonights Poison) has spent 18 years in the beverage alcohol industry and shares new releases, tastings and spirits news as @tonightspoison on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Please enjoy responsibly.
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