More than 2,300 spins on the World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel joined rare whiskey pours, industry panels and CaskX's barrel giveaway
BARDSTOWN, Ky., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CaskX concluded its 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival presence after 2,354 guests spun the World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel over the course of the weekend, culminating in one festival attendee winning an entire barrel of bourbon.
The World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel remained one of CaskX's central public activations throughout the festival. Friday brought 698 spins before Saturday set a new one-day record with 1,140. Across the weekend, guests received pours from a rotating selection of rare, limited and sold-out whiskeys, including six bottles of Pappy Van Winkle.
The weekend's largest prize came through the CaskX Barrel Competition. Fifteen finalists were eventually narrowed to five, each assigned a number from one through five. CaskX CEO Jeremy Kasler made the deciding spin, with the wheel landing on number five and awarding Paul Jones an entire barrel of 2026 Jackson Purchase bourbon. Nichole Beam and Andrew Newton of Jackson Purchase Distillery were on hand for the final spin and celebration.
A Weekend of Rare Pours and Unexpected Moments
The World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel changed throughout the festival as different selections were introduced, giving attendees the opportunity to experience a range of whiskeys over the three-day event.
One of the weekend's more unexpected moments came when comedian Jim Gaffigan stepped up to the wheel during a special Fathertime Bourbon takeover. Gaffigan spun for a bourbon from the Fathertime lineup with the winning bottle being opened and shared with guests waiting nearby.
The appearance became one of several spontaneous moments around the wheel during a weekend in which thousands of attendees participated and limited edition top shelf pours were shared throughout the festival.
Inside the CaskX Lounge
Beyond the public World Famous CaskX Bourbon Wheel, the CaskX Lounge served as a gathering place for CaskX clients, investors, distillers and invited guests.
Featured guests included Craig Beam and Terry Ballard of Jackson Purchase Distillery; Jade Peterson of Kentucky Artisan Distillery; Matt Gandolfo and Jake Vollmer of Rabbit Hole Distillery; Sam Rock and Ben Franzini of Bluegrass Distillers; Dan Callaway of Bardstown Bourbon Company; and Jon Newton and Brett Connors of Castle & Key.
Throughout Friday and Saturday, guests participated in tastings and conversations with whiskey makers from across Kentucky. Discussions covered topics ranging from distilling and maturation to barrel finishing, production methods and the process that takes whiskey from a newly filled barrel to a finished bottle.
The lounge also gave guests an opportunity to sample several limited and sold-out releases while hearing directly from the people involved in producing them. Featured pours included the Jackson Purchase Festival Single Barrel, Kentucky Artisan Distillery's Oldham County Reserve 11-Year-Old Bourbon, Rabbit Hole's Dareringer, Bluegrass Distillers' 19-Year-Old Elkwood Reserve, Bardstown Bourbon Company's Single Barrel Master Blender Festival Pick and Castle & Key's Experimental Series Hungarian Tokaji release.
The programming reflected a broader goal behind CaskX's festival presence: connecting people interested in bourbon with the production, maturation and people behind the whiskey itself.
CaskX Takes Part in Industry Discussions
CaskX also participated in several conversations examining developments within the broader bourbon market.
Kasler joined Craig Beam, master distiller at Jackson Purchase Distillery and Jade Peterson, master distiller at Kentucky Artisan Distillery, on the Kentucky Bourbon Festival main stage for a discussion moderated by bourbon writer Steve Coomes. The panel examined the current whiskey market and the role contract distilling plays within an industry where many brands depend on outside distillery partners to produce and mature their whiskey.
CaskX Director of Whiskey Sara Havens later participated in the Bourbon :30 Whiskey Writers' and Influencers' Panel, alongside Jesse Jones of Bourbon Showdown Podcast, Claudia Coffey of The Best Bet Podcast and spirits journalist David Thomas Tao, also moderated by Coomes.
The discussion brought together whiskey writers, podcasters and industry participants to examine current bourbon trends, which developments appear likely to continue and how bourbon culture continues to evolve.
The panels expanded CaskX's festival involvement beyond tastings and hospitality, providing an opportunity to participate in conversations about the production and market forces shaping the whiskey industry.
Festival Week Begins With CaskX Investor Showcase
CaskX began the week ahead of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival with a private Investor Showcase at Rabbit Hole Distillery in Louisville.
Guests toured Rabbit Hole's facility and sampled whiskey directly from barrels that had not been released to the public, offering a firsthand look at whiskey while it was still progressing through maturation.
The event provided additional context around bourbon barrel investment and the process involved in acquiring and holding whiskey barrels through maturation.
Together, the Investor Showcase, Bourbon Wheel, CaskX Lounge and festival panels gave CaskX several opportunities to connect the consumer side of bourbon with the production and barrel ownership infrastructure operating behind it.
The 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival took place Sept. 10-13 in Bardstown, Kentucky.
About CaskX
CaskX provides qualified investors access to new make and maturing whiskey from distillery partners in the United States and Scotland. Through its whiskey cask investment platform, the company supports the process of acquiring, storing, insuring and managing whiskey casks through maturation and eventual exit.
For more information, visit CaskX.com.
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