Blue Run Spirits, the whiskey outfit that’s made a habit of bending—if not outright breaking—the rules of American bourbon, has announced its latest experiment: Glimmer, a limited-edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in gin barrels. Bottled at 103.2 proof, the micro-batch release is already being whispered about in whiskey circles as one of the brand’s most daring plays yet.
Shaylyn Gammon Turns To Gin For First Finished Whiskey for Blue Run
The whiskey comes from the mind of Shaylyn Gammon, Coors Spirits Co.’s Head of Whiskey Development and Innovation, who is shaping her own chapter in Blue Run’s brief but already lauded history. Glimmer marks Gammon’s first barrel-finished bourbon for the brand—and only the second finished release in Blue Run’s portfolio. Instead of sherry or port casks, she turned to something almost unthinkable in bourbon-making: Barr Hill Tom Cat Gin barrels, American oak toasted and charred, that had once held a botanical gin for nearly a year.
“The barrels used in most secondary finishes tend to accentuate the base notes of the whiskey,” Gammon explains. “I chose to use gin barrels because I wanted the liquid to deliver a fresh take on a classic—whether sipped neat or in a cocktail.”
A Bourbon with Botanical Lift
The result is a sensory profile that sounds almost like poetry: a nose of delicate botanicals with a trace of pine, a palate balancing honeyed sweetness, cardamom, and herbal tones, and a finish layered with cocoa, oak char, and harmonious toast. It’s bourbon, yes, but with a gin-like lift—bright, herbal, refreshing without losing its Kentucky backbone.
Blue Run has always leaned into aesthetics as much as taste, and Glimmer is no exception. The glass itself carries an iridescent shimmer, designed to catch the light the way this whiskey is meant to catch attention. A soft violet butterfly medallion, Blue Run’s signature emblem, anchors the bottle, adding another collectible to the brand’s growing lineup.
Availability and Price of Blue Run Glimmer
With fewer than 90 cases available, Blue Run Glimmer is as rare as it is inventive, carrying a suggested retail price of $149.99. For fans of Blue Run’s Flight Series, Trifecta, or Ember, this new release feels like a natural continuation: small-batch whiskey made with equal parts artistry and audacity.
Whether the bourbon traditionalists will embrace a gin-barrel finish remains to be seen. But for drinkers chasing the frontier of American whiskey innovation, Glimmer is likely to shine. For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
