Trader Joe's Fans Just Spotted A Highly Anticipated Whiskey In Stores, And We're Running To Try It

Trader Joe's made its foray into whiskey more than 10 years ago. Since then, it has released a number of popular Trader Joe's whiskey varieties. Now, a potentially new Kentucky bourbon joins its other offerings on store shelves. In a post made to r/traderjoes on December 9, 2025, a shopper shared a picture of bottles of Trader Joe's Cask Head Sherry Cask Finish bourbon at a location in South Pasadena, California. The shopper says, "they just literally put this on the shelf an hour ago," and notes that the bourbon costs $49.99. Another shopper posted a bottle of the bourbon on Instagram on December 10, 2025, describing it as a "store-exclusive limited 2025 seasonal release" with "notes of vanilla, cinnamon spice, [and] dark fruits." In the comments, one person responded, "It's very limited according to the manager."

It seems that this seasonal release has been in the works for at least a year. In December 2024, Jacob Kiper of @comingwhiskey announced the upcoming release by posting an image of its label on Instagram. The label described the bourbon as a "light-bodied Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey finished in sherry wine casks" with "notes of nuts and stone fruits," and bottled by Dynasty Spirits in Dallas, Texas. Kiper also posted an updated image of the label in May 2025. This label states that the sherry casks used previously contained Pedro Ximenex Sherry from Jerez, Andalusia, Spain and the bourbon was finished in these casks for six months. A commenter claims, "My store told me they only got 12 bottles of it and I got one," so we're guessing this bourbon may be released in limited quantities and possibly hard to find. 

There is a difference between cask strength bourbon and cask head or cask finish bourbon. Cask head bourbon is bourbon that is initially aged or matured in new oak barrels or casks. Sherry cask finish bourbon then goes through a secondary aging process or finishing period during which it is aged in casks that previously held sherry.

Aging the bourbon in sherry casks can infuse the whiskey with the key aromas and flavors of the sherry that was previously in the casks. In the case of Trader Joe's Cask Head Sherry Cask Finish bourbon, those notes appear to be dried fruits and spices, according to Kiper's December 2024 Instagram post. This can result in a deeper and more complex flavor profile.

We haven't seen a current picture of the back label of Trader Joe's new bourbon and it isn't yet listed on the website. It's possible that the distilling information and flavor profile of the whiskey may be different than what was on the labels Kiper previously posted. However, in the image shared on Reddit, the label indicates that dried apricot is one of the flavors you can expect. So where can you buy the new Trader Joe's cask head bourbon? It will only be sold in states where you can buy liquor at Trader Joe's, and it appears that there may be limited quantities available. If you're as eager to try it as we are, get to your local Trader Joe's ASAP to see if it's in stock.