The Memphis-based whiskey that has been quietly racking up awards and building a loyal following just got a whole lot easier to find. B.R. Distilling Company announced on June 22, 2026 that its Blue Note Bourbon portfolio is expanding distribution into Indiana and Nebraska, while also making a distributor change back home in Kentucky.
For anyone who has been tracking the rise of serious American whiskey over the past decade, this is the kind of news worth paying attention to.
The New Partners Driving the Expansion
B.R. Distilling didn't just pick up any available distributors to push into new territory. The company selected Vino Indiana to handle distribution in Indiana and Quench Fine Wines to cover Nebraska. Back in Kentucky — the state where Blue Note's whiskey is actually distilled — the company made a switch, bringing on Heritage Wine & Spirits as its new distribution partner.
The thinking behind these choices is straightforward. Dan Jurkovic, National Sales Director at B.R. Distilling Co., put it plainly: "Choosing the right distribution partners is one of the most important decisions a growing whiskey brand can make. As consumer demand for Blue Note Bourbon increases, we're excited to welcome these three new distribution partners to our network. Their market expertise, strong retail relationships, and shared commitment to building premium spirits brands will help us expand our reach while ensuring more consumers have access to our award-winning portfolio. We look forward to working together to accelerate growth in these key markets."
That's not just corporate boilerplate. For a whiskey brand that has built its reputation on quality rather than marketing dollars, getting the right retail relationships in place is genuinely critical. A bottle that doesn't make it onto the right shelf never gets discovered.
What Makes Blue Note Different
To understand why this expansion is a big deal, it helps to understand what Blue Note actually is and where it comes from.
B.R. Distilling Company was founded in 2014 in Memphis, Tennessee, making it the oldest licensed distillery in the city. The company named its flagship bourbon line after the legendary Blue Note jazz and blues clubs, connecting the whiskey to the deep musical roots that Memphis is known for worldwide. But while the name nods to the blues, the actual production process draws on both Tennessee and Kentucky.
The whiskey itself is distilled in Kentucky — which gives it access to the limestone-filtered water and traditional grain practices that have defined great American bourbon for generations. But then it does something unusual. The whiskey is then aged just north of downtown Memphis, right near the point where the Mississippi River and the Wolf River come together.
That geographical detail matters more than it might seem. Memphis summers are brutal. The heat drives the whiskey deep into the charred oak barrels, pulling out flavors and compounds that a cooler climate simply wouldn't extract as effectively. Then the evenings cool off, causing the oak to contract. Over time, this cycle of expansion and contraction creates a whiskey with a flavor profile that is described as unmistakably rich, bold but still smooth. The city itself is essentially one of the ingredients.
The Lineup: What's in the Portfolio
Blue Note offers several core expressions, and each one hits a different note for different occasions and different palates.
The flagship is Juke Joint Straight Bourbon Whiskey, priced at $34.99. It's the entry point into the portfolio and the one that most people try first. Then there's the Toasted expression — formerly known as Crossroads — at $44.99, which brings a different layer of flavor through the toasted barrel process. For those who want something with more intensity and are comfortable paying a little more for it, the Uncut expression comes in at $49.99 and delivers the whiskey at barrel strength without dilution. Rounding out the main lineup is a Straight Rye Whiskey at $34.99, which gives a spicier alternative for drinkers who prefer rye over traditional bourbon.
Beyond those four core bottles, Blue Note has been steadily releasing limited editions that have drawn serious attention from collectors and enthusiasts. These include a Premium Small Batch, Single Barrel Reserve, Special Reserve, a 17-year aged expression, and both a Honey Rye and a Honey Bourbon Cask. These limited releases don't stick around long, and they've become the kind of bottles that people track down specifically.
The Awards Tell the Story
A brand can say whatever it wants about its own whiskey. The awards are harder to argue with.
At the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition — one of the most respected whiskey competitions in the world — both Juke Joint and Crossroads (now called Toasted) were awarded Platinum medals. What makes that significant is what a Platinum medal actually means at that competition. To receive one, an expression has to earn Double Gold medals for three consecutive years in a row. That's not a lucky year or a strong batch — that's consistent, repeatable quality across multiple production cycles and multiple years of judging.
For a brand that is still growing its distribution footprint, that kind of recognition from a major international competition carries real weight. It tells retailers and consumers alike that this isn't a local curiosity or a boutique novelty. It's a whiskey that competes at the highest level.
Where You Can Find It Now
With Indiana and Nebraska added to the map, Blue Note Bourbon is now available across a substantial portion of the country. The current distribution states include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin.
For those who live outside those states or simply prefer to order from home, Blue Note also sells online through BlueNoteBourbon.com via Bevstack, with shipping available to an even broader list of states including Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and several others.
Why This Expansion Signals Something Bigger
The American whiskey market has become genuinely crowded over the past fifteen years. Hundreds of new distilleries have opened across the country, and the competition for shelf space and consumer attention is fierce. In that environment, the brands that survive and grow are the ones that can combine a real story with real quality — and then get that product in front of the right people in the right places.
Blue Note has the story. Memphis is one of the most musically and culturally significant cities in America, and the connection between the whiskey's character and the place it's aged is authentic, not manufactured. The heat of the Mississippi Delta is actually in the bottle.
And the quality has been independently verified by some of the toughest judges in the spirits world. Three consecutive years of Double Gold medals don't happen by accident.
Now, with new distribution partners in Indiana, Nebraska, and a fresh start in Kentucky with Heritage Wine & Spirits, the brand is positioning itself to reach a much wider audience. The retailers in those markets bring established relationships and local knowledge that a brand expanding from Memphis can't replicate on its own.
For anyone in those states who hasn't had the chance to try Blue Note yet, now is the time to look for it on the shelf. And for longtime fans who have been following the brand, the continued growth means the whiskey they've been telling their friends about is getting a lot easier for those friends to actually find.
The blues always traveled. Turns out, the bourbon is starting to do the same.
