Dierks Bentley has spent a good part of his life trying to get closer to country music, and sometimes that meant going through doors he wasn’t supposed to open. Now the multi-platinum entertainer has found a way to put his bourbon behind one of those doors. On Nov. 3, 2026, Bentley announced three big developments for ROW 94, his Kentucky straight bourbon brand. The announcements came at a press conference inside the Grand Ole Opry, held during the Second Annual Dierks Day.
Bentley stood alongside Justin Willett, the VP of Operations at Lofted Spirits, to share the news. The first piece is a new limited release called Trespasser’s Proof. It is set to arrive in 2027, and it started its final stage of aging that same day on the grounds of the Grand Ole Opry. The second is the brand’s first tasting room, in downtown Nashville. The third is a guided tour called The Music Whiskey Trail: Dierks Bentley & ROW 94, run by Mint Julep Experiences. Both the tasting room and the tour were set to open to the public that same week.
Bentley explained why the project means so much to him. “I’ve spent most of my life trying to get closer to the music, sometimes through doors I wasn’t supposed to walk through,” Bentley says. “That same intense passion for country music is what inspired this bourbon, and getting to bring a little piece of Nashville history into it makes it even more special.”
Trespasser’s Proof: A Bourbon With a Backstage Story
The Name Comes From a Real Part of Bentley’s Past
The name Trespasser’s Proof is not just a catchy label. It points back to Bentley’s early days in Nashville. Long before he ever played on a big stage, he was famously banned from some of the city’s most legendary venues. The reason was simple. He kept sneaking backstage through guarded doors. That same hunger for country music is what defines this new bottle, according to the announcement.
ROW 94 calls Trespasser’s Proof a first-of-its-kind expression and the most distinctive release the brand has put out so far.
How the Bourbon Is Made
The story starts in Kentucky at the Green River Distilling Co., the historic distillery in Owensboro where all ROW 94 bourbon is made. Trespasser’s Proof uses the same mash bill as the flagship ROW 94. It then ages for a minimum of four years.
After that, things get unusual. The bourbon is moved to a secure, off-limits spot inside the Grand Ole Opry, a location known only to a select few. There it completes its final chapter of aging. The first batch began that last stretch on Nov. 3. It is a four-barrel batch, which makes it a very small run by any standard.
Wood From Nashville’s “Mother Church”
The release also nods to another famous Nashville landmark, the Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman was home to the Grand Ole Opry for almost 30 years, and its stage is known as the “Mother Church.” That stage was built of hard white oak and sugar maple. A circle made of those same woods still sits on the current Opry stage, and it is where every artist steps into history when they perform.
To honor that, ROW 94 picked staves from the very same wood species to finish Trespasser’s Proof. The idea is to bring another piece of Nashville’s musical history into the bottle.
The Final Proof Is Still a Mystery
One detail makes this release different from most. The proof has not been set yet. Each barrel develops its own character, so the distillery team plans to sample the bourbon throughout the aging and finishing process. They will pick the final proof just ahead of bottling.
Release Details
Trespasser’s Proof is slated for release in early 2027 at a suggested retail price of $100. The brand says it will be sold online and at select bourbon bars and retailers while supplies last. More information on ROW 94 is posted at ROW94whiskey.com.
The First ROW 94 Tasting Room Opens in Downtown Nashville
A Party at the Opry, Then an After Party
The celebration did not stop after the press conference. Later that night, Bentley went back to the Opry stage for a performance. He then hosted an after party at the new ROW 94 Tasting Room.
What the Space Looks Like
The tasting room sits inside the Bode Hotel at 401 President Ronald Reagan Way in downtown Nashville, TN 37201. It is described as part bourbon bar and part backstage pass. A Dierks Bentley hologram installation anchors the room. Archival photography from Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, Kentucky, hangs alongside it. The walls also hold real tour memorabilia, including gear from Bentley’s past tours and autographed guitars.
Hours and Prices
The tasting room opens to the public on Thursday, Nov. 5. It welcomes guests Thursday through Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. T-shirts and trucker hats with the ROW 94 name are also sold there.
The starting point on the menu is Flight 94, priced at $25. It includes a one-ounce pour each of ROW 94, ROW 94 Full Proof and Broken Branches.
The Cocktail Menu
The drink list mixes familiar classics with original creations. The house cocktails include:
- The Broadway Smoke, made with ROW 94, allspice, walnut liqueur, demerara syrup, and tobacco smoke.
- Free & Easy, made with ROW 94, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, and bitters.
- The Front ROW, made with brown butter-infused ROW 94, espresso, pecan, amaro, and demerara.
- 615 Sunset, made with ROW 94, Aperol, lemon, chili syrup, walnut, and toasted rosemary.
- Dierks’ Lemonade, made with ROW 94, raspberry, and lemonade.
The menu also lists classics such as the Music Row Mule, Whiskey Sour, Whiskey Smash, and The Last ROW.
The Music Whiskey Trail: A Guided Tour of Bentley’s Nashville
Three Hours Through Music City
Starting Saturday, Nov. 7, Mint Julep Experiences begins running The Music Whiskey Trail: Dierks Bentley & ROW 94. The tour is meant to show visitors the Nashville that helped shape Bentley’s career. It lasts three hours and runs every Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. The price is $169 per person.
The route covers key stops across Music Row, Lower Broadway, and the historic Station Inn in the Gulch. Guests ride in Mint Julep’s luxury fleet.
The Stops Along the Way
The tour includes a stop at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row on Broadway, where guests get a signature Dierks’ Lemonade made with ROW 94. It also visits the Ryman Auditorium, for an inside look at the iconic venue that has been the backdrop for several memorable moments in Bentley’s career. The tour ends at the ROW 94 Tasting Room, where guests sample select expressions and hear the story behind how the brand came to be.
Tickets can be found at mintjuleptours.com/nashville/row-94-dierks-bentley-tour.
The Story Behind ROW 94
ROW 94 is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It launched in September 2024 and is made at the historic Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, Kentucky. The brand says it uses Three Ingredients and The Truth. That reflects Bentley’s dream of making a bourbon that he and his fans can enjoy on the big nights and at everyday gatherings, amplifying the country in us all.
The whiskey has won some recognition. It took a Gold medal, with 94 points, at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Later bottlings include Broken Branches Bourbon and ROW 94 Full Proof.
Who Is Dierks Bentley?
Bentley has been part of country music’s family tree for more than 20 years. His most recent album is called Broken Branches. His track record includes eight No. One albums, 22 No. One songs and more than 9.5 billion global streams. He has also earned 15 Grammy nominations and is a member of the historic Grand Ole Opry.
Music is only part of his work. Bentley also runs four locations of the gastropub and live music venue Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row. He is behind Desert Son too, a lifestyle collection under the Flag & Anthem name. He was set to close out 2026 with tour dates in Las Vegas on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5. One review of his live show, from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, said it was “more than just music. It was a show; it was a spectacle.”
More about his work is at Dierks.com.
A Quick Look at the Grand Ole Opry
The Opry is a big part of this story, so it helps to know what it is. The Grand Ole Opry is known as the home of country music. It was founded in Nashville in 1925, and today it is the longest-running live broadcast show in the world. Its members are some of country’s most emblematic artists, and the show regularly features the genre’s top new talent.
Visitors can see one of the three to seven live shows the Opry hosts each week at the Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, also called Music City, USA. They can also take a backstage tour. For those who can’t make the trip, the show is broadcast on WSM Radio, opry.com, wsmonline.com, and SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse. Opry Live airs on Saturday nights on Circle Country, which also carries Opry content all week. The Opry is part of Opry Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP).
The Partners Behind the Launch
Bode Nashville
Bode is a hotel built for group travel. It aims to blend the feel of home with a hotel stay. Its spacious suites come with full kitchens and multiple bedrooms, which makes it easy for families or friends to stay together. The property has fire pits, a café, and open spaces meant to bring people together, from breakfast to nightcap. Check-in is digital, and staff are ready to share local hidden gems. More details are at https://www.bode.co/downtown-nashville-hotel.
Mint Julep Experiences
Mint Julep Experiences was founded in 2008. It runs curated tours in Kentucky, Nashville and Ireland. Its teams in Louisville, Nashville and Ireland include whiskey experts, veteran tour guides and city concierges. They offer group tours, private experiences and corporate trips. More is at https://mintjuleptours.com/.
Why This Announcement Matters
For fans of country music and American whiskey, this news ties together two things with deep roots in Nashville and Kentucky. A bourbon finishing its aging inside the Opry, with wood matched to the Ryman’s famous stage, is not something many brands can claim. The tasting room and the Saturday tour give visitors more ways to take in the story, and they come with Bentley’s own history as the thread running through all of it.
The Trespasser’s Proof release is still months away, and the final proof is yet to be decided. Until then, the barrels will sit quietly in a place most people will never see.
