There are spirits that get made because someone spotted a gap in the market. And then there are spirits that get made because someone had something to say. Freyja's Gift, the latest release from Texas-based Two Souls Spirits, falls squarely into the second category — and the story behind it is worth knowing before you ever pour a glass.
On February 13, 2026, a Friday the 13th, Two Souls Spirits officially launched Freyja's Gift, a six-year-old honey spirit bottled at 123 proof and released in just 150 bottles. Everything about that date was intentional. In Norse tradition, Friday takes its name from Frjádagr — Freyja's Day — and the number 13 carried meaning tied to lunar cycles and the divine feminine. Co-owner Karen Gentry put it plainly: "The number 13 was sacred in Norse culture, representing lunar cycles and divine feminine power. Launching on February 13, 2026 — a Friday the 13th — reclaims this day's original meaning as the Day of the Goddess."
That kind of deliberate thinking runs through everything about this release.
What Makes This Spirit Different
Freyja's Gift is not a bourbon with honey added. It is not a flavored whiskey. It is not a honey liqueur. It is a spirit distilled entirely from 100% clover honey mead — meaning the honey is the base, the foundation, the whole story. Whatever character ends up in the bottle came from that honey and six years sitting in used oak barrels at Yahara Bay Distillers in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.
Six years is a long time. Long enough that the spirit has developed what tasters describe as bourbon-like characteristics — caramel, butterscotch, dried fruit, oak — while still holding onto the floral, honeyed qualities that make it something entirely its own. According to Two Souls, it is the oldest honey spirit currently available on the market. That claim deserves some weight. Most craft producers working with honey-based spirits are not waiting six years. The patience it takes to let something that unusual age that long, without knowing exactly how it will turn out, says a lot about the people behind it.
The Proof Point Was Not Chosen at Random
Getting the proof right on a spirit like this is harder than it sounds. The team worked through four different proof points before settling on 123. At 110 proof, the spirit was easy to drink but lacked depth — too flat and one-dimensional to do justice to six years of aging. Bump it up to 130 and the alcohol takes over entirely, steamrolling the delicate honey character that the whole thing was built around. The sweet spot emerged just above 120.
Co-founder James Estrada described the decision: "At 123 proof, we found the ideal balance: more weight on the nose and entry than 120, with perfect harmony between the honey's natural sweetness and the oak's backbone." That balance between sweetness and structure, between the honey and the wood, is exactly what six years of barrel aging is supposed to produce — and apparently the extra few proof points above 120 brought out more of the nose and a more satisfying entry without tipping into harshness.
There is also a personal reason the number 123 stuck. Estrada's wife, Manda, was born on January 23rd, and the release was announced on that date. The proof became a small tribute built right into the bottle.
What It Tastes Like
The nose opens with raw honey, orange blossom, confectioners sugar, stone fruit, and a light touch of vanilla. For something bottled at 123 proof, it comes across as surprisingly inviting rather than aggressive. On the palate, there is a rich caramel entry with good weight — the kind of texture that comes from years in oak. Butterscotch, dried fruit, and what can only be described as classic bourbon character develop through the mid-palate, which is remarkable considering there is not a drop of grain in it. The finish is warm and satisfying, finishing dry with oak and a hint of char, with the sweetness trailing behind rather than leading.
For anyone who has spent time with high-proof bourbons, this spirit will feel familiar in structure. But the honey origin gives it something bourbons simply cannot replicate — a floral, natural sweetness that is baked in at the source rather than applied afterward.
The Mythology Behind the Name
Freyja was not a minor figure in Norse mythology. She held equal standing with Odin, the all-father, and commanded half of all warriors killed in battle for her hall, Fólkvöngr. Those warriors drank mead in the hall — honey-based mead — as a ritual of survival, belonging, and earned reward after the fight was done. Choosing a honey spirit as the vehicle for her name is not a stretch. It is a direct line back to what mead meant to the people who first drank it.
Two Souls leaned into that history without turning it into a costume. The spirit earns the name rather than borrowing it.
The Annual Valentine's Tradition
Freyja's Gift is the first in what Two Souls Spirits plans to make an annual Valentine's release. Every February, the company intends to put out a limited-edition spirit — a different base, a different story — as a gesture toward the community they have built around their brand. Estrada was clear about what this is and what it is not: "This isn't a Valentine's Day product. It's our Valentine's gift to our community. Every year will feature a different spirit, different story, but the same intention: celebrating the people who've supported Two Souls and understand what we're building."
That distinction matters. This is not a pink bottle with a bow on it. It is a serious spirit with a real backstory, released on a day chosen for its historical meaning, in a quantity small enough to stay special.
Who Is Behind It
Two Souls Spirits operates out of Texas as an independent craft spirits bottling company. The model is different from a standard distillery — they partner with craft producers around the country to source, select, and bottle limited releases, looking for single barrels and small batches worth showcasing rather than spinning up their own production. Estrada has spent over a decade writing about American craft spirits and co-hosts the Whiskey Uncut podcast. Gentry runs operations and marketing. Together they have built a brand around the idea that a spirit should only be released when it has hit its peak.
Yahara Bay Distillers, where Freyja's Gift was distilled and bottled, has been operating out of Madison, Wisconsin since 2007. What started with three products has grown to more than 40, spanning whiskeys, rums, brandies, and gins, all made one batch at a time using locally sourced ingredients.
The Details
Freyja's Gift comes in a 750ml bottle at 123 proof — 61.5% ABV — aged six years in used oak barrels, distilled entirely from 100% clover honey mead. The price is $98.99. Only 150 bottles exist. Members of the Two Souls Inner Circle got access starting February 10th, with the public launch on February 13th.
At that quantity and that price point, this is the kind of release that moves fast among people who know what they are looking at. A six-year honey spirit at barrel strength, from a distillery with a real track record, with a proof that took genuine effort to dial in — this is not something that was rushed to market. It is the result of time, patience, and a willingness to let something fully develop before putting a label on it.
For collectors and drinkers who treat craft spirits as something worth understanding rather than just consuming, Freyja's Gift represents exactly the kind of release that makes the American craft spirits scene worth paying attention to.
