Pendleton Whisky Pays Tribute to the Rodeo With Inaugural Bourbon Bottling

(Photo: Pendleton Whisky)

On Wednesday, Pendleton Whisky unveiled its first new bottling in nearly a decade by way of Pendleton 1910. It’s the first time that the brand, known for its rye and Canadian whisky expressions, has forayed into the bourbon category.

The spirit is reportedly crafted from a blend of high- and low-rye bourbons aged for 10 years in char #3 white American oak barrels. After being cut down to 90 proof with glacier-fed spring water from Oregon’s Hood Mountain, the expression is said to boast flavors of caramel, vanilla and rye spice.

The bourbon is named in honor of the Pendleton Round-Up, first hosted in the eponymous Pendleton, Oregon in 1910. Recognized as one of the largest continually-operated rodeo competitions in the world, the Pendleton Round-Up attracts over 50,000 attendees each year to the otherwise quiet Pacific Northwest town. With its latest release, the brand has doubled down on the inspiration with an embossed decanter designed in the likeness of a rodeo saddle.

The expression is now available for purchase online at a suggested retail price of $44.99. Availability is slated to expand to retailers nationwide by February 2025.

“Pendleton Whisky is outpacing the broader whiskey category in sales YTD and has achieved a remarkable 10% CAGR growth in depletions over the last four years. With the addition of Pendleton 1910 Bourbon, we are poised for outsized expansion on a national level with this 10-Year-Old bourbon, ushering in an exciting new chapter for this historic and iconic Western brand,” Proximo Spirits Senior Vice President of Marketing Lander Otegu remarked in a news release.

Up until now, Pendleton has specialized exclusively in whiskies imported from Canada and bottled stateside by Hood River Distillers. The brand offers a wide variety of expressions, including its brandy-aged Midnight, 12-year 1910 Rye and flagship Blended Canadian Whisky.

Of the bunch, the best is probably the 1910 Rye, which currently holds a Raided Score® of 86 based on expert reviews. Loaded with aromas of maple syrup and toffee, the two-decade-old expression gives way to a nice medley of tobacco, fig and apple butter on the palate that seems like a fitting combination of those American and Canadian influences.