Eric Church’s New Whiskeys Are Finished With Gibson Guitar Wood

(Photo: Whiskey JYPSI)

Whiskey JYPSI is taking whiskey finishing in an entirely new direction with a collaboration that turns a byproduct of Gibson guitar production into the centerpiece of two limited-edition releases.

The whiskey brand co-founded by country music star Eric Church on Tuesday unveiled Tonewood, a pair of whiskeys finished with toasted maple offcuts from Gibson’s guitar-making process. The release coincides with the debut of Church’s new Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird Dark signature guitar.

While guitar makers have long repurposed used whiskey barrel staves to build instruments, Whiskey JYPSI says the collaboration flips that concept by using guitar-grade maple to influence the whiskey’s flavor.

“We built the whiskey first, then used the wood to understand what it could become,” Whiskey Maker Ari Sussman said in a news release.

The collection features two expressions that showcase how the same finishing wood can produce different flavor profiles.

Tonewood: Vol. 1 is bottled at 109 proof and blends older whiskey stocks, including 20-year-old straight bourbon and 14-year-old whiskey distilled from a bourbon mashbill. What makes that second component not technically a bourbon hasn’t been revealed by the brand, but it likely involves using a barrel that isn’t new oak to age it. The blend is finished with toasted Gibson maple, it offers notes of mature oak, vanilla, honey, caramelized sugar, roasted nuts and baking spices. The ultra-limited release retails for $799 and arrives in a custom Gibson-inspired hardshell case with a co-branded guitar strap and two Whiskey JYPSI glasses.

Tonewood: The Collective, bottled at 103 proof, uses the same Gibson maple finish but delivers a lighter profile featuring vanilla, graham cracker, caramel, toasted grain and a subtle smoky finish. The whiskey carries a suggested retail price of $199 and will initially be sold direct-to-consumer before expanding to select retailers nationwide. A portion of proceeds will benefit Gibson Gives, the company’s charitable foundation.

“Whiskey JYPSI was built to challenge the usual rules of whiskey making, but never just for the sake of being different,” co-founder Raj Alva said. “Tonewood works because the idea is bold, the materials are real, and the result adds something meaningful to the whiskey.”

Church said the project highlights the shared craftsmanship behind music and whiskey.

“The wood is only wood until it arrives in a master’s hands — that rule applies to distillers, luthiers, and songwriters,” he said. “I’m excited to see what song this collaboration between world-class masters will write.”

Whiskey JYPSI has earned a reputation for unconventional whiskey releases since launching in 2023. The brand says its portfolio has won more than 20 medals, including a Platinum Award for World’s Best Blended Whiskey, and the new Tonewood series continues that experimental approach by exploring an unconventional finishing material rarely, if ever, used in American whiskey. The brand has also received critical acclaim, especially Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 002: The Alchemist, which has earned an impressive Critics’ Score of 94 on The Daily Pour, based on reviews from three trusted critics.