UNBendt x Blue Ostrich Winery Tempranillo Barrel Finished Straight Bourbon
Texas Independence Collaboration 2026
Texas Independence has a way of making you look around and feel proud of what’s being built right here, by hand, with patience. This year, BENDT Distilling Co. is marking 190 years of Texas Independence with a release that’s been quietly earning its moment for a long time.
It starts with Barrel #1518, laid down more than eight years ago. After more than eight years of aging, that UNBendt Straight Bourbon went into a rare Tempranillo barrel from Blue Ostrich Winery, then rested another four years to pick up the depth and structure that only time can bring.
This is the kind of bottle that feels made for a spring drive and a Texas holiday. It’s also the kind of collaboration you want to see more of, when Texas makers in different lanes share the same instinct for craft.
The details you’ll want to know
Here’s what BENDT is sharing about the release.
Barrel number 1518
Age 8 years, 1 month
Proof 110, 55% ABV
Initial maturation 4 years in new American white oak bourbon barrel
Finish 4 years in a 60 gallon Blue Ostrich Tempranillo barrel
What to expect when you open it
This is not a tasting review, so I’ll keep it where it belongs, with the distillery’s own notes. We’ll have someone do an unbiased tasting review. BENDT describes a deep, dark color and an aroma that leans into cherry and fig, with leather and dark chocolate in the mix. On the palate, they call out dark cherry and blackberry, plus peppercorn and oak spice on the finish.
If you’re the type who likes your bourbon with a little extra story in the barrel work, the Tempranillo finish is the headline here. It’s a Texas bourbon with a Texas winery’s fingerprints on it, built slowly and released on purpose.
How to get a bottle
BENDT is calling this a distillery exclusive release celebrating Texas Independence, with bottles available starting February 27, 2026.
Price $105 each
Limit two bottles per person
Pickup locations listed by BENDT
BENDT Distilling Co. Gift Shop
225 S. Charles Street, Lewisville, TX 75057
Open Friday 5:30 to 7:30 PM, Saturday 12 to 5 PM
Ethel Janes, BENDT Whiskey Kitchen
306 W. Main Street, Lewisville, TX 75057
Open Monday through Saturday 11 AM to 10 PM, bottle sales until 9 PM
And if you want to turn it into a proper outing, BENDT is in Lewisville, and they’re very much a North Texas kind of stop, built around local grain and a grain to glass mindset.
Make it a North Texas Trail day
Texas Independence Day lands when spring is starting to feel like spring. The roads open up, patios start calling your name again, and a distillery run suddenly feels like a reasonable plan.
If you go, take the camera roll seriously. Get the bottle shots, sure. But also get the little moments, the ones you’ll want to remember when August shows up and the whole state turns into a skillet.