SAINTS ALLEY THE HERALD 10 YEAR CIGAR BLEND
BLEND OF STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKIES
USA
WHY BUY:
Saints Alley The Herald Cigar Blend is back for its highly anticipated 2026 release, and if this year's bottling is anything like the 2025 edition, it's destined to be one of the standout bourbons of the year. A yearly must-grab for serious bourbon drinkers, The Herald combines six mature bourbons, extensive cask finishing, and a bold 114-proof presentation into one remarkably balanced whiskey. Better yet, as with last year's release, we're offering it at $25 off the eventual in-store price, making this the ideal time to secure a bottle. In fact, you might want to grab two, one to enjoy now and one to help hold you over until the 2027 release arrives.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
Saints Alley is part of the Ironroot Republic family, which has been voted #1 in USA Today's Readers' Choice Awards for Best Craft Whisky Distillery in America for four consecutive years, and has snagged major hardware in recent years at the World Whiskies Awards as one of the world's best bourbons.
OUR TASTING NOTES:
We expected a complex bourbon, surely, but that it’s also a bourbon of great balance, with all its various components woven into something seamless rather than showy, that surprised us. And charmed us. And won us over. On the nose, thanks to that extended sherry cask work, you're treated to a gorgeous mix of brandied cherries and baklava sweetness, and spiced apple cider, all mixing and mingling with burnished leather. The palate delivers what that nose promises, and then gradually (and confidently) escalates it. You get rich oak and creamy textures from those PX and Oloroso barrels, then comes that elegant Armagnac influence threading through everything. You might expect a bit of a burn, at 114 proof, but no: nothing; the five-year finishing regimen has smoothed every sharp edge without diminishing the power. The finish lingers with supple sweetness and oak, which was clearly meant to play off and against tobacco but which functions beautifully without. A triumph.
THE STORY:
This blend is a culmination of five years of work by master blenders Jonathan Likarish and Chris Trevino, who have made complex cask finishing (and the bold flavor interplay of flavors that result) their be-all, end-all. The foundation is built from six distinct bourbons: 50% 10 Year Old MGP 36% Rye Bourbon, 35% 13 Year Old MGP High Malt Bourbon, 10% 10 Year Old Ironroot Bloody Butcher Corn Bourbon, 10% 11 Year Old Kentucky Bourbon, and 5% 10 Year Old MGP 99% Corn Bourbon. But they don’t just stop there. No no: this blend of six is then elevated through a dual-finishing regimen. A few select barrels were finished for five years in PX and Oloroso sherry casks, imparting rich notes of brandied cherries, baklava, burnished leather, spiced apple cider, and rich oak. The others spent a year resting in French Armagnac casks, for elegance and nuance. A brand can only pull off a spirit like this if it’s got makers who’ve got an unerring palate, and thankfully, Likarish and Trevino do: this is a textbook example of the blending art.
CIGAR PAIRING SUGGESTION:
Medium- to full-strength cigars will match best with this, though taste it for yourself: this bourbon more than holds its own alone.
FUN FACT:
The seeds for Saints Alley were planted in 2018, when Likarish, a distiller, and Trevino, a YouTuber, took a trip with their families to Cognac to learn more about French distilling and blending.
OUR GUARANTEE:
We're proud to bring you one of the bourbon world's most anticipated annual releases, direct from the distiller. Offered at $25 off the eventual in-store price, this is your best opportunity to secure a bottle before it reaches shelves later this fall. Don't miss your chance to add this exceptional release to your collection.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2026. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NC, NY, TN, VA, & WA. This offer will expire on Sunday, September 20, 2026.