The tradition of American Whiskey dictates you should find your signature flavor profile and try to replicate it with every release. But what if it doesn’t have to be like that? What if you looked at Whiskey through a winemaker’s eyes? Pinhook Bourbon does it, and it’s glorious.

Founded in 2010 by three buddies with twenty barrels of Whiskey and no prior know-how (well, one of them used to be a Sommelier), Pinhook Bourbon treats Whiskey like fine wine, releasing yearly vintage blends designed to showcase the dominating flavors of the year. That means when a vintage is sold out, it’s gone forevermore.

For their second collaboration series, Pinhook Bourbon teamed up with James Beard Award-winning brewmaster Garrett Oliver (Brooklyn Brewery). 65% of profits of the spectacular rarity made in Austin, TX, go to the Michael J. Jackson Foundation (where Mr. Oliver is an inaugural chair), which funds scholarships for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who follow their passion in the brewing and distilling industry. The Michael J. Jackson Foundation has changed more than twenty lives by empowering new students to pursue technical education in brewing and distilling. The total donation from The Collaboration Series #2 doubled the scholarship fund compared to previous awards.