Pursuit Spirits has launched Pursuit United Joint Operations Bourbon, a limited 825-bottle Veterans Day release blended by veteran brand ambassadors alongside master blender Ryan Cecil. The whiskey is available now at retailers across the brand’s distributed states for an MSRP of $74.99 (£57), with $5 from every bottle sold donated to Fisher House Foundation.
The release was created by Pursuit Spirits, the independent whiskey blender founded by the team behind the Bourbon Pursuit podcast.
Joint Operations blends five barrels of Pursuit United Double Oak Bourbon, each carrying a different stave profile. Bottled at 108 proof, the whiskey totals just 825 bottles.
Its foundation is a blend of straight bourbons sourced from Bardstown Bourbon Company, a Tennessee distilling partner, and Finger Lakes Distilling, combining two low-rye recipes with a wheated bourbon. That liquid becomes Double Oak Bourbon through Pursuit’s double oak program, which has developed custom stave profiles since 2022.
The whiskey was shaped by Pursuit’s ambassador team, which includes veterans of the Air Force, Navy, Army, and Marines. Earlier this year, the ambassadors gathered in Louisville to build a blend honoring those they served with.
Working with Cecil, they tasted through Double Oak barrels and selected five stave profiles for the final blend.
“Every veteran at the event had a different palate and a different opinion, which is exactly what you want in a blending session,” said Ryan Cecil, co-founder and master blender at Pursuit Spirits. “We kept pulling barrels until the blend made sense to everybody. None of the five barrels overpowers the others, but have different profiles. Every profile pulls in the same direction, and that’s the whole idea behind the name.”
According to the brand’s official tasting notes, the bourbon carries bold notes of root beer and dark fruit that give way to toasted oak and hot fudge, closing on a finish of cacao.
Proceeds support Fisher House Foundation, which provides military and veteran families with free lodging while a loved one receives medical care. The organization has served more than 570,000 families since 1990.
A limited number of bottles are being sold at the Pursuit Spirits gift shop on Whiskey Row in Louisville, Kentucky.
