Why Trader Joe's 'Award-Winning' Bourbon Disappeared From Store Shelves

The liquor selection at Trader Joe's might not get as much attention as the store's stellar produce or private-label snacks, but it should. There are secrets within the Trader Joe's alcohol department you never knew – it's a wonderland of privately labeled booze with the full selection of a liquor store at affordable prices. One of the gems in the liquor department is a whiskey with an award-winning label – a bottle that seems to have disappeared from shelves: Trader Joe's High Rye Bourbon.

Trader Joe's High Rye Bourbon is not on the list of discontinued Trader Joe's items shoppers miss the most, though it may seem to be the case. It's actually a limited-release product that has been routinely released since at least 2018 and is occasionally unavailable because of stocking shortages, shipping delays, or other routine stocking issues. It's one of the grocer's private-label products, meaning Trader Joe's has a contract with a distiller to produce the whiskey under the Trader Joe's private label. The physical label was a winner in Graphic Design USA's 57th Anniversary American Package Design Awards in 2020, and was created by the design company Studio2.

Trader Joe's High Rye Bourbon is distilled by Barton 1792 Distillery (owned by Sazerac) in Bardstown, Kentucky. It delivers Kentucky bourbon's unique, barrel-aged flavor profile for $20 a bottle. It makes a smooth classic rye manhattan and or an old fashioned cocktail. Distilleries like Buffalo Trace have also had a hand in creating some of Trader Joe's whiskey selection, and companies have come and gone over the years. It's all part of Trader Joe's sourcing and manufacturing practices — procedures that allow the company to provide quality, private-label goods to customers at affordable prices.

Trader Joe's relies heavily on private-label partnerships. About 80% of the products in the stores are private-label, and they're directly sourced from manufacturers around the world — like Barton 1792 Distillery. It's unclear how long the distillery has been behind the private label High Rye Bourbon, but it's the only company listed in connection with that particular whiskey. It's likely that Barton 1792 ages its High Rye Bourbon for five years, but the exact aging of the bourbon isn't clear, nor is the amount of bourbon the company has aging in barrels. Barton 1792's ability to supply the bourbon, combined with other supply chain factors, directly impacts its store availability.