I grew up relatively untouched by cancer. In grade school, friends and families of friends struggled with it but it never touched me personally until my adult years. The moment it did, I understood the pain, the fear, the uncertainty and the loss that comes with cancer, and for years I felt entirely powerless to do anything about it. Cancer has created some of the strongest people I know, and for the first time in 2022 I got an opportunity to work with them.
Enter Brian Aten from Penelope Bourbon. Brian lost his wife to cancer, and set out to do something about it. He did a single barrel release with folks and his coworkers at Penelope and it kicked off a movement. I became involved the next year when we did another F Cancer release. 2024 saw the first blended release – we really swung for the fences and did about 1200 bottles. By then, the momentum was there. It sold out immediately.
For the better part of 9 months, people called, texted, emailed and asked everywhere if there would be another. So, for 2025, the team got together in a united, enthusiastic conference room at MGP and blended the shit out of the day, all day, for 2025. An official partnership with Lets F Cancer was inked and their support came into the mix in an official capacity. An entire day with 20+ people, blending, talking, supporting and building a bond over two releases to come.
Each year the project has continued, cancer has crept into my life more and more, affecting those around me and close to me and it’s fueled a personal desire to do more and more to support cancer research and organizations aligned with treatment, education and more.
Together, with Penelope Bourbon, we’re raising $500,000 for Fuck Cancer. There are two whiskey releases this year. The first is a blended release at 94 proof. It will be distributed nationally. SharedPour got a few cases and already blew through them. That release is raising $250,000 by donation from Penelope. Stores nationwide will get a bottle or two or a case as an allocated item.
The second release is a cask strength, custom blended by yours truly, release that is exclusive to SharedPour and our partners, and SharedPour is cutting a check for $250,000 as well. I have been selective yet vocal about using whiskey to accomplish positive things with charities that mean a lot to me and this is me doubling down on that. It’s a goliath donation and it’s a meaningful one. When I got into whiskey a decade ago, I never thought that I’d be doing what I’d be doing, and it’s a privilege. I likewise never imagined that we’d be also working on projects to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for important causes. I blended this release and love it’s DNA from top to bottom, and it bears a custom label to match, yet stand apart, from the national release that I would encourage you to hunt and add to your collection as well.
This project is staggering in scale, a little bit terrifying; it’s studded with rays of personal hope and commitment to do more and do better. To make an incredible whiskey that serves an incredible purpose, and to unite people in determination to treat and eliminate a terrible disease; in love and unity for one another to support each other and crush a common goal.
It’s been a logistical monstrosity with MGP, Penelope, their entire team, distributors and myself and my team building things, breaking things, and scaling brittle operations to support a bottling in the tens of thousands in volume so we can give back in a meaningful way. The goal is that it doesn’t sell out instantly. The story takes days and weeks to tell, for the word to get out to everyone and I want everyone who supports the project, the vision, the celebration and the fight to be able to buy a bottle when the story gets to them.
The 2025 Limited Edition Cask Strength release is live. It’s in stock. It’s shipping now. It’s only available at SharedPour online and it’s now open for bundles, combines, first orders, re-orders, and everything in between.
Help push the project forward, and share with your friends, family, colleagues, coworkers and more. Spread the word and share with any and all. I’ll be on a road tour of the US later this year as we promote and work with music artists, festivals and more to raise awareness for the project.
- Distilled: Indiana (MGP / Penelope Bourbon)
- Aged In: Indiana (MGP / Penelope Bourbon)
- Bottled In: Indiana (Penelope Bourbon)
- Age: NAS (5+ Years)
- More Info: Exclusive Batch, No Coloring, No Filtering, No Additives, Barrel Strength
- Production: 25,000 Bottles – $10 Donation Per Bottle Sold To Fuck Cancer
- ABV: 114.6 Proof Cask Strength | 57.3% ABV
- T8ke’s Tasting Notes: Rich nose with graham cracker, baked apples, sweet toffee and decadent vanilla. The palate is layered and complex; baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg join cracked pepper, sweet vanilla, rich caramel, a hint of baked apple here with sweet pastry and a bit of brown butter. Moderate, clean finish with sweet desserts and spice, clean and precise with all dessert and no hug. It’s decadent yet easy drinking, full of flavor and makes a silly good old fashioned.