The very first Black Friday bourbon is being released on Black Friday. The very first “Black Friday” bourbon will be released on Black Friday.

Great Lakes Distillery will be releasing its Still & Oak Black Friday straight bourbon whiskey finished in imperial stout beer barrels on Black Friday. The two-year-old bourbon was finished with an additional two years of aging in barrels that previously aged Lakefront Brewery’s Black Friday™ imperial stout.

“Over the years, we’ve done several collaborations with Lakefront, including our Pumpkin Spirit that we make, using barrels that aged their pumpkin beer,” says Guy Rehorst, founder of Great Lakes Distillery. “We had the idea to take some of their Black Friday imperial stout beer barrels, and we filled it with some of our Still & Oak straight bourbon. This imperial stout has a big flavor to begin with, and we thought it would make a really cool combination with our bourbon.”

Whiskeys are typically not aged in a different kind of barrel for two years, unlike the Black Friday. Rehorst explains that aging in an alternate finish for such a long duration is not common, but can yield unique results. The distinctive taste of this whiskey is attributed to its finish in imperial stout barrels, which imparts a wealth of flavor.

This special release will first be available on Black Friday at the distillery’s tasting room in Milwaukee. The suggested retail price is $79. Following the Black Friday sale event, it will be available, albeit in limited quantities, at various liquor stores.

Rehorst explains that the finishing barrels add an extra depth in terms of flavor which is not present in regular barrels. For bourbon, the standard is new, charred oak barrels used for at least a couple of years. This release will consist of just two barrels worth of bottles, though more bourbon has been aged in the Lakefront Black Friday imperial stout barrels by Great Lakes. These are likely to be released after two years.

Only a limited supply is available, Rehorst states.

Black Friday, a unique bourbon, is named so only after Great Lakes leased the trademarked name from Lakefront Brewery. Rehorst shares that Lakefront Brewery had major success with their Black Friday beer and cleverly trademarked the name in relation to alcohol. He communicated with the owner of Lakefront, Russ (Klisch), and broached the idea of giving their matured bourbon the same name. With Klisch’s approval, they drafted a contract to license the name.

Rehorst presented Klisch with a bottle of Black Friday straight bourbon whiskey, which was well appreciated by Klisch. The whiskey offers hints of malt, chocolate and caramel before revealing the prominent oak and vanilla tones of the bourbon.

Due to its limited nature, not many have had the opportunity to taste this special creation. Rehorst reveals that most individuals who sample it are astounded and prefer to enjoy it straight rather than mixing it in a cocktail. Although, for those who do wish to try it in a mixed drink, Rehorst recommends a Manhattan, complemented with a touch of vermouth and bitters.

While this might be the splashiest collaboration with Lakefront, Rehorst says he has other spirits aging in some unique barrels. “We’re not ready to announce those collaborations yet, but we have some interesting spirits coming,” Rehorst says.