Honey Hog Bourbon: A Pursuit x Meat Church Collab

The team at Pursuit Spirits has been on a tear lately, from the success of Pursuit United Double Oaked Bourbon and Rye to the release of Sakura Bloom, and most recently, taking home Rye of the Year at the 2026 ASCOT Awards with Pursuit United Triple Batch Rye Barrel Proof.

Now, we’re back with perhaps their most anticipated release to date: The Pursuit Spirits X Meat Church Honey Hog Barrel Collaboration.

A honey soaked blend of Tennessee roots, Kentucky bourbon, and Texas smoke. This collaboration with Matt Pittman of Meat Church BBQ was crafted to deliver a sweetness as bold as the pit that inspired it. One sip and we think you’ll agree… we ain’t mad at that.

In December 2025, more than 55 gallons of Burleson's Texas Wildflower Honey traveled to the Pursuit Spirits blending facility in Louisville to coat the finishing barrels. Emptying the thick honey from the barrels in the chill of February proved to be an unexpected comedic challenge when the viscous liquid refused to budge. Founders Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil had to move the barrels one by one into a small room equipped with space heaters just to get the honey flowing.

Once the bulk of the honey was removed, the team introduced a proprietary bourbon blend honoring the creators' regional roots. Coleman and Cecil utilized Kentucky bourbon barrels from Bardstown Bourbon Co. (78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley), meticulously blending them with a Tennessee distilling partner's bourbon (80% corn, 10% rye, 10% malted barley) to represent Pittman’s birth state. The liquid underwent an additional three-month finishing period inside the honey-coated barrels before bottling.

Sit with this one awhile and you’ll be rewarded. What begins with candied almonds and gentle orange oils grows deeper into canned tropical cocktail juice, rock candy, yellow raisin, and a fragrant, floral-kissed peach-infused honey sweetness.

This one is plush and buttery, taking that classic Pursuit profile and giving it a bit more complementary sweetness. Chopped almonds, honey simple syrup, and plenty of baked doughiness: think pistachio-topped baklava or honey almond tart.

The finish is long and viscous, especially for its 105 proof, giving flecks of spice like red pepper, ginger, and clove alongside a subtle, fatty brisket smokiness, but never forgetting that more silky, honeyed sweetness lasting beyond it all. If you wait a bit between sips, there’s even this fun peach Bellini easter egg note in the long finish.