Mount Vernon's $1,000 Spirit of '76, 350 Bottles

Franklin recaps a week shaped by one recurring question: what is something actually worth when the price is honest? The releases — Knob Creek 18-Year, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof D926, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof, and a Larceny Barrel Proof A926/B926 side-by-side — each answered differently. And on the Fourth of July, George Washington's distillery at Mount Vernon offers the week's most singular answer: fewer than 350 bottles of cask strength Spirit of '76, at $1,000 each, available in person only at The Shops at Mount Vernon. Franklin closes with the supply picture — Heaven Hill, MGP, Beam Suntory all pulling back production — and what it means for the shelf in the early 2030s.