Dierks Bentley’s ROW 94 Broken Branches bourbon is expanding to Texas. Here’s why Austin whiskey lovers should pay attention to this 94-rated limited release.
There is no city in America where a country music bourbon lands harder than Austin. The city that turned 6th Street into a live music institution, that sends more artists to Nashville than almost anywhere else, that treats the Texas honky tonk as a sacred space — Austin understands exactly what Dierks Bentley was reaching for when he built ROW 94.
Broken Branches, the limited-edition expression from Bentley’s ROW 94 bourbon line, is expanding to Texas this year. For a bourbon named after Bentley’s latest album, produced at one of Kentucky’s oldest distilleries, and built around a finishing technique that mirrors the patience required to make great country music — Austin is the city that gets it most.
This isn’t a celebrity bourbon coasting on a famous name. ROW 94 earned a 94 rating from Wine Enthusiast and stacked Gold medals from Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards, the Denver International Spirits Competition, and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. For a brand only launched in September 2024, that’s a track record worth paying attention to.
What Branch Aging Actually Does
Most finishing techniques involve moving whiskey into a different vessel. Branch Aging works the opposite way: the wood comes to the whiskey. Fire-toasted oak staves, seasoned for up to 24 months, are placed directly into the aging barrels to interact with the spirit as it matures. The result is a deeper, more layered complexity than standard barrel aging alone produces.
It’s a technique that rewards patience. Twenty-four months of stave seasoning before they ever touch the whiskey. Another five years of aging on top of that. At Green River Distilling Co. — Kentucky’s 10th oldest licensed distillery in Owensboro — the infrastructure exists to do this right.
Lofted Custom Spirits, ROW 94’s production partner, handles the craft side. Bentley handles the vision.
“That recognition matters,”
dierks Bentley
Not because it looks good in a headline,
but because it represents the long days, hard work, and
attention to detail that go into every bottle.”
In Austin, that language doesn’t sound like a brand statement. It sounds like a musician talking about a record.
The Flagship That Started It All
Before Broken Branches, there was ROW 94 itself. Launched in September 2024 and priced at $39.99, the flagship bourbon quickly became one of the most decorated new releases in its price category. Wine Enthusiast described it as having “a spicy finish — clove, cinnamon, cayenne — plus a grind of sea salt sets the mouth watering.” That’s not a gentle pour. That’s a bourbon with something to say.
Gold medals followed. Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards. Denver International Spirits Competition. San Francisco World Spirits Competition. A Silver at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. For a brand in its first year, that level of recognition across multiple respected competitions signals genuine quality, not marketing momentum.
For Austin drinkers who haven’t tried the flagship yet — find it at your favorite East 6th spirits bar or South Congress bottle shop before Broken Branches hits Texas shelves. At $39.99, it’s one of the most accessible highly-rated bourbons available right now.
Three Expressions, One Direction
ROW 94 now runs three expressions. The flagship at $39.99. Broken Branches at $99.99. And the recently released ROW 94 Full Proof at $54.99, barreled at 120 proof, aged a minimum of four years, and also a Gold medal winner at Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards.
The lineup is smartly structured. Entry, premium, and collector’s edition — each with its own production distinction rather than just a price difference. Full Proof is uncut and unfiltered. Broken Branches adds the stave finishing technique. The flagship delivers the core expression cleanly.
For the East Austin whiskey collector or the Rainey Street bar regular building out a shelf that tells a story — all three together make a compelling set. Dierks Bentley hits the road on his OFF THE MAP TOUR this June, signing bottles and sharing whiskey with fans along the way. If he plays Austin — and he will — there’s a solid chance the bourbon in your hand that night will be ROW 94.
Broken Branches is expanding to Texas in the coming months. Find ROW 94 expressions and check availability at ROW94whiskey.com.
FAQ
What is ROW 94 Broken Branches bourbon? Broken Branches is a limited-edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon from ROW 94, the whiskey brand launched by country music artist Dierks Bentley. Bottled at 100 proof, aged five years, and finished using Branch Aging — fire-toasted oak staves seasoned up to 24 months placed inside the aging barrels. It retails for $99.99 per 750 mL bottle.
Where can I buy ROW 94 Broken Branches in Austin? Broken Branches is expanding to Texas in the coming months as part of a multi-state rollout. Check availability at ROW94whiskey.com or with your local Austin spirits retailer along South Congress, East 6th, and Domain area shops.
How does ROW 94 compare to other celebrity bourbons? ROW 94 has earned a 94 rating from Wine Enthusiast and Gold medals from multiple respected competitions including the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards. It’s produced at Green River Distilling Co., Kentucky’s 10th oldest licensed distillery, in partnership with Lofted Custom Spirits. The accolades are earned through production quality, not name recognition alone.
