Ruger and Hooten Young Team Up on First-Fire Bourbon and Cigars

Firearm-branded spirits are nothing new, but Ruger’s first run at it comes with an unusually tight production number. Ruger has partnered with veteran-owned Hooten Young on a limited collection of bourbon and cigars, led by Ruger First-Fire Bourbon. Only 1,776 bottles were made, a nod to the year of American independence, and the two companion cigars are capped at 250 boxes. Hooten Young produces the collection under license from Sturm, Ruger & Co.

Who Is Hooten Young?

For anyone who doesn’t follow the whiskey world, Hooten Young has a background that fits right in with a gun company. It was founded by retired Army Master Sergeant Norm Hooten, who spent more than 20 years in the Army, including service with Delta Force. Hooten was part of Task Force Ranger during Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia, the 1993 mission that led to the Battle of Mogadishu, and he’s the real-life basis for the character “Hoot” in Black Hawk Down. After leaving the Army, he went back to school and became a pharmacist.

Hooten started the company with his longtime friend Tim Young, and the two leaned on their Texas roots and a shared love of whiskey and a good cigar. The brand began with cigars and only later added whiskey to pair with them. Hooten has also said his family has been making whiskey since the 1800s, so the move wasn’t exactly out of left field.

The company’s first release was a 12-year American whiskey developed with Master Sommelier George Miliotes. Since then, the lineup has grown to include older barrel proof expressions, a Bottled-in-Bond bourbon released on July 4, 2025, and a Single Barrel Select program that kicked off earlier this year with a 208-bottle run. Hooten Young also supports veteran organizations including Folds of Honor and the Green Beret Foundation.

The Bourbon

First-Fire is a seven-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottled at 96 proof, and each bottle is individually numbered. Its mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley is the same recipe Hooten Young used for its Bottled-in-Bond bourbon, so this isn’t a new experiment. That’s a fairly high rye content for a bourbon, which shows up in the baking spice and dark cherry notes Hooten Young lists, while the corn carries the caramel and vanilla up front.

The label itself is a nice touch for Ruger fans. It carries the red Ruger eagle. Co-founder Alex Sturm designed that logo, and after his death in 1951, Bill Ruger switched the eagle from red to black. The red version has since been saved mostly for special and commemorative releases, which makes it a fitting choice here.

The Cigars

The two cigars are named Rimfire and Centerfire, an easy nod to a company that got its start in 1949 with a .22 rimfire pistol. Both are 6 x 54 toros hand-rolled in Estelí, Nicaragua, with binder and filler tobaccos from the same region. The difference is in the wrapper.

Rimfire uses a Connecticut Shade wrapper, the light tan, shade-grown leaf most often found on milder cigars. Hooten Young describes it as medium-bodied with cream, cedar, and toasted almond. Centerfire uses a San Andrés wrapper, a darker leaf from Mexico’s San Andrés Valley known for a richer, earthier smoke. It’s rated medium to full with dark cocoa, roasted coffee, and black pepper. Put simply, Rimfire is the one to light first, and Centerfire is the one to save for after dinner.

• First-Fire Bourbon: 7-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 96 proof (48% ABV), 750 mL, 1,776 numbered bottles
• Mash Bill: 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley
• Bourbon Tasting Notes: Caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, baking spice, toffee, honey, dark cherry, orange zest
• Rimfire Cigar: Connecticut Shade wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler, medium body (3/5)
• Centerfire Cigar: San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler, medium to full body (4/5)
• Cigar Size: 6 x 54 toro, hand-rolled in Estelí, 250 boxes total
• Packaging: 4-pack (2 of each) or 20-count box (10 of each)
• MSRP: Bourbon $45.99; cigars $80 (4-pack) or $400 (20-count box); bundle $125.99 (with 4-pack) or $445.99 (with box)

Ordering and Shipping

Everything is on pre-sale now through Hooten Young. The bourbon ships in late October and requires an adult signature at delivery. It can’t be ordered or shipped to Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, or Utah. The Rimfire and Centerfire cigars ship separately in November and can go to all U.S. states.

For anyone who wants both, Hooten Young is also selling a bourbon and cigar bundle. Just know the bottle and the cigars come from separate warehouses and will arrive at different times.

At $45.99 for a numbered, seven-year bourbon, First-Fire is priced closer to an everyday pour than a collector bottle. Hooten Young’s own Bottled-in-Bond, with the same mash bill, launched at $39.99, so the Ruger label and the extra age come at a modest premium. With only 1,776 bottles to go around, that price is likely the reason it won’t be on the shelf long. Hooten Young’s label carries the same reminder Ruger fans have heard plenty of times: enjoy it after your time at the range or in the field.

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