Jack Daniel’s has gone wild with experimentation all year. From releasing its first-ever single malt to its oldest age-statement whiskey ever to the Distillery Series that sees unique cask finishes applied to ol’ No. 7. For this twelfth installment, the Tennessee whiskey was finished off in Oloroso sherry casks for three years after reaching its normal maturity, and then bottled at 90 proof. Having tried a sample, I can say this stuff tastes appropriately seasonal for December. It’s like a Jack Daniel’s fruitcake, with dried fruit and warm baking spice linking up with the classic flavor of JD. If you’re in Tennessee, be sure and pick up a bottle, because that’s the only place you’ll find it (at retail, anyway).

Bushmills wowed me earlier this year with its 25- and 30-year single malts, and now the Irish distillery is bringing the heat again in a much more affordable and attainable form (but nearly as special). The initial installment in a new limited series for the brand, Bushmills’ Private Reserve consists of a quartet of single malts — three 10-year-olds and a 12-year-old — that have each undergone a different cask finish. The 12 ended its maturation process in tequila casks, while the three younger whiskeys spent time in plum brandy, Bordeaux and Burgundy casks, respectively. The best part, though, may be the price, with the 10-years each retailing for just $60 and the 12-year for $75.

Speaking of rare and special Irish whiskeys … Teeling has released a 33-year-old single malt from its Very Rare Casks series. Fans of the brand know they’re no stranger to high age statements, having previously released 38-, 34- and 33-year-old whiskeys (a different one) in previous years. But that doesn’t make this one any less special. The single-cask whiskey spent 30 years in spent bourbon casks before being finished off in casks that previously held Pineau des Charentes, a sherry-like aperitif from France. Tasting notes for the single malt include apricot, pineapple, and toasted almonds with clove spice, according to Teeling.

The pig is back. After its blockbuster debut last year, WhistlePig’s 10-year-old rye in the horizontal porcine bottle that opens from the rear is back for round two. Inside is the same 110-proof liquid as last year’s release, but this time around the launch took place on Giving Tuesday to celebrate a year of charitable giving from the distillery. The whiskey features a hint of truffle on the nose, which is quite fitting for its vessel.

I was very impressed with Talisker’s 30-year-old single malt Scotch that launched earlier this year, but I definitely didn’t expect the Isle of Skye distillery to launch an expression that’s 50 percent older just a few months later. But the extreme aging is just part of the story. Talisker took a dozen of its charred barrels to Canada’s ice fields, where they were left exposed to the brutal elements for four days. The whiskey was then finished in these cold-fractured barrels back in Scotland, where the liquid interacted with a greater surface area of the wood due to the fracturing. Talisker partnered with Parley for the Oceans, and a portion of each $5,460 bottle sold will be donated to the environmental nonprofit.

Confession time: My parents used to buy Crown Royal while I was growing up as sort of a “special occasion” whisky, and then reuse the purple velvet bags to store various things around the house. Today, standard Crown Royal isn’t considered all that fancy (it probably never was tbh) and can be found everywhere for under 25 bucks. But this 30-year-old expression is a different beast. The oldest-ever expression released by the brand, and one of the oldest North American spirits we’ve ever seen. The blended whisky was distilled in a Coffey still, another extreme rarity in this part of the world, before aging for three decades at Crown Royal’s distillery. Even at $500 SRP, it’s a steal for this kind of rarity (even if it doesn’t come with a purple velvet bag).

If you’re a fan of Deanston’s Virgin Oak but wished it had a little more bite, then this is your lucky month. The Stirlingshire-based distillery has released the first-ever cask-strength version of the popular Highland single malt, going into the bottle at 58.5% ABV (117 proof). According to the brand, the boosted strength allows for a bold showcase of Deanston’s “waxy” character and house style. “The waxy character is present and coats the mouth beautifully,” says master blender Julieann Fernandez.

If you thought the tenth edition of Bruichladdich’s Black Art was good, well, this one goes to 11. Transparency is big among spirits enthusiasts today, especially at Bruichladdich, which typically gives the complete recipe, cask type, specific barley varietal and provenance for its bottles. But not so with the Black Art. This whisky’s details are kept close to the vest, adding to the fun. There are a few things we know, however: It’s aged for 24 years, non-chill filtered and bottled at 44.2% ABV. I sampled the whisky and found it to be robust, smooth and spicy, with black pepper, cinnamon and caramel being the dominant tasting notes complemented by delicate whisps of smoke.

Westward Whiskey, one of the most important trailblazers of the modern American single malt movement, has now entered the luxury whiskey space with its first high-end release. But the $250 bottle isn’t some money grab — it represents the natural evolution of the brand’s continuing quest to elevate American single malt. “We challenged ourselves to explore what the ultimate expression of Westward Whiskey could be. Milestone is our masterpiece — a truly special whiskey that celebrates the legacy of our past and the promise of our future,” said founder and CEO Thomas Mooney. Milestone is set to be an annual release from the distillery and is only available on its website and in its home state of Oregon.

Old Overholt has always had its fans — typically those who enjoy getting a decent, easy-drinking rye whiskey for around 20 bucks. But now the brand is looking to put a little more respect on its name with this more premium offering. Aged for ten years and bottled at a cask strength of 121 proof, it’s the first cask-strength whiskey from the brand since the mid-twentieth century. The whiskey was also aged in one of the nation’s only “escalator warehouses,” which the brand says results in a more consistent and mellow product. Priced at $100, this is unlike any Old Overholt Rye anyone’s had in over half a century.

In 2019, Heaven’s Door — the bourbon brand founded by Bob Dylan with help from Angel’s Envy founder Marc Bushala and Ryan Perry, formerly of Diageo — launched its annual Bootleg Series of rare and exquisite releases. Five years have flown by and we’re now on the fifth volume of the Bootleg Series. The new installment is an 18-year-old straight bourbon that’s been finished in Spanish vermouth rouge casks and bottled at 114 proof. The ceramic bottle is special, too, as it features a print of Dylan’s own original painting “No Vacancies” from 2019.

Lodestar is the first whiskey backed by Diageo’s Distill Ventures Pre-Accelerator program, which supports new spirit brand founders from underrepresented communities in the industry. Lodestar was founded by a pair of women (cousins, actually) formerly of the entertainment industry, Anna Axster and Wendelin von Schroder, who set out to bring out the type of socialization we experienced pre-pandemic with their new whiskey. The juice itself is a unique blend of American single malt whiskey and a high-rye bourbon, resulting in a whiskey that’s equal parts spicy and smooth with notes of caramel, citrus and baking spice.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a mashup of Japanese whisky and single malt Scotch, and it won’t be the last, but that doesn’t make it any less notable. Glenmorangie’s director of whisky creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, aged some of the Highland distillery’s classic single malt in rare Mizunara oak casks, the darling of the Japanese whisky world, along with spent bourbon and sherry casks to create a unique limited edition with spectacular original bottle artwork by Japanese artist Yamaguchi Akira.

Angel’s Envy has brought back its popular Cask Strength Bourbon for 2023, but that’s not all. Joining the bourbon in the distillery’s lineup, for the first time ever, is a Cask Strength Rye. The two high-proof whiskeys are the first releases from new master distiller Owen Martin, who is clearly starting off his tenure with a bang. The rye is a blend of two whiskeys finished in sauternes casks and toasted oak barrels, respectively, and clocks in at 114.4 proof. The bourbon, the 12th such cask strength release from Angel’s Envy, tips the scales at 118.2 proof.

When you hear “Dewar’s” you no doubt think of cheap blended Scotch, like the brand’s ubiquitous white label that can be found everywhere for around 20 bucks. This whisky is not that. In fact, it’s about as far from typical Dewar’s as you can get. Dewar’s oldest expression ever, Double Double 37 is a 37-year-old blended malt made from several fine Speyside single malts that comes with a set of Baccarat crystal glassware and retails for $1,799 … or roughly 90 bottles of White Label.

When Ardbeg gets experimental, good things happen, and the creative distillery has put on its lab coat once again for its latest release. Anamorphic is the result of some intense charring experimentation, where Ardbeg removed the heads from its bourbon casks, heavily scored them to expose more wood and then charred them to an ultra-dark ‘high mocha’ level before filling them with Scotch. The result is a single malt that “morphs” on the palate between sweet, smoky, herbal and spicy notes.

It’s always fun to see how different cask finishes can affect the taste of a whiskey, and Woodford Reserve is taking that idea and running with it with the new Sonoma Triple Finish. As expected, this straight Kentucky bourbon has undergone three different finishes: one in brandy casks, one in Sonoma County pinot noir barrels and one in bourbon casks that had previously been used to age red wine. All the grapey goodness translates to a bourbon that’s fruitier and richer than your typical bottle of Woodford Reserve.

In case you were unsure whether or not The Dalmore was one of the premier names in luxury whisky, the Highland distillery’s new Cask Curation Series is here to remind you otherwise. The four-year program promises exceedingly rare whiskies created in collaboration with different high-profile partners. The first release is the Sherry Edition, a collab with Spanish winemaker González Byass that sees three bottles of Dalmore single malt aged 26, 28 and 43 years, respectively, each finished in a different rare González Byass sherry cask.

Acclaimed upstart American whiskey maker Beverly Spirits has expanded beyond its signature rye/bourbon blend Beverly High Rye with The Beverly Reserve, a cask-strength American whiskey blend. The new bottle mixes 60 percent bourbon and 40 percent rye whiskey and is bottled at 116 proof. It was actually born during the creation of The Beverly High Rye but had been set aside until the time was right for its release. That time is now, with just 550 bottles included in this initial release.

Sometimes, the old ways are best, and Benriach believes this mantra applies to floor malting, the centuries-old process of hand-malting barley that’s been spread out like a mat on a floor. Just a handful of distilleries still malt their barley this way, and Benriach does so for its special Malting Season release, now in its Third Edition. This time around, master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie has selected concerto barley to undergo the old-school malting process, which has given the limited whisky robust flavors of barley spice and creamy malt.

Australia’s Starward lowkey makes some of the best-tasting whiskies out there — even if you’ve never heard of them — and the Down Under distillery’s latest gets creative with a beer-tinged finish. Starward’s distillers, many of whom were beer brewers in a prior life, finished some of the brand’s signature wine barrel-matured single malt in spent stout casks from Melbourne’s Brick Lane Brewery for 18 months, making for a unique and powerfully flavorful whisky.

Buffalo Trace is going back into its archives — way back. The Kentucky distilling institution is rolling out its inaugural Prohibition Collection consisting of five bottles that recreate a handful of the “medicinal whiskeys” that were brewed during Prohibition when the distillery was one of just six nationwide that was legally permitted to do so. The limited-edition collection retails for $1,000 and will be repeated each year moving forward with new recreations.

Read all about the Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection here.

Maker’s Mark has never been a brand known for its age-statement bottles, but the brand is finally embracing the mature life. Maker’s has just released its oldest bourbon ever with Cellar Aged, a blend of 11- and 12-year-old cask-strength bourbons that were aged in the distillery’s state-of-the-art LEED-certified, temperature controlled limestone cellar. Bottled at 115.7 proof, Maker’s claims a balanced flavor of oak, vanilla and fruit.

This single-barrel single malt was one of the last whiskies ever to be distilled at Scotland’s Port Ellen distillery, having gone into the barrel just weeks before the place shut down for good in 1983. I’ve tried the liquid, and it is indeed special. An Islay Scotch aged in a sherry cask, it smells and tastes exactly how you’d think: campfire smoke, dark sherried fruit, a bit of seaspray and some leather. The finish lingers practically forever, reminding you that this is no ordinary hooch.

Chicken Cock Whiskey may have a hilarious name, but its whiskey is serious business. The brand’s latest limited-edition release takes the uncommon route of aging bourbon in red wine barrels — specifically, casks that previously contained J. Wilkes Petite Sirah — resulting in a whiskey with a distinct reddish tint and strong stone fruit notes. Distilled from a mash of 70 percent corn, 21 percent rye and 9 percent malted barley, Red Stave is bottled at 51.2% ABV.

Kentucky Owl recently changed master blenders, bringing in Scotch veteran Maureen Robinson to take the place of outgoing Master Blender and Four Roses veteran John Rhea. But while crossing paths, the pair collaborated on the Maighstir (Gaelic for master) Edition, a Scotch-inspired straight Kentucky bourbon containing a mix of 4-, 5-, 8- and 9-year-old bourbons of different mashbills. The 100-proof bottle retails for $150 … but you’ll probably pay more.

The third and final installment in Hardin’s Creek’s Kentucky Series (scroll down for more on the first and second) has arrived. Like the prior two bottles, this bourbon from James B. Beam Distilling uses the exact same mashbill and was aged for the same amount of time. The only difference between the three bottles is where they spent their time maturing. This one, as you’d guessed, aged in Boston, Kentucky. Try all three and see what a difference environment can make.

American single malt whiskey is well on its way toward becoming an official class of spirits in the US, and Virginia Distillery is one of the brands blazing the trail (see their ASM Academy for further proof). Its newest single malt spent at least five years in first-fill bourbon barrels and STR European red wine Cuvée casks before being combined, non-chill filtered and bottled at 96 proof.

As the crowning release in Wyoming Whiskey’s National Parks series, the proceeds from which help support the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, The Grand is a collection of three single-barrel straight bourbons each featuring a mashbill of 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat and 12 percent malted barley, with each barrel exhibiting a different appearance and tasting notes in the bottled liquid. The release is limited to fewer than 400 bottles across all three barrels.

Russell’s Reserve master distiller Eddie Russell has called Camp Nelson F “one of the best whiskeys we’ve ever made,” and if that doesn’t get you excited then I don’t know what will. The second annual release in the brand’s Single Rickhouse collection following last year’s Camp Nelson C, Camp Nelson F is sourced from rare stocks of its titular rickhouse and features notes of cherry, molasses and dark caramel.

What is easily one of the most rabidly sought-after whiskey releases each year has arrived for 2023. Old Forester released its annual Birthday Bourbon this month following a lottery on its website (don’t bother traveling to try and score a bottle on September 2 like in years past, there won’t be any). This year’s rendition was aged for 12 years and is bottled at 96 proof, with tasting notes that include citrus, dark honey, molasses and charred oak. It retails for $170, but you can expect to spend a whole lot more than that once lottery winners start flipping bottles on the secondary market.

As you no doubt guessed from the name, this whiskey is the 17th installment of Heaven Hill’s annual (and highly coveted) Parker’s Heritage Collection. For 2023, the distillery went with a straight Kentucky rye that’s been aged for 10 years and bottled at 128.8 proof. Tasting notes include black cherry, honey, cinnamon and clove.

Yet another coveted annual release is Four Roses’ Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, and this year’s is extra special because it’s the 135th anniversary of the distillery. A blend of three of the distillery’s mashbills (1 OBSV, 6 OESV and 7 OESK for all you whiskey nerds), the 2023 limited-edition bottle is a complex balance of flavors. It was aged between 12 and 15 years and is bottled at cask strength: 54% ABV.

Jack Daniel’s has been experimenting outside of its Tennessee whiskey comfort zone quite a bit lately. Earlier this year, the brand released its first-ever American single malt as part of its experimental Single Barrel Special Release collection. Now, the ASM has some company in the collection in this new rye, which has been charcoal-filtered following a double-barrel maturation using new American white oak barrels and heavy-toast Heritage Barrels from the Jack Daniel Cooperage.

The seventh release in Jim Beam master distiller Freddie Noe’s Little Book series is a mix of seven cask-strength whiskeys, allowing Noe to show off his talent for blending to create something truly special. The whiskeys used include ryes, bourbons and one straight malt whiskey, aged between 4 and 18 years. The resultant hooch is bottled at 118.1 proof and has a vaguely floral palate with notes of smoke, caramel and vanilla.

The second installment in Hardin’s Creek’s Kentucky Series (scroll down for more on the first) sees the same mashbill used in the previous bottle and aged for the same amount of time, but the maturation took place in Frankfort rather than Claremont. How will the different environment, with nothing else changed, affect the final product? Grab a bottle of both and compare them to find out!

Earlier in August, Coors — which has shown considerable interest of late in the whiskey business — shocked the bourbon world by purchasing Blue Run Spirits. Now, Blue Run has released its first bottle post-Coors acquisition, and the new parent company is likely to be pretty pleased with its purchase. Trifecta bourbon is Blue Run’s first triple-aged whiskey, boasting a blend of 6-, 8- and 9-year-old bourbons.

Hyped luxury whiskey startup Wolves is dropping the second American single malt from its Malted Barley Series on August 31 on its website, and bottles — which are wrapped in Italian sheepskin labels — are sure to go fast. The newly released liquid was aged for 11 years and distilled from imported Irish malt by 13th-generation distiller Marko Karakasevic.

Want to try a whiskey that’s been cut with cold brew coffee? Then you’ll have to head to Stranahan’s distillery in Denver, ’cause that’s the only place you’ll find this stuff. The 94-proof American single malt was cut to proof with cold brew from local roaster Copper Door Coffee instead of water, giving it strong flavors of chocolate and marzipan.

This 15-year Scotch draws flavor from both American oak bourbon casks and Amontillado sherry casks — a small portion of the liquor is finished in the latter before being reintegrated with the former batch — each of which lends character to the whisky. Bottled at 43% ABV, it’s a tad sweet on the nose, with a hint of toffee; on the palate comes a hint of hazelnut, followed by a zing of fruitness and bite at the finish.

Jack Daniel’s went south of the border for the eleventh release in its limited-edition Distillery Series, as this latest version of the brand’s straight Tennessee whiskey was finished in añejo tequila barrels. The innovative and unique combination blends the traditional flavors of JD’s Tennessee whiskey with agave sweetness, additional oak and the earthy complexity of a well-aged tequila.

Speaking of distilleries that love to get experimental, Texas-based bourbon maker Garrison Brothers has unveiled Laguna Madrea, a limited release that’s sure to be highly sought after by whiskey nerds. The new 101-proof bourbon was aged for eight years — Garrison Bros’ oldest whiskey yet — with the first half of its aging spent in American oak barrels and the second half in Limousin oak casks. It’s the first bourbon ever aged in the very rare and pricey French casks, and they impart loads of vanilla and a candy-like finish.

Bob Dylan’s whiskey brand, Heaven’s Door, has added a fourth bottle to its core lineup. Joining the brand’s Tennessee Straight Bourbon, Double Barrel Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey is Ascension, the first Kentucky straight bourbon from Heaven’s Door. The new Bluegrass State liquid is a blend of two Kentucky bourbons (one from Heaven’s Door’s own distillate), is aged for over five years and is bottled at 92 proof. On the palate, it brings classic bourbon notes like caramel and vanilla along with some cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper.

This premium bourbon release from 15 Stars honors the “First West,” an area during the early American Frontier period that included Kentucky, the Northwest Territory (today the Great Lakes region) and the Southwest (now Tennessee). It does so by blending three bourbons aged for 10, 15 and 18 years and distilled in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana, respectively. The result is a smooth-sipping whiskey with notes of leather, honey, tobacco and spices.

American single malt is on the rise, and Idaho’s Grand Teton Distillery is one of the brands lifting it up. Grand Teton’s latest bottle is Private Stock ASM, which has been aged for seven years in ex-bourbon barrels, ranking it among the oldest ASM whiskeys currently on the market. Bottled at 50% ABV, this new whiskey is part of the “grain to glass” movement, with every grain of malted barley used having been milled, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled at Grand Teton.

To mark its 20th year as a distillery, New York-based Hudson Whiskey has released a five-year-old straight bourbon — just its second age-statement bottle ever. The Kosher-certified bourbon is bottled at 46% ABV from a mashbill of 95 percent corn and 5 percent malted barley and spends at least five years maturing in American Oak barrels. I get lots of toasted corn on the nose and mostly vanilla and oak on the palate without too much heat. A nice clean and easy bourbon

Buffalo Trace is perhaps the most popular distillery in the country, so when it launches a new brand, people are going to take notice. Daniel Weller is the latest label for BT, and it’s named for the grandfather of W.L. Weller — the man credited with inventing wheated bourbon. The first release for the new brand is Emmer Wheat, which uses the titular ancient grain in its distillate. Our reviewer describes an “earthy and rustic” nose with notes of orange zest, hazelnut and caramel along with a palate that includes some spice, oak, honey and salted caramel.

Read our full Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat review.

WhistlePig is setting out to make summer whiskey a thing with the release of its SummerStock, a collab with retro sunglasses brand Pit Viper that combines the Vermont distillery’s signature rye with a wheated whiskey and ages the blend in a series of toasted barrels in a process it’s dubbed “solara.” The resultant hooch smells of maple to me, with a taste that blends candied corn and creamy wheat. I wouldn’t describe as particularly refreshing, but it’s certainly delicious.

Read our full WhistlePig SummerStock review.

With so many super-aged and limited-edition Scotches hitting the market these days, it can be hard to stand out. But Benriach’s The Forty is still pretty special. As you have probably deduced, The Forty is aged for 40 years, with the Speyside peated single malt spending four decades in a combination of ex-bourbon and port casks. The whisky still gives me that peated smoke note on the palate, but it’s been smoothed over and transformed into something darker, fruitier and more luscious. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in a position to grab one of the $4,500 bottles, don’t hesitate.

It was almost exactly a year ago when Jim Beam debuted Hardin’s Creek, a brand-new premium line crafted at the brand’s state-of-the-art Fred B. Noe Distillery. Now, Hardin’s Creek has unveiled a new series of its own called the Kentucky Series. The unique series looks to showcase the terroir of Kentucky and how it affects bourbon. There will be three bottles in total, all of which have the same mashbill and were aged for 17 years in the same way. The only difference is where they were aged. The first release matured in Clermont, KY, while later this year releases from Frankfort and Boston will debut.

Beam Suntory — the massive company that includes the Jim Beam and Suntory portfolios — unveiled its first new Scotch brand in five years. Ardray is a blended Scotch that shows some influence from its Japanese parent company. While it is a Scotch through and through, the liquid is blended by Suntory blenders using Japanese whisky methods. The result is a sort of east-meets-west whisky that’s pretty unique. It’s pale straw in color with a cereal-grain nose and a palate that’s both light and flowery and dense and smoky. Ardray describes it as balanced, and I’d say that’s pretty apt.

If you’re a fan of Frey Ranch’s regular straight bourbon but wish it had a bit more bite, then this bottle is for you. The Farm Strength Uncut Bourbon uses the exact same mashbill of Frey Ranch-grown grains as the aforementioned brown stuff — 66.6 percent dent corn, 10 percent winter wheat, 11.4 percent winter rye and 12% two row barley — but it’s been bottled at cask-strength 124.3 proof over the usual 90 proof. The distillery says you can look for tasting notes that include birthday cake frosting and orange creamsicle.

It’s not often you come across a whisky brand that actually does things differently. Spearhead is one of those rare exceptions. Spearhead is the only Scotch to use an infrared toasting process for its barrels, which it uses on 30 percent of its finishing process. The IR toasting method gives the blenders more control over the flavors they’re extracting from the wood and allows them to break down sugars in a way that isn’t possible with traditional fire-toasting. The brand itself has been around since 2021 internationally, but it just arrived in the U.S. this month.

“Wheat whiskey” and “bottled in bond” are two phrases that tend to excite whiskey aficionados, and Woodford Reserve combines both in this new limited release. This straight wheat whiskey was aged in a bonded warehouse and bottled at 100 proof, and is one of just three annual releases for the brand’s distillery series. Expect a mix of wheat toast and apple butter on both the nose and palate.

Booker’s second batch of of the year has been dubbed’ the “Apprentice Batch,” but make no mistake, this liquid was made by masters of the form. The name is a reference to Booker Noe’s early years making bourbon when he trained under his cousin, Carl Beam. Selected personally by Fred Noe, the Apprentice Batch is bottled uncut and unfiltered at 125.5 proof and aged for 7 years, 1 month and 2 days, yielding a whiskey that balances notes of oak, vanilla and toasted nuts.

If your band’s name is Whiskey Myers, it makes sense to have your own whiskey. And now the Texas-based southern rockers have exactly that with, ahem, Uncle Chicken’s Sippin’ Whiskey. The new bourbon was brought to life by Bespoken Spirits, a real-deal distillery that previously won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The new whiskey claims a nose of butterscotch and vanilla, a palate that tastes of black pepper and a finish full of caramel and roasted almonds.

With a single barrel release, distilleries can really showcase the variety of flavors that can come from a batch of whiskey. And that’s what Blue Run is doing with its new Double Oak Single Barrel Rye. Each barrel of the rye whiskey was aged and then finished in two separate level-three-char American white oak barrels, and each barrel has its own unique profile. The bottles range from 104.8 to 110.7 proof and come from ten barrels in total. They all have their own tasting notes listed on Blue Run’s website, making it easy to decide which sounds best to you.

Woodford Reserve knows the proof is in the pudding. Or, in this case, it’s in the whiskey. For Woodford’s annual high-proof installment in its limited Master’s Collection series, Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall and Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris have crafted a 124.7-proof Kentucky bourbon that blends selections from different barrels at the distillery and then bottles them straight from the barrel at full strength. The result is the Woodford Reserve you know and love but dialed up to the max, with more complexity than you’d expect at such a high strength.

American single malt is having a moment. So much so that the whiskey style is on the verge of becoming an officially recognized category in the U.S. A number of smaller brands have been churning out ASMs for years, but now the big boys are getting involved. Clermont Steep is a new brand of American single malt from the Jim Beam distillery — the first in its 227-year history. The whiskey comes from Master Distiller Freddie Noe and tastes of honey and dried stone fruit.

Hirsch is a legendary name in whiskey thanks to “The Best Bourbon You’ll Never Taste,” but the version of the brand that exists today is also putting out some special liquid. Its latest is the Single Barrel Double Oak, a Kentucky straight bourbon that was proofed down to 112.5 proof before heading into the lightly toasted (char number one) second barrel, resulting in some soft and unique wood flavors.

Orphan Barrel is knocking out a couple of firsts with Scarlet Shade: it’s the brand’s first-ever rye, and the first bottle blended by new Master Blender Samantha Johnson. The tri-state whiskey was distilled in Indiana, then aged in white oak barrels in Kentucky for 14 years before finally being bottled in Tennessee. Speaking of the bottle, this limited-edition rye comes in a striking vessel that was inspired by tattoos and includes nods to both Indiana and Kentucky.

Not sure if you prefer Scotch that’s been aged in sherry casks or bourbon barrels? Well, you don’t have to choose with Glengoyne’s latest single malt. This 15-year-old Highland Scotch blends together Scotch that’s been matured in both sherry and bourbon barrels, resulting in a cornucopia of flavors ranging from tropical fruit to apple pie to classic oak.

For its 31st Experimental Batch, Tennessee’s Chattanooga Whiskey got patriotic. Red, White & Blue Grist is distilled from a mix of stone-ground red, white and blue corn varieties, which are uncommonly used in whiskey production. The mashbill also contains a high malted barley count — over 25 percent — and the resultant liquid has an interesting palate with notes of sweet corn cake, berries & cream and almond croissant.

Texas’s Garrison Brothers is arguably one of the hottest bourbon distilleries around, with its limited-edition bottles frequently causing a stir and selling out in a hurry. But that reputation is well deserved, as the Lone Star State’s whiskey is indeed special. Its latest is Lady Bird, which spent four years aging in white oak casks before being infused with Texas wildflower honey for eight months and then spending a lengthy three-year finish in XO cognac casks. Sales of the sweet 114-proof hooch with the purple wax seal will benefit Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Marianne Eaves is a known star in the bourbon scene, holding the distinction of being the first female Master Distiller in Kentucky thanks to her former role at Castle & Key Distillery. Now Eaves has struck out on her own, releasing her very own bourbon label called Forbidden. The result of close to 10 years of work, Forbidden was inspired by Southern cooking and combines cuisine-quality white corn and white winter wheat in the mashbill — a first in the world of Kentucky bourbon. The hand-blended five-year is just available in small batches to start and is currently up for pre-order.

Glendronach’s Cask Strength batches are always a big deal to a certain subset of Scotch collectors, and now the Highland distillery is at it again with its Cask Strength Batch 12. The spirit shows off the distillery’s famed mastery of sherry maturation, having spent time aging in both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. The deep amber color is all naturally derived from those casks, and the 58.2 percent ABV Scotch has surprisingly dessert-like notes of raisin cake, chocolate tiramisu and crème brûlée.

Japanese distillery Fuji has released a new blend strictly for the American market and sporting the decidedly simple name of “Fuji Japanese Whisky.” That basic moniker hides the fact that this whiskey is actually a new category unto itself, Single Blended Japanese Whisky. This whiskey combines bourbon-style, Canadian-style and Scotch-style whiskeys, all distilled and blended at Fuji’s facility in the shadow of Mt. Fuji and using the mountain’s snowmelt in its production. If you’re into blended whiskeys, this unique bottle is a must-try.

You know a whiskey brand is on another level when it releases a bottle honoring its own distillery, and that’s exactly what The Macallan has done with Home Collection, The Distillery. Driving home that connection to home is a watercolor on the packaging created by artist Colin Rizza, who has worked at the distillery for decades. As for the whiskey itself, it’s a deep gold-colored 87-proof single-malt Scotch that’s laced with notes of butterscotch, ginger and oak.

Since 2019, Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing Series has put out annual releases, with each one honing in on a signature aspect of the brand’s signature wheated bourbon. For 2023, the release is BEP, which amplifies Maker’s Mark’s barrel-entry proof of 110 (most other bourbon brands head into the barrel at 125 proof). Going in at that lower proof means softer tannins and more balanced wood sugars. This limited-edition blend was finished in ten virgin-toasted American oak staves to amplify those features further. So if you like regular ol’ Maker’s Mark, you ought to love this.

WhistlePig already has a 12-year Old World Rye in its permanent collection. That bottle is a blend of three 12-year-old ryes finished in three different wine casks: 63 percent of the bottle is finished in Madeira casks, 30 percent in Sauternes casks and 7 percent in port casks. For the Bespoke edition, those ratios are altered to 40 percent each for Madeira and Sauternes, and 20 percent port. The altered blend makes for an even richer version of the already luxurious 86-proof rye with notes of berries, cinnamon pastry and confectioner’s sugar. It’s only available to members of the Black Bourbon Society and was custom-blended by their VP of brand partnerships, Trey Wade.

Marian McLain was one of the earliest known women involved in American whiskey production — she was arrested for moonshining and bootlegging in 1799. She is also the eighth-generation grandmother of Jefferson’s Bourbon founder Trey Zoeller, who launched this new blend in her honor. The impressive and complex hooch is a blend of five whiskeys: a 14-year-old Tennessee bourbon, an 11-year-old Kentucky bourbon, an 8-year-old Kentucky bourbon, a wheated double-barrel bourbon and a rum cask-finished bourbon. The limited-edition hooch then is bottled at 102 proof.

Booker’s first batch of the year is named in honor of craftsman Charlie Hutchens, the man behind the wooden boxes in which Booker’s bottles are sold. And the uncut and unfiltered batch of bourbon looks to do Charlie proud, as it’s aged for 7 years, 1 month and 8 days (yes, for real) with a hefty proof of 126.6. Despite the high burn rate, Booker’s says the whiskey is best enjoyed neat, as it has a “slightly warm taste and a pleasant finish.”

Among the Buffalo Trace Distillery’s family of brands — which includes acclaimed favorites like Blanton’s, E.H. Taylor, Jr. and, of course, Pappy Van Winkle — Old Charter Oak doesn’t usually get a ton of attention. But the bourbon brand’s identity is certainly an interesting one, as it exists to celebrate the role oak plays in whiskey production. It does this by sourcing oak casks worldwide for its maturation process. Its latest expression uses Spanish oak, a wood typically used to age sherry. It imparts nuttier, drier and spicier notes than the American oak most often used to age bourbon.

Exotic cask finishes are all the rage in the world of whiskey, with Japanese woods — most notably Mizunara oak — tending to hog most of the spotlight. But for its latest bourbon, RD1 Spirits turned to South America and Amburana — also known as “Brazilian oak.” The material is frequently used to age the rum-like spirit Cachaça and craft high-end furniture. When put to use finishing this 55-percent-ABV bourbon, the stuff lends loads of spice and sweet flavor reminiscent of spice cake and gingersnaps.

Speaking of Japanese cask finishes… Glenfiddich looked at tired ‘ol Mizunara and decided it needed something even more special to finish off its 29-year-old single malt. So for the first time in history, a Scotch whiskey was finished in Awamori casks. These oak casks are extremely rare and are used to age Awamori — the oldest distilled spirit in Japan, made from rice in a 500-year-old tradition. The combination of flavors is said to be unlike anything else and is priced accordingly — $1,999 for a bottle at MSRP if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one.

If Glenfiddich’s latest effort isn’t high-end enough for you (if not, you are playing in a vastly different sandbox than the rest of us), then Royal Salute’s highly-exclusive new bottle may be more your speed. Created in honor of the coronation of King Charles III, hence the name of the whiskey, this blended Scotch — yep, blended Scotch can be high-end, too — combines over 53 rare malt and grain whiskies inside a Dartington Crystal decanter. Royal Salute’s entire reason for existence is the British Monarchy — its first-ever blend was released in 1953 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s rise to the crown — so this new release is hardly a surprise. However, it’s still a bit shocking given the, ahem, $25,000 price tag. Just 500 bottles are being released worldwide, with 56 destined for the US. Pre-orders are open now if you’re feelin’ fancy.

Jack is getting older. With its new 12-year-old whiskey, JD has released its oldest age-statement bottle in over a century. The Lynchburg distillery revived age statements on its whiskey last year for the first time since the early 1900s with its 10-year-old, and now it’s following it up with the 12-year and Batch 2 of the 10-year. The new JD dozen-year is bottled at 107 proof with tasting notes of tobacco, oak and butterscotch.

The Glen Grant is also hawking older liquids this month. The Speyside distillery has added to its permanent range with a new 21-year-old Scotch — beating out the previous oldest member of its principal collection by three years. The single malt boasts an array of sweet and tropical notes, from stone fruit on the nose to coconut on the palate to a crème brûlée finish.

High age statements aren’t just for Scotch, as Boondocks proves. The distillery’s 18-year-old bourbon is a cask-strength expression bottled at 52.7 percent ABV and has a complex flavor profile of Tahitian vanilla, butterscotch, dark roasted coffee and various fruits. Snagging a bottle may prove difficult, though, as this is a limited release of just 1,620 bottles.

Diamond Peak is Stranahan’s limited series of cask-finished whiskeys. Following up last year’s version finished in Bushmills Irish single-malt barrels, Diamond Peak Batch #2 ends its maturation in casks that once housed José Cuervo Reserva de Familia extra añejo tequila. The result is an American single-malt whiskey with plenty of spice and a hint of agave sweetness.

Coffee and whiskey are a classic paring, and Virginia Distillery Co.’s combines them in one magnificent bottle for a great cause. First, the booze: it’s a 92-proof American single malt aged in bourbon barrels and finished in casks that previously held ethically sourced small-batch coffee. Now, the cause: proceeds from the woman-owned whiskey’s sales will go to the Angela H. Moore – Women In Distilling Scholarship at Appalachian State University to help women entering the spirits world.

Pinhook has added another bottle to its Vertical Series, a unique experiment that chronicles a select group of bourbon and rye barrels sourced from Midwest Grain Products as they age from 4 to 12 years. This latest installment is a 7-year-old rye blended from 28 of the group’s finest barrels. Bottled at 105.12 proof and with 95 percent rye in the mash bill, the Vertical Series Rye has tasting notes that include chocolate, root beer and cardamom.

For the 18th edition of Woodford Reserve’s coveted Master’s Collection, the distillery went back in time — way back. In the 19th century, it was common for bourbon to go into the barrel at a proof of around 100, while these days it typically starts its maturation around 125 proof, with the idea being that a higher proof at entry results in a less watered-down whiskey. But it turns out that a lot of the flavors that are extracted from the barrel are more soluble in water than in alcohol, meaning a lower entry proof will actually extract richer flavors from the “red layer” of the charred oak where these elusive flavors reside. This old-school technique was used for Woodford Reserve’s Historic Barrel Entry, which went into the barrel at 100 proof and emerged at 90.4 proof and full of sweet and rich flavor.

Stillhouse is one of the funnest whiskey brands around thanks to their combo of rugged steel bottles that beg to be taken outdoors and flavor infusions that actually taste good without being cloyingly sweet. Their latest is Peanut Butter S’Mores, a 70-proof combination of peanut butter and marshmallow that begs to be passed around a campfire. Having tried it, I can confirm that it is indeed tasty — full of mouthwatering flavor, but not too sweet — and immediately puts one in the mood for crunchy leaves, cool temps and good times.

American single-malt whiskey is a fairly new but rapidly growing category, and now Tattersall Distilling has entered the fray with their first spirit in the style. Interstate is a four-year-old American single-malt whiskey bottled at 80 proof and is meant to be a tribute to the nation’s first interstate park — the aptly named Interstate Park. The park straddles Minnesota and Wisconsin, and those two states also played a role in the making of this whiskey. The grains were sourced from Wisconsin, maturation took place in both states and the whiskey was finished and bottled at Tattersall in Minnesota. The resulting hooch is said to be complex with notes of coffee, chocolate and cherry.

Barrell Bourbon’s latest Batch edition is a cask-strength blend of straight bourbons aged 6, 8, 10 and 15 years, respectively. Bottled at 114.62 proof, this reddish-copper liquid boasts quite the array of tasting notes, according to the distillery, from eggnog on the nose to grape soda and cinnamon donuts on the palate to a finish starring shiso and peanut butter cups. It sounds pretty wild, but given the acclaim garnered by Barrell’s previous Bourbon Batches, I’m inclined to believe this one’s a stunner, too.

Pennsylvania’s Bluebird Distilling has teamed up with country music star Jordan Davis on a new whiskey that celebrates their shared love of “bluebird days” — a term used by skiers to refer to sunny, cloudless days following a snowstorm, and the title of Davis’s latest album. The pair set out to create an easy-sipping whiskey for such days, and the result is a 6.5-year-old blend of the best barrels of four-grain bourbon and American wheat whiskey from the distillery’s stocks. Bottled at 86 proof, the sweet sipper has traditional bourbon tasting notes of sweet corn, vanilla and toffee.

Texas-based Garrison Brothers’ annual Guadalupe release is always a favorite, and 2023 definitely looks to continue that tradition. The premium bourbon is again finished in its trademark port casks, resulting in some seriously sweet tasting notes. The southern distillery classifies it as a “dessert bourbon” to be paired with chocolates and other treats, with tasting notes of lavender honey and strawberry-buttered biscuits. This straight bourbon is bottled at 107 proof and is limited to 16,098 bottles.

If you’re in search of a whiskey that’s a bit more … luxurious … then say hello to The Glenturret’s latest bottle. The 260-year-old Highland distillery is in the midst of a three-bottle partnership with French crystal maker Lalique, and Prowess is the second entry in the collaborative Trilogy Series. The Scotch was put together by Master Blender Bob Dalgarno using just three casks from Glenturret, with an age statement of 33 years old. The 87.8-proof whiskey is bottled in a custom crystal decanter from Lalique, and just 320 are being produced. If you pony up the $14,000+ required to purchase one, you can expect robust tasting notes of wood, spices and other aromatics.

Ohio-based Watershed Distillery isn’t one to be pigeon-holed. While probably best known for their award-winning bourbon, the brand also churns out gin, vodka and other spirits. But they’ve never made a rye whiskey … until now, that is. Watershed’s first-ever rye whiskey is aged six years in charred oak barrels with a mashbill that’s 57 percent rye, 36 percent corn and 7 percent barley. In other words, this is just a lightly-spiced rye, so if you’re into Watershed’s bourbon, you’ll probably dig this too. Bottled at a hefty 122.8 proof, the first 125 bottles were gobbled up via a lottery, but don’t worry — more will be on the way soon as the rye eventually makes its way into Watershed’s permanent catalog.

OK, slight disclaimer here. Suntory’s World Whiskey Ao isn’t exactly new. In fact, we covered its initial release back in 2019. But what is new is now, in 2023, the unique “global whiskey” is finally being offered for sale in the United States. Hailing from the world’s most famous Japanese whiskey distillery, Ao is actually a blend of whiskeys from the world’s five most significant whiskey-producing countries — Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada and of course, Japan — making it unlike anything else you’ve likely tasted. Bottled at 86 proof, you should finally be able to find this well-traveled tipple at a store near you.

Woodford Reserve’s annual Double Double Oaked expression is anxiously looked forward to every year, and the 2022 mix — released in early 2023 — was no exception. Crafted to be the “perfect winter bourbon,” this year’s Double Double Oaked — which gets its year from the additional year spent in a charred oak barrel that Woodford Reserve Double Oaked receives — boasts tasting notes of burnt marshmallows, cranberry and bittersweet chocolate. Bottled at 90.4 proof and initially offered for $60 a bottle exclusively at Woodford Reserve’s distillery and a few Kentucky retailers, you can also find it online — but expect to pay a premium.

Highland Scotch distillery The GlenDronach has released the eleventh iteration in its Cask Strength series. The series is designed to showcase the true and full nature of The GlenDronach’s style, which ages Highland scotch in Spanish oak sherry casks and bottles the product at its natural cask strength. For this expression, both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía were used, and the resulting spirit sports tasting notes of spiced bramble wine, chocolate raisin and maraschino cherry, among others. It’s bottled at cask strength, 119.6 proof, and retails for $100 per bottle.

Every once in a while, we come across a bottle of whiskey that, were we to try it, would qualify as a life-altering experience. Without hyperbole, this is one such bottle. Released by ultra-rare spirits purveyor Duncan Taylor from its “Rarest Collection” vault, this 52-year-old Macallan scotch began stewing in its juices at the Duncan Taylor estate back when the Beatles were still together. Now, it’s been bottled at cask strength with no chill filtration or artificial coloring, allowing its true double-matured (American ex-bourbon followed by first-fill Oloroso sherry casks) nature to shine through. And shine through it does, with an easy-drinking 82.92-proof rating and tasting notes of dark chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla. Bottles are priced at £75,000 (~$93,000) a pop and are available only by request.

Colorado-based Old Elk Bourbon has brought back their Cask Finish series with three brand-new expressions that are sure to inject some fun diversity into the brand’s lineup. The three whiskeys are all finished in a different type of cask, with each offering up something unique. First there’s the Cognac Cask Finish, a high-test straight bourbon that spent 10 months maturing in ex-cognac casks from France. Next is the Port Cask Finish, another straight bourbon that takes on a sweeter profile thanks to its time spent in Portugeuse port wine barrels. Finally, there’s the Rum Cask Finish, a straight rye aged in 14-year-old Barbados rum barrels that’s bursting with tropical tasting notes. All three whiskeys are at least five years old, at least 100 proof and are available in limited quantities.

Speaking of American whiskeys with interesting cask finishes, we have Chattanooga Whiskey’s latest effort that sees its Tennessee high-malt whiskey matured in spent Cabernet Sauvignon casks from acclaimed Napa Valley winery Silver Oak Cellars. The resultant bottle, part of Chattanooga’s always-interesting Experimental Distillery series, is 95-proof and sports a gorgeous red-tinged color. Look for it in select retailers and expect to pay around 60 bucks.