Strap in, because there’s a whole lot of new whisky headed your way.
First up, Four Roses has unveiled the 2020 Limited Edition Small Batch. Details on the recipes used are below. With a recommended price of $150, there are 14,040 bottles available.
Buffalo Trace will release limited amounts of Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel starting this fall. Previously only available overseas, the whiskey has a recommended retail price of $150.
Ardbeg is rolling out the 2020 release of 19 year old Traigh Bhan. The whisky is priced at $300 and available in limited quantities.
GlenDronach’s latest whisky in partnership with the Kingsman movie franchise is a 1989 vintage. It’s priced at $1,299, with just 3,052 bottles available worldwide.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. is releasing a bourbon finished in Copper & Kings Destillaré orange curaçao barrels. There are 3,000 bottles available, priced at $125.
Pinhook is launching its flagship Bohemian bourbon, distilled at Castle & Key. The whiskey is widely available, priced at $38.
Three Chord has bottled a 15 year old barrel-proof bourbon called Whiskey Drummer. It’s priced at $150, and there are fewer than 2,500 bottles available.
Ireland’s Waterford Distillery is finally debuting in the U.S., with four single malts: Rathclogh (13,000 bottles), Dunmore (13,000 bottles), and Dunbell (6,000 bottles) are all U.S. exclusives priced at $95, while Waterford Organic Gaia (6,000 bottles in the U.S.) is $110.
Barrell Craft Spirits is releasing Batch 025 of its bourbon. It’s available in limited amounts for $90.
Michter’s will offer a new crop of its Toasted Barrel-Finished rye this fall. The limited-edition whiskey has a recommended retail price of $85.
MGP is now offering single barrels of Rossville Union rye. They’re available at select retail accounts (list below), priced at $50.
The annual release of Blade & Bow 22 year old bourbon is rolling out, available in limited amounts. This year, the retail price is $450.
Indianapolis-based West Fork Whiskey Co. is launching Bicentennial bourbon in honor of the city’s 200th anniversary. It’s priced at $50, with 650 bottles for sale in the distillery tasting room.
Finally, Colorado’s Spirit Hound Distillers has bottled its first-ever barrel, a single malt that’s aged for over 7 years. The whiskey is available at the distillery for $300.
Read on for full details.
Four Roses 2020 Limited Edition Small Batch
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
Proof: 55.7% ABV
Price: $150
Release: September 2020
Availability: 14,040 bottles for the U.S.
Need to know:
This year’s limited-edition Four Roses combines four of the distillery’s 10 recipes in these rough proportions:
- 30% 12 year old OBSV
- 25% 12 year old OESV
- 25% 16 year old OESK
- 20% 19 year old OBSK
Whisky Advocate says:
Four Roses uses two mashbills and five strains of yeast to create its 10 recipes. B or E indicates the mashbill, while the fourth letter—F, K, V, O, or Q—refers to the specific yeast strain. The V strain creates delicate fruit flavors while K adds light spice. Four Roses’ website has more information on the recipes, as does this video with the late, great Al Young, the distillery’s longtime manager and brand ambassador.
Blanton's Straight From The Barrel
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
Proof: Varies (barrel proof)
Price: $150
Release: Fall 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
This is Blanton’s straight bourbon with no added water, meaning each single barrel is at barrel proof.
Whisky Advocate says:
Though this expression has been available overseas for years, this is the first time it will be sold in the U.S. It follows the stateside release of Blanton’s Gold, which was announced earlier this year.
Ardbeg 19 year old Traigh Bhan (Batch 2)
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: 19 years old
Proof: 46.2% ABV
Price: $300
Release: September 2020
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
The second batch of Traigh Bhan, this heavily peated single malt whisky matured in bourbon and oloroso sherry casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
Each year’s edition of Traigh Bhan will have subtle flavor differences depending on what casks were available for blending. This year there’s a higher proportion of first-fill bourbon casks, alongside refill bourbon and sherry casks. The inaugural release scored a whopping 95 points, so even if Batch 2 doesn’t hit quite such a high mark—it’s still going to be good.
GlenDronach 1989 Kingsman Edition
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Highlands)
Age: 29 years old
Proof: 51% ABV
Price: $1,299
Release: September 2020
Availability: 3,052 bottles
Need to know:
Modeled after the oldest whisky GlenDronach has on-site—a 29 year old bottled in 1913—this single malt matured in oloroso sherry casks before a finish in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
GlenDronach is the partner whisky for the Kingsman movie franchise, and released a 26 year old, which scored 90 points, when Kingsman: The Golden Circle came out back in 2017. This whisky, coinciding with the release of the third film, The King’s Man, should be equally well-received, as the distillery’s releases—created by master blender Rachel Barrie—are of consistently high quality.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. Destillaré Orange Curaçao Barrel-Finished
Style: Finished bourbon
Origin: Tennessee
Age: Not stated
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $125
Release: August 2020
Availability: 3,000 bottles
Need to know:
Bardstown Bourbon Co. partnered with Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. on this Tennessee-made bourbon, which aged for 9 years in new charred oak before an 18-month finish in the brandy company’s Destillaré orange curaçao barrels.
Whisky Advocate says:
Bardstown Bourbon and Copper & Kings have been frequent partners in the past, with the whiskey maker using a variety of the brandy distillery’s barrels, from mistelle to oloroso sherry.
Pinhook Bohemian Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
Proof: 47.5% ABV
Price: $38
Release: August 2020
Availability: For sale in 25 states and online
Need to know:
Made at Castle & Key Distillery from a mashbill of 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% malted barley, this is Pinhook’s new flagship bourbon.
Whisky Advocate says:
It joins the flagship rye, also made at Castle & Key, that debuted earlier this year, and is meant as an everyday companion bourbon to the Bohemian High Proof that came out a few months ago.
Three Chord 15 year old Whiskey Drummer
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 15 years old
Proof: 58.95% ABV
Price: $190
Release: September 2020
Availability: Under 2,500 bottles
Need to know:
This Kentucky straight bourbon is 15 years old and bottled by Three Chord, a whiskey company backed by musician Neil Giraldo.
Whisky Advocate says:
While Three Chord has released blends up to now, this is an unblended straight bourbon. Look for a review in the Fall Buying Guide!
Waterford Rathclogh Edition 1.1
Style: Single malt
Origin: Ireland
Age: Not stated
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $95
Release: October 2020
Availability: 13,000 bottles for the U.S. only
Need to know:
This whiskey was distilled from barley grown by Richard Raftice in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Waterford Dunmore Edition 1.1
Style: Single malt
Origin: Ireland
Age: Not stated
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $95
Release: October 2020
Availability: 13,000 bottles for the U.S. only
Need to know:
The barley used for this whiskey came from the farm of John Tynan in County Laois.
Waterford Dunbell Edition 1.1
Style: Single malt
Origin: Ireland
Age: Not stated
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $95
Release: October 2020
Availability: 6,000 bottles for the U.S. only
Need to know:
The malted barley in this whiskey was grown by Ned Murphy in County Kilkenny.
Waterford Organic Gaia 1.1
Style: Single malt
Origin: Ireland
Age: Not stated
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $110
Release: September 2020
Availability: 6,000 bottles
Need to know:
Certified by the Organic Trust, this whisky was distilled in 2016 from barley grown by several Irish farmers. It matured in 42% first-fill bourbon barrels, 17% virgin American oak, 23% premium French oak, and 18% sweet fortified wine casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
Waterford Distillery’s goal is to showcase the terroir of whiskey by separately distilling and maturing barley grown in individual Irish farms, though the organic expression combines the harvests of multiple contributors to make a larger batch. All the whiskeys are natural color with no chill-filtration.
Each bottle of the whiskey has a “téireoir” (a portmanteau of terroir and Éire, the Gaelic name for Ireland) code, which can be entered on Waterford’s website to reveal in-depth information about its production.
Barrell Batch 025
Style: Blend of straight bourbons
Origin: KY, IN, and TN
Age: Not stated
Proof: 56.7% ABV
Price: $90
Release: August 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
This whiskey blends 5 and 9 year old wheated bourbons with 13 and 15 year old corn-forward bourbons, along with some 9 year old high-rye bourbon.
Whisky Advocate says:
Barrell’s bourbon blends are typically excellent quality, though occasionally vary; we reviewed Batch 023 in the Spring 2020 Buying Guide, giving it 92 points, but Batch 022 scored 86 points. Both of those scores indicate good whiskey, of course—but our blind tasting panel clearly found them different. That’s part of what makes Barrell such an exciting producer, though—every batch is different, and there are always new flavors to discover.
Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel-Finished Rye (2020 Release)
Style: Finished rye
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
Proof: Barrel proof (average 54.6% ABV)
Price: $85
Release: September 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
This whiskey initially matured in new charred oak barrels, then was finished in barrels made of 24-month air-dried oak toasted to custom specifications.
Whisky Advocate says:
If you’re going to drink toasted barrel whiskey, first you must know the differences between toasting and charring. And if you’re going to drink this toasted barrel whiskey, you’re in for a treat; the 2017 release scored 90 points in the Buying Guide.
Rossville Union Single Barrel Bottled in Bond Straight Rye
Style: Bottled in bond rye
Origin: Indiana
Age: Not stated
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $50
Release: September 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
This is a single-barrel version of MGP’s Rossville Union straight rye that also happens to meet all the criteria for bottling in bond.
Whisky Advocate says:
The single-barrel rye is only available at select retailers. See if there’s one near you on this list.
Blade & Bow 22 year old
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 22 years old
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $450
Release: September 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
This is the yearly release of Blade & Bow 22 year old. The straight bourbon is the same as in previous years, but the price continues to creep up, from $300 last year to $450 this year.
Whisky Advocate says:
How much more of this 22 year old bourbon does Diageo, Blade & Bow’s parent company, have? Presumably it’s going to run out at some point, as Diageo doesn’t have a distillery for Blade & Bow (yet) and super-aged bourbon isn’t exactly coming out of the tap. That 50% price jump to $450 indicates either extreme optimism on Diageo’s part, or fairly dwindled stock.
West Fork Whiskey Co. Bicentennial Bourbon
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Indiana
Age: Not stated
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $50
Release: August 2020
Availability: 650 bottles; for sale at the distillery's tasting room
Need to know:
Made by West Fork Whiskey Co., this bourbon commemorates the bicentennial of Indianapolis.
Whisky Advocate says:
Though MGP is Indiana’s best-known whiskey distillery, the state has several energetic craft producers as well, including West Fork. If you’re a Hoosier—or just planning a visit to Indianapolis, a great city for whisky lovers—raise a glass to even more whiskey flowing from the state.
Spirit Hound Barrel No. 1
Style: Single malt
Origin: Colorado
Age: 7 years old
Proof: 45% ABV
Price: $300
Release: August 2020
Availability: Around 250 bottles; for sale at the distillery
Need to know:
Distilled in 2012, this whiskey survived historic flooding that damaged Spirit Hound’s distillery the following year. As the name indicates, it was the first barrel Spirit Hound ever filled.
Whisky Advocate says:
Though it’s only for sale at the distillery—and it’s pretty spendy—this whiskey comes packaged in a nifty custom box that opens up like a clamshell when the top is removed and the bottle is lifted. Even after you finish this whiskey, you can reuse the box for other Spirit Hound bottles.
