There are loads of new releases to dive into this week, as well as news of another brand revamping its look. Heaven Hill is rolling out restyled packaging for Evan Williams straight bourbon and bottled in bond bourbon, as well as the line of flavored whiskeys. Look for the new bottles to hit shelves starting this month.
On to new whiskey! Glenmorangie is launching a special single malt finished in tokaji dessert wine casks. Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake is priced at $99 and available in limited amounts.
WhistlePig’s newest Boss Hog is rolling out, and it has an unusual finish. WhistlePig Boss Hog VII: Magellan’s Atlantic is available in limited amounts, priced at $500.
Three special batches of Old Forester bourbon have been created in honor of the brand’s 150th anniversary. All are quite limited, with bottles priced at $150.
Macallan is wrapping up its Edition series with Edition No. 6. The single malt scotch is available in limited amounts and priced at $150.
Bruichladdich Distillery has released Port Charlotte OLC:01, a heavily peated single malt distilled in 2010. The limited-edition whisky is priced at $130.
Virginia Distillery Co. is rolling out the second batch of Courage & Conviction, this one named for the late Jim Swan. The single malt remains priced at $75, with just under 10,000 bottles available.
A new bourbon distilled at MGP is hitting shelves in California. Off Hours straight bourbon is priced at $47.
Oregon-based Cascade Spirits is relaunching its Broken Top line as a standalone brand. Broken Top currently offers a bourbon ($35), barrel-proof bourbon ($45), and rye ($40), available in Oregon.
A new independent bottler called DS Tayman is releasing its first whiskies, a 10 year old Caol Ila ($60) and a 12 year old Linkwood ($60). Both are available in the U.S. in limited amounts—400 bottles of the Caol Ila and 1,600 of the Linkwood.
Baltimore Spirits Co. has launched its latest Post Epoch rye, this one finished in pineau des Charentes casks. The whiskey is available at the distillery only, priced at $60.
Finally, Tobermory Distillery has unveiled a 23 year old expression. Priced at £320 (around $400), the single malt is not available in the U.S.
Read on for full details.
Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Highlands)
Age: Not stated
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $99
Release: October 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
Inspired by the flavors of pineapple upside down cake, Glenmorangie’s director of distilling, whisky creation, and whisky stocks, Bill Lumsden, finished this whisky in tokaji dessert wine casks from Hungary. Glenmorangie partnered with chef Dominique Ansel of Cronut fame to create a custom pineapple boat cake to pair with the whisky (recipe here). (Ansel also created cake pairings for Glenmorangie Original, Lasanta, and Quinta Ruban.)
Whisky Advocate says:
Although dry styles are made, Hungary’s tokaji is usually a sweet wine, made with grapes that have been infected with botrytis. Tokaji casks have rarely been used for maturing whisky, although Single Cask Nation recently used them to finish a 12 year old rye.
Glenmorangie ended its Private Edition series in 2019 with Allta, but this kind of unusual cask finishing—and wacky-whimsical packaging—feels very familiar. A Tale of Cake is a one-time release, but I wouldn’t write off the possibility of more whiskies like this from Glenmorangie in the future.
WhistlePig The Boss Hog VII: Magellan's Atlantic
Style: Finished rye
Origin: Canada
Age: 17 years old
Proof: 52.6%-53.9% ABV
Price: $500
Release: October 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
Distilled in Canada, this whisky aged for 17 years in new charred oak. It then underwent a 3-week finish in virgin toasted Spanish oak casks, then spent just 3 days in toasted Brazilian teak casks.
The whisky’s name refers to the famous circumnavigation of the globe begun by Ferdinand Magellan in 1519. The explorer and his crew set off from Spain and made their first landfall in the New World in Brazil.
Whisky Advocate says:
Maturing whisky in non-oak woods isn’t common, but it is done; Irish whiskey, in particular, allows for casks of any wood type, and a few distillers there have done finishes in chestnut and acacia. Ohishi rice whisky from Japan has some expressions finished in sakura (cherry wood) and acacia as well, and whiskies from Alsace, France are permitted to use non-oak casks after 3 years.
Old Forester 150th Anniversary
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
Proof: 62.8%-63.4% ABV
Price: $150
Release: October 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
Old Forester turns 150 years old in 2020, and these special-edition bourbons commemorate that milestone. There are three batches being released, totaling 150 barrels:
- Batch 01 is comprised of 46 barrels and is 62.8% ABV
- Batch 02 is comprised of 48 barrels and is 63.2% ABV
- Batch 03 is comprised of 53 barrels and is 63.4% ABV
Whisky Advocate says:
There were 150 barrels chosen for these batches, but as you can see, the total bottled is 147. That’s because three barrels were completely empty—the contents having evaporated due to the angels’ share.
Creating three batches is meant to recall founder George Garvin Brown’s use of whiskey from three different distilleries (Mellwood, Mattingly, and Atherton) to create the original Old Forester. These contemporary batches, however, all have a single source—Brown-Forman’s Shively distillery—and were created by master distiller Chris Morris and master taster Jackie Zykan.
Macallan Edition No. 6
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Speyside)
Age: Not stated
Proof: 48.6% ABV
Price: $150
Release: October 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
The sixth and final release in Macallan’s Edition series, this single malt was matured in American and Spanish oak sherry-seasoned casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
The color of the packaging is meant to evoke the River Spey, which runs through Macallan’s estate. The distillery has partnered with the Atlantic Salmon Trust to support conservation of the river and its population of salmon.
Port Charlotte OLC:01 (2010 Vintage)
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: 9 years old
Proof: 55.1% ABV
Price: $130
Release: September 2020
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
Distilled from 100% Scottish barley at Bruichladdich, this heavily peated whisky (40 ppm) was matured in 30% first-fill American whiskey casks, 40% second-fill American whiskey casks, 25% vin doux naturel (sweet wine) casks, and 5% second-fill syrah casks. After vatting, the final blend was finished in first-fill oloroso hogsheads for 18 months.
Whisky Advocate says:
This whisky initially launched overseas in April and is now becoming available stateside. It’s part of the Port Charlotte brand’s Cask Exploration Series, which showcases the influence of wood.
Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction (Dr. Jim Swan Batch)
Style: Single malt
Origin: Virginia
Age: Not stated
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $75
Release: October 2020
Availability: 9,900 bottles
Need to know:
The second batch of Virginia Distillery Co.’s Courage & Conviction single malt, this whisky is named for Jim Swan, a whisky scientist who helped the distillery develop its processes and production in the early days, and who passed away in 2017. Full information about the whisky’s makeup can be found at batch.info.
Whisky Advocate says:
Virginia Distillery Co. debuted Courage & Conviction in the early days of the pandemic in April, a decision that CEO Gareth Moore discussed a few months later on Instagram Live. The first batch, named for distillery founder George G. Moore, scored 91 points. Along with this release, Virginia Distillery Co. is flooding the market with 50-ml bottles of Courage & Conviction to encourage people to sample it before committing to a full bottle.
Off Hours Straight Bourbon
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Indiana
Age: Not stated
Proof: 47.5% ABV
Price: $47
Release: September 2020
Availability: For sale in CA
Need to know:
This is a straight bourbon made by MGP and aged at least 4 years.
Whisky Advocate says:
The message of Off Hours is “made for the moments in between,” and the brand is positioning itself as a bourbon “for everyone, everywhere.” Personally, I think any and all bourbons are for anyone who wants to drink them, but the message of inclusivity is certainly welcome.
Broken Top Straight Bourbon
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Indiana
Age: 2 years old
Proof: 43.75% ABV
Price: $35
Release: September 2020
Availability: For sale in OR only
Need to know:
Made at MGP, this bourbon is distilled from a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Broken Top Straight Rye
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Indiana
Age: 2 years old
Proof: 43.75% ABV
Price: $40
Release: September 2020
Availability: For sale in OR only
Need to know:
Also made at MGP, this rye uses a mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley.
Whisky Advocate says:
Cascade Street Distillery launched the original Broken Top brand of bourbon a few years ago, but has since been acquired by Cascade Spirits, which is spinning out the whiskeys—now made at MGP—into their own line. In addition to this bourbon and rye, there’s also a high-proof straight bourbon at 56.5% ABV ($45).
DS Tayman 10 year old Caol Ila
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: 10 years old
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $60
Release: September 2020
Availability: 400 bottles
Need to know:
Distilled at Caol Ila, this whisky first matured in bourbon casks and then was finished in kosher Galil Mountain wine casks.
DS Tayman 12 year old Linkwood
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Speyside)
Age: 12 years old
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $60
Release: September 2020
Availability: 1,600 bottles
Need to know:
Initially matured in bourbon casks, this single malt distilled at Linkwood was finished in kosher Galil Mountain wine casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
Both of these scotches are certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union, Kosher London Beth Din, and Mishmeres Hakashrus London. While bourbon and other whiskeys aged in new oak are widely accepted as kosher, there’s less consensus about wine cask-matured whiskies, as the kosher status of the casks’ previous contents may impact that of the whisky.
There are a few other kosher single malts that use wine-cask maturation, including a Tomintoul finished in kosher port casks and M&H’s single malt matured in kosher sherry casks. Look for an article about kosher whisky in the Winter 2020 issue of Whisky Advocate!
Baltimore Spirits Co. Post Epoch Rye (Batch No. 5)
Style: Finished rye
Origin: Maryland
Age: 3 years old
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $60
Release: September 2020
Availability: Limited edition; for sale only in the tasting room
Need to know:
This rye spent its first 2 years aging in new charred oak barrels, then underwent a 1-year finish in French oak pineau des charentes casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
Pineau des Charentes (a fortified wine made of unfermented or lightly fermented grape juice and eau-de-vie from Cognac) is about as uncommon a finish as tokaji. Jos. A. Magnus & Co. had a limited edition of Murray Hill Club bourbon finished in such casks, and France’s Warenghem Distillery made a special Armorik single malt with them as well.
Tobermory 23 year old
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islands)
Age: 23 years old
Proof: 46.3% ABV
Price: £320 (about $407)
Release: September 2020
Availability: Not available in the U.S.
Need to know:
This single malt was matured for 15 years and then spent 8 years in oloroso sherry casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
A bottle of this whisky will be auctioned alongside a custom sterling silver and gold quaich to benefit Scottish charity The Ben.
