I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve

Style: Bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 4 year old
ABV: 45%
Price: $50
Release: February 2022
Availability: Widely

Need to know:

This 4 year old Kentucky straight bourbon is aged in new charred American oak before, finished in California cabernet sauvignon casks, and bottled at Stitzel-Weller Distillery. This expression joins the I.W. Harper lineup that includes its straight bourbon and 15 year old straight bourbon.

Whisky Advocate says:

Introduced in the 1870s, I.W. Harper was created by I.W. Bernheim and produced at Bernheim Bros. Distillery. Through the years the label inspired a clothing line and was popular on international cruise lines. In the 1990s, when the popularity of whisky declined, I.W. Harper ceased distribution in the U.S., focusing on Asia—and Japan in particular, where it became wildly popular. In 2015, it relaunched in the U.S.

Egan’s Legacy Reserve IV

Style: Single malt
Origin: Ireland
Age: 18 year old
ABV: 46%
Price: $200
Release: February 2022
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This single malt was first matured in bourbon barrels and then finished in Moscatel de Valencia casks. Only 1,000 bottles are available.

Egan’s Conviction

Style: Blended whiskey
Origin: Ireland
Age: 10 year old
ABV: 46%
Price: $100
Release: February 2022
Availability: Widely available

Need to know:

Conviction is a blend of single malt and single grain whiskeys that was finished in cognac casks.

Whisky Advocate says:

Egan’s Irish Whiskey, based near Tullamore, Ireland, is a 19th -century company revived by the descendants of founder Patrick Egan Sr. The company uses sourced whisky for its releases. With this fourth release of Legacy Reserve, Egan’s concludes the series, which highlights aged single malts in a variety of specialty cask finishes. Conviction, meanwhile, is a permanent addition to the Egan’s lineup, joining another blended whiskey, Centenary, as well as single malt and single grain expressions.

Whiskey Del Bac 2022 Spring Distiller’s Cut

Style: American Single Malt
Origin: Arizona
Age: Not Stated
ABV: 55.5%
Price: $90
Release: February 2022
Availability: Arizona only

Need to know:

The spring 2022 edition of Distiller’s Cut uses Whiskey Del Bac’s flagship whiskey, Classic, as its base. It is then aged for 1 year in new American white oak, and finished for 7 months in armagnac barrels.

Whisky Advocate says:

Whiskey Del Bac is made by Tucson, Arizona-based Hamilton Distillers, known for its mesquite-smoked whiskeys that offer flavors of the southwest. Del Bac’s previous Distiller’s Cut releases scored ratings of 89 and 91 points last year, while its Dorado has found itself on our list of distinctive American Single Malts to try now.

Eastside Distilling Maraschino Cherry

Style: Flavored whiskey
Origin: Oregon
Age: Not stated
ABV: 30%
Price: $40
Release: February 14, 2022
Availability: At the distillery and throughout Oregon, with distribution expanding to California, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas later this year

Need to know:

This is the second flavored release from Portland, Oregon-based Eastside Distilling, which last fall unveiled its Marionberry Whiskey. While Marionberry’s flavoring came from Oregon’s native Marionberry, this expression is flavored with Luxardo cherry liqueur. It’s also pricier than Marionberry, whose retail price is $29.

Whisky Advocate says:

Technically these are not whiskeys, of course, as they fall below the required 40% ABV threshold. Eastside recommends this release as a cocktail component, which tends to be the best use for these flavored expressions, though some people like to sip them neat with ice. Both Beam and, more recently Jameson, have come out with similar flavored releases for this purpose.