Whiskies are released for all sorts of special occasions, including weddings, coronations, and of course, birthdays. But in a real first, Wyoming Whiskey is debuting a bourbon celebrating the solar eclipse, which takes place on August 21st. Also new this week: Early Times is launching a limited-edition bottled in bond bourbon, while Clyde May’s has a 9 year old cask strength whiskey. And a new “hybrid” blend of bourbon and rye called Copper Cross is hitting store shelves.
Early Times Bottled in Bond Bourbon
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 4 years old
Proof: 50% ABV
Price: $23 (1 liter)
Release: Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Oregon
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
This bourbon has a mashbill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. As a bonded bourbon, it was aged for at least four years and is bottled at 100 proof.
Whisky Advocate says:
Because Early Times has long been aged in used barrels, it hasn’t been able to call itself a bourbon; it’s just a Kentucky whiskey. Back in 2011, Early Times released a bourbon (aged in new charred oak barrels), but it was removed from the market a few years later—so it’s interesting to see this new bottled in bond expression coming out. We look forward to trying it and letting you know what we think.
Wyoming Whiskey Eclipse Edition Small Batch Bourbon
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Wyoming
Age: Not stated
Proof: 44% ABV
Price: $45
Release: June 2017
Availability: Wyoming only
Need to know:
This is a special batch of Wyoming Whiskey’s 88-proof bourbon that came from 24 select barrels, meaning the flavor profile will be slightly different.
Whisky Advocate says:
Whiskies have been released for all kinds of frivolous reasons over the years, but we like one that celebrates the super-cool and super-rare phenomenon of a total solar eclipse.
Clyde May's 9 year old Cask Strength
Style: "Alabama Style" whiskey
Origin: Not stated
Age: 9 years old
Proof: 58.5% ABV
Price: $100
Release: June 2017
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
This 9 year old cask strength whiskey follows up on the limited-edition 8 year old that Clyde May’s released last year.
Whisky Advocate says:
Clyde May’s purports to be an “Alabama-style whiskey,” which is not a regulated term. The brand adds dried apples to the barrels of maturing whiskey, but the whiskey itself—which comes from an undisclosed source—is not made in Alabama.
Copper Cross Hybrid Bourbon/Rye Whiskey
Style: Blended whiskey
Origin: Indiana
Age: 18 months
Proof: 42% ABV
Price: $35
Release: June 2017
Availability: Texas, Arizona, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota and California
Need to know:
This is a blend of 80% bourbon (mash bill: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley) and 20% rye (mash bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley).
Whisky Advocate says:
Both whiskeys came from Indiana, most likely from MGP Distillery (that 95% rye mash bill is a dead giveaway). The whiskey is put through a proprietary process to remove impurities before being bottled in Iowa.
