Scotch whisky fans were celebrating this week as the long-silent Brora Distillery in the Scottish Highlands opened its doors for the first time since 1983. We covered the historic reopening ceremony, and Whisky Advocate auction expert Jonny McCormick took the opportunity to study some of the distillery’s rarest expressions in our “What’s It Worth?” series.
For those looking for a more accessible dram, this week’s roundup of new whiskies has plenty on offer. Cask finishing and brand collaborations are the main events, with Lagavulin teaming up with Guinness for a new release and Heaven’s Door working with Redbreast on a new bourbon with an Irish touch. Read on for full details.
Lagavulin Offerman Edition: Guinness Cask Finish
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: 11 year old
ABV: 46%
Price: $80
Release: June 2021
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
Lagavulin Offerman Edition first debuted in October 2019. This iteration, created in collaboration with actor Nick Offerman and his father Ric, was finished for 4 months in Guinness beer barrels.
Whisky Advocate says:
Like his “Parks & Recreations” character Ron Swanson, Offerman is a devout Lagavulin drinker. Beyond appearing in ad spots for the Islay single malt, he has also partnered with the distillery to release special editions bearing his name. Both Lagavulin and Guinness are singular drinks, and we’ll be interested to see how their flavors merge.
Heaven’s Door The Master Blenders’ Edition Redbreast Finish
Style: Finished bourbon
Origin: Undisclosed
Age: 10 year old
ABV: 50%
Price: $100
Release: June 2021
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
Created in tandem by master blenders Ryan Perry of Heaven’s Door and Billy Leighton of Redbreast, this bourbon was finished for 15 months in casks that formerly held Redbreast single pot still whiskey. Heaven’s Door owner Bob Dylan is reportedly a lover of Irish whiskey and worked closely with both master blenders to develop this special edition.
Whisky Advocate says:
Heaven’s Door isn’t disclosing the source of this bourbon but it did say that it is different from the 10 year old limited edition it released in November 2018, which was a Tennessee bourbon. This release comes just a few weeks after Stranahan’s announced a Bushmills-finished single malt furthering the trend of American whiskeys using Irish barrels to impart new flavors. We will have a review of this whiskey in an upcoming Buying Guide.
Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Warehouse C Bourbon
Style: Bottled in bond bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 10 year old
ABV: 50%
Price: $70
Release: June 2021
Availability: Highly limited
Need to know:
This whiskey was aged in Buffalo Trace’s famed Warehouse C, which was built by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr., in 1885. The warehouse has put forth some of the brand’s most coveted, highly allocated releases.
Whisky Advocate says:
This is a one-time only release, so Buffalo Trace fans familiar with Warehouse C bourbon will need to act quickly if they want a taste.
High West Rendezvous Rye
Style: Blend of straight ryes
Origin: Multiple (Indiana, Utah)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 46%
Price: $70
Release: May 2021
Availability: Limited release, but available nationwide
Need to know:
The Rendezvous blend now includes more of High West’s own pot still rye, supplemented by high-rye whiskey sourced from MGP. The whiskeys used are a range of 4 to 9 years old.
Whisky Advocate says:
Rendezvous Rye was once High West’s flagship whiskey; now it’s a seasonal release, featuring new label artwork each year (American artist Ed Mell is behind the newest label). High West has slowly been adding more of its own-make whiskeys into its blends, starting with Double Rye in 2018.
Barrell Bourbon (Batch 029)
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Multiple (Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana)
Age: 6 to 16 years old
ABV: 57.94%
Price: $90
Release: May 2021
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
This bourbon blends 6 and 7 year old rye-grain Kentucky bourbon; 9 and 10 year old wheated bourbon; and a small amount of 6, 14, and 16 year old Tennessee bourbon.
Whisky Advocate says:
The Barrell Craft Spirits team has been even more active than usual lately, coming out with an entirely new line of bourbon and rye, Stellum, last month and releasing Bourbon (Batch 028) in March. Back in February, Whisky Advocate spoke with Barrell founder Joe Beatrice about his blending process—check out the conversation on IGTV.
Castle & Key Restoration Rye (2021 Release, Batch 1)
Style: Rye
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 50.5%
Price: $40
Release: May 2021
Availability: 20,500 bottles; available at the distillery and in GA, IN, KY, SC, TN, and TX
Need to know:
Restoration was the first rye released under the Castle & Key name when it hit shelves last year with two batches. This is the first batch of 2021.
Whisky Advocate says:
It’s always exciting to see a new expression come out of the gate with consistent releases. Stay tuned for a review of the 2020 release of Restoration Rye in an upcoming Buying Guide, and a review of the 2021 release to follow.
Milam & Greene The Castle Hill Series Batch 1
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Tennessee
Age: 13 year old
ABV: 54.25%
Price: $120
Release: May 2021
Availability: Extremely limited
Need to know:
This whiskey is the first in a series named for the Texas Military Institute, also known as “The Castle”—which is now the site of the brand’s blending lab. During the pandemic, Milam & Greene master distiller Heather Greene spent hours isolated within The Castle to create the new series.
Whisky Advocate says:
Milam & Greene first came on the scene in 2019, with a blend of straight bourbons and a port cask-finished rye. Its whiskeys, including this new release, are aged at the distillery in Blanco, Texas, as well as elsewhere across the country to determine the effects of different climates.
Still Austin Cask Strength
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Texas
Age: 2 year old
ABV: 59%
Price: $65
Release: May 2021
Availability: Limited; 6,600 bottles available at the distillery in Austin and elsewhere in Texas, with 6,600 more slated for a September release.
Need to know:
This bourbon has the same mashbill as Still Austin’s flagship bourbon, The Musician—70% non-GMO white corn, 25% Elbon rye, and 5% wildfire malted barley—except this is made without using the distillery’s slow water reduction process, which normally brings the proof down to 98.4.
Whisky Advocate says:
Still Austin debuted its first straight bourbon last year. Like its predecessor, this new bottling is made from 100% Texas-grown grains, and features artwork by Texas native Marc Burckhardt.
Whiskey Del Bac Distiller’s Cut (Summer 2021 Release)
Style: American Single malt
Origin: Arizona
Age: Not stated
ABV: 57%
Price: $80
Release: May 2021
Availability: 751 bottles; available at the distillery
Need to know:
In the Distiller’s Cut series, Whiskey Del Bac experiments with finishing its single malt in select barrels. This particular single malt is aged in sauternes barrels.
Whisky Advocate says:
The Fall 2020 release of Distiller’s Cut was mesquite smoked, and scored 91 points in the Buying Guide. We’re excited to see how this different finish stacks up!
Hunt & Gather 15 year old Lot 2
Style: Blended whisky
Origin: Canada
Age: 15 year old
ABV: 60.5%
Price: $80
Release: June 2021
Availability: Limited; CT, CO, DE, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, TN
Need to know:
This is a high-corn whisky crafted by whisky negoçiant Hunt & Gather.
Whisky Advocate says:
Hunt & Gather has a mission to seek out rare barrels and lost batches of ultra-aged spirits from acclaimed distilleries for limited releases. This 15 year old Canadian whisky follows a 15 year old Kentucky straight bourbon that sold out quickly. At times overlooked, Canadian whisky can provide a great value especially with something as high proof and well-aged as this.
