We’ve got plenty of new whiskies this week, both for ardent collectors and more casual fans. Old Forester has unveiled the second edition of its Warehouse Series, while Heaven Hill has announced the annual release of Parker’s Heritage, which is a wheat whiskey this year. From Scotland, Bruichladdich has released the latest vintage of Port Charlotte Islay Barley, while Daryll McNally, best known for his work at Dublin Liberties Distillery, is reviving Limavady Irish whiskey in partnership with Vermont’s WhistlePig. Read on for full details.
Old Forester The 117 Series Warehouse K
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 55%
Price: $50
Release: August 2021
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
The first release of The 117 Series, called High Angels’ Share, featured bourbon from barrels with an unusually high rate of evaporation. This release, called Warehouse K, highlights barrels aged on different floors of the eponymous warehouse, which is known for its exceptional whiskey. Warehouse K was built in 1953, and uses heat-cycling—a process that maintains continuity of temperature across all floors of a warehouse—and has long been a source of Old Forester’s single barrel releases.
Whisky Advocate says:
Created by Old Forester master taster Jackie Zykan, The 117 Series shines the spotlight on experimentation and innovation. While the range is mostly limited to distillery sales, some bottles will be available at Kentucky retail stores.
Parker’s Heritage Collection (2021 Edition)
Style: Wheat whiskey
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 11 year old
ABV: 61%
Price: $140
Release: September 2021
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
The latest edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection is made up of 75 barrels that were charred for one minute and 30 seconds, as opposed to Heaven Hill’s more traditional timing of 40 seconds. The mashbill is 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley; this is only the second time that a wheat-heavy mashbill has been featured in the range.
Whisky Advocate says:
Named for the late Heaven Hill master distiller Parker Beam, who died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2017, this is the 15th edition of the Parker’s Heritage series. The past eight editions of the whiskey have collectively raised more than one million dollars toward ALS research and patient care through contributions made by Heaven Hill for each bottle purchased.
Little Book Chapter 5: The Invitation
Style: Blended whiskey
Origin: Multiple (Kentucky and not stated)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 58.4%
Price: $125
Release: August 2021
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
The fifth edition of this series, which comes from eighth generation Beam distiller Freddie Noe, The Invitation blends 2, 5, and 15 year old Kentucky bourbons with 3 year old malted rye.
Whisky Advocate says:
We always look forward to the latest Little Book Chapters, as they’ve consistently delivered in the past; Chapter 4: Lessons Honored was among the top 10 highest scoring whiskies in our Winter 2020 Buying Guide, while Chapter 3: The Road Home, received similar marks on our Winter 2019 Buying Guide. We spoke to series creator Freddie Noe about his whiskeys last year on #TasteWithSpace.
Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2013
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: 8 year old
ABV: 50%
Price: $80
Release: Fall 2021
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
A parcel of casks was matured for 7 years in American whiskey barrels, and 25% of that parcel was then placed in first-fill French wine casks from Bordeaux’s Pessac-Léognan region before being blended. The whiskey is peated to 40 phenol parts per million.
Whisky Advocate says:
Port Charlotte producer Bruichladdich has been committed to using Islay-grown barley since 2004— no small task when you consider the rainy, blustery conditions on Islay. The results have proven worth it, as Bruichaladdich Islay Barley 2010 landed at No. 9 on our 2017 Top 20. This is the fourth edition of its heavily peated sibling, and joins Port Charlotte 10 year old and Port Charlotte PAC:01 2011, released earlier this year, in the range.
Barrell Batch 030
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Multiple (Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Wyoming)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 58.66%
Price: $90
Release: August 2021
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
Barrell Batch 030 is a blend of straight bourbons comprised of 5 year old liquid from Indiana, 10 year old high-rye from Tennessee, and wheated bourbons from Kentucky and Wyoming aged 6, 9, 11, and 15 years.
Whisky Advocate says:
Barrell consistently releases high-scoring bourbons, with many of its recent batches ranking 90 points or above. Its previous limited edition batch debuted in May, while its new branded label, Stellum, which comprises both a bourbon and a rye, launched in April.
Limavady
Style: Single malt
Origin: Ireland
Age: Not stated
ABV: 46%
Price: $50/700 ml
Release: August 2021
Availability: CA, CO, WA, AZ, FL
Need to know:
Limavady is made with 100% Irish barley that’s triple distilled in a copper pot still. The whiskey is aged in bourbon barrels, then finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, with each cask bottled individually.
Whisky Advocate says:
Limavady was a distillery in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, founded in the 1750s and shuttered in 1915. This current-day Limavady brand project is being led by Dublin Liberties whiskey maker Darryl McNally, who is a descendant of Limavady Distillery’s original operators. McNally has partnered with WhistlePig for Limavady’s future selling plans, with the Vermont-based distillery managing bottling and distribution, and McNally handling production.
Talnua Virgin White Oak Cask
Style: American Single Pot Still
Origin: Colorado
Age: Not stated
ABV: 43%
Price: $75
Release: August 2021
Availability: 750 bottles through December
Need to know:
This whiskey was made from a mashbill of malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled, and aged for 3 years in charred virgin American white oak barrels.
Talnua Bourbon Cask and Stave Series
Style: American Single Pot Still
Origin: Colorado
Age: Not stated
ABV: 43%
Price: $75
Release: August 2021
Availability: 750 bottles through December
Need to know:
This whiskey was made from a mashbill of malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled, and aged for 3 years in second-fill bourbon casks, with charred virgin American white oak staves added.
Whisky Advocate says:
Talnua makes whiskey in the Irish single pot still style, one of a number of distillers we highlighted in the Summer 2021 issue merging Irish and American practices. For the Virgin White Oak for instance, they take a single pot still mashbill and place it in a cask typically used to age bourbon or rye. Both whiskeys will be available at the distillery only until September 20, after which they can be found at select Colorado locations.
Motörhead Ace of Spades
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: North Dakota
Age: 4 year old
ABV: 45%
Price: $40
Release: September 2021
Availability: Nationwide
Need to know:
Crafted by Proof Artisan Distillers in Fargo, North Dakota with the help of band members Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell, this whiskey has a mashbill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley.
Whisky Advocate says:
Heavy metal music and whiskey go hand in hand, and we explore that relationship in our Summer 2021 issue. In fact, Motörhead had previously released single cask solera aged bourbons with New York’s Hillrock Estate in honor of their album Ace of Spades’ 40th anniversary. This collaboration with Proof Artisan will be a wide release and is made available in collaboration with beer distributor Brew Pipeline.
