WhiskyFest season has been in full swing, starting with Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest in Hollywood, Florida October 30, rolling into Chicago on November 5th, and drawing a big crowd in New York last night. The final WhiskyFest for 2021 will be held in San Francisco on December 3rd. Tickets are still available for a night that will feature pours from Ardbeg, Dewar’s, Four Roses, Glendalough, Redbreast, Westward, and many more.
As for this week’s new whiskies, Teeling adds a 30 year old to its Vintage collection, Bowmore connects with Aston Martin for a new expression, Nikka unveils new versions of its Yoichi and Miyagikyo single malts, and Jim Beam announces a special edition Baker’s just in time for the holidays. Read on for full details.
Teeling 30 year old
Style: Single malt
Origin: Ireland
Age: 30 year old
ABV: 46%
Price: $2,200
Release: November 2021 at the distillery, January 2022 in the U.S.
Availability: Limited edition; 4,000 bottles globally
Need to know:
Distilled in 1991, this whiskey was initially matured in bourbon barrels before aging an additional 9 years in sauternes wine casks. This is the third in a series of advanced age statement whiskeys from Teeling, following 24 year old (96 points) and 28 year old (94 points) releases.
Whisky Advocate says:
Our Summer 2021 issue covered the Irish whiskey renaissance and its many new directions, which include a tilt toward advanced age statements like this one. A 30 year old whisky is hard to come by no matter the country of origin, and if that price point seems steep, consider that Dalmore just released a 30 year old single malt in July for more than twice as much. If the scores on the previous Teeling ultra-aged releases are any indication, this whiskey should be a treat.
Bowmore Masters’ Selection
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 51.8%
Price: $400
Release: January 2022
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
This whisky, the latest release in a series of collaborations between Bowmore and luxury car maker Aston Martin, marks the first time Bowmore has made whisky using the Golden Ratio—a somewhat complicated mathematical model (for non-math brains, at least) that is also used by Aston Martin in its designs. Under the Golden Ratio formula, 61.8% of Masters’ Selection is 21 year old Bowmore matured in first-fill Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks, and the remaining parts are made up of exact ratios of each other, including Bowmore aged for over 35 years.
Whisky Advocate says:
This is part of an ongoing collaboration between Bowmore and Aston Martin, and follows on the heels of last year’s Black Bowmore DB5 release. The whisky is packaged in a custom-designed bottle that displays the Aston Martin logo, and availability is limited.
Yoichi Non-Peated
Style: Single malt
Origin: Japan
Age: Not stated
ABV: 47%
Price: $275
Release: November 2021
Availability: 20,000 bottles worldwide (2,820 bottles for the U.S.) and available in CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MA, NJ, NY, PA, TN, TX, WA, and ReserveBar.com
Miyagikyo Peated
Style: Single malt
Origin: Japan
Age: Not stated
ABV: 48%
Price: $275
Release: November 2021
Availability: 20,000 bottles worldwide (2,820 bottles for U.S.) and available in CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MA, NJ, NY, PA, TN, TX, WA, and ReserveBar.com
Need to know:
This first pair of limited editions herald the beginning of the Nikka Discovery Series, a three year program of releases which will highlight different aspects of whisky production in the run up to Nikka’s 90th anniversary in 2024.
Whisky Advocate says:
Nikka’s intention is to disrupt the conventional understanding that Yoichi is smoky and Miyagikyo is light and fruity by making experimental batches of peated malt at Miyagikyo Distillery and producing Yoichi with unpeated malt. In recent years, Nikka’s non-age statement limited editions have focused on cask finishing, but this new series promises to deliver more experimentation and innovation. While this peat switch is new from Nikka, the approach is neither new nor unique in whisky as many other distilleries have experimented by producing alternative versions of their core whiskies using unpeated malt, peated malt, or sometimes a peated whisky cask finish. The end results of these experiments are always irresistibly intriguing, and Japanese whisky enthusiasts will be eager to taste them side by side against Nikka’s conventional single malt expressions.
Baker’s Exclusive Selection
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 11 years, 8 months
ABV: 53.5%
Price: $100
Release: 2021
Availability: Limited edition
Need to know:
Jim Beam is releasing a special edition of its Baker’s single barrel bourbon, a selection of rare barrels that were aged an additional number of years.
Whisky Advocate says:
The standard Baker’s single barrel bourbon bears a 7 year age statement and scored 93 points, propelling it to No. 16 on the 2019 Top 20 list. At the time of that release, Beam also rolled out a limited edition 13 year old single barrel. That whiskey is among the most sought after on the secondary market and we’d bet this Exclusive Selection, though slightly younger than the 13 year old, will also be a hot commodity.
Macallan Fine & Rare 1990 Edition
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Speyside)
Age: 30 year old
ABV: 54.9%
Price: $17,921
Release: November 2021
Availability: 467 bottles
Need to know:
The latest addition to the Macallan Fine & Rare collection comes from a single sherry-seasoned American oak butt that was filled on June 7, 1990 and bottled in 2021.
Whisky Advocate says:
Fine & Rare has come to set the standard for collectible single malt scotch, with the 1926 60 year old selling for over $1.5 million in February. This 30 year old is bottled at cask strength. We are told there isn’t any specific reason for the odd pricing—only that it’s a special price for a special bottle.
Company Distilling Straight Bourbon
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Multiple
Age: Not stated
ABV: 45%
Price: $60
Release: November 2021
Availability: Tennessee
Need to know:
The inaugural release from Tennessee-based Company Distilling is a wheated bourbon that was aged a minimum of 3 years and finished with maple wood. The whiskey is sourced from three states, but Company wouldn’t specify which ones. The blend is subject to change over time. Company plans to open its distillery in eastern Tennessee sometime within the next two years.
Whisky Advocate says:
Company Distilling is Jeff Arnett’s new venture, formed since his departure from Jack Daniel’s in September of last year. It is notably not a Tennessee whiskey, and employs a maple wood finish as opposed to maple charcoal filtration—the latter known as the Lincoln County Process, which is Tennessee whiskey’s signature method.
Bladnoch 11 year old
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Lowlands)
Age: 11 year old
ABV: 46.7%
Price: $65
Release: November 2021
Availability: CA, CO, GA, IL, NJ, NY, and WA
Bladnoch 14 year old
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Lowlands)
Age: 14 year old
ABV: 46.7%
Price: $110
Release: November 2021
Availability: CA, CO, GA, IL, NJ, NY, and WA
Need to know:
Bladnoch has added three expressions to its core lineup: an 11 year old, 14 year old, and Vinaya. The 11 year old—a traditional Lowland-style single malt aged in bourbon barrels—and the oloroso cask-matured 14 year old will be released annually. We previously covered Vinaya, a single malt matured in bourbon and sherry casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
Of Scotland’s nearly 20 Lowlands whisky distilleries, Bladnoch is the most southerly, most remote, and one of the oldest. Founded as a farm distillery in 1817, the old stone buildings have been renovated to house the distillery, which has a capacity to produce 1.5 million liters annually. Bladnoch was purchased in 2015 by its current owner, Australian entrepreneur David Prior, and in 2019 the former Macallan master distiller Dr. Nick Savage joined the team. As its whisky matures, we can expect to see other limited batched releases, like this 11 and 14 year old.
American Highway Reserve (Batch 1)
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 48%
Price: $100
Release: November 2021
Availability: 30,000 bottles
Need to know:
From country music star Brad Paisley and Kentucky’s Bardstown Bourbon Company, this bourbon uses 4 year old whiskey that was aged on a 53-foot semi-trailer that followed Paisley on tour for 11 months in 2019. That whiskey was then blended with bourbons aged for 4, 13, and 15 years. The next batch, which will be released in 2022, followed Paisley on tour this year.
Whisky Advocate says:
We’ve seen all types of aging techniques meant to promote barrel interaction, from Jefferson’s Ocean bourbon, to O.H. Ingram, which uses a “floating rickhouse” on the Mississippi River. Just earlier this year, WhistlePig released Roadstock Rye, which was aged in an 18-wheel “rolling rickhouse” that drove 6,000 miles from the WhistlePig farm in Shoreham, Vermont to California and back.
Brad Paisley is a bona fide whiskey lover who has given a tour of his fully functional home bar in 2014. He joins the likes of Lee Greenwood, Florida Georgia Line, John Rich, and others as country musicians with their own whiskey brands. You don’t have to look far for the link between country music and whiskey, and Paisley himself has a song titled “Whiskey Lullaby.”
Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Iowa
Age: Not stated
ABV: 52.5%
Price: $50
Release: November 2021
Availability: Limited; IA, IL, MN, WI
Need to know:
Cedar Ridge takes its flagship bourbon and finishes it in a second new American oak barrel for this limited release whiskey.
Cedar Ridge Botted in Bond Rye
Style: Straight rye
Origin: Iowa
Age: Not stated
ABV: 50%
Price: $50
Release: November 2021
Availability: Limited; IA, IL, MN, WI
Need to know:
Aged for 4 years, this the distillery’s classic 85% rye proofed up to 50% ABV in accordance with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1987.
Whisky Advocate says:
Both of these whiskeys will be available starting November 19 in limited amounts. Double barrel finishing and bottled in bond are both popular trends in the world of American whiskey so it’s not surprising to see Cedar Ridge exploring both.
Cathead Tintype Old Soul Bourbon
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Indiana
Age: 7 year old
ABV: 59.6%
Price: $100
Release: November 2021
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
Distilled in Indiana and aged on-site at Cathead’s Mississippi-based distillery, this whiskey has a high-rye mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Whisky Advocate says:
The latest Tintype release features photography by Timothy Duffy, founder of the Music Maker Relief Foundation, which is fitting given that Cathead has focused on providing philanthropic support to live music and musicians since its inception. The photograph is of famed blues legend Captain Luke Mayer, who himself was a longtime Music Maker partner artist.
Driftless Glen Bourbon de Naranja
Style: Finished bourbon
Origin: Wisconsin
Age: 4 year old
ABV: 50%
Price: $100
Release: October 2021
Availability: Limited; distillery only
Need to know:
Driftless Glen took its 4-plus year old bourbon and finished it for six-plus months in orange-infused sherry barrels from Spain.
Whisky Advocate says:
Never heard of orange-infused sherry barrels? Orange peels from Seville were macerated in “wine alcohol” for six-plus months until the orange notes were extracted. The peels were then removed, with the orange flavoring essence combined with grapes from Spain’s Huelva province and fermented to create orange wine, otherwise known as vino naranja or orange-infused sherry. That orange-infused sherry was then placed in barrels and aged for a minimum of two years.
We spoke with Driftless Glen for our story on inventive non-Kentucky bourbon producers in the Fall issue, which is on newsstands now. Distiller Max Thibodeaux mentioned this finished bourbon to us, saying, “I want to do something that I haven’t ever seen before…I’ve never really heard of that from anyone else.”
