Whisky Watch: Laphroaig 15 Year Old, Redwood Empire's New Wheater, Two Jackson Purchase Bourbons & More

Craft bourbon is the main attraction this week, with new and interesting bottlings coming from some of the nation’s smaller producers. California’s Redwood Empire is out with a new wheater that was partially distilled in-house, Jackson Purchase is debuting two new expressions in its home state of Kentucky, Widow Jane has a new blend assembled by some of the top bartenders in New York City, and Texas whiskey pioneer Garrison Brothers has a new batch of its Limousin French oak-finished Laguna Madre. Looking across the pond, there are also two scotches: Laphroaig 15’s triumphant return as a permanent release, and a new budget-friendly malt from Isle of Harris that shows the lighter side of peat smoke.

Laphroaig 15 year old Islay single malt scotch

ABV: 46%
SRP: $89
Availability: Nationwide

Laphroaig is reintroducing the 15 year old as a permanent addition to its core range. Matured in bourbon barrels and now bottled at 46% ABV rather than 43%, the whisky offers a more refined take on the distillery’s signature smoky Islay style. The new release, created by master blender Dr. Calum Fraser, joins the 10 and 18 year olds, and completes Laphroaig’s age- statement range.

Laphroaig discontinued the 15 year old in 2009, replacing it with 18 year old, though 15 year old made a brief return in 2016 for the distillery’s 200th anniversary. Early bottlings of the 15 year old, first released in 1985, are considered legendary by Laphroaig enthusiasts. These were produced in the old stillhouse, which used outside condensers, before Laphroaig brought everything inside in the new stillhouse in 1982. Collectors still pursue the pre-1994 bottlings, identifiable by the absence of the Royal Warrant on the label.

Isle of Harris single malt scotch

ABV: 46%
SRP: $55
Availability: Ongoing core release, beginning in August

The Isle of Harris Distillery has added a new lightly peated signature no age-statement expression to its core range with a flavor profile of butterscotch, floral, and spice. This entry-level Isle of Harris whisky is priced lower than The Hearach, its flagship whisky. Matured in aged in first fill bourbon barrels, sourced from Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace, and oloroso and fino sherry casks.

Isle of Harris Distillery, in the Outer Hebrides, opened in 2015. As with every Isle of Harris release, it was distilled and fully matured on the island. After a decade of laying down casks, the team now has the mature stock to begin broadening the range. This release reflects that next stage, introducing a different style of single malt.

Redwood Empire Colonel Armstrong Wheated Bourbon

ABV: 47%
SRP: $40
Availability: Nationwide

Redwood Empire’s latest bourbon is a four-grain wheater, made from a mashbill of 59% corn, 30% wheat, 6% rye, and 5% malted barley. The new whiskey includes distillate from Redwood Empire’s own stills, as well as high-wheat bourbons sourced from Kentucky and Indiana, ranging from 4 to 14 years of age. It’s pouring at the distillery on Mare Island in Vallejo, California—previously the site of Savage & Cooke—and is available for pre-order on Redwood Empire’s website.

The wheater is named for Colonel James Armstrong, who, after fighting for the Union in the Civil War, moved to Northern California and established what is now Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. In the 1870s, he transferred ownership of the land to his daughter Kate for $1, an act that would preserve the redwood forest for years to come. Redwood Empire regularly engages in preservation philanthropy; to date, the distillery has helped plant more than 1.8 million trees through reforestation initiatives.

Jackson Purchase Kentucky Select Bourbon

ABV: 54%
SRP: $65
Availability: Kentucky exclusive

Jackson Purchase Bottled in Bond Bourbon

ABV: 50%
SRP: $50
Availability: Kentucky at first, with availability online and nationwide to follow

Nearly a year after debuting its first bourbon, Jackson Purchase is augmenting its lineup with two new whiskeys. The first is an exclusive for its Kentucky base; master distiller Craig Beam and head distiller Terry Ballard selected barrels that highlighted the bourbon’s banana pudding, cinnamon, butterscotch, and maple syrup notes. The second new release, a bottled in bond bourbon, while exclusive to Kentucky at first, will eventually be more widely available, finding a home online as well as in retail nationwide.

All Jackson Purchase whiskeys are made at the brand’s distillery in Hickman, Kentucky. The site was purchased in 2021 by businessmen David Salmon, Lloyd Jones, and Van Carlisle; when they acquired the distillery, they became its third set of owners. While the trio have since invested $8.76 million into the property, the vision of the original owners—who built it in 2008 for fairly substantial output—remains in place. Currently, the majority of Jackson Purchase’s output goes toward contract distillation.

Widow Jane Borough Blend (2026 Edition)

ABV: 45.5%
Price: $70
Availability: New York only release

Brooklyn-based Widow Jane has released its second batch of Borough Blend, a collaborative expression wherein five of New York City’s standout bartenders from each of the five boroughs came together with head distiller Sienna Jeveremov to select a blend for the final product. Little has changed from last year’s inaugural release, as the newest whiskey is also composed of bourbons from five barrels representing each borough, each aged for a minimum of 10 years, and bottled at 45.5%.

In-house art director, Michele Clark, once again designed the bottle label, celebrating the Empire State through imagery of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building, both of which were crafted from cement originating from the label’s water source in Rosendale Mines, a short drive north of the city. The topper pays homage to New York’s original subway system, featuring a metal token mirroring the "bullseye" subway token from 1986 to 1995.

Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre Bourbon (2026 Release)

ABV: 50.5%
SRP: $350
Availability: At the distillery starting August 8th, with a limited retail launch to come in September.

Hye, Texas-based Garrison Brothers has announced the return of its annual Laguna Madre bourbon next month. It was initially aged for 4 years in new charred American oak barrels before being transferred into Limousin French oak casks for an additional 4 years. Bottles from this year’s batch will include information about FlatsWorthy, a non-profit organization that aims to promote habitat restoration and mutual respect among anglers. Master distiller Donnis Todd and his son are both involved with the charity.

In addition to the new batch, Garrison Brothers is also releasing a more limited cask strength version that’s bottled at the eye-watering 135.4 proof (67.7% ABV.) This one will be a distillery exclusive, with a suggested retail price of $410.