A Limited Blackened Bottling, A Sampling of Four Roses, & More [New Releases]

When the nice weather arrives, there’s no better place to be than the great outdoors. Chances are you’ll want to enjoy a dram outside now and again—whether it’s an evening at the park, a trip to the beach, an open-air concert, a party, or any other outdoor event. We've put together a list of equipment to make the most of your al fresco affair, so ditch the clunky cooler, leave the breakable glassware, and check out these stylish alternatives to enhance the experience.

Among this week's new whiskies, Blackened is back with a new limited-edition bottle that celebrates Metallica’s 72 Seasons album and M72 world tour, Four Roses has come out with a nifty sample pack of the 10 component whiskeys used in making its various bourbons, and Frey Ranch brings a cask strength bourbon to the table. Read on for full details.

Blackened 72 Seasons Limited Edition
Style: Blend
Origin: Multiple
Age: Not stated
ABV: 45%
Price: $50
Release: June 2023
Availability: blackenedwhiskey.com

Need to know:

This is core Blackened—a blend of bourbon and rye finished in black brandy barrels that undergo “sonic enhancement”—repackaged in a limited-edition bottle celebrating Metallica’s 72 Seasons album and M72 world tour. This blend of whiskies sourced from North America is finished in black (i.e. Spanish) brandy barrels that are exposed to Metallica playlists for 2-10 weeks, a process referred to as sonic enhancement. The music is played at a low frequency, causing vibration, which is said to bring out more flavor from the barrel.

Whisky Advocate says:

Launched in 2018, Blackened is the creation of late distiller Dave Pickerell and Metallica in collaboration with Sweet Amber Distilling. In 2019, former Stranahan’s distiller Rob Dietrich became master distiller and blender. Dietrich’s creation Rye The Lightning, a Kentucky rye finished in madeira and rum casks, claimed the 14th spot on our Top 20 Whiskies list last year.

Four Roses 10 Recipe Tasting Set
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 52%
Price: $130
Release: June and July
Availability: Starting June 30th at Four Roses visitor centers; California, Georgia, Illinois, and Kentucky in July

Need to know:

As we reported earlier in the week, this release is a sample pack of the 10 bourbons that are the components of Four Roses. The bottles are 50 ml. in size, and the release coincides with revamp of the Four Roses label. Availability is limited to the Four Roses Distillery visitor center in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and the Four Roses warehouse and bottling plant visitor center in Coxs Creek, Kentucky. A QR code on the box links to a video of master distiller Brent Elliott presenting each recipe in a detailed tasting.

Whisky Advocate says:

While Four Roses is known for its unusual system of pulling from a selection of its 10 bourbon recipes for its final blends, rarely, if ever, have fans been able to sample each of those component whiskies on their own. This pack provides that opportunity, and many Four Roses fans will be wishing the distillery could make it more widely available.

Blue Note Special Reserve Cask Finished Series

Style: Bourbon
Origin: Kentucky and Tennessee
Age: Not stated
ABV: 56.25%
Price: $225
Release: June
Availability: 2,100 bottles

Need to know:

Seven bourbons ranging in age from 4-19 years old, made from three mashbills, were individually finished in American white oak, cognac, madeira, port, sherry, and vino de Naranja barrels for up to 3 additional years. The barrels were then blended and bottled at cask strength.

Whisky Advocate says:

Memphis, Tennessee-based B.R. Distilling, originally named Big River Distilling, was founded in 2013. Its labels include Blue Note bourbon and Riverset rye. Blue Note Juke Joint Uncut scored a 92 and landed at the No. 7 spot on our Top 20 whiskies of 2022, while its 17 year old barrel proof release received 93 points from our tasting panel.

Frey Ranch Farm Strength Uncut
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Nevada
Age: Not stated
ABV: 62.15%
Price: $80
Release: June 2023
Availability: At Frey Ranch Tasting Room, freyranch.com

Need to know:

The newest permanent addition to the Frey Ranch lineup, this bourbon is aged for an average of 5 years and is bottled at cask strength. It comes from the same mashbill as the distillery’s flagship Straight Bourbon, (66.6% Dent corn, 12% two-row barley, 11.4% winter rye, and 10% winter wheat).

Whisky Advocate says:

Although Fallon, Nevada-based Frey Ranch has been distilling whiskey since 2006, the ranch’s history dates back much further. The Freys have been growing grain there since 1854—predating Nevada becoming a state by a full decade. These same grains are grown on Frey Ranch’s 1,500-acre property today, constituting the corn, wheat, rye, and barley now used in its mashbills. Other Frey Ranch expressions include Bottled In Bond Rye (Batch 1 scored 93 by our tasting panel) and Barrel Strength Distiller’s Reserve Single Barrel (No. 260), which scored 91 points. Read more about Frey Ranch’s grain-to-glass distillery here.

Arran 25 year old
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islands)
Age: 25 year old
ABV: 46%
Price: $790
Release: June 2023
Availability: 3,000 bottles; 240 for the U.S.

Need to know:

Produced at Lochranza Distillery on the Isle of Arran, this 25 year old single malt was matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon casks and was laid down in 1995—the same year brand owner Arran Whisky began production. While there are 3,000 bottles available worldwide, just 240 bottles are coming stateside; they can be purchased at reservebar.com or at select retailers. This is now the oldest whisky in Arran’s core range, and while it’s limited, it will come back around in future years.

Whisky Advocate says:

Situated just off the west coast of Scotland, the Isle of Arran is the most accessible of Scotland's whisky islands. It forms a geographical trio with Campbeltown peninsula and Islay, which lie to its west. But Arran is the least well-known of the three—despite a legacy of illegal whisky making, the island didn't have a modern-era distillery until this one in 1995. Arran Whisky is still the only producer there, operating two distilleries: Lochranza, named for its home village at the northern tip of the island, and Lagg, named for its town at the island's southern end. Lagg began production in 2019. The Isle of Arran is often called "Scotland in miniature" because of its beauty. For travelers with no time to visit Islay and the other island destinations, it's only a two-and-a-half hour ride and ferry trip from Glasgow.

Benriach The Forty
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Speyside)
Age: 40 year old
ABV: 43.5%
Price: $4,500
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This whisky is a blend of peated 40 year old casks, selected by master blender Rachel Barrie.

Whisky Advocate says:

News of The Forty first surfaced in October 2022, when it was announced that the whisky would be available as a NFT on blockbar.com—a direct-to-consumer NFT marketplace for luxury wines and spirits. That, of course, wasn’t a physical bottle, so this marks the first time that any interested parties will be able to purchase the bottle in stores.

Breckenridge PX Naranja Cask Finish
Style: Blend
Origin: Colorado
Age: Not stated
ABV: 47%
Price: $120
Release: June 2023
Availability: 1,200 bottles; Colorado exclusive

Need to know:

This newest limited expression features Breckenridge’s flagship bourbon (a blend consisting of 4 – 6 year old bourbons) which has been finished for 2-3 months in PX Naranja casks. It will only be available in Colorado and can be purchased from the Breckenridge Distillery and Tasting Room.

Whisky Advocate says:

This is the third entry in Breckenridge Distillery’s ongoing Collectors Art Series, a string of annual releases made in partnership with local artists who design the bottle’s label and create a public art piece in Colorado. The first release paired a straight bourbon with a portrait by the artist Detour. The second release featured an XO cognac-finished whiskey along with a flora-and-fauna-inspired mural by artist Alexandrea Pangburn. This new release was made in collaboration with Sandra Fetting, who unveiled a mural alongside the bourbon at a ceremony held at the distillery last week.

Uncle Chicken’s
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Indiana
Age: Not stated
ABV: 47%
Price: $60
Release: June 2023
Availability: unclechickenswhiskey.com; California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas

Need to know:

This bourbon, made from a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley, is sourced from MGP by California-based Bespoken Spirits on behalf of southern country rock band Whiskey Myers. Bespoken applies its “tailored wood finishing” process to unaged or minimally aged whiskey by vatting it, along with pieces of wood with various toast and char levels, in what it refers to as an “activator” which applies heat and pressure. This process can be accomplished in a matter of days.

Whisky Advocate says:

Whiskey Myers formed in 2005 in Palestine, Texas. The band was featured in the “Yellowstone” series in 2018, and in 2019 it opened for the Rolling Stones in Chicago.

Founded in 2018, Bespoken Spirits, a non-distiller producer, has its own label and also sources and applies its wood finishing process for other brands. In 2020 nearly $3 million was invested in the company by a group of investors, including former Yankee Derek Jeter. Bespoken Spirits’ process is centered on sustainability (using less wood and energy) and efficiency with the elimination of the angels’ share. A scientific approach to aging/finishing is uncommon but not new. Lost Spirits, Cleveland Whiskey, and the now-shuttered Terresentia bypass traditional whiskey aging and finishing.