Ardbeg BizarreBQ, Booker's Charlie's Batch (2023-01), & More [New Releases]

Before there was Diageo, there was United Distillers, a company with major holdings in scotch and American whiskey. While United Distillers owned Stitzel Weller and many other whiskey assets in the United States, in the early 1990s American whiskey wasn't nearly as popular as it is today, making it a tough sell. In an effort to change that scenario, the company created a luxury subsidiary called The Classic Kentucky Bourbon Company, whose first project was The Rare American Whiskey Selection. This was to be an annual release of five different barrel proof, ultra-aged whiskeys from some names you’re likely very familiar with today (Stitzel Weller of course, as well as George T. Stagg, Taylor Williams, and others). But that project never saw the light of day—until now, in a record-setting sale.

There’s less rarefied new whisky to enjoy this week, including a new barbecue-inspired single malt from Ardbeg, the first batch of Booker's this year, and the latest bourbon within Buffalo Trace's Old Charter Oak series. Read on for full details.

Ardbeg BizarreBQ
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 50.9%
Price: $85
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

Barbecue lovers take note: this whisky combines Ardbeg’s signature smoke with the meatiest of flavors. The whisky was dreamt up by Dr. Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s director of whisky creation. An experimental cask-toasting process was used during production, in which Ardbeg double-charred oak casks, Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, and the distillery’s eccentric barbecue casks that were extra-charred on an old-fashioned brazier, resulting in barbecue flavors galore.

Whisky Advocate says:

This whisky was in part inspired by Ardbeg’s ongoing partnership with Christian Stevenson, also known as DJ BBQ, which began in 2020. Together, the two wanted to make a whisky that celebrated both whisky-making and barbecue, and thus arrived at BizarreBQ. DJ BBQ kicked off the collaboration three years ago with “The Smoke Sessions,” an online series that offered up a guide to barbecuing, smoking meat, and making smoky whisky cocktails.

Booker’s Charlie’s Batch (2023-01)
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 7 year old
ABV: 63.3%
Price: $90
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

Booker’s is back with its first batch of the year, this one named for Charlie Hutchens, the craftsman who created the signature wooden boxes that are used for all bottles of Booker’s. Seventh-generation master distiller Fred Noe selected this bourbon, which aged for 7 years, 1 month, and 8 days.

Whisky Advocate says:

Hutchens is a longtime family friend and former employee of Booker Noe; he started his career at Booker Noe Distillery, where he built a reputation as a sterling storyteller. He eventually left the distillery to open a cabinet shop with his brother and made the first Booker’s boxes in his garage. Today, the Hutchens brothers also create custom furniture for the Fred B. Noe Distillery, where Booker’s bourbon is made, as well as other wood products for various Beam brands and projects.

Buffalo Trace Old Charter Oak Series: Spanish Oak
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 46%
Price: $70
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

The Old Charter Oak Series is all about the exploration of oak tree varietals, and with this release, Buffalo Trace is looking at oak from northern Spain. The oak was made into staves, which then were seasoned outdoors before being constructed into barrels. Unlike American oak, which yields softer, sweeter notes in whiskey, Spanish oak—and all European oak for that matter—is drier and spicier, resulting in dark stone fruit flavors, toasted nuts, and plenty of baking spice.

Whisky Advocate says:

With each whiskey in the Old Charter Oak series, Buffalo Trace aims to dispel a common misconception in bourbon—that the whiskey must be aged in new American oak. In fact, it can be distilled in any type of oak, and the flavor variations that come with different oak varietals are highlighted in this collection, which previously included bourbons finished in chinkapin, Mongolian, French, and Canadian oak.

Blood Oath Pact 9
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 49.3%
Price: $130
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited; 51,000 bottles, with 1,400 of those reserved for a future Trilogy Pack

Need to know:

For the latest Blood Oath release, Lux Row master distiller and master blender John Rempe married 16 year old and 12 year old high-rye bourbons, as well as a 7 year old high-rye bourbon that was finished in oloroso sherry casks.

Whisky Advocate says:

While Blood Oath is owned by Lux Row (which is itself owned by MGP Ingredients), it’s not yet made at the company’s new distillery, which opened in Bardstown in 2018. In an effort to keep each Blood Oath whiskey distinct, Rempe incorporates a different barrel finish every year; last year, for instance, he used ryed bourbon finished in calvados casks, and before that, he had dabbled with sauternes casks and cognac casks. As with every release, some bottles are being held aside for the next Blood Oath Trilogy Pack, which will feature Pacts 7, 8, and 9 and come out next year.

Oban Distillers Edition
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Highlands)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 43%
Price: $95
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This single malt was finished in montilla fino sherry casks.

Talisker Distillers Edition
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Isle of Skye)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 45.8%
Price: $85
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This whisky was finished in amoroso sherry casks.

Lagavulin Distillers Edition
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 43%
Price: $125
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This Lagavulin was finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.

Cragganmore Distillers Edition
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Speyside)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 40%
Price: $85
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

The Cragganmore Distillers Edition was finished in port casks.

Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Highlands)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 43%
Price: $90
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This whisky was finished in oloroso sherry casks.

Glenkinchie Distillers Edition
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Lowlands)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 43%
Price: $85
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This single malt was finished in amontillado sherry casks.

Whisky Advocate says:

Each year Diageo comes out with a variety of Distillers Edition single malts, which feature famous Scottish distilleries’ core whiskies with a special cask finishing. This year’s Distillers Editions were all aged in different sherry casks. While the ages of the whiskies aren’t stated, they’re generally matured for the same amount of time as the core expressions—in this case, Oban 14, Talisker 10, Lagavulin 16, Cragganmore 12, Dalwhinnie 15, and Glenkinchie 12 year olds. Whether by coincidence or not, these are the same names and ages that comprise Diageo’s Classic Malts of Scotland range. The whiskies are all available on Drizly now.

Glengoyne 15 year old
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Highlands)
Age: 15 year old
ABV: 43%
Price: $130
Release: April 2023
Availability: Nationwide

Need to know:

Glengoyne’s new 15 year old single malt will be a permanent part of its core lineup moving forward, joining its 10, 12, and 18 year old whiskies. The whisky was aged in a combination of 20% first-fill bourbon casks, 25% first-fill sherry casks, and 55% refill casks.

Whisky Advocate says:

Glengoyne is part of Ian Macleod Distillers, which also owns Tamdhu, Smokehead, Macleod’s, Shieldaig, and Rosebank single malts, as well as countless other blended whiskies. One of the southernmost of the Highland distilleries, Glengoyne is located just 13 miles north of Glasgow.

Barrell Craft Spirits Private Release
Style: Rye
Origin: Indiana and Canada
Age: Not stated
ABV: 56.28% - 64.56%
Price: $110
Release: May
Availability: 150-180 bottles each

Need to know:

This is Barrell Craft Spirits’ first rye in its Private Release series. Indiana and Canadian-distilled ryes were married to create a number of blends that were then finished in a variety of cask types. This first set includes:

• armagnac
• bourbon
• XO cognac
• oloroso sherry
• madeira
• ruby port
• Barbados rum
• sauternes
• Tokaji wine
• Pedro Ximénez sherry

Whisky Advocate says:

Previous Barrell Private Release bottlings included bourbons and whiskeys that scored favorably by our tasting panel. Founded in 2013, Barrell Craft Spirits has made a name for itself as an independent bottler, sourcing from more than 60 distilleries. In 2017 it opened a distillery and earlier this year expanded to increase its blending capacity five-fold.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series Foursquare Rum Cask Finished
Style: Blended
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 53.5%
Price: $160
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This whiskey comprises a blend of 7 year old rye and 17 year old bourbon, which is aged for an additional 23 months in Foursquare’s Barbadian rum barrels. During the finishing process, it is stored on the top floor of Bardstown’s rickhouse G.

Whisky Advocate says:

Foursquare rum cask is the newest entry in Bardstown's Collaborative Series, which focuses on the finishing process–with each whiskey undergoing a cask finish in barrels sourced from a different drinks company. Notable expressions in the series include Copper & Kings Apple Brandy Finish, Goodwood Brandy Barrel Honey Ale Cask Finish, and Maison Ferrand Cognac Finish, all of which scored above a 93 with our tasting panel.

Jefferson’s Marian McLain
Style: Blend of bourbons
Origin: Multiple (Kentucky, Tennessee, Undisclosed)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 51%
Price: $300
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

Marian McLain is a blend of five bourbons: 21% 14 year old Tennessee straight bourbon; 40% 11 year old Kentucky straight bourbon; 14% wheated double barrel bourbon; 17% rum cask-finished bourbon; and 8% 8 year old Kentucky straight bourbon.

Whisky Advocate says:

This whiskey pays tribute to Marian McLain, one of the first female bootleggers and Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller’s 8th-generation grandmother. Marian started distilling and selling whiskey in the 1770s, and was arrested in 1779; she was one of the first women on record to be convicted of bootlegging, a fact that served as inspiration for Trey and his father Chet when creating Jefferson’s. In another nod to Marian, the five bourbons in the blend are representative of her five children.

Garrison Bros. Lady Bird
Style: Finished bourbon
Origin: Texas
Age: 7 year old
ABV: 57%
Price: $180
Release: May 2023
Availability: 5,904 bottles

Need to know:

This bourbon aged for 4 years in oak before being infused with Texas wildflower honey for eight months. The bourbon was then transferred to French XO cognac casks and finished for 3 more years.

Whisky Advocate says:

Lady Bird was inspired by its namesake, Lady Bird Johnson. As such, for each bottle sold Garrison Bros. will donate $5 to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas in support of its environmental conservation efforts. The whiskey is being launched at Garrison Bros. Distillery on May 6, with nationwide distribution following in mid-May.

Milam & Greene Wildlife Collection Bobcat Single Barrel (No. 207)
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Tennessee
Age: Not stated
ABV: 59.74%
Price: $100
Release: April 26, 2023 at 3 p.m. (CST)
Availability: 209 bottles; 168 to be sold via milamandgreenewhiskey.com; 41 bottles will be available at the distillery tasting room

Need to know:

This is the second release, following Scorpion single barrel released last month, in Milam & Greene’s Wildlife Collection. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the releases in this collection benefits Texas Parks & Wildlife. This single barrel was distilled from a mashbill of 80% corn, 10% rye, and 10% malted barley in Tennessee, where it aged for just over 4 years in char No. 4 barrels, before being moved to Milam & Greene’s warehouse (rickhouse 1, row 4, level 3, position 5, to be exact) in Blanco, Texas for an additional 10 ½ months.

Whisky Advocate says:

They say everything is bigger in Texas; the weather extremes are no exception. During the 10 ½ months this barrel rested in Texas it was exposed to triple-digit temperatures, a prolonged period of drought, and an ice storm that crippled the region for days. Milam & Greene sources and distills at Bardstown Bourbon in Kentucky and at its own recently expanded distillery in Blanco, Texas. Its whiskey ages at warehouses located in four states in an assortment of cask types and char levels. Read more about the impact of Texas’s climate on distilling and aging here.

Brush Creek Carboy Cabernet Franc Cask-Finished
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Wyoming
Age: 6 year old
ABV: 48.5%
Price: $88
Release: Colorado only
Availability: 610 bottles

Need to know:

Brush Creek’s new limited-release whiskey is blended from a selection of its 6 year old straight bourbon barrels and then finished in Carboy Winery’s Cabernet Franc casks. The 7-month finishing process takes place at Brush Creek’s facility at 7,800’ elevation. It will be a Colorado-exclusive release, with only 610 bottles available.

Whisky Advocate says:

Hailing from Saratoga, Wyoming, Brush Creek Distillery has been in the whiskey business since it opened its doors in 2019. In many ways, its partnership with Colorado's Carboy Winery to produce this expression has been a long time coming. This expression was inspired by a 30,000-plus bottle wine cellar that sits directly below the distillery at The Farm at Brush Creek Ranch, a destination for whisky lovers. Just last July, Brush Creek made its first foray into wine-finishing whiskey–releasing Honig, a cabernet sauvignon cask-finished bourbon in partnership with Honig Vineyard and Winery of Rutherford, California.

The Macallan Archival Series Folio 7
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Speyside)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 43%
Price: $400
Release: April 2023
Availability: Limited edition; sold by ballot through the Macallan online boutique from April and select global Travel Retail Macallan boutiques, including JFK Airport, from June.

Need to know:

Macallan has announced details of the seventh Folio in its Archival Series, the first addition to the collection since 2020. The latest non-age statement installment celebrates the whisky’s classic advertising campaign from 1984 called The Boffins Baffled, reputedly a tale of head-scratching scientists bewildered by why sherry cask matured Macallan tasted so good.

Whisky Advocate says:

The Archival Series first launched in 2015, and the series has become highly collectible with Folios appearing regularly at auctions around the world. The large book-shaped tin contains the bottle and a booklet containing the story and artwork from each campaign. This will be available at the Macallan Boutique in Terminal 7 at JFK Airport this summer, but the complete series is planned to run to 24 Folios, so collectors need to be prepared for the long haul.