Bushmills Rare Casks 003, Barrell New Year, & More [New Releases]

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, the holiday season is upon us, but we've also spent the week counting down our annual Top 20 list, with the full list officially out today. Check out our pick for Whisky of the Year, a bonded Tennessee whiskey priced at just $30, and see if any of these exciting whiskies catch your eye or look right for the whisky lover in your life.

New releases this week include the latest iteration of High West's High Country single malt, the third release in the Bushmills Rare cask series, and the 2023 bottling of Barrell's New Year blend. Read on for full details.

High West High Country

Style: Single malt Origin: Utah Age: Not stated ABV: 44% Price: $80 Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited

Need to know:

High Country is High West’s ode to Scottish single malts, and as such it blends single malt scotch techniques with American whiskey making. Its 100% malt mashbill combines 85% base malt, 14% caramel 60 malt, and 1% chocolate malt. Freshly charred and second-use oak barrels are used for maturation.

Whisky Advocate says:

Originally a Utah-exclusive release that debuted in 2019, High Country is now in its second year of nationwide distribution. While it is a single malt, it stays true to High West’s core ethos by being a blend of multiple unique liquids, combining different recipes across different barrel finishes.

Bushmills 30 year old Madeira Cask

Style: Single malt Origin: Ireland Age: 30 year old ABV: 49% Price: $1,000 Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited; online at flaviar.com.

Need to know:

The third release in Bushmills’ Rare Casks collectible series, this Irish single malt was triple-distilled on October 31, 1991. It was aged for 13 years and 4 months in bourbon and sherry casks until March 2, 2005, when it began its secondary maturation in first-fill madeira casks where it stayed for just over 17 years.

Whisky Advocate says:

Best-known for its triple-distilled blended and single malt Irish whiskeys, Bushmills has ramped up its high-end releases lately, coming out with the first edition of The Rare Casks—a 28 year old single malt finished in cognac casks—in 2020. The second whiskey in this collectible series, a 29 year old single malt aged in pedro ximénez casks, debuted earlier this year. Like that second release, this whiskey was overseen by master distiller Colum Egan and master blender Alex Thomas (master blender Helen Mulholland worked with Egan on the first Rare Casks whiskey).

Moth & Wolf

Style: Blended scotchOrigin: ScotlandAge: Not statedABV: 40%Price: $55Release: Available now

Availability: ReserveBar with delivery to 29 states

Need to know:

This limited edition blended scotch whisky from Chivas Brothers was inspired by the best-selling video game The Last of Us Part II for Playstation4. The story has been adapted by HBO and HBOMax and will stream beginning January 15 2023.

Whisky Advocate says:

Through their Digital Spirits Project, Chivas Brothers intends to create interesting spirits and attract new drinkers by collaborating with a cross section of digital creatives. Moth & Wolf was released in partnership with game development studio Naughty Dog, the designers of the post-apocalyptic game. The whisky was blended by Chivas Brothers blending manager Kevin Balmforth, using whiskies laid down in 2013—the year the Last of Us was released. The name and design of Moth & Wolf reflects the themes and concepts explored by the characters in the game. Chivas Brothers launched another whisky and gaming collaboration earlier this year, with the release of Ballantine’s x Moxxi’s Bar Edition, which was inspired by the Borderlands video game franchise.

Macallan 77 year old The Red Collection

Style: Single maltOrigin: Scotland (Speyside)Age: 77 year oldABV: 43.2%Price: $87,000Release: November 2022Availability: The Macallan Estate Boutique and Macallan’s global network of domestic and Travel Retail outlets and in countries around the world

Need to know:

Distilled in 1945, this is the first guest release from Macallan to join the Red Collection since it was launched in 2020.

Whisky Advocate says:

The Red Collection encompasses Macallan’s highly aged editions at 40, 50, and 60 years old, plus additional expressions which Macallan terms guest releases. The name comes from the red color of the whisky, a result of the European sherry casks used to age Macallan; the red hair of Macallan founder Alexander Reid; and the red ribbons tied around expressions of Macallan distilled in the first half of the 20^th century. The inaugural release included 71, 74, and 78 year old whiskies, with Macallan 78 year old becoming 2021’s most expensive bottle of whisky sold at auction for several leading auction houses. In October 2020, Sotheby’s sold a one-off set of the Red Collection with exclusive labels by artist Javi Aznarez. The new 77 year old release was created by Kirsteen Campbell, Macallan’s master whisky maker, drawing on stocks from multiple casks. It is the second oldest expression from Macallan this year, following the release of Macallan The Reach 81 year old, which became the oldest whisky ever sold at auction.

Barrell New Year (2023 Release)

Style: Bourbon Origin: Multiple Age: Not stated ABV: 56.77% Price: $90 Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited; 23,000 bottles

Need to know:

Barrel Craft Spirits is back with the sixth release of its annual New Year bottling, a special blend of bourbons meant to toast new beginnings. This year’s release comes from a selection of 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 year old straight whiskeys distilled in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Wyoming, New York, Texas, and Maryland. Last year’s bottling of New Year pulled from a similar slate of states, though it included whiskey aged up to 14 years and did not include any from Maryland. Barrel debuted its New Year bottling in 2017.

Whisky Advocate says:

Most Barrell blends include whiskeys distilled in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana, while New Year expands the scope a bit to include additional states. It's a testament not only to the capabilities of Barrell’s blending team, combining so many whiskeys of various origins and ages, but to their cask inventory as well. With so many buyers in the market, it can be difficult to source quality whiskey, tougher still to get aged stocks, or have the patience and financial ability to let younger stocks rest.

Tincup Fourteener

Style: Straight bourbon Origin: Indiana Age: 14 year old ABV: 42% Price: $70 Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited

Need to know:

Tincup is releasing its oldest whiskey to date, a 14 year old straight bourbon named for the mountain peaks in Colorado that exceed 14,000 feet, also known as Fourteeners. This is the first bottling in a planned annual limited release of 14 year old bourbons. To commemorate the release, Tincup is donating $14,000 to the Colorado Fourteener Initiative, which helps preserve and restore trails on the Fourteener mountains.

Whisky Advocate says:

Tincup’s sister distillery Stranahan’s has also released whiskeys paying homage to Colorado’s Fourteeners. Each year, its limited Snowflake release is named after such mountains, with this year’s whiskey, releases just last weekend, named Humboldt Peak. Last year’s double Snowflake releases meanwhile were named Sunshine Peak and Mount Eolus. Colorado has a rapidly growing craft whiskey scene, and while Fourteener was distilled in Indiana, Colorado’s climate and water sources still play a significant role in the final flavor. For example, this expression was cut to proof with water from Eldorado Springs, located just outside of Boulder.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Origin Series Bourbon

Style: Straight bourbon Origin: Kentucky Age: 6 year old ABV: 48% Price: $45 Release: Early 2023 Availability: Limited

Need to know:

As with all three whiskeys in Bardstown’s new Origin Series, this bourbon was distilled, aged, and bottled at the distillery. Its mashbill is 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Origin Series Bottled in Bond

Style: Straight bourbon Origin: Kentucky Age: 6 year old ABV: 50% Price: $50 Release: Early 2023 Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This bottled in bond bourbon has a mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. Both the corn and wheat are locally sourced.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Origin Series Kentucky Straight Rye

Style: Straight rye Origin: Kentucky Age: 6 year oldABV: 48% Price: 470 Release: Early 2023 Availability: Limited; 24 states and online at multiple retailers

Need to know:

Made with a mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, this straight rye was finished in custom barrels that have alternating toasted American oak and toasted cherrywood staves.

Whisky Advocate says:

Bardstown’s Origin Series is the culmination of six years of distillation, and it marks the first estate-distilled collection from the distillery since its debut. Alongside this release, there will be a number of single barrel Origin Series whiskeys—also a first for Bardstown. These will be available annually for purchase by the barrel to restaurants, bars, and retailers.

A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength (Batch #2)

Style: Straight bourbon Origin: Virginia Age: 10 year old ABV: 72.25% Price: $100 Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited

Need to know:

The second release of A. Smith Bowman’s cask strength bourbon comes in at a whopping 144.5 proof, or 72.25% ABV. This release contains the last barrels laid down by Joe Dangler, who served as master distiller at the Fredericksburg, Virginia distillery for over 30 years.

Whisky Advocate says:

A. Smith Bowman first introduced this whiskey last June, pulling from barrels on the lower tiers in Warehouse A1 and A, for that release. Since it is usually cooler on those lower tiers, barrels stored there can sometimes result in lower ABVs, with that whiskey bottled at 57.05%. Batch #2 meanwhile is bottled at a significantly higher proof. Distiller David Bock said in a statement, “Batch #1’s proof snuck up on you; Batch #2 slaps you in the char.”

These super high-proof whiskeys, sometimes referred to as hazmat bottles, have been popping up more often in recent years, as the thirst for barrel proof bourbon gets pushed to the extreme. In November 2021, Jack Daniel’s introduced Coy Hill single barrel (90 points), the highest ABV whiskey ever released from the famed distillery. Meanwhile, in May of that same year, Brooklyn’s Kings Country Distillery announced its 6 year old Blenders Reserve (88 points), bottled at 70% ABV. Is there such a thing as too much proof? It’s entirely possible, but thankfully, you can always add water to bring these flame throwers down to a more palatable level.

Whiskey Del Bac Ode to Islay

Style: American single malt Origin: Arizona Age: Not stated ABV: 55% Price: $90 Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited; 914 bottles

Need to know:

Whiskey Del Bac has announced the release of Ode to Islay, formerly known as its annual Winter Release. The whiskey is made from three different 100% malted barley mashbills, blending together unsmoked, mesquite-smoked, and the distillery’s standard 60% unsmoked/40% mesquite-smoked recipes. Each of the component whiskeys was initially aged in toasted and charred new American white oak quarter casks, then finished in a mix of bourbon and tequila barrels, as well as barrels that previously held Del Bac’s own mesquite-smoked Dorado single malt. The liquid from those finishing casks was then married for three months, with the final whiskey slowly proofed down to 55% ABV. The whiskey is an homage to the smoky single malts made on the Scottish island of Islay.

Whisky Advocate says:

American single malt can have many taste profiles, with some producers choosing to age their spirit in new charred oak, akin to bourbon, while others opt for used casks in a style similar to scotch. Add to the mix that some distillers are experimenting with cask finishing while others use peat, and there is a wide range of flavor to explore for all types of whisky lovers. Tuscon, Arizona’s Whiskey Del Bac has forged its own path by deploying mesquite wood, native to the southwest, to smoke its whiskies. They are one of a handful of craft distillers in America turning to different wood types, often native to the region, to impart unique smoke flavor to their whiskeys.

Backbone Bourbon Decade Down (Batch 2022)

Style: Straight bourbon Origin: Indiana Age: Not stated ABV: 55% Price: $75 Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited; 2,437 bottles

Need to know:

The third release of Decade Down bourbon undergoes what Backbone is calling a “double sherry” process. A portion of the whiskey used here was aged in oloroso sherry barrels for more than a year. Those barrels were dumped, and the whiskey was then re-casked into a different set of oloroso barrels for less than six months. That double barreled whiskey was then blended with unfinished straight bourbon. The overall blend includes some of Backbone’s older stocks, ranging in age from 6 to 7 years.

Whisky Advocate says:

Decade Down was initially released in 2020 as an anniversary edition to celebrate the first whiskey that Backbone ever launched, Backbone Uncut, in 2010. Each subsequent batch has been slightly different. The first one finished straight bourbon in oloroso casks, while the second used apera, or Australian sherry, for finishing. According to owner Nolan Smith, this “double sherry” process creates an intense almost bitter sherry flavor that counterbalances the other components of the blend. We last scored Decade Down 91 points in our Summer 2021 Buying Guide.

Pursuit United The Oak Collection

Style: Bourbon and rye Origin: Multiple Age: Not stated ABV: 54% Price: $75 Release: December 2022 Availability: Kentucky, Illinois (Binny’s), Missouri, New Mexico, Tennessee (Knoxville), Texas, and at seelbachs.com; 1,800 bottles of each

Need to know:

Pursuit United’s inaugural release in its new series The Oak Collection includes two blends of whiskeys:

Pursuit United The Oak Collection Bourbon Finished with Toasted American and French Oak

A blend of three bourbons–one from MGP in Indiana, another from New York’s Finger Lakes Distilling, and a third from an undisclosed distillery in Tennessee (specified as not located in Tullahoma which rules out Cascade Hollow Distillery, home of George Dickel)–was split and stored in two separate containers. Toasted American oak was added to one container and French oak was the finishing wood added to the other. After an unspecified period of time, the two containers of bourbon were blended together.

Pursuit United The Oak Collection Rye Finished with Sherry French Revere Oak

This is the same blend of three whiskeys that is used for Pursuit United’s flagship rye: two from Sagamore Spirit in Maryland and one from Kentucky-based Bardstown Bourbon Co. The three ryes were blended and finished with sherry French revere oak. Revere is a term used for staves that are air-dried for 36 months. In this case, French oak sherry barrels.

Whisky Advocate Says:

Founded in 2018 by podcasters Ryan Cecil and Kenny Coleman, Pursuit Spirits is a non-distiller producer that sources, blends, and bottles its whiskeys. Unlike many labels that use sourced whiskeys, Pursuit is as transparent as possible about the source of its whiskeys.

Virgil Kaine Eighth Notch

Style: Straight bourbon Origin: South Carolina Age: 5 year old ABV: 58.4% Price: $38Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited

Need to know:

Distilled in Charleston, South Carolina, Virgil Kaine’s new straight bourbon was first aged in barrels that were toasted to a medium-to-heavy char, then filled with vanilla smoke. After five years, the bourbon was placed in a new toasted barrel, which was also filled with vanilla smoke; two months later, the bourbon was bottled.

Whisky Advocate says:

Virgil Kaine was founded by chefs David Szlam and Ryan Meany. The duo’s whiskeys often take inspiration from the kitchen—the concept of taking toasted barrels and smoking them with vanilla bean, for instance, came from an idea Szlam had for a barrel-aged cocktail years prior, wherein he smoked a cocktail with discarded vanilla bean pods. The distillery also produces ginger-infused (its flagship), cherry-infused, and green tea-infused bourbons, a bourbon made for mixing, and a rye.