Four Roses, Little Book, Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel, Ardbeg Anthology, Parker's Heritage & More [New Releases]

We're set to kick off the season—no, not football, although there is that too. The season for big-time whisky releases is upon us. From Kentucky, Four Roses just announced its annual Limited Edition Small Batch, this one a celebration of its 135th anniversary, while Michter's is back with US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish rye. Both will drop in September. Meanwhile, Parker's Heritage has unveiled its annual release, and it's a 10 year old cask-strength rye. And Little Book is out with Chapter 7, an intriguing retrospective blending one component each from Chapters 1-6 and then adding a new whiskey for Chapter 7.

From Islay, Ardbeg's Dr. Bill Lumsden is at it again with the new Ardbeg Anthology series, the inaugural release highlighted by Sauternes cask finishing in the mix. The Sauternes cask is not often seen on Islay, though it has been used by Kilchoman and Bunnahabhain. From Speyside, Balvenie has another tale from its Balvenie Stories series, this one celebrating the craft of barrel making—noteworthy because Balvenie is the only Speyside distillery with its own cooperage. There's plenty more, including a release from Garrison Brothers with a Texas-sized ABV of 70.45%. Read on for full details.

Ardbeg Anthology: The Harpy’s Tale
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age:13 year old
ABV: 46%
Price: $165
Release: August 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:
This whisky was fully matured for 13 years in sauternes wine casks balanced by the addition of bourbon cask matured stocks, imbuing it with a fair bit of sweetness to go along with Ardbeg’s signature smoke.

Whisky Advocate says:
The Harpy’s Tale is the first release within Ardbeg’s new Anthology Collection, which will feature experimental single malts matured in a variety of cask types, some of which will be entirely new to the distillery and its director of distilling and whisky creation Dr. Bill Lumsden. The Anthology will be released annually over the next 3-4 years, a parallel series to sister distillery Glenmorangie's "A Tale of..." series. The name is a reference to the single malt’s hybrid flavor, which skews both sweet and smoky; in Greek and Roman mythology, a harpy is half-human, half-bird. The whisky will be available online at reservebar.com, as well as at Ardbeg Embassies—in the U.S., that translates to bars and restaurants that have partnerships with the distillery, granting them early access to limited edition and Ardbeg Committee releases—the distillery’s visitor center on Islay, and at select whisky specialists in Scotland.

Little Book Chapter 7 “In Retrospect”
Style: Blend
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 59.01%
Price: $150
Release: August
Availability: Limited

Need to know:
This is a blend of 7 different cask-strength whiskeys. Six of those components are whiskeys from the six previous Little Book, with the seventh being this year’s new liquid. Those are 5 straight bourbons aged 18, 17, 10, 9, and 4 years, a 5 year old straight malt whiskey finished in applewood smoked barrels, and a 4 year old straight rye.

Whisky Advocate Says:
The Little Book whiskey series, the work of Beam master distiller Freddie Noe, began in 2017 with Chapter 1 “The Easy” in 2017, which was named to Whisky Advocate’s Top Whiskies of the Year list. That was followed by s followed by Chapter 2 “Noe Simple Task”, Chapter 3 “The Road Home”, Chapter 4 “Lessons Honored”, Chapter 5 The Invitation, and Chapter 6 “To The Finish” last fall, which was mostly malted whiskey with a touch of bourbon in the mix. All of them have scored above 90 points, with an average of 93 points.

The Balvenie Stories A Revelation of Cask and Character
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland
Age: 19 year old
ABV: 47.5%
Price: $504
Release: October
Availability: Limited

Need to know:
This Balvenie Stories release is the only one in the series that is 100% sherry cask matured. It’s also the first expression overseen by malt master Kelsey McKechnie, as Balvenie’s legendary malt master David Stewart has now moved into the role of honorary ambassador.

Whisky Advocate Says:
Balvenie Stories was launched in 2019 with three whiskies—a 12 year old, a 14 year old, and a 26 year old. Those first two became permanent releases, while the 26 year old was limited. Balvenie uses the Stories whiskies to honor the people, places, and things that go into the whisky making. This release is dedicated to Balvenie’s coopers and their craft, as Balvenie is among the few distilleries in the world—and the only one in Speyside—with an on-site cooperage. Like this one, most of the Balvenie Stories releases have been ultra-luxury whiskies. They’ve included The Edge of Burnhead Wood, ($300), A Rare Discovery From Distant Shores ($1,500), The Second Red Rose ($460), and The Tale of the Dog ($14,500).

Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Style: Rye
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 54.45%
Price: $120
Release: September 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to Know:
This one is made by taking mature Michter's US*1 Rye at barrel strength and then giving it a second maturation in toasted (not charred) barrels before bottling. The finishing barrels are made from staves that were dried and seasoned outdoors for two years and then toasted to Michter's specifications.

Whisky Advocate says:
Michter’s releases are always among the hottest whiskeys out there—and they don’t stay around for very long. Its aged-stated whiskeys in particular sell out in the blink of an eye, but not to be overshadowed are the Michter’s non-age statement toasted barrel whiskeys, which are also limited releases. Michter's pioneered the toasted barrel style back in 2014 with US*1 and it soon became a signature style. In 2017 Michter’s released a barrel-strength rye with a toasted finish, and a toasted barrel-finished sour mash expression followed in 2019 and was re-released last fall. Barrel toasting is not an easy art to master, with different toasting levels creating a range of taste profiles.

Parker’s Heritage 10 year old Cask Strength Rye (2023 Release)
Style: Straight rye
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 10 year old
ABV: 64.4%
Price: $185
Release: August
Availability: Limited

Need to know:
The latest edition of Parker’s Heritage is a 10 year old straight rye that’s made using Heaven Hill’s traditional rye mashbill of 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley and bottled at cask strength. The barrels were aged on the first floors of Rickhouses H1 and H2, the fifth floor of Rickhouse FF, the third and seventh floors of Rickhouse BB, and the second floor of Rickhouse DD.

Whisky Advocate says:
Parker’s Heritage is named for the late Heaven Hill master distiller Parker Beam, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010 and passed away in 2017. A portion of the proceeds from every sale of Parker’s Heritage goes toward ALS research and patient care. Thus far, sales of Parker’s Heritage have raised more than $1.2 million for the ALS Association.

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch (135th Anniversary; 2023 Release)
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 54%
Price: $200
Release: September 2023
Availability: 15,060 bottles

Need to know:
This is the 16th release of Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, and like its predecessors, it contains some ultra-aged whiskey. This year’s release features four different bourbon recipes:

• A 12 year old from the OESV recipe (20% rye mashbill)
• A 16 year old from the OESV recipe (20% rye mashbill)
• A 14 year old from the OESK recipe (20% rye mashbill)
• A 25 year old from the OBSV recipe (35% rye mashbill)

In line with years past, a limited number of bottles will be available through a public lottery. Winners must pick up their bottle at the Four Roses Distillery. The lottery registry is now open on the Four Roses website through August 28.

Whisky Advocate says:
Four Roses distills using two separate mashbills and five unique yeast strains, resulting in 10 different whiskeys that are then blended in a variety of ways for various releases by master distiller Brent Elliot. While these 10 component whiskeys are rarely tasted individually, earlier this summer Four Roses released a 10-pack of 50 ml bottles, covering all 10 whiskeys for the first time ever.

Garrison Brothers Cowboy 2023
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Texas
Age: 6 year old
ABV: 70.45%
Price: $250
Release: September 23, 2023
Availability: 9,600 bottles

Need to know:
This cask-strength bourbon comes from barrels that were aged for at least 6 years. Some 1,000 bottles of this release will be allocated for purchase at the distillery starting September 23, with the remainder hitting shelves nationwide in the first week of October.

Whisky Advocate says:
Garrison Brothers is based in Hye, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin. The distillery specializes in bourbon, with Cowboy being an annual offering. Although Garrison Brothers is certainly no stranger to bottling bourbon at barrel proof, this expression represents a considerable jump at 70.4% AVB—a full 3% stronger than Cowboy 2022, which was bottled at 67.4% ABV.

Rosebank 31 year old
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Lowlands)
Age: 31 year old
ABV: 48.1%
Price: $3,299
Release: August 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:
Rosebank closed in 1993, but the remaining casks from the distillery were saved. Some of that older Rosebank appeared under United Distillers’ (and later Diageo’s) stewardship, but more recently there have been releases from current owner Ian Macleod Distillers, which acquired the site, trademark, and remaining Rosebank stock in 2017. This latest release marks the first Rosebank whisky released under the purview of new distillery manager Malcolm Rennie, and will be the final “old Rosebank” released ahead of the distillery reopening to the public next year.

Whisky Advocate says:
In the face of prohibitive upgrade costs and access difficulties, Rosebank’s previous owner United Distillers decided to shut the Lowlands distillery down in 1993. Mere weeks after the 30th anniversary of that closure, Ian Macleod announced that Rosebank would begin making whisky once again, and Cask 001 of new make spirit was filled on July 18th. Rosebank started as a family operation in 1840, though it eventually became part of Scottish malt Distillers in 1914, which in turn was acquired by Distillers Company Ltd.—the forebear of Diageo. After the distillery was shuttered, it passed into the hands of Diageo and British Waterways, before ultimately being sold to Ian Macleod.

Blue Run Trifecta
Style: Blended bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 6, 8, and 9 year olds
ABV: 58.55%
Price: $180
Release: August 23, 2023
Availability: Limited; nationwide

Need to know:
As the name suggests, Trifecta is a blend of three bourbons: a 9 year old (78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley), an 8 year old (75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley), and a 6 year old (78% corn, 12% rye, and 10% malted barley). These three whiskeys are blended in a 32:22:46 ratio.

Whisky Advocate says:
This one was produced by liquid advisor Jim Rutledge and whiskey director Shaylyn Gammon. Trifecta spotlights barrel placement, with the two older components having been stored on the top floor of the rickhouse—where temperatures are highest. The goal was to introduce spicier notes and more complexity to the younger whiskey, without completely overpowering it. Blue Run was recently acquired by Molson Coors.

Woodinville Harvest Release Ginja Cask
Style: Finished bourbon
Origin: Washington
Age: Not stated
ABV: 47.5%
Price: $70
Release: September 9
Availability: Distillery only

Need to know:
This year’s harvest release from Woodinville Whiskey is a straight bourbon finished in ginjinha barrels. Ginjinha is a Portuguese liqueur made from infused ginjinha berries, a native Portuguese fruit. After aging a minimum of 5 years, the whiskey was transferred into freshly emptied ginjinha barrels for an unspecified period. The first 500 bottles are hand-numbered, in keeping with the tradition of this annual special release.

Whisky Advocate Says:
Woodinville Whiskey’s Harvest Release is a tradition going back to the mid-2010s, when Woodinville, which was founded in 2010, finally had some aged whiskeys to sell. (Woodinville has never sourced whiskey, but instead waiting patiently for its own.) The Harvest Release sale takes place each year on a date surrounding harvest time, and fans wait in long lines that begin forming on the previous day. This year’s Harvest Release date is September 9, when the bottles will be sold only at the distillery. Reservations aren’t required, and those first 500 bottles are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to one per person. A cask-strength version of this year’s release ($80) will also be available in even more limited quantities.

Westward x Ken’s Artisan Sourdough 2023
Style: Blend
Origin: Oregon
Age: Not stated
ABV: 45%
Price: $100
Release: August 2023
Availability: 3,533 bottles; club-exclusive, with shipping to 35 states

Need to know:
This new offering from Westward is a blend of four vintages. The yeast used was a strain called French Sourdough Levain, sourced from chef Ken Forkish, instead of the distillery’s usual pale ale strain. This bottling is limited to members of The Westward Whiskey Club.

Whisky Advocate says:
This release marks the second collaboration between Westward and James Beard Award-winning baker Ken Forkish. The two initially joined forces in 2020 to release the first Sourdough whiskey, a similar limited release also made using sourdough yeast. This is the third club-exclusive expression of 2023, trailing behind May’s release of Two Malts Rye (2023) and the 91 point Grand Cru Sauternes Cask Finish

Filmland Spirits Town at the End of Tomorrow
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 9 year old
ABV: 47%
Price: $110
Release: September 2023
Availability: Limited; available in AK, AZ, CA, KY, NV, WA, and online at filmlandspirits.com

Need to know:
This new limited-edition bourbon follows a 78% corn, 13% rye, and 9% malted barley mashbill. It’s aged for 9 years in American white oak. The liquid is sourced from and bottled in Kentucky.

Filmland Spirits Ryes of the Robots Extended Cut Cask Strength
Style: Rye
Origin: Not stated
Age: 4 year old
ABV: 54%
Price: $75
Release: September 2023
Availability: Limited; available in AK, AZ, CA, KY, NV, WA, and online at filmlandspirits.com

Need to know:
The second new bottling by Filmland Spirits is a cask-strength version of their Ryes of the Robots. It consists of a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mashbill. The liquid is sourced from an unnamed distillery.

Whisky Advocate says:
Filmland Spirits was founded in Los Angeles, California in 2020. It sources its distillate from elsewhere, while handling blending, finishing, and bottling in-house. As the name implies, the team behind it is composed of movie buffs, which inspires how their bottles are presented. Filmland Spirits writes mock B-movie scripts for each expression it releases; the bottles are then named after these stories, with their labels designed to look like retro movie posters. The rye is set to premiere at the Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Ross & Squibb Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII
Style: Blended bourbon
Origin: Indiana
Age: 9-16 year olds
ABV: 50%
Price: $100
Release: September 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:
This blend comprises barrels of Ross & Squibb’s own bourbon, which are aged between 9 and 16 years. Each bourbon in this blend follows different high rye-style mashbills, with rye contents ranging from 21% to 36%.

Whisky Advocate says:
Remus is one of the brands distilled by Ross & Squibb Distillery of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It’s named after George Remus, known as the “King of the Bootleggers”, who ran a bootlegging operation in Cincinnati, Ohio during Prohibition. The whiskeys that now bear his name fittingly follow Prohibition-style high rye mashbills. The Repeal Reserve blends are yearly releases, with previous iterations scoring 89–93 points with our tasting panel.

The ImpEx Collection Edition Three
Style: Single malt and single grain
Origin: Scotland
Age: 13–49 years old
ABV: 47.6%–59%
Price: $135–$650
Release: August 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:
ImpEx Beverages, the San Francisco-based importer and independent bottler, has revealed details of its latest single-cask scotch whisky releases:

• The ImpEx Collection Benrinnes 2008 16 year old Cask No.800218, 54.1%, $150 (264 bottles)
• The ImpEx Collection Blair Athol 2007 15 year old matured in an oloroso sherry butt Cask No. 4255, 55.4%, $150 (654 bottles)
• The ImpEx Collection Caol Ila 2010 13 year old Cask No. 302281, 59.0%, $135 (240 bottles)
• The ImpEx Collection Invergordon 1974 49 year old Cask No. 7844000035, 47.6%, $450 (162 bottles)
• The ImpEx Collection Islay 1991 31 year old matured in a bourbon barrel Cask No.700048, 48.7%, $650 (216 bottles)
• The ImpEx Collection Linkwood 2008 15 year old Cask No.800832, 58.9%, $140 (258 bottles)

Whisky Advocate says:
The ImpEx Collection is a line of independent bottlings that debuted in July 2021. Each cask is selected by ImpEx Beverages president Sam Filmus, and bottled at cask strength. Edition Three includes a 31 year old single malt from an undisclosed Islay distillery, and a 49 year old single grain whisky from Invergordon, Scotland’s most northerly grain distillery located close to Dalmore Distillery. The Benrinnes, Caol Ila, Invergordon, and Linkwood were matured in hogsheads, the Islay whisky was matured in a bourbon barrel, and the Blair Athol was matured in an oloroso sherry butt.