Jack Daniel's 12 year old, Rebel 100 Rye, Kingsbarns Doocot & More [New Releases]

Happy St. Patrick's Day! If you're looking to celebrate with an Irish whiskey, we've got you covered. This list captures all of the current excitement around Irish whiskey, with a new 100% rye from Powers, an affordable single pot still from The Busker, a showcase of Ireland's terroir from Waterford, and much more. And lest you think Irish whiskey is meant only for March, the style is showing sustained growth, with shipments to our shores rising by 28% last year to a whopping 72 million bottles.

In other whisky news, Uncle Nearest is opening a new experiential space dedicated to elevated drinks, food, and live music on its Tennessee campus; Michter's is adding new barrel houses and running additional distillation to increase availability; and Oak & Eden has announced that six of its permanent whiskeys are now kosher certified. As for new whiskies this week, Jack Daniel's is bringing back its 10 year old Tennessee whiskey and adding a 12 year old, Whiskey Del Bac is releasing its annual sherry-finished single malt, and Green River has a new wheated bourbon that will be part of its core lineup. Read on for full details.

Jack Daniel’s 12 year old (Batch 1)
Style: Tennessee whiskey
Origin: Tennessee
Age: 12 year old
ABV: 53.5%
Price: $80/700 ml
Release: March 2023
Availability: Limited; 36,000 bottles

Jack Daniel’s 10 year old (Batch 2)
Style: Tennessee whiskey
Origin: Tennessee
Age: 10 year old
ABV: 48.5%
Price: $70/700 ml
Release: March 2023
Availability: Limited; 42,000 bottles

Need to know:
Jack Daniel’s is releasing Batch 2 of its 10 year old Tennessee whiskey, and introducing a new 12 year old. The initial release of 10 year old landed at No. 4 on the 2021 Top 20 list, but master distiller Chris Fletcher says this release has a completely separate production date and was pulled from different barrel houses, so don’t expect it to taste the same. That said, the approach for these age-stated whiskeys does remain the same, with the distillery team identifying about 1,000 barrels earmarked as potential single barrel releases, and moving them within the warehouse at around 7 to 8 years old. Both whiskeys start out with the Old No. 7 mashbill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye. New batches will be released annually, as Jack Daniel's continues to age further for future extensions. Both of these whiskeys will feature batch information on the label.

Whisky Advocate says:
Fletcher’s grandfather, Frank Bobo, was also a master distiller at Jack Daniel, so he is intimately familiar with the history and legacy of the brand. To that end, Fletcher says that these releases are nostalgic for him and also a tribute to “Mr. Jack,” as the Tennessee whiskey giant previously offered age statements as high as 21 years. While both of these whiskeys are limited, the combined output is more than double the original 10 year old release in 2021. And although age isn’t everything, both of these age-stated releases are showing great spirit and barrel character, with Fletcher specifically pointing to the proof on the 12 year old, saying he finds between 100 and 110 to be “great from us.”

Rebel 100 Rye
Style: Straight rye
Origin: Indiana
Age: Not stated
ABV: 50%
Price: $20
Release: March 2023
Availability: Nationwide

Need to know:
After releasing a 100-proof version of its bourbon in 2019, Lux Row’s Rebel (formerly Rebel Yell) is adding this rye counterpart made with a mashbill of 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley.

Whisky Advocate says:
Rye provides the base for many great whiskey cocktails, and at 100 proof, you can be confident that the whiskey will still shine. Rittenhouse rye or Old Overholt Bonded are likewise bottled at 50% ABV and are bartender favorites because of it. What’s more, each of these whiskeys remains relatively inexpensive, so you can mix them freely. That’s not to say they don’t make solid neat or rocks pours, either. We scored the Rebel 100 bourbon at 88 points, naming it one of the Best Values in the Fall 2019 Buying Guide. Kentucky-based Lux Row was purchased by MGP in 2021, and the partnership continues to be fruitful. While the Rebel 100 bourbon was distilled in Kentucky, this new rye was made in Indiana.

Whiskey Del Bac Frontera (2023 Release)
Style: American single malt
Origin: Arizona
Age: Not stated
ABV: 48.5%
Price: $90
Release: March 25, 2023
Availability: Limited; 1,200 bottles; AZ, CA, MO, OK, IL, NY, TN, and online via Whiskey Del Bac’s website.

Need to know:
Whiskey Del Bac has announced the return of its Frontera release. The distillery uses its Classic unsmoked single malt as the base, ages the whiskey in new American oak, and finishes it in Pedro Ximénez sherry botas. The 2023 release sees a slight bump in ABV, up from its previous 47.5%.

Whisky Advocate says:
Frontera is a part of Whiskey Del Bac’s Global Cask Collection, which also includes Normandie, a French-inspired Calvados finish, and the heavily smoked Ode to Islay. The name Frontera comes from the city of Jerez de la Frontera, or Jerez for short, which is the main town in Spain's sherry region. Frontera actually started as the 2021 release of Whiskey Del Bac’s Spring Distiller’s Cut. The PX finish was so well received that the distillery made it a permanent, albeit limited, addition in 2022. We have previously scored Frontera at 88 points, though that increase in proof could have positive effects on the final flavor.

Green River Wheated
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 45%
Price: $35
Release: March 2023
Availability: Widely available

Need to know:
Green River Distilling Co. is adding this wheated bourbon with a mashbill of 70% corn, 21% wheat, and 9% 6-row barley to its core range.

Green River Full Proof Single Barrel
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 59.5%
Price: $60
Release: March 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:
The Owensboro, Kentucky distiller is also launching a single barrel program. A limited number of single barrels will be available for purchase to select on and off-premise retailers.

Whisky Advocate says:
Green River’s distillery has a long history–it was founded in 1885 and is Kentucky’s 10^th oldest distiller. It has gone through a succession of owner and name changes, and last year was reestablished as Green River and acquired by Bardstown Bourbon Company. In the years prior, Green River, which was known as O.Z. Tyler, was a contract distiller producing a number of whiskeys under a variety of labels, Bradshaw bourbon and Wheel Horse among them. As the Green River expressions expand, now in 25 markets, the distillery is rising to prominence once again, welcoming 10,000 visitors in 2022.

Puncher’s Chance The Undisputed
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 5 year old
ABV: 54%
Price: $55
Release: March 2023
Availability: Nationwide

Need to know:
While this is the fourth release from Puncher’s Chance, it’s only the second permanent addition to the lineup. The bourbon, which has a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley and comes from barrels aged 5 to 6 years, was contract distilled at IJW Whiskey Company in Danville, Kentucky by master distiller Kevin Curtis and master blender Steven Hughes. IJW started laying down whiskey in 2016, but it flew under the radar until about two years ago, when president and principal David “Dukie” Morduchowitz shared just who the company was partnered with, and how many barrels it had in its inventory.

Whisky Advocate says:
As with all Puncher’s Chance whiskeys, the name for this release comes from the boxing world, referring to the undisputed champion of a weight class who simultaneously holds the world titles from all major sanctioning organizations. The Undisputed joins just one other permanent whiskey in the Puncher’s Chance lineup—the flagship Puncher’s Chance straight bourbon—and comes on the heels of two limited-edition whiskeys released in 2022: The D12tance, a 12 year old bourbon finished in California cabernet sauvignon barrels, and The Left Cross, a 14 year old bourbon finished in Jamaican rum barrels. The Puncher’s Chance label is owned by Eugene, Oregon-based Wolf Spirit Distillery, which also owns Blood x Sweat x Tears vodka and Bosscal mezcal.

Four Gate Majestic Wood: Japanese Mizunara Oak
Style: Finished bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 7 year old
ABV: 58.7%
Price: $249
Release: March 2023
Availability: 1,673 bottles

Need to know:
This 7 year old Kentucky straight bourbon was finished in Japanese mizunara oak casks. Native to Japan, mizunara oak is prized for the floral, sandalwood, and gentle spice notes it imparts on whisky, and is therefore quite rare and expensive as well.

Four Gate Majestic Wood: Brazilian Amburana Oak
Style: Finished bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 7 year old
ABV: 57.55%
Price: $249
Release: March 2023
Availability: 2,070 bottles

Need to know:
Also a 7 year old Kentucky straight bourbon, this whiskey was finished in Brazilian amburana oak casks. Amburana is native to Brazil, and has long been popular for making cachaça, a rum-like spirit. The wood bestows flavors of vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, and sweet ginger on whisky.

Whisky Advocate says:
These are the first two releases in Four Gate’s new Majestic Wood Series, which will highlight rare cask types. A blender and bottler, Four Gate focuses almost exclusively on cask-finished whiskeys; in the past, it released bourbons and ryes finished in sherry, port, rum, and more. All of its barrels are made by Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky.

Old Line Flagship Flagship 95
Style: American single malt
Origin: Maryland
Age: 4 year old
ABV: 47.5%
Price: $45
Release: March 2023
Availability: Nationwide

Need to know:
A blend of single malt whiskeys aged from 4 to 6 years, Old Line Flagship was matured in new No.-4 char barrels. This whiskey replaces a previous iteration of Old Line’s American Single Malt, which was bottled at a mellower 86 proof.

Old Line Navy Strength 114
Style: American single malt
Origin: Maryland
Age: 4 year old
ABV: 57%
Price: $55
Release: March 2023
Availability: Nationwide

Need to know:
This too is a blend of 4 and 6 year old single malt whiskeys, but here it's bottled at 114 proof, just below cask strength.

Whisky Advocate says:
Former Navy aviators Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins started Old Line Spirits in 2017, with a singular focus on American single malts. These new core whiskeys are replacing Old Line’s 86 proof and cask-strength single malts, which were launched when the distillery opened. A Double Oak Series of cask-finished American single malts—featuring whiskeys finished in sherry, madeira, port, cognac, armagnac, rum, and sauternes casks—is still on offer, as is a bottled in bond single malt. A single barrel and private barrel program will launch from the distillery later this year. While Old Line’s first whiskeys were contract distilled at Middle West Spirits in Ohio, the distillery has been laying down its own whiskeys since 2017.

Distillery 291 All Rye (Batch 1)
Style: American single malt
Origin: Colorado
Age: Not stated
ABV: 66.3%
Price: $105
Release: March 11
Availability: 1,000 bottles; Colorado, Texas, and online

Need to know:
All Rye is made using 50% Colorado malted rye from Colorado malt house Root Shoot Malting and 50% rye malt imported from Weyermann Specialty Malts in Germany. This rye receives a finish with toasted aspen staves. All Rye follows on the footsteps of one of Distillery 291’s first single malts, Batch 3 of its experimental E series was released in 2017. That expression was made using 100% malted rye and was aged in new charred oak.

Whisky Advocate says:
Colorado Springs-based 291 Distillery was founded by Michael Myers, a former New York City fashion and beauty photographer. He built his original still using copper photogravure plates. In 2011 Myers first whiskey came off that still. All of 291 Colorado whiskey is aged in heavily charred virgin American oak and then finished with staves made from toasted aspen that's harvested on a friend’s nearby property.

Kingsbarns Doocot
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Lowlands)
Age: Not stated
ABV: 46%
Price: $60
Release: March 2023
Availability: Widely available

Need to know:
Lowland distillery Kingsbarns is launching a new global flagship single malt distilled from barley grown less than six miles from the distillery. Named for the "doocot" (Scotland's name for dovecot) at the distillery, Doocot includes whiskies matured in bourbon and shave-toast-rechar (STR) Portuguese red wine casks, adding balance and complexity to the distillery’s characteristically light, fruity, and floral Lowland style.

Whisky Advocate says:
The Kingsbarns doocot is one of the most striking architectural features of the distillery, which is built in a converted 18^th-century farm steading. Visitors to Kingsbarns, which is near St. Andrews on Scotland’s east coast, can step inside the doocot, where the first Kingsbarns cask is displayed along with 600 neatly formed terracotta nesting boxes.