New Collaboration from Beam Suntory, Weller's Latest Family Member & More [New Releases]

In this new round of releases, Beam Suntory is at it again with yet another collaboration whisky, this one a blended scotch called Ardray, curated by the Scotland and Japan production teams. It's the third cross-global collaboration by Beam Suntory since the company was formed in 2014. The first came in 2019 with Legent, a Kentucky bourbon distilled at Beam and finished by the Japan blending team in a variety of wine and sherry casks. Next came Ao, first launched in Japan and Travel Retail in 2019 and introduced in the U.S. earlier this year, made with whiskies from Beam Suntory distilleries in five countries. Now comes Ardray, as the company seems determined to create some sort of collaborative, international niche within its vast whisky portfolio.

There were lots of other whiskies unveiled this week, including a new Weller family member, the latest red wine cask finished expression from Aberfeldy, the third release of Colere from Westland Distillery, and more.

Buffalo Trace Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat
Style: Wheated bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 47%
Price: $500
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

The latest addition to the Weller lineup, this wheater is the result of much experimentation. It was made using Emmer wheat, an ancient strain that’s said to date back more than 6,000 years and one that isn’t commonly used in wheated bourbons. The whiskey, which was aged for nearly 12 years, was distilled at Buffalo Trace on the E.H. Taylor, Jr. “Microstill,” an experimental still designed by master distiller Harlen Wheatley and installed at Buffalo Trace in 2007.

Whisky Advocate says:

While the wheated bourbon faithful will likely need no introduction to William Larue (W.L.) Weller, they may not know about William’s grandfather, Daniel. After fighting in the Revolutionary War, Daniel made the trip down the Ohio River to Botland, Kentucky, where he began making rye whiskey on the same stills that would eventually be used by William for his W.L. Weller & Sons wheated bourbon. This whiskey’s tribute to Daniel Weller doesn’t stop at the name. The bottle’s stopper is adorned with a compass, an homage to his journey and pioneering spirit. The underside of the stopper also shows the coordinates of Daniel’s Botland farm. Buffalo Trace plans to add other Daniel Weller expressions—one every other year—that will also follow the experimentation theme.

Ardray
Style: Blend
Origin: Scotland
Age: Not stated
ABV: 48%
Price: $83
Release: June 2023
Availability: Global release, with initial availability in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Shanghai

Need to know:

Calum Fraser, Beam Suntory’s chief blender for scotch, created this non-age statement scotch in partnership with the Suntory blending team. The plan is to release it in annual batches. This project is a tribute to Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii, who a century ago was inspired by blended scotch whiskies to pursue the creation of a complex whisky for Japanese palates. The suggestion is to try it chilled over quality ice and then strained into a glass, to create a chilled neat pour.

Whisky Advocate says:

The malts in the blend are drawn from no more than 10 scotch whisky distilleries, each owned by either Beam Suntory or The Edrington Group, which has a close relationship with Beam Suntory thanks to a number of global distribution agreements. Both companies have blended scotches in their portfolios—Beam Suntory’s Teacher’s and The Edrington Group’s The Famous Grouse. As for their distilleries, Beam Suntory owns Bowmore, Laphroaig, Glen Garioch, Auchentoshan, and Ardmore, while Edrington owns Macallan, Highland Park, and Glenrothes, while co-owning North British grain distillery with Diageo.

Aberfeldy 15 year old Napa Valley Red Wine Cask
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Highlands)
Age: 15 year old
ABV: 43%
Price: $70
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This single malt was finished in cabernet sauvignon casks from Napa Valley for 4-5 months.

Whisky Advocate says:

Aberfeldy director of blending Stephanie Macleod has explored the influence of red wine casks on Aberfeldy single malts since 2019, when she introduced the first whisky within the Red Wine Cask Collection: a 15 year old single malt finished in Pomerol casks for 4 to 5 months. Other releases within the collection have included an 18 year old finished in Côte Rôtie casks, and another 18 year old finished in Pauillac casks.

Westland Colere Edition 3
Style: Single malt
Origin: Washington
Age: Not stated
ABV: 50%
Price: $150
Release: June 2023
Availability: 4,629 bottles

Need to know:

This is the third release of Colere, which is part of Westland’s Outpost Range—a series that highlights the ingredients of single malt whiskey. Colere explores the influence of barley on flavor, with this latest edition featuring Pilot barley, a spring varietal that can trace its lineage back to grain growers in the UK. This edition also introduces maturation in an oloroso sherry hogshead; 93% of the final whiskey was aged in re-fill Westland barrels, with the remainder finished in sherry casks.

Whisky Advocate says:

In making Colere, Westland has formed a longstanding partnership with Washington State University’s Bread Lab, as well as with local maltsters and farmers, to grow barley varietals prized more for their flavor than their yield. The distillery goes so far as to fund a Ph.D. program at the Bread Lab that focuses on barley development, with an emphasis on flavor and sustainable farming practices. The other whiskeys in the Outpost Range—Garryana and Solum—look to the influence of native oak species and locally sourced peat on single malt. Last month, Westland master distiller and co-founder Matt Hofmann announced he would be leaving the distillery; the remaining distillery team will collectively take up the reins in his absence, including master blender Shane Armstrong and distillery manager Tyler Pederson.

TX Straight Bourbon Single Barrel Bottled in Bond
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Texas
Age: 4 years old
ABV: 50%
Price: $50
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This straight bourbon is not just a single barrel whiskey, but is bottled in bond as well, meaning it comes in at 100 proof and is aged for a minimum of four years.

Whisky Advocate says:

In celebration of this release, TX is hosting a release party at its Whiskey Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas next Wednesday, June 14, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. VIP entry will begin at 5 p.m., and comes with a host of special experiences, among them a chance to meet the whiskey’s makers with an exclusive tasting and bottle signing, as well as a distillery tour. Those tickets are $50, while general admission tickets are available for $10 and include a welcome cocktail. Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson started TX in 2010; today the distillery is under the Pernod Ricard umbrella (it was acquired in 2019), though both co-founders are still involved.

Hudson New York 5 year old
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: New York
Age: 5 year old
ABV: 46%
Price: $50
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This bourbon is pot distilled from a mashbill of 95% corn and 5% malted barley, with both its grains locally sourced from Hudson Valley farmers. The whiskey, which is certified kosher, was aged for 5 years. In addition to being available at retail, it will also be sold through Hudson’s single barrel program, whereby customers can pick their own cask through an immersive distillery experience or custom tasting kit.

Whisky Advocate says:

This is only the second age-statement whiskey from Hudson, following Four Part Harmony, a 7 year old four-grain bourbon released in 2021. Hudson went through a major rebrand in 2020, replacing its minimalist look with one inspired by the New York City subway system. The brand is made at Tuthiltown Distillery, which is located 80 miles north of New York City in the Hudson River Valley. One of the nation’s pioneer craft distillers, Tuthilltown was founded in 2003. It sold the Hudson whiskey brand to William Grant & Sons in 2010, and William Grant subsequently acquired all of the distillery in 2017.

Buzzard’s Roost Founders’ Select 7 year old
Style: Bourbon
Origin: Indiana
Age: 7 year old
ABV: 56.7%
Price: $150
Release: June 2023
Availability: 260 bottles; Whiskey Row Experience exclusive

Need to know:

Buzzard’s Roost’s newest limited release is a 7 year old bourbon that underwent a secondary maturation of 18 months in char level-1 barrels. It’s bottled at cask strength, and the liquid is sourced from Indiana.

Whisky Advocate says:

It’s been a very exciting year so far for Kentucky-based Buzzard’s Roost. Just a few months ago, the company announced plans to open a new tasting room and microdistillery on Louisville’s famed Whiskey Row. This release will be sold there as a tasting room exclusive. This is also the first age-stated expression from Buzzard’s Roost.

Laws Whiskey House Bottled in Bond Centennial Straight Wheat (Batch 5)
Style: Wheat
Origin: Colorado
Age: 7 year old
ABV: 50%
Price: $80
Release: June 2023
Availability: 2,100 bottles; Tasting room and lawswhiskeyhouse.com

Need to know:

Colorado-based Laws Whiskey House’s newest bonded expression is a wheat whiskey, with a 100% Centennial wheat mashbill. This particular heirloom wheat is also used in Laws’ flagship Four Grain bourbon. The whiskey is currently available for purchase at the distillery’s tasting room in Denver, with bottles hitting shelves (both brick-and-mortar and online) later this month.

Whisky Advocate says:

It has certainly been a busy time of year for Laws Whiskey House. Just a few weeks ago, Laws released a new San Luis Valley rye batch—with that announcement coming just two months after its newest Four Grain bourbon batch dropped. As for this new expression, it’s the oldest wheat whiskey released by Laws so far, at 7 years old. Previous Centennial wheat expressions include the 5 year old and 4 year old versions.

King Robert II
Style: Blend
Origin: Scotland
Age: Not stated
ABV: 40%
Price: $15–$29
Release: June 2023
Availability: Widely available

Need to know:

Ian Macleod Distillers adds these three new blended scotches to its King Robert II range, named after the 14th-century King of Scots and grandson of Robert the Bruce. This marks the first time the label is available in U.S. stores. The range includes:

• King Robert II Treble Cask Matured, 40%, $15
• King Robert II 12 year old, 40%, $22
• King Robert II 15 year old, 40%, $29

The range was repackaged in 2022, and each blend is available in 750 ml and 1.75L bottle sizes.

Whisky Advocate says:

Ian Macleod Distillers is well known to single malt scotch lovers for Glengoyne, Tamdhu, and its recent Rosebank releases, but it also produces a broad portfolio of blends and blended malts in different markets including Smokehead, Isle of Skye, The Six Isles, Pig’s Nose, Sheep Dip, Mash Cut, Langs, and King Robert II.

Bowmore Ultimate Rare Collection
Style: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Islay)
Age: 30-50 year old
ABV: 45.3%–48.7%
Price: $2,650–$42,000
Release: June 2023

Need to know:

As we reported earlier this week, The Bowmore Ultimate Rare Collection consists of three individual expressions of well-aged single malts.

• Bowmore 30 year old, 45.3%, $2,650, 2,556 bottles
• Bowmore 40 year old, 48.7%, $9,000, 160 bottles
• Bowmore 1969 50 year old, 46.9%, $42,000, 339 bottles

The youngest in this collection, Bowmore 30 year old, was matured in sherry hogsheads and bourbon casks.

The 50 year old, distilled in 1969, was matured in bourbon barrels and hogsheads and is the fourth and final expression in the Vaults Series. The most limited of the trio is a 40 year old with just 160 bottles available. Bowmore plans to release the 30 and 40 year olds every year in limited quantities, but the vintage expression of 50 year old is finite.

Whisky Advocate says:

Although Bowmore hasn’t developed new packaging for the Ultimate Rare Collection, these releases are already making waves in the salerooms: a bottle of Bowmore 1969 50 year old achieved the 9^th highest hammer price in May, the same month as Bowmore Arc-52 The Mokume Edition topped our list.