New releases this week include a new entry in the Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series—a run that was slated to end in 2023 but has continued, much to the pleasure of Maker's fans. Garrison Brothers is out with its annual release of Lady Bird, while Barrell has a new cigar blend, and Lux Row is offering an estate bourbon made from corn grown on the Lux Row campus by master distiller John Rempe. In scotch whisky, Oban has another 15 year old release, this one a port cask-finished expression, while Bruichladdich Distillery celebrates the 25th anniversary of its 2001 reopening with Bruichladdich Old Skool, a new 10 year old bottling. Those are just some examples of what's been a plentiful week on the new release front.
Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series: The Stewards Release Bourbon
ABV: 54.8% or 56.65%
SRP: $75
Availability: Limited
The third chapter of the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series was finished with 10 virgin oak staves. What sets this year’s release apart isn’t just the staves within (the first two chapters were finished with French oak or toasted oak staves), but the fact that two batches have been released, one at 109.6 proof and the other at a slightly higher 113.3 proof.
When Maker’s launched the Wood Finishing Series in 2019, it was an offshoot of Maker’s 46—a bourbon finished with French oak staves. But the series also pays homage to the distillery’s behind-the-scenes staff; this release, for instance, celebrates the Maker’s operations team, while last year’s release recognized the warehouse team and the inaugural chapter commemorated the entire distilling team.
Garrison Brothers Lady Bird Cognac Cask Finished Honey Infused Bourbon (2026 Release)
ABV: 57%
SRP: $180
Availability: Nationwide starting next month
Blanco, Texas-based Garrison Brothers Distillery has unveiled this year’s iteration of Lady Bird: An infused bourbon that benefits the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, an Austin-based charity that works to preserve native flowers and plants. The whiskey starts as Garrison Brothers Small Batch, which, after 4 years of aging, is infused with Burleson’s Texas Wildflower honey for 8–9 months and then undergoes a 3-year finish in French oak XO cognac casks.
This year’s batch accounts for 7,000 bottles. The first 2,000 bottles will be available at a distillery launch event on April 4th. The party will also include a rare cask strength single barrel iteration of Lady Bird ($190), available in very limited quantities. Any remaining bottles of each expression will be available for purchase at select retailers and on-premise accounts.
Barrell Craft Spirits Cigar Blend Bourbon
ABV: 55.6%
SRP: $85
Availability: Nationwide
Pairing cigars and whisky is a longstanding tradition that many people enjoy. While most whiskies work well enough in this arena, some producers create specific expressions that are purpose-built for pairing with premium tobacco. Kentucky blending house Barrell Craft Spirits is throwing its hat into the ring with this blend of 8.5–18 year old bourbons sourced from distilleries in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Like many of its compatriots, this leans heavily on sweet finishing casks, namely madeira, armagnac, and rum, alongside Hungarian oak.
Lux Row Estate Bourbon
ABV: 53.5%
SRP: $100
Availability: Distillery exclusive
Aged for 5 years, this release is the result of master distiller John Rempe’s long-held desire to create a grain-to-glass bourbon. The point of attraction for this release is a strain of No. 2 corn that Rempe grew and harvested himself some years ago on the Lux Row campus—cultivated from an 11-acre field that once grew hay in an area that’s now home to rickhouses 6, 7, 8, and 9. That corn makes up 78% of the mashbill, joined by 12% malted barley and 10% rye.
Oban Aged 15 Years Port Cask Finish Single Malt
ABV: 52.1%
SRP: $130
Availability: Limited
For the second release in Oban’s 15 Year cask-finished series, the distillery took inspiration from Porto, Portugal, a coastal city famous for its port wine. After maturing in American oak hogsheads, the single malt was finished in ruby port casks.
If the first release of Oban’s 15 Year series—an oloroso and palo cortado cask-finished single malt that was our No. 2 whisky of 2025—is anything to go by, this whisky will be one to watch. It’s available nationwide and online via malts.com, reservebar.com, and thebar.com.
Bruichladdich Old Skool 10 year old Scotch Single Malt
ABV: 50%
SRP: £50 ($80)
Availability: Limited, UK retail and online
Bruichladdich has unveiled Bruichladdich Old Skool, a 10 year old single malt created to mark 25 years since the distillery’s resurrection in 2001. This is the first of three 25th anniversary bottlings to be released this year. It’s distilled using 100% Islay-grown barley from 14 local growers, all located within 9 miles of the distillery. Bruichladdich was the first Islay distiller in the modern era to use Islay-grown barley, starting in 2004.
Maturation for Old Skool was mainly in bourbon casks, with a small portion of first-fill sauternes casks in the blend. The packaging is a commemorative throwback inspired by Bruichladdich bottles from the 1980s. To further commemorate the anniversary year, Bruichladdich Distillery will host a year-long array of events and special releases, including the 25th anniversary of the Rock’ndall festival, which will take place during the annual Feis Ile festival in May.
Kavalan LÁN Taiwanese Single Malt
ABV: 43%
SRP: $80
Availability: Nationwide from May 1st; imported by Hotaling & Co.
Kavalan is expanding its core range with a new whisky that celebrates Yilan County, the distillery’s home in northeastern Taiwan. Kavalan’s senior blender Zerose Yang combined whiskies matured in port, bourbon, and shaved, toasted, and recharred (STR) red wine casks. At Kavalan’s on-site cooperage, coopers take used wine barrels through each stage of the STR process, culminating in the re-char that prepares them for maturing whisky. While these three barrel types are used individually in Kavalan’s Solist range of cask-strength single casks, LÁN employs them in combination.
The whisky is named after the orchid, lán hua in Mandarin, a symbol closely associated with Taiwan. It’s also an important symbol to the parent company King Car Group. The parent company, which founded the distillery 21 years ago, encompasses food and beverage production, consumer goods, and a biotechnology arm, including an orchid farm dedicated to cultivating new varieties. The label features the King Car honey peach orchid, one of their own creations.
Kentucky Senator: The Jim Bunning Release Bourbon
ABV: 53.5%
SRP: $120
Availability: Limited
Like its predecessor from last March, Kentucky Senator’s latest limited release has a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. The newcomer, however, is slightly older at 8.5 years old compared to 7 years, and it was bottled at Bardstown Bourbon Co. rather than Bluegrass Distillers. This batch accounts for 4,000 bottles.
Kentucky Senator pays homage to American political history, and each release is named after a different U.S. senator. This release commemorates Jim Bunning, a man who holds the curious designation as the only Hall-of-Fame baseball player to be elected to the U.S. Senate. On the field, he had a 16-year career as a star pitcher in the MLB—for the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies—which saw him reach All-Star status nine times, pitch a perfect game, throw a no-hitter, and lead the league in strikeouts for three seasons. He turned to politics after retiring from baseball, representing Kentucky in both Congress and the Senate multiple times between 1980 and 2011. During one of his terms in the Senate, he introduced a resolution that recognized September as “National Bourbon Month.”
Rock Town Winner’s Circle Bourbon (2026 Release)
ABV: 50.5%
SRP: TBD
Availability: At the distillery and select Oklahoma retailers starting March 23rd
Little Rock, Arkansas-based Rock Town has debuted the first release in a new annual series inspired by horse racing. Distilled from local corn, wheat, and malted barley, it was aged for 6 years prior. Each bottling in the series will have a different racing-themed label commissioned from local artists. This year’s version features a watercolor-inspired design by Little Rock resident Michael Shaeffer.
Rock Town is planning to showcase the whiskey at an event on March 26th. It starts with a happy hour at an art gallery across the street from the distillery, featuring several cocktails and the opportunity to buy the whiskey (two-bottle limit) and limited-edition prints of the label artwork.
Remus Master Distiller Experimental Series No. 2 Wheat
ABV: 56.5%
SRP: $70
Availability: Limited
The second release in Remus Bourbon’s Master Distiller Experimental Series is a wheat whiskey finished in a variety of fortified wine casks. Made with Ross & Squibb’s LKSV wheat whiskey mashbill (95% wheat, 5% TK), the new release spent its secondary maturation in tawny, white, and ruby port, and oloroso sherry casks. It’s the first time that Remus has highlighted this specific mashbill—or released a wheat whiskey, period.
The Master Distiller Experimental Series gives master distiller Ian Stirsman a chance to flex his creative muscles. For the first release in the series, he highlighted maturation: The whiskey was aged for 9 years in lightly charred and heavily toasted barrels from Napa, California-based cooperage Seguin Moreau.
Watchpost Blended American
ABV: 42.5%
SRP: $35
Availability: Nationwide
Almost 8 months after launching exclusively in Washington, Watchpost blended American whiskey—the first non-American single malt from Seattle-based Westland Distillery—is going nationwide. The whiskey is made from a base of 8 year old Westland American single malt and rounded out by grain whiskey. The Westland component is aged in a combination of bourbon, Pedro Ximénez, and Cooper’s Select barrels. Nationwide availability will begin April 1.
Westland has altruistic tendencies, and this release furthers that: Over the next 2 years, $1 from every bottle of Watchpost sold in Washington will benefit the state’s Trails Association, which maintains public access to its trails. As the bottle goes nationwide, a portion of the proceeds will also benefit the National Forest Foundation.
Evan Williams Blackberry
ABV: 32.5%
SRP: $15
Availability: Nationally
Heaven Hill’s Evan Williams brand has introduced a blackberry-flavored whiskey (32.5% ABV) to its lineup. The brand suggests serving it as a chilled shot, over ice, in simple cocktails, or mixed with lemonade. It’s launching nationwide this month with a suggested retail price of $15. It follows in the footsteps of similar flavored whiskies from Jack Daniel’s and Crown Royal.
