Whisky Watch: The Week's New Releases

Michter’s 20 year old, Garrison Brothers’ Cowboy, and Cedar Ridge Double Barrel are just some of the new offerings in this week's parade of new American whiskeys, while in scotch, Highland Park is out with a new bottling in its cask strength series. Among world whiskies, Nikka celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Nikka From The Barrel whisky with a commemorative release, and Paul John has unveiled its annual Christmas Edition. Somewhat related is news that Bobby Garg, the U.S. importer of Indian whisky label Rampur, has released his own bourbon.

Michter’s 20 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon

ABV: 57.1%
SRP: $1,200
Availability: Limited

While Michter’s 20 year old bourbon is an infrequent release, fans of this coveted whiskey are in luck: for the second year in a row, the distillery is releasing the 20 year old bourbon next month. The 2025 bottling is selling at the same $1,200 price tag as last year’s release and will be available across the U.S.

Ultra-aged bourbons are less common than ultra-aged scotches, largely because of the hotter temperatures in Kentucky, which accelerate the interaction between the whiskey and the barrel. This can lead to over-extraction and tannic, wood-laden flavors, but Michter’s has a couple of aces in its aging arsenal. Chief among them is master of maturation Andrea Wilson, who carefully monitors the distillery’s maturing stock and adjusts barrels as needed. Michter’s also climate controls its warehouses, better enabling barrels to reach ripe old ages.

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon (2025 Release)

ABV: 73.2%
SRP: $250
Availability: Limited; at the distillery and in select retailers starting in December

Hye, Texas-based distillery Garrison Brothers has just announced its latest Cowboy Bourbon, an eye-watering annual release that’s often bottled at hazmat-proof points. This year’s batch was aged for at least 8 years in Texas’s hot climate, sharply raising the alcohol strength to 146.4 proof (73.2% ABV). Some 10,000 bottles were produced, with the first 1,000 launching at the distillery on December 6th. The remaining bottles will make their way out to retailers by the middle of next month.

Still Austin Bottled in Bond Blue Corn Bourbon (2025 Release)

ABV: 50%
SRP: $80
Availability: Currently at the distillery, with a retail launch to follow soon

Each year, the Texas-based craft distiller Still Austin releases four whiskeys as part of its Bottled in Bond series, with each one lining up to a particular season. The distillery has just unveiled the latest version of Bottled in Bond Blue Corn bourbon, which is this year’s winter release. Like its predecessors, it has a mashbill of 26% blue corn, 25% white corn, 44% rye, and 5% malted barley. But this one makes use of slightly older liquid, including whiskey aged for at least 6 years. It’s available at the distillery in Austin starting today, with retail availability to come soon.

Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Bourbon

ABV: 52.5%
SRP: $60
Availability: Limited

Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Rye

ABV: 52.5%
SRP: $60
Availability: Limited

While Iowa-based Cedar Ridge has released a Double Barrel Bourbon every fall since 2021, this year the family-owned distillery is augmenting its limited edition line with a rye. The bourbon is made from a mashbill of 74% corn, 14% rye, and 12% malted barley; the rye, from a mashbill of 85% rye, 12% corn, and 3% malted barley. As their names imply, both are finished in new American oak, and both are available nationwide for a limited time.

Castle & Key Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon

ABV: 54.1%
SRP: $65
Availability: Limited

Castle & Key Straight Rye Finished in Extra Old Haitian Rum Casks

ABV: 58.05%
SRP: $70
Availability: Limited

Castle & Key has rolled out two new barrel proof whiskeys. The first is a wheater, made from a mashbill of 73% white corn, 10% winter wheat, and 17% malted barley. At 7 years old, it’s two years older than the distillery’s flagship wheated bourbon. The other cask strength release is a rye, whose mashbill is 63% rye, 17% corn, and 20% malted barley. The whiskey finished in Haitian rum casks for 18 months. Both the rye and the wheated bourbon are available online at castleandkey.com, with shipping to California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin; if you’re in Frankfort, Kentucky, you can also find them at the distillery’s gift shop.

Sespe Creek Warbringer Bourbon (Batch 22)

ABV: 47%
SRP: $55
Availability: Select California, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington retailers, and online

Oxnard, California craft distillery Sespe Creek has unveiled the latest batch of its Warbringer bourbon. It was distilled from a mashbill of mesquite wood-smoked grains, including Bloody Butcher red corn, roasted corn, and malted rye. It was also finished for an undisclosed period in sherry casks. A total of 726 cases were produced (around 8,700 bottles) which will be making their way out to retailers later this month.

Batch 22 is noteworthy as it’s the first whiskey released by Sespe Creek following the appointment of John Campbell as master distiller last year. Many scotch fans are likely familiar with Campbell’s work from his nearly three-decade-long stint at Laphroaig, where he first joined the production team in 1994, became distillery manager in 2006, and left in 2021. After leaving Laphroaig, Campbell spent a few years as distillery manager at the much-acclaimed Lowlands farm distiller Lochlea. Of course, the new whiskey was distilled before Campbell's arrival at Sespe Creek, but the distillery confirmed that he was responsible for blending it.

Old Potrero Christmas Spirit Whiskey (2025 Release)

ABV: 50%
SRP: $140
Availability: Highly limited; in retailers across 7 states and online

California distillery Hotaling & Co. has unveiled the latest edition of its holiday-themed Christmas Spirit expression. This year’s version was double pot-distilled in 2015 from a San Francisco Christmas Spiced ale. It was aged for 9 and a half years in second-fill barrels that previously held Old Potrero straight rye whiskey. Only 462 bottles were produced.

Jeptha Creed Red, White, and Blue Bourbon (4^th Release)

ABV: 50%
SRP: $75
Availability: distillery, online, and in 40 states

Jeptha Creed’s fourth release of its annual bottling to celebrate its opening on Veterans Day and to honor military personnel, Red White and Blue bourbon will be available beginning November 8^th. Fittingly named, with the colors of the American flag, and also its ingredients: The bourbon is distilled from 25% bloody butcher (a red variety), 25% white, and 25% blue corn, plus 20% malted rye, and 5% malted barley. It’s then aged in new charred oak barrels signed by active and retired members of the military. The distillery donates a portion of the proceeds of sales of this bottling to local veterans’ organizations. This year, it’s donating to Paws of War, a non-profit that provides service dogs, and rescues and rehabilitates dogs and cats.

Founded in 2016 by mother-daughter duo Joyce and Autumn Nethery in Shelbyville, Kentucky, Jeptha has made it its mission to give back to Veterans and active military members. Two years ago it created a U.S. flag made from signed bourbon barrel staves.

Bobby Garg’s Family Reserve Straight Bourbon

ABV: 51%
SRP: $47
Availability: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington, D.C., with wider rollout in 2026

Launched by Bobby Garg, the founder, president, and CEO of New Jersey-based SG Worldwide, importer of India’s Rampur whisky as well as other brands—such as Jaisalmer gin, Sangum world malt, and Kohinoor rum. The whiskey was made at an undisclosed distillery in Kentucky, from a mashbill of 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley. It was also aged there, and then blended and bottled at Hidden Still Spirits in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This is Garg’s debut label, and another release is planned next year. Garg donates 1% of every sale to dog shelter organizations.

World Whiskey Society 16 Year Cigar Blend Bourbon

ABV: 62.1%
SRP: $449
Availability: Limited

Following the success of a double barrel Japanese single malt last year, craft distilling icon Chip Tate—founder of the Texas distiller Balcones and current master distiller for innovation at Foley Family Wine & Spirits—has released his second collaborative release with rare whisky purveyor World Whiskey Society. This one is a cigar blend, meaning that it was specifically made in order to pair with cigars and other premium tobacco products. It’s a 16 year old bourbon, which was sourced from an undisclosed distillery in Kentucky and has a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. It underwent a triple cask finish, spending time in barrels that previously held tokaji, armagnac, and white port.

Copperworks Arette Tequila Cask American single malt

ABV: 50%
SRP: $90
Availability: Limited release (322 bottles, available exclusively to Copperworks Whiskey Club members)

Copperworks and tequila maker Arette have collaborated on a tequila cask-finished American single malt whiskey. Copperworks Arette Tequila Cask American Single Malt Whiskey is made from the distillery's signature five malt recipe, and then matured for five years and seven months in a refill American single malt whiskey cask before finishing for one year and nine months in an Arette Tequila cask.

The two have teamed up previously on a tequila cask-finished single malt, Copperworks Arette Tequila Cask Special Release No. 037, in 2021. The finishing time on this latest one is more than twice as long as that previous release.

This release is available to Copperworks club members, and you can sign up for a free membership here. It can also be sampled at Copperworks’ two Seattle tasting rooms, at 1250 Alaskan Way and 7324 NE 175th St, Kenmore. A few bottles will also be made available to Seattle on-premise venues.

Highland Park Cask Strength: Heather Orkney Single Malt Scotch

ABV: 63.6%
SRP: $80
Availability: Launching globally in January 2026

Orkney distillery Highland Park has announced the first release in its refreshed Cask Strength series, which will be touching down this coming January. Unlike previous expressions, this single malt was entirely distilled from malted barley smoked with local peat. Harvested from an area called Hobbister Moor just down the road from the distillery, this peat is mostly composed of heather, which gives the smoke a more aromatic and sometimes floral profile than the more maritime-heavy Islay peat most scotch drinkers are familiar with. It was aged in a mix of first-fill European oak sherry casks and sherry-seasoned American oak casks, and it was bottled at 63.6% ABV.

Nikka from the Barrel Extra Marriage 40^th Anniversary Limited Edition World Blend

ABV: 51.4%
SRP: $70/500 ml
Availability: Limited global release of 6,900 bottles; imported by Hotaling & Co.

Nikka from the Barrel World Blend

ABV: 51.4%
SRP: $55/500 ml
Availability: Nationwide; imported by Hotaling & Co.

Nikka From the Barrel arrived in the U.S. market in 2018 in a 750-ml bottle, since the brand’s classic 500-ml bottle was not permitted at the time. It quickly made its mark, earning Whisky of the Year in our 2018 Top 20. Originally released in Japan in 1985, this complex blend combines over 100 different batches of malt and grain whiskies. Once blended, the whisky is married for 3 months in refill puncheons, which allows the flavors to harmonize and develop a smoother, more rounded mouthfeel.

Nikka from the Barrel Extra Marriage marks the 40^th anniversary of the blend’s debut, and extends the marrying process by an additional 3 months, to enhance flavor and lengthen the finish. In addition, the original 500-ml bottle size for Nikka From the Barrel, first introduced in Japan 40 years ago, is being launched nationwide in the U.S. for the first time.

Paul John Christmas Edition 2025 Indian single malt

ABV: 48%
SRP: $85
Availability: Limited global release of 6,254 bottles

Paul John first entered the U.S. market in 2016, and its annual Christmas Edition has become something of a holiday tradition. Like Paul John Christmas Edition 2024, this year’s release is unpeated, but its festive twist lies in the cask finish. After an initial 5-year maturation in bourbon casks, the whisky spent 3 years finishing in cream sherry casks.

This is Paul John’s eighth annual Christmas Edition, and the finishing vessels here are 250-liter hogsheads seasoned with cream sherry, which is a blend of oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries. Once considered somewhat old-fashioned as a libation, cream sherry has seen a modest return as a finishing cask lately, with recent high-profile releases such as Redbreast 18 year old and Glenlivet 40 year old. Paul John joins the revival with its latest Christmas Edition.

Collectible

Royal Salute 26 year old Kingdom Collection Colheita Port Cask Blended Scotch

ABV: 40%
SRP: $560
Availability: Limited edition available at specialist retailers from December; imported by Pernod Ricard USA

This is the final edition in the Kingdom Collection, a Royal Salute trilogy of 26 year old blends. It’s the first Royal Salute to be finished in port casks, and follows the trilogy’s Scottish Oak Cask and Amarone Wine Cask finish releases. Colheita port is a style of single vintage tawny port. Master blender Sandy Hyslop finished the new blend in these port casks from the Douro Valley, achieving a balance between the berry, dried fruit, nuts, and spice flavors. The cobalt decanter of the Colheita Port Cask Edition represents Portugal's azulejo facades (ceramic tile-decorated building exteriors), the Douro River, and the Atlantic.