Russell's Reserve 13 Returns, Woodford Master's Collection Release, Johnnie Walker Adds to Cities Series, & More [New Releases]

With Memorial Day now in the rearview mirror, we cruise toward summer, which means grilling season and all sorts of celebratory occasions. Over in Scotland, the fun got off to an early start this week with Islay's annual Fèis Ìle festival, which finishes up tomorrow. The festivities, which feature music, tastings, food, tours, and other events, are a great way to immerse yourself in the culture of this famous whisky island.

On this side of the pond, whisky makers have been having a busy week, with a slew of releases ahead of Father's Day and the summer season. Russell's Reserve is back with a new release of its 13 year old, and Woodford Reserve's annual Master's Collection release is out, this one at cask strength. Elsewhere, Teeling has added a new expression to its Wonders of Wood Series, Stranahan's has a red wine cask finished whiskey, and Johnnie Walker’s Cities Series has a new label in the collection. There are lots of Father's Day ideas here, so read on!

Teeling Wonders of Wood Virgin Portuguese Oak
Style: Single pot still
Origin: Ireland
Age: Not stated
ABV: 50%
Price: $100
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

The second edition of Teeling’s Wonders of Wood series is a single pot still whiskey that’s triple distilled, then aged in virgin Portuguese oak barrels.

Whisky Advocate says:

Native to the Iberian Peninsula, Portuguese oak has a higher tannin content than other oak variants typically used in whisky making, which imbues the whiskey with a distinctly savory flavor. Teeling’s Wonders of Wood series aims to explore the influence of such rare oak varieties; its first edition, released last year (and coming at No. 19 in our 2022 Top 20), put the spotlight on Chinkapin American white oak, a species native to Eastern and Central North America. Each bottle sold helps replant native trees in County Wicklow, an initiative that was also part of the first release and resulted in one acre of new tree plantings.

Johnnie Walker Cities Series: Texas
Style: Blend
Origin: Scotch
Age: Not stated
ABV: 40%
Price: $250
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited; Texas and reservebar.com

Need to know:

Launched in 2018, Johnnie Walker’s Cities creates themed bottlings celebrating U.S. cities and states. Thus far, the releases have included labels for New York, California, Miami, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and Chicago, with Texas now the latest entry. The back and side labels of the bottle are adorned with artwork that's all about Texas: prickly pears, bluebonnets, rodeo, desert, and longhorn cattle.

Whisky Advocate says:

The whisky for this release is the same as the core Johnnie Walker Blue, so it's the label that sets it apart. It’s a great gift for Johnnie Blue fans, or for any whisky drinker who loves Texas.

Hardin’s Creek The Kentucky Series: Clermont
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 17 year old
ABV: 55%
Price: $170
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

Clermont is the first release from James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s new Hardin’s Creek Kentucky Series, which aims to showcase the different microclimates and environments at Beam’s various distilling campuses. This 17 year old straight bourbon was aged in Clermont, where rolling hills, cool winds, and direct sunlight influenced the maturation process.

Whisky Advocate says:

Following in Clermont’s footsteps in the Kentucky Series will be Frankfort (releasing in August) and Boston (dropping in September). Like Clermont, both of those whiskeys are 17 years old, and will highlight the microclimates at Beam’s Frankfort and Boston, Kentucky-based campuses (the latter of which is the site of the Booker Noe distillery). Beam first introduced Hardin’s Creek, in July 2022. That particular expression, Hardin’s Creek Col. James B. Beam, was a 2 year old whiskey with a retail price of $80.

Blue Run Double Oak Single Barrel
Style: Rye
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 52.4-55.35%
Price: $200
Release: June 2023
Availability: 3,000 bottles; bluerunspirits.com and California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan in July

Need to know:

This is Blue Run’s first whiskey aged in two different level-3 char new American oak barrels. This release consists of 10 single barrels of Kentucky-distilled rye with ABVs between 52.4-55.35%. In step with the timing of Father’s Day, Blue Run recruited 10 fans who are also fathers to write tasting notes for the barrels. Those notes can be found on Blue Run website.

Whisky Advocate says:

Founded in 2020, with production led by Blue Run liquid advisor and former Four Roses master distiller Jim Rutledge, has been contract producing at Castle & Key Distillery and also sourcing from Bardstown Bourbon Co. Recently, the company announced plans to build its own distillery and more on its campus just outside of Lexington.

Bib & Tucker Double Char
Style: Finished bourbon
Origin: Tennessee
Age: 6 year old
ABV: 44%
Price: $55
Release: August 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This Tennessee bourbon was aged for 6 years, then finished for 5 months in a second heavily charred and smoked new barrel. The whiskey is being called a bourbon but qualifies as Tennessee whiskey as it’s filtered through sugar maple charcoal before going into the barrel; in a further nod to the Lincoln County process, the second barrel is smoked with sugar maple prior to being filled.

Whisky Advocate says:

All Bib & Tucker whiskeys clock in at 6 years old and come from an undisclosed Tennessee distillery. Originally owned by 3 Badge Beverage Corp., Bib & Tucker was purchased by Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits in 2017; since then, its star has risen, thanks to some high-scoring whiskeys. Among those was last year’s 6 year old Small Batch (No. 24), which ranked 14th on our Top 20 Whiskies of the Year list for 2021.

Woodford Master’s Collection Batch Proof 124.7
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 62.35%
Price: $130
Release: May 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

While Woodford is normally bottled at 90.4 proof, this cask strength offering exhibits the whiskey’s flavors in their purest form.

Whisky Advocate says:

Master distiller emeritus Chris Morris first introduced the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection in 2004 to experiment with different elements of flavor creation, including maturation and proofing. These days, Elizabeth McCall—who succeeded Morris in February—has the reins, though Morris still plays a role in the annual releases. Master’s Collection is released once a year. The 2023 edition is available at the distillery in limited quantities, as well as in select U.S. and global markets.

Russell's Reserve 13 year old
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 13 year old
ABV: 57.4%
Price: $150
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited; reservebar.com

Need to know:

Like the previous two annual releases of Russell's Reserve 13 year old, this is non-chill filtered and bottled at barrel proof.

Whisky Advocate says:

First released in June 2021, the inaugural bottling scored 93 points and was named an Editors' Choice.

Stranahan’s Red Wine Cask
Style: American single malt
Origin: Colorado
Age: 7 year old
ABV: 45%
Price: $70
Release: June 2023
Availability: Distillery exclusive

Need to Know:

Stranahan’s latest limited release first ages for four years in new American oak with level-3 char. Following the whiskey’s initial aging period, the single malt is moved into Bordeaux and pinot noir barrels for another three years before the lots are blended and bottled. Like all Stranahan’s whiskeys, Red Wine Cask is proofed down with water from the Eldorado spring in the Rocky Mountains.

Whisky Advocate says:

This latest release from Stranahan’s continues the distillery’s focus on introducing new cask finishes to American single malts. Red Wine Cask sits alongside releases like Stranahan’s Sherry Cask and Diamond Peak, the distillery’s extra añejo tequila barrel finished malt. Stranahan’s has had success in the past with its barrel-finished offerings, with Sherry Cask Batch 4 scoring 90 points from the tasting panel.

Milam & Greene Very Small Batch 1
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky and Tennessee
Age: 3 year old
ABV: 54%
Price: $70
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

This whiskey includes the first Milam & Greene bourbon distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky. Master distiller Marlene Holmes used a proprietary mashbill of 70% corn, 22% malted rye, and 8% malted barley. Master blender Heather Greene used about 20% of this Kentucky whiskey in the final blend, with the rest of the whiskey coming from an undisclosed distilling partner in Tennessee. That Tennessee bourbon has a mashbill of 80% corn, 10% rye, and 10% malted barley. The whiskey was finished with French oak staves, which were made from casks that once held tawny port as well as Milam & Greene’s own rye. After being broken down, the staves were laid out under the Texas sun, then charred on the outside.

Whisky Advocate says:

This is the first release of Very Small Batch, and the first new whiskey to join Milam & Greene’s core lineup in over two years. As with all Milam & Greene whiskeys, highlighting various climates is still at play here—all 75 barrels of this first batch were aged in Kentucky for 3 years, and then taken to Texas for an additional 5 months of maturation. Ultimately, the whiskey was aged for just under four years.

Jacob’s Pardon Small Batch #3
Style: Light whiskey
Origin: Indiana
Age: 18 year old
ABV: 71.25%
Price: $195
Release: June 2023
Availability: 18,000 bottles

Need to Know:

The third release in the Jacob’s Pardon Small Batch line, this light whiskey is blended from 211 barrels distilled from a mash of 99% corn and 1% malted barley by MGP. Small Batch #3 is bottled at barrel proof. The term "Light Whiskey" refers not to ABV, but is about distilling to high proof to remove congeners and create less burn on the palate, ostensibly resulting in a lighter, less grain-forward flavor. Blending was handled by spirits author and Jacob’s Pardon master blender F. Paul Pacult. Distribution will be national but limited.

Whisky Advocate says:

So far, Jacob’s Pardon has released a combination of small batch and single barrel releases, with a focus on a more uncommon aspect of American whiskey: light whiskeys. These spirits were distilled above 80% abv and can age in either uncharred new oak or used barrels. Two of Jacob’s Pardon’s single barrels have scored exceptionally well with the Whisky Advocate tasting panel: Jacob's Pardon 15 year old Single Barrel (No. 23) scored 93 points and Jacob's Pardon 15 year old Single Barrel (No. 37) scored 92.

Bardstown Discovery #10
Style: Blended bourbon
Origin: Kentucky, Georgia, and Tennessee
Age: Not stated
ABV: 57.12%
Price: $140
Release: May 2023
Availability:42,000 bottles in 24 states, and at seelbachs.com

Need to know:

Discovery #10 comprises a blend of three Kentucky bourbons (9 year old, 13 year old, and 6 year old, 62:18:8 respectively) with a 10 year old bourbon from Georgia (10%) and a 10 year old Tennessee whiskey (2%).

Whisky Advocate says:

Over the years, Bardstown Bourbon Co. has built up a sizeable array of whiskeys, which were mainly released as entries to the Collaborative Series and the Discovery Series. The Discovery Series features expressions where Kentucky bourbons represent the lion’s share, accompanied by other American or Canadian whiskies. This new expression is in good company, with previous expressions Discovery #1, Discovery #2, and Discovery #4 all receiving a 94 from the Whisky Advocate tasting panel.

Crown Royal Master Series 23 year old Golden Apple
Style: Flavored
Origin: Canadian
Age: 23 year old
ABV: 40%
Price: $250
Release: June 2023
Availability: Limited

Need to know:

Crown Royal’s newest limited edition expression is a proprietary blend of whiskies, which was aged 23 years. The whisky is flavored to match the profile of Golden Delicious apples. It comes in a golden bottle, with one of Crown Royal’s signature suede-finished bags—this time in green and gold.

Whisky Advocate says:

What have we here? A $250 flavored whiskey, using liquid aged 23 years? We've never seen anything like this before, and we're guessing you haven't either. With due respect to the whiskey makers who craft flavored expressions so brilliantly, you're unlikely to find them on the auction block at Sotheby's. This one is being released in collaboration with singer-songwriter Solange Knowles (Beyoncé's sister) and Saint Heron, the creative agency focused on music, events, film, and other artistic programs. Saint Heron is also the name of a compilation album by Knowles. The collaboration will start in New York with an opening reception for the film "A House is not a Home", where Saint Heron's first collection of hand-blown glassware will be used to serve this new Crown Royal expression. By all indications this appears to be a very limited expression where the marketing program is the star, but Crown Royal says the collaboration will be ongoing, so stay tuned.