Whisky Watch: New Michter's Sour Mash, Maker's Yam Jam, Jeptha Creed Blue Corn Bourbon & More

The pace of new releases picked up this week, with plenty of new whiskies coming from across the globe. In Kentucky, Michter’s unveiled the first-ever cask strength iteration of US*1 Sour Mash, Maker’s Mark partnered with WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum on a stave-finished Private Selection bourbon, and Jeptha Creed introduced a bourbon that puts the spotlight on an heirloom blue corn varietal. Independent bottler Frank August returned with the latest release in its Case Study series, this one a blend of Kentucky bourbon and rye, while Blue Run kicked off a new series with a straight bourbon. Elsewhere in the U.S., the Andy Roddick and Peyton Manning-owned Sweetens Cove trotted out a blend of Tennessee and Kentucky whiskeys finished in wine barrels, Virginia distiller A. Smith Bowman released its second rye, and Texas blender Koopers introduced a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel-finished rye. In Scotland, Chivas and F1 driver Charles Leclerc collaborated on a 16 year old blend, San Francisco-based importer ImpEx revealed the fifth edition of its ImpEx Collection, and Talisker debuted its oldest single malt yet.

Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Sour Mash

ABV: Variable
SRP: $120
Availability: Nationwide

For the first time, Michter’s Distillery has released a cask strength version of its US*1 Sour Mash. Sour Mash was one of the distillery’s leading whiskeys throughout the 1970s and 1980s, possessing an unconventional mashbill that prevented it from being labeled as either a bourbon or a rye. It rejoined the core range in 2012, and today it’s still a popular option among the distillery’s fans. The cask strength version will have a varying proof from batch to batch, with this year’s at an average of 55.75% ABV.

The Michter’s house style revolves around producing quality whiskeys at lower proofs, leveraging methods like low-entry proof to impart a sense of depth and complexity that belies its low strength. But the distillery’s high-proof offerings are very impressive too, with its Barrel Strength rye consistently earning high marks in our blind tastings.

Maker’s Mark Yam Jam by Kelsey Plum Bourbon

ABV: 55.65%
SRP: TBD
Availability: Limited

Last year, WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Kelsey Plum traveled to Star Hill Farm to participate in the Maker’s Mark Private Selection program, the distillery’s custom blending and finishing offering. The result of that visit is Yam Jam, a new limited expression designed by Plum that’s launching just ahead of the WNBA season’s start next Friday. Yam Jam is finished using 10 different types of staves, including a mix of American and French oak.

Blue Run Blueprint Series Bourbon

ABV: 52.5%
SRP: $70
Availability: Nationwide

Blue Run’s latest bourbon is the inaugural release in a new series which it says is “the blueprint for what is to come.” The straight bourbon is a blend of two mashbills; one is a wheated bourbon, the other is an experimental mashbill referred to as the “Founders’ Mash” that features 80% corn, 15% rye, and 5% malted barley. It’ll roll out nationwide, giving Blue Run fans a whiskey that will be here for the long run (many of their releases have been more limited).

Jeptha Creed Bruce’s Blue Bourbon

ABV: 50%
SRP: $60
Availability: Exclusive to the Jeptha Creed Distillery in Shelbyville and Kentucky retailers

With its latest release, Jeptha Creed is putting the spotlight on a bespoke heirloom grain varietal. Made from a mashbill of 75% Bruce’s Blue heirloom corn (a cross of blue Claridge and blue poppy corn varietals), 20% malted rye, and 5% malted barley, the straight bourbon is a testament to the farming operation of Bruce Nethery, who is the husband of Jeptha master distiller Joyce Nethery and the man behind Bruce’s Blue.

Heirloom grains are often at the fore of Jeptha Creed’s production; after all, the distillery is housed amidst 64 acres of farmland, with much of those fields devoted to the production of heirloom grain varietals. In the past, Jeptha has played with other heirloom grains, including Bloody Butcher corn.

Sweetens Cove Father’s Finish Bourbon (2026 Release)

ABV: 49%
SRP: $65
Availability: CO, FL, GA, NC, NJ, NY, SC, TN

Sweetens Cove, the whiskey brand founded by NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and tennis great Andy Roddick, is releasing a Father’s Day-themed expression. Father’s Finish is a blend of Kentucky and Tennessee bourbons that’s finished for an undisclosed period in cuvée wine barrels. Father’s Finish is slated to become an annual release, with the inaugural batch totaling 6,000 bottles nationwide.

Frank August Case Study 07: French Connection American

ABV: 53.7%
SRP: $125
Availability: Limited

For independent bottler Frank August, the Case Study series is an arena for experimenting with different blending and finishing methods. This release explores both of those areas and tries to bridge the gap between France and America. It’s a vatting of Kentucky bourbons and ryes that were separately finished in calvados (French apple brandy), Martinique rhum, and Caribbean rum casks. The final blend was proofed down to 107.4 Proof, a reference to July 4th 1884, when France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the U.S.

Abraham Bowman 2015 Special Release Rye Whiskey (Special Release No. 26)

ABV: 55%
SRP: $80
Availability: At select retailers, on-premise accounts, and via an online lottery

A. Smith Bowman, Buffalo Trace’s sister distillery in Virginia, has released its second rye whiskey, following 2010’s Special Release No. 1. The newcomer was distilled in 2015 and then aged for 11 years in Warehouse A, the distillery’s coldest warehouse that’s said to slow down the aging process. It was bottled at 55% ABV, a sizable jump over No. 1’s 45%. Bottles can be secured via an online lottery running May 4th through May 11th. The winners must purchase the bottles in person at the distillery. Limited quantities will be made available across Sazerac’s distribution footprint.

Koopers 10 Year Old Rye Finished in a Buffalo Trace Barrel

ABV: 50%
SRP: $50/375 ml
Availability: 231 bottles

Ledbetter, Texas-based blender Koopers Whiskey has released a 10 year old 100% rye that spent 9 of its years finishing in a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel. The whiskey was distilled at Chicago’s Koval Distillery—where Koopers founders Troy and Michelle Kooper trained as distillers under Koval’s Dr. Robert Birnecker—from a 100% rye mashbill, then transported to Texas, where it matured for 1 year. It was then transferred into a used Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel, where it remained for the next 9 years. The Texas heat contributed to considerable evaporation of whiskey in the barrel; to increase the amount available, Koopers halved the bottle size to 375 mls, which will be available exclusively at the brand’s tasting room in Ledbetter beginning Saturday, May 9^th at 11 a.m.

Chivas Regal 16 Charles Leclerc Blended Scotch

ABV: 40%
SRP: $70
Availability: Limited edition

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver and Chivas Regal global brand ambassador, has joined forces with Sandy Hyslop, Chivas Regal master blender emeritus, to create a new blended scotch that celebrates 16, Leclerc’s F1 driver number. Leclerc challenged Hyslop to use 16 whiskies aged for at least 16 years, and the blend came together with Longmorn matured in sherry casks as its key component. It is the first Chivas Regal 16 year old in the brand’s history, and the label includes flashes of red as a nod to Leclerc’s racing team.

With eight Formula 1 wins in his career, the Monégasque driver is currently sitting in third place in the 2026 F1 world championship. Racing resumes at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend, the first F1 race of the year on U.S. soil. Formula 1 is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., and its surge in popularity has attracted many whisky brands as team sponsors.

The ImpEx Collection: Edition Five

ABV: Varies
SRP: $120-$225
Availability: Limited

San Francisco-based spirits importer Impex is back with the fifth edition of The Impex Collection, its release of rare, independent bottlings of whisky, rum, and agave. Edition Five is comprised of 11 spirits—mainly single malt scotch, but also single malts from England and New Zealand. All were chosen by ImpEx president Sam Filmus. The scotch picks are as follows:

• The ImpEx Collection 2008 17 year old Linkwood Chateau Margaux Red Wine Barrique No.14547 (252 bottles, 58%, $225)
• The ImpEx Collection 2010 14 year old Teaninich Margaux Red Wine Barrique No. 721395 (275 bottles, 57.9%, $150)
• The ImpEx Collection 2011 13 year old Blair Athol 1^st Fill Hogshead No. 304172 (233 bottles, 56.3%, $140)
• The ImpEx Collection 2011 14 year old Ardmore ex-Bourbon Barrel No. 802498 (163 bottles, 59.2%, $150)
• The ImpEx Collection 2011 14 year old Burnside Blended Malt Chateau Latour Barrique No. 24789 (261 bottles, 63.8%, $150)
• The ImpEx Collection 2011 14 year old Dailuaine Quarter Cask No. 313842 (161 bottles, 54%, $125)
• The ImpEx Collection 2013 11 year old Teaninich ex-Boubron Barrel No. 707207 (243 bottles, 56.8%, $125)
• The ImpEx Collection 2019 4 year old Isle of Raasay Peated Manzanilla Cask No. 1195 (276 bottles, 60.3%, $120)

Rounding out Edition Five are two single malts from England and New Zealand and a Jamaican rum:

• The ImpEx Collection 2018 6 year old Spirit of Yorkshire ex-Madeira Single Cask No. 3152 (274 bottles, 52.7%, $110)
• The ImpEx Collection 2020 3 year old Pōkeno 1^st Fill Amontillado Cask No. 26 (330 bottles, 58.5%, $125)
• The ImpEx Collection 2005 18 year old Long Pond Rum Cask No. 20 (194 bottles, 58.6%, $180)

All 11 bottlings will be available at retailers nationwide, in limited distribution.

Talisker Magma 47 year old Island single malt scotch

ABV: 48.8%
SRP: $5,250
Availability: Limited global release of 622 bottles in select retailers and via the Diageo Private client team

Diageo has released its oldest Talisker yet, with a 47 year old finished for 4 months in new American oak casks toasted with volcanic rock from Skye, a nod to the Hebridean island’s geological origins. The majority of the whisky’s maturation was in refill American oak hogsheads; refill casks are less active, allowing whiskies to age longer without the oak influence becoming overpowering.

Cask toasting involves applying radiant heat to the staves of the barrel to break down compounds of the oak, helping the cask to contribute flavor to the whisky during maturation. It’s a slower process than charring, where direct flame is used to burn the inner surface of the staves. The most traditional cask toasting method involves placing the cask over a small fire for 15-20 minutes without igniting the staves. Volcanic rock toasting, where the rocks are heated to high temperatures, is a relatively new method of applying radiant heat to the inside of a cask, but cooperages can also deliver precision-controlled toasting methods using electric heaters and infrared heat. The technique was developed in Bordeaux for wine in 2018, enabling vineyards to develop terroir-driven barrels. Magma has never been used for cask toasting, as it’s molten, or semi-molten, and far hotter than heated volcanic rock. Dewar’s started the trend in whisky in 2025 with its Double Double 21 year old Stone Toasted French oak and American oak casks, followed by Diageo’s first release using the technique on the 93-point Talisker Molten Seas 14 year old expression, which was part of its 2025 Special Releases.