2804 Searched for buy we came as romans bourbon

The term ‘flipper' sounds so bad,” Paul H* groans after I casually refer to him as such. As the midday sun streams in through his kitchen window, he leans back against a folding table that's overflowing with whiskey-shipping supplies, running a hand through his bed-head hair. “I sell high-end whiskey as a middleman,” he clarifies. My eyes drift to ogle another table full of enviable whiskies—Hirsch Select 25, Sazerac 18, and Hibiki 21 year olds. Paul's makeshift processing center is not what you'd call tidy. Children's books, plastic bags, and crumpled cash fill the occasional voids between the rare bottles packed upon the stained table.[*Several sources for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity. They are indicated by abbreviated surnames.]“But I never feel bad about selling whiskey,” Paul admits. “It's like walking into a store, seeing 10 lotto tickets, one of which is a winner, and taking any of the nine losers. You don't...

A time capsule of scotch whisky destined for Hollywood A-listers helped Sotheby's to stage its largest ever scotch whisky auction on May 10. During the financial crash of 2008, an entrepreneur from southern California bought a shipping container of valuable bottles from a struggling U.S. whisky broker who had hoped to sell them to people in the movie industry. Instead, they went under the hammer in New York 14 years later as Sotheby's auctioned the Hollywood Collection and Part 4 of the Three Continents Collection for a total hammer price of $2,034,100 (Sotheby's pre-sale estimate was $1,481,750 - $2,063,050).This one was a true celebration of scotch, with over 1,100 lots on offer from 91 single malt and grain distilleries representing all regions of Scotland (discover the top 10 distilleries at this sale ranked by hammer price below). It was one of the most comprehensive sales of scotch from closed distilleries in the U.S. for many years, with bottlings from the Inverness...

The newest Sotheby’s 2025 Whisky & Whiskey auction, Festive Spirits, is now open for bidding and will culminate in a live auction on December 12. Among the scores of lots are ungodly scarce bottles, many beyond unicorn status—what’s rarer than a unicorn? A Pegasus?—including a 1950 Very Very Old Fitzgerald 15 year old “Blackhawk”, a Macallan 78 year old, and 22 pints of 1953 Old W.L. Weller 5 year old.
Standing toe-to-toe with these Pegasus bottles, one collection that’s already attracting bids is a selection of 30-plus bottles from Preservation Distillery’s Marci Palatella—specifically, a slew of Very Olde St. Nick expressions from the early ’90s, along with collector editions such as The Legends of the Wild West and Outlaw Collector series.
“We’ve never seen this many [Preservation] bottles come to auction at once,” says Zev Glesta, assistant vice president and whiskey specialist for...

Sotheby’s shattered auction records galore in New York on January 24th, as The Great American Whiskey Collection lived up to its name. Now the most valuable American whiskey collection ever sold at auction, its combined hammer price* of $2,003,900 (or $2,504,892 with buyer’s premiums) soared above the $1.2–$1.7 million pre-sale estimate. Old Rip Van Winkle 20 year old (distilled in 1982) for Sam’s Wines & Spirits achieved a new auction record for American whiskey, with a hammer price of $130,000 (or $162,500 with buyer’s premiums). This is the highest proof Van Winkle release in history at 133.4 proof, one of only 60 bottles created. This is the first appearance of the bottling for Sam’s to hit the auction block in over a decade.
At the podium on the Breuer Building, Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s global head of spirits, gave an electrifying performance as the new record was set, tapping his hammer repeatedly to quiet the room as the major...

With 11 brands making the cut this month, the competition for which bottles make the monthly list of highest hammer prices is heating up. June’s list produced a combined value of $1,062,769, outperforming June 2023 by 34%. It’s the first month of 2024 to beat last year’s figures, and only the second month to break the million-dollar mark this year, beating the year-earlier month by $267,733. One reason for that was the setting of a new highest hammer price of the year at $210,200, achieved when Unicorn Auctions handled the year’s first successful sale of Yamazaki 55 year old.
For the first 6 months of 2024, some 120 bottles have made the monthly lists of the 20 highest hammer prices, for a combined value of $5.13 million. Last year, the comparable figure was $6.44 million, so despite June’s bump, the year-to-date for 2024 is still down $1.31 million or 20.3%. Before anyone pours their priceless whisky down the drain, it’s worth remembering these...

Shrouded in the woods in an unincorporated town outside of Frankfort, Kentucky, a 19th-century distillery rumbles back to life. Abandoned in 1972, the workers walked out, leaving coffee mugs and office memos on their desks, not knowing when or if they might return. In the passing decades, the Old Taylor Distillery, with its “Sleeping Beauty” castle, was crumbling, cloaked in ivy, an unintended casualty of an unloved spirit.Now the sprawling compound stands resurrected as Castle & Key, a massive and mercurial passion project of former Kentucky lawyer Will Arvin and hedge funder Wesley Murry. The reborn distillery began producing bourbon and gin in November under the energetic oversight of Marianne Barnes, the first female master distiller in bourbon country since Prohibition. “Since the first time I laid eyes on the historic site that would become Castle & Key, I knew that it was important,” she says. “It is a lost bourbon icon, built by a man who was not shy to say...

April’s 20-highest hammer prices broke the million-dollar barrier for the first time in 2024, thanks largely to two sales of Macallan The Reach 81 year old. The month's 20-highest hammer prices were valued at $1,023,392, but despite this bumper month,  year to date sales are down 29%, by a total of $1.3 million. The market for the most expensive collectibles has softened since 2022–23, with unsold bottles of five-figure whiskies failing to meet the reserve price now  becoming a regular occurrence at auction. The whiskies struggling to sell are often relatively recent releases or bottles in a price segment where market is undergoing a correction after an initial flurry of interest has died down. But even this month’s  usual stand-outs, Macallan and Karuizawa, are experiencing some of these market forces. Sellers who can accept a lower sum might make the sale regardless, whereas others might want to take their bottles back...

January’s auctions confounded expectations, delivering impressive results that cut through the post-holiday lull. This list of the 20 highest hammer prices achieved a combined value of $984,579, up 20% compared to January 2025. Sotheby’s record-breaking auction of The Great American Whiskey Collection set a new record hammer price for American whiskey, with a bid of $130,000 for the Old Rip Van Winkle 1982 20 year old for Sam’s Wines & Spirits. This overtook the 6-liter bottle of O.F.C. 1982, a former NFT release, that took $122,900 at Unicorn Auctions, and last year’s $100,000 winning bid at Sotheby’s for the Old Rip Van Winkle Van Winkle Selection.
Dalmore produced January’s highest-value single malt scotch at auction, with Dalmore Constellation Collection 1964 46 year old attracting a hammer price of $67,622. WVA Whisky Auctions had a bottle of Macallan 1937 The Golden Age of Travel – The Ocean Liner in their auction, a rebottling...

In order to bag a rare bourbon, Ricky Nash endured ridicule. The Georgia native walked into liquor stores and asked for “Elmer T. Lee.” The store associates laughed. He asked for “Pappy,” and they teased the whiskey enthusiast like he was stalking a unicorn.Nash tracked Internet rumors and the online secondary market, drove across several states, and looked inside more than two dozen liquor stores in search of any limited edition or hard-to-find bourbon. Then, one day in late November, it happened. He stepped inside one of the stores he'd been eyeing and there was the entire Van Winkle line, ranging from the 23 year old for $2,900 to the 10 year old for $400. After negotiating it down to $350, Nash finally owned 10 year old Old Rip Van Winkle and gleefully commented on a bourbon Facebook group, “Today was a good day!! My first bottle of ORVW10!!!.”He shopped, he scored.Like many whiskey lovers, Nash realized it's much more difficult to buy limited edition bourbon now than...

It's rare for a whisky collector to agree to an interview as their collection goes under the hammer—rarer still when that collector has assembled the largest-ever private whisky collection to go to auction. The 9,000-bottle collection, valued at $5 million, is being sold at Whisky Auctioneer across multiple auctions between September 2020 and June 2021. For Whisky Advocate, I spoke to the owner, a European collector who prefers to be known only as Pat, by Zoom without a live video feed to preserve his anonymity. We discussed his buying strategies, the whiskies he missed out on (there aren't many), and the extreme measures he's taken to acquire hard-to-find bottlings.Despite the clandestine conditions under which we met, Pat spoke at length about whisky collecting, sharing his insight and opinions into what has driven him over the past 15 years. He was amiable, engaging, candid, and great company, frequently digressing as he recounted entertaining tales about his search for scarce...

Bourbons, blends, and compelling finishes set the tone for this week's new whiskies. The year's second batch of Booker's is here, blending whiskeys from seven different production dates that aged in eight separate warehouses. Peerless has debuted the second iteration of its Toasted Rye, which aged first in new oak before being finished in barrels with a medium toast. From Bardstown Bourbon Co. comes the latest Distillery Reserve Series release, this one a blend of bourbon, rye, and Tennessee whiskey finished in mizunara oak; World Whiskey Society has gone with a different Japanese finish for its new bourbon, putting it in shochu casks. Castle & Key, Wheel Horse, and Rebel each have new bourbons, while Uncle Nearest unveils its newest Master Blend. Rounding out the U.S. contingent are an imperial stout cask-finished straight rye from Old Potrero, a new single cask American single malt from Copperworks, and a Kentucky whiskey aged in Scotland from...

With record hammer prices paid for Glenlivet, Glen Grant, and Port Ellen, the Distillers One of One auction certainly created plenty of headlines. Beyond these notable successes, three lots are worth highlighting for their better-than-expected performance. The Ladyburn Marilyn Monroe by Sam Shaw 1966 58 year old sold for $240,121, the value boosted by the 20th-century cinematic icon on the label and the rarity of the whisky, which was distilled during the founding year of this short-lived single malt distillery. Ladyburn was built within William Grant & Sons’ Girvan grain distillery in 1966 and operated until 1975. There’s no real connection between the distillery and Marilyn Monroe—after all, she died in 1962 before Girvan or Ladyburn distilleries were around—but it certainly made for an eye-catching label.
Few whisky drinkers will know the name KANDOBLANC as it’s a design house, not a distillery, dedicated to the creation of one-of-a-kind...

Macallan dominated the auction scene in March, highlighted by the sale of the oldest Macallan to date. The combined value of the 20-highest single bottles of whisky, 11 of which were Macallan, was $764,638. Macallan TIMESPACE 1940 84 year old set the highest hammer price of the month, with Sotheby’s, Hong Kong securing its first sale at auction. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, 60 bottles from 19 brands have made the lists, selling for a combined hammer price of $2.2 million.
Although Macallan has taken a significant lead over its American whiskey rivals, it might have gone higher still. A bottle of Macallan The Reach 81 year old, previously the oldest Macallan to sell at auction, failed to reach the asking price at The Grand Whisky Auction, despite bids of over $93,000. Macallan TIMESPACE was also on track not to sell until Sotheby’s dropped the asking price by HK$100,000 in the final hours of the sale. It originally retailed for $190,000 in September 2024...

The French may have popularized charcuterie as we know it today—and gave it the name, which comes from their words for flesh (chair) and cooked (cuit)—but salting and smoking meats to preserve them dates back to at least ancient Rome. “Since there was only so much pork loin, beef rib eye, and tenderloin to go around, Romans would chop, mince, and grind all parts of the animal and stuff the innards with this meat, plus salt and spices, and then roast them over an open fire,” says Kevin Ouzts, owner, executive chef, and charcutier of The Spotted Trotter in Atlanta. 
While wine and cheese make a natural pairing, whisky and charcuterie are just as delicious together. The flavors you’ll find on a charcuterie board are similar to those of many whiskies—including smoke, brine, fruit, and spice—and enjoying them together enhances the flavors of both. With so many different meats, cheeses, and other ingredients that make up a charcuterie...

A bid of over half a million dollars for a bottle of Bowmore led The Distillers One of One auction, which raised a combined hammer price of $2.18 million on October 5th, living up to its billing as the auction high point of the year. The second biannual collection of one-off scotch whisky creations went under the hammer in partnership with Sotheby’s at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh, with proceeds benefiting the Youth Action Fund of The Distillers’ Charity. With pre-sale estimates of $1.25–$2.25 million, the sale consisted of 39 lots sold with no reserves, encompassing 56 bottles and 9 casks donated directly from whisky companies across the industry.

There were oldest-ever whisky releases aplenty from distillers including  Bowmore, Brora, Old Pulteney, Glenglassaugh, Macduff, and Kilchoman distilleries. Numerous lots contained large format bottles that included miniatures for tasting and the additional promise of unique distillery or tasting...

September 2025 will go down in history as the month in which an 18 year old bourbon beat an 81 year old scotch as the highest hammer price of the month.  Sotheby’s, New York sold the Very Very Old Fitzgerald 1950 18 year old Blackhawk for $85,000, setting a new record hammer price for this rarity,  and putting a Kentucky bourbon at the top of September’s list. It’s the second-highest auction price for a single bottle of American whiskey in 2025, only pipped by the $100,000 hammer price achieved by the Old Rip Van Winkle “Van Winkle Selection” at Sotheby’s, New York in March. Macallan may have missed the top spot this month, but its 11 appearances on the list in September extend its lead at the top of the table. As the secondary market gears up for a packed fall season, the combined value of September’s 20-highest hammer prices hit $836,784, outperforming the September 2024 results by 21%.
Sales of Samaroli Laphroaig 1967 15...

The June auction market got off to an impressive start, with a bottle of Yamazaki 55 year old selling at the highest hammer price of the year, thanks to a $200,000 bid at Bonhams Skinner, Massachusetts. Yamazaki’s value has fared well in the current market; the last bottle of this Japanese whisky to sell at a U.S. auction house made $210,200 a year ago. Last year, the three highest hammer prices were all Japanese single malts, and two of them were Yamazaki 55 year old. 
Sotheby’s sold antique spirits this month, the prized collection of Mark Wade, co-founder of the Vintage Whiskey Society. Most of the historic bourbon and ryes achieved hammer prices in the range of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and many exceeded their estimates. Three vintage bottles made $10,000 a piece; Old Stagg Special Reserve 24 year old, Four Roses 1917 16 year old, and Old McBrayer 1917 17 year old.  These were eclipsed by the $24,000 bid for a relatively modern bottle of...

Italian cuisine is filled with dishes that don't sound so appetizing when translated into English: vermicelli (little worms); spaghetti alla puttanesca (whore-style spaghetti); calzone (trouser legs). The names usually describe how the food looks. But the Italian bar includes a drink that gets its off-putting moniker—amaro—from how it tastes: bitter. You're well advised to drink it despite the foreboding name.In fact, if you've sampled the charms of a Negroni cocktail—equal parts gin, vermouth, and Campari—you've already tasted amaro in the latter ingredient. These pungent aperitifs and digestifs shine as cocktail additives, and lately Americans are discovering what Italians have known for centuries: They taste great on their own.Amari (the plural) evolved from digestive aids and medicinal tinctures quaffed by the ancient Romans. Monasteries carried on the tradition in the middle ages and by the 19th century they were bottled and branded. Certain botanical flavorings—anise...

Looking back over the whisky auctions of 2023 there were some spectacular bottles sold, some amazing new records set, and the first-ever bottle of whisky to sell for more than $2 million.  Our regular auction coverage includes the monthly 20-highest hammer prices for single bottles of whisky sold at auction, and the bottles below represent the highest 20 hammer prices of the 240 bottles that made the 12 lists for 2023.
The whiskies come from seven distilleries in Scotland and Japan, with scotch securing the top three places on the list. Nine of the bottles came from Macallan, including four sales of Macallan The Reach 81 year old, the oldest-ever whisky released at the time of writing. Yamazaki 55 year old is currently the oldest Japanese whisky in the world, and sales of this bottle made two of the brand’s four bottles on the list. Bowmore had three entries this year, with STAC 55 year old and ARC-52 The Mokume Edition both representing one-off bottlings consigned...

The Whisky Advocate Awards system has evolved over the years, just as the industry itself has undergone impressive changes and progress. We started giving out awards in 1994 and continue to so today. Many of the whiskies we once loved are no longer available, and some of people we've honored have since passed on, but we continue to celebrate their legacy.
Whisky Advocate's 17th Annual Awards (2010)
Best Buy Whiskey of the Year—Tie:Evan Williams and Very Old Barton 6 Year Old Bottled in Bond
Artisan Whisky of the Year: Kilchoman (Summer 2010 Release)
American Whiskey of the Year: Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
Canadian Whisky of the Year: Forty Creek Confederation Oak
Irish Whiskey of the Year: Redbreast 12 year old
World Whisky of the Year: Amrut Fusion
Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year: Compass Box “Flaming Heart”
Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year: Glenfarclas 40 year old
Industry Leader of the Year: Glencairn...

There are just a few whiskeys included among this week’s new rollouts, but those comprise some of the most highly anticipated bourbons on the market. Booker’s leads the way with its first batch of the year, while we also have a new release of Michter’s 10 year old bourbon, and the 11th annual release from Blood Oath. New Riff, meanwhile, has its very limited bourbon and rye labels, both under the Silver Grove name, available at the distillery’s gift shop only, with a portion of sales going to a local charity in nearby Silver Grove, Kentucky. Also new are a double oak bourbon from Buzzard's Roost, and two offerings from the World Whiskey Society.
 
Booker’s “Barry’s Batch” Bourbon (Batch 2025-01)
ABV: 62.85%
SRP: $100
Availability: Limited
The first Booker’s batch of the year has arrived. Named in honor of Barry Berish, a former Jim Beam chairman and CEO (and dear friend of master...

The single barrel selection process is a treat. Barrel hunters often take a private tour of the distillery and the warehouses, and sample from a number of barrels to decide what matches their palate. The process is wildly popular nowadays, and stock sells out every year. Some distilleries cope with demand by keeping a waiting list, while others use a lottery to determine who can participate.
At Four Roses, master distiller Brent Elliott and his team evaluate and select their prize barrels for the program, usually setting aside 40 to 80 total. After touring the Four Roses campus, barrel buyers taste the whiskey in one of the warehouses. “There’s a sense of ownership and pride when someone has control over the bourbon they’re purchasing,” Elliott says. “The program is more popular than ever. We’ve increased the barrel allocation, but demand is still greater than supply.”

For the typical whiskey lover looking to buy a single barrel...

The Whisky Loch refers to a specifically Scottish problem and a particular period in Scotch whisky's history—you can read about it here. But let's briefly steer the time machine to Japan, which shortly after the worst Scottish closures had its own problems.To a certain extent the cutbacks in Japan were a problem of sharp tax rises on domestic whisky, but it may be argued that a greater challenge was an oversupply of cheap Scottish and Irish whiskeys which flooded into Japan following the contraction of their previous main markets, most notably the U.S. In a desperate attempt to prevent shutdowns in Scotland, whisky was supplied at highly competitive prices (well, frankly, all too often it was dumped) and this, combined with the cachet still clinging to imported spirits, caused severe problems to the domestic industry in Japan. The irony, of course, is that the strategy (if one can gloss these actions with such a term) didn't work. In fact, it created further problems. As well as...

In January 2018, the Kentucky Vintage Spirits Law was enacted. The law’s aim is to allow bars, restaurants, and liquor stores to sell vintage spirits without using a distributor. Alcohol in the U.S. normally must be sold through what’s called the three-tier system—starting with a producer, who sells to a distributor, who then sells to a retailer. But now Kentucky’s licensed retailers (including bars and restaurants) can buy old bottles from ordinary citizens and sell them in their establishments. Among other advantages for whiskey lovers, it provides an outlet to those who previously had to seek out “old dusty” vintage whiskeys on the illegal secondary markets that flourish on Facebook.
However, some ambiguous wording in the law created multiple problems over the past six years. Numerous sources we spoke to shared stories of state liquor enforcement agents misunderstanding the law, leading to confiscations of products and fines. Here are some of...

Scotch whisky history is full of great rivalries, such as Ardbeg and Bruichladdich's Peat Bog battles over ppm and Dalwhinnie and Braeval's spat over which distillery is Scotland's highest. Now we can add the great auction duel of 2019-2021 between Whisky Auctioneer and Sotheby's to the list. This legendary contest was fought between two extraordinarily valuable whisky collections, with both auction houses claiming to have sold the most valuable collection ever seen—in the case of Whisky Auctioneer, the Perfect Collection, which when revealed in 2019,looked set to challenge Sotheby's sale of The Ultimate Whisky Collection in a clash of online versus live bidding. We previously speculated on the two collections' prospects for being crowned the greatest whisky collection of all time, but now that both stages of these auctions are over, it's time to take a deep dive into the figures to settle the matter once and for all,Our route to declaring a victor involved three tests that compared...

The Distillers One of One 2025 auction has raised millions of dollars for charity in Scotland, setting 30 new whisky auction records and surpassing the results of their previous sale. Glenlivet SPIRA 1965 60 year old achieved the highest hammer price at the sale on October 10th with a winning bid of $693,682 – a new highest hammer price of the year and a new auction record for Glenlivet. The biennial event, hosted by Sotheby’s at Hopetoun House on the outskirts of Edinburgh, included 39 unrepeatable lots comprising unique bottles, casks, and experiences. Two hundred guests attended the auction in person, including collectors from the U.S., UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, and more, with active phone and internet bidders joining in. The sale total reached $3.9 million, including buyers’ premiums. The combined hammer price of $3,109,191 will be donated to the Youth Action Fund, an organization that has given thousands of Scotland’s...

November delivered a new world record for whisky at auction with the Macallan Valerio Adami, and the total hammer price value for the 20 highest single bottle sales reached nearly $3.3 million. While the Valerio Adami got the spotlight at the top of the list, Japanese whiskies made up more than half of the top 20, with the sale of the Karuizawa 1960 52 year old Daikoku God and the Yamazaki 50 year old 2nd release in second and third place. That made November the highest monthly total of 2023—though the year isn’t over quite yet, with auctions running through December. Competition for December's top slots may come from the upcoming sale of a bottle of Macallan The Reach 81 year old and a bottle of Yamazaki 55 year old in Paris.
November 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices
Results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Macallan Fine & Rare 1979 40 year old
Sold on: November 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer...

September’s auction market got off to a flying start with a full lineup of events offering collectors the opportunity to acquire some impressive rarities. Sotheby’s brought a mixture of scotch, Japanese, bourbon, and rye to New York, led by 57, 60, and 62 year olds from the Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection selling for $75,000, $60,000 and $30,000 respectively. Macallan Anniversary Malt 1928 50 year old garnered $55,000, and Macallan Millennium 1949 50 year old went for $20,000. Further high-value scotch selections included Glenfiddich 50 year old First release going for a hammer price of $12,000, Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 1938 60 year old which hammered at $8,500, and Black Bowmore 1964 30 year old Second Release which reached $8,000. Rye whiskey performed strongly, topped by a bottle of LeNell’s Red Hook Rye 23 year old Barrel No. 1 which hit a hammer price of $42,000. A bottle of Rathskeller Rye, a 24 year old...

Auctions in the first week of August indicated a stronger trend than in July. Topping the performance list was Grand Whisky Auction, which delivered the highest hammer price so far this month with a bottle of Macallan The Red Collection 60 year old, selling for $72,192. This is only the second such bottle to sell at auction in 2025. Still, it represents a 24% drop in value over the six months since it set the highest hammer price of the month in February.
A Sotheby’s sale in New York featured the first opportunity to bid on bottles of I.W. Harper 34 year old. A lot containing WhistlePig The Boss Hog editions I–X fetched a hammer price of $19,000 and saved one lucky collector the effort of tracking down each edition individually. A bottle of Stewart Pure Rye 1898 made a hammer price of $5,500; these simply labelled bottles from Stewart Distilling Co., Philadelphia surface occasionally. Look out for the company name on bottles of Carstairs whiskey. Old MacBrayer 17 year...

The Timeless Whisky Collection sold for a combined hammer price of $1.59 million at Sotheby's, New York on September 23rd, against pre-sale estimates of $1.55-$2.15 million, leaving 1 in 5 bottles unsold. The Macallan Six Pillars collection and Lalique experience attracted the highest bid with a hammer price of $450,000, equivalent to paying $100/ml for these rare spirits. Across the sale, 90 lots, or 23% of sold lots, exceeded their high estimates, though none of these included the top 10 highest sales (see below). At $900, WhistlePig Rye 10 year old 100 proof was the best performing bottle relative to its estimate, attracting a hammer price 3.6 times more than the high estimate. The median hammer price of a winning lot was $1,100, but an unforeseen 22% of scotch lots, totaling 106 bottles, failed to sell—highly unusual for Sotheby's which has averaged 97% of lots sold in each whisky sale since 2019. At the Three Continents Collection Part V auction at Sotheby's, New York in...

October delivered a top 20 hammer price list in excess of $2 million ($2,084,701 to be precise), with six bottles from the Distillers One of One Auction making this month’s list—including the highest three entries. In addition to setting a new auction record for Bowmore, brands including Old Pulteney, House of Hazelwood, and Kandoblanc made the list for the first time thanks to this sale. Gaining a place on the list was more competitive than ever in October, with all but a couple of entries selling for a hammer price of $40,000 or higher. The Bowmore STAC 1962 55 year old moved ahead as the highest hammer price paid for a bottle of whisky at auction this year, but will it remain on top as we head toward year-end? The appearance of a bottle of Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 year old at Sotheby’s in November will become the first million-dollar bottle of whisky to sell at auction in nearly three years, and if collectors flock to the Whisky...

The Distillers One of One auction made October a standout. The combined value of the 20 highest hammer prices of the month reached $2,691,784, the highest since November 2023, when the last bottle of million-dollar Macallan sold. The October number is up by a whopping 130% from the October 2024 performance, and it’s also only the second month this year to break a million dollars for the combined value of its 20-highest hammer prices.
The combined hammer prices of the 20-highest hammer prices in the 10 months since January is up 12% from the year-earlier period. The Distillers One of One accounted for 14 of the 20 slots on October’s list, and all that record-breaking action certainly helped to spice up the order of brands on our table below.
Outside the Sotheby’s auction realm, earning a position on the list this month was no easy feat. Unicorn Auctions reclaimed the record for Very Very Old Fitzgerald 1950 18 year old Blackhawk with a charity bid of $85,200...

The 20 single bottles of whisky commanding the highest hammer prices of 2025 sold for a combined $3.69 million—up 32% from last year. The lineup spans 14 scotches, 3 Japanese whiskies, and 3 American whiskeys. In March and October, the 20 highest totals broke the $1 million mark. Overall, 2025 outperformed comparable months in 2024 in 8 of the 12 months, finishing with a 5-month run of stronger results that signals positive momentum in the market heading into 2026.
Eight scotches on the list were one-of-one releases consigned directly from distillers, and many of them were large format bottles. In May, Bowmore won the auction showdown of one-of-one exclusives with Dalmore, propelling the Bowmore ARC-54 The Iridos Edition into the year’s 20-highest hammer prices. October’s biennial Distillers One-of-One auction with Sotheby’s claimed seven places on the list, the most of any single auction this year, including the four highest hammer prices of 2025 - that...

December rounded off the auction year with a strong month for bottles of Macallan, Hibiki 40 year old, and LeNell Red Hook Rye, each making multiple entries in this month’s list of the 20-highest hammer prices. The month’s 20 bottles sold for a combined sum of $862,186. While Macallan The Red Collection 60 year old topped the list, its value has plunged by more than $50,000 since the start of the year. The first bottle of Eagle Rare 25 year old 2024 release came up for sale at Unicorn Auctions, but fetching a hammer price of $22,100, it fell just short of making December’s 20-highest hammer price list. 
In other auction news, Just Whisky launched a new website in December, only to watch as the auction traffic crashed the server in the final hours. The auction finally concluded 24 hours later than planned. Speyside Whisky Auctions announced that they were making some changes in the company, including withdrawing the offer of storage facilities to customers...

November’s list claimed the third-highest monthly total of the year, coming close to a million dollars. For the fourth month in a row, results were better than the year-earlier period: November’s combined 20 highest hammer prices reached $991,808, up 24% compared to November 2024. After 11 months, 220 bottles with combined hammer prices exceeding $10 million have made the monthly lists this year: results are 13%, or more than $1.1 million, up from the equivalent period in 2024.
Gordon & MacPhail successfully set a new record for the world’s oldest whisky sold at auction in November, one of three G&M bottlings to make this month’s 20-highest list. Achieving $160,000 at Christie’s, New York for Gordon & MacPhail 85 year old from Glenlivet Distillery, the company took the record back from Macallan The Reach 81 year old, which has held the record since 2022. Proceeds from the sale will benefit American Forests, and you can read our tasting...

These days, a new whisky comes out practically every day—sometimes a dozen or more a week (all reported each Friday in Whisky Weekend). Store shelves are crowded with more bottles than ever before. New releases make a splash, but when a whisky disappears, it usually happens quietly.That was the case with Old Scout, a popular whiskey sourced from MGP and bottled by Smooth Ambler. Just a few years ago, the West Virginia distillery was selling every bottle of Old Scout bourbon and rye that it could ship—so much that it ran out of mature whiskey altogether. So since September 2016, Smooth Ambler has bottled only a few barrels of Old Scout bourbon, usually limited to gift shop sales. But now Old Scout's 99-proof (49.5% ABV) bourbon is coming back for good.“It was really dumb, what we did,” says Smooth Ambler CEO and master distiller John Little, explaining how the well dried up. The company had bought its first barrels of bourbon and rye for Old Scout in 2011, and continued to buy...

It’s no secret that 2024 was a challenging year in various quarters of the whisky world. Still, through it all, the scene continued to churn with dynamic and exciting change—new distillery and visitor center openings, master distillers taking on new roles, and an increasingly creative surge of sought-after releases. Here's our look at the year in whisky.
Not Used to This
After declining in 2023 for the first time in memory, total American whiskey sales were projected to decrease again this year, according to our research arm Impact Databank. Within that big picture, the leading higher-end American whiskeys generally still saw healthy sales, while scotch faced a slightly different scenario. In late December, UK trade group the Food and Drinks  Federation (FDF) reported that whisky export sales (mostly scotch) fell by 36.4% by value in the first three quarters of 2024. But the most notable headwinds came in the American craft...

Earlier in the week, we saw the release of the new Sazerac Full Proof. Here, we cover the release of Booker’s fourth and final batch of 2025, Phantom Pipes, as well as two new expressions from Barrell—its New Year edition and a 21 year old. In scotch, Johnnie Walker Blue is out with its annual Lunar New Year expression. From Bardstown, Kentucky, veteran-owned Four Branches has a new bourbon. And from New York’s Hudson Valley, Tenmile Distillery is calling all history buffs with a collection commemorating next year's 250th anniversary of the United States, which has already begun releasing. 
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Horse Blended Scotch
SRP: $264
ABV: 46%
Availability: Limited-edition design, imported by Diageo, New York
Johnnie Walker has released its 2026 Lunar New Year edition, a limited-edition design of Blue Label. The Year of the Horse edition was created by fashion designer Robert Wun, known for...

To say “the state of bourbon is strong” is an understatement. The state of bourbon in 2016 is, especially to long-time observers, astonishing.To understand why, consider where bourbon was 25 years ago. Back in 1991, American whiskey sales were flat and that was an improvement. Sales had finally bottomed out after a brutal 20-year decline, during which bourbon lost half of its volume and comparable market share.By 1991, the bleeding had stopped. Instead, sales from year to year were up 1 or 2 percent one year, down a similar amount the next, essentially flat.Outside of the South, young Americans were drinking everything but bourbon. Without the traditional ‘Bourbon Belt,' bourbon might have gone extinct.Moving OutAfter receiving so much bad news for so long, the industry had given up on bourbon. Consolidation had just about eliminated the bourbon-only companies. Every company still standing had valuable assets outside the whiskey category and that's where they put their attention...

From the outside, whisky collecting seems like an exclusive sport, a world of international auction houses, unattainable Japanese whisky, and pre-Prohibition bottles of bourbon. But not everyone who appreciates art has to own a Basquiat. Beyond the most rarefied whiskies and record-breaking bottles is a much larger, much more accessible realm of collectible whiskies. Collecting doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming—and above all else, it should be fun.Collecting TypesThere are a few kinds of whisky collectors. Trophy hunters might buy for personal satisfaction or investment, but they tend to target rare current releases—think Pappy Van Winkle or Buffalo Trace Antique Collection—and cult distilleries like Ardbeg and Karuizawa (see our story on the most collectible distilleries, page 76). These are superb whiskies, but they're beyond the reach of most people, even most collectors. The second type, dusty hunters, chase the best vestiges of whisky history, lost treasures...

One of the many joys of being part of a whisky club is tasting in the company of others who also enjoy the water of life, but acquiring whiskies can pose a challenge. Today's whisky world is highly competitive for buyers, and your quest for new and unusual whiskies can often feel like one space forward, two spaces back. However, with a dedicated team and a solid strategy, your whisky club will be well-rewarded. Be prepared to visit distilleries, take road trips to liquor stores, pore over auction catalogs, and scour Travel Retail shops. In the game of whisky shopping, you have to play to win.Choose Your TeamDoug Spencer started the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based WhiskyHead Tasting Club in 2013 to create an environment where like-minded people could learn more about whisky. “I was still new to whisky back then, but had enough knowledge to know that a lot of people had either never been exposed to whisky or were turned off by previous experiences with cheap whisky,” Spencer says. “The...

Strap in, because there's a whole lot of new whisky headed your way.First up, Four Roses has unveiled the 2020 Limited Edition Small Batch. Details on the recipes used are below. With a recommended price of $150, there are 14,040 bottles available.Buffalo Trace will release limited amounts of Blanton's Straight From The Barrel starting this fall. Previously only available overseas, the whiskey has a recommended retail price of $150.Ardbeg is rolling out the 2020 release of 19 year old Traigh Bhan. The whisky is priced at $300 and available in limited quantities.GlenDronach's latest whisky in partnership with the Kingsman movie franchise is a 1989 vintage. It's priced at $1,299, with just 3,052 bottles available worldwide.Bardstown Bourbon Co. is releasing a bourbon finished in Copper & Kings Destillaré orange curaçao barrels. There are 3,000 bottles available, priced at $125.Pinhook is launching its flagship Bohemian bourbon, distilled at Castle & Key. The whiskey is widely...

Once you discover good whisky, it becomes astonishingly easy to accumulate bottles. Purchase by purchase, you can plot your way around the world's great whisky-producing nations, delving into a rich world of flavor. But after parting with your hard-earned cash, you owe it to yourself to look after your whisky collection properly. Whisky is pretty hardy, but it's not indestructible. Educate yourself on how to store and make the most of your best whiskies with our advice.Aging vs. Staling: why whisky isn't wine Take it easy. That fresh bottle of whisky you just bought at the store is in perfect drinking condition. You're going to enjoy it. Yet you think you might just save it for a special occasion. Stored properly, whisky should still be perfect if it waits a year, ten years, a generation, or even a lifetime before someone pulls the cork. One thing that won't change is the number on the whisky label, as that only relates to the time inside the cask. Tough luck; your 12 year old whisky...

The American whiskey secondary market isn’t often seen as a source of optimism. But on rare occasions, it surprises. Over the last year, the market has revealed a number of shocking truths. There are fewer scammers. Buyer protections are increasing. Shipping is far less problematic. More bottles are available. But the most eyebrow-raising development? Pricing is improving.
Our last deep dive into this market, in the Fall 2021 issue, detailed a marketplace reaching fever pitch, fueled by COVID stimulus checks, boredom, and lockdowns. Now? The bubble has burst and the market is cooling—though it’s still warmer than it was before the pandemic lit the fuse. Let’s unpack the reasons why the market has turned, what has drastically changed, and assess its future, which looks brighter for those more interested in sipping than flipping.




Pricing Downtrend
Across dozens of Facebook and Discord secondary market groups, trends show prices...

If there’s one thing to learn from the Roy family in the hit television series “Succession,” it’s that blood relatives and business often don’t mix. But that adage doesn’t ring true in American whiskey, where many storied families have embraced distilling with enduring success. The oldest distilling families have been at it for centuries— most notably the Beams, where the tradition stretches back eight generations to 1795, when Jacob Beam sold his first barrel of corn whiskey. Closely intertwined with that story is today’s Noe family, who are direct descendants.
Other families might not count eight generations back, but are nonetheless ingrained into the story of American distilling. Think the Van Winkles of Pappy fame, who are now into the fourth generation of whiskey makers, or the Hendersons with three generations of distillers, who created Angels Envy and recently launched True Story whiskey. Willett, too, has long remained a...

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and if you're panicking about what whisky to serve, take a breath: We've got you covered, with recommended pours, party-ready punches, and a guide to pairing whisky and pie. (Speaking of which—we can also teach you how to make pie-inspired whisky cocktails.) But if you're looking for brand-new bottles to pop, keep reading.For the high rollers, Michter's is rolling out its aptly-named Celebration just ahead of the holidays. The blend of straight bourbon and rye is priced at $5,000, with just 277 bottles available.At 20% less than Celebration, Glenrothes 40 year old is still a luxury buy. The single malt scotch costs $4,000, with just 66 out of 594 bottles coming to the U.S.Can't let the Americans and Scots corner the high-end whisky market though; Ireland's Chapelgate Whiskey Co. has unveiled J.J. Corry The Chosen, a £6,500 ($8,393) single malt. There are just 100 bottles available.Bardstown Bourbon Co. is releasing the latest batches of its...

Once bourbon is ready to move from barrel to bottle, that barrel is up for grabs—since under U.S. law bourbon can be aged only in new oak. There's a long tradition of distillers in Scotland, Japan, and Ireland buying used bourbon barrels to mature their whiskies, but more recently a bourbon barrel's life has expanded well beyond whisky. “The great thing about bourbon barrels is their versatility,” says national educator for Don Julio tequila Jorge Raptis. “They've become popular for aging a variety of products—even cooking sauces and chocolates—but most notably other spirits outside of whisky.”Indeed, oak-aged expressions can be found for nearly every spirits type. In rum, there's Don Papa from the Philippines, Santa Teresa 1796 from Venezuela, and Mount Gay from Barbados, to name just a few. Tequila is similarly abundant in oak-aged expressions from brands including Don Julio, Lunazul, Ocho, Espolòn, and more. Even typically unaged spirits are getting in the game...

Around 2010, the realization that bourbon does not have to be made in Kentucky took hold; bourbon was being produced in nearly every U.S. state. The topics of sourced whiskey, no age statement, and transparency were hot. Whisky lovers pursued knowledge about whisky and their favorite brands. Innovation and experimentation have become a norm unlike ever before.
2010
❖ The number of craft distillery openings begins to explode, with some of the more high-profile ones being Woodinville and Westland in Washington, Dad’s Hat reviving rye whiskey in Pennsylvania, Santa Fe Spirits in New Mexico, Breuckelen and King’s County in New York, Mississippi River in Iowa, Union Horse in Kansas, Rock Town in Arkansas, Ole Smoky in Tennessee, and Firestone & Robertson in Texas.

❖ Malt Advocate magazine, which launched in 1997, is acquired by M. Shanken Communications. The magazine would be redesigned in the following year and rebranded...

Here we present 25 whiskies that made their mark over the past 25 years. These are releases that captured the essence of the era for a variety of reasons, but most often because they broke new ground and manifested a spirit of innovation that has characterized the whisky scene since 2000. Some of the expressions were released just before then, but their biggest moments would come in the years that followed. These whiskies flow in no particular order, but instead serve as snapshots of the times. Release years are noted beside each.

Compass Box Hedonism (2000)
No scotch blended grain bottling had ever won any major acclaim before Hedonism, and none have since. The debut whisky of London-based blending house Compass Box, it blended well-aged grain whiskies from distilleries including Cameronbridge, Girvan, and Port Dundas. Its highly artistic label (which broke tradition by featuring a female figure) was further indication that we were now entering a newly creative whisky...

The world of whisky is ever-expanding, extending into your medicine cabinet and onto the baseball field. That means there are more options and opportunities to educate and enjoy and if you are serious about either, a proper plan is best. Pursue your best whisky life with these 10 tips.1. Start a Tasting ClubStarting a regularly scheduled tasting club is a great way to form friendships and advance your whisky knowledge. It can be as formal or casual as you like, says Jim Holdsworth, who runs the Passen Cotty Scotch Club in western Massachusetts. “We'll have a theme, as many as 10 to 20 whiskies,” says Holdsworth. “Scotch, rye, a wood-finished theme, wounded soldiers—we'll take pictures of the empty bottles. It's an event.” Use these 5 tips to start your own vibrant whisky club.Scout for members: Start with your favorite specialty whisky retailer. “They already know the heavy hitters in the area, and are probably in touch with [them],” says Jim. They might post a flyer or...

It's not quite ready to roll, but, there's an upcoming new release of an annual expression that's always an occasion for its distillery and its fans. Lady Bird, made by Texas distiller Garrison Brothers, is a honey-infused, cognac-finished bourbon made from a mashbill of 75% corn, 15% soft winter red wheat, and 10% barley. It’s released once a year at the distillery in the town of Hye, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, west of Austin, and this year’s release date has just been revealed as May 11. Some 7,002 bottles of Lady Bird’s 2024 edition are being made available: the first 1,000 bottles will be sold on May 11 at the distillery, and the remainder will be released at retail nationwide. Lady Bird is bottled at 57% ABV and carries a retail price of $180. The waiting line at the distillery on selling day starts at around 5 a.m. and usually stretches for a couple of miles. In the meantime, there are plenty of new releases here to...

It seems like high season for distillery openings, with two new facilities opening and a major project announced. Kansas City's J. Rieger & Co. has officially opened its new distillery, featuring a 40-foot slide for visitors, while over in Scotland, Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh is now welcoming guests to observe its innovative production. Meanwhile, Beam Suntory announced that it's building a 1.2 million proof gallon "craft" distillery at its Clermont, Kentucky Jim Beam plant. We spoke with master distiller Fred Noe to get details about the facility, which is slated to open in 2021.For whisky that's ready to buy now, however, there are plenty of options, starting with a super-aged Macallan single cask. The Exceptional Single Cask 1950 is nearly 68 years old, with just 336 bottles available and a price befitting its ultra-rare status: $58,000.Much more easy to access is Glenlivet's new 14 year old, finished in cognac casks. The whisky is exclusively available in the U.S. for...

Waiting for a flight in the Minneapolis airport last July, Julie Kirkpatrick started talking to a group of men who, like her, were Cincinnati-bound. It wasn't just idle chitchat; as vice president of sales and marketing for meetNKY, Kirkpatrick likes to know what brings people to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She was delighted to learn they were coming for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. “I said, ‘So you're staying in Cincinnati?'” she recounts. They weren't, instead flying into Cincinnati, then renting a car and driving to Lexington.That's when Kirkpatrick knew she was on the right track.Kirkpatrick and meetNKY were in the midst of creating The B Line (short for The Bourbon Line), a tourism initiative launching in February 2018. The B Line aims to boost bourbon tourism in Northern Kentucky, making it a destination in and of itself, and not just a stop along the way to the more famous “Amber Triangle” of Lexington, Bardstown, and Louisville.“I would love to see 10 or 20...

Want to buy a $20 single malt scotch? Good luck. Desire a quality $30 Cognac? Yeah, right. Even vodka, which can be made in an instant, places its premium products north of $30. Fortunately, we do not need to settle for cheap beer or two-dollar jug wine. Hope awaits us penny-pinching spirits lovers: sitting in new charred oak barrels, resting in Kentucky rickhouses are copious amounts of delicious bourbon that will be bottled in the $9 to $30 range, delivering plenty of satisfying flavor, while still leaving some coin in our pockets.The recent interest in bourbon has priced once-hidden gems like Elijah Craig 18 year old out of the everyday drinking conversation for many of us. Lavish media attention made others, like Pappy Van Winkle, nearly impossible to find, but the bourbon standbys that so often go unappreciated are waiting on the shelves to offer solace.The Best Bourbons for $20 or LessJust ask Ernie Smith, a western Massachusetts resident who's been drinking bourbon so long his...

Shut out of bars by the pandemic, whisky lovers are bringing their passion to life in their own homes by building whisky rooms. Fusing the functionality of a cellar with the atmosphere of a club, whisky rooms are a space not only to store your whisky, but also to hang out and sip. They come in all shapes, styles, and sizes.“I had a very specific feel I wanted for my room—something with a very early 20th century-hotel feel to it,” says Nicholas Pagan, who finished his whisky room at his home in Morgan Hill, California last August. His space, which he calls “The Parlor,” has early 1900s hotel-style furniture sourced from online retailer Wayfair to suit the space and aesthetic.Pagan had a fairly easy time procuring the furniture, which was all brand new. “I would have loved to use antiques, but the budget didn't really allow for that,” he said. While the furnishings proved simple to acquire, Pagan did encounter some issues with shelving. “None of the shelving came with...

The final month of the year delivered the 20-highest hammer prices with a combined value of $1,189,554, and a balanced spread of Japanese, scotch, and American whiskies. Yamazaki topped the chart for the first time since March, with a bottle of Yamazaki 55 year old. Rare rye and bourbon placed highly, led by a new record for LeNell’s Red Hook Rye. Ardbeg made its first appearance of the year, as did one bottle of Blair Castle whisky sold at Whisky Auctioneer.
We have reported the 20 highest hammer prices every month this year, and using this as our guide, we can reveal that Macallan, Karuizawa, and Bowmore were the top high-value bottlings at auction in 2023. The 240 bottles that made the monthly lists throughout 2023 sold for a combined sum of $15,630,931, and a median hammer price of $34,027.
December 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices
Results converted to dollars using xe.com
20. Old Rip Van Winkle 23 year old
Sold on: December 10th...

When distillers sold their bourbon in New Orleans, they'd want to avoid pirates stealing their money on the way home,” says Steve Wilson, recounting a highly plausible legend behind the Bluegrass State's twin legacies. “So they'd ride back to Kentucky on the fastest horse they could buy." We're strolling the grounds of Hermitage Farm, owned by Steve and his wife, Laura Lee Brown—700 acres in the elite enclave of Goshen, Kentucky. Outside of a day at the races, Kentucky offers limited opportunities to experience both thoroughbreds and bourbon in one place, but Wilson and Brown aim to change that with Hermitage Farm, where visitors can get up close and personal with champion racehorses before sitting down to sip some of the state's best whiskeys.Ideal for day-trippers from Louisville, a 30-minute drive away, Hermitage Farm—which opens to the public in phases beginning May 22—offers no shortage of custom experiences. At its heart, it's still a working broodmare farm...

Barrel finishing is a long-established practice in scotch, but a far more recent phenomenon in American whiskey. That's mainly because bourbon, by definition, must be matured in new charred oak barrels. Put bourbon into a barrel that isn't new and charred and it technically becomes a whisky specialty, more commonly called finished bourbon.A few weeks or months in a secondary cask can elevate the bourbon, transforming it in subtle ways. “It changes [the bourbon], and we think it changes it for the better,” says Bob D'Antoni, chief barrel officer at Four Gate Whiskey Co. The blender and bottler releases cask-finished whiskey almost exclusively, with secondary vessels ranging from sherry, port, and rum, to custom barrels made by Kelvin Cooperage.The enjoyment of finished bourbon has gained steam in the decade since Angel's Envy debuted as the first widely available example of the style. Today dozens of finishes, from port, tequila, and armagnac, to chardonnay and rhum agricole, offer...

It's usually record-breaking sales that grab auction headlines, but recently a massive flop sent shockwaves through the world of whisky collecting: A whisky collection valued at $2 million raised only $236,000 at auction on July 9. Over 81% of the whisky lots passed unsold at the Fine Wine & Whisky sale at Poly Auction, Hong Kong, part of China's largest state-owned auction business. Could these poor results be an early indication that the pool of wealthy whisky buyers in Asia is drying up?After postponing spring sales due to the pandemic, Poly Auction rescheduled its modern art, jewelry, watches, wine, whisky, and Chinese spirits auctions for July. The whisky collection comprised 331 bottles of Scotch and Japanese whisky parceled into 221 lots, with pre-sale estimates valuing it at $1.5 million-$2 million. Poly Auction was anticipating results in the region of $4,636-$5,924 per bottle, but in reality, realized a disappointing $327 per bottle. In the end, sales totaled $235,712, a...

Bourbon balls have everything going for them—whiskey! chocolate! pecans!—yet they've remained a regional delicacy, found mainly in Kentucky, for close to a century. But over the past decade or so, hundreds of bourbon distilleries have opened well outside the borders of the Bluegrass State, and the delicious treats are now gaining a foothold far and wide.It makes sense: Bourbon balls are a sweet that even non-whiskey drinkers can appreciate. There are as many variations on the classic as there are chefs and home cooks who make them, but as a rule, all bourbon balls feature some combination of chocolate, nuts (usually pecans), and whiskey. Beyond that, however, it's up to the cook.“I think what makes bourbon balls a local favorite, and the reason for their ever-increasing popularity, is the nuance,” explains Matthew Bell, executive chef at Gray & Dudley at downtown Nashville's 21c Museum Hotel. “Bourbon balls can be so simple and so specific to each region, town, or...

Sotheby’s New York’s first whisky auction of 2023 was a smash hit, with a combined hammer price of $1,063,600. All 272 lots were sold, which consisted of 72% American whiskey, 18% scotch, 7% Japanese, 2% other spirits (cognac and tequila), and 1% Irish whiskey.
Two brands in particular dominated the February 10th sale with Van Winkle accounting for one in four lots sold, and Macallan responsible for one in eight. Collectors bid $450,600 on Macallan across 47 lots, with $342,250 bid on 94 Van Winkle lots consisting of Pappy Van Winkle and Old Rip Van Winkle labels. Median hammer prices for Macallan and Van Winkle lots were $2,800 and $2,600 respectively. Macallan delivered the three highest sales of the day: aside from the $200,000 bid on Macallan Distil Your World New York Single Cask Edition, Macallan 50 year old (2018 release) made a hammer price of $55,000, and Macallan 52 year old (2018 release) attracted a $50,000 bid.  Two bottles of Pappy Van Winkle 23 year...

Multi-bottle lots have had a resurgence, drawing the highest bids in several recent auctions. Irish Whiskey Auctions sold a 32-bottle collection of Midleton Very Rare vintages for $45,982 this month, and Scotch Whisky Auctions attracted $27,680 for a 6-bottle set of Macallan The Archival Series. There are pros and cons to selling bottles as a set as opposed to individually. Sets offer the convenience for bidders to buy a ready-made collection, but for sellers, the pool of buyers may shrink as the price goes up, and collectors might not bid if they have a partial set already. In Just Whisky’s March sale, a trio of Macallan The Red Collection aged 71, 74, and 78 years failed to reach its reserve price, despite attracting a substantial bid of $196,096. In November 2022, Whisky Auctioneer sold the Macallan James Bond Collection in the Globe Trotter travel case with archival prints for $52,154; there are more sets on sale at Whisky Hammer and The Grand Whisky Auction this...

Earlier this week, we spoke with distilleries in the U.S. and Scotland about the implications of coronavirus-related operations changes for the future availability of their whiskies. Most big companies are optimistic that current interruptions aren't going to impact the availability of bottles down the road, but that's not the case for everyone. Read more about the situation, and what it means for whisky lovers, in our in-depth report.Of course, COVID-19 has changed the way people are drinking whisky right now. With more virtual tastings and Zoom events popping up every week, a couple of whiskey companies are getting extra creative to keep fans engaged, opening up their blending processes to input from the public. Ireland's Chapel Gate Whiskey Co., which makes J.J. Corry, will create a crowd-sourced blend called The Lock In, sending blend samples to participants who will vote on their favorite. Once bottled, the whiskey will be available widely for sale. If you're interested in taking...

March’s 20 highest-priced bottles were valued at $750,900, with plenty of close competition as the top hammer prices were tightly packed between $24,000–$75,000. Three months into 2024, and our year-to-date figure is 22% down on this time last year, a deficit of $625,245.
With a quarter of the year gone, our table below shows that three brands— a scotch, a Japanese, and an American whiskey—account for more than half of monthly top 20 sales so far this year. Leading the pack is Macallan, which secured the top three highest hammer prices for the third month in a row, and nine of March’s 20 slots overall.
While we list whiskies in our table by distillery, independent bottlings regularly take top prices at auction. Entries by Gordon & MacPhail, which announced that it would halt new make fillings for independent bottlings starting this year, have appeared on every monthly list in 2024 so far, with their entries fetching a combined total of more...

Booker's is out with its second release of the year, while Elijah Craiig makes a splash during this quiet summer season with its new toasted barrel rye. Jack Daniel's is now on the 13th iteration in its Distillery Series, the experimental annual releases that give the distilling team a chance to tinker with new ideas. This one has Jack Daniel's rye getting a secondary maturation in a new oak barrel. As with the other whiskeys in the Distillery Series, it's being sold only at the Jack Daniel's Distillery gift shop and at selected Tennessee retailers, so enjoy it if you get the chance. From Scotland, single malt whisky Aultmore, which is one of the malts in Dewar's blended scotch stable, gets to shine on its own with the release of 4 cask finished expressions. Elsewhere, Three Chord's Backstage Series, which partners with rock brands, is now live with an Allman Brothers whiskey, while Seattle-based Copperworks has three new American single...

If you missed our big announcement on Monday, check it out: We're bidding a grateful farewell to executive editor Jeffery Lindenmuth and welcoming in his place David Fleming, a longtime member of the Whisky Advocate blind tasting panel and experienced whisky writer. This doesn't mean any big changes are coming to Whisky Advocate; we'll still be bringing you the latest news, insights, reviews, and other whisky content in print and online.Speaking of latest news, on to the week's new releases. First up, The Last Drop has unveiled its second bourbon release, a whiskey distilled in 1980 at what is now Buffalo Trace Distillery. There are 240 bottles of the 20 year old bourbon available, with a recommended price of $4,600.Islay's Bruichladdich is rolling out the latest edition of Black Art, distilled in 1994. The single malt scotch is priced at $450, with 12,000 bottles available.Bruichladdich neighbor Kilchoman Distillery is launching two new single malts: Fino Sherry Matured ($130;...

There was a fraudster within the Scotch whisky community. We found him, and we've taken him out,” says Isabel Graham-Yooll with ice-cool composure. The director of Whisky.Auction in London was instrumental in exposing a forger's scheme to defraud whisky collectors of tens of thousands of dollars. The one thing collectors and auctioneers are left to wonder: is this just the tip of the iceberg?“He was the Rudy Kurniawan of whisky and spirits. As we've discovered since his arrest, this was a huge crime,” says Graham-Yooll. Kurniawan, an infamous wine counterfeiter, famously duped well-heeled collectors and highly regarded auction houses with his counterfeit Burgundy and Bordeaux until his arrest in 2012.While others revel in the presence of rare whisky, Graham-Yooll's job is to eye each bottle with suspicion. In her line of work, some degree of paranoia is an advantage; all the better to ferret out fake whiskies hiding among the genuine articles. With two decades in the spirits...

In a living room chock-a-block with animal skulls, taxidermied raccoons, Civil War-era wooden furniture, and 1980s Japanese robots, it's easy to overlook the shelf of whiskey bottles. Many of the labels are faded or torn, while others—Cutty Sark, Wild Turkey—look perfectly ordinary, part of any whiskey drinker's home bar.At first glance, the sheer number of bottles on the floor-to-ceiling bookcase is impressive, but on closer inspection, these are not familiar bottom-shelf whiskey brands. The forgotten distillery names, the faded labels, the tax strips on the necks—all are indicators of the whiskeys' provenance and age, which are well out of the ordinary—indeed, exceedingly rare—in 2017.Mike Jasinski is one of the country's foremost hunters of old whiskey, and one of the most generous. His collection of “dusties,” dusty old bottles rescued from liquor store shelves, once numbered 1,200. These days he has closer to 700 or so bourbons, ryes, scotches, and other whiskeys...

Sotheby's, London regained the world record for the most expensive bottle of whisky sold at auction on Oct. 24, when the 1926 Macallan Fine & Rare 60 year old sold as part of The Ultimate Whisky Collection. With buyer's premiums, the bottle fetched £1,452,000 ($1,873,951), making it the fifth time a bottle of 1926 Macallan 60 year old has broken $1 million at auction. The single-owner whisky collection made $10 million in total, with 100% of lots sold—and a substantial number exceeding Sotheby's high estimates. This auction marked the highest-value wine or spirits sale ever held by Sotheby's, London, and a remarkable debut for Jonny Fowle, Sotheby's newly appointed spirits specialist.“This fantastic result is testament to the quality of the collection,” said Fowle in a statement following the sale. “It was remarkable to see so many iconic bottles break records—homage to the importance of distilleries such as Bowmore, Brora, Springbank and, of course, Macallan. The...

Sotheby's New York is set to auction what it says is the highest-value whisky collection ever to be sold in a single auction in the U.S. That's not to say this is the largest ever: more sizable collections have been broken up and sold in different locations. This collection, built over many years by an anonymous California-based collector, has been valued at $1.55-$2.15 million and includes over 60 bottles aged 50 years old or above. Bidding is open online, and will conclude with a live auction on September 23 at 10 a.m. EDT.The highlight of the sale is a complete six-bottle set of the Macallan Six Pillars Collection (Est. $400,000-$600,000), including a bespoke burr elm display podium, and a “Lalique experience” consisting of a stay at Villa Rene Lalique in Alsace and dining at its 2 Michelin Star restaurant for the winning bidder and a guest.

There are plenty of less expensive whiskies to consider; the 497 lots, consisting of 565 bottles, have a median lot...

This year’s annual Birthday Bourbon release from Old Forester is a 12 year old whiskey at a robust 53.5% ABV, which will please fans hungry for more proof, as the last two years have seen it at a mere 48%. The 12 year old age statement will also be reassuring, as some recent releases have seen it slip to 11 years. This year’s expression again will be sold via national lottery—the ritual of lining up the distillery ended after 2021, as the crowds were becoming too big to handle. (Old Forester owner Brown-Forman also saw the lottery as a better way to keep tabs on the secondary market.) This year’s lottery will be held on September 2: register by August 21, and you’re in with a chance.
In scotch whisky, Talisker is out with the annual release of its 30 year old, while Royal Salute has expanded its  62 Gun Salute with the addition of two more expressions, making it a three-part collection. Back in America, Remus Repeal Reserve is...

We first reported on Brother's Bond bourbon, the new whiskey from actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, back in January, and as of this month, the four grain whiskey has wider availability. We spoke to Somerhalder and Wesley about the friendship that led to this whiskey's creation.As for new whiskies this week, there are plenty from all around the globe. Michter's is releasing its annual 10 year old bourbon. Priced at $150, it is highly limited.Kentucky's New Riff Distilling has a 6 year old malted rye available in-state for now at $60.The Singleton is releasing its oldest whisky to date. There are just 235 bottles of 54 year old single malt available worldwide, priced at $40,100.Even more limited is Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Chapter 2 with just 70 bottles going for $45,000.Tullibardine is introducing two new single malts to the U.S., a 12 year old for $45 and the no age statement Artisan for $30. Both are widely available.Independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail has...

Despite the current challenges faced by the whisky industry, the auction market made solid gains in March, providing some much-needed positive news. The combined value of the 20-highest hammer price lists for the first three months of 2025 was up 18% on the equivalent first quarter results of 2024. The 20 hammer prices of the month topped a million dollars for the first time in 2025, fetching a combined sum of $1,093,156. Three bottles, from Hanyu, Macallan, and Old Rip Van Winkle, each sold for $100,000 or more. Sotheby’s claimed the $100,000 bid on the Van Winkle bottle to be the most valuable single bottle of post-Prohibition American whiskey ever sold at auction, but as our 20-highest hammer prices of 2024 show, Unicorn Auctions sold a bottle of Buffalo Trace O.F.C. 1982 for a hammer price of $122,900. Even when the different buyer’s premiums are added for each bottle, the 6-liter O.F.C. 1982 is still a bigger deal. 
While the headline makes for good...

Bowmore and Dalmore vied for auction leadership at Sotheby’s in May, with Bowmore emerging the winner. Bowmore ARC-54 The Iridos Edition sold for $121,384 in London, while Dalmore 52 year old Luminary No. 3 The Rare went for $51,187 in Hong Kong. Both results represent the highest hammer price for each brand this year.
The Bowmore sale is the third-highest hammer price for a bottle of whisky this year. Bowmore has topped the highest auction prices of the month for two months running, and the distillery has moved up to take second place in our table behind Macallan.
As the leading brand in the secondary market, Macallan was responsible for 12 of May’s 20-highest hammer prices, adding more than half a million dollars to its running total in our table for 2025. Bottles from The Red Collection, Fine & Rare, and a bottle of Macallan x Bentley Horizon made the list. The Macallan x Bentley Horizon was released for $50,000 last year, but fetched $32,369 on the...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, the holiday season is upon us, but we've also spent the week counting down our annual Top 20 list, with the full list officially out today. Check out our pick for Whisky of the Year, a bonded Tennessee whiskey priced at just $30, and see if any of these exciting whiskies catch your eye or look right for the whisky lover in your life.
New releases this week include the latest iteration of High West's High Country single malt, the third release in the Bushmills Rare cask series, and the 2023 bottling of Barrell's New Year blend. Read on for full details. 

High West High Country
Style: Single malt Origin: Utah Age: Not stated ABV: 44% Price: $80 Release: December 2022 Availability: Limited
Need to know: 
High Country is High West’s ode to Scottish single malts, and as such it blends single malt scotch techniques with American whiskey making. Its 100% malt mashbill...

As I walk into the liquor store, my eyes immediately focus on a shiny sign hanging above—“25% off”—then move away as soon as I see the word “vodka.” There's a stack of cheap beer, a discounted bin of wine, and promotions for tobacco goods. All the pricing, all the point-of-purchase material, and all the signage suggest this liquor store is about affordable goods for a frugal consumer. Sounds like a deal, right?Well, that may be the case if you desire Skinnygirl margarita mix or $5 gin. But when I walk down the small bourbon aisle, I see brands marked up. Every brand is just a few dollars more than I'm accustomed to paying. I travel to another store, with “discounted liquors” in the signage, and it's selling basic Elmer T. Lee for more than $200 and the limited editions for more than $300. This must be a Kentucky trend, I surmise, and look for national online liquor stores selling bourbon, only to find everyday products far above the manufacturer's suggested retail...

Love scotch, bourbon, or American single malt? Then pay attention—this week's new whiskies should make you very happy.Balvenie is releasing a 25 year old edition of its DoubleWood single malt, matured first in ex-bourbon casks and then in Spanish oak oloroso sherry casks. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Balvenie DoubleWood 12 year old, just 3,600 bottles will be available at a price of $599. Meanwhile, Balvenie's parent company William Grant & Sons has unveiled a blended straight bourbon. Fistful of Bourbon combines five straight bourbons from undisclosed sources, blended to balance five unique flavor profiles. The whiskey is initially launching in Texas for $25, and is expected to become more widely available in the future.Michter's is re-releasing a bourbon that was last available in 2015. Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish will be available nationwide with a recommended price of $60, but expect it to sell out—like the previous releases, this is available in...

Angel’s Envy is creating excitement with today’s official unveiling of a new addition to the range, its first in many years. Elsewhere in the bourbon world, Jim Rutledge, formerly of Four Roses fame, continues his revival of Cream of Kentucky, the legacy brand acquired in 2019, with two new releases. Rutledge's whiskeys are still sourced for now as he moves toward opening his own distillery. Meanwhile, Lux Row has a new sherry cask-finished bourbon, and WhistlePig revs it up with another Formula 1-themed release.
There’s much more on offer, including new bourbons from Hidden Barn, Wyoming Whiskey, and O.H. Ingram, as well as a new cask finished scotch from Speyside single malt maker Speyburn. On the collectibles side, scotch distiller Benromach has a 50 year old single malt, made before Benromach was acquired by its current owner, Scottish independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail, in 1993. Alas, the price for this precious liquid falls into the...

Two casks of sherry cask-aged Japanese single malt from a closed distillery sold for a hammer price of $2,287,822 each at Christie’s, London. Both casks of Karuizawa were filled in 1999—a year before the distillery closed—and are the last remaining casks from the distillery that is now owned by Sukhinder Singh, owner of Tormore Distillery and co-founder of Elixir Distillers. Each cask was gauged to contain 420 bottles at cask strength, and under the condition of the sale, the owners can choose to leave them to mature at Tormore Distillery for three more years at no additional cost until the whisky turns 30 years old.
While sales of high-value whiskies slowed in February, they have been stronger so far this month. There’s a lot of Macallan in the secondary market, with Whisky Auctioneer delivering the highest sales in the first half of the month. This included Macallan The Red Collection 78 year old for a hammer price of $48,224, Macallan 1950 71 year old...

Updated 9/30/25: Wyoming Whiskey's Buffalo Bill Cody (see details below), originally released as a Wyoming exclusive, is now available nationwide. The ABV is 48%, compared to the Wyoming-only release's 48.5%.
A mixture of bourbons, ryes, and American blends leads the week’s new releases. High West brings back its The Prisoner Wine Co. red wine-finished blend of bourbon and rye, while Penelope has a blend that includes straight bourbon, American single malt, and American light whiskey. Woodinville has upped the age on its flagship rye, while 15 Stars introduces its oldest blend of rye yet; new bourbons include the fourth chapter of Castle & Key’s Untold Story series, a wheater from Great Jones, and a tribute to Buffalo Bill Cody from Wyoming Whiskey. Overseas, Tomatin, Loch Lomond, and Gordon & MacPhail all have new single malt scotch whiskies.
 
High West The Prisoner’s Share (2025 Edition) American blend
ABV: 51%
SRP: $175

While the tried and true whiskies might be a distillery’s bread and butter, experimental and celebratory releases offer a chance at exploration—not just for whisky fans, but for distillers, too. Look to Balcones' new single malt Cataleja, which is a toast to the Texas distiller's 15th anniversary, and testament to its non-stop creativity. It blends three batches of whiskey, which head distiller Jared Himstedt led through three separate maturation journeys. Similarly, over at Ardbeg there's always plenty of experimentation from whisky creator Dr. Bill Lumsden, whose latest Ardbeg Committee release delves deep into the effects of cask charring.
As for other new whiskies, Wild Turkey has debuted Generations, a collaborative effort between three generations of the Russell family: Jimmy, Eddie, and Bruce. In Maryland, Sagamore Spirit has cooked up two ryes, the latest iterations of its Penny's Proof and Bottled in Bond whiskeys. There's...

It's been another big week for whisky lovers. Westward Whiskey announced a partnership with Diageo's Distill Ventures unit, a move that allows the American single malt brand to expand its production and availability.Diageo also unveiled full details of its 2018 Special Releases, including pricing. While some information was previously available, the company announced that its tenth Special Release whisky this year is a blended malt called Cladach. Not every whisky will be available in the U.S. We got all the details.Meanwhile, there are many other new whiskies coming out now and in the next few weeks. The third 2018 batch of Booker's is hitting shelves. Called "Kentucky Chew," it was aged 6 years, 4 months, and 12 days and clocks in at 63.35% ABV. It has the usual price tag of $70-$75.Bowmore has unveiled the third and final whisky in its Vintner's Trilogy, a 27 year old that matured first in ex-bourbon barrels and then in port pipes. The second maturation actually exceeded the first...

In“What's It Worth?”our resident auction expert examines the collectibility of a distillery, brand, or series. Here he examines the fortunes of Parker's Heritage Collection.Among the hotly anticipated limited-edition whiskeys released every fall is Parker's Heritage Collection from Heaven Hill Distillery. The series, which spans multiple styles, was launched in 2007 by master distiller Parker Beam, who passed away from ALS in 2017 at the age of 75. Many of these offerings feature among Whisky Advocate's highest-ever scores for American whiskeys. With over 14 releases to date,* the Parker's Heritage Collection has explored everything from well-aged bourbon, rye, malt, and wheat whiskeys, to single-cask releases, innovative cask finishes, and the flavor impact of heavily charred barrels.Given the diversity of age statements and whiskey styles the series encompasses, it's unsurprising that auction values do not run chronologically. While prospective buyers will find recent releases...

Glen Scotia is out with the second release in its Icons of Campbeltown series, but the rest of the scotch whisky world is somewhat quiet, although Glenmorangie will soon hit our shores with another installment in its “Tale” series—this one called A Tale of Ice Cream, matured in bourbon barrels as well as “high vanillin” casks that received a special heat treatment to bring our as much vanillin as possible in the wood. We’ll have more next week, but pricing is at around $100 and it’s expected to hit the market on October 1.
On the bourbon front, we have news that Basil Hayden is offering its 10 year old as a permanent member of the lineup—graduating from its previous role as a limited annual release. We’ve been seeing many more aged whiskies lately, a far cry from a decade ago, when the good stuff was in very short supply—indeed, greater age seems to be the message far more than it used to be. Pinhook has a...

I see FarmStock 001 being a $10,000 bottle of whiskey within 10 years," says Raj Bhakta. It's a bold predictionfrom the founder of pioneering craft distillery WhistlePig, especially given that FarmStock 001 is the company's first offering to include whiskey actually distilled at WhistlePig's picturesque Vermont farm. Bhakta, however, has good reason for his optimism. The most recent release from WhistlePig, Boss Hog The Black Prince, a rye finished in Armagnac casks, launched last fall and retails for $500 a bottle—an unheard-of price for a craft upstart.The Black Prince has beaten out competition from Scotland, Ireland, Kentucky, and Japan to win a slew of awards, including the Best Whiskey in Show award from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Bhakta and others believe that Boss Hog is not an outlier or a flash in the pan, but the beginning of something new. Not just for drinking anymore, American whiskey has achieved investment grade.Add These American Whiskeys to Your...

Glenfiddich was one of the key distilleries behind the growth of single malt scotch in the 1960s and is now one of the most ubiquitous scotches in the marketplace. But as far as whisky collectors and connoisseurs are concerned, there can be a price to pay for being a mainstream brand; modern whisky drinkers assume they know everything about it already, and collectors overlook it in pursuit of other acquisitions.
Auction houses welcome sales of collectible Glenfiddich, from the distillery’s Rare Collection, Private Vintage, and Vintage Reserve series, and through previous iterations of the 30 and 40 year old, early bottles from the 1960s, and limited editions such as Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix. The distillery has never stopped courting whisky collectors; Glenfiddich was the first scotch whisky brand to launch a whisky NFT on BlockBar.com in October 2021, and it introduced a bold new look in 2022 with the Glenfiddich Time Re:Imagined collection. The...

The single barrel universe is far-flung, with many distilleries taking part in offering single barrels these days. Perhaps you’re not ready or able to spend time in distillery warehouses tasting through barrel samples, or not fast enough on the draw to find the best private barrel selections from retailers. You might simply be looking to taste some branded single barrel expressions to compare them with the other whiskeys in a distiller’s arsenal, either for your whisky club or on your own. Here we’ve assembled a roll call of players who offer single barrel selections you can find on the retail shelf. They often sell quickly, but they can be found at liquor stores.
Four Roses
Few single barrel expressions are as accessible or offer as much value as Four Roses Single Barrel. The distiller is famous for its 10 mashbill recipes that are usually batched together for its various expressions, but the single barrel uses only one—the OBSV recipe. “The...

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” The same might be said of buying whisky. As barely a month passes without a whisky setting a new record auction price, it would be easy to think it's too late to join the party. It doesn't help that there's always some curmudgeon around boasting of the good ol' days, when fine bottles of whisky were affordable and could be picked up off the store shelf. Times may have changed, but there's no point in thinking about what could have been. With some perseverance and a smart approach you can acquire the bottles you desire. Whether you are a longtime collector or just starting out, the best time to start shopping is today.The Joy of CollectingWhisky connoisseurship begins with your first sip and propels you through life's adventures. Along with the accrual of fine bottles of whisky, you're likely to collect new flavors, knowledge, and like-minded friends. Every collector of whisky is unique; some amass...

Sotheby’s will put some of the most highly prized bottles in American whiskey history on the auction block in New York this month, which will also mark its first live single-owner American whiskey auction. Pre-sale bidding has already opened on The Great American Whiskey Collection, the most valuable of its kind ever to come to market—a 320-lot sale of 360 bottles estimated to be worth $1.2–$1.7 million. The live auction will take place January 24th at the Breuer Building in New York, the new global headquarters of Sotheby’s and former home of the Whitney Museum on Madison Avenue, where Sotheby’s moved late last year.
The chance to acquire some of these rarities is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The collection is the result of years of dedicated collecting, and the unnamed owner is known to have stored and displayed their acquisitions in an elaborate custom-made bar. Leading the list are single barrel, private label Van Winkle bottlings including a...

Curating a great home bar cart is one of the best ways to improve your drinking experience. Whether you're treating yourself to a carefully crafted cocktail after a hard day's work or mixing up Manhattans for a group of friends on a Saturday night, it's important to have everything you need in one convenient place. We've learned from the top beverage pros that it's a lot less complicated than you might think. Here are their home bar cart hacks—all are easy, affordable, and highly useful.GEAR IT UPPortable Personal BlenderChetan Gangan, mixologist at Baar Baar in New York City, recommends keeping a small portable blender on the bar cart. “We use this for our egg white cocktails, which reduces your need for a double shake.”But It: NutriBullet Go Cordless Personal Blender—$30
Condiment Squeeze BottlesTim Waters, who oversees beverages at The Grey in Savannah, recommends having squeeze bottles handy. “They are great for egg white cocktails because it really prevents a mess...

The key to pairing food and whisky lies in matching flavors. Food is simple enough—cherries are fruity, nuts are, well, nutty. But bourbon can have a whole array of flavors: fruit, caramel, peanuts, cloves, tobacco, root beer—the list goes on. Each individual bourbon has its own unique flavor profile. Throw in barrel finishes and it gets even more complicated.That might sound a bit overwhelming, but when pairing bourbon with food, focusing on just one or two factors is all you need to do. These principles from some of Bourbon Country's leading chefs will get you started on the path to fool-proof pairings.1. Complement or ContrastEvery pairing goes in one of two directions: complementing or contrasting flavors. “When you complement, the flavors of the bourbon and the food melt into each other,” says chef Annie Pettry of Decca Restaurant in Louisville, KY. “This experience gives you the feeling that you have just tasted the perfect match and you cannot tell where one ends and...

While Rick and Ricky Johnson knew the ins and outs of their own family business when they launched 15 Stars in 2019—the Johnson family has owned Black Jewel Popcorn since 2011, and operated a number of other businesses under the Johnson Ventures umbrella—the father-son duo was less familiar with whiskey. Rick counted himself an occasional bourbon drinker, and Ricky was freshly 21, only aware of whiskey to the degree that his father was. That soon changed, however, when Rick approached his son, then a college student, with a proposal for a summer project: Why not distill the corn they used for Black Jewell and make some whiskey? “In the beginning, that was really what it was supposed to be—a cool project,” says Ricky. “I was a business student; it was going to be a great learning experience. But at the end of the summer, it turns out my business plan was compelling enough that we wanted to move forward with it.” And with that, 15 Stars was...

Visitors headed home from the Kentucky Bourbon Trail now have a reason to get to the airport early. Both Louisville International Airport and Lexington's Blue Grass Airport are opening new bourbon-centric venues to allow travelers to enjoy one last taste of the good stuff before boarding their planes.At Louisville's airport, Book & Bourbon Southern Kitchen recently opened, taking the place of a restaurant that focused on the Woodford Reserve brand. The new bar and restaurant features a wide array of Kentucky-made whiskeys. It's designed to have the look and feel of a library, from leather-bound books on display to “library cards,” featuring classic cocktail recipes, which guests can take with them. In keeping with that theme, Book & Bourbon also aims to provide education about whiskey and distilling. Guests can peruse books about bourbon and Kentucky history, as well as explore different bourbons on iPads. The restaurant's servers are trained to answer questions about...

The week’s rolling announcement of our Top 20 Whiskies of the Year is completed today, with the unveiling of whiskies 11-20. As always, the drumroll began on Monday with Nos. 10, 9, and 8, followed by 7, 6, and 5 on Tuesday, and 4,3, and 2 on Wednesday. Yesterday came the big day, with the reveal of our Whisky of the Year,  and we finished up today with the rest of the list. With due congratulations and celebration for the winners, we will soon begin the quest for next year’s winners. It all starts here, on the pages of our Whisky Weekend new releases.
In keeping with the ways of the modern whisky world, this year’s Top 20 features a number of international collaborations, notably Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Voyage, whose rum barrel finish is a joint effort with Jamaica’s Appleton Estate. In this week's new rollouts, we have Puncher’s Chance whose latest, The Unified Belt, blends Irish whiskey and bourbon. Meanwhile...

October got off to a flying start with Sotheby’s, Hong Kong setting a new highest-hammer price of 2024 with a winning bid of $283,135 for a bottle of Karuizawa 1960 52 year old. Back in 2017, we reported how this bottling had set the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of whisky at auction with a bid of $141,551, just half the price paid for the bottle this month. The result also beats any hammer price paid for Yamazaki 55 year old this year, and the current top three hammer prices of 2024 are now all Japanese whiskies.
Whisky Auctioneer had a highly successful sale with many bottles of Macallan Fine & Rare and classic Samaroli bottlings selling for large sums. The sale also set a new record auction price for Arran whisky from Lochranza Distillery. Actor Ewan McGregor offered 150 bottles for charity from his personal sherry hogshead. The cask was gifted to him by the distillery when he helped them celebrate the first Arran spirit becoming whisky in 1998 when...

Bidding at December’s auctions continued in the successful fashion of November’s sales, with strong prices achieved for Macallan, Hibiki 40 year old, and bottlings of LeNell’s Red Hook Rye in particular. In addition to the highlights below, Whisky.Auction received a winning bid of $46,895 for a bottle of Macallan The Red Collection 78 year old, while Scotch Whisky Auctions sold a Macallan Anniversary Malt 50 year old for $31,862.
This month also saw the first auction appearances of Macallan Time: Space 84 year old, beginning with Whisky Auctioneer in Scotland and then at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong. Sadly, neither set found a buyer, taking away the opportunity this year for it to make history by becoming the oldest-ever whisky to sell at auction. The holder of that record, Macallan The Reach 81 year old, has also struggled to sell at auction in the last few months, though Macallan remains the leading brand in our monthly list of top 20 hammer prices.
Look out...

There's so much new whisky coming out, it's hard to know where to start! First things first: Blood Oath is releasing its first three "pacts"—annual batches—in a special gift pack for the holidays. Just 900 of the trilogy packs will be for sale nationwide for $599. Whisky Advocate's Buying Guide scored Pact No. 1 82 points, Pact No. 2 88 points, and Pact No. 3 89 points.Buffalo Trace Distillery has unveiled a new range of experimental bourbons as part of its Old Charter brand. The distillery has been experimenting with different types of oak for years, and the Old Charter Oak range will showcase some of the biggest successes, starting with Mongolian Oak. Different releases will have different availability, but in general, the whiskeys will be distributed nationwide. Mongolian Oak is priced at $70.The Heaven's Door brand—created in partnership with Bob Dylan—is releasing a 10 year old Tennessee straight bourbon. Available in limited amounts, it costs $130.Two new single malt...

Fans of The Walking Dead can look forward to a special bourbon coming out sometime later this year, but if you're looking for new whisky to drink now, keep reading.Two years after releasing its acclaimed straight rye, Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. in Louisville is debuting its first straight bourbon, aged for four years. It will be priced at $70 and initially available in Kentucky before rolling out more widely.Buffalo Trace Distillery has unveiled the second release in its Old Charter Oak collection. Old Charter Oak French Oak has a recommended price of $70 and will be available in limited amounts.A 12 year old straight bourbon produced at Bardstown Bourbon Co. is hitting shelves. The second batch of Sam Houston 12 year old is available in a handful of states, priced at $100.Meanwhile, Four Gate 11 year old bourbon, finished in a sherry-rum cask (keep reading—it's explained below), was recently released in Kentucky and Tennessee. The company aims to produce several different...

When it comes to selecting a great whisky, or three, to pair with a cigar, bourbon is a sure bet, according to David Savona, executive editor of Cigar Aficionado. “A little sweetness and cigars go really well together, and bourbon has that, as do most bourbon cocktails,” says Savona. You can certainly experiment with other whiskies, but the outcome is less predictable. “Scotch is a much bigger world, and some scotches fight the cigar as opposed to working with it,” he says. So why argue with success? By offering several bourbons, and one or more cigars, you'll unleash a riot of flavors and fun.Pick the BourbonSelect several bourbons that span a variety of proofs and styles so that guests can mix and match their bourbon with a cigar. A solid-scoring and affordable bourbon like Four Roses Small Batch (88 points, $35) should form the foundation of your bar. Next, add a bottled in bond or barrel-proof bourbon, which is nice to accompany stronger cigars and will also stand up to...

Two exclusive single malt scotches will battle it out this month in a bid to command the highest hammer price of the month. Both luxury editions are being sold at different auctions on different continents by Sotheby’s, and both are the final releases in their respective series.
First up is The Dalmore 52 year old Luminary No. 3 The Rare (estimated $102,500–$205,000), the final and oldest expression in the design-led series, with proceeds going to support Dalmore’s partnership with V&A Dundee, Scotland’s Design Museum. The Luminary No. 1 The Rare sold for $112,933 in November 2022, and No.2 fetched $95,523 in May 2024 after a single bid below the low estimate, though this was the second-highest hammer price of the month. The first two editions were sold in London, but this time, Dalmore selected Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, for the sale. Bidding has been sluggish of late in Hong Kong, however, unlike the earlier editions, this bottle was offered...

In the weeks following the killing of George Floyd, as protests against police brutality and structural racism toward African Americans roiled seemingly every aspect of American life, many businesses released statements expressing their intent to be more diverse and inclusive. Yet initially, American whiskey brands largely remained silent, prompting the Black Bourbon Society (BBS) to publish an open letter on June 7 to the bourbon and American whiskey industry, calling out whiskey brands for not publicly speaking out against racism; the letter also details the many ways that African Americans have played an important role in the industry's success, and continue to support it. Major distilleries and smaller companies alike are now reckoning with and confronting enduring forms of racial injustice—including within their own industry.Since the letter was made public, “We have received overwhelming support and response from the majority of the bourbon brands,” BBS founder and CEO...

Lots of new whiskies are coming out this week, but first, some quick updates on existing brands: Fistful of Bourbon, the blend of straight bourbons produced by William Grant & Sons master blender Brian Kinsman and blender Kelsey McKechnie, is now available nationwide. It launched two years ago and up to now was limited to Texas.George Remus bourbon, which is made by MGP, is now offering a single-barrel program for retailers. There's a list of participating stores if you'd like to find one near you.O.Z. Tyler Distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky has rebranded as Green River Distilling Co., the historic name connected with the company's DSP (distilled spirits permit). When the distillery launches its own-make whiskeys at 4 years old, they'll bear the Green River name.On to this week's new releases. First up, Hudson Whiskey has rebranded its core lineup and launched new packaging, and a new finished rye. Prices are lower than they used to be, and the liquid is apparently more...

College students at New Mexico State can now buy a whiskey with their mascot on it, but for everyone else, there are plenty of other new releases to look for.First up, Buffalo Trace is releasing a new vintage O.F.C. bourbon, this one distilled in 1995. There are 1,500 bottles, each priced at $2,500.Kentucky Owl is launching its 10th batch of bourbon, as well as the fourth and final release of its rye. Both whiskeys are priced at $300 and available in limited amounts.Scotch giant Diageo is rolling out the 2020 Distillers Edition bottlings for six of its distilleries: Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie, Lagavulin, Oban, and Talisker. The limited-edition single malts range in price from $85 to $110.Craigellachie has bottled a single sherry butt at 24 years old. Just 474 bottles of the whisky are available, priced at $300 each.Loch Lomond Distillery has unveiled 21 ($300) and 30 year old ($800) expressions. While joining the core lineup, annual allocations are limited.Portland, Oregon's...

It's a steamy Saturday afternoon at the Clinton Street headquarters of Nashville, Tenn.'s Corsair Distillery and the tasting rooms are hopping. In one, drinkers jockey for position at a small bar serving big beers like the 8.4% Applewood Smoked Gratzer or 7.6% Smoked Salt Gose, all crafted in the brewery portion of the ‘brewstillery,' while in a second, significantly larger room, a much greater crowd has gathered to partake of the distillery side's wide range of spirits.Sliding between the group of twenty-somethings beginning their stag party on a high note and a somewhat overly amorous couple apparently bent on enjoying their weekend to the hilt, I arrive at a sliver of bartop and behold the selection of bottles lining the shelves behind.‘Triple Smoke' reads one, which I assume—correctly, as it turns out—to be a whiskey made from malt smoked over a trio of different woods, while the next, ‘Quinoa Whiskey,' gives me greater pause for reflection. Could it really be made from...

With one notable exception, American whiskeys are the stars this week’s new releases. Most are limited edition and experimental, such as the two distillery exclusives from Angel’s Envy—one a bourbon that explores grain and the other a rye that features flavors of peat smoke—and the latest Master’s Collection bourbon from Woodford, which does a deep dive into just how American oak can influence whiskey. Heaven Hill has also introduced this year's Grain-to-Glass wheated bourbon, while O.H. Ingram, the brand best known for aging its whiskeys on the Mississippi River, is back with a wheater of its own. From outside Kentucky, there’s even more bourbon to mine. The Peyton Manning and Andy Roddick-owned Sweetens Cove returns with not one but two new Tennessee bourbons, Texas-based Garrison Brothers has debuted a bourbon finished in rye barrels, and Colorado’s Laws has added another bourbon to its Four Grain lineup. From Seattle...

In the high desert country of northwest Nevada, about 75 miles from the California line, lies the city of Fallon. It’s an outpost along cross-country U.S. Route 50, on a stretch of highway known as The Loneliest Road in America for its endless reaches of dusty desert terrain. But Fallon is an oasis in this vast desert, with fertile farmland nurtured by snowmelt from the nearby Sierra Nevada range as well as Lake Tahoe on the California border. This bountiful land is most famous for its rich yields of alfalfa, which is prized by cattle ranchers and thoroughbred breeders around the world.
The Frey family has farmed here since 1854—a decade before Nevada even became a state. Frey Ranch spans about 1,500 acres and cultivates alfalfa as well as wheat, rye, barley, oats, and corn. Today the ranch is stewarded by Colby Frey, who represents the fifth generation of family ownership. Like his forebears, he devotes himself to the land. “I was just irrigating our rye...

How would you like to own a barrel of bourbon? Or batch two barrels together for your own unique small batch? Once the exclusive domain of bourbon clubs and choice bars, now any whiskey lover with the desire and some determination can buy a barrel of bourbon.The U.S. three-tier liquor laws require that a wholesaler purchase from the supplier and then sell to the retailer, who sells to you. In other words, you can't just walk into the warehouse, grab a barrel, and check it in your airport luggage. Fortunately, because you'll be spending between $5,000 and $12,000 in their store, most retailers will gladly help make your dream come true by cooperating with your chosen distillery.The goal is to achieve something uniquely suited for your group's palate. No two barrels taste the same, so this is a true tasting study.Buy It: Distilleries and Brands with Batching and Single Barrel ProgramsAt Four Roses, the barrel selection process provides you the rare opportunity of tasting up to 20...

Bourbon cream liqueurs lend a distinctly indulgent feel to your whiskey repertoire, and they’re beloved by those of us with a sweet tooth. It’s a luscious tipple nuanced with the oaky, vanilla-leaning flavors of bourbon, mingled with cream and a healthy dose of sugar. But bourbon is still the star of the show, imparting deep whiskey flavor thanks to its time spent in new charred oak. Though some mainstream bourbon brands offer cream liqueurs, this sweet tipple flies mostly under the radar, certainly when compared to its better-known Irish cream counterparts.
The combination of coffee and whiskey is a great place for bourbon cream to shine. Laura Thompson, bar manager at Prohibition Pig in Vermont, uses it in a bourbon riff on Irish Coffee called Kentucky Coffee, composed of bourbon, drip coffee, and Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream. Jordon Honeycutt, general manager at The Crunkleton in Charlotte, North Carolina, finds it a natural addition to an Espresso Martini, lending a...

As the 20th century came to a close, the page was turned on an era of historic lows in whisky’s popularity. At that point, the “buzz” surrounding whisky—to use a now-dated term of the ’90s—was nearly at zero. But as the years moved into the 2000s, a sea change began as the whisky world awakened from its decades-long slumber. Few people realized this was the dawn of a new era that would soar beyond everyone’s wildest expectations—where master distillers became rock stars, whisky lovers lined up all night for the latest releases, and distilleries became tourist destinations. Here’s a look at how we got here, year by year.

2000


❖ The Glencairn whisky glass makes its debut, with a wider introduction starting the following year. The glass had been designed in 1981 by Raymond Davidson at his crystal studio just outside Glasgow, but he saw no future in it. His prototype sat on the shelf for nearly 20 years...

It's a big week of new releases for bourbon and other American whiskeys, with announcements from major stars including Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch (covered earlier this week), as well as Maker's Mark Cellar Aged, Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Sour Mash,  Baker's 13 year old, and numerous others detailed below. In scotch, Glenfiddich has a new 16 year old in partnership with Aston Martin's Formula One racing team, while the Tormore single malt brand has a trio of new whiskies as it prepares for a broader U.S. introduction in 2026.
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged (2025 Edition) Bourbon
ABV: 56.45%
SRP: $175
Availability: Limited
Since its debut in 2023, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged has represented a dramatic departure from the distillery’s standard bourbon, which is ready at around 7 to 8 years old. While Cellar Aged, like the flagship Maker’s, bears no age statement, it has featured whiskey 11 years or older. The barrels used...

Knob Creek age statements are returning with a vengeance, as many of us can remember the days of 2009 when Knob Creek ran out of aged juice altogether. Of course, Knob Creek was hardly the only one caught off guard by the whisky boom—the years between 2010 and 2020 were filled with non-age statement releases and other measures as distillers scrambled to meet demand. Now, thankfully, the age-statement whiskey scene appears to be back in full bloom.
Elsewhere Crown Royal is getting into the single malt act, which adds another big distiller to a space, once the province of craft distillers. The space now also includes Jack Daniel’s, and Jim Beam. Can Heaven Hill be far behind?
Lots more is doing, including a high-proof bottling from the rapidly rising Green River Distillery, whose Owensboro, Kentucky distillery received 10,000 visitors last year. Quietly inserted in the most recent new product information from Kentucky’s Frank August was news that Potter Jane...

Single malt scotch was firmly in charge of the highest 20 hammer prices in May, with 10 whiskies from Macallan and three from Bowmore making the list this month, along with the first appearances for the year from Highland Park and Glenturret. Rounding out the list are five high-value Japanese whiskies, bringing the combined value for May to $1,079,892. Bowmore Arc-52 The Mokume Edition topped the list, another example of the high prices that distilleries can command by selling a limited edition of a limited edition directly at auction.
May 2023 – Top 20 Hammer Prices
Ascending order, results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Macallan Fine & Rare 1951 51 year old
Sold on: May 16th 2023 at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $28,068
19. Yamazaki Genmu
Sold on May 18th 2023 at Bonhams
Hammer price: $28,105

18. Macallan Fine & Rare 1958 43 year old
Sold on: May 11th 2023 at Sotheby’s
Hammer price...

 October was a monster month for whisky auctions: It’s the fourth month of the year where the 20 highest single bottle hammer prices exceeded $1 million, joining April, June, and July. The year’s highest hammer price to date was set at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong for Karuizawa 1960 52 year old Cask No. 5627. It was another dominant month for Macallan, with bottles from the Red Collection and Fine & Rare joining rarities such as its Anniversary Malt 1928 50 year old. 
American whiskey performed exceptionally well, with a Binny’s Barrel Selection Van Winkle Special Reserve 18 year old hitting $86,000. Sotheby’s matched its own previous high bid, $48,000, for a bottle of LeNell’s Red Hook Rye 23 year old, nearly breaking the $48,500 world record held by Unicorn Auctions. An Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old decanter made $30,400. With nearly every bottle on the list selling for more than $30,000, October’s total sales delivered...

Macallan extended its grip over other brands last month, securing 10 of the 20-highest hammer prices of September. Sotheby’s, New York auctioned the three highest hammer prices of the month: all were Macallan. The combined value of September’s list was $690,213, $400,000 of which were Macallan. Securing 10 positions on the list is no easy feat, and Macallan is the first distillery to do it since November 2023, when Karuizawa dominated. Macallan tops this year’s leaderboard, and it has now had more bottles in the monthly 20 hammer price lists across 2024 than its five closest rivals: Karuizawa, Yamazaki, Van Winkle, Bowmore, and Dalmore. Bottles of Macallan have a combined year-to-date total of $3.3 million, a figure that’s greater than the combined sum of the bottles from the next 16 distilleries on the list. 
October, traditionally the richest month for whisky auctions, looks set to deliver in style with Whisky Auctioneer selling a bottle of Macallan...

The 2017 release of the most coveted whiskeys in the world has arrived: the annual allocation of Pappy Van Winkle and Old Rip Van Winkle will be available for sale starting this month, although the exact timing will vary by state and you'll have a tough time finding them on the shelf at most stores anyway. The 2017 lineup for Pappy and Old Rip Van Winkle, which are both made at the Buffalo Trace distillery, is as follows, with recommended retail prices noted:Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year old bourbon 53.5% ABV, $60Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 year old bourbon 45.2% ABV, $70Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 15 year old bourbon 53.5% ABV, $100Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 year old bourbon 45.2% ABV, $170Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 year old bourbon 47.8% ABV, $270Buffalo Trace doesn't release the number of bottles available, but the distillery noted in a press release that “yields are a bit higher” for the 10, 15, and 23 year old bourbons. Due to a gap in inventory...

Before you can do anything else with whisky, you have to buy it, and that's where a lot of people go wrong. They pay too much, or get the same old thing they always get, or they get what a reviewer said to get, or they go to the wrong store, or they buy something expensive that's way out of their comfort zone without tasting it first. If you've done this (or if you think you may have done this), don't worry: we can help.Know ThyselfThe ancient Greek aphorism works pretty well on buying whisky. Don't buy what the crowd's buying (if you've heard of “supply and demand,” one very good reason should be clear); figure out what it is that you actually like, and pursue that. Self-confidence is one of the most important whisky-tasting tools to develop, and as always, tasting widely is the best course of action.You'll likely find during the process that you like a range of whiskies, not just one, and surely some of them are not currently in the Hype Box. For instance, I was overjoyed to...

Updated May 30, 2024: Effective May 28, 2024, Golden Moon Distillery ceased operations.
Denver began as a mining town in 1858 with a whisper that gold had been found in the Rocky Mountains. Prospectors and fortune-hunters set up tents and shacks on the banks of the Platte river, and in their wake came entrepreneurs—gamblers, prostitutes, and saloonkeepers—ready to help “mine” the miners of whatever they might find. Though not much gold was found, there was plenty of whiskey to help wash away their troubles.160 years later, Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States and the residents have not lost their taste for whiskey and other spirits. Craft distilleries are opening at a remarkable rate; the recently launched Colorado Spirits Trail includes more than 50 distillers around the state creating a wide variety of spirits, from whiskey to brandy. Denver alone has nine distilleries as of August 2018, plus several more in the greater metro...

In 2019, Mike Paladini and his business partner Danny Polise were one year into their venture, Penelope Bourbon, when MGP—the Lawrenceburg, Indiana, supplier of the whiskey for their New Jersey-based non-distilling production operation—called with an unusual offer. Would the duo be interested in 24 barrels of experimental straight wheat whiskey, with a mashbill of 95% wheat and 5% malted barley, that had been laid down six years prior?
They’d always been “super close” with the folks at MGP Distillery, according to Penelope master blender Polise, and after an inventory system update, “that call came in from [MGP’s Ross & Squibb Distillery’s master blender] Sam Schmetlzer, and he said, ‘these barrels are cool; you should check them out.’ We got the samples and were 100% in,” recalls Polise.
One problem: “We didn’t have any money,” laughs Paladini.

“The cost was $25,000 or...

Fall is the most exciting time for whisky—lots of new and limited-edition releases hit shelves during the months leading up to the holiday season. And even though we're still weeks away from autumn leaves, and temperatures, the first of the 2018 special bottles is about to roll out. Old Forester always kicks off the season with its Birthday Bourbon, which is released each year on September 2, the birthday of founder George Garvin Brown. Bottled for the first time at Old Forester's new distillery in downtown Louisville, this year's Birthday Bourbon is 50.5% ABV and has a recommended price of $100.Macallan is releasing the seventh limited-edition whisky in its Masters of Photography series, collaborating with multiple artists for the first time. This edition, called Magnum, celebrates Macallan's new distillery. It costs $3,500 and 2,000 packages are available worldwide.Another limited-edition bourbon that is sure to be in high demand: Kentucky Owl Batch #8. Clocking in at its highest...

New distillery visitors centers are springing up all over: Last week it was Woodford Reserve, and this week, Bulleit opened the doors to a new experience at its Shelbyville distillery. Plus, Lagg Distillery on Scotland's Isle of Arran is also now welcoming visitors and churning out heavily peated spirit. In a few years, it will be mature enough to call whisky.There's plenty of already-mature whisky now though. Maker's Mark has expanded availability of its 101 expression. Previously for sale at travel retail only, Maker's 101 is now available at the distillery and select Kentucky retailers, priced at $50 for a 1-liter bottle.Glenlivet has unveiled its latest mystery malt; called Enigma, the whisky's details are deliberately being withheld so that drinkers can make up their own minds about the flavor. Available in the U.S. only, Enigma costs $149.Meanwhile, there's a lot going on in bourbon country. Heaven Hill is launching a 7 year old bottled in bond bourbon this fall. While the...

Bourbon was born on the American frontier and came of age on Madison Avenue—and everything about its history reflects the nation that invented it. The story is cast with immigrants, industrialists, farmers, and hustlers, and set in fields, factories, boardrooms, and back rooms. Inextricably intertwined, America shaped bourbon and bourbon shaped America. And no matter how hard marketers try to embellish the history, they'll never top the real thing.7000BC—A-maize-ingEarly Native Americans domesticate a weedy Mexican grass called teosinte, ultimately transforming it into the primary ingredient of bourbon and a grain that feeds and fuels the United States.1622—Dying for a DrinkGeorge Thorpe, a colonist who had been experimenting with making alcohol beverages from corn, is killed during the Powhatan Uprising in Virginia.1776—Revolting DevelopmentsAs the war with the British hinders the sugar trade, and therefore rum production, Americans resort to distilling from native grains...

As the COVID-19 public health crisis deepens, more and more people are becoming isolated by practicing social distancing—staying home and limiting interactions with others as much as possible. At Whisky Advocate, we're doing the same, with our staff working remotely. It puts a crimp in some activities, like tastings, but it's the right decision for everyone's health.The coming days will be hard for all of us who enjoy gathering with friends around a good dram. But social distancing doesn't have to be miserable. As we remember that this practice will help save lives, we can also take steps to lighten the anxiety, stress, and loneliness caused by isolation. Now is the time to open up that bottle you've been saving!First up: Join us onInstagram Live every Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern. The Whisky Advocate tasting panel typically tastes together on Fridays, but that's changed for now. In an effort to keep our palates and each other engaged, we're opening up the Whisky Advocate tasting room...

Age is the thing in this week’s lineup of American whiskey releases, with Michter’s unveiling the latest release of its 25 year old bourbon—always an occasion to be noted. The 25 year old hasn’t appeared since 2020, and it's a rare pour indeed that can be tough to procure at retail, though it can be found on the best whisky lists in bars and restaurants throughout the land. Either way, it's quite the holiday treat. Then there is Old Forester, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary—not with a 150 year old bourbon, but with a 150-month old bourbon, bottled in throwback holiday decanters, with just 150 bottles available. This is the good stuff that was once bottled only for the owner's family, and this one comes with quite the package of perks, as you'll read below. Elsewhere, Dickel is out with its first 18 year old bourbon, while Barrell gets a jump on things with its Bourbon New Year 2024. There's more to...

While Louisville welcomed Old Forester Distillery back to its original location this week, new whiskies from Kentucky, Scotland, and beyond are rolling out to store shelves.Macallan just can't stay still. After opening its stunning new distillery, unveiling a packaging revamp, and announcing its oldest-ever single malt, the company is releasing two new limited-edition whiskies: Macallan M Black follows up in the M series, making a dramatic entrance in a black crystal Lalique decanter and with a price—$6,995—to match. Meanwhile, Macallan Edition No. 4 will hit shelves next month at $100 a bottle, showcasing the concept of structure in whisky.Revival is the name of the game for three Kentucky straight bourbons this week—literally so, in the case of Wild Turkey Master's Keep Revival. The newest iteration of master distiller Eddie Russell's blending genius, Revival was inspired by Wild Turkey Sherry Signature, a sherry-finished bourbon created by Eddie's father, master distiller...

Missouri has joined Kentucky and Tennessee in regulating specific rules for its own style of whiskey—in this case, Missouri bourbon. We spoke to distillers about the measure, which includes an unusual requirement for barrels made of Missouri-grown oak. But for those of you heading to the liquor store (which you should be doing every time you travel, by the way), there are several new whiskies to seek out.Laphroaig is rolling out the 2019 Cairdeas. This year, it's a cask-strength (59.5% ABV) version of the distillery's Triple Wood expression. It's available in limited amounts for $80.Shortly after confirming that its Quinta Ruban expression is going from 12 to 14 years old, Glenmorangie has revealed that it's dropping the age statement for Nectar D'Or, which was previously bottled at 12 years old. The whisky's price ($77) and availability remain the same.Loch Lomond Distillery has released a special-edition 2002 vintage single malt in partnership with pro golfer Cristie Kerr...

The biggest whiskey news of the week came yesterday when Beam Suntory announced the debut of Legent, a new bourbon made by master distiller Fred Noe and master blender Shinji Fukuyo. We have full details below and in an in-depth article where both men discuss how they created the special blend.[caption id="attachment_13597" align="alignleft" width="300"] New packaging for Knob Creek[/caption]Beam Suntory also unveiled new packaging for Knob Creek. The updated look is a bit sleeker and more polished than before, but the whiskey is the same big, bold bourbon and rye.Diageo announced that it will release whiskies from the shuttered Port Ellen Distillery in the new Untold Stories series. The first bottling, Port Ellen Untold Stories: The Spirit Safe, is 39 years old. Just 1,500 bottles are available, priced at at £4,500; none are coming to the U.S., although online ordering is available through The Whisky Exchange.An aged single malt scotch you can actually get stateside—although it...

What a week for new releases! There’s no shortage of new whiskies as we transition from summer into fall, and they range from highly allocated collectible single malts and experimental limited editions to widely available permanent expressions.
Scotch lovers have plenty to be excited about, with new malts and blends coming from all over the country. Laphroaig has debuted the third edition of its experimental Elements series; Single Cask Nation has bottled three new single malts; Buchanan’s has added a luxurious new blend; and Johnnie Walker has launched a limited-edition Blue Label bottle and box that celebrates the Indian festive season. In bourbon, there’s cask finishes galore. Both Barton 1792 and Hirsch have introduced cognac-finished bourbons, while Widow Jane is back with its maple syrup-finished Decadence, and Steph Curry’s Gentleman’s Cut has a Pedro Ximénez sherry-finished bourbon, made in collaboration with chef José...

Even if you like to explore different whisky styles, one that you may not have seen is light whiskey. It’s a curious, mysterious genre, and people are often left wondering what it really means. Spoiler alert: it’s not called light whiskey because it’s diet-friendly, because of its color, or because of its proof. The term is partly meant to describe the whiskey’s flavors, but that isn’t the whole story.
By definition, light whiskey must be produced in the U.S., with a distillation proof of more than 160° (80% ABV) but less than 190° (95%), and aged in new uncharred or used oak containers. There is no rule on what grains can be used, a fairly typical part of most other whiskey definitions. It seems to fly in the face of what most people have come to expect from American whiskey. Yet light whiskey is undergoing something of a renaissance in recent years. The style, looked down upon for decades, has suddenly been generating some buzz.
One of...

Suddenly it's quite a time for aged whiskies, at least compared to the past 10 or 15 years. The days of drastic shortages and non-age statement releases have faded as whisky inventories swing back into full supply—and possible oversupply going forward. But putting industry prognostications aside, what we know for sure is that it's all good news for people who appreciate fine whisky, because there are more aged whiskeys that weren't available only a short time ago. Knob Creek is back once again with its 18 year old, while Sagamore has a 7 year old Bottled in Bond, as does Brother's Bond. The most sought-after labels are still offering their best aged expressions in fairly limited fashion, but it's still a noticeable change from previous years, and a great opportunity to try some new—or should we say old—whiskies.
Orphan Barrel Woven Honor 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch 
ABV: 46.3%
SRP: $185

The return of Michter’s 20 year old bourbon after being away for two years was certainly the highlight of the week, although getting hold of a bottle of this limited release will prove to be a challenge as always. The 20 year old's arrival came just in time for WhiskyFest New York on Wednesday night, where it was in high demand. Elsewhere among the new  American whiskey releases, Tattersall has two limited edition bottled in bond expressions, while Colorado’s Laws offers two cask-finished bourbons. Other new announcements feature Pendleton, Hidden Barn, and Wyoming Whiskey.
In scotch, Johnnie Walker Blue is out with its Lunar New Year release to commemorate the Year of the Snake, while Macallan has two new whiskies in the fourth edition of its Harmony Series, which this year celebrates Macallan’s use of oak. And finally, from Ireland, Teeling has released another of its aged whiskeys, this one a 24 year old.
Michter’s 20 year old...

It's the night of WhiskyFest Chicago. The ballroom is brimming with hundreds of whiskies for sampling and the excited whisky lovers who adore them. But one group of attendees seems to be having the most fun of all. Adorned in matching navy blazers embellished with their club patch, and sporting fur pelts draped around their shoulders, Illinois's own Whiskey Wolf Pack is chatting with distillers, clinking glasses with presenters, posing for photos, and generally owning the room.
Don't mistake this dashing whisky club's gregariousness for indiscriminate imbibing. These guys know good whisky. The Wolf Pack first came together in 2016 as a way to pool their cash and obtain the bottles they might not otherwise afford on their own, according to vice president and current treasurer Robert Pagel. (Lest you wonder where his whisky fondness lies, he gave his son the middle name “Macallan.”)
“When we were younger, dropping a hundred dollars on a bottle was a big thing...

It’s Father’s Day weekend, and earlier in the week we posted a piece that covered a wide range of Father's Day gift choices to suit nearly every dad. We follow here with an array of new whiskeys, many of which could also be in the running—notably a just-released Father’s Day Bourbon Collection from Woodford Reserve. Among other noteworthy new items, Old Forester is offering a new batch of its President’s Choice single barrel bourbon, while Blue Run is back with Flight Series II, featuring six micro-batch whiskeys. Texas whiskey maker Still Austin has a summer release of its Bottled in Bond red corn, and the Penelope Cooper Series has a new release of its bourbon finished in grenache rosé wine casks from the Southern Rhône.
For scotch lovers, the U.S. Open golf championship is in full swing this weekend, and Dewar’s is out with this year’s release of its 19 year old Champion’s Edition...

As we move full-on into fall, we are loaded up with high-profile whiskies this week. King of Kentucky is out with its eighth annual release, while Widow Jane drops its seventh annual bottling of The Vaults, the series highlighting ultra-aged bourbons made with unusual cask finishes. Woodford Reserve has a new barrel strength rye, while Baltimore rye specialist Sagamore Spirit has released its first bourbon, a high-rye expression made entirely at the distillery. Among other whiskies, scotch whisky blender Compass Box has tapped into the dessert lover’s palate with a new expression called Crème Brulée Royale, while India’s Rampur Distillery has a new single malt. Meanwhile, college football is in the air: Teeling is back with another expression honoring the legacy of Notre Dame's legendary team, and former Rutgers University football star Eric LeGrand toasts his alma mater with a new bourbon saluting its mascot, the...

Today, we unveiled our 2025 Whisky of the Year, capping off a week of Top 20 reveals. The list features whiskies from around the globe, all of which came out over the past year. As we celebrate our 2025 winners, let’s look at the whiskies rolling out this week—who knows, maybe one of these bottles will appear in next year's Top 20.
Still Austin is back with its second edition of Tanager, a bourbon series that's intended for pairing with cigars. Wilderness Trail has three new single barrel whiskeys, all 6 years old; elsewhere in Kentucky, Buzzard's Roost has debuted a single barrel bourbon of its own, this one celebrating Repeal Day. Bourbon-armagnac blend Hogsworth is back with its oldest releases yet, and on the collectible side, Glenlivet has released a 56 year old single malt. 
Still Austin Tanager Cigar Blend Bourbon (2025 Release)
ABV: 53.75%
SRP: $150
Availability: Limited
Texas craft distillery Still Austin has...

While Buffalo Trace Distillery announced the 2019 release of the Old Rip Van Winkle whiskeys yesterday, the real new product upset of the week was Glenlivet's cocktail pods—an innovation that isn't even coming to retail shelves, but nevertheless caused quite a stir. My take? Do not fear the scotch pods.Beyond the unobtainable, there are plenty of new whiskies to look for now. Jim Beam has revealed an overhaul of its Baker's brand. The bourbon will remain at least 7 years old and 107 proof, but is now bottled as a single barrel for $70. In addition, there's a limited-edition 13 year old Baker's available in small amounts for $100.Beam's Kentucky neighbor, Heaven Hill, has debuted Larceny Barrel Proof. The cask-strength version of the distillery's wheated bourbon is priced at $50 and will be released in three batches a year.Balvenie Distillery is rolling out Batch 6 of Tun 1509. The limited-edition single malt costs $400.Wyoming Whiskey is bringing back Outryder at 7 years old. The...

Angel’s Envy has done quite well for itself by using ruby port casks over the years. Its trademark Port Cask bourbon, which launched in 2011, features a 6-month finish in ruby port barrels. It’s widely accepted as being the first-ever cask-finished bourbon—laying the foundation for a practice that’s now widespread in the U.S. There’s also the high-scoring Cask Strength version of Port Cask, a ruby port-finished annual release that’s one of the distillery’s most popular whiskeys and recently made an appearance on our Top 20 Whiskies of 2024 list. This year’s cask strength iteration, Batch C13, shakes things up by adding tawny port casks into the mix alongside the typical ruby port barrels.
The new batch comprises three base bourbons, each accounting for about a third of the overall blend. Two of those components were distilled by Angel’s Envy in 2016 and 2018. The third is a blend of distillates from 2012–2015 that...

There were quite a few interesting releases in the whisky world this week, notably a new 12 year old Eagle Rare and Diageo’s resurrection of the Stitzel Weller name with a new 24 year old.  The rest of the week is rounded out by two high-profile annual releases—the new Dewar’s Champion’s Edition 19 year old to mark the U.S. Open golf tournament, and Garrison Brothers’ annual release of the tawny port-finished Guadalupe, which always draws a crowd at the distillery in Texas. There's also a new edition of Rieger Monogram, this one with a bit of 15 year old sherry added as a tribute to blenders past, and a Widow Jane bourbon blend, which is a New York exclusive.  Buzzard's Roost has its most loyal fans pick the barrels for its latest whiskey, and Four Branches commemorates our military with a 9 year old bourbon.
Dewar’s The Champion’s Edition 19 year old (2025 Release) Blended Scotch
ABV: 43%
SRP: $80

Last fall, Old Overholt debuted two new whiskeys to celebrate its storied past, but both were limited in scale and scope. Now, one of those whiskeys—Old Overholt 114 Proof—is available nationwide, so American rye lovers, rejoice! It’s also a great week for fans of American whiskey in general, as the eight bottlings on our menu are all U.S. born and bred—including releases from Angel’s Envy, W.L. Weller, and George Dickel. Read on for full details.Angel’s Envy Madeira Finished Straight BourbonStyle: Finished bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 50%
Price: $230
Release: June 2021
Availability: 3,360 bottles, available at the distillery and in select markets: CA, FL, IL, KY, NY, TN, and TX.Need to know:Angel’s Envy’s third release from its Cellar Collection is a blend of whiskeys finished for one year in Madeira casks. Starting May 21, members of Angel’s Envy’s 500 Main club can enter a lottery for a chance to buy a bottle ahead of its June 6...

Earlier this year, Wild Turkey released a limited-edition bourbon in celebration of longtime master distiller Jimmy Russell’s 70th year on the job (which went on to land at No. 9 on our Top 20 list this year). Now, Booker’s Bourbon is also paying tribute to the legendary master distiller with its final batch of 2024.
Booker’s “Jimmy’s Batch” blends bourbons stored in four different seven-story warehouses. The warehouse breakdown is as follows:

12% came from the 5th floor of warehouse Z
20% came from the 5th floor of warehouse 1
22% came from the 4th floor of warehouse Q
46% came from the 3rd floor of warehouse 3

The bourbon is bottled at 62.9% ABV and is precisely 7 years, 9 months, and 19 days old. As with all batches of Booker’s this one is available on a limited basis, and it has a suggested retail price of $100. It follows three other 2024 releases: “Springfield Batch,” (our No...

France produces some of the finest luxury goods in the world: perfume, jewelry, wine, and fashion. Its fine wines and cognacs command high prices and top auction bids, prized for their quality and collectibility. Now, a new producer is looking to add whisky to that illustrious list.Alfred Giraud, a blended malt French whisky, is launching in the U.S. this month with two expressions: the unpeated Heritage, priced at $155, and its peated sibling Harmonie, which is $190. There are less than 1,000 bottles of Heritage for sale here, and just a few hundred of Harmonie. Currently available in France and New York, the whiskies will eventually be sold—in similarly allocated amounts—in London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.Such high prices and their accompanying small bottle counts aren't uncommon, but they're usually reserved for rare, age-stated scotch or Japanese whiskies. Little more than three decades old, France's whisky industry is still in its nascent stages, and the majority of its...

There was fierce competition for the top spots on the last monthly 20 highest hammer prices of 2025. The combined hammer prices for December were $931,990, up 8% against December 2024. The monthly 20-highest list closed the year on a high, having outperformed 2024’s figures for the last five months. Whisky.Auction topped the list for December, with a winning bid of $100,684 for a Macallan in Lalique 50 year old, bucking the trend of falling Macallan prices that began in 2024. This decanter achieved more than double the $40,000 hammer price of the bottle sold in New York four days earlier at Sotheby’s. 
From New York to Hong Kong, ultra-premium Macallan was on sale in large amounts at both Sotheby’s and Bonhams in December. Lalique decanters from the Six Pillars collection and The Red Collection made the 20-highest list. Unusually, Whisky Auctioneer didn’t attract a high enough hammer price to make December’s list. Macallan took 18 out of 20...

Old Forester can add a new date to its multi-century history: on June 14, 2018—which is also National Bourbon Day—the brand made its return to downtown Louisville with a new 70,000-square-foot, $45 million distillery. The new premises includes a full production facility, including a 24-inch column still, an active cooperage, and an immersive visitor experience. While the distillery started production in May, June 14 marked its official opening to the public, with tours offered starting June 15.Easily accessible in the heart of Louisville's Whiskey Row, Old Forester's new site takes bourbon tourism beyond a simple tour and tasting. Visitors will get to see the barrel elevator, fermentation room, yeast propagation lab, cooperage and accompanying char room—where one lucky tour guest will get to participate in the barrel-charring process—a 3- story barrelhouse, bottling line, and more. “It's a very holistic, one-stop shop, seeing the entire process,” says Old Forester master...

The official announcement for Spirits of the Apocaplypse, the Walking Dead bourbon, came out this week. Whisky Advocate reported this bottle's imminent arrival back in May, and we're excited to bring you a review in an upcoming Buying Guide.More new whiskies are on their way or hitting shelves now, like the newest limited-edition bourbon from Jim Beam. Knob Creek Quarter Oak includes bourbon was finished for 4 years in a quarter cask; it's priced at $50 and available nationwide for a limited time.Kentucky Owl is rolling out Batch 9 of its bourbon, blended from a number of different whiskeys. There are just over 10,300 bottles available, with a suggested retail price of $300.Dogfish Head has launched its third whiskey, a limited-edition single malt finished in ale casks from the Delaware brewery. Alternate Takes: Vol. 2, Whiskey Finished in Palo Santo Marron Ale Barrels is priced at $50, and there are roughly 6,000 bottles available.Four Gate Whiskey Co. is launching its second...

Even a quick glance at its name makes it safe to assume that Dampfwerk Distilling in St. Louis Park, Minnesota has a far-flung influence. In this case, that influence is German: Owner Ralf Loeffelholz is originally from the Bavarian town of Muhldorf. There, fruit brandies and herbal liqueurs are deeply entrenched in the culture, and Loeffelholz knew that when he opened his distillery on American soil, those European-style brandies and liqueurs would be at the heart of his business. But Dampfwerk (which translates to “steam works”) is a family affair, and distiller Christian Loeffelholz (Ralf’s son) joined Dampfwerk with American single malt in mind—which he makes on the same German-made still his father uses.

“The still was designed to our specifications; it’s not a traditional whiskey still by any means, but it’s tuned for leaving as much flavor in the product as possible—in that way, we have great bandwidth for brandies and...

Back in 2000, Buffalo Trace introduced the first iteration of its Antique Collection. That inaugural release of three whiskeys—Eagle Rare 17 year old bourbon, Weller 19 year old wheated bourbon, and Sazerac 18 year old rye—were among the distillery’s rarest and oldest whiskeys, creating the blueprint for the annual series. In the years that followed, the Antique Collection expanded to include more expressions, and for the most part higher proof points; the 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) further ups the ante, celebrating 25 years of releases with the first new addition to the collection in almost two decades.
The 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Newcomer
Joining the “usual suspects” of the modern Antique Collection—Eagle Rare 17 year old bourbon, George T. Stagg bourbon, Thomas H. Handy rye, Sazerac 18 year old rye, and William Larue Weller bourbon—is Colonel E.H. Taylor bottled in bond bourbon. The first new addition...

Back in 19th-century Scotland and Ireland, whisky merchants also sold wine, bringing in popular fortified wines like port and sherry. Casks filled with wine were shipped across the sea from Spain and Portugal, and once they were emptied, the merchants would often refill them with whisky from a nearby distillery rather than discard them and pay for new casks. Eventually, people came to see that a whisky’s maturation in wine casks contributed some very nice flavors. Ireland’s whiskey merchants, famously Dublin’s J.A. Mitchell & Son with its Spot whiskeys, were particularly renowned.
But those days were more about cost expedience, and generally involved full maturation rather than finishing per se. It was in Scotland during the early 1980s that cask finishing as a modern art form was born. In 1982, David Stewart, former malt master at Speyside distillery Balvenie, decided to see what would happen when a whisky aged in American oak casks was transferred to a...

The Top 20 highest single bottle hammer prices achieved during April 2023 achieved the highest combined value of this list this year: $1,716,835 comprising 11 scotches, 5 Japanese whiskies, 3 American whiskeys, and 1 Irish whiskey. Macallan The Reach 81 year old, the oldest whisky ever sold at auction, had the highest hammer price. The list includes 11 single malts aged 50 years or more— from Macallan, Yamazaki, Karuizawa, Bowmore, Mortlach, and Glendronach.
April 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices
Results converted to dollars using xe.com
20. Willett Family Estate 18 year old Paws & Claws Private Barrel
Sold: April 16th 2023 at Unicorn Auctions
Hammer price: $24,300

19. Midleton Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition
Sold: April 23rd 2023 at Irish Whiskey Auction
Hammer price: $24,417

18. Karuizawa Sapphire Geisha 36 year old Cask No. 5077
Sold: April 10th 2023 at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer...

Macallan had a dominant month in August, securing 13 of the 20 highest hammer prices. The standout bottle was the new record price for Macallan Red Collection 60 year old, at $258,992. Balvenie made its first appearance, while Hanyu was the only Japanese whisky to make the list. Two bottles of Macallan Genesis in Lalique 72 year old were sold within four days of each other; Scotch Whisky Auctions attracted an $81,252 winning bid for one of them, which was some 25% higher than the $65,000 hammer price at Sotheby’s, New York.  
August 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices
Results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Macallan The Red Collection 40 year old
Sold on: August 7th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $21,067

19. Old Fashioned Copper 1980
Sold on: August 17th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $22,000

18. Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old
Sold on: August 17th at...

The latest issue of Whisky Advocate hit newsstands this week, and it includes over 100 new whisky reviews. Check it out and let us know what you think! We look forward to adding reviews for this week's newest whiskies to the Buying Guide soon.Glenlivet has launched a rum cask-finished single malt called Caribbean Reserve. The whisky is widely available for $35.Buffalo Trace's newest experimental whiskey—a 12 year old bourbon that was proofed down mid-maturation—is available in very limited amounts, priced at $47 for a 375 ml.New Riff is releasing a very unusual bourbon and rye line called Backsetter. Both bottled in bond whiskeys are made with backset that came from a distillation of peated malted barley. There are roughly 2,250 bottles of each style available, priced at $50.Abasolo corn whisky from Mexico is making its debut. The 100% corn whisky is priced at $40 and available in seven states.Read on for full details.Glenlivet Caribbean ReserveStyle: Single maltOrigin: Scotland...

Whiskies are released for all sorts of special occasions, including weddings, coronations, and of course, birthdays. But in a real first, Wyoming Whiskey is debuting a bourbon celebrating the solar eclipse, which takes place on August 21st. Also new this week: Early Times is launching a limited-edition bottled in bond bourbon, while Clyde May's has a 9 year old cask strength whiskey. And a new "hybrid" blend of bourbon and rye called Copper Cross is hitting store shelves. Early Times Bottled in Bond BourbonStyle: Straight bourbonOrigin: KentuckyAge: 4 years oldProof: 50% ABVPrice: $23 (1 liter)Release: Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and OregonAvailability: Limited editionNeed to know:This bourbon has a mashbill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. As a bonded bourbon, it was aged for at least four years and is bottled at 100 proof.Whisky Advocate says:Because Early Times has long been aged in used barrels, it hasn't been able to call itself a bourbon; it's...

Fall is in full swing, and so are new whisky launches. In a burst of good news for Pappy fans, the 2022 Van Winkle lineup has been announced, and with it the word that more bottles than usual are available this year. Does that mean it'll be easier to get your hands on one ahead of the holiday season? Not necessarily, but here's to staying optimistic.The Van Winkle whiskeys aren't the only specialty releases making their debut this week. There are two new whiskies from Hibiki—a cherrywood-finished blend and a 30 year old whisky—both of which are highly limited. Knob Creek, meanwhile, has introduced a rarity of its own, an 18 year old bourbon that marks its oldest release to date, and High West has unveiled the 10th edition of A Midwinter Night's Dram, along with a distillery-exclusive special to commemorate the 10th anniversary. From Scotland, Glendronach has debuted Grandeur Batch 11—aged for 28 years—while Gordon & Macphail is offering three new...

While aromas of cinnamon spice, powdered sugar, honey, and the like can certainly be appealing to the nose, sometimes whisky smells straight up like a barnyard—and that’s not a bad thing. The scents that tell a story of life on a farm are unusual and intriguing, conjuring up images of hay bales, weathered planks, dried corn, and more. We dive into what sort of whiskies deliver such barn-adjacent scents here, and offer up three bottles in particular that are certainly worth trying for yourself, whether you are a barnyard fan or not.
This week in new whisky, there's plenty to enjoy. Glenfiddich has launched an entirely new line of luxury single malts, George Dickel 13 year old is the latest release in its Bottled in Bond Series, Kentucky Owl is back with the second edition of its International Collaboration Series, and Sagamore Spirit has a new añejo mezcal cask-finished rye. Read on for more details.

Glenfiddich Time Re:Imagined Collection
Style...

Hey Big Spender! Your convenience store may sell whisky, but not these whiskies. Big-ticket whiskies reside in glass cases in specialty spirits shops, priced more in line with luxury goods and fine art rather than everyday drinks. The most expensive whiskies available can span opulent new releases, auction bottles bought to resell, and unsold collectibles with prices that have risen commensurate with their scarcity. The retail prices bear little relation to the cost of production, and some would even say reality, but then you wouldn't expect to buy a 50 year old whisky based on the price of malted barley, sherry casks, and labor from five decades ago.So, if not raw materials, what makes these whiskies so expensive? For one, age comes at a premium, and scotch whisky is way out in front on this one due to a combination of history, technique, and a favorable climate. Macallan, Glenfarclas, Dalmore, and Gordon & MacPhail have all released whiskies 60 years and older. Due to...

Country clubs have plenty of activities to offer, such as golf, fine dining, tennis, and swimming. But how many can claim to have their very own whisky club? Palm Desert, California’s The Lakes Country Club certainly can do so. 
The Lakes Spirit Society is this country club’s attraction for whisky drinkers. The society's meetings take place monthly from November to April on the grounds, with Palm Desert’s scorching temperatures compelling the group to adjourn for the hot months.  
First christened as The Lakes Whisky Society, this group was founded by Mark Ovitz in  2016. Mark, who still serves as acting president, founded the society as a practical solution to his spirits-buying habits. “I woke up one day and I thought ‘Wow, I’m buying a lot of [whisky]. Wouldn’t it be fun if I could get a group together, we all chip in, and buy the spirits to taste together?’ that way I wouldn’t...

Kentucky is bourbon country, and Louisville is the capital. Home to distilleries and brand experiences from the likes of Jim Beam, Old Forester, and Evan Williams—all part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail—the birthplace of the Old Fashioned, and the setting for the most exciting two minutes in sports and a bonafide cocktail holiday, the Kentucky Derby. Whether it's a Mint Julep in your hand, a decadent Coffee & Donut cocktail from Whiskey Dry or simply a neat pour made down the block, Louisville is a bourbon drinker's paradise and one of the greatest whiskey cities in the world.
Getting Around
Uber or Lyft are your best bets. Taxis can be scarce and the municipal bus system, TARC, isn't conducive to a proper urban expedition. The major distillery visitor centers outside of town can require an hour's drive, so a car rental and non-drinking driver are necessary unless you utilize an organized tour company.
When to Go
Kentucky Derby Festival begins in April...

Twenty years after being distilled, most bourbons have long since been bottled and, hopefully, consumed. If the whiskey is still in the barrel and hasn't completely evaporated or taken on the flavor profile of an oak stave, it's a small miracle. Yet the appeal of the high age statement endures, embodied by the most desired bottle of all, Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 year old. And, despite Pappy's recommended retail price of $270, its actual shelf price is almost always several times more than that.Accordingly, more and more super-aged bourbons have hit high-end back bars and store shelves in recent years, with prices to match their age statements—from the increasing series of ages for Orphan Barrel Rhetoric ($140 for the 25 year old) to Heaven Hill 27 year old ($400) to Michter's 20 year old ($700) and 25 year old ($800). Boutique independent bottler The Last Drop sourced a Buffalo Trace bourbon that was distilled in 1982 and aged for 20 years before being transferred to...

Amid all the razzmatazz of new releases, we note with some nostalgia that Cutty Sark, that grand old scotch, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and it just rolled out a limited anniversary edition to mark the occasion. Cutty has been dressed up in a festive bottle and gift box that is hitting retail across the U.S., and there will be 100 celebratory events around the country in its honor. Named for the fastest clipper ship in the 19th century, during Prohibition years Cutty became a favorite of rum runners plying the Caribbean and the eastern seaboard. This light-tasting blend was a very popular choice for cocktails, and for years Cutty Sark  was America’s number-one scotch whisky, peaking in 1980 at an astounding 22 million bottles annually, according to our research arm Impact Databank. Today it's far smaller, selling just under a milllion bottles a year.
But on to the business at hand. Halloween is not quite here yet, but we have some...

This week's new releases see several whisky makers take familiar concepts and flip them on their heads. First up is Woodford, which has reinvented its Chocolate Malt Whisper bourbon into a whiskey that, at 69.7% ABV, is the highest-proof expression it has ever released. Elsewhere in Kentucky, Peerless has taken two whiskeys it’s executed well in the past—rye and toasted barrel—and combined them for its first toasted barrel-finished rye. Frey Ranch is also bringing something fresh to the table with the introduction of a whiskey made entirely from unmalted barley. Overseas, Bushmills has had its hands full with cask finishes, while Macallan has debuted the 8th release in its nostalgia-evoking Archival Series. 
Woodford Reserve Chocolate Whisper Redux 139.4 Bourbon
ABV: 69.7%
SRP: $100/375 ml
Availability: Limited; woodfordreserve.com, distillery tasting room, and KY
To understand this new Woodford whiskey, we must first look back to 2021...

With the transition to summer and the slow reopening of businesses, new whisky releases seem to be picking up.First, a couple of e-commerce specials. Metallica-led brand Blackened is rolling out a special box set for its 100th batch. For the first time ever, a non-band member—master blender and distiller Rob Dietrich—created the playlist of songs that was used for the whiskey's "sonic enhancement" process. Blackened Batch 100 is packaged with two 12-inch vinyl picture discs of that playlist, as well as a copy of the Blackened Zine; the set costs $149 and is available only through Spirited Gifts and Cask Cartel.For Father's Day, Teeling Irish whiskey is offering a special bottling of its single malt, engraved with "Raise Your Spirits," and donating $5 from every sale to #RaiseYourSpirits, a charitable initiative led by part-owner Bacardi to support hospitality workers. The engraved bottles are for sale for $60 through Reserve Bar.Now for whiskies that are available at traditional...

Update 4/21/25: Gregg Snyder, former Chicken Cock master distiller, has left that post to join veteran-owned, Bardstown-based Four Branches Bourbon in an advisory role.
When the modern whiskey era and the dawn of craft distilling arrived in the early 2000s, most fledgling craft players “sourced” whiskeys— buying aged distillate from other, larger suppliers— while waiting for their juice to mature. Utah-based High West famously sourced aged rye whiskeys from MGP, using those as the cornerstone of some great whiskeys while its distillery was being built. Others, like Woodinville Whiskey in Washington, chose never to source whiskey, waiting years for its own distillate to mature. Still others, like Smooth Ambler of West Virginia, chose a middle path, blending sourced whiskey with its own make.
Then another business model came upon the American whiskey scene—the producer that’s solely a blender and bottler, with no plans to build a distillery...

Lots of new whiskies are hitting stores this week, including a galactic bourbon, limited-edition Canadian whisky, and more.Straight off the Starship Enterprise comes James T. Kirk bourbon, named for the ship's fearless leader. The sourced whiskey is 10 years old, distilled in Tennessee, and will be featured at San Diego Comic Con next month. It's available for pre-order now for $60, with bottles shipping in the fall, at jamestkirkbourbon.com. Update 10/3/18: Future batches of James T. Kirk bourbon will vary in origin and age, from 4 to 12 years old.Back down on earth, Crown Royal has unveiled the 2018 release in its Noble Collection, a 13 year old version of the recently released Blenders' Mash. The whisky was distilled from corn, rye, and malted barley and aged entirely in new charred oak barrels. It will be available in limited amounts for $60.In Kentucky, Wild Turkey Distillery has released the latest Russell's Reserve vintage, this one comprised of whiskey from 25 barrels filled...

The drumbeat of craft distillery acquisitions continues, as this week brought news of Maryland rye maker Sagamore Spirit being acquired by Illva Saronno, the Italian drinks company best known for its Disaronno amaretto liqueur brand. Sagamore's story is one that any whisky lover can appreciate: it was founded by the deep-pocketed Kevin Plank, famous for his Under Armour sportswear brand, who spared no expense in launching Sagamore's distillery on Baltimore's waterfront back in 2017. From the start, the company has been serious about its mission to restore Maryland rye's reputation, and its own-make whiskey is just now starting to come of age. In an interesting twist, yesterday Illva Saronno also unveiled a new amaro label called Sagamore Spirit Amaro, which includes Sagamore Spirit rye distillate.
Earlier this week, Diageo announced the fourth release of its coveted Prima & Ultima whiskies. This year's edition marks the first time this collection of...

Whisky lovers have a slew of new releases to look forward to, this week and into the future.Kentucky Peerless Distillery is launching a new program that allows liquor stores, bar, and restaurants to purchase single-barrel rye by the case. Called Peerless Dimensions, the whiskeys will be released annually, selected by head distiller Caleb Kilburn. Each barrel selection will have a unique flavor, highlighted in its name (think S'more, Mixed Berry Cobbler, and Chocolate Crème Brûlée). If you want to try these whiskeys, you'll have to keep an eye out for which stores or venues purchase bottles, then track them down. The distillery's website has more information.Meanwhile, Virginia Distillery Co. is anticipating the release of its house-made single malt whisky, called Courage & Conviction, in 2020, and is offering people the chance to pre-purchase a special Medallion Edition now. Each batch of Medallion Edition will be a unique offering and come with a medallion, with the first...

A comeback is an exciting thing—especially when it involves a beloved whiskey. In addition to the return of Smooth Ambler's Old Scout 99 Proof Bourbon (more on that below and in this article), Old Forester has brought back its 1910 Old Fine Whisky. Initially released in October 2018, the bourbon was such a success that it sold out quickly—but Old Forester now has plans in place to ensure that won't happen again. Similarly, Old Forester's sister brand Woodford Reserve is rolling out more bottles of its straight malt whiskey which sold out shortly after launching in June 2018.Many brand-new whiskies are also hitting shelves now. First up, Maker's Mark is debuting the first in a series of limited-edition bourbons finished with unique wood staves. Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series: Stave Profile RC6 is available in limited amounts for $60.Meanwhile, the extremely limited Macallan Fine & Rare 1979 Vintage is now available. The single malt is 40 years old and costs $14,500.More...

Many drinkers are quick to inspect the back label of a whiskey bottle to determine the origin of the liquid inside—whether it was actually distilled by the people who sell it or if it was sourced from elsewhere.Often, the answer is both.That's the approach taken by Smooth Ambler Spirits and its aptly named Contradiction bourbon—a blend of straight bourbons combining about one-third house-distilled whiskey with the balance sourced from another distiller.While a popular approach now, this was once a novel idea, says national sales and marketing director John Foster, who has been with Smooth Ambler since 2009. “At first there were two camps,” he says. “You either made everything from scratch and everybody else was a poser, or you sourced everything and pretended you made it.” Sourcing was not part of Smooth Ambler's original plan.How Open Should Brands Be About Sourcing? Our Editors DebateSometimes however, serendipity leads to success. “Contradiction is our most popular...

Glenlivet is having a moment. Riding high after the record sale of its SPIRA 1965 60 year old in October, a likely unassailable highest hammer price of the year, two rare Glenlivet whiskies are vying for the 20-highest hammer prices of this month. First, Glenlivet dropped its second one-of-one release in as many months with Glenlivet 56 year old, the second release in the Eternal Collection. Sold in partnership with Sotheby’s, London, the gold-plated 700-ml decanter of Speyside single malt is not a single cask expression; rather, it’s a bespoke assemblage of aged Glenlivet. Initially matured in bourbon casks, it was finished in a sherry butt seasoned with a blend of oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, and palo cortado sherries. Carrying an age statement just four years younger than the 1.5-liter SPIRA that sold for $693,682, Glenlivet 56 year old is expected to sell for $46,000–$92,000. The first release with Sotheby’s, last year’s Glenlivet 55 year old 200th...

St. Patrick's Day may have passed, but that doesn't mean you need to abandon your Irish whiskey altogether. We have some simple cocktail recipes and a list of high-scoring bottles that will serve you well throughout the year. And of course, you can always work on making the perfect Irish coffee ahead of next year's festivities.The top new releases this week mostly hail from Kentucky, as Castle & Key debuts its small batch bourbon. The first batch is coming this month, and the second will arrive in May. Meanwhile, Barton 1792 is extending its Thomas S. Moore line of finished bourbons with finishes in madeira, sherry, cognac, and merlot casks, and Japan's Kaiyō adds two blended malts to its range. Read on for full details.Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon 2022 Release (Batch 1) Style: Straight bourbonOrigin: KentuckyABV: 49%Age: 4 year oldPrice: $50Release: March 2022Availability: 18,564 bottles in AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, NJ, NY, OK, SC, TN, TX, WA, and WICastle & Key...

Auctions have been buzzing this month, with a frenzy of summer whisky sales delivering impressive results. Yamazaki 55 year old set a new highest auction price of the year this week, with another bottle of The Macallan The Reach 81 year old recently fetching a six-figure sum (see below for further details). Not to be outdone, this weekend’s Whisky Hammer sale includes the chance to bid on both of these collectibles again. We are predicting that June’s 20-highest hammer prices will break $1 million, and it’s looking like it will be the first month of 2024 to outperform the year-earlier period, reversing a downward trend of recent months.
We reported that American whiskey is performing particularly well at auction recently, making notable gains while some scotch and Japanese whisky values have been on the slide. Competition for rare bourbon and rye has pushed prices to new heights and made American whiskeys a regular fixture in our monthly list of the 20-highest...

Kentucky bourbon is prized for its bold flavors and authenticity. Like an old-school steakhouse, it harnesses tradition and authority to deliver a rarified experience, a process and product that have been perfected over time. But whiskey drinkers, like gourmands, have ever-expanding palates, and as much as the old ways work, and work well, there is no denying the excitement of new ideas and perspectives on something as universally beloved as bourbon.
“Kentucky bourbon is a unique product unto its own. And frankly, it's a very good one,” says Bill Welter, owner and head distiller at Journeyman Distillery in Michigan. As for Journeyman's Featherbone bourbon, which uses an all-organic mashbill of 70% corn, 25 % wheat, and 5% rye, Welter states, “We weren't really setting out to try and replicate something that was already being done very well.”
Welter and Journeyman are among a crop of new distillers reimagining what great bourbon can taste like; stepping...

While much of the U.S. is in a deep freeze, whisky news is heating up. This week, we received an email from Meta in response to this story, apologizing for the problems a technical update caused whisky (and other spirits) brands’ Facebook pages. Detroit Pistons fans will be happy to hear the NBA team now has a bourbon sponsor. On the sales front: The top-selling whisky brands in the U.S. see a slump, yet there's a Kentucky brand seeing sales soar. Plus, Bardstown Bourbon’s labels get a new look;  the Kentucky Bourbon Trail added new stops; four distillers contribute to a barrel for charity; and more.
Kentucky Bourbon Country Auction’s Military Barrel
Next month is the inaugural Kentucky Bourbon Country Auction & Celebration, running from February 13th-15th. The event will honor the state’s bourbon heritage and U.S. military members, and include a charity auction of a “United We Stand” military...

There’s a lot to consider this week, with two familiar annual releases—Parker’s Heritage from Heaven Hill and Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre—as well as new entries from Macallan, New Riff, High West, A. Smith Bowman (that very underrated whiskey from Sazerac), and Blue Note, among others. Off the beaten path are Penelope's pre-mixed Old Fashioned in a 750-ml. bottle, and a new blackberry entry from Jack Daniel's—technically not a whiskey since it’s below 40% ABV.
Heaven Hill Parker’s Heritage Collection 11 year old Kentucky Straight Whiskey (2025 Edition)
ABV: 61.25%
SRP: $180
Availability: Limited
Now in its 19th year, Heaven Hill’s Parker’s Heritage Collection showcases the distillery’s innovative side, as a tribute to late master distiller emeritus Parker Beam’s legacy. The latest Parker’s Heritage whiskey is a blend of three distinct whiskeys: 15 year old Kentucky straight...

No matter how well-acquainted you are with our beloved spirit, odds are that you’ve noticed a slight difference in how your favorite brands style their labels. Some distillers call their creations “whiskey,” while others eschew the “e” in favor of “whisky.” This slight difference in spelling has created one of those historical oddities that makes the water of life such a colorful and fascinating subject. As always seems to be the case with whisky, various events throughout generations have created the divide. 
To help shed some light on the whisky-versus-whiskey question, we’ve unpacked the story in its various parts. Much of it comes down to where the liquid was made, but again, despite all the great efforts to codify and regulate this great drink, we often find some exceptions to the rules.
Countries That Use Whisky

Canada
Japan
Scotland
World

Countries That Use...

America's bourbon barrels, which can be used to age whiskey here only once, are the globetrotting alchemical vessels that keep many of the world's spirits flowing, crossing the Atlantic to house scotch or sailing to the Caribbean to cradle rum. Brewers have also embraced these barrels to create complex and robust beers, like Goose Island Beer Co.'s Bourbon County Stout and its many imitators. Now, with the current fervor for American whiskey, barrel aging includes much more than just alcohol beverages, expanding its footprint in the wider culinary world with bold steps and new techniques that promise to bring the magic of barrel-aged flavor to fine dining, or your breakfast table.How Sweet It IsSteven Stallard, a professional chef and whiskey lover, founded Blis Gourmet in Grand Rapids, Mich. in 2004 to put his chef's penchant for ingredient sourcing and flavor construction to work, creating specialty foods like salmon and arctic char cured over whiskey barrel staves. Struck by the...

As BuffTurkey barrels dwindle, the frenzy around the various bottlings from non-distilling producers (NDPs) is cooling. (Though some Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey frankenbourbon remains aging in barrels, expected to be released at 17 or 18 years.) The market seems ready for the next hype train. What will that be? Potentially Barton 18 year old.
Just starting to sell now, Barton 18 year bourbon arrives both as age-stated blends—notably, Calumet 18 year old Centennial Release—and single barrels, selected by clubs, groups or individuals, various NDPs, and some retailers. Early feedback is generally positive, though mixed. One certainty: It’s not cheap. Bottles of Barton 18 start with a suggested retail price of $400, and of course, rise from there. 
Let's dive into what we know about Barton 18, how it was made, what the current market reaction is, what to expect about future Barton 18 releases, and what you should know if you’re looking to buy a...

Crank up the subwoofers and get ready to rock and roll: Metallica has its own whiskey, and it was created in part by the band's music. A blend of straight American whiskeys selected and blended by master distiller Dave Pickerell, Blackened was put through a proprietary "sonic enhancement" process that used Metallica songs to create sound waves that impact chemical reactions taking place in the aging whiskey. Coming out in late September, the whiskey will be available in a handful of states and online for $43.Less glitzy but equally exciting: Four Roses has announced its 2018 Limited-Edition Small Batch. This year's release celebrates the distillery's 130th anniversary. With just over 13,000 bottles available and priced at $140, expect it to be in high demand among both Four Roses fans and collectors.Speaking of collecting, Highland Park has unveiled its second-ever 50 year old whisky. A mere 274 bottles, packaged with a custom crystal decanter, will be available at $15,000 apiece.Back...

Just a week after announcing its seventh batch of limited-edition bourbon, Kentucky Owl has revealed plans to roll out a rye whiskey for the first time. The 11 year old sourced whiskey will be available in much larger quantities than Kentucky Owl's bourbon—and will cost less, though it's by no means inexpensive at $130 a bottle. About half the country will have access to Kentucky Owl rye.Meanwhile, New York-based Hillrock Estate has a new bourbon from its solera, finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. The distillery says the 6 to 8 week finish gives the nose and finish of red wine, but preserves the core bourbon flavors on the palate.Finally, FEW Spirits is launching its latest collaboration with Chicago-area record label Bloodshot Records. White Lightning is a whisky (no E) that is distilled from five types of malt and rested for a short period of time in FEW bourbon and rye barrels. There are only 150 bottles, available at the distillery starting on September 9th at...

Following an action-packed event in Florida last month, WhiskyFest made its final two stops of the year in Chicago and New York. Both nights provided with top-flight drams, educational seminars, and the opportunity to meet some of the people behind their favorite brands.
Whisky in the Windy City
WhiskyFest Chicago took place on the evening of November 15, with a horde of enthusiastic whisky fans storming the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The event kicked off at 5:30 with an exclusive VIP hour—offering ticket holders an early taste of the evening’s whiskies. The VIP hour also included a slew of exclusive and highly sought-after pours, including Octomore 15.1, Compass Box Metropolis, Dewar’s Double Double 21, Heaven Hill 18 year old Heritage Collection, and Little Book among others.
One of the hot spots for VIPs was Brown-Forman’s scotch booth, which offered a smattering of single malts from Benriach, GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh. Manning the booth was...

Thanksgiving is next week, and with it comes a prime opportunity to share some drams with family and friends. While we’ve previously covered the best cocktails and crowd-pleasers to serve when hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, or how to best optimize particular whisky styles, this year we compiled a list of American whiskeys that are sure to please longtime whisky lovers and newer fans alike. Cheers to the start of the holiday season, and happy sipping! 
With the holidays now upon us, the onslaught of new whiskies is in full swing. This week, there's a new finished rye from Kentucky Peerless, a bourbon and a rum cask-finished rye from Kentucky Owl, and a new collaborative blend from High West and The Prisoner Wine Co. Read on for full details.

Kentucky Peerless Double Oak 
Style: Finished rye Origin: Kentucky Age: Not stated ABV: 54.65% Price: $150 Release: November 2022 Availability: Limited
Need to...

In the thick of summer, country-strong Buffalo Trace workers are sweating through their shirts, rolling newly filled barrels from a truck into a stone warehouse. The whiff of new make spirit in charred oak cuts through the subtle breeze, wafting rich bourbon aromas. It's a typical hot and humid Kentucky day, but something's wrong.The Buffalo Trace Distillery's barrelhead stencil markings look a little unusual. Instead of the smeared black ink upon wood grain, these barrelheads don a bright green.This may seem like no big deal to a casual observer, but in the whiskey business, where every detail counts and small changes reverberate across decades, this green ink on the outside of a barrel is the mark of something profound on the inside: wheated bourbon.Buffalo Trace switched its wheated bourbon stenciling from black to green, while the ryed bourbons remain black, so warehouse crews can differentiate the two. With the growing demand for wheated bourbon, this simple green stenciling...

Worn leather cowboy boots, cream-colored Stetson hats, and wide-open desert space dappled with cacti—these are visions of Texas in the mind's eye. But there's much more to the Lone Star State, including a dynamic whiskey scene. The ties to whiskey are not deep, as distilling arrived here just over 15 years ago. Yet even as a newcomer, Texas is rapidly building its whiskey credentials as distilleries become firmly rooted across the state, creating a colorful patchwork of styles and flavors.A key part of the picture in Texas is its multifaceted climate. Roughly the same size as France, it has a landscape that's nearly as varied. In Texas Hill Country west of Austin, dense forests, wildflower fields, and sparkling blue lakes see extreme temperature swings—daily averages can vary from 42°F to 95°F over the course of a year. In the southern reaches of Texas, sweltering humidity creates tropical conditions all year, thanks to proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. By the northern borders...

While whiskey appears in many movies and TV shows, some make it more than prop, embedding it within the culture of the characters to reinforce key ideas. No show has done this better than “Justified.” From the first episode, which premiered on FX on March 16, 2010, to the last, characters are frequently shown with a whiskey in hand, their drink choices reflecting their lifestyle, class, or attitude. Over six seasons and 78 episodes, it established itself as the preeminent show for whiskey lovers. Set in Kentucky, “Justified”—based on the Elmore Leonard short story “Fire in the Hole”—had an ingrained way of featuring a dram. “Liquor is not a throwaway in the show,” David Blass, the show's production designer, tells Whisky Advocate. “It binds everyone together.”
Walton Goggins, who played the whiskey-loving criminal Boyd Crowder and enjoys a whiskey himself, agrees. “Whatever bottle you pulled out, with...

Your whisky club has likely purchased many bottles, but have you considered buying a whole barrel of whisky? It's easier than you may think and often includes benefits like selecting the barrel with the distillers, personalized labels, and the barrel itself for display.
“Selecting a private barrel of whiskey is one of the most exciting experiences that a person can have,” says Skip Young, who co-founded the Northern Kentucky-based Toasted Cooper Society with John Weigold and Greaham Niemer. The club has purchased three Buffalo Trace barrels to split among members over the past three years. Like most distillers, Buffalo Trace includes a full tour of their facilities and tastings from several different barrels when purchasing by the barrel. “We make a day of it. We charter a small bus to drive us down to the distillery, and then visit additional nearby distilleries on the way home,” Niemer says. “This makes it a safe, fun way for us to enjoy a day out...

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...

For the past decade, followers of the Kentucky-based Wild Turkey Distillery have been treated to the Master’s Keep collection, a series of high-end annual releases that often tread beyond the distillery’s usual profile. Master’s Keep was created in 2015 by Eddie Russell—son of legendary master distiller Jimmy Russell—who also created Russell’s Reserve in 2001, and has helmed the Master’s Keep project from the beginning. The series kicked off with an impressive 17 year old bourbon—even today, Eddie hails it as the “most unique whiskey we’ve ever released”—which was bottled at the fairly low cask strength of 86.8 proof. That whiskey hit shelves the same year that Eddie was promoted to master distiller, and many saw it as a passing of the torch, with Eddie coming into his own as a whiskey maker.
The first batch was intended as a one-off, but Wild Turkey then decided to turn Master’s Keep into an annual...

Early July saw brisk sales across auction houses with a number of high-value sales. Our focus this week covers activity at three online auction houses, including Whisky-Online Auction’s sale of Brora 40 year old, which achieved the year’s highest hammer price for the Brora 40 year old to date. Elsewhere, Sotheby’s held a small online sale of iconic vintages of Macallan that produced the three highest hammer prices of the month so far: Macallan The Reach 81 year old ($222,606), Macallan Tales of the Macallan Volume 1 ($72,020), and Macallan Anniversary Malt 1928 50 year old ($65,472). Overall, it’s clear that the summer season hasn’t slowed the enthusiasm for collectible whisky.
 Whisky Auctioneer
Auction ended July 10th


Japanese: Karuizawa Noh Whisky 1971 41 year old Cask No. 1842, $51,347. We last saw this bottle in our list of highest hammer prices in April, when it sold at the same auction house for $61,786...

With many of May’s auctions scheduled toward the end of the month, the first half saw a greater number of Japanese whiskies from Karuizawa and Hanyu break $20,000 than scotch, though scotch took the highest bids. Leading the pack was WVA Whisky Auctions with their sale of a bottle of Macallan The Red Collection 50 year old for $39,167 while Scotch Whisky Auctions sold a bottle of Macallan 1950 Exceptional Cask #13 2018 Release for $37,566. With Dalmore eyeing a place at the top of this month’s highest sales for The Dalmore The Luminary No. 2 49 year old at Sotheby’s on May 31st, it will be interesting to see the month’s final tally. Whisky Auctioneer had an impressive line-up in April (see below), but a bottle of Yamazaki 55 year old and a bottle of Macallan 1950 Tales of the Macallan Volume I failed to make their reserves—both have regularly featured in our monthly list of highest hammer prices. Even in the upcoming Sotheby’s auction, Dalmore will...

Rare whisky season is in full swing with the annual Van Winkle releases announced earlier this week.Meanwhile, more luxury than rare, after first launching it at Travel Retail last year, Woodford Reserve is releasing its Baccarat Edition in select liquor stores. The cognac cask-finished bourbon is priced at $2,000 and packaged in a custom Baccarat decanter (of course).On to new releases. Ireland's Teeling Whiskey is unveiling its first peated single malt. Blackpitts Batch 1 will hit the states in early 2021 with 6,000 bottles available at $75.Cascade Hollow Distilling, home to George Dickel, has a new blended whiskey. Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 will cost $90 and is available in California, Tennessee, and Texas.Balvenie has released the seventh batch in its Tun 1509 series. There are a limited number of bottles available for $420 each.Renowned blender Barrell Craft Spirits has a new finished bourbon that includes three Tennessee bourbons, each finished separately in Jamaican rum, pear...

Among the American whiskey releases this week, Angel's Envy, which rose to fame on its barrel-finished expressions, now has a new tequila cask-finished rye, and Washington State's Woodinville Whiskey has a new tequila cask-finished bourbon. Barrell has unveiled its first full-proof bourbon, bottled at 61.5%, while Maryland rye specialist Sagamore Spirit is out with the annual edition of its Cask Strength rye. New Riff, best known for its bottled in bond bourbons and ryes, is back with another release of its American single malt. This is New Riff's first single malt release since 2023, and it contains liquid that's 10 years old, dating back to its founding days. There's also new whiskey from Chicken Cock and Calumet Farm, as well as an unaged expression from California's Sespe Creek, where ex-Laphroaig master distiller John Campbell now creates the whiskeys since joining the company last year.
Angel’s Envy Cellar...

Bourbon and barbecue go together like moonshine and mason jars. Go to any barbecue contest; you'll find many pitmasters smoking meat over bourbon-soaked chips or barrel wood.And now, bourbon is gracing menus in concert with regional barbecue flavors across the U.S. From ubiquitous bourbon sauces to inventive oyster toppers and egg rolls, this all-American couple is showing up in national chains and chef-driven restaurants alike.Check out these eight dining destinations using flavors of bourbon and barbecue to add flair to their fare.Fred's Smokehouse, Clermont, Ky.TRY: Devil's Cut Pulled PorkYes, at Jim Beam's main distillery you'll find this pork barbecue dish, dripping in homemade bourbon barbecue sauce using its namesake Beam whiskey. Perfect after a tour!Feast BBQ, Louisville, Ky., andNew Albany, Ind.TRY: SaucesFeast showcases some of Bourbon Country's best bourbon cooking. Mop up your smoked meat in one of two Western Kentucky- style black barbecue sauces where bourbon is the...

Burgers and bourbon are two of the all-time great pairing partners. “The sweetness of bourbon and the savoriness of a burger go hand in hand,” explains chef David Gross of The Standard, East Village, in New York City. Beyond that, there’s generally enough sweet spice in each sip to stand up to whatever toppings and accompaniments you want to add into the mix.
To take full advantage of bourbon’s innate friendliness with burgers, we enlisted the help of chef Gross to create a full, bourbon-friendly menu of dips, sides, dessert, and, of course, a seriously delicious hamburger. We’ve also included his preferred bourbons to enjoy alongside each course, as well as cocktails created by bar manager Ben Guber and the rest of the bar team. The results, as expected, are fantastic.

COCKTAIL OF CHOICE
Apple Upgrade
Serves 4

4 oz. Wild Turkey (or other bourbon)
3 oz. Luxardo Amaro Abano
3 oz. apple...

Blends and cask finishes are here, there, and everywhere in this week's new releases. Both Barrell Craft Spirits and Bardstown Bourbon Co. have not one, but two new whiskeys out: From Barrel, its latest Cask Finish series, an armagnac-finished blend of straight bourbons, and a new single barrel line of microblends, while Bardstown Bourbon has collaborated with Maison Ferrand for a second cognac-finished blend and also introduced the 13th bottle in its Discovery Series. Elsewhere in the U.S., independent bottler Lost Lantern has unveiled its latest Far-Flung blend of bourbons, Chattanooga Whiskey explores maple syrup cask finishing, and Pursuit Spirits has an 11 year old cask strength bourbon. Across the pond, Bunnahabhain has revealed the first single malt in a new three-part annual series.
Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Armagnac
ABV: 56.5%
SRP: $85
Availability: Limited
Barrell Foundation Single Barrels
ABV: Varies
SRP: $TBD
Availability...

There is a lot of new whisky this week, but the biggest release has been out for a while. Lagavulin 8 year old first debuted in 2016 as a special edition whisky celebrating the distillery's 200th anniversary. It has now officially been added to the Lagavulin range permanently, joining the 16 year old and Distiller's Edition.While more bourbon will soon be made in Bardstown at Kentucky Owl Park, this week's new bourbons all come from outside the state. Virginia's A. Smith Bowman is releasing a $40 port-finished bourbon as part of its permanent lineup. Isaac Bowman Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Casks is available in Virginia only right now, but will expand to other states in the near future. And FEW Spirits in Illinois has three new whiskeys with unusual finishes as well: FEW Bourbon and Rye finished in Copper & Kings brandy barrels, and FEW Bourbon finished in Sicilian wine casks. There are limited amounts of each whiskey, available mostly in Illinois and, for the wine cask...

On Monday, December 4, our countdown of the Top 20 Whiskies of 2023 begins! The reveal kicks off with whiskies 10, 9, and 8, followed by whiskies 7, 6, and 5 on Tuesday, December 5; whiskies 4, 3, and 2 on Wednesday, December 6; and the unveiling of our Whisky of the Year on Thursday, December 7. The entire Top 20 list, detailing the most exciting whiskies of the year, will be published on our site next Friday, December 8.
As for this week's new releases, perhaps a future Top 20 candidate is in their midst: Read on for full details of all the week has to offer, including the latest Diageo's Distillers Edition, Fuji Whisky's 30 year old Single Grain, Jack Daniel's Distillery Series Selection #12, and more.
SCOTCH
Diageo Distillers Edition 2023
Each year, Diageo releases its Distillers Edition versions of some of its most popular single malts. Generally speaking, they’re the same whiskies as the core expressions, but they all receive varying amounts of...

Imagine a job where you get access to the world's most coveted whiskies—tasting and then setting a value on them. That job—spirits specialist—belongs to Jonny Fowle of Sotheby's auctioneers. And he didn't get it just because he loves drinking whisky.“You've got to have personality and specialist knowledge of the subject,” explains Fowle. “When it comes to spirits, you have to be able to increase awareness, entertain, and ultimately inspire people [to buy].” Fowle's working days are filled with client meetings, appraisals, and tasting events designed to stoke excitement for upcoming sales. Operating within the upper echelons of the world's top whisky creators and collectors, Fowle's job grants him access to blending labs and libraries of rare stocks—plus the opportunity to taste extraordinary drams that most whisky lovers can only dream about. Through his tasting events for Sotheby's, Fowle knows the persuasive power of a glass of fine whisky on prospective buyers...

The 20 whiskies that achieved the highest hammer prices of 2024 sold for a combined value of $2.8 million. Japanese whiskies took the three highest hammer prices of the year, whereas 12 months earlier, the top three spots were all occupied by scotch. American whiskey had an impressive year, with Buffalo Trace, Old Fitzgerald, and Van Winkle, all sold by Unicorn Auctions, each making the 20-highest hammer prices of the year list. That’s three more American whiskeys than in 2023. That said, the secondary market for whisky had mixed fortunes in 2024. There were no million dollar bottles or the boost of a Distillers One of One auction, making it slightly unfair to directly compare the results with the year before. It’s true to say that there were more high-value whiskies on sale than there were buyers, and with less competition in a softening market, prices began to fall. That was good news for buyers who were able to pick and choose what they wanted for a favorable price, but...

This week brings new whisky for lovers of scotch, bourbon, and practical jokes.First up, Glenmorangie has released the second whisky in its Bond House No. 1 Vintage collection. Distilled in 1989, the single malt includes about 25% whisky finished in Côte-Rôtie wine casks. Like last year's release, the 1990 vintage, this whisky is available in limited quantities—just 6,178 bottles. It costs $665—not a bad price for a 27 year old scotch.Buffalo Trace is coming out with several new bourbons—but good luck getting your hands on them. W.L. Weller CYPB is the result of many thousands of whiskey fans designing their ideal bourbon on the "Craft Your Perfect Bourbon" website. The whiskey is 8 years old, made with a wheated mashbill, and bottled at 47.5% ABV. It will be released once a year in limited amounts, starting this summer, for $40.In addition, Buffalo Trace has three single barrel bourbons hitting the market, each available in extremely limited quantities. Bottled under the...

Shieldaig 18 year old will delight fans of Speyside scotch with its flower bouquet, candied fruit, nuts, and sweet oak flavors. Just as impressive is its bargain price—$47, a fraction of what other 18 year old single malts command. According to its label, Shieldaig is from “the Loch of Herring,” a place in the Torridon Hills of Scotland's northwest Highlands—far from Speyside, or from Islay, where Shieldaig's 14 year old single malt is made.No one has ever seen the mysterious Shieldaig Distillery: it doesn't exist. The whisky was created for mega-retailer Total Wine & More. Big-box stores like Costco and Walmart and grocers like Trader Joe's also sell their own private-label whiskies. These bottles are created specifically and exclusively for large retailers and go by either a fictitious brand name (like Shieldaig) or a store brand, like Costco's Kirkland.Blind Taste Test: The Best Big Box WhiskiesAn educated whisky drinker might feel she's rightfully suspicious of...

After months of awaiting government clearance in an investigation that involved multiple state and federal agencies, Kentucky-based specialty whiskey retailer Justins’ House of Bourbon has been cleared for commerce in the nation’s capital. Justins’ is known in Kentucky—where it has stores in both Lexington and Louisville, which remain open—as a destination for rare and allocated bourbons. Outside the Bluegrass State, Justins’ owns a large space in Washington, D.C, where it manages bourbonoutfitter.com, an online retailer of rare whiskeys that can ship spirits nationwide. Justins’ came under fire a few months ago following allegations of selling counterfeit bourbon and improperly transporting and warehousing whiskeys.
Investigators from the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and the Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control conducted investigations into Justins’ over the last...

Here at Whisky Advocate, we hear one question more than any other: “What whisky should I buy?” Whether for yourself or a loved one, the gift of whisky—a well-considered, out-of-the-ordinary bottle—is perfect for any occasion, and we offer plenty of tools to help you find the right one: from Best Value and Editors' Choice picks to the annual Top 20 list, plus the full Buying Guide with over 4,000 whisky reviews, sortable by price, score, and more.But what about the whisky lover who already has a fully stocked bar, or the one whose taste is so discerning you're afraid of picking something they won't like? Each issue of Whisky Advocate includes recommended whisky gear (everything from decanters to cocktail picks to glassware), and we've made some additional picks below. There's something here for every budget and all kinds of whisky lovers, including the at-home bartender, the aspiring taster, the outdoor enthusiast, and the cigar aficionado. Some of these come with whisky, while...

We’d wager that for most people, it’s only natural to think first of Kentucky, and then perhaps Tennessee, when thinking of American whiskey. After all, the two southern states possess rich distilling histories that stretch back hundreds of years, and today Kentucky makes about 95% of all bourbon on the market. But there’s another state right next door with a rich whiskey history of its own: Indiana.
The Hoosier State is home to the city of Lawrenceburg, once known as Whiskey City, USA thanks to its prolific rye production from the mid-19th century up to Prohibition. The city, which lies just west of Cincinnati, and under 2 hours northeast of Louisville, built its first distillery in 1847. Originally called Rossville, it has gone through a series of name changes over the years—from Rossville to Jos. E. Seagram Lawrenceburg, then Lawrenceburg Distillers, more recently MGP, and currently Ross & Squibb. It’s a distillery that has supplied whiskey for...

When is a whiskey not actually a whiskey? We explored the question in our Spring 2020 issue, and that feature is now online. Take a read if you haven't already—you'll be better equipped to understand why we call brands like Angel's Envy "finished bourbon" and not just "bourbon."On to new releases. Bushmills is debuting a 28 year old single malt that spent a very long time in a cognac cask. The first whiskey in its Rare Casks series, it's priced at $500 with less than 500 bottles available.Highland Park is launching a cask-strength single malt. Produced in batches, the whisky will be widely available, priced at $90.The 2020 release of Angel's Envy Cask Strength hits shelves next month—and this year, it's available in all 50 states. There are 17,400 bottles to go around, priced at $200.Bruichladdich is launching all of its annual Octomore whiskies at once: Octomore 11.1 ($200; 30,000 bottles), 11.2 (£140; 8,000 bottles), 11.3 ($260; 18,000 bottles), and 10 year old ($235; 12,000...

UPDATE: Hart Davis Hart's March 31st-April 1st Auction of Finest and Rarest Spirits achieved a total hammer price of $3,373,380 with 100% of the lots sold. The American whiskeys accounted for $2,643,850 of the total—more than double the hammer price at rival Sotheby's recent auction of American whiskeys. Following the sale, Hart Davis Hart proclaimed it as the highest value sale of American whiskey on record. The five top hammer prices sold were: $26,000 for a decanter of Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old bourbon, $17,000 for Old Rip Van Winkle Family Selection 23 year old bourbon decanter, a bottle of Twisted Spoke 16 year old sold for $17,000, $15,000 for Michter's Celebration Sour Mash Release #1, and $14,000 for a bottle of Macallan Fine & Rare 22 year old 1990.Hart Davis Hart (HDH) is expecting its fifth annual spirits auction to reach the highest value yet for an American whiskey sale. The Chicago-based auctioneer has valued some 2,189 lots of American whiskey, to be...

Islay, the world’s most famous whisky island, best known for its smoky coastal whiskies, was battered by the industry’s global downturn of the late 20th century. By the mid-1990s, two of the island’s seven distilleries were completely shuttered, and ownerships were changing hands frequently. But as the millennium approached, new hope arose for the two hardest-hit distilleries, Ardbeg and Bruichladdich.



Ardbeg’s Revival
In 1997, the Glenmorangie Company emerged as the new owner of Ardbeg from a field that included four other bidders. But the distillery looked downtrodden and unloved. With little investment over the past two decades—it had been closed from 1981 to 1989, with low production volumes until closure again in 1996, the site and its tumbledown warehouses were now neglected and even a little hazardous. Nearly 80% of Glenmorangie’s $11.4 million purchase price was based on the stocks in the warehouses, not on the brand...

There's a brand-new issue of Whisky Advocate out now, and it's all about BIG whisky: big proof, big prices, big production, and more. Pick up a copy today, and subscribe to receive new issues even before they hit newsstands.On to the week's new releases. Wild Turkey has unveiled its latest limited-edition bourbon, a 2003 vintage of Russell's Reserve. Priced at $250, there are just 3,600 bottles available.Macallan is launching the newest entry in its Fine & Rare series, distilled in 1993. Just 256 bottles are available, priced at $18,000 each.Jack Daniel's has unveiled the latest Tennessee Tasters' Selection, a Tennessee whiskey finished in Jamaican allspice barrels. With 24,000 half-size bottles for sale mainly at the distillery, the price is $40.Compass Box has created a limited-edition version of Peat Monster to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary. Peat Monster Arcana is priced at $95, with just over 8,300 bottles available.Aberfeldy is launching another limited-edition...

The torrent of new whiskies continues, and the many highlights include the return of A Midwinter Night’s Dram, the eleventh release in this annual series from High West Distillery in Utah. The High West annual releases were always among the most anticipated bottlings of the year, and fans were disappointed a few years ago when High West discontinued another cherished annual affair, Yippee Ki Yay. But Midwinter lives on, and we’ll have to see whether this year’s expression can still capture the old magic.
Elsewhere, there’s a new edition of Benriach Malting Season, the third release in the annual series that celebrates Scotland’s long history of floor malting. There’s a touch of romance in seeing a distillery’s floor maltings—alas, only eight whisky makers in Scotland still use this very enchanting (and very expensive) process. Benriach is one of them. Elsewhere from Scotland, young distiller Torabhaig from the Isle of...

It's a big week for well-aged scotch. Macallan is releasing a 50 year old single malt that aged in a single Spanish oak sherry butt, while Dalmore has unveiled a 45 year old which includes whiskies finished in two vintage tawny port pipes. The Macallan 50 year old costs $35,000, and only 200 bottles are available (35 for the U.S.), while The Dalmore 45 year old rings up at $12,500 with 500 bottles for sale.Meanwhile, Glenlivet is reprising the same elements of mystery that surrounded its Alpha release a few years ago. The Glenlivet Code is a Speyside single malt whisky, and that's about all we know of it. Glenlivet wants drinkers to taste the whisky and determine for themselves what aromas and flavors they detect; then, at the end of the year, the distillery will reveal details about the whisky's maturation. While Alpha was very limited in quantity, Code is more widely available and will have a shelf price of $120.In American whiskey new releases, Michter's is rolling out its 2018...

Whisky Auctioneer brought the excitement back to whisky auctions this month, breaking the auction record for Hanyu on its way to setting the highest hammer price of the year so far. Close on its tail was a huge bid for a one-off bottle of Macallan 1967 from the Anecdotes of Age Collection. Among an array of high-value sales, these two were Whisky Auctioneer’s highest-value lots to sell since their May 2022 auction. This helped set March on a trajectory that should see the 20-highest hammer prices break the million-dollar mark for the first time in 2025.
That outcome will largely depend on the results from Sotheby’s, whose parallel auctions in New York and Hong Kong conclude this week. Check here to see if Sotheby’s, Hong Kong beat Whisky Auctioneer’s new Hanyu auction record, as they too are selling a bottle of Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Series 1988 Ten of Spades this month. Not only that, but Sotheby’s, New York has an exclusive Macallan, a...

So, you're a bourbon fan? It's time to take that fandom to the next level. These bourbon bars are packing their shelves tight with more than 100 bourbons.
Jack Rose Dining Saloon, Washington, DC
Bottles: 2,500 total whiskies; 400 bourbons and 100 vintage ryes and bourbons
When you walk into Jack Rose Dining Saloon, you're stepping into whiskey heaven, surrounded by Prohibition-era bourbons and contemporary unicorns. Jack Rose has led the way in bourbon's national resurgence, finding the hidden Willett gems and privately bottling them; stocking the bar with true Stitzel-Weller products, not those just piling on the marketing power of Pappy Van Winkle. In fact, today you'll still find vintage Stitzel-Weller bourbons on the Jack Rose menu, as well as vintage Brown-Forman, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, and just about every other distillery. If they run out, don't worry, they'll get more. jackrosediningsaloon.com

Canon, Seattle
Bottles: Usually about...

It's a mixed bag of whisky and whiskey this week.First up, MGP Distillery has unveiled a new brand called Eight & Sand. The whiskey is a blended bourbon, which includes both straight bourbon and other unspecified American whiskeys. It's hitting shelves in a dozen states for $30.Want to taste whisky from a long-dead distillery? Littlemill 40 year old, distilled in the waning days of the 1970s, is available from Loch Lomond Group. Just 250 bottles are being released, including 23 coming to the U.S. for the hefty, but round, price of $10,000.Two new whiskies from Germany are hitting U.S. shelves for the first time: Eifel single malt and Eifel rye are made in the western part of the country, distilled in both a column and a pot still, and aged in a variety of cask types. The single malt is $60, while the rye is $55, and both are bottled with no chill-filtration at 46% ABV.The Redneck Riviera brand, co-created by country music star John Rich of Big & Rich, has added a second...

It was the Friday before spring break. School was nearly out and the suburban soccer moms bustled into my neighborhood liquor store, filling their baskets with everything from chardonnay to schnapps. They cluttered the walkways, keeping me from my precious aisle, when one of them grabbed a bourbon from the bottom shelf and said out loud, “I don't know what that means.” A liquor store worker heard her whiskey distress signal and replied, “Oh, it's not small batch.” He then upsold her on a bottle three times as expensive as the $15 Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 6 year old she'd inquired about.I assumed she was referencing the term “bottled in bond” with her question. Outside of whiskey geeks, does anybody really know what this means; that it is a piece of historic government legislation? Today your average liquor store's American whiskey section is filled with labels containing unregulated terms such as small batch, single barrel, and handcrafted. The tiny words “bottled in...

Even Kulsveen, best known for resurrecting Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, and helping to pioneer the renaissance of American whiskey, died on September 23 at the age of 79.  Born in Norway, he emigrated to the U.S. at age 14 and eventually came to work at Willett, a move that would define his life.
Willett Distilling Co. was founded by Thompson Willett on his family farm in Bardstown in 1936, and released its first barrel the following year. While doing business with Thompson, Even met his daughter Martha, and the two were married in 1972.
The bourbon industry entered a long slowdown in the 1970s, Willett was shuttered by the end of the decade. Even and Martha gained ownership of the property in 1984, and although the stills were silent, Kulsveen used the space to become an independent bottler. He was way ahead of his time in spotting the opportunities to buy quality aged bourbon amid the glut, and by 1991 he was doing a...

As leaves turn and temperatures drop, whisky enthusiasts turn their attention to fall's most anticipated releases. This season's landscape spans the spectrum, from coveted Kentucky bourbons to scotch single malts to American whiskey with experimental cask finishes. While there are a lot of bottles generating much-deserved buzz in 2025, these 16 (presented in no particular order) represent what collectors, enthusiasts, and bar professionals are hunting, pouring, and enjoying.
Old Cassidy Bourbon (2025 Release), 60.5%, $199
This indulgent blend from Rare Character Whiskey Company melds several “exceptional barrels ranging in age,” hand-selected by co-founder Pablo Moix, including 18 year old Kentucky bourbon. Blended by Chad Watson, the final batch comes in at 123 proof, though it noses and drinks far lower. Flavors of sweet cherry syrup and cinnamon buns abound, and the protracted finish is decadent.
Stranahan’s Diamond Peak American Single Malt (2025...

Bardstown, Kentucky, the undisputed bourbon capital of the world, is a treasure trove for whiskey lovers. Heaven Hill was founded in Bardstown in 1935, and just opened its new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery here in September. Willett has been a Bardstown fixture since 1936, while Bardstown Bourbon Co., distilling since 2017, and Lux Row Distillers (since 2018) represent the new guard. About 15 miles away in various directions are James B. Beam, Maker’s Mark, and Log Still. But amid the thrill of visiting so many famous distillers on your trip to Kentucky, don’t overlook the charm of Bardstown itself.

First things first: Where should you stay? There are hotel options from historic to modern. Perhaps the most traditional is the Old Talbott Tavern, nestled in Bardstown’s Historic District. The building, home to just six guest rooms, dates back to 1779 and lays claim to being the oldest western stagecoach stop in the U.S. Each room is named for a famous patron...

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Heaven Hill’s founding, and the distillery has been celebrating with a slew of memorable releases. In June, we exclusively reported that Old Fitzgerald, one of the distillery’s most sought-after collectibles that usually releases two batches per year (in spring and fall), added a budget-friendly 7 year old that will be available year-round. Just two months later, the distillery rolled out its fourth Old Fitz VVS—a rarer “Very Very Special” batch, aged 11 years and identified by its maroon label. The following month, Heaven Hill commemorated the opening of its new Bardstown distillery with Master Distillers Unity, a bourbon blend that contained some of the distillery’s last “pre-fire” barrels. Just weeks later, the distillery announced news that its popular Elijah Craig Barrel Proof series was receiving a rye expression, with three batches dropping annually alongside its...

With the July 4 holiday coming up, there's no better time for new bourbon, and this week's latest releases include several great options.Special bottles of Evan Williams Black honoring military veterans are rolling out now. Each bottle features the story of one of five veterans, chosen from 6,500 nominations. Concurrently, the Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Foundation has donated $5,000 to each of the veterans' preferred charities. More than 360,000 American Hero bottles of Evan Williams are available, priced at $13 for a 750 ml and $25 for a 1.75 liter.Knob Creek is debuting its oldest whiskey to date, a 15 year old bourbon. Priced at $100, the bourbon is available nationwide in limited quantities.Also limited—probably a lot more limited—is Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, which will officially launch in September. Retail-priced at $130, it's likely to go for more than that, if it can be found at all.Old Tub Bottled in Bond bourbon, which up to now has been available only in...

Heads up, whisky lovers! There are lots of new releases to get excited about this week.Jack Daniel's is rolling out a bottled-in-bond version of its classic Tennessee whiskey. Currently available in travel retail stores only, the whiskey will sell for $38 for a 1-liter bottle.Meanwhile, peat heads will want to look for this year's Laphroaig Cairdeas, the distillery's annual special release. The 2018 Cairdeas matured in first-fill bourbon barrels before a finishing period in fino sherry casks. It costs $80 and will be available in limited amounts.Freddie Noe, son of Fred Noe and grandson of the legendary Booker Noe, has unveiled Little Book Chapter 2 "Noe Simple Task." The whiskey combines rye from Kentucky with two whiskies from Canada. Priced a bit higher than Little Book Chapter 1 "The Easy"—which was ranked number 11 in Whisky Advocate's 2017 Top 20—this whiskey is available in limited amounts for $100.Another limited-edition—and bottled-in-bond—bourbon will be hitting...

It's a big weekend for whisky lovers out west. For the first time in three years, Stranahan's is staging its Snowflake Festival at the distillery in Denver to celebrate the latest release of its Snowflake single malt. The festivities kick off today, and bottles will go on sale tomorrow morning. Tonight is the first-ever WhiskyFest Las Vegas, with whiskies being poured by Bruichladdich, WhistlePig, Hibiki, and many others, and seminars by whisky makers including Dewar's, Maker's Mark, and Suntory.
WhiskyFest is a great way to taste whiskies as soon as they're released, and this week there are some notable names with new expressions. George Dickel brings back its 17 year old Tennessee whiskey, now with wider distribution, and Heaven Hill announces the latest Parker's Heritage release, a blend of aged bourbons. Meanwhile, Johnnie Walker has debuted its latest bottling for the Lunar New Year, which celebrates the Year of the...

Summer is getaway time, and if London is on your radar screen, check out our London travel guide. If Ireland is in the plan, consider a side trip to Northern Ireland, where Belfast is reviving its old reputation as a whiskey city and other parts of the north are in renaissance mode as well. Read all about it in our profile of the distilleries of Northern Ireland. Of course, if you're staying close to home, you'll have a chance to keep an eye on the latest new releases. This week marked the arrival of two new single malt scotches from Benromach, a new bonded bourbon has joined the Old Forester 117 Series,  Lux Row is offering a new four-grain bourbon, and new American Single Malts are out from Dogfish Head, Copperworks, and Old Line. Meanwhile, Lost Lantern is unveiling its Summer of Bourbon, a collection of eight bourbons from distilleries around the country. Read on for further details.
Old Forester...

Barrell is back with two releases in its ultra-aged Grey Label series, a bourbon and a rye, the latter being a blend of two whiskies with 100% rye mashbills from an undisclosed Canadian distiller (most likely Alberta Distillers, which is known for its high rye mashbills.) That Canadian entry is the only non-U.S. whiskey on today’s list, which also includes a new 7 year old, high-rye expression from Baker’s—a welcome new addition for Baker's fans, who always want more from this somewhat sparsely available label. Louisville distiller Rabbit Hole, meanwhile, has a limited edition 8 year old rye from its Boxergrail label.
Elsewhere, Blue Note is offering a new honey barrel expression, while Log Still Distillery has a new rye, and Lost Lantern is out with a new collection of 10 year old single cask whiskeys.  Although Halloween and Thanksgiving still await, some whiskey makers are already unveiling their holiday whiskeys. Old Potrero...

Game of Thrones might be over, but it lives on in Scotland as Johnnie Walker is launching two new limited-edition blends in honor of the series. Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice honors House Stark, while Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire salutes House Targaryen. Both whiskies are available nationwide for $36.Meanwhile, Glen Moray has debuted a 21 year old single malt finished in port casks. There are 1,200 bottles of the whisky coming to the U.S. this year, priced at $180. Glen Moray announced today that master distiller Graham Coull is leaving to join Ireland's Dingle Distillery—which also has a new whiskey out this week (keep reading).Jameson Caskmates has made two special editions in partnership with Chicago's Revolution Brewing and Bale Breaker Brewing Co. in Yakima, Washington. Both priced at $30, the whiskeys are available within and close to the breweries' home states.Widow Jane is releasing a limited-edition 14 year old blend of straight bourbons sourced from Indiana and Tennessee...

Among this week's new whiskies, Heaven's Door has released its first bourbon that includes distillate from its own backyard. Earlier this year, Heaven's Door announced plans to open a Kentucky distillery in the scenic town of Pleasureville, the heart of bourbon country. The Pleasureville distillery has actually been in development since 2017 and making small batches there since 2018 on a custom Vendome still. But in September the place will open its doors to the public, to reveal a campus with two separate stillhouses, a visitor center, tasting rooms, and other amenities. Back in 2019, Heaven's Door was mapping plans to open a distillery and brand center in a 160 year old church in Nashville, which it acquired in 2016. That site will now be used as the headquarters of The Heaven's Door Foundation, the company's philanthropy arm supporting charities and the arts. 
Among other new releases, Kentucky distiller New Riff and Idaho-based Grand Teton Distillery...

This is a great week for scotch lovers. A whole boatload of new single malts—and a couple new blends—are rolling out to store shelves. First, Macallan has two new releases to track down: Fine Oak 18 year old—which was released overseas before coming to the U.S.—joins the existing Fine Oak range of age statement whiskies. Macallan Classic Cut, on the other hand, is an NAS whisky bottled at cask strength. It's around for a limited time only and has a recommended price of $89.Macallan's parent company, Edrington Group, also owns Highland Park, and the Orkney distillery has a new whisky designed with music in mind. Highland Park Full Volume is around 18 years old and was matured entirely in ex-bourbon casks. Like Glenmorangie Pride 1974, the whisky has a custom piece of music written to go with it.Compass Box is debuting two new blended malts. Although the company has famously fought for more transparency in scotch labeling, it is deliberately holding back information about its...

Scotland and Ireland have been heard from this week after a recent stream of new American whiskeys. In the west of Scotland, May is festival time for Campbeltown and Islay, which brings forth a slew of special releases, including Laphroaig Càirdeas, which we cover here.  Also from Scotland comes the very limited  Daftmill, the Lowlands farm distillery whose highly sought-after whiskies are notoriously difficult to find. From Ireland, Teeling is out with the third edition in its Wonders of Wood series—this one aged in Swedish oak—while Bushmills offers a 31 year old as the fourth edition in its Rare Cask series and The Whistler unveils a 21 year old madeira-finished single malt.
From the U.S., Barrell has a new batch, while Colorado distiller Laws has a trio of bottled in bond expressions. NBA superstar Steph Curry, who came out with his first whiskey, Gentleman's Cut, last year, last week...

There's a pricey new book about "impossible" whiskies that you might want to peruse if you have a spare grand—but for everyone else, check out the week's newest releases (even though a couple of these are just as spendy).Speyside's Glenrothes Distillery is releasing its oldest single malt ever. Distilled in 1968, Glenrothes 50 year old is priced according to its rarity, with just 50 bottles available at $35,000 each.Michter's is bringing back its 25 year old straight bourbon after a three-year absence. The 2020 release is priced at $1,000 and, needless to say, is very limited.Blackened has launched its first barrel-proof whiskey. Blackened Cask Strength debuts with Batch 106, priced at $55, and available in Florida and Kentucky, with expansion planned.Barrell Craft Spirits is rolling out the 2020 release of BCS bourbon, a higher-end blend than the core Barrell bourbon expression. There are 12,000 bottles available, priced at $250.Ireland's The Shed Distillery is debuting its first...

This week’s new releases include three scotch whiskies—a 16 year old from Highland Park, and 12 year olds from Bunnahabhain and Glenlivet. On the American side, Heaven Hill has three new extensions to its Grain to Glass Series: a bourbon, rye, and wheated bourbon aged 6 years in chinquapin oak. Old Overholt rye has a new cask strength 12 year old, while Whisky del Bac continues to branch out from its single malt roots with a new bourbon, this one with mesquite-smoke staves inserted into the barrels. Elsewhere, we have two new whiskeys from Barrell, the oldest whiskey yet from Pinhook, a stout cask-finished expression from Virginia Distillery Co., and much more.
 
Bunnahabhain 12 year old Cask Strength (2025 Edition) scotch single malt
ABV: 56.4%
SRP: $149
Availability: Limited
The 2025 edition of Bunnahabhain 12 year old cask strength is an unpeated Islay whisky created by Bunnahabhain master blender Julieann Fernandez. The series was...

Midway through the first month of the year, the pace of new releases has picked right up, especially for bourbon. High West has debuted a blend of sourced straight bourbons that range in age from 6 to 20 years, while Penelope has partnered with a southern furniture company on a bespoke bourbon blend. In single barrel bourbon, Knob Creek has launched the second whiskey in its Bold Pick collection, Still 630 has kick-started its celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. with a line of 12 bottled in bond single barrels, and Wyoming Whiskey has unveiled the latest edition of its annually released single barrel. And calling all Woodford fans: This week brings the return of Double Double Oaked, now in its second year of nationwide availability. 
That’s it for bourbon! Elsewhere in American whiskey, New Riff is back with this year's batch of Balboa rye, and Rebel Bourbon is trotting out its discontinued root beer-flavored whiskey once more. And from overseas, Royal...

Since releasing its first whiskey in 2022, Kentucky-based 15 Stars has distinguished itself as one of the country’s more notable blending houses. Thus far, we’ve reviewed eight of its whiskeys: one scored 90 points, and the others were all at 91 points or higher. The company, which was founded in 2019 by the father-son team of Rick and Ricky Johnson, has been best known for its limited-edition blends that typically include various combinations of aged whiskeys sourced from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana.
The Johnsons took an interesting route into the whiskey business. Their background is in the popcorn industry, where they came to know a variety of heirloom corn strains—including the red, white, and blue corn, as well as the rare black variety, among others. The original idea was to make bourbon using those heirloom strains, and five years ago they started doing that in a custom distilling program with Bardstown Bourbon Co. Thus far, 15 Stars has worked with...

Anyone looking to pad their whiskey collection with some antique American bottles should check out Whisky Auctioneer's A Century of American Whiskey which runs until Aug. 23. Our auctions expert previewed some of the Pappy Van Winkle, Wild Turkey, and Old Overholt up for bid, even sampling a few of these rare items.In terms of new arrivals, this week there are plenty to choose from. Glenfiddich adds a cognac-finish to its Grand Series, Dalmore unveils a collection of whiskies selected from the last 60 years, Michter's brings back its Toasted Barrel Finish, plus more new bourbons and ryes. Read on for full details.Glenfiddich Grande CouronneStyle: Single maltOrigin: Scotland (Speyside)Age: 26 year oldABV: 43.8%Price: $600Release: August 2021Availability: NationwideNeed to know:Initially matured in American and European oak casks, this whisky was then finished in cognac casks for up to two years—marking the first time Glenfiddich has ever released a cognac-finished expression. Grande...

It’s mid-October, which means we’re drawing ever closer to the spookiest time of year: Halloween. This year, match your favorite sweet treat to a whisky—take Raisinets, for instance, which are a fantastic complement to George Dickel 11 year old Bottled in Bond given the lush, deep, dark fruit qualities of that whiskey. Of course, it's not just chocolate treats that suit whisky, and this guide offers up our favorite Halloween candy-and-whisky pairings.
As for new whisky, being in the thick of fall also means that new releases continue to flood in. Aberfeldy is back with an 18 year old whisky aged in red wine casks—this one from a Tuscan winery. Kentucky Peerless brings back its absinthe-finished rye, while Michter's returns with its 20 year old straight bourbon. Read on for full details.

Aberfeldy 18 year old Tuscan Red Wine Cask
Style: Single maltOrigin: Scotland (Highland)Age: 18 year oldABV: 43%Price: $130Release: October 2022Availability...

January auctions delivered a delicious mix-up of whiskey styles, with many rarities making the list for the first time. Some incredible antique bottles appeared at Sotheby’s sale of bourbon and rye in New York, as well as a 12-bottle case of private barrel Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 year old distilled at Stitzel-Weller Distillery and bottled in 2007 for a restaurant in San Francisco. It fetched a hammer price of $130,000, valuing each bottle at $10,800. Aside from single bottles, Whisky Hammer drew a bid of $138,943 for a refill bourbon barrel of Springbank 1993 containing enough whisky for 149 bottles. With bourbon, rye, scotch, Irish, and Japanese whisky making the list, the 20 highest single-bottle hammer prices for January fetched a monthly total of $637,064.
January 2024 – 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices
Results converted to dollars using xe.com
20. Michter’s Straight Rye 25 year old Single Barrel
Sold on: January 1st at...

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a mecca for whiskey tourism in the United States, has kicked off summer with a revamp that includes an expanded trail, now encompassing 46 Kentucky distilleries, and a major upgrade to the digital side offered by the group’s website. The Bourbon Trail, which launched in 1999 and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has attracted millions of tourists to Kentucky over the years.
This new expansion of the Bourbon Trail, which previously included 18 core distilleries, will encompass what was previously called the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, a separate leg spanning 28 craft distilleries. By combining both trails, Kentucky now has one statewide Bourbon Trail experience that includes 46 distilleries.
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries include Angel’s Envy, Evan Williams, and Stitzel-Weller in Louisville, plus Bardstown Bourbon Co. in Bardstown, Four Roses in Lawrenceburg, James B. Beam in Clermont, and Woodford Reserve in...

There’s no doubt that we’re entering the busiest part of the auction year. September’s provisional 20-highest hammer prices of the month rocketed past the value of last month’s total before the end of the first two weeks. The calendar has been packed with major auctions, as well as charity endeavors, including Bourbon Bonanza, Art of Bourbon, and the Legacy de Forge auction for Bourbon Heritage Month.
Spink, China ran an exclusive Springbank auction featuring over 100 lots, with a bottle of Springbank Millennium 50 year old fetching a hammer price of $10,272. Whiskyauction.com concluded their long-running ninth auction of the year on September 13th, which had been open for bidding for 56 days since July. Their highest bid was $26,020 for a bottle of Karuizawa Noh Whisky 1971 41 year old Cask No. 1842, one of a number of Karuizawa bottles vying to make the 20-highest hammer prices for September. Bowmore had a clean sweep at Scotch Whisky Auction’s...

Do you miss Game of Thrones? Johnnie Walker—which previously released White Walker—is here to help assuage your woes with two new special-edition blends: Song of Ice and Song of Fire. Few details are available, but even a casual GoT fan will recognize that the Song of Ice packaging features direwolves, the sigil of House Stark, while the Song of Fire packaging shows House Targaryen's dragons. Both whiskies are available for pre-order at Reservebar.com, priced at $43. A full U.S. rollout will happen in August.Also coming out at the end of the summer, Old Forester's 2019 Birthday Bourbon. The whiskey is bottled at its highest proof yet—52.5% ABV—and carries a suggested price of $100, with 13,200 bottles available.Meanwhile, the latest limited-edition Crown Royal is rolling out now. Crown Royal Noble Collection French Oak Cask Finished is, as you probably guessed, finished in French oak casks. It's available in limited amounts for $60.Compass Box has unveiled a new blended malt...

August has started off with a bang, with plenty of new whiskies ripe for drinking. From Japan (and America) comes a new iteration of Legent from Beam Suntory, this one with a Yamazaki cask finish. Another intercontinental effort is Campfire from High West, that ingenious blend of rye, bourbon, and scotch whisky, whose annual release was announced this week. And pop icon Rod Stewart becomes the latest rocker to release a whisky—but if you're inclined to skip past it, note that it's made at Loch Lomond Distillery, so it definitely seems worth a look. Also from Scotland, Gordon & Macphail has released six new single malt bottlings, with vintage statements ranging from 1976–1997. There's a 1997 Imperial in there for $550—yes, that's the cheapest one—and things get very pricey from there.
On our side of the Atlantic, McCarthy's is back with its 6 year old expression, this one finished in Oloroso sherry casks. Barrell Craft Spirits...

It's been quite a week for Michter's, which announced that master distiller Pamela Heilmann is stepping back and distiller Dan McKee will be taking her place. On top of that, the distillery is rolling out the newest release of its 10 year old single barrel bourbon. Priced at $130, it's available in limited amounts.Rebel Yell also has a new whiskey coming, a 50% ABV straight bourbon. Rebel Yell 100 Proof is the first in the brand's lineup to sport new packaging. It's widely available for $20. Simultaneously, the 2019 batch of Rebel Yell 10 year old Single Barrel bourbon is also rolling out.A new trio of blended malt scotches are about to launch in the U.S. MacNair's Lum Reek includes non-age-statement ($50), 12 year old ($60), and 21 year old expressions ($150), all of which are peated. The whiskies will be widely available starting this summer.Finally, independent bottler Mossburn has seven new single malt scotches, each available in limited amounts. The whiskies include 10 year old...

iScottie pippen spent part of the pandemic refining his palate. The six-time NBA champion had been acquiring a taste for whisky, sipping Crown Royal when he and his business partner began talking about releasing his own brand. A few days after that initial conversation, Pippen was shaking hands with Napa winemaker Dave Phinney, whose Savage & Cooke distillery opened three years ago on Mare Island in Vallejo, California. The two began discussing what a Scottie Pippen bourbon would look and taste like.
“Scottie jumped in immediately,” Phinney says. “In less than a week, he drove up to the distillery and got to work.” With the help of Savage & Cooke master distiller Jordan Via, the Hall of Fame forward embarked on a whiskey journey that included observing each step of the distillation process and tasting regularly. “Something that I was willing to do, was to make sure that I did a lot of tastings and found the right bourbon,” Pippen says...

When Whisky Advocate did a cover story on scotch whisky cask ownership back in 2008, we quickly learned that some scotch producers hadn’t considered how their U.S. customers would get their whisky home once it matured. Nowadays, distilleries will simply tell you that it’s your responsibility to arrange shipment. The problem is that distilleries can’t bottle and ship the contents of a single cask to private individuals in the U.S. unless it gets sold through the three-tier system (producer-distributor-retailer). But that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of options.
Although distilleries including Springbank, Macallan, Bruichladdich, and Glengoyne previously offered cask-buying programs, today most established scotch makers stay away from cask sales. The practice is now largely led by cash-stretched start-ups, where the quality of the whisky is still largely unproven, as distilleries in their first decade of operation might not have aged stocks...

As more labels backed by famous faces enter our whiskey aisles, it’s easy to roll your eyes and presume they’re all cash grabs. What can this celebrity actually know about distillation, maturation, and blending? Very little, right? And that’s true for some. 
Not Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, founders of Brother’s Bond whiskey. 
“We’re meticulously laying barrels down in certain places of the ricks based on when they’re distilled,” Somerhalder tells us. “We’re able to pinpoint flavor profiles this way. October distillate in one particular section always ends up in our rye. We know exactly which [rickhouse] spot that barrel needs.” Somerhalder can talk your ear off about maturation, in a manner of articulation typically reserved for master distillers.
The duo met as actors playing brothers on the hit TV show "Vampire Diaries" and forged a friendship over bourbon, hence the...

This article was originally published in June 2020. COVID-related restrictions may affect some of the opening times and offerings of these venues, so check in advance of a visit.No city in the country has deeper roots in whiskey history than Pittsburgh. It was virtually the epicenter of the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, when farmer-distillers raised arms against federal agents. The area gave rise to our nation's first named whiskey style: Monongahela rye. It was famous long before Kentucky bourbon, and dominated the national market until after the Civil War.Pittsburgh's history is also entwined with the industrialization of the U.S., and it embraces its hard-working reputation decades after the decline of the steel industry. Once a shot-and-a-beer town, the Steel City's move into the 21st century has seen tremendous improvements in everything from air and water quality to food, drink, and entertainment. This heritage makes the city more a rye and bourbon mecca than a haven for other...

The Internet is like the whisky world in that there's always something new to check out. Once you've read all of Whisky Advocate's features, how-to guides, and other stories—and watched all our videos—if you're still looking for more whisky media, check out these podcasts, YouTube channels, and streaming-service content from distilleries, brands, and fellow whisky lovers. We'll continuously update this list as we learn about new content—if we've missed your favorite show, let us know!Podcasts About WhiskyA Story of Irish WhiskeyThe title says it all—this is a journey through the history of the Emerald Isle's whiskey business.Blue Collar BourbonThis podcast puts an emphasis on affordable whiskies, which the hosts taste blind in each episode.Bourbon and BloodshedWith new episodes every other week, this podcast pairs whisky with true crime stories.The Bourbon DailyLighthearted and informative chat about bourbon abounds on this podcast, with episodes released every day of the...

Sazerac, owner of Buffalo Trace, Barton 1792, The Last Drop, and A. Smith Bowman, has placed some of its most prized whiskeys on the auction block to aid the victims of Hurricanes Milton and Helene. In a partnership with Blockbar, the company is offering a rare chance to score bottles and collections of Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, W.L. Weller, E.H. Taylor, 1792, A. Smith Bowman, and The Last Drop—all for a worthy cause.
The auction started this morning and continues through 10 a.m. on November 1st. Unlike other charity efforts where only a portion of the funding goes to the intended recipient, Sazerac is donating 100% of the proceeds—all going to the American Red Cross to aid in its hurricane recovery efforts.
The auction is being held on  Blockbar.com. This is a “no reserve” auction, meaning there’s no minimum price for a bottle or collection, although, bidding starts at $100, and no buyer premiums are...

On June 24, 1889, on Main Street in Telluride, Colorado, Butch Cassidy robbed his very first bank. Skiing had not come to town yet, but whiskey certainly had, and the famed outlaw was known to partake. The story goes that he holed up in the tiny nearby mining hamlet of Dunton Hot Springs, where he carved his name into the bar of the town’s saloon. Dunton became a ghost town, but was purchased in 1994 and the entire town and its Old West buildings were transformed into one of the nation’s most luxurious all-inclusive boutique resorts. Today the saloon is the resort’s main bar, and Dunton Hot Springs has a nice selection of scotch and bourbon, and guests can sit at the bar etched with Cassidy’s signature for a dram. The house label is George Dickel, an old case of which was discovered beneath the floor during renovation. The owner took this as a sign and now leaves a bottle out in the library for guests to enjoy at their leisure. That’s taking après...

Last November, the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau, better known as the TTB, released Notice No. 176, a 132-page set of proposed regulations. Like many government documents, it's as good a sleep aid as a handful of Ambien. One small section, however, buried deep within the proposal, has woken up the bourbon community, particularly small distilleries that stand to be affected by it.There's already a set of rules in place about what type of whiskey can be labeled as bourbon. It has to be distilled from a mashbill of at least 51% corn, it must be distilled to no more than 80% ABV, it has to be bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV, and it has to be produced in the United States, to name a few. (Read up on the complete set of requirements for bourbon and other American whiskeys with our Instant Expert primer).Chief among the requirements for bourbon (as well as rye, malt, and wheat whiskey) is that it be aged in new charred oak containers—in other words, barrels. This is where the...

Meetings—in the corporate sense—are a somewhat new addition to the workday for Woodinville whiskey co-founder Brett Carlile. Woodinville was acquired by Moët Hennessy (LVMH) in 2017, a move that allowed the Washington state distiller to ramp up volume and expand beyond its home state. A lot has changed in the nearly seven years since that deal was struck, including Carlile’s role. “Prior to the acquisition, I was very hands-on, literally on the distilling floor working the shifts alongside the other distillers,” he says. Now, Carlile is in charge of all production at Woodinville and was also involved in a post-acquisition expansion of the facility. In Quincy, Washington, east and over the Cascade Mountains from Woodinville, the company built a barreling and bottling facility in 2020, which Carlile oversees as well.
A bigger, more cultural change has also come into play. “I’m more involved in meetings than I used to be,” Carlile...

Many whisky lovers feel a sense of sadness at the end of a good dram. But for Ernie Button, a drained glass is an opportunity to dive even deeper. When he's done with a drink, rather than just putting the dirty glass into the dishwasher, Button uses it to create otherworldly pieces of art.Button's collection of photographs, called “Vanishing Spirits: The Dried Remains of Single Malt Scotch,” shows how every glass of whisky can yield unique patterns, “like snowflakes,” he says. Here's how it works: whisky that dries in the bottom of a glass does so irregularly, leaving behind dregs or rings. They aren't easy to spot as-is, but Button places the glass (he prefers flat-bottomed rocks glasses) on a light or flashlight with a color filter. Then he photographs the glass, creating an image that could have come from outer space, or from a microscope plate.
Photographer Ernie Button (self portrait)The scientific aspect of this hobby isn't just surface-deep, either; Button's photo...

Food pairings can elevate any drinking experience, whether you are tasting as a group or enjoying a dram on your own. Cheese is a good choice, with a wide array of styles offering a multitude of pairing options. Get started with our guide to matching whisky and cheese and see which combination works best for you.If you're looking for a new whisky to crack open, we have plenty to choose from this week. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is back, this time with an online lottery; Ross & Squibb unveils the latest batch of its Remus Repeal Reserve series; and Jefferson's adds a new wheated bourbon to its Aged at Sea series. For scotch lovers, Ardbeg is out with the fourth edition of Traigh Bhan, its 19 year old annual release. Meanwhile, for collectors, we also have all the details on the new Littlemill bottling, as the lost Lowland distillery releases its oldest whisky ever. Read on for full details.

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (2022 Release)
Style: Straight bourbonOrigin...

While Macallan took the top position once again in May, Dalmore and Old Fitzgerald finished second and third, respectively, ending Macallan’s four-month run of sweeping the first three spots. The 20 highest-selling bottles in May were valued at a total of $797,967, and it was an eclectic list that featured nine labels from Scotland, six from Japan, four from the U.S., and one from Ireland.
In terms of specific names, the ever-present Macallan and Karuizawa led the field with four entries each, while Dalmore, Van Winkle, and Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt Card Series each had two. The other leading names included Willett, Midleton Very Rare, Bowmore, and Brora.
Dalmore’s second-place finish was its 49 year old second edition in its Luminary Series, a partnership between Dalmore and Scotland’s Design Museum that’s a partner of  London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, known as V&A Dundee. The Dalmore is producing three bottles of each of...

For nine decades, Heaven Hill has turned challenges into opportunities, building America's largest independent, family-owned distillery from a Depression-era startup with no inventory, no warehouses, and remarkably, no brands. As the country's second-largest holder of bourbon barrels marks its 90th anniversary, Heaven Hill executive chairman Max Shapira and his daughter, Kate Latts, the company’s co-president, are doing what their family has done best for three generations of leadership: taking the long-term view.
Industry alarmists cite decreased consumption habits by younger drinkers, the cooling of the bourbon category, and agave’s steady rise. The Shapiras have seen similar cycles before; Max has been with the company for 55 years. Heaven Hill just opened Heaven Hill Springs, a new $200 million distillery in Bardstown, doubling down on bourbon's staying power while continuing to evolve the company’s tequila pipeline through its Tequila Ocho brand.
In this...

We regularly cover new whiskies here at Whisky Advocate, but with some bottlings, we delve just a little deeper. This week, for instance, there are two new projects in the mix: a single barrel Empire rye from New York Distilling made exclusively for the Brooklyn-based Wythe Hotel, and an entirely new brand from master blender Dixon Dedman. The Empire rye is a celebration of Brooklyn's rich distilling and cocktailing cultures, which both have been reborn in the past decade, while Dixon Dedman's release marks an exciting new chapter for this acclaimed Kentucky blender, who's best known for reviving Kentucky Owl back in 2014.
Of course, there are plenty of additional whiskies to present this week. Michter's is back with the latest edition of its highly coveted 10 year old Rye, Nikka returns with an age-statement Japanese single malt, and Nelson Green Brier sweetens its range with a bourbon finished in a honey-coated cask. Read on for full details.
Michter’s 10...

Two upcoming whisky auctions—one in Chicago and the other in Hong Kong—are putting up some rare and rarely seen collectible whiskies. From Pappy Van Winkle's Japanese editions to a full 54-bottle set of the Hanyu Card Series, here are the lots to watch at Hart Davis Hart (Aug. 15-16) and Bonhams, Hong Kong (Aug. 16).Hart Davis Hart: August 15-16, 2019If you love Pappy Van Winkle but can never find a bottle to buy, now's your chance. More than 300 bottles of Van Winkle bourbon and rye whiskey are set to go under the hammer in Chicago this month. The second Hart Davis Hart mobile-only auction of Finest and Rarest Spirits takes place on August 15-16, and includes an abundance of fine whiskey (and whisky) among the 1,887 lots, with bidding starting at less than $100.Pappy drinkers will have multiple opportunities to stock up on the 15, 20, and 23 year olds, but my advice is not to overbid with so many Van Winkle bottles throughout the sale, as later lots might go for lower sums once...

Generations ago, the U.S. whiskey landscape was rich with farm distillery rye whiskeys, but modern American producers tend to use giant suppliers to source their rye grains. The past decade has seen a growing contingent of American craft distillers move the focus back to heirloom rye grains, aiming to revive long-forgotten styles. We look at some of these distillers and the trials, tribulations, and triumphs they’ve experienced along the road to a rye renaissance in this story from our Spring 2022 issue.
For fans of American whiskey, and bourbon in particular, this week's new releases should be  tantalizing. Barrell Craft Spirits has debuted its latest finished blend of straight bourbons, Four Roses has announced details for this year's Limited Edition Small Batch, and Michter's is back with US*1 Toasted Barrel bourbon. Read on for full details.

Barrell Vantage
Style: Blend of straight bourbonsOrigin: Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee Age: Not statedABV...

Bourbon leads this week with a swarm of “B's”, as Bernheim, Baker’s, and Bardstown all weigh in with new releases. Bernheim Barrel Proof, appropriately enough for this list, is offering Batch B, the second and final installment of 2024 for this expression. We’ve yet to taste Batch B, but Batch A has been one of our favorite whiskeys so far this year. There’s also a welcome return for Baker’s, the single barrel gem whose appearances are all too infrequent. Based on previous tastings, we’d recommend that you snag a bottle. Elsewhere, Bardstown’s new super-wheater is serious business—check out that 39% wheat share in the mashbill. In comparison to other wheaters, Larceny’s is a mere 20%, as is Old Fitzgerald, while Maker’s hovers at around 15%.
Cask-finished whiskeys also feature prominently this week, as Old Elk continues its finishing work with a cognac barrel-finished wheater. Virginia Distillery Co. has a new...

There are still two full shopping days before Chanukah, and four before Christmas, and if you're looking for the newest whisky to gift, keep reading.The Fall 2019 release of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond is hitting shelves now, this time at 15 years old. It's priced at $150 and available in limited quantities.Bardstown Bourbon Co.'s latest Collaboration series release is a Tennessee bourbon finished in The Prisoner red wine barrels. There are 10,000 bottles of the whiskey rolling out in more states than ever before, priced at $125.Barrell has unveiled its New Year 2020 whiskey, a blend of straight bourbons from five states. Priced at $90, Barrell New Year 2020 is available in limited amounts.Oak & Eden has debuted its newest whiskey, a wheated bourbon "finished" with a toasted French oak spiral in the bottle. Oak & Eden Wheat & Spire is $39 and available in several states.The oldest single malt ever released from Wales' Penderyn Distillery is coming exclusively to the...

Don't fret that summer's coming to a close, celebrate that the biggest whisky release season is upon us, and this week serves as a hearty entry, with loads of new single malt scotch and other whiskies.Glenfiddich is hoping you turn to their 23 year old Grand Cru next time you have a toast-worthy occasion. The whisky was finished in French cuvée casks from the country's most famous sparkling wine region. At $300, the single malt will be part of the brand's core range and is widely available starting this month.Less permanent, Four Roses is releasing their annual Limited Edition Small Batch bourbon, this year's release clocking in at 56.3% ABV and $140. Each Limited Edition Small Batch release scores high marks in our Buying Guide, so this whiskey, released for National Bourbon Heritage Month, should appeal to collectors and sippers alike.Meanwhile, back in Scotland, Aberlour has a new A'bunadh expression, Alba, mirroring past cask-strength releases but matured in American oak bourbon...

Whisky lovers longing to spend eternity steeped in the aroma of their favorite spirit can do just that, thanks to the Forever Aging urn—a small cask made from the whiskey-soaked wood of bourbon barrels, designed specifically to hold the ashes of the dead, further moistened by a drop or two of their dram of choice.The Forever Aging urn was designed by William Elam, a retired attorney and native Kentuckian, who, ironically, isn't big on bourbon. “I enjoy a strawberry Daiquiri around the pool,” he says. “Bourbon itself is a little hard, a little strong.” But Elam nevertheless enjoys the heady aromas of bourbon that waft over from nearby distilleries to the backyard of his Frankfort home, in the heart of bourbon country. “I can frequently smell the mash if I inhale deeply and the wind is right,” Elam says. “It is a beautiful flavor.”In late 2018, Elam was musing over the fact that bourbon must be aged in new charred oak containers, leaving a lot of perfectly good barrels...

Denver was one of the birthplaces of the craft brewing movement, which led to craft distilleries, some helmed by pioneering brewers. The city boasts some of the nation’s oldest craft distilleries, with an unusually strong focus on whiskey compared to other spirits, especially American single malt. But, from distilleries to bars with elaborate cocktails, Denver covers all the bases and is arguably the nation’s best big city for whiskey lovers. It’s also quite affordable.
Making Denver even more appealing is a reliable international airport with non-stop flights from around the country and the world. It has the best public transport connection to downtown of any U.S. airport, with direct rail service into the city’s Union Station, the heart of downtown, at just $10 for the 37-minute ride. Once there, most top bars, restaurants, hotels, and distilleries are nearby—some walkable, and none more than a short rideshare away. For sports fans looking to double...

It's common to give the whisky lover in your life a special bottle for Christmas or Hanukkah—but how about 35 special bottles? The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) is about to give one lucky person the chance to take home a slew of rare, in-demand, and hard-to-find whiskies, from Pappy Van Winkle to Old Forester Birthday Bourbon to O.F.C. 1994.Following up on its successful Buddy-Up! raffle of Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and other high-end whiskeys, which raised $200,000 for Best Buddies New Hampshire, the NHLC is now upping the ante in a bid to raise half a million dollars for the New Hampshire Food Bank and Easterseals New Hampshire. The Cheers for Charity! raffle includes 35 whiskies, offered as a single package, and mainly comprising Kentucky bourbons and ryes, with a smattering of scotch and Irish whiskey. Not every whisky on the list is rare or hard to find, but most are, and no matter what, winning the package on a $100 ticket is the deal of a...

So many new releases this week! We decided that we can’t possibly fit them all without creating a post that resembles a whisky encyclopedia, so today’s Whisky Weekend will feature only the  latest American whiskey offerings. On Monday, we’ll post a second run of new releases, and those will feature Scotland, Ireland, and other places beyond our shores.
Here at home, multiple bottle releases seem to be the thing these days. We posted Lost Lantern’s Summer of Bourbon range a few weeks back, a lineup of eight whiskeys in all, and this week we feature Tennessee’s Old Dominick Distillery, which offers six new expressions. Elsewhere, there’s a new bonded Jack Daniel’s in town, and this time it’s a rye. Meanwhile, the explosion in cask-finished bourbons continues, with Barrel’s new rum cask and amburana finished whiskeys, as well as a new stout-cask finished expression from...

Angel's Envy is the the distllery that launched the finished bourbon phenomenon back in 2011, and now it's gone a different route with its first-ever release of a non-finished bourbon.  And speaking of different routes, Isle of Arran-based Lagg DIstillery launched in 2019 as the peated sibling of the more famous Isle of Arran distillery, Lochranza; now its whiskies are finally reaching U.S. shores, with two expressions hitting the market. Elsewhere, Widow Jane has a new release that features its heirloom corn Baby Jane, while Laws has launched a new collection called the Headwaters Series, and Lost Lantern is back with the second edition of its Summer of Bourbon Series.
Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon 
ABV: 50%
SRP: $55/375 ml
Availability: Distillery exclusive; 12,000 bottles 
From the jump, Angel’s Envy has emphasized cask finishes, with its core bourbon finished in port casks for up to 6...

Woodford Reserve this week released its annual Derby bottle ahead of the 2025 Kentucky Derby, which takes place on May 3. This year’s label was created by Cuban-American artist Humberto Lahera, who’s based in Louisville. The one-liter bottle retails at $50 and can be purchased on Reservebar, on Woodford’s online store, at the Woodford Reserve Distillery, and selected retailers nationwide.
Among other new releases, Orphan Barrel is out with a 17 year old, while Old Elk has a new flagship bourbon called Slow Cut. Penelope Rio, the amburana cask-finished bourbon, is back with its third iteration, while High West returns with the annual release of Bourye, its rye-bourbon blend. There's plenty more, with new offerings from Buzzard's Roost, Remus, and Westward, among others, including a noteworthy release from Bushmills, which has unveiled the oldest Irish single malt ever—a 46 year old with a limited global release of just 300 bottles, priced at a cool...

As craft distilleries across the country find new ways to welcome visitors safely, many whisky lovers are looking for new bottles to try. There's plenty to satisfy on that front this week, with fresh releases celebrating big moments and others pioneering novel flavors.First up, Heaven Hill Distillery has debuted Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, a bourbon finished in a second, new, charred, and heavily toasted cask. It's available nationwide, priced at $50.Heaven Hill is also rolling out the Spring 2020 release of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, this time at 9 years old. The bourbon is priced at $90 and available in limited amounts.Jack Daniel's has partnered with country singer Eric Church on a limited-edition single-barrel release. Roughly 60,000 bottles of the Tennessee whiskey are available, priced at $50.Johnnie Walker has created a trio of special blended scotches to celebrate its 200th anniversary this year. John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend is inspired by the brand's...

Fall is in full swing, and so are distilleries, with all manner of releases coming out practically by the minute. In a burst of good news for Pappy fans, the 2022 Van Winkle lineup has been announced, and along with it the revelation that more bottles than usual are available this year. Does that mean it'll be easier to get your hands on one ahead of the holiday season, be it for yourself or a loved one? Not necessarily, but here's to staying optimistic.As mentioned, the Van Winkle whiskeys are hardly the only specialty releases to debut this week. There are two new whiskies from Hibiki—a cherrywood-finished blend and a 30 year old whisky—both of which are very limited in nature. Knob Creek, meanwhile, has introduced a rarity of its own, an 18 year old bourbon that marks its oldest release to date. From Scotland, Glendronach has debuted Grandeur Batch 11—aged for 28 years—and there are three new ultra-limited, ultra-aged bottlings from the Gordon &...

The whisky world was abuzz with news this week. WhiskyFest took place in Chicago last Friday, May 12th, drawing in newcomers and returnees to the Windy City’s marquee whisky event. Bourbon heavyweight James B. Beam Distilling Co. has thrown its hat into the American single malt ring with the release of Clermont Steep—its first official ASM expression, and a permanent addition to its whiskey family. In an exclusive interview with Whisky Advocate, Justin Sloan and Justin Thompson of Washington, D.C. retail outfit Justins’ House of Bourbon have responded to the TTB dropping its counterfeiting claims.
As far as new expressions go, whisky fans are spoiled for choice this week. Newcomer Forbidden has debuted with a small batch bourbon expression, Chattanooga Whiskey has added a new bourbon to its Experimental Batch series, Jack Daniel’s has a new barrel proof rye, and Kilchoman released its 2023 edition of Loch Gorm. Read on for full...

No dog days of summer this week, as whisky lovers are being treated to lots of exciting news. In American whiskey, Seattle's Westland Distillery,  whose co-founder Matt Hofmann moved on last year, continues its reset with the release of  two new expressions—one finished in beer casks and the other in wine casks. Knob Creek, always among the most traditional of whiskey makers, gets creative with a new blend of bourbon and rye, while Woodford Reserve has blended two malt whiskeys for the latest edition in its Distillery Series. Dixon Dedman, who made his name with the Kentucky Owl whiskeys back in 2014, continues to see his star rise with 2XO, whose latest release is a bourbon finished in French oak casks.
Not to be outdone, the scotch side has some very interesting news. Compass Box, whose celebrated founder John Glaser departed the company earlier this year, is ready for its next act with two entirely new labels...

To drink whisky in Tokyo is to partake in centuries of culture—not just of whisky culture, but also of dedication to craft and service. Japanese hospitality and artisanship have few equals in the world, and it shows in the countless whisky outposts throughout the sprawling megalopolis. Drinkers at fine whisky establishments are greeted with a warm towel, small portions of curated snacks to accompany their drams, and white-coated bartenders ready to guide them through thoughtfully selected collections of scotch, bourbon, and Japanese whisky.Visitors should note that while there's plenty of Japanese whisky at bars and shops (scroll down for more on buying whisky to take home), there are countless other styles of whisky to enjoy as well, from Scotland, America, and further abroad, including many releases that are exclusive to Asia or Japan. Also important to note: many bars in Japan impose cover charges, usually no more than $10. Bars are often tucked into nondescript basements or on...

April is here, so we can now reveal the 20 highest single bottle hammer prices for March 2023. Sotheby’s and Whisky Auctioneer excelled with 6 bottles on the March Top 20 list, while Sotheby's also gained the highest single bottle hammer price so far this year. Scotch Whisky Auctions also did well, scoring the second-highest sale of the month. The total value of these 20 bottles auctioned in March was $1,089,202, making this the first month this year where this list has topped $1 million.  
March 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices
Results converted to dollars using xe.com
20. Macallan The Red Collection 40 year old
Sold on: March 14th at Whisky.Auction
Hammer price: $24,901 
19. Port Ellen Casks of Distinction 1979 40 year old
Sold on: March 7th at Sotheby’s
Hammer price: $25,478
18. O.F.C. Old Fashioned Copper Vintage 1982
Sold on: March 17th at Sotheby’s
Hammer...

November auctions set the bar high, becoming the toughest month of the year to make the cut for our list of the 20-highest hammer prices. These 10 bottles of scotch, 8 Japanese, and two bourbons sold for a combined value of $802,786. The bottle that held on to 20th position in November achieved a hammer price that would have seen it slot in as high as 3rd position in August when there was less competition. That pressure meant record sales for bottles of Macallan The Red Collection 73 year old and Hibiki 40 year old earned them a place on the list, but impressive auctions in Singapore and Hong Kong knocked the first auctioned bottle of Eagle Rare 25 year old out of the running despite a good showing at its auction debut.
For Bonhams, Paris, it was a month to forget. First, there was a last-minute withdrawal of scotch whisky bottles due to authenticity concerns, then at the end of the month, their star attraction, a single lot sale of the complete 54-bottle Hanyu Ichiro’s Malt...

While scotch prices might be rising thanks to recently enacted tariffs, there's plenty of good news for whisky lovers, starting with this week's newest releases.First up actually is a single malt scotch, the final release in Diageo's Game of Thrones tie-in bottles. Mortlach 15 year old Six Kingdoms is priced at $150 and available in limited amounts, alongside the other eight single malts, which originally launched in 2018 and have been re-released this fall.Canadian Club is rolling out a 42 year old whisky called The Dock Man. Priced at just $300 (a steal for a whisky of this age), it's available in limited amounts.Another well-aged Canadian whisky at a higher price is coming from Heaven's Door, the Tennessee-based brand backed by Bob Dylan. The first release in its Bootleg Series of limited-edition whiskies is a 26 year old Canadian whisky finished in mizunara casks. Less than 3,000 bottles are available, priced at $500.Egan's is rolling out Centenary, a blend of Irish malt and grain...

It’s a light menu of new rollouts this week, but we’ve got entirely new creations from Penelope and Bomberger’s, the Michter’s sister label dedicated to the distillery’s legacy. Buffalo Trace has added to its Experimental Collection with a hops-infused expression so far out that it’s technically not even a whiskey. West Highlands scotch maker Nc'nean is back with a fourth edition of its Quiet Rebels label, while Highland Park and Glenlivet both offer multi-thousand dollar ultra-aged releases. 
Michter’s Bomberger’s PFG Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 50.1%
SRP: $140
Availability: Limited
For the first time since its introduction in 2015, the Bomberger’s range has a new line extension. The whiskey, Bomberger’s PFG—which stands for Precision Fine Grain—starts as Kentucky straight bourbon. After full maturation in a toasted and charred oak barrel, the whiskey is placed into a second...

Pat Fallon’s health was rapidly deteriorating when he reached out to Francisco Melendez in 2022.
The 52 year old former Marine was in full kidney failure following a series of medical misfortunes stemming from a lung injury. With dialysis as his lifeline, “The only solution was a new kidney,” Fallon recounts, “but no one I knew was a viable donor.” To amplify his plea, Fallon tapped Melendez, founder of a Texas nonprofit and The Sinner’s Club, a whiskey group on Facebook of which Fallon was a member.
Melendez raced into action, blasting Fallon’s dire situation to the entire 5,800-member group. Within minutes, a dozen offers to get tested flooded in; within weeks, five had completed the test. One, a bubbly coordinator for an audiologist and part-time bartender named Brittany McCaffety, was a perfect match. “I called Francisco and Pat and said ‘This is happening!’ and we all cried on the call,” McCaffety...

Before there was Diageo, there was United Distillers, a company with major holdings in scotch and American whiskey. While United Distillers owned Stitzel Weller and many other whiskey assets in the United States, in the early 1990s American whiskey wasn't nearly as popular as it is today, making it a tough sell. In an effort to change that scenario, the company created a luxury subsidiary called The Classic Kentucky Bourbon Company, whose first project was The Rare American Whiskey Selection. This was to be an annual release of five different barrel proof, ultra-aged whiskeys from some names you’re likely very familiar with today (Stitzel Weller of course, as well as George T. Stagg, Taylor Williams, and others). But that project never saw the light of day—until now, in a record-setting sale.
There’s less rarefied new whisky to enjoy this week, including a new barbecue-inspired single malt from Ardbeg, the first batch of Booker's this year...

A bounty of new whiskies is on offer this week, with American whiskey weighing in heavily as usual. Blackened and Rabbit Hole have teamed up on a collaborative bourbon, while Russell’s Reserve offers its second single rickhouse release. Still Austin has a new bottled in bond high-rye bourbon, and Ross & Squibb is asking a cool $200 for its 15 year old limited edition Remus Gatsby Reserve. In scotch whisky, we all received great news with the return of Glenglassaugh. This distillery was acquired by Jack Daniel's owner Brown-Forman back in 2016, and that purchase also included Benriach and GlenDronach. While we've seen master blender Rachel Barrie turn her formidable talents to Benriach and GlenDronach, it's been a quiet time for Glenglassaugh. But now it's back and with a troika of new releases that should delight single malt scotch drinkers. Also from Scotland, Johnnie Walker Blue has a new collaborative effort...

There’s a wintry feel in this latest round of new releases, led by New Riff’s latest Winter Whisky offering, as well as two new stout cask finished expressions—one from Nelson’s Green Brier in Nashville and the other from distiller-brewer Town Branch in Lexington, Kentucky. Then we have a honey barrel-finished bourbon from North Carolina distiller Southern Star, inaugural releases from Distillery of Modern Art, based in Chamblee, Georgia, another shot to get your hands on World Whiskey Society's 13 year old Wyatt Earp Hazmat Edition, and whiskey-based liqueurs. Plenty to add to your Black Friday shopping list!
New Riff Winter Whiskey Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 50%
SRP: $55
Availability: Limited
A seasonal release first introduced in 2020, New Riff Winter Wheat is made from a mashbill of 65% corn, 20% malted oats, 7% pale ale malt, 5% steel-cut raw oats, and 3% chocolate malt. As with many of New Riff’s whiskeys...

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...

It's a big week for bourbon lovers. Four Roses announced a new, permanently available bourbon that's non-chill filtered and bottled at a solid 52% ABV. Four Roses Small Batch Select is made with six of the distillery's recipes and is the first core bourbon to prominently feature the F yeast strain. Priced around $55-$60, it will eventually be available nationwide, but is starting off in five states: California, Georgia, Kentucky, New York, and Texas. Whisky Advocate spoke with master distiller Brent Elliott to get more details about the whiskey; keep reading to find out how he developed the formula, and which specific recipes he used.Meanwhile, Buffalo Trace has debuted a 20 year old version of Eagle Rare. Double Eagle Very Rare is packaged in a crystal decanter and fancy box, and has a recommended price of $1,999. Just 299 bottles are available.The Whiskey Barons collection, which is made at Wild Turkey Distillery, has unveiled its latest bourbon, W.B. Saffell, as well as the second...

Many whiskeys have a good story behind them, but for Rabbit Hole's newest bourbon, that story takes on particular poignancy. In an exclusive interview with Whisky Advocate, Rabbit Hole founder Kaveh Zamanian revealed why he chose the name Heigold, and what inspired the new names he's given to the rest of the brand's whiskeys. Heigold ($70) and the rebranded line roll out next month, first at the distillery and later more widely.Other new whiskies are coming out as well. Kentucky Owl is releasing the third batch of its rye, this time with a 10 year old age statement. Priced at $200, Kentucky Owl Rye is available in limited amounts.Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay is adding two new vintage releases to its core range. Bruichladdich 2010 Bere Barley is made with an ancient strain, while Bruichladdich 2010 The Organic is, as you might have guessed, distilled from organic barley. Both whiskies are $100, with 18,000 bottles of each available.Eighth-generation Jim Beam distiller Freddie Noe...

The run-up to the holidays is full of planning, excitement—and a lot of running around. It's important to make time to catch your breath and actually enjoy the season. An advent calendar is a great daily reminder to slow down and enjoy the holiday spirit—especially if it's filled with whisky. (Get it?)You can buy a number of pre-made whisky advent calendars. What's available varies from year to year, but these companies usually offer a calendar, and sometimes several: Secret Spirits Whisky Advent Calendar, Heritage Distilling Co.,Flaviar, andDrinks by the Dram.Be aware, however, that many of these options cost hundreds, and even thousands of dollars.Then there's the DIY option—a great choice if you already have plenty of whisky. Holiday Spirits Calendars offers pre-fab advent calendars that you can fill with your choice of whiskies. “Our goal is to appeal to that segment that like to give quirky, fun, inventive gifts to their friends and family, who also happen to enjoy...

Indisputably, scotch is the world's most popular style of whisky, with single malt regarded as the epitome of this fine spirit, cherished for its unparalleled quality. While I make my home in Scotland and have a passion for her whiskies, my role as Whisky Advocate's world whisky reviewer presents me with a steady stream of fascinating whiskies from India, Taiwan, Mexico, Israel, Australia, and beyond!Just 20 years ago, it would have been considered laughable that anyone could challenge Scotland's dominance of single malt—butJapan gave scotch lovers reason to pause. Today, I'm in awe of the proliferation of whisky from around the world, and the vast range of countries that stand proudly behind high-quality products.A global community of distillers is transporting single malt whisky to new places, literally. By adding their own creativity and local techniques, resulting in exciting flavors and geographical styles, the single malt world is changing quickly. Because I sample and...

Let's say you've tasted your way through some basic bourbons that have given you a foundation in flavor appreciation. You're no longer a newbie; you have some real bourbon knowledge, and a desire for more. For you, bourbon is becoming a bonafide hobby, but you need guidance on the next few bottles to continue expanding your palate.These key examples will help usher you into an intermediate level of expertise. They offer more complexity—some might even call them challenging—and are different in their own ways.Bourbon 201: Intermediate-Level Bottles You Must TasteColonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch Bourbon—90 points, $40One of the few Buffalo Trace whiskeys that can easily be found on shelves (shhh!), this bottled-in-bond offering showcases the excellence of the distillery's low-rye mashbill. With strong corn aromas on the nose, the palate offers a candy-like sweetness, with hints of butterscotch and caramel corn—though the finish is long and spicy, almost a bit minty. E.H...

Whisky lovers have one more reason to hit the hallowed Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Bardstown Bourbon Co. opened its new visitors center on Sept. 9, offering tours, cocktail classes, and tastings geared toward every level of bourbon drinker, from novice to connoisseur. The facility features a sleek, modern vibe, with glass paneling, moss art walls, and an open design that's meant to highlight the company's focus on transparency and collaboration, while celebrating both the art and science of whiskey making.It wasn't long ago that now-former chief executive David Mandell, who co-founded Bardstown Bourbon Co. back in 2014, had grand plans for its visitors center; the company was part of a wave of next-generation distillers building their enterprises from the ground up with the guest experience in mind. “We're trying to create a Napa Valley experience on the Bourbon Trail,” Mandell told Whisky Advocate in 2017, before the distillery had even opened its restaurant. Bardstown Bourbon Co...

Among the new releases this week is an American single malt from Yellowstone, which has always been tied exclusively to bourbon. Up until last summer, no formal guidelines for American single malts existed; technically, they still don’t, as the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has yet to officially sign off on the rules it first put on the table in July 2022. But many American single malt producers expect those guidelines to be in place soon enough, and the floodgates to more American single malts from producers both small and large have already opened.
Among other releases, it's a week to welcome back some returning stars, including Midleton Very Rare, Michter's 10 year old single barrel bourbon and Benriach's 16 year old expression. While Midleton's arrival is right on schedule, Michter's 10 had been absent for year, and Benriach The Sixteen had left us in 2016. Read on for full details.
Midleton Very Rare Vintage 2023
Style: Blend

Mizunara casks have been a staple of Japanese whisky aging for quite some time, but it wasn’t always this way. The much-revered mizunara oak got its start out of necessity rather than design. In the early days of Japanese whisky making back in the 1920s, first-fill bourbon and sherry casks were the barrels of choice. But that changed during World War II, when it became all but impossible to obtain those barrel types. Left with no other choice, Japan’s whisky distillers looked to native oak for their casks. Now, nearly a century later, it’s the American and European distillers who seek out mizunara oak casks from Japan, enthralled by the notes and characteristics that it can contribute to a whisky. 
It all started nearly a decade ago on the craggy shores of Islay where, in 2015, Bowmore released a limited-edition single malt that utilized Japanese casks. That was followed quickly by Washington-based Bainbridge Organic Distillers’ debut of Yama, a...

Our Spring issue is all about rye, a whiskey that seems to increase in popularity with each passing day. Take it as a sign of the times that Wild Turkey's next limited-edition Master's Keep is the first rye whiskey in the collection. Wild Turkey Master's Keep Cornerstone Rye is priced at $175 and will hit shelves in August. There are 15,000 bottles available.Meanwhile, The Last Drop is rolling out two single casks of Glenrothes distilled in 1969. Just 271 bottles of the nearly-50 year old whisky are available, priced at $6,250.More widely available are new bourbons from Bardstown Bourbon Co. (BBC), including the first whiskey that includes the distillery's own straight bourbon. Fusion Series #1 combines sourced 11 year old Kentucky straight bourbon with 2 year old wheated and high-rye bourbons distilled at BBC and costs $60. Meanwhile, Discovery Series #1 blends four Kentucky straight bourbons, ranging in age from 5 to 11 years, and costs $130. Finally, Collaboration Series #1...

Single barrel whiskeys, pulled from a single cask chosen by an individual or a group, are all the rage. They’re usually selected for representing the apex of a whiskey’s flavor profile, or sometimes for being very different, and each single barrel is unique. But what if you wanted to create a whiskey that’s even more bespoke? The answer lies in micro-blending, the latest wave in the private barrel whiskey world.
Micro-blending is the practice of blending all or part of two or three single barrels, sometimes all made from the same mashbill, but increasingly from different mashbills and finishes. “The market needs more innovative and dynamic flavors, pushing the boundaries of what whiskey can be,” says Dark Arts Whiskey House founder Macaulay Minton. “Micro-blending is the ideal progression.”

Minton’s micro-batching journey began after a field trip to Kentucky’s Wilderness Trail Distillery in 2016, while in college...

I.W. Harper’s 34 year old bourbon arrives with three distinct narratives: the documented story, industry speculation, and the liquid truth. There’s no disputing, for example, this is the oldest release in I.W. Harper’s 150-year history, comprising four barrels laid down in 1989 and left to mature at Stitzel-Weller’s hallowed Kentucky facility.
Likewise, we know that, after three decades, that quartet of barrels yielded a scant 11 bottles of this expression, five of which are currently up for auction at Sotheby’s. (Which ends today—current bids exceeded $4,000 per bottle this morning.) We know the proof—63.1% ABV—and that the proceeds from the auction will go to benefit Native Son, a nonprofit to benefit Black gay and/or queer men.
The speculation begins with what’s actually in those bottles. Industry insiders believe bourbon distilled in 1989 and stored at Stitzel-Weller is likely Bernheim juice. It could also be...

Located in the woods of Western Massachusetts, Berkshire Mountain Distillers first made a name for itself with its acclaimed Greylock gin. But in the last few years, the company has begun to experiment with unique and innovative whiskey releases. The latest, Berkshire Bourbon Smoke and Peat, is a new twist on a barrel-finished bourbon. Smoke and Peat is made by finishing fully mature 4 year old Berkshire Bourbon (72% corn, 18% rye, 10% barley) in Islay single malt casks for 3 to 8 months. The whisky is an unusual crossover, a fusion of sweet, spicy bourbon and the flavors of smoky, peaty scotch.“I'd been looking for Islay casks for nine years and hadn't found them,” says Chris Weld, founder, owner and distiller at Berkshire. “It's the first time in ten years that these casks became available. All the rest went to breweries, and as far as I know we're the only distillery to get them.” Weld wanted to experiment with creating a whiskey that blended elements of both bourbon and...

It's a great week for scotch fans with some well-aged malts hitting shelves.Speyburn is rolling out an 18 year old, the next step up from Speyburn 15, which was released a couple of years ago. This whisky used American and Spanish oak casks for aging. It's $120 and will be available annually in limited amounts.Bladnoch is debuting a 17 year old, aged in ex-bourbon and finished in California red wine casks. Less than 1,000 bottles are coming to the U.S., priced at $100 each.Compass Box has unveiled a mature homage to Eleuthera, a blended malt it released many years ago. Like that whisky, Tobias & The Angel is a blend of Clynelish and Caol Ila; the Clynelish is 24 years old, while the Caol Ila is "considerably" older. Tobias & The Angel is $500, with 3,900 bottles available.Infuse Spirits is set to roll out Cabernet Cask bourbon, which is made by mingling Kentucky bourbon with pieces from Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. The whiskey costs $30 and is widely available.Michigan's...

Scotch whisky fans were celebrating this week as the long-silent Brora Distillery in the Scottish Highlands opened its doors for the first time since 1983. We covered the historic reopening ceremony, and Whisky Advocate auction expert Jonny McCormick took the opportunity to study some of the distillery’s rarest expressions in our “What’s It Worth?” series.For those looking for a more accessible dram, this week’s roundup of new whiskies has plenty on offer. Cask finishing and brand collaborations are the main events, with Lagavulin teaming up with Guinness for a new release and Heaven’s Door working with Redbreast on a new bourbon with an Irish touch. Read on for full details.Lagavulin Offerman Edition: Guinness Cask FinishStyle: Single maltOrigin: Scotland (Islay)Age: 11 year oldABV: 46%Price: $80Release: June 2021Availability: Limited editionNeed to know:Lagavulin Offerman Edition first debuted in October 2019. This iteration, created in collaboration with actor Nick...

Happy St. Patrick's Day! If you're looking to celebrate with an Irish whiskey, we've got you covered. This list captures all of the current excitement around Irish whiskey, with a new 100% rye from Powers, an affordable single pot still from The Busker, a showcase of Ireland's terroir from Waterford, and much more. And lest you think Irish whiskey is meant only for March, the style is showing sustained growth, with shipments to our shores rising by 28% last year to a whopping 72 million bottles.
In other whisky news, Uncle Nearest is opening a new experiential space dedicated to elevated drinks, food, and live music on its Tennessee campus; Michter's is adding new barrel houses and running additional distillation to increase availability; and Oak & Eden has announced that six of its permanent whiskeys are now kosher certified. As for new whiskies this week, Jack Daniel's is bringing back its 10 year old Tennessee whiskey and...

The holiday season is swiftly approaching, and with it, a slew of extra-special releases that would make interesting end-of-year gifts. For the car lover in your life, there is Bowmore's latest opus in partnership with luxury British automaker Aston Martin. Also out is a new edition from the Heaven's Door Bootleg series—the crème de la crème of the brand, which was created in partnership with Bob Dylan. Of great interest to us is the new release from Old Overholt, a 10 year old, cask strength rye priced at $100. That seems like quite a departure for this price-friendly label that has long been a favorite of rye lovers, though this release is in fact a throwback to Old Overholt ryes of the previous century. 
Elsewhere in new whisky, High West returns with a fresh edition of The Prisoner's Share, this one using no sourced whiskey, as it's 100% made at High West's Wanship...

Now that Passover is behind us, Buffalo Trace is rolling out the 2021 batches of its kosher trio of whiskeys—bourbon, wheated bourbon, and rye. Curious why Passover matters? Check out our detailed feature on the complex rules and methods of making kosher whisky.On to the newest releases. First up, Laphroaig is adding an oloroso sherry-finished 10 year old to its range. Though available in limited amounts, it's a permanent addition, priced at $90.Rabbit Hole has unveiled a mizunara cask-finished bourbon as part of its Founder's Collection. There are just 1,403 bottles, priced at $1,500 each.The 2021 special-edition Glen Scotia released for the Campbeltown Malts Festival comes out soon. Finished in bordeaux red wine casks, the whisky is priced at $80 and available in limited amounts.Four Gate Whiskey Co. is rolling out its latest limited edition, Kelvin Collaboration III. The finished bourbon is priced at $199, with 2,470 bottles available.Bardstown Bourbon Co. has created an...

It was all going so well. Japanese whiskies winning prizes at every major competition, bartenders going crazy for them, consumers following suit, auction prices going stratospheric, Suntory buying Jim Beam. Everything spoke of an industry in robust health, ready to become a significant world force in volume and quality. Then the realization hit that the whiskies were on allocation, that Nikka was removing all age statements from its single malt range. What happened?To understand that, you need to go back in time. In order to sell, say, a 15 year old whisky, you have to have made the spirit 15 (or more) years ago. In order to sell increasing volumes of 15 year old whisky, you have to have anticipated that demand 15 or more years ago. The situation in Japan 15 and more years ago was very different from what it is today. Export had only just started, single malt was still a new concept, the once massive domestic market was flatlining (at best), and distilleries were essentially being...

Sotheby’s, Paris set a new highest price of the year this week with the online sale of a Yamazaki 55 year old for $343,129. This is the first bottle of this limited-edition whisky to sell in 2023, but it’s always worth watching as it set the highest hammer price bottle for Sotheby’s, Zachys, and Bonhams in 2022. All three bottles of Yamazaki 55 year old sold by Sotheby’s in 2022 were sold in New York, with prices peaking at $480,000 in June.
Sotheby’s, Hong Kong
Auction ended March 7th


Scotch: Brora 40 year old $35,669. This was the first Brora 40 year old released in 2014, distilled in 1972, with a release of 160 bottles
Japanese: Yamazaki 25 year old Bill Amberg $16,561. Limited edition packaging with only 100 sets made.
American: Old Rip van Winkle 15 year old $4,076. Van Winkle whiskeys are becoming a more regular sight at auctions in Hong Kong.

Celtic Whiskey Auctions

Auction ended March...

Macallan, Karuizawa, and Hanyu dominated July’s highest-selling bottles with Macallan The Reach 81 year old taking the top spot again. Macallan also produced the oldest distillation year on this month’s list, with Macallan Anniversary Malt 1928 50 year old. Unicorn Auction’s sale of an Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old was the second-highest value American whiskey auctioned this year so far. The combined value this month was up considerably compared to last, reaching nearly $1 million, with the precise total ringing in at $939,805.
July 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices
Results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Black Bowmore 1964 42 year old
Sold on: July 5th 2023 at Whisky-Online Auctions
Hammer price: $22,876

19. Black Bowmore 1964 29 year old First Edition
Sold on: July 5th 2023 at Whisky-Online Auctions
Hammer price: $23,003

18. Macallan 40 year old (2017 release)
Sold on...

Looking for a good whisky to drink on Super Bowl Sunday? Raid your shelves to find a perfect pairing for wings, pizza, chips, dip, and nuts—or check out one of the new releases below.First up, Buffalo Trace is bringing back Double Eagle Very Rare, its 20 year old version of Eagle Rare bourbon. There are just 199 bottles available this year, with a suggested price of $2,000.Irish whiskey producer Egan's is rolling out Legacy Reserve III, a 17 year old single malt finished in cadillac casks. It's priced at $200, with 1,000 bottles available.Berkshire Mountain Distillers has unveiled the first releases in its Craft Brewers Whiskey Project, the result of distilling and aging popular craft beers. The first three offerings—UFO White Ale whiskey, Spencer's Trappist Ale whiskey, and Big Elm Brewing's 413 Farmhouse Ale whiskey—are available now in limited amounts, priced at $65.New Riff is offering a 15 year old straight bourbon, distilled at MGP, to raise money for hospitality workers...

Chattanooga Whiskey is taking whiskey and cola back to its roots with an unusual approach: infusing a bourbon with a series of all-natural ingredients that were used to create soda-fountain cola in its early days.
Unlike some of Chattanooga’s other experimental releases, which use the distillery’s flagship high-malt “Barrel 91” bourbon recipe, this one starts off with a blend of four bourbon mashbills. The mashbill has a strong component of malted grains, with the recipe including eight types—pale malted rye, floor-malted barley, pale malted wheat, honey malted barley, caramel malted barley, Munich malted rye, caramel malted wheat, and pale malted barley—alongside unmalted yellow corn. The whiskeys were blended together for this release.
After assembling the blend, distiller Grant McCracken infused it with a mix of 10 botanicals, specifically targeting ingredients that were commonly used to make cola back in the 19th and 20th centuries. The...

Bottled in bond bourbon has been around for more than a century, yet the style has undergone a full-on renaissance in recent years. Newer distilleries are finally seeing their stocks reach the 4-year minimum age requirement outlined by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897; coupled with the steady stream of big-name producers releasing new and revived bottled in bond labels, it seems like every week there's a new option on the shelf. The Bottled in Bond Act was meant to ensure one very important thing: the integrity of the whiskey.
Prior to its enforcement, there was no telling what kind of liquid was in the bottle. It could have been adulterated, flavored, colored, diluted—and so the government intervened. To be labeled bottled in bond, a whiskey must be the product of a single distiller in a single season—spring (January to June) or fall (July to December)—aged for a minimum of 4 years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at 50% ABV.Beyond a quality...

Whiskeys of great age are in evidence once again this week, with Old Grand-Dad releasing its first-ever 16 year old bourbon, Stranahan’s dropping one of the oldest American single malt ever in its new 12 year old  Mountain Angel, and Barrell Craft Spirits releasing a far older version of its New Year Blend than last year's expression. Whatever the reason for all this aging up, it’s certainly good news for whiskey lovers, as older whiskeys are usually, though not always, a better sip.
Elsewhere, J. Mattingly and Jeptha Creed once again honor our veterans—Mattingly with the fifth release of its 1845 Combat Infantry Badge Bourbon, and Jeptha with the third batch of its Red White and Blue bourbon, with a portion of sales for both going to military-related non-profits. Finally, The Hearach, the single malt scotch made on the remote island of Lewis and Harris in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides and founded in 2015, has added a new...

It’s a great week for American whiskey lovers, with new releases from Beam, Heaven Hill, Michter’s, Barrell, Kentucky Owl, and more. Freddie Noe has introduced another chapter of Little Book, which spotlights unique blends; this release is no different, combining five unique bourbon and rye components. Heaven Hill has followed up the May release of its Grain-to-Glass bourbon with the second iteration of its Grain-to-Glass rye. Elsewhere, Michter’s returns with its two Legacy Series brands, Shenk’s Homestead and Bomberger’s, which honor key figures in the distillery’s history. Rounding out the week in new releases are fresh bourbon batches from Barrell and Kentucky Owl, a rye from Wigle Distillery, a high-rye straight malt from Root Shoot Spirits, and an Irish single grain from Two Stacks.
Little Book Chapter 9: “None For Granted” Blend
ABV: 60.9%
SRP: $160
Availability: Limited
Fred B. Noe master distiller...

The first WhiskyFest of the fall took place over the weekend in Hollywood, Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The evening’s festivities kicked off at 5:30 p.m. with a VIP hour, during which VIP ticket holders were treated to a variety of rarefied drams. Among the exclusive whiskies being poured were such international labels as Lagavulin Distillers Edition, Loch Lomond 24 year old Royal Troon Edition, Johnnie Walker Blue, Redbreast 18 year old, Crown Royal 18 year old, and Fuji 50th Anniversary Edition Single Malt, as well as a selection of American whiskeys, including Jefferson’s Reserve bourbon, Sagamore Spirit 9 year old rye, and Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 18 year old bourbon.
Manning the booth at Heaven Hill was its artisanal distiller Jodie Filiatreau, who said the Heritage Collection was wildly popular. “The 18 was a big hit,” he said. Of course, there was plenty more to enjoy from Heaven Hill, for both VIP guests and general...

Single malt scotch drinkers, it's your day: The latest Diageo Special Releases have been unveiled, and aside from a 26 year old Lagavulin, they're remarkably accessible, coming in at $250 or less. As with previous iterations, this year's collection—called Legends Untold—was curated by Diageo master blender Craig Wilson and includes eight whiskies in total.It's an abundant week for American whiskey lovers, too, with new bourbons from Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve, the latest edition of High West's A Midwinter Night's Dram, and a cask strength single malt from Westward Whiskey. Read on for full details.

Wild Turkey Master's Keep One
Style: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not stated
ABV: 50.5%
SRP: $175
Release: October 2021
Availability: Limited
Need to know:
Master’s Keep One is the sixth release in Wild Turkey's limited edition Master’s Keep series. This one blends 8 to 10 year old bourbon with 14...

September and October bring all the special releases, and none are more hotly anticipated than the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, which hits shelves this month. We've got all the details on this year's releases, though we cannot tell you how to actually find them at retail price (sorry).The annual allocation of Basil Hayden's 10 year old bourbon (89 points) is returning to shelves for the third year in a row. The whiskey's recommended price has gone up to $70, and it's available in limited amounts.The 2020 release of Parker's Heritage Collection is coming out. This year it's a 10 year old straight bourbon aged in heavily charred barrels. The recommended retail price is $120 and, as always, availability is limited.Balvenie is launching a third and final expression of Marriage: Fifty. The 50 year old single malt is priced at $40,500, with just 148 bottles available worldwide.Japanese whisky company Nikka is launching two single malts: One is distilled at Yoichi, while the other is...

Spirits giants Brown-Forman and Pernod Ricard are in talks about joining forces, which could see Brown-Forman brands like Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve combine with Pernod whiskeys, including Jameson, Redbreast, Rabbit Hole, and others. On a smaller scale, Ireland's Waterford Distillery has found a buyer. Meanwhile, the arrival of spring means that spirits companies are unveiling new sports partnerships to greet the season.
Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman In Talks On a Merger
The global drinks industry could be primed for more consolidation, as two of the world’s five biggest spirits players, Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman, confirmed initial talks toward a potential merger. The two companies, both publicly traded but controlled by the Ricard and Brown families respectively, said a combination would "be akin to a merger of equals" that would leverage Brown-Forman's strong position in American whiskey with Pernod's extensive global distribution...

Alternative rock group The Smashing Pumpkins has accomplished a lot over the past 36 years. The band, which is known for melancholic melodies like “Try, Try, Try,” “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” and “1979”, has two Grammys and an AMA award under its belt, and one of its albums debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Now, thanks to a partnership with FEW Spirits, a craft distillery based in the band's hometown of Chicago, The Smashing Pumpkins has its own whiskey. 
The new expression starts out as FEW’s flagship bourbon, which was distilled from a mashbill of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% two-row malted barley. It was proofed from around 62% to 46.2% ABV using Midnight Rose, a blend of black teas scented with rose petals that’s said to contribute flavors of rose water and sandalwood to the whiskey. The tea comes from Madame ZuZu’s Emporium—a tea shop in Highland Park, Illinois run by The Smashing...

While the biggest whisky news this week was the announcement of our 2017 Whisky of the Year, there are lots of other great whiskies to celebrate. If you haven't checked out the most exciting whiskies of 2017, head over to the Top 20 page to see 1 through 10, and check back on Monday, 11/20, for 11 through 20.Meanwhile, take a look at the newest whisky releases, coming out now. Jim Beam has launched a non-chill filtered bourbon aged 5 to 6 years and bottled at 50% ABV. Priced at $23, it is definitely worth trying to see whether chill-filtering makes a difference to your enjoyment of the whiskey.In other bourbon news, Sazerac's Barton 1792 Distillery also has a new 50% ABV bourbon: Barton 1792 Bottled in Bond. Both of these whiskeys are available for a limited time.Midleton is rolling out its second whiskey in the Virgin Irish Oak Series. Dair Ghaelach Bluebell Forest is a blend of pot still whiskeys aged 12 to 23 years in bourbon casks, then finished for a year and a half in toasted...

The Fall release from Old Fitzgerald is out: it's just a week before the start of winter, but these Old Fitz releases are nearly always worth the wait. Woodford Reserve, meanwhile, offers a second Batch Proof release this year, while Penelope has a new rum barrel finished expression. Still Austin, fresh off being named the No. 7 whisky of the year in Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 rankings for 2024, joins an increasingly crowded cigar blend market with its new Still Austin Tanager. Hidden Barn, the work of former Old Forester master taster Jackie Zykan, has a new expression, while Chattanooga offers the 2024 edition of its Vault Series. And in the spirit of the holidays, Good Deed Spirits is back with a new blended whiskey whose proceeds will all be donated.
Woodford Reserve Batch Proof Bourbon (2024 Edition)
ABV: 59.75%
SRP: $150
Availability: Limited
Thanks to Woodford Reserve’s fiscal calendar, which ends in May, we’re being treated...

Single barrel whiskeys from Four Roses and 2XO are just two of the week’s highlights among the new releases on the North American side, which also feature Barrell's oldest age statement whiskey to date—a Canadian expression—as well as new creations from Remus, Pinhook, and Milam & Greene. On the scotch side, Compass Box has a new peated offering that aims to showcase the sweeter side of peat, particularly in comparison to its sibling label Peat Monster, a long-beloved mainstay of the Compass Box portfolio. Elsewhere in scotch, Dalmore weighs in with two new vintage expressions—one distilled in 2006 and the other 2009.
Four Roses Single Barrel Collection
Price: $50
ABV: 50%
Availability: Four Roses Distillery, Cox’s Creek facility
Every year since 2004, Four Roses has released a single barrel bourbon. While the single barrels have varied—some have had age statements, and the proof jumps...

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...

Follow Terry Bradshaw, four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Facebook and you're likely to catch one of his many live videos. They are personal diary entries from his ranch and the road, but on one late July day he greeted his followers from inside the O.Z. Tyler rickhouse in Owensboro, Kentucky.
“I'm a nostalgia guy,” Bradshaw tells Whisky Advocate. “You put me in something that's old and ancient and has history behind it, I have a love affair with it.” Bradshaw's trip to O.Z. Tyler (recently renamed Green River Distilling Co.) was as much about business as pleasure: The distillery is the home of his own brand, Bradshaw Bourbon. Launched in February, the straight whiskey has a mashbill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley, and is proofed to 51.9% ABV, a nod to the quarterback's career completion percentage.
“I've always been a bourbon drinker,” Bradshaw says, noting that he didn't discover his love...

Whisky: it's so hot right now. Especially if it's finished in Tabasco hot sauce barrels, which is the case with a new flavored whiskey from Tennessee's George Dickel. In fact, "Hot Dickel" takes things even further by blending in distilled Tabasco, creating a spicy spirit with a capsaicin kick. If you're into it, the whiskey is a permanent part of Dickel's lineup and will cost $25.For those who don't like to mingle condiments and whisky, there's a new blended American whiskey from Hotaling & Co. (formerly Anchor Distilling), makers of Old Potrero. The blend includes Old Potrero 18th-Century Style Whiskey, Old Potrero Straight Malt Whiskey Finished in Port Casks, and Kentucky bourbon. Called J.H. Cutter after a historic whiskey brand, the 48% ABV whiskey costs $50 and is available in a handful of states.From Scotland come two new single malts in the Port Askaig line: an 8 year old and a 14 year old. Each sourced from a different, undisclosed single malt distillery on Islay, the...

That familiar scent—like sweet, tangy sourdough—fills the nostrils upon crossing the threshold of Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery on West Main Street. The interior features a fresh, white steel skeleton, designed to hold the aging brick building erect, and deep within lies the aroma's source: twin cypress tanks where a secret whiskey mash ferments. The tanks were reassembled on-site and, along with their companion copper stills, belonged to Pennsylvania's Michter's Distillery, closed since 1990. Originally manufactured by Louisville's Vendome Copper & Brass Works, this is a homecoming.The scent of bourbon permeates Kentucky's largest city—literally and figuratively—drifting along Louisville's wide sidewalks fronting historic buildings, then flowing into low-key, brick-backed bars. This is bourbon country, after all—where three-quarters of a million proud Louisvillians are eager to welcome visitors, divulge favorite sipping spots, and swap barstool stories.A Southern...

After two weeks of nationwide and global protests and demonstrations against racial injustice, many businesses have released statements expressing their intent to be more diverse and inclusive. For companies within the spirits industry, there's a new nonprofit consulting firm here to help with that goal. On June 8, Black Bourbon Society released a statement by founder and CEO Samara Rivers and COO Armond Davis on its Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook page announcing their creation of Diversity Distilled Inc.The organization aims to partner with spirits brands and help them develop diversity and inclusion policies, Rivers says. After starting Black Bourbon Society in 2016 and making connections in the spirits world, she noticed that the industry doesn't often market toward people of color, and she attributes that to a lack of employees of color within the brands themselves. “We need to make sure that there are people of color in executive leadership, in HR departments that are...

The first time a collectible whisky goes under the hammer, it has a lot to prove. The original suggested retail price and scarcity of the bottle may be fresh in the memory of a buyer, but then the factors of supply and demand kick in and it becomes apparent how many collectors are still looking to get their hands on a bottle. Time it right, and that bottle can dictate the secondary market value for years to come. Time it wrong, and it can sell for less than you paid for it. Making their auction debuts this month were bottles of Macallan The Red Collection 73 year old, Eagle Rare 25 year old, and a one-of-one Glenlivet 55 year old.
Despite these first-timers, it’s been a month of mixed fortunes for the secondary market, with Bonhams, Paris withdrawing a single-owner collection of scotches due to authenticity concerns. Elsewhere, a number of high-value scotches have gone unsold this month by failing to meet their reserves, despite attracting five and six-figure bids. Whisky...

When it comes to food and beverage pairing, dessert has always gotten short shrift. In the once-revolutionary, now-classic Red Wine with Fish: The New Art of Matching Wine with Food (Simon & Schuster, 1989), authors Rosengarten and Wesson all but ignore sweets, and even in more modern efforts like John Szabo's Pairing Food & Wine for Dummies, desserts appear only rarely.Fortunately, where wine is found lacking, whisky is more than capable of stepping in. Particularly so when the autumn harvest and Thanksgiving tradition serve up a display of sweet pies.Someone who needs no convincing of this fact is Kathy Hanson, the 2018 winner of the professional best of show award at the American Pie Council's National Pie Championships. A culinary training cook at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando, Florida, Hanson is not only a believer of whisky partnered with pie, she also likes to use spirits in her pies.Fond of using both bourbon and Canadian whisky in her baking, Hanson emphasizes quality...

Around 2007, liquor store owner Ryan Maloney had a Pappy Van Winkle problem: He had too much of it. “We did TV commercials showing off our single barrel picks, including a handpicked 15 year Pappy,” Maloney recounts. “It would just sit in our store, gathering dust.”

Maloney’s store, Julio’s Liquors in Westborough, Massachusetts, was among the first in the nation to work with Sazerac, producer of Pappy Van Winkle, on a single barrel program, and was subsequently offered barrels of 12, 15, 20 and 23 year old Van Winkle. “I wasn’t thrilled with the 20 or 23—too much wood spice for me,” Maloney says. “They were higher priced, too; I think the 15 was about $65 and even that was expensive for bourbon then.”
Today, those apex bottles would be gone within minutes, just like some of the more than 60 barrel picks now sold by Maloney each year. When bourbon sales began to explode after 2010, demand for...

There's plenty of new whisky coming out this week—and some new whiskey experiences to look forward to as well. Uncle Nearest has opened its Shelbyville, Tennessee visitors center with a host of attractions and more to come, including a stillhouse in 2020. Meanwhile, Bardstown Bourbon Co. is now offering several tour experiences in addition to its on-site restaurant and bar.Although it officially debuted in June, Kentucky Peerless straight bourbon ($70) is now expanding its availability to California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, and Texas; by next year, it will be available in 45 states.Buffalo Trace announced details of the 2019 Antique Collection earlier this week. There aren't any big shake-ups or surprises, although George T. Stagg is coming in at its lowest proof ever.Macallan unveiled Edition No. 5, a fully American oak-matured single malt packaged in a striking custom purple box. The whisky is available in limited amounts for $120.Two new whiskies from Islay's...

With one of Japan's most legendary distilleries being revived, there'll soon be new whisky on the way—but we don't have to wait. Plenty of bottles are hitting shelves right now!First up, GlenDronach is launching a new expression of Port Wood as part of its core lineup. The whisky is priced at $90 and widely available.Jack Daniel's has announced its 2020 limited-edition single barrel, this year a barrel-proof rye. Priced at $65, the whiskey is available in limited amounts.The Spot Whiskeys range has a new member, Blue Spot, a 7 year old cask-strength single pot still whiskey. U.S. pricing hasn't yet been set, but it will likely be around $95, with the whiskey widely available.Heaven Hill has bottled a 13 year old single-barrel bourbon to celebrate its 85th anniversary. The whiskey is extremely limited, with just 146 bottles for sale mainly at the visitor center, and priced at $300.Chicken Cock is releasing its oldest whiskey to date, a 15 year old bourbon. Priced at $300, there are...

To understand rye whiskey’s remarkable revival, one first needs to understand the modern renaissance of the cocktail—because both have followed the same curve. As America moved through the latter half of the 20th century, rye had become about as unfashionable as the top hat and cane. In the mists of childhood Christmases past, I can recall rye as a drink favored by my great-aunt Mary, who always requested it—rye being her shorthand for a Manhattan. The rye in the home liquor cabinet was Old Overholt, the workhorse of rye’s wilderness years. My dear old auntie certainly knew how to appreciate rye, but she was part of an aging, dwindling generation of devotees.
It was a bleak time for rye whiskey, and years would pass before its revival would show even a flicker of life. The first spark came in 1987, when bartender Dale DeGroff—nobody would have called him a mixologist back then—helped relaunch the Promenade Bar at the Rainbow Room, high atop...

Glen Grant Devotion, bottle No. 1 of seven, achieved the highest single-bottle hammer price of September, with its own one-lot auction at Sotheby’s. At 70 years old, it is the oldest expression of Glen Grant to be released by the distillery, and this bottle came with additional gold detailing and hand-blown glasses to set it apart from the other six bottles. The whisky was matured in a single oloroso-seasoned French oak butt and was released as a tribute to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The remainder of the list contains a diverse mix of whiskies from Ireland, Japan, and the U.S. with a strong showing for Karuizawa against Macallan this month. With some months breaking $1 million, the combined value of September’s 20 highest hammer prices was comparatively low, reaching a total of $689,806, but the packed schedule of auctions taking place throughout October could deliver the highest monthly total of the year.
September 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle...

Change is in the air, and we aren't just talking about the seasons. Major brands are losing some of their top whiskey makers, as distillers and blenders are leaving corporate comforts to create a legacy of their own. We spoke to Jane Bowie and Denny Potter, formerly of Maker's Mark, and Jackie Zykan, formerly of Old Forester, about their decisions to forge their own paths and the whiskeys we can expect from them in the future.As for whiskies you can search for now, there are plenty to choose from this week. Wild Turkey adds to its Master's Keep line with Unforgotten, while Maker's Mark unveils the latest release in its stave finishing series, a pair of whiskeys labeled BRT-01 and 02. As for single malt scotch, Benriach is bringing back its limited Smoke and Malting Season whiskies. We also covered the 2022 Diageo Special Releases, dubbed the "Elusive Expressions," earlier this week. Read on for full details.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Unforgotten
Style: Blend of...

This week's newest whiskies are all for the bourbon, rye, and scotch lovers.First up, Basil Hayden's is rolling out a limited-edition whiskey. Two by Two is a blend of two straight ryes (aged 5 and 7 years) and two straight bourbons (aged 6 and 13 years), both made in Kentucky and blended together. The whiskey costs $45 and will be available for a limited time.Meanwhile, Heaven Hill has announced a 27 year old bourbon that will go on sale this fall. Less than 3,000 bottles of this whiskey will be available at a price of $399. Bourbon history buffs should note that it was distilled at Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery before the 1996 fire which destroyed the distillery and seven warehouses (and about 2% of the world's stock of bourbon at that time).Over in Scotland, GlenAllachie Distillery has unveiled its core range of single malt whiskies: 10 year old cask strength, 12 year old, 18 year old, and 25 year old. While the older whiskies will be available in limited amounts, the 10 year...

This year’s auction scene has been led by one-of-one releases, and Compass Box served up the final one of the year. A world blended malt, a fusion of Scottish and Swedish influences, Compass Box Confluence was the debut expression of Angelo D’Orazio, the former Mackmyra master blender who was appointed the new Compass Box creative director of whiskymaking in July 2025. It fetched a hammer price of $18,000 at Bonhams Skinner, a record for the brand. The sale generated a combined hammer price of $43,200 for The Wolfsonian across eight Compass Box lots, containing 44 bottles direct from the company, including some of the most memorable Compass Box releases from the past 25 years.
Macallan dominated December’s 20-highest hammer price list during a busy first fortnight in the salesrooms. Bonhams, Edinburgh returned from its difficult October sale and successfully cleared all Macallan The Red Collection bottles from that sale, including the 71, 74, 77, and 78 year old...

Bourbon N’ Bubbles is a bar and full-service restaurant located on King Street, in the heart of Charleston’s famous downtown historic district. Inside is a high-ceilinged contemporary space with the bar in the middle, a unique circular setup that passes through the wall separating the front cocktail area from the main restaurant, with a curved 180-degree bar on either side.  It’s a showpiece, and whether you come to eat, drink, or both, the bar is the center of the action. 
The whisky list has about 200 expressions, primarily American, with a handful of scotch offerings. Pours are available in 1 oz. or 2 oz., and while many bars double the price, here the larger pours are discounted. For example, the High Wire Jimmy Red Corn 7 year old bourbon, produced just down the street in Charleston from its namesake heirloom South Carolina corn, is $18 or $34. Other local oddities include the Johnny Fever straight bourbon from Burnt Church Distillery in nearby...

Lovers of aged bourbon, take note: You can now buy six Orphan Barrel whiskeys in one classy package. The Orphan Barrel Archive Collection brings together past releases, including:Barterhouse—The first release in the Orphan Barrel series, a 20 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Whisky Advocate score: 90 pointsOld Blowhard—A 26 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Whisky Advocate score: 81 pointsLost Prophet—A 22 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Whisky Advocate score: 92 pointsRhetoric 21 year old—The second release in the Rhetoric series (Rhetoric 23 year old just came out earlier this spring), which will eventually top out with a 25 year old Kentucky straight bourbon in 2019. Whisky Advocate score: 83 pointsForged Oak—A 15 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Whisky Advocate score: 91 pointsWhoop & Holler—One of the most recent releases, a 28 year old American whiskey. Whisky Advocate score: 79 pointsThe whiskeys—all full-size bottles—come in a wooden crate, and...

Distillers of whisky are known to proudly show off their water source, share the provenance of their grain, and occasionally even malt it on-site, all in the quest to create something that speaks of their place. But to truly understand the local nature of Chambers Bay Distillery's straight bourbon, you must look much more closely. In fact, a microscope would come in handy.About five years ago, Jeff Robinette, distiller and co-founder of Chambers Bay, placed some agar plates—Petri dishes with a growth medium—under Macintosh apple trees in a nearby orchard. From the collected microbiological thicket, Robinette—with extensive experience in biochemistry from his long career as an embryologist—eventually isolated yeast. When he began distilling in 2014, he was using commercial yeast, but once he propagated yeast isolated from the orchard and started producing whiskey with it, his distillate changed. It had a bit less of the bready, sourdough smell and more of an apple cider tang...

Want to buy a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old? And then sit down and drink through the entire Van Winkle 10, 12, 15, 20, and 23 year range…with Julian Van Winkle III himself? Sazerac’s Legacy de Forge auction site is currently offering that very incredible bottle and experience for one lucky winner, with the lot open for bidding from today through September 24th, in honor of September’s Bourbon Heritage Month.
Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old is the absolute apex of Van Winkle whiskey. Distilled in 1989 at Stitzel-Weller, the barrel spent a decade maturing there before moving to Buffalo Trace in 2002, when it bought the Van Winkle brand. In 2014, the barrel was dumped and transferred into stainless steel to keep the flavor profile balanced before being bottled in 2017. Of the 710 crystal decanters produced, the one on the auction block is number 706, which was in Buffalo Trace’s Distillery archives. It’s now available to be yours. At the time...

The surest sign that summer has ended? A slew of new whisky releases have been announced—plus some major news. In case you missed it, Angel's Envy has filed plans to build a second distillery, located in Henry County, Kentucky, and Wyoming Whiskey has formed a strategic partnership with Edrington Group, the parent company of Macallan, Highland Park, and Glenrothes.But that's not all: there are lots of new whiskeys to anticipate. Jim Beam has announced a limited-edition bourbon celebrating the 85th anniversary of Repeal. Jim Beam Repeal Batch is non-chill filtered and will cost $18, available nationwide starting this fall.Meanwhile, WhistlePig has unveiled the fifth edition of its single-barrel, barrel-proof Boss Hog range. Boss Hog V: The Spirit of Mauve is a 13 year old straight rye finished in calvados casks and named for one of the distillery's "founding pigs," Mauve, who passed away earlier this year. The $500 whiskey will be available in limited amounts.GlenDronach is bringing...

Take a look around the whisky world and you’ll find cask-finished expressions for just about every style. Much of this secondary maturation involves wine barrels. Scotch distillers, led by legendary malt master David Stewart at Balvenie, brought wine cask finishing to the modern era back in the 1980s. In the beginning, nearly all the casks used were from fortified wines, but by the early 2000s wine barrels of all sorts came into play in Scotland. But in American whiskey there wouldn’t be a whiff of wine cask finishing until 2011, when Angel’s Envy port-finished bourbon made its debut.
A proliferation of sherry and port-finished bourbons has since followed, but other types of wine finishing were mainly absent. Bardstown Bourbon Co. master blender Dan Callaway attributes this to problems with the seasoning of red wine casks. “It doesn’t matter if you have a cult Napa cabernet and the greatest bourbon—if you empty the wine barrel out and just leave...

Where can I see a smoking pagoda? Look to the skies at Bowmore, Laphroaig, and Kilchoman for the tell-tale puffs of smoke billowing out through the slatted panels of the pagoda chimney, though kilning does not take place every day.Where can I see floor malting in operation at a distillery?Oddly enough, at all the places with smoking pagodas. If you're lucky, the distillery guide will let you have a go at pulling the rake through the barley.Don't tell me I can have a go at digging peat on Islay too?Yes, you can! You want to book yourself on Laphroaig's Water to Whisky Experience for the afternoon. Alternatively, spoil yourself with Bowmore's Master Distiller's tour and get your hands dirty lifting peat that could help flavor Bowmore single malt in the future.Can I taste Islay whisky straight from the cask?You bet! Several distilleries can make this dream come true if you choose the right tour. Check out the options for Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, and Laphroaig.Can I take a...

One of the most important things you need for your whisky tasting club is right in the name—whisky! Depending on the size of your club, buying enough bottles may prove to be quit the feat, especially when those bottles are on the more expensive side. Luckily, there are some tips you can follow to easily purchase whiskies to use for tastings with your club.Designate a Point PersonHave a knowledgeable and accessible member of the club authorize strategic purchases. This is the person club members contact when they spot an opportunistic buy.Maintain a Wish ListCreate a shared document that includes whiskies unavailable in your local market, like distillery-only and international releases, highly allocated bottles, and Travel Retail whiskies so club members can hunt while traveling.Pay UpUse club membership fees or dues to purchase higher-priced whiskies. If you can buy bottles for your club to taste for less than the price of a restaurant pour, that's a win.Declutter the ClosetIf your...

No whisky today is as collectible as Macallan: It's the only brand to break the $1 million-mark for a single bottle—multiple times—and even its less high-achieving offerings consistently sell for several times the value of a luxury sports car. But a Highland single malt scotch recently showed it can demand the same astronomical hammer prices as Macallan: Dalmore.At a sale ending on May 28, Sotheby's, London set a new auction record for the distillery, when two bottles of Dalmore 62 year old fetched more than half a million dollars combined. Separate private collectors from Asia paid equal amounts for Dalmore 62 year old The Mackenzie and Dalmore 62 year old The Cromarty, bottles No. 2 and No. 5, respectively, from an original series of twelve bottles named after significant elements of Dalmore and its history. “Having not one, but two of these bottles in a single sale made history, and the outstanding result achieved on both bottles shows that the market for whisky collecting is...

Style diversity is a key characteristic of American craft whiskey, but most have one thing in common: youth. They are generally young compared to what the legacy producers deliver, lacking the years in a barrel that lead to mature-tasting whisky. No one has solved the aging puzzle either. Young whiskeys taste young.Unlike most other countries, there is no minimum wood aging duration for American whiskey. Any amount of wood contact will suffice. One type of whiskey, corn whiskey, doesn't need to be aged at all.American whiskey making tradition has deep roots. Fifty years ago, when bourbon sales slumped, several large producers petitioned federal regulators to change certain whiskey labeling rules. One proposal, in imitation of foreign practice, would have imposed a minimum age requirement.The regulators demurred, stating that, “No need was established for a minimum age requirement for current domestic types of whisky.” The ruling further observed that, “there are no appreciable...

Some people love whisky, but most everyone loves dogs, and when vacation time comes, nowadays people are increasingly inclined to bring along the family pooch. Indeed, demand for dog travel is so high these days that many hotels, restaurants, and attractions that once catered only to humans have opened their doors to pets. The trend fueled the recent record use of private jets, and NetJets now even provides its staff with canine training. But you don’t need a private jet to have a great vacation with your best buddy in Kentucky, where the nation’s richest whiskey culture offers an extraordinary level of dog-friendly amenities. Call it Southern hospitality, canine-style.

Day One
Welcome to Louisville! Start your trip in Kentucky’s biggest city with a visit to something few other cities boast: a “dog park bar.” PG&J is a full-blown, indoor/outdoor off-leash dog park and bar, and like all the best fur-friendly spots, it’s named for...

Father’s Day is on the near horizon (June 16th), and that means the new whisky releases are coming fast and furious. Rye and bourbon dominate the scene, including Wild Turkey's latest Master's Keep edition and the latest ultra-aged, and ultra-expensive expression from  W.L. Weller, Weller Miillenium. But we were particularly interested to see some big news from Sagamore Spirit. When its waterfront distillery in Baltimore, Maryland opened its doors in 2017, Sagamore was redoubling its mission to restore Maryland’s once-great reputation for rye whiskey. Focused entirely on rye, Sagamore initially used sourced liquid while its whiskey matured, gradually blending in its own make. But now comes the moment we’ve been waiting for: the release of its first 100% own-make, permanent rye edition. Things are actually ahead of schedule, as Sagamore originally projected that its first own-make rye wouldn’t be ready until 2025. Our...

October is often the month with the strongest sales of the year, and The Distillers One of One auction certainly made our monthly list of the 20 highest single-bottle hammer prices more competitive than ever. That hasn’t been the only story, as bottles of Samaroli Laphroaig 15 year old Sherry Wood led both this month’s Whisky.Auction and Whisky Auctioneer sales, and Christie's received a bid of $24,269 for a bottle of Macallan Fine & Rare 1950 52 year old. Sotheby’s also conducted sales in New York and Hong Kong, with the first five of Macallan’s Six Pillars Collection leading the charge in New York. 
Unicorn Auctions “No Reserves” Auction


Auction ended October 8th 


American: Pappy van Winkle Family Reserve 23 year old First Release, $23,400. The rarity of this whiskey distilled at Stitzel-Weller Distillery ensures its place among the most collectible bottles of Pappy’s.
Scotch: Talisker...

The biggest weekend for Irish whiskey is upon us, and if you're looking for new Irish whiskeys to try, cocktail recipes, the perfect food pairing, or simply tons of information about Irish whiskey to impress everyone at the bar—we've got you covered. After all, there's never been a better time to drink Irish whiskey than right now. And there's an even newer Irish whiskey coming out too—see below.High-rolling scotch fans, meanwhile, can look forward to the latest release in Glenlivet's Winchester Collection, a 50 year old single malt distilled in 1967. As expected, the price is hefty: $25,000. Just 150 bottles of the rare whisky are being released worldwide.The Spring 2019 batch of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond bourbon is rolling out. Distilled in September 2005, this 13 year old whiskey is available in limited amounts for $130.That new Irish whiskey is the second label from Chapel Gate Whiskey Co.'s J.J. Corry brand. A 16 year old single malt, it's named for a historic pistol...

Whisky lovers are a varied bunch—just take a glance at the different whisky clubs that have sprung up around the country. But whisky producers, even those with diverse employee makeup, don't necessarily reflect the same diversity at the ownership level.That doesn't mean there aren't any Black-owned whisky makers, though. They're out there, and they want to share their whisky with you! If you're looking for a Black-owned whisky distillery or company to support, check out the folks below.We plan to continuously update this list as we learn of Black-owned whisky producers. Are we missing someone? Send us an email.
California
Shadow Ridge Spirits Co.
Sean Hallman is a former Navy surface warfare officer, and currently a federal civilian employee for the department of Navy. An interest in homebrewing led Hallman to explore the world of distilling, and now he and his wife, Lisa Ireland, run Shadow Ridge Spirits Co., which is registered under Oceanside Distillers in...

Once you've amassed a collection of whisky, how are you going to show it off? These whisky lovers have dedicated entire rooms to their collections, modeling them after a library, speakeasy, and 20th century hotel. Get started on your own whisky room with these tips.As for new whiskies to add to your stash, there's a wide variety out this week. Michter's has unveiled the 2022 edition of its US1* barrel strength rye, Heaven Hill adds to the Old Fitzgerald lineup with a 17 year old bourbon, Stranahan's and Balcones have new versions of familiar single malts, and Barrell Craft Spirits continues its series of blended straight bourbons with Batch 032. Read on for full details.Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye (2022)Style: Straight ryeOrigin: KentuckyAge: Not statedABV: 55.8%Price: $100Release: March 2022Availability: LimitedNeed to know:As with previous releases of Barrel Strength Rye, this whiskey is bottled as a single barrel product, so while the average proof is 111.6%, it varies...

Last Friday, we kicked off the fall WhiskyFest season with WhiskyFest San Francisco, where throngs of whisky lovers came together to enjoy over 400 different whiskies. And last night, the fun continued with WhiskyFest New York, an event that drew even more fans and had plenty of top-tier whisky names in attendance. If you’ve missed out on these events, or want to get in on some superb sipping once more, WhiskyFest Las Vegas is on December 2nd at Resorts World Las Vegas; for now, tickets are still available.
In new whisky this week, there are plenty of limited releases coming out ahead of the holiday season. Angel’s Envy returns with the 11th edition of its cask strength port wine barrel-finished straight bourbon, Booker’s has released its third whiskey of 2022, and Balvenie adds three new rarefied single malts to its Stories lineup. Read on for full details.



ANGEL’S ENVY CASK STRENGTH (2022...

After years of concentrated efforts, false starts, and anticipation, last week American single malt distillers received the long-awaited news. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) released guidelines for the category, making it all but certain that American single malt will be an official part of the American whiskey lexicon before year-end.Under the TTB's proposed rule—this is technically just a notice to define and recognize American single malt whiskey and isn't final quite yet—the whiskey must be distilled entirely at one U.S. distillery, and must be mashed, distilled, and aged in the U.S. It also has to be made from a fermented mash of 100% barley, stored in oak barrels no larger than 700 liters, and while it may not contain neutral spirits, additives like coloring, flavoring, and blending materials are allowed. As with all other whiskeys produced in the U.S., American single malt must be bottled at 40% ABV or higher as well. Over the next 60 days, the...

There's a whole lot of new bourbon coming your way—in a few years, that is. Diageo announced yesterday that it plans to construct a massive new distillery in Kentucky to produce Bulleit and several other American whiskeys, potentially including new brands, although construction will take a couple of years at least.In the meantime, there are plenty of new bourbons and other whiskies to fill your glass right now. Booker's is rolling out its fourth release for 2018, "Kitchen Table," as well as a special 30th anniversary bourbon. While Booker's 2018-04 retails for $70-$80 and is available in its usual, limited-but-not-crazy-limited amounts, Booker's 30th Anniversary will cost $200 and be much more limited.Also very limited: Wyoming Whiskey's Barrel Strength bourbon, which is coming out for the second time. Just 50 bottles are available at $199 apiece.Barrell Craft Spirits has unveiled Dovetail, a blend of whiskey and bourbon sourced from Indiana and Tennessee and finished in Cabernet...

“Every day, I’m paranoid someone will open a bottle of something I’ve picked and call me a hack,” says co-founder and co-owner of Rare Character Whiskey Company Pablo Moix. The 49 year old entrepreneur still struggles to wrap his head around the exploding success of Rare Character bottles; all of which are personally selected by him. “Selling bottles at $99, knowing they’ll hit resale markets for $400 or more, and having it not drink like a $400 and the buyer is upset—that pressure is intense,” Moix says, adding, “I have no fallback plan; this has to work.”
But work it has. Rare Character Whiskey Company has become the next “it” brand in American whiskey.
What started as a pandemic business in 2021 has blown up into six sub-brands, each with rabid followings, many of which are already selling at ten times the suggested retail price at Sotheby's and Unicorn Auctions. Rare Character (RC) fan groups on...

High-end British car makers adore a whisky tipple. In recent years, there’s been a surge in luxury automakers—Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, and Morgan—partnering with top whisky distillers to introduce special limited-run offerings. The most recent entry? The Macallan Horizon, a stunning $50,000 single malt scotch crafted in conjunction with Bentley Motors.
The Macallan Horizon with Bentley Motors
Distillery Name: The Macallan
Age: Not stated
ABV: 46.6%
Cask: Six first-fill sherry-seasoned casks from The Macallan Estate
SRP: $50,000
Bottles Available: 700
For this collaboration, The Macallan’s master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell ventured to Crewe, England, where Bentley makes its bespoke vehicles, to get a sense of the craftsmanship behind the machines. “I wanted to bring the essence of Bentley into a whisky,” Campbell tells us. “Seeing Bentley’s process was a wonderful sensory...

Who doesn’t love to add a bottle to their bar? And if you read Whisky Weekend regularly, you know there’s no shortage of new releases to track down. But once you’ve invested in your whisky, you want to display it as artfully as possible. This week, we spoke to HGTV star Orlando Soria about how to make your home bar look its very best. Read some of his tips and tricks and add a dash of style to the bar this weekend.New releases this week include bourbons from Heaven Hill and George Dickel, a collaboration between Scottie Pippen and Dave Phinney's Savage & Cooke and more. Read on for full details.Heaven Hill Five Brothers BourbonStyle: Straight bourbonOrigin: KentuckyAge: 5 year old ABV: 45%Price: $60Release: June 2021Availability: Kentucky onlyNeed to know:Heaven Hill's new small-batch bourbon is a blend of whiskeys aged five to nine years old, representing the distillery's five founding brothers. Made from Heaven Hill's traditional bourbon mashbill, this whiskey will be...

Weller 12 year old surged in popularity after Pappy Van Winkle took off in the mid-aughts, thanks its use of the same wheated mashbill, but being more affordable than its cousin, Van Winkle 12 year old. (And, at the time, somewhat easier to obtain at retail pricing.) Age statements for bourbon were rarer when Weller 12 was first released in 2001, though the market’s now flooded with similarly aged offerings, but being one of the originators, Weller 12 still stands out among the crowd. Here’s our report on Weller 12 year old bourbon 2023 release.            
Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon At a Glance:
Distillery Name: Buffalo Trace
Age: 12 year old
Mashbill: 51% corn, undisclosed wheat, undisclosed barley
Proof: 90/45% ABV
Cask: New, charred American oak barrels
SRP: $70
Quick Tasting Notes: Vanilla and caramel abound, as do candied orange zest and dark chocolate.
Overall Thoughts: A sublime daily...

Other distillers have done it, but Knob Creek never blended its bourbon and rye whiskeys for any of its expressions—until this summer’s launch of Bourbon X Rye, a blend of 9 year old bourbon and 7 year old rye. The final product was formulated by James B. Beam father/son master distillers Fred and Freddie Noe (Knob Creek is part of Beam) with the goal of finding the perfect bourbon-rye balance. But it isn’t a straightforward 1:1 mix of the two whiskeys, instead it plays far more heavily into its rye component, which accounts for 70% of the blend.
A precursor for Bourbon x Rye can be found in another Beam-owned whiskey, Basil Hayden’s Two by Two Rye, a bourbon/rye blend released in July 2018. But the new Knob Creek blend has two whiskeys, whereas Basil Hayden’s was a blend of four.  There’s also a tighter age range for Bourbon x Rye: It’s 7–9 years old compared to Basil Hayden’s 5–13 years. In terms of similarities...

Jack Daniel's announced the launch of Tennessee Apple this week, if you like flavored whiskey—but if you prefer the unadulterated stuff, there are plenty of great options from Scotland, Kentucky, and elsewhere, all rolling out now.First up, there's a half-century scotch at a remarkably fair price, all things considered. There are 125 decanters of Benromach 50 year old available, priced at $10,000 each.Much more affordable, but no less exciting, Ardbeg is bringing back its super-peaty Supernova for the fifth time. Limited quantities are available at $180; expect it to sell fast.More limited-edition peaty goodness is coming from Bruichladdich, which is releasing the tenth Octomore series. Four different Octomores of varying ages and availabilities are hitting shelves, priced at $190 to $250.Booker's is rolling out its third release for this year. Booker's 2019-03 "Country Ham" is, as always, available in limited amounts, with a recommended price of $80.Sagamore Spirit has a cognac...

In order to give us all a chance to consider this latest round of new releases as closely as possible, we've decided to separate them into two installments. Today we'll cover the landscape of new expressions in American whiskey, and on Monday we'll report on the latest from Scotland, Japan, and elsewhere in the world. For the American side, there's much ado about the barrel, as so many of these releases feature a variety of cask finishings and longer barrel agings, some of them unusual. Also, Widow Jane digs into the cellars for some of its most aged liquid, and we note with interest that Frey Ranch is out with an American single malt. We haven't scored that one yet but can confirm from preliminary tastings that it's a good one, though unfortunately its volumes are tiny, and are sold only at the distillery and on their website.  There's plenty more to take in here, so enjoy.
Widow Jane Decadence
Style: Blend of straight bourbons
Origin: Tennessee...

Heaven Hill’s Grain-to-Glass bourbon returns after its successful debut last year, which also featured a rye and wheated bourbon. Thus far, the 2025 edition includes only the bourbon, with the other two labels in the trio due out later in the year. Elsewhere in bourbon, Old Fitzgerald’s Spring Edition is right on time this year, in contrast with some previous years where this seasonal release was delayed by a few months, and Chattanooga Whiskey has a 2021 vintage bottled in bond expression. In scotch, Speyside distiller Glenrothes has a new 15 year old, which joins the permanent portfolio, while Dalmore is out with a new Luminary expression. From the Lowlands, the innovative InchDairnie Distillery has two new expressions, both flying under the  KinGlassie name.
Heaven Hill Grain-to-Glass Kentucky Straight Bourbon (2025 Edition)
ABV: 52.5%
SRP: $100
Availability: Limited
The second edition of Heaven Hill’s grain-to-glass bourbon—a...

Sotheby’s and Whisky Auctioneer dominated February’s highest hammer prices, with Whisky Auctioneer continuing its lead as the top seller of the month with eight entries. The sale of two expressions of Midleton at Irish Whiskey Auctions and a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle by Unicorn Auctions led to these auction houses' first appearance on the list. The combined value of this month’s 20 bottles is $979,685, a 25% increase from January.  The list includes 10 bottles of single malt scotch, including six Macallan, three Bowmore, and one Springbank. Additionally, five American, three Japanese, and two Irish whiskeys made February’s list. 
February 2023 – Top 20 Highest Single Bottle Hammer Prices
Results converted to dollars using xe.com

20. Springbank 1919 50 year old
Sold on: February 6th at Whisky Auctioneer
Hammer price: $25,815
 
19. Midleton Very Rare 30th Anniversary...

Want to add unique flavors to your favorite cocktails without a lot of effort or money? Try making an infused whisky. It's ridiculously easy and instantly transforms the old and familiar into something exciting and new."Whisky is almost an infusion already, because it starts off as clear spirit and is then essentially infused with wood in the barrel," says Adam Seger, chef and bartender at The Tuck Room LA. “That nice, rich vanilla base opens up a whole host of additional items you can infuse.” Think of Manhattans made with cherry-infused bourbon and orange-infused rye Old Fashioneds—and then think bigger.You can infuse just about any ingredient into whisky. Although fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices are most common, you can also work with butter or even cheese, or fat-wash whisky with smoked ham, cooked bacon, charcuterie, or other meats.Follow These Tips to Start Making Your Own Custom Whisky InfusionsUse High-Proof Whisky"Higher proof is better because it pulls more...

While many whisky lovers will be enjoying a drop of the Irish this week (and if you need some suggestions, here are 17 new Irish whiskeys to try), there are still plenty of bourbons, scotches, and other whiskies to get your hands on.Booker's is rolling out the first of four 2018 releases. Kathleen's Batch, named for longtime brand ambassador and friend of Booker Noe Kathleen DiBenedetto, was aged for 6 years, 3 months, and 14 days, and is bottled at 63.7% ABV. Having tasted it myself during the selection process, I can say with confidence that this will please avid Booker's fans.Another limited-edition bourbon, Blood Oath has released Pact No. 4. This year, the whiskey—whose formula changes with each "pact"—combines three bourbons, including one finished in toasted oak.A whole slew of new single malts from BenRiach and its sister distillery, GlenDronach, are hitting shelves, including BenRiach Classic Cask Strength Batch 2 and a duo of 21 year olds—the unpeated Classic and the...

The name Elijah Craig adorns some of Heaven Hill Brands' finest bourbons. In fact, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof was named Whisky Advocate's 2017 Whisky of the Year. Like many whiskey namesakes, Elijah Craig is a real historical figure. The label of Elijah Craig Small Batch states that he was the “Father of Bourbon.” But does he really pass the paternity test?The claim derives from The History of Kentucky, published in 1874 and written by Lewis and Richard Collins, which reads: “The first Bourbon Whisky was made in 1789, at Georgetown, in the fulling mill at the Royal spring.” Notice Elijah Craig isn't mentioned here; however, in the two paragraphs just prior to this quote, the Collinses write that Craig was responsible for building the first fulling mill (used in the creation of woolen cloth) at Georgetown, also in 1789, and the first “rope-walk” (necessary for making rope) and paper mill as well. So although Craig isn't mentioned by name specifically, it is implied that he...

Tattersall Distilling is one of the more adventurous craft distilleries. The Minneapolis-based company produces barrel-aged gin, blackstrap rum, aquavit, amaro, absinthe, and, of course, whiskey. But even among dozens of products, a high-proof single malt with distinctive barbecue notes from the mesquite and apple-smoked malt along with dark-roasted chocolate malt stands apart. Tattersall Signature Series single malt whiskey is the result of an unlikely collaboration with local chef Justin Sutherland, most known for competing on Bravo's Top Chef. Sutherland thought it would be perfect to serve alongside the food at his meat-heavy restaurants like the pig-centric Handsome Hog and steakhouse Fire & Whiskey.
Chef Justin Sutherland collaborated with Tattersall to create a smoky single malt. (Illustration by Michael Witte)In fact, more distillers seem to be reaching outside their internal ranks for ideas, whether that means enlisting the opinions of chefs and bartenders, or...

If you plan on mixing up some drinks this spring and summer, we have a helpful guide on how to build your best whisky cocktail, focusing on classics like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, Highball, and Mint Julep.If you're looking for a new dram to sip, there are plenty of those as well. Ardbeg Scorch is this year's limited release for Ardbeg Day. It's priced at $120 and $140 for the Committee Release.Talisker is releasing its oldest whisky to date and telling the story of a voyage at sea in the process. Talisker 43 year old Xpedition Oak: The Atlantic Challenge is limited to just 1,830 bottles and costs $4,000.Tennessee whiskey Sweetens Cove is back with a new release for 2021. Like last year's inaugural release, it will cost $200, with 42,000 bottles entering just a few states.Bardstown Bourbon Co. is bringing back it's collaborative expression The Prisoner Wine Barrel-Finished Tennessee bourbon—after an initial release in December 2019. Priced similarly, at...

The Mint Julep is synonymous with the Kentucky Derby. On the first Saturday in May, Kentuckians everywhere feel it’s only proper to have a Mint Julep in hand while belting out “My Old Kentucky Home” before horses and jockeys parade onto the track. At Churchill Downs, more than 120,000 Mint Juleps are served over the course of the day. There’s even a $1,000 version served in a collectible silver julep cup, sponsored annually by Woodford Reserve to benefit charity.
While the Mint Julep has been served at every Kentucky Derby since the first one in 1875—the first official souvenir glass was offered at the 1939 Derby after fans absconded with many unofficial glasses the prior year—the drink’s origins are much older. “The Julep is basically a specific type of cordial,” says Tim Knittel, the official bourbon ambassador of Churchill Downs.
Working out of Matt Winn’s Steakhouse, which is located within Churchill Downs...

Commonwealth Distillery was never a famous name, but for many bourbon lovers, it’s a very special place—known as the launching point for some of American whiskey’s most iconic labels, most notably the Old Rip Van Winkle (ORVW) line and its star, Pappy Van Winkle. The story of Commonwealth began in 1983 when Pappy Van Winkle’s grandson, Julian Van Winkle III, acquired the shuttered old Hoffman Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, converted it into a warehouse and bottling facility, and renamed Commonwealth.
Commonwealth became the Van Winkle outpost after the family had been forced to sell its Stitzel Weller Distillery to a Diageo forerunner company back in 1972. Julian Van Winkle was able to obtain plenty of aging stocks from Stitzel Weller (there wasn’t much demand in those days) and transport them to Commonwealth for aging and bottling, which led to the creation of Pappy. He also bottled a number of other treasured whiskeys at Commonwealth...

New month, new whisky!Woodford Reserve is rolling out its special Kentucky Derby bottle ($50 for 1 liter) ahead of the big race on May 2. The label features a watercolor by Louisville artist and former Atlanta Braves baseball player Richard Sullivan that depicts horses racing toward the finish line at Churchill Downs.Bulleit has unveiled Blenders' Select No. 001, the first in a series of planned limited-edition releases crafted by the distillery's blending team; this one was created by Eboni Major. The straight bourbon is $50, available in limited amounts.Johnnie Walker has reintroduced Jane Walker as a new blended malt, rather than simply repackaging Johnnie Walker Black with a special label. The limited-edition whisky is $38 and available nationwide.Dewar's is launching Ilegal Smooth, an 8 year old blended scotch finished in Ilegal mezcal casks. The whisky is widely available for $22.Redbreast has added a 27 year old single pot still whiskey to its permanent range. It's available...

What started as a slow burn is now heading toward fever pitch. In little over two decades, collectors have propelled Michter’s to the forefront of modern collectible whiskey. It is one of the few American labels capable of multiple appearances in our monthly online list of the 20-highest auction prices, elbowing its way past notable scotches and cult Japanese bottles. Like LeNell’s, early Willett, and early Pappy, the most valuable Michter’s rarities are the output of barrels of sourced bourbon and ryes snapped up by those smart or lucky enough to be on it at the start when Michter’s president Joe Magliocco was building the business and reviving the Michter’s name.
Michter’s Single Barrel Rye 25 year old holds the brand’s highest auction record and first appeared in 2008. They release single barrel 25 year olds as stock permits, both bourbon and rye, but the gaps between releases can be many years, as the whiskey must meet their quality...

Since its inception, the San Francisco-based Hotaling & Co. Distillery has hung its hat on rye whiskey. Hotaling was founded in 1993 as Anchor Distilling, a small offshoot of the venerable Anchor Brewing Company. Back then, Anchor was owned by craft beer legend Fritz Maytag, who purchased the brewery when it was on the brink of failure in 1965 and spent the ensuing decades whipping it back into shape. By the early ’90s, Maytag was planning an expansion into spirits, intending to distill a product inspired by the whiskeys of the 18th century. After doing some research, he was drawn to rye whiskey—a style that had been wildly popular before Prohibition, but was on the verge of extinction.

To make that dream a reality, Maytag set up pot stills in the Anchor Brewing warehouse and left things in the hands of Bruce Joseph—one of Anchor’s most experienced brewers—who would go on to serve as master distiller for over three decades before retiring in...

Whiskies come and go, and while new releases are always heralded, expressions that are phased out get much less attention. But earlier this week, High West announced plans to discontinue Yippee Ki-Yay, its blend of ryes finished in vermouth and syrah barrels. Bottles can still be found on shelves, so if you're a fan, snatch them up when you see them.Moving on to new releases, which this week all come from these United States.Westland Distillery announced a new series called the Outpost Collection, which will encompass the existing Garryana expression ($150) as well as two new single malt whiskeys: Colere ($150), coming in the spring of 2021, and Solum, which won't be ready until 2023. All of these whiskeys will be released annually in limited amounts.Sagamore Spirit is also launching a new range called Distiller's Select, starting with Manhattan Finish, a rye finished in select barrel types to impart the classic cocktail's flavors. The whiskey is available in limited amounts, priced...

Some people add to their whisky collection by tracking new releases, while others scour auction sites for rare bottlings. On September 23, Sotheby's New York will auction what it is calling The Timeless Whisky Collection, with lots that include a complete six-bottle set of the Macallan Six Pillars Collection, and a major crop of independently bottled scotch whiskies, as well as other aged expressions from Glenfiddich, Bowmore, and others. Get the details from our auction preview, including the 10 most expensive lots by estimate.Among this week's new releases, Dewar's adds to its Cask Series line with a calvados cask finish, and Woodford Reserve is offering a new honey barrel-finished bourbon as a distillery and Kentucky exclusive, while Jefferson's has an interesting new Ocean: Aged at Sea bourbon expression made with New York City water. Read on for full details.

Dewar’s 8 year old French Smooth
Style: BlendOrigin: ScotlandAge: 8 year oldABV: 40%Price: $25Release...

Nobody ever wants to look like a beginner, even when it comes to drinking whiskey. Folks have their first sip of whiskey—and fall in love with it, of course—and all of the sudden they want to drink the rarest and most sought-after bottles, like Pappy Van Winkle or the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. But in order for a new bourbon drinker to understand why certain whiskeys are so highly regarded by connoisseurs he or she must lay the groundwork first.Just like you don't start college in a 400 level course, you shouldn't start a bourbon hobby without first learning about, and drinking, the classics. These recommendations are essential bourbons for neophytes—not just in their crowd-pleasing, iconic flavors, but also in the history and cultural significance each displays. Knowing about and appreciating both characteristics are an important first step in your bourbon education.Bourbon 101: Start Your Education With These WhiskeysWild Turkey 101—86 points, $25The “kickin'...

There’s no denying the power of whisky tourism and travel. Perhaps you’ve visited a distillery while on vacation or even planned a trip around distillery visits. Bourbon specifically brought flocks of fans out in 2022, with the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA) reporting this week that the Kentucky Bourbon Trail had a total of 2,135,555 visitors, setting a new record for the organization. That is a 38% increase from the 1.7 million visitors in 2019, and a 370% increase over the past 10 years. 
Brands have responded to this influx over the years by investing in elevated visitor experiences. Angel’s Envy, which sits on downtown Louisville’s Whiskey Row, completed an $8.2 million expansion in 2022, adding five tasting rooms and doubling its annual guest capacity. General Manager Gigi DaDan says they saw 163,827 guests in 2022, a 16% increase from last year.
“Because we are located right in the heart of downtown Louisville, we often get...

Former football player Eric LeGrand is not like most whiskey makers. LeGrand was a successful defensive tackle at Rutgers University when, during a game in his junior year in 2010, he suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. LeGrand had aspired to be in the NFL and eventually become a sports broadcaster, and the injury changed the trajectory of his life. But his resilience is astounding, and in the years since the injury, he’s become an inspirational public speaker. He’s also a bourbon maker, with an eye toward increasing awareness and acceptance of people living with paralysis disabilities.
LeGrand launched his first whiskey, Eric LeGrand Kentucky straight bourbon, in 2023 with Brian Axelrod and Green River Distillery, which is now owned by Bardstown Bourbon Co. Axelrod has a traditional spirits background, having previously helped launch Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey with MMA fighter and boxer Conor McGregor, and he has also...

There is plenty to talk about.
The outgoing U.S. Surgeon General has proposed cancer warnings for liquor labels. The new administration has proposed tariffs that could disrupt alcohol imports and exports. Popular weight loss drugs seem to also depress the appetite for alcohol. Legal cannabis is growing as an alternative intoxicant.
American whiskey sales declined in 2023 for the first time in more than 20 years, and 2024 was even worse. Headlines in the trade and popular press say the bourbon boom is over.
But the sky is not falling.
About 20 years ago, demand for bourbon began to exceed supply. After more than 30 years of excess capacity, the industry suddenly had none to spare. To support their own brands, several distillers declined to renew contracts with non-distiller producers, who had to find other sources or, in some cases, become distillers themselves. 
As domestic sales grew, so did exports. Existing distilleries expanded and new distilleries...

As far as icons of American whiskey go, Stitzel-Weller is up there with the greats. The distillery was founded in 1935 as a partnership between spirits distributor W.L. Weller & Sons and A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, and at its head were Arthur P. Stitzel, Alex T. Farnsley, and Julian Van Winkle Sr. (who came to be known as Pappy). Together, the three men brought a handful of legendary bourbon brands to prominence, including Old Fitzgerald, W.L. Weller, Rebel Yell (now known as Rebel), and Cabin Still; they made each whiskey with wheat, not rye, a move that popularized wheaters among American whiskey drinkers. But when whiskey began its downturn in the second half of the 20th century, Stitzel-Weller was sold to a forerunner company of Diageo in 1972 and ultimately shuttered 20 years later.
The stills at Stitzel-Weller have remained essentially silent ever since—more a relic of whiskey past than the workhorse it was in its heyday. But Diageo invested $2 million into the...

For likely as long as whisky has existed, people have enjoyed it to the accompaniment of great music. Whisky has inspired its fair share of songs too, with numerous artists weaving it into their work. Now some musicians are taking it even further, integrating their art straight into the bottle. Blackened might be the most well-known of the moment, aged to the thump of Metallica's oeuvre, but many other whiskies now boast a musician's endorsement—and in some cases, their heavy involvement.Matching Flavor Profile to Musical StyleThe experience of enjoying whisky and music together inspired DJ and producer TommyD to create his own brand, a single grain whisky called 8O8. “Alcohol and music have gone hand-in-hand for centuries—there's nothing new about this,” he says. “So it's not an unreasonable connection to make. Music is intrinsically part of the 8O8 whisky DNA.” Inspired by the TR-808 drum machine commonly used in electronic dance music, 8O8 whisky caters to the dance...

We’ve recently received several announcements from smaller players whose latest expressions are set to hit shelves in the coming weeks. 15 Stars has a new First West bottling, but this one isn’t a rye; Hard Truth is releasing a collaborative blended whiskey which uses its new bourbon as a component; and Jos. A Magnus has debuted the fourth iteration of its exclusive Murray Hill Special Release Blend. 
15 Stars First West Bourbon 
The father-son-operated 15 Stars was born and bred in 2019 to pay homage to Kentucky’s history as a mecca for whiskey production. The blending house, which makes its blends with help from Bardstown Bourbon Co., launched a sherry cask-finished bourbon in September that earned a score of 91 points. A few weeks ago, 15 Stars released new batches of First West rye and Private Stock bourbon. Now, it’s bringing another new First West whiskey to market—but this time, it’s a bourbon. 
First West...

Pappy Van Winkle and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection are notoriously difficult to find on shelves, and when they are available, it's usually at astronomically marked-up prices—but now whiskey fans have a chance to own these bottles and other rare finds for only $100. The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) is raffling off a package of 20 hard-to-find whiskeys in its Buddy-Up! raffle and is aiming to raise $200,000. Only 2,000 raffle tickets are available—for $100 each—and will be on sale until Nov. 15, or until they sell out. The proceeds will benefit Best Buddies New Hampshire, an organization dedicated to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.The NHLC has been raising funds for Best Buddies New Hampshire through rare whiskey raffles for the past four years, and its lineup last year boasted some similar hard-to-find names. This year, the assortment is even larger, with another rare Buffalo Trace bourbon, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, and a...

Bourbon from Stitzel-Weller Distillery and labels carrying the Van Winkle name were the leading bottles at Whisky Auctioneer's Century of American Whiskey auction. The auction topped $1 million, galloping past the total from Sotheby's Thoroughbred Collection, and more than doubling the total from Pat's Whiskey Collection Heart & Soul sale. A bidder based in the U.S. placed the highest bid at nearly $30,000 to win the Corti Brothers Van Winkle 19 year old Special Reserve 1975. It's a substantial increase in the record price: this rarity has never previously sold for more than $10,000.“We were confident that this curation of America's most historic and important whiskeys would elicit a
lot of interest, but the appetite for these bottles far surpassed our expectations,” said Joe Wilson, head of auction content at Whisky Auctioneer, in a statement which confirmed the auction raised £768,462, equivalent to $1,054,089. “The combination of historic...

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley describe their relationship as a marriage. They rib each other the way old drinking buddies do—an affection coated in sarcasm, a mutual understanding forged over drinks during the course of a decade. “Ian always jokes that ours is the longest relationship he's ever been in, and I will agree with that,” Wesley says. “With Ian, it's a true platonic marriage.”The two actors met in 2009 when they were cast to play brothers on the CW Network show “The Vampire Diaries,” a supernatural romance drama, and quickly developed a chemistry that spilled off the set. “These brothers bonded over bourbon on screen, it was the only time they got along. Paul and I bonded over bourbon off screen—it's the only time that we got along,” Somerhalder says with a laugh.While filming their scenes, the actors sipped iced tea instead of actual whiskey, and that led to a thirst for the real thing. After a long day of shooting, they would share a dram, and they...

Despite having a sizable arsenal of well-aged inventory, ultra-aged releases from Redemption Whiskey are few and far between. Back in November 2017, Redemption released a pair of ultra-aged expressions in its Ancients series. The first one was an 18 year old rye, distilled in 1998 at Ross & Squibb Distillery (then called Jos. E. Seagram Lawrenceburg Plant). At the time, the 18 year old was touted as Redemption’s oldest whiskey ever released—but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Just a few weeks later, Redemption rolled out a 36 year old bourbon that was limited to 18 bottles and carried a $1,200 price tag.
Those expressions were well received, and aged Redemption expressions were getting attention from whiskey lovers. In 2023, a bottle of 36 year old Redemption rye appeared in a Sotheby’s American whiskey auction, and wound up selling for $18,000. But by then Redemption had discontinued the Ancients series, and turned its focus on younger and more...

It's a great week for single malt scotch lovers. After teasing four new whiskies just a few weeks ago, Old Pulteney has revealed a brand-new lineup for its core range, including the non-age statement (and slightly peated) Huddart, a 15 year old, and an 18 year old. The flagship Old Pulteney 12 year old will continue to be available as well, but with revamped packaging to match its new brethren. Old Pulteney discontinued its 17 year old and 21 year old expressions in 2017 (although eagle-eyed hunters may still spot them on store shelves as back stock gets sold through), and now with the rollout of these three new single malts, the distillery is discontinuing Old Pulteney Navigator. Huddart, 15 year old, and 18 year old are currently available in the UK, and will hit the U.S. in early 2019.Meanwhile, two new craft whiskeys are being released. Pennington Distilling Co. in Nashville, Tennessee has unveiled the second batch of its Four Grain whiskey. Each batch is unique in barrel makeup...

Whisky can be transportive, evoking memories of places you've been and trips you've taken. Distillers know this well and sometimes use it to great effect. Look to Dr. Bill Lumsden, the director of whisky creation for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, who has time and again used his own experiences as inspiration for his creations. In the Glenmorangie "A Tale Of" series, he's explored Scottish forests and the delights of enjoying a dram by the fire, and now he's fathoming Tokyo through a glass with Glenmorangie's A Tale of Tokyo release. And while only the most adventurous among us have been to the  Isle of Harris, this tiny island in the Outer Hebrides has a distillery. This week it introduces The Hearach, its very first single malt—a  gently peated Islands expression that arrived on the eighth anniversary of the distillery's opening. That one seems likely to be a transportive experience of its own.
Isle of Harris isn't...

The Super Bowl is just a few weeks away, and James B. Beam Distilling Co. is getting in on the fun with some recent football-themed collaborations. Last week, Jim Beam announced a partnership with comedian Keegan-Michael Key—known for his role on the sketch comedy show Key & Peele—which included gift packages designed to help football fans cope with their team losing on game day. Today it’s Knob Creek’s turn, with the release of Bold Pick: a new single barrel bourbon made with help from NFL icon Eli Manning.
Eli Manning earned two Super Bowl rings and numerous other awards, accolades, and titles during his long career with the New York Giants. After retiring in 2020, he joined ESPN as an analyst—most notably on “Manningcast,” a live broadcast he co-hosts with his older brother and fellow renowned quarterback Peyton Manning. But when he isn’t playing or talking about football, Eli winds down by drinking Knob Creek. Now, thanks to...

BuffTurkey. Russalo Trace. Wild Buffalo. The hottest whiskey on the market—Wild Turkey bourbon distilled by Buffalo Trace—has several portmanteau monikers, and even more alleged origin stories. The leading lore? A professional sports franchise owner from the South won a national championship and commissioned these barrels before forgetting about them. Others say Campari Group faced production woes during expansion of a then recently purchased Wild Turkey and tapped Buffalo Trace to help, but didn’t love the finished product.
Also shrouded in mystery is the production run’s final volumes. Industry scuttlebutt varies widely, from a scant 600 barrels to an eye-watering 10,000 barrels. The latter seems improbable, as that would represent three to four straight weeks of non-stop production by Buffalo Trace. A thousand barrels, insiders tell me, is most likely; that would require only two production days.
How BuffTurkey Was Made and Sold
While we...

For the casual drinker and collector alike, it's high time to visit one of Scotland's many distilleries. More than 70 Scotch whisky distilleries now offer visitor tours—some even give you a choice of four or five different experiences. So many tours, so little time! Don't panic: it may seem bewildering at first, but there are key strategies to making the most of your visit.If it's your first time touring a scotch distillery, let your favorite dram guide your choice of where to visit. Nothing beats that incredible feeling of standing in the place where the whisky you first fell in love with was made.Note that most distillery tours follow a similar formula, with a guide leading you through the steps of the whisky-making process (prepare ahead of time by brushing up on the basics of how whisky is made). You'll see the mill, mashtun, washbacks, stills, plus a warehouse if you're lucky—and then round off your trip with a tasting of the whisky.If you're a seasoned distillery visitor...

A great cocktail can transport you. It can invoke memories from your past and create a fuller tasting experience,” says Joe Choiniere, bar manager of Forage in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Foraging for your own ingredients enhances this experience, connecting taste buds to location. Finding and using local wild berries, herbs, bark, and more also opens your mixology up to new, surprising flavors, Choiniere adds. Try these forest-to-table drinks for a true taste of the outdoors.A Walk in the WeedsStinging nettle adds some zing to your favorite bourbon.Get the Recipe: A Walk in the WeedsThree TreesA chocolaty rye whiskey and black birch-infused cognac are the base for this "weighty" Sazerac.Get the Recipe: Three TreesSix ShillingMulberries and Laphroaig create a fruity and smoky spin on a Whisky Sour.Get the Recipe: Six ShillingFlorida FashionedA fresh take on an Old Fashioned created using lemongrass and Irish whiskey.Get the Recipe: Florida FashionedForage, Substitute, or BuyBlack...

June’s 20-highest single bottle hammer prices had a combined value of $889,738, and the month belonged to Bonhams Skinner. The Massachusetts-based auction house delivered not only the highest auction price of the year with Yamazaki 55 year old, but also served up a live auction that landed nine bottles of Macallan in this month’s 20-highest hammer prices. It was Yamazaki’s first bottle to make this year’s list, and it continues to trade for more than triple its original retail price. The Macallans were all Lalique decanter bottlings from the Six Pillars collection, which range in age from 50 to 65 years, plus the 72 year old Genesis decanter. The Six Pillars collection debuted in 2005 and remains highly collectible. Bonhams Skinner’s The Encyclopedic Whisky Collection, the largest single owner collection of spirits ever offered at Bonhams in the U.S., had a full set on sale, and even some duplicates. Macallan remains the number one brand in our 20-highest...

A strong August for Macallan helped the 20-highest hammer prices for the month reach a combined total of $557,495. This pushed Macallan’s appearances on this year’s table past the $3 million mark—reaching that goal faster than last year, and with a larger share of bottles overall. Notably, August of 2024 managed to reach a total of just $366,215.
The Grand Whisky Auction delivered the highest hammer price of August with a bottle of Macallan The Red Collection 60 year old. Single malt scotch dominated the top five positions overall, including a Dalmore 50 year old signed by master distiller Richard Paterson. Vintage scotch performed well, with entries including Samaroli Bowmore Bouquet 1966, Laphroaig 14 year old from the 1950s, and Gordon & MacPhail Port Ellen 1969 15 year old. A stronger month for Irish whiskey too, with two bottles of Midleton making the list, including the 95-point Midleton Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition. Rye...

Without barrels from the U.S., Scotch whisky as we know it could not exist. Nine out of ten casks used to mature whisky in Scotland today initially matured bourbon or Tennessee whiskey. By law, barrels can be used only once for bourbon, but they still have plenty of flavor to give. Thousands of empty used vessels are shipped to Scotland every year to impart delicious sweetness, scented vanilla, and golden honey flavors to whisky destined for the bourbon barrel. Yet, finding scotch aged in only bourbon requires a keen eye.Try It: Bourbon Cask-Matured Scotches That Cost $100 or LessNew American oak barrels are toasted and charred to break down the uppermost layers and prepare them for their first job of maturing bourbon whiskey. Toasting and charring enhances the vanillin present in the seasoned wood. The cask contributes oak extractives and color, and its char layer helps to modify the characteristics of the new make American spirit. When new-make single malt is filled into a once-used...

Did you see Monday's reveal of the full Top 20 list? Check out all 20 of the most exciting whiskies of 2017, including Whisky of the Year.Beyond the Top 20 list, there's more excitement to be had in this week's new whisky releases. Glen Moray—whose 18 year old was number 10 on our list—is launching a sherry cask-finished, NAS single malt. For only $30, it's worth picking up if you've never gotten acquainted with this Speyside distillery.Higher up the pricing ladder, Macallan has a new line of single cask whiskies ranging in age from 12 to 22 years old—and priced from $250 to $1,300. There's not much other information available about these seven single cask bottlings.If you prefer peatier scotch at a lower price, Bowmore has a new 18 year old ($127) partly matured in manzanilla sherry casks and a 26 year old ($540) that spent half its life in wine barriques. Both are limited in quantity.Meanwhile, the Big Peat blended malt brand is launching its first age-statement whisky. Only...

The biggest whiskey news of the week was the launch of Sweetens Cove, a new bourbon backed by NFL star Peyton Manning and tennis great Andy Roddick, among others. We spoke to both Manning and Roddick, as well as master blender Marianne Eaves, about the whiskey and its links (pun completely intended) to the beloved golf course of the same name. Check out the in-depth article, and then keep reading for the hard stats and some analysis below.The latest Port Ellen single malt from Diageo is coming out now, priced at a cool £6,500 (about $8,000). It's 40 years old, a vatting of nine "rogue" casks. There are 1,380 bottles available, though none are being sold in the U.S.Kentucky-based blender Barrell announced its Private Select whiskey series, a collection of unique "micro-blends" that are each finished in a different barrel type. Each offering is limited to 150-180 bottles, priced at $109. Barrell is also set to release Batch 024 of its bourbon, priced at $90 and available in limited...

Kansas City, Missouri is at once historic and modern, both sophisticated in its tastes and irreverent in its maker-fueled energy. It's the kind of place where distillers collaborate with farmers and brewers, and coffee roasters cross-pollinate with chefs and bartenders in all corners of the fifteen-county metropolitan area that's anchored in Missouri and creeps into Kansas.Every visit comes with risks, warns Ryan Maybee, co-founder of J. Rieger & Co. and owner of Manifesto, an intimate craft cocktail bar. “If you come to Kansas City, you'll end up wanting to live here.”Day OneKansas City is a car town, but the KC Streetcar is a great alternative. The two-mile route puts you within easy walking distance of downtown's attractions, plus it's free.It's also handy to Hotel Phillips, an art deco gem that once housed former President Harry Truman's haberdashery and now serves up cocktails and live music at P.S. Speakeasy. Truman often lunched at the nearby Savoy Hotel and Grill...

UPDATE (March 21, 2022): This dedicated American whiskey auction held on March 19th at Sotheby's topped $1 million, marking a new milestone for the auction house. The hammer price totaled $1,307,450, and included the American Muscle Collection, which commanded $902,400, as well as the Three Continents Collection Part III, which reached $161,400. A bottle of LeNell's Red Hook Rye 24 year old barrel #4 achieved the top hammer price of $35,000—one of the additional lots outside the main collections. Some 75% of the lots sold exceeded their high estimates, according to Sotheby's. North America-based collectors acquired 93% of the sold lots, and nearly 60% of the sale's buyers were new to Sotheby's. Also noteworthy was that 42% of buyers were under 40 years old, Sotheby's added.On March 19th, Sotheby's New York will auction over 1,000 bottles of bourbon and rye with an estimated value of $1-$1.4 million in its American Muscle and Three Continents Part III sale. Stocked with popular...

Seattle's association with drinks has tended toward the city's world-class coffee and the monster-hoppy IPAs. But Seattle also has an active local craft distilling scene, home to almost 20 distilleries, with many making whiskey.Single malt whiskey has been the object of much local obsession. In the last several years, scientists from Washington State University and Oregon State University have confirmed what distillers and farmers have long suspected: that the maritime climate in this part of the world mirrors that of Scotland, where some of the best single malts are made.But single malt isn't the only whiskey style Seattle distillers are creating. Bourbon, rye, and other whiskeys are also flowing off the stills, often with an emphasis on using local grains and reflecting the terroir of the area.The local whiskeys are garnering praise from near and far, and Seattle is becoming known as a distilling powerhouse. The Washington Distillers Guild is launching an interactive trail map this...

It's high season for new whisky releases, as everyone gears up for the holidays and rolls out plenty of new options, along with highly anticipated limited editions like the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, the Van Winkle lineup of whiskeys, and the Diageo Special Releases, which were fully revealed this week—with some significant changes, especially for American fans. Other brands are releasing limited-edition packaging in the lead-up to the holidays. J. Rieger & Co. unveiled the annual Holiday Edition label for its Rieger Kansas City whiskey, priced at $35. Meanwhile, Basil Hayden's has partnered with Wildsam Field Guides to create four special-edition labels: one that's available nationally, and three specific ones for Northern California, Southern California, and Brooklyn, New York. The whiskey remains the same—regular Basil Hayden's—but each label features local trivia, hidden spots, and drink recipes. Bottles are priced at $40.On to the new whiskies for the week...

David Landrum is the founder of Two James Spirits, a small distillery in Detroit. His buddy, Jacques Driscoll, runs Johnny Noodle King, a nearby ramen shop. Driscoll was planning a bar program for the restaurant and asked Landrum if he might create a whiskey to complement his umami-rich broths.“I was an art student,” says Landrum. “I've always been pushed by creativity. I like to keep making new things.”He had been drinking a lot of Asian teas and lapsang souchong, a Chinese smoked tea, came to mind. It was a source of inspiration. Landrum infused a blend of corn and rye whiskeys with lapsang souchong and two other Asian teas. He calls it Johnny Smoking Gun. Driscoll loved it. Both the noodle shop and Two James's tasting room serve it in cocktails and also neat with a “broth back.”Interesting? Yes. Unique? Sure. Innovative? Absolutely! But is it whiskey?That question sits at an intersection of art, craft, tradition, culture, law, commerce, imagination, taste—and probably...

The first day of spring has brought with it five new limited edition bourbons. Among them is the year’s first batch of Booker’s, which pays homage to New Orleans, and a 15 year old single barrel from Elijah Craig. Elsewhere, Peerless celebrates a major milestone with its first 10 year old release, Bardstown Bourbon Co. brings a little Pacific Northwest flair to Kentucky, and Blue Note debuts the third batch of its annual Special Reserve.
Booker’s “Big Easy” Batch Bourbon (2026-01)
ABV:  64.55%
SRP: $100
Availability: Nationwide
The first batch of Booker’s for 2026 takes its name from New Orleans, which was one of Booker Noe's favorite cities to visit. The “Big Easy” batch has an age statement of 7 years, 2 months, and 15 days, and is a blend of five parcels aged in different warehouses:

24% comes from the sixth floor of Warehouse G
22% comes from the third floor of Warehouse J
22% comes from...

The latest addition to Heaven Hill’s Heritage Collection is a 19 year old straight wheat whiskey, which uses the same mashbill recipe as the one for its Bernheim label. From out west, Utah’s  High West has a new single malt whiskey, comprised of 4 and 8 year old whisks entirely at the Utah distillery, though unfortunately, its distribution is in-state only. From Texas, Garrison Bros. has a single barrel version of its Balmorhea bourbon, and it also is limited, at just 1,000 bottles. Ardbeg is out with its annual Ardbeg Committee Exclusive, Ardbeg Eureka! which blends malt selected by 100 fans who were invited to the Islay distillery to taste five “extreme” Ardbeg samples.
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 19 year old Kentucky Straight Wheat 
ABV: 50%
SRP: $300
Availability: Limited
This is the latest release in Heaven Hill’s Heritage Collection, a series of aged releases launched in 2022 that showcases some of...

High-profile distillers are on the move: Former Jameson master distiller Brian Nation is taking on the American Midwest at Minnesota craft venture O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co., while Jeff Arnett walked away from his master distiller’s role at Jack Daniel Distillery last year and just announced the launch of his new venture, Company Distilling, which is situated by the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee.While we’ll have to wait patiently for the whiskeys from Nation and Arnett, there are plenty of new releases to sip in the meantime. First up, Jura is adding a 12 year old single malt to its core lineup. The whisky is widely available, at a buyer-friendly price of $50.From North Texas, Garrison Bros. is also rolling out one of their oldest, rarest expressions to date: Laguna Madre. There are 2,000 bottles of the bourbon available, and it’ll set you back $299.Buffalo Trace has added a new whiskey to its experimental collection that pays homage to Chinese...

Good news for stateside scotch lovers: The pound recently fell to its lowest position against the dollar in 37 years (dropping below $1.14 at times), meaning that whisky aficionados can benefit from substantial savings at retail, in duty-free, and the auction market abroad. In UK travel retail, savings can soar as high as 59%; a 1-liter bottle of Caol Ila 12 year old, for example, will set you back just $39 at Heathrow, compared to $97 in U.S. stores. If you're visiting the UK in the near future, it will be well worth it to do some whisky shopping—either in duty free or local stores—to score some whisky at prices below U.S. retail prices. Meanwhile, there's plenty on offer among this week's new releases. Metallica's Blackened has collaborated with Angel's Envy co-founder Wes Henderson on a port cask-finished bourbon, Glenfiddich has added a sherry cask-finished single malt to its core range, and Dewar’s has reintroduced its flagship 12 year old blended scotch...

For American whiskey lovers, there’s no place quite like Louisville, Kentucky. A true whiskey playground, it offers distilleries and tasting rooms galore along Whiskey Row, a historic 12-block stretch in the heart of the city that has been revived over recent years and has come to symbolize Louisville’s whiskey-led renaissance.
The area’s past is rooted in the 1840s, when distilleries, warehouses, distributors, and sales agents all operated right on Main Street until Prohibition fractured the area’s economy. By the mid-20th century all the distillers were gone, and the area was just a shell of its former self. In 2013, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience opened its doors and sparked the revival of Whiskey Row. Today the area has exploded with whiskey makers, and is back bigger than it ever was in terms of brand representation. At last count, some 11 whiskey makers are in residence on Whiskey Row.
Modern-day Whiskey Row is more vibrant than ever, and it...

There are quite a few well-aged whiskies in this week's roundup, including a 12 year old from Barrell, and 10 year olds from Michter's, Sagamore Spirit, Bernheim, and Wyoming Whiskey, while Yellowstone's 8 year old bourbon revives the Yellowstone label from the 19th century (a bottle previously available only at its Limestone Branch Distillery). Elsewhere, Johnnie Walker seeks to woo American drinkers with a new bourbon cask-centric expression, and this year’s edition of Macallan Distil Your World is an ode to Paris.

Johnnie Walker Black Cask Blended Scotch
ABV: 43%
SRP: $35
Availability: Nationwide
Black Cask is a new permanent Johnnie Walker expression designed to appeal to both scotch and American whiskey fans. Crafted exclusively from whiskies aged in bourbon casks, the recipe features whiskies from distilleries used in Black Label, including Cameronbridge, Glen Elgin, and Roseisle. It's the latest Johnnie Walker expression introduced this...

The Lowlands have the dubious reputation of producing Scotland's least fashionable whiskies. While it's easy to find whisky lovers who swoon for the peaty malts of Islay and rich, sherried drams of Speyside, the delicate and floral whiskies of the Lowlands have lingered on in relative obscurity—more of a footnote on most whisky lists—until now. From a low of just two operational malt whisky distilleries in 1993, the designated Lowlands region of Scotch whisky production has now grown to include eleven distilleries, with several more in the pipeline. The Lowlands Renaissance has arrived.Lowlands EmergenceThe Lowlands malt whisky region was first defined as part of the 1784 Wash Act, which introduced a theoretical ‘Highland Line,' running across Scotland from the Firth of Clyde in the west to the Firth of Tay in the east, with differing levels of excise duty initially being paid on either side of the ‘line.'The Act aimed to stimulate legal distilling in the Highlands and to...

With gift-giving season upon us, there's no better time for new whisky. First up, Maker's Mark has a very special Private Edition coming out in December—a custom bourbon created by the competitors on Bravo's Top Chef. Just a few hundred bottles are available for $80 each, going on sale after the second episode of season 16 airs on December 13.Islay distillery Bowmore has unveiled a single malt distilled in 1965 and aged a whopping 52 years. There are just 232 bottles available, but at a cost of $30,000, the list of eligible purchasers isn't going to be too long.Meanwhile, boutique independent bottler The Last Drop is also rolling out a very aged whiskey—this one a bourbon distilled in 1982 at what is now called Buffalo Trace, but was then the George T. Stagg Distillery. It was moved out of barrel in 2002 to avoid becoming over-oaked. At 20 years old, with just 44 bottles available, the whiskey costs $4,000.Another bourbon from the George T. Stagg era is being released by Buffalo...

Who doesn’t like apples? The ripe, luscious peach is now a distant memory of summer, and so it’s apple season—meaning fresh apples, apple pie, and perhaps even a warm spicy rye finished in apple brandy casks. Hudson Rye Calvados Cask Finish is 7 year old whiskey first aged in new oak before a long, secondary maturation in calvados casks from Normandy, France. 
Meanwhile, we're pleased to see that Castle & Key is out with another branded expression, this one a wheated bourbon. We all were very excited when restoration began on this historic distillery back in 2014, forgetting that the process would take a while. In the ensuing years, Castle & Key was relying exclusively on contract distilling, but its first whiskey under the Castle & Key name finally appeared in 2022. Slowly but surely, Castle & Key is starting to develop a true portfolio of expressions.
Uncle Nearest, having already built a successful...

The whisky auction scene shows no signs of relaxing as the end of the year approaches. Sotheby’s conducted a substantial sale of scotch, bourbon, rye, and Japanese whisky in New York this month, with details below on several historic and rare bottlings of Kentucky bourbon and rye that sold for $20,000 and more. Sotheby's reported that this sale received the highest-ever number of bidders in a Sotheby's spirits sale, and set new record prices for Glenturret, LeNell's Red Hook Rye, and Rathskeller Rye from 1983. Scotch Whisky Auctions celebrated their 150th auction this month, with a bottle of Glendronach 1971 50 year old leading the sale with a hammer price of $22,588. With a number of online auctions slated for late December, whisky collectors can keep bidding until the ball drops at midnight and beyond in a bid to bag their first whisky bottles of 2024. 
Whisky Auctioneer
Auction ended December 4th  


Scotch: Samaroli Laphroaig...

Yamazaki 55 year old set a new highest auction price of the year this month, with Sotheby’s Hong Kong achieving a hammer price of $256,162; nearly $46,000 more than Unicorn Auctions’ June sale in Chicago. Meanwhile, Whisky Auctioneer set a new highest price of the year for Macallan The Reach 81 year old, nudging the 2024 record for this expression higher by $775 over the price set by Sotheby’s in April. To date, these Yamazaki and Macallan bottlings, both the oldest expressions ever released by the respective distilleries, make up 6 of the 7 highest auction prices of the year with a combined value of $1.2 million (a bottle of Macallan The Red Collection 60 year old just squeaked into sixth place). 
New 2024 releases have been making their way to auction this month, with bottlings of Weller Millennium wheat whiskey, released with a suggested retail price of $7,500, making $9,000, and bottles of Double Eagle Rare 20 year old, released at $3,000, fetching...

When the COVID-19 pandemic first began taking shape in the U.S., Whisky Advocate responded by looking for ways to come together from a distance—and so #TasteWithSpace was born. Since the first Friday New York City went into lockdown, our editors have hosted whisky distillers, blenders, bartenders, and other experts for conversation and tasting on Instagram Live every week.Early on, #TasteWithSpace focused on the issues surrounding the pandemic and repercussions for whisky makers, bars, and restaurants. The conversation has since expanded and now encompasses a range of issues important to whisky lovers. In June, after Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel's debuted an education and mentorship program for Black whisky professionals, Uncle Nearest founder Fawn Weaver joined #TasteWithSpace to talk more about it. Nicole Austin, the distiller behind our 2019 Whisky of the Year, George Dickel 13 year old Bottled in Bond, came on to debut the whiskey's 2020 release, comparing and contrasting the...

As blazing hot temperatures linger on, refreshing sippers tend to take the edge off. While you could certainly head to a bar, why not make a drink at home—and one with your very own homemade shrub at that? A mixture of fruit, sugar, and vinegar, shrubs is perfect for preserving summer flavors, and go wonderfully in whisky cocktails, too. Try your hand at one of these four whisky-and-shrub cocktails in our new guide, and beat the summer heat.
There’s plenty of new whisky this week, much of it is American-made. Heaven's Door, the Nashville-based brand co-founded by Bob Dylan, has debuted the first release in its new Decade Series, a collection of whiskeys aged 10 years or older; Woodford Reserve has unveiled the latest edition of Batch Proof; and Booker's is back with its second release of the year. Read on for full details.

Heaven’s Door Decade Series Release #01
Style: Straight bourbonOrigin: TennesseeAge: 10 year oldABV: 50%Price: $99Release: July...

Whatever happened to the dog days of summer? The whisky world has been keeping us busy lately with new releases from distillers far and wide. We've been tasting some excellent ones, as attested by some of our latest new whisky ratings. This week, there's more. Baker's is back with its 13 year old expression, which we haven't seen since 2019. Hardin's Creek has dropped the second release in its three-part Kentucky Series (the third is due in September), while Elijah Craig honors the players at golf's Ryder Cup with a new bourbon finished in toasted European oak. WhistlePig is out with FarmStock Beyond Bonded, which is actually 3 bottlings—a bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskey, all of them single barrels. And whisky purists, take cover! Glenlivet has just released two pre-made cocktails, a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned, in 375 ml bottles. Back in 2019 Glenlivet briefly stepped outside the box with its Capsule Collection, described as "glassless cocktails" wrapped...

There are loads of new releases to dive into this week, as well as news of another brand revamping its look. Heaven Hill is rolling out restyled packaging for Evan Williams straight bourbon and bottled in bond bourbon, as well as the line of flavored whiskeys. Look for the new bottles to hit shelves starting this month.On to new whiskey! Glenmorangie is launching a special single malt finished in tokaji dessert wine casks. Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake is priced at $99 and available in limited amounts.WhistlePig's newest Boss Hog is rolling out, and it has an unusual finish. WhistlePig Boss Hog VII: Magellan's Atlantic is available in limited amounts, priced at $500.Three special batches of Old Forester bourbon have been created in honor of the brand's 150th anniversary. All are quite limited, with bottles priced at $150.Macallan is wrapping up its Edition series with Edition No. 6. The single malt scotch is available in limited amounts and priced at $150.Bruichladdich Distillery has...

Shopping for your favorite whisky lover can be a tough mission even when you know their personal whisky preferences—especially if you’re looking to surprise them. Thus every year, we scour the planet to bring you some fun gift options to suit the whisky fan in your life. 
We’ve included a few special bottles on this year’s list, but note that we recommend whiskies all year long, topped by our annual Top 20 list, which weighs quality, affordability, accessibility, and x-factor. You can also check out the magazine and website, where the Buying Guide offers scores and reviews. Each issue also our includes our Best Value, Editors’ Choice, and Collectible picks.
It’s a big whisky world out there. If you want to gift something other than whisky, or if your special someone keeps the whisky bar well-stocked on their own, consider these items and experiences this holiday season.
Whisky Gifts to Suit the...

Whether you’re a casual whiskey drinker who values readily available brands or a serious enthusiast seeking out the most compelling expressions in allocated quantities, there are ample hot options on the open market. The 12 whiskeys that follow represent the full spectrum of desirability, from those with exceptional quality and scarcity to those with wider availability.
Culled by scouring secondary markets, fan forums, sub-Reddits, and online chat groups, this list comprises bottles at the top of their class, whether from legendary Kentucky rickhouses or emerging craft distilleries. Here they are:
Redemption 18 year old bourbon (2025), 51.7%, $400
Redemption first launched its Ancients series of ultra-aged Indiana-distilled bourbon in 2017. (First, an 18 year old rye, next, a 36 year old bourbon.) Then…nothing further. Until now. Redemption’s Ancients series makes a triumphant return with an 18 old year blend of 69 barrels, or about 2,400 bottles. It...

We pour Irish whiskey year-round, but St Patrick’s Day is a great occasion to look at what’s doing well. There are new brands like Skellig Six 18, Clan Colla, and Garavogue, but established names aren’t standing still either, as this year we’re hearing about fresh releases from Redbreast, Proper No. Twelve, Shortcross, and The Whistler—all showing that despite the global slump, Ireland’s whiskey revival is alive and well.
For collectors, Bushmills recently showcased its 26 year old Crystal Malt, while Midleton Very Rare Vintage 2026 will land this spring. Irish whiskey bonder Two Stacks is elevating its blends with older components and a packaging refresh, while Dingle returns with a retooled single malt at a different ABV and friendlier price, while a core range single pot still and its first 10 year old single malt are set to come later in the year. Whether you plan to cheer on the parade, join the celebration at your local Irish...

From the base of New Hampshire's White Mountains to the forgotten remnants of eastern North Carolina's tobacco trade, a new generation of rural distilleries has popped up along the Eastern Seaboard, farming pastoral landscapes and reinvigorating small towns thirsty for an economic boost. Entrepreneurial spirits, from a visionary advertising executive to a longtime car parts salesman, have found in whiskey a means to improve their neighbors' quality of life while attracting visitors looking to take a scenic getaway, drink in the local flavor, then depart with irreplaceable bottles and memories.Tamworth Distillery & Mercantile15 Cleveland Hill Rd.Tamworth, N.H.Last fall, Tamworth Distillery & Mercantile CEO and founder Steven Grasse tapped the maple trees shading an unmarked Revolutionary War graveyard near the front gate of his summer residence. The syrup from these trees is the skeleton key that opens up his maple-flavored Graverobber Unholy rye whiskey. Tamworth's William...

We first covered news of Limavady Irish whiskey last August with its U.S. debut, and recently caught up with Limavady owner Darryl McNally to talk about what separates this Irish expression from others on the shelf. Though new and without a distillery (yet), Limavady has made an impressive debut, with its Single Barrel whiskey scoring 91 points in our Winter 2021 Buying Guide.Among this week's new whiskies, Kentucky Owl is back with a special St. Patrick's Day bourbon, Octomore has a new, decade-old release, and Penelope pivots away from bourbon in favor of an aged, light whiskey. Read on for full details.Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Day Limited EditionStyle: BourbonOrigin: KentuckyAge: A blend of Kentucky straight bourbons aged 4 to 11 yearsABV: 50%Price: $135Release: February 2022 Availability: Nationwide, but limited to a select number of retailersNeed to know:This is the second Kentucky Owl expression made under the direction of new master blender John Rhea, the former Four Roses...

Viva Las Vegas! For the first time ever, WhiskyFest took to Sin City on December 2nd for a night filled with delicious drams and time spent among like-minded whisky fans. As with the other WhiskyFest events that took place this fall, there were also a handful of seminars that delved deeper into specific whiskies and brands.
As the VIP hour kicked off, the crowd at Resorts World Las Vegas was treated to a number of exclusive pours from around the world, including Benromach Heritage Single Cask 1978, Dewar’s Double Double 21 year old, Gordon & Macphail Glentauchers 1979—Private Collection 1, Hibiki 21 year old, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select, St. George Spirits 40th Anniversary single malt, WhistlePig Small Batch 10 year old rye, and more.
There were newer, lesser-known brands on offer too, including Saint Cloud 13 year old Single Barrel Kentucky straight bourbon, which was a hit with VIP hour guests. “Tonight we...

Reminders of whisky are never far off in Scotland—swollen fresh rivers, pristine glens, rich peated earth, and the abundant rain that is destined to become tomorrow’s whisky. But so much of whisky’s culture in Scotland historically lay hidden, and was meant to be so. In earlier centuries, its distilleries were tucked away in remote corners of the Highlands and western isles, dodging the tax man. Even as scotch whisky grew to become big business, its prized malt distillers remained mostly unknown to the world at large.
Scotland’s malt whiskies were considered too rustic, too assertive, and too obscure for the world’s cosmopolitan drinkers in the 19th century—or so the thinking went. Blenders, often Scottish grocers who sold whisky in their shops, began mixing these malts with softer grain whiskies, giving rise to the blended scotch category. These palate-friendly blends, bearing names like Johnnie Walker, Dewar’s, Bell’s, and...

Joseph Magliocco’s earliest link to Michter’s came in the late 1970s, when he took his very first sales job at his family’s wine and spirits business. Michter’s, then a Pennsylvania brand with roots stretching back to 1753, had released mini gold-plated King Tut decanters of its pot still sour mash whiskey—at the time, much of the country was captivated by the “Treasures of Tutankhamen” traveling exhibit, which drew huge crowds. The decanters didn’t have the same sort of pull; in fact, they were such flops that Magliocco was tasked with getting them out of the company’s warehouses by any means necessary. As he worked to clear out the Michter’s decanters, however, he also developed an affinity for and deep understanding of the brand.
Fast forward to 1995, when Magliocco was at the helm of a new family business, Chatham Imports, and was looking for a brand to jumpstart the budding company’s revenue stream...

Compass Box, whose blended scotch creations have won enormous critical acclaim over the past two decades, has undergone some big changes this year. In February, its founder and driving force, John Glaser, stepped down after 23 years at the helm. That news came atop an announcement that Hedonism, the grain whisky that vaulted Compass Box into the spotlight in 2000, would be removed from the core range to become a limited annual release. This month the winds of change blew once more,  as Compass Box discontinued its Spice Tree and Story of the Spaniard labels, replacing them with two completely new whiskies.
Spice Tree was first released in 2005, and Story of the Spaniard has been around since 2018. Both expressions aimed to spotlight cask/wood influence. Spice Tree explores the influence of French oak with a blend of malts including Glen Moray, Balmenach, and a proprietary Highland malt divided into three separate parcels, each aged in French oak barrels at different...

Although the year is winding down, there are still new whiskies to be had.Retired hockey star Ed Belfour has partnered with Southern Distilling in North Carolina to produce the first whiskeys in the Belfour Spirits line. The bourbon and rye are each priced at $89, with availability in Texas and Illinois for now.Fashion house Tommy Bahama is launching a new line of spirits, including whiskey, under the banner of Coral Cay Distilling. Made in Washington, Tommy Bahama straight bourbon ($100) and rye with blended rum ($45) are available in a few states to start, with expansion planned.Finally, Brain Brew Distilling of Ohio is launching its WoodCraft Spirits line in the UK. While sold as whiskey in the U.S., these aren't considered as such overseas, as they're not aged at least three years. The WoodCraft line uses Brain Brew's alternative aging technology to impart barrel characteristics more quickly. Priced at £40 to £50, the four spirits are rolling out in the UK, and are also...

There will be no shortage of drams at WhiskyFest New York—over 480 different whiskies will be poured (download the app to have the full list at your fingertips). We have guides to the can't-miss scotch, bourbon, and craft whiskey picks at the event—plus a guide for planning how to make the most of your evening and tips for picking the right seminar for you.If your goal is to try the newest whisky releases, we can help you there too. Many brands bring their latest and greatest releases to WhiskyFest New York, and some even make their first public appearance at the show—after all, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Check out these seven top picks, all available during general admission. Still need to buy your tickets? There are a few left.Redemption 18 year old RyeJust launched last week, this super-aged rye is making its public debut at WhiskyFest New York. It costs $450 a bottle, so consider this the perfect opportunity to sample before deciding whether or not to...

What does your whisky cabinet covet—something rare and limited from a faraway land? Something new and exciting that's locally made? In the world of whisky collecting, beauty is in the eye of the bottle holder, but a few truths remain: A majority of the most collectible distilleries are in Scotland. It's never too late to get started collecting. And older isn't necessarily better.When it comes to the here and now, American whiskey is taking hold as the next big collectible category. Many of the best bourbons and ryes are still both affordable and accessible, but simultaneously, they're carving out a prime spot atop the collectible summit. If you're smart—or lucky—you'll grab one of these bottles while you can.What you wish you could buy right nowPappy Van WinkleThe granddaddy of them all, a bourbon sought after by rock stars, Michelin-starred chefs, Wall Street titans, and almost everyone else.Buffalo Trace Antique CollectionSazerac's annual release of George T. Stagg, William...

Sotheby’s, Hong Kong set new record prices for Macallan The Reach 81 year old and Yamazaki 50 year old First Edition in the first week of April as they marked 50 years of doing business in Asia. Both bottles achieved the same hammer price of HK$3.8million ($484,000), becoming the highest hammer prices for single bottles this year. This new Macallan record for the oldest bottle of whisky ever sold at auction eclipsed Sotheby’s existing record for the special one-of-one edition of the Macallan The Reach 81 year old sold in London in 2022.  Sotheby's, New York also soared with the last remaining set of United Distiller's The Rare American Whiskey Selection, which hit a record-setting price.
Scotch Whisky Auctions
Auction ended April 9th

Scotch: Macallan The Red Collection 40 year old $22,354. Released in 2020, this saw the 40 year old join The Red Collection, Macallan's series of mature age statement whiskies reflecting the natural red colors found...

When you take inspiration from Bob Dylan, you need to deliver every single time.
Heaven’s Door has done just that with the release of Bootleg Vol. V, an 18-year-old straight bourbon finished in Spanish rouge vermouth casks.
This annual series, first debuting in 2019 with a 26-year-old whiskey finished in Japanese Mizunara oak barrels, gets its name from Dylan’s long-running series of rare and unreleased cuts, first compiled in 1991, which many say provide incredible insight into the mind of this legendary artist.  In turn, each bottling in the Bootleg Series has been a rare and unreleased whiskey created through special blending techniques and innovative barrel finishes.
As with previous Bootleg Series releases including a 15-Year-Old straight bourbon whiskey finished in Jamaican pot still rum casks (Vol. II) and a 13-year-old Kentucky bourbon finished in Vino de Naranja casks (Vol. III), 2023’s edition likewise celebrates the intersection of...

I saw the tweet on the morning of WhiskyFest San Francisco. You know the one: the video of “scotch pods,” Glenlivet's Capsule Collection of cocktails served in edible casings made of seaweed. “We're redefining how whisky can be enjoyed,” it read. #noglassrequired.The backlash among whisky drinkers quickly supplanted the furor over the recently passed tariffs on scotch, even exceeding the outcry surrounding the release of Jane Walker in 2018. Never mind that many angry tweeters missed the point—there wasn't unadulterated Glenlivet in these pods, and they weren't going up for sale at the store. They contained whisky-based cocktails, designed by a London bartender as a special one-week promotion to highlight citrus, spice, and wood flavors. Yet scotch lovers came out in droves to express their displeasure. After the backlash came the backlash to the backlash, with other whisky drinkers calling out detractors as snobs and gatekeepers.My initial reaction was merely...

It's a fixture of nearly every introductory scotch tasting and leather-bound whisky list: the map of Scotland's whisky regions. Literally a wayfinding device, the regional map is meant to assist in navigating the diverse flavor landscape of scotch: peaty Islay, grassy Lowland, fruity Speyside, and so on. These “regional styles” are usually presented as unquestioned truth, but the reality is much less clear-cut. On the surface, regional styles are a way to quickly get oriented, but at times they can be misleading.These Scotches Embody—And Refute—Regional Identity“Regionality is quite useful for helping people to explore Scotch whisky—it's a good starting point,” says Gregg Glass, blender and whisky maker at Whyte & Mackay. Liquor stores organize scotch by region; tastings start with Lowland single malt (alleged to be light and easy) and end with Islay (heavy and peaty); and that map seems to be everywhere. But if you taste enough single malts, you'll eventually try a...

On the evening of November 5th, scotch whisky’s leading lights gathered at New York City’s Metropolitan Club for the annual dinner of the U.S. chapter of the Keepers of the Quaich, the Scotland-based society that honors and recognizes the distillers, writers, marketers, ambassadors, and evangelists of the scotch whisky industry.
The Keepers induct new members at ceremonies held twice a year at Blair Castle in Scotland. (Whisky Advocate editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken was one of the original inductees at the first Keepers ceremony in 1988.)  In addition to those two events in Scotland, the U.S. chapter holds this annual dinner, a night steeped in Scottish tradition, including haggis, bagpipes, poems, and, of course, drams.
This year, the evening started with a cocktail hour in the Metropolitan Club's Grand Hall, where tasting stations were arranged throughout the marbled space and a three-piece band played on the grand staircase as attendees sipped...

New whiskies are coming from all corners and in all styles this week.First up, Crown Royal is launching a new range of whiskies called the Blenders' Series, celebrating the art of blending. The first release, Blenders' Mash, showcases the corn-forward whisky that makes up one of Crown Royal's five key blend components. It was originally released a few weeks ago as Crown Royal Bourbon Mash, but that name didn't sit well with American distillers or the TTB, since Crown Royal is Canadian and bourbon can only be made in the U.S. Eagle-eyed whisky drinkers may still be able to spot the old label on shelves, but for the rest of us, Blenders' Mash will be widely available and cost $28.Meanwhile, Kentucky's Wilderness Trail Distillery releases its very first bourbon and rye tomorrow. The distillery was founded by two scientists who use precise and forward-thinking techniques to create whiskey—from using sweet mash to going chemical-free. The bourbon and rye—both aged at least four...

Another million-dollar Macallan has just sold at auction, but if your wallet can't handle seven figures, never fear—there's plenty of new, much more affordable whisky rolling out.Evan Williams is releasing a special 2012 vintage of its single-barrel bourbon in honor of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Evan Williams Single Barrel 2012 Vintage is 56.5% ABV and $75, and includes a 2020 Gold Pegasus pin—good for admission to many Derby events—sealed in the wax on the neck. Just 600 bottles are for sale at the Evan Williams Experience in Louisville, Kentucky.Four Gate Whiskey Co. is releasing another batch of Foundation, its 9 year, 9 month old Kentucky straight bourbon. Just 590 bottles are available, all at 60.1% ABV and $200. Details on the original release can be found here.Ardbeg has unveiled its 2020 limited-edition Committee Bottling, Ardbeg Blaaack. The pinot noir cask-finished whisky will be available in the U.S. in June, priced at $140.Luxco, parent company of Lux Row...

In recent weeks, a number of distilleries have announced major new builds. Blue Run Spirits is set to break ground on a state-of-the-art facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, while Middle West Spirits is relocating in Columbus, Ohio for 14 acres of space and a 75,000-square-foot distillery. Now, Wild Turkey has joined the mix, bringing to the table plans for an additional distillery on the Wild Turkey Distillery campus in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The $161 million facility will be capable of producing 5 million proof gallons per year, bumping annual production up to 14 million proof gallons. Completion is slated for July 2025. 
This week's new whiskies come from Scotland, California, and Kentucky. Campbeltown single malt Glen Scotia adds a 21 year old to its core lineup, Old Potrero returns with three single barrel straight ryes, and RD1 Spirits debuts two wood stave-finished bourbons. Read on for full details.
Glen Scotia 21 year old

The Summer 2020 issue of Whisky Advocate dropped earlier this week, with over 130 whisky reviews in the Buying Guide. Peruse for a few minutes and find a new bottle to try! For even more new whisky (to be reviewed soon!), keep reading.Wild Turkey is rounding out its rye portfolio with the launch of Rare Breed Rye. Always bottled at barrel proof, the initial batch is 56.1% ABV and priced at $60, available nationwide.Glenmorangie has launched the newest limited-edition single malt in its Bond House No. 1 collection. Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1996 is 23 years old, aged entirely in first-fill "bespoke" bourbon casks, and priced at $825.MGP is set to release the 2020 bottling of Remus Repeal Reserve bourbon in September. The 12 year old bourbon is priced at $85 and available in limited amounts.Walsh Whiskey is rolling out the 12th batch of The Irishman Vintage Cask. There are 3,500 bottles of the high-proof blended Irish whiskey available, with 750 coming to the U.S. at $140 each.A...

Among the latest rollouts, Heaven Hill honors its Deatsville warehousing campus with a new 13 year old bourbon, High West has unveiled the annual release of its Bourye expression, Chicken Cock has a new wheater, and Bulleit has a new bourbon whose mashbill contains a high share of mesquite-smoked malt. With Formula 1 racing season upon us, Jack Daniel’s has unveiled its latest collaborative effort with the McLaren F1 racing team, and there's much more.
 
Heaven Hill Deatsville 13 year old Bourbon
ABV: 54.5%
SRP: $200
Availability: Limited
This well-aged bourbon honors Heaven Hill’s Deatsville warehouse campus and represents a blend of 17 barrels that were matured on the third floor of Heaven Hill’s Rickhouse AA. It has a mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, the recipe Heaven Hill uses for many of its bourbons, including Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, and others. Heaven Hill acquired the warehouses in the early 1980s...

If you're planning a bourbon trip, consider Cincinnati. The Queen City sits on the Ohio River across from Kentucky, is only an hour away from most distilleries, and has a strong whiskey scene of its own.Day OneOnce you've checked in and settled down, your 48 Hours must begin standing next to a bathtub with the words “Since 1861. Arnold's Bar & Grill.” The tub is symbolic of the restaurant's Prohibition-era owner, Hugo Arnold, who allegedly made bathtub gin and sold illegal liquor to thirsty customers. Built in the late 1830s, the building is a slice of Midwestern Americana and showcases an old bar that commands the city's first right of refusal on allocated bourbons. The eclectic menu gives you an inside glimpse of Cincinnati cuisine, with noodles in its chili and the local meat-and-grain sausage called “goetta.” From Arnold's, it's time to cross the bridge and buy bourbon history in a bottle. At Liquor City Uncorked are the most-coveted bourbons of all time: 16 year old...

When it comes to a whisky for a special occasion, it’s hard to argue against a 25 year old scotch. That age statement is grand enough to thrill your guests after dinner, provide a special gift, or simply be the bottle you reach for to reward yourself after a good day. There are peated malts from Islay, sherried styles from Speyside, and luxuriously complex blends to choose from.
What you pay for a quarter-century-old scotch varies considerably. Astonishingly, for two whiskies made just eight miles apart and of the exact same proof, you can buy 17 bottles of the lowest-priced example for the same money it costs to own one bottle of the most expensive, and still get 30 bucks in change.
Due to supply squeezes of ultra-aged whiskies, distillers are more often releasing annual batch bottlings rather than permanent expressions, so not every bottling will be available all year round. A fair number of 25 year old scotches disappear from the shelves for good every year. All the...

Amid the usual fanfare of new product announcements, this week brought word of the retirement of John MacDonald, longtime manager at Balblair Distillery in the Northern Highlands. One of the great citizens of the scotch whisky world, Macdonald has overseen all aspects of whisky making at Balblair, including its recent transition from vintage-dated releases to age statement whiskies. Situated on a hillside overlooking the Dornoch Firth, Balblair is arguably Scotland’s most picturesque distillery and certainly one of its more underrated ones. It’s just up the road from its famous neighbor Glenmorangie, and while it has never achieved the fame of Glenmorangie or its other Northern Highlands neighbor, Dalmore, its whiskies are certainly on equal footing.
As for the new whisky introductions, it’s been a busy week. Things got started with the rollout of the latest Lagavulin Offerman Edition, followed by the inaugural release from Islay distillery Ardnahoe, whose...

San Francisco has always been a great place to enjoy whisky and has the history to prove it. While the inferno of the 1906 earthquake incinerated most of the city, firefighters worked overtime to save the vast whiskey warehouse of a local merchant named A.P. Hotaling. The building still stands on Jackson St., and the plaque outside displays a cheeky tribute to their effort:If, as they say, God spanked the townFor being over-frisky,Why did He burn His churches downAnd spare Hotaling's whiskey? The rest of the poetry on this tour will come in a glass. No need to rent a car, because the city is small enough to walk or hail a lift or, in true Silicon Valley style, call a ride share.Day OneIt's late morning; you've just arrived and are ready to head out on the town. First stop, the Ferry Building for a coffee at Blue Bottle. Enjoy the famous joe as you stroll in this bustling marketplace, because you're going to need the caffeine.Latte in hand, enjoy the short walk just 400 paces to the...

Examine some whiskies from Whisky Advocate's 2017 Top 20. Number 3,Wild Turkey Master's Keep Decades—a mix of bourbons aged between 10 and 20 years—costs $150. Yet number 10,Glen Moray 18 year old, comes in at just $90, while number 15, Kentucky Peerless Straight Rye—a 2 year old craft whiskey—is $125. Meanwhile, Old Rip Van Winkle 25 year old hit the market last year at $1,800, while Michter's Celebration—a 33 year old bourbon—has a recommended retail price of $5,000. They're all whiskies, made from grain and aged in barrels—so why such a massive disparity?How do companies set prices on old, limited, or in-demand whisky? Do they use some algorithm that takes into account age and quantity? Do these prices show the actual cost of production? Or is it just a guessing game by the liquor companies, trying to maximize profit on their rarest offerings?“I don't feel there's a real rhyme or reason to what they do,” says Joseph W. Mollica, chairman of the New Hampshire Liquor...

Last August, James B. Beam Distilling unveiled The Infinite, an extension of its sought-after Little Book series that put the focus on family—blending bourbons made by three Beam master distillers, including Freddie Noe, his father Fred, and his grandfather Booker. The inaugural release was well received, scoring 91 points with our tasting panel, and the distillery promised that other multi-generational blends were on the way. Each new entry would include some of the liquid from the previous batch. Now the second batch, called The Infinite Edition II, has been released. 
Edition II’s recipe starts with some liquid from Edition I—itself a blend of four straight bourbons, including a 20 year old distilled by Booker, a 14 year old made by Fred, a 7 year old distilled by Freddie, and an 8 year old that Fred and Freddie worked on together. Freddie then blended this component with three other bourbons. The first one was distilled by Booker: an ultra-aged 22...

Update December 9, 2024: The two bottles of Willett sold above the pre-sale estimate and achieved $13,750 each. The sale price includes the buyer's premiums/fees.
Nine years ago, Lexington, Kentucky-based priest Father Jim Sichko wanted to bring something that embodied the spirit of Kentucky on a trip to Vatican City to meet with Pope Francis. Sichko’s gift? Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old bourbon. The moment, predictably, went viral, and ever since, Sichko has been bringing Pope Francis rare and allocated whiskeys as gifts.
Sichko’s visit with His Holiness this past May included two rare Willett Distillery bourbons, but those bottles weren’t gifted; instead they were signed by Pope Francis and will be heading to a Sotheby’s Whisky & Whiskey auction, with all proceeds benefiting a quartet of charities. The auction opens for bidding on November 20 and will end with a live sale on December 7.
What Are the Papal Willett Distillery...

Just one month after bringing Stitzel Reserve to shelves, Diageo-owned Stitzel-Weller Distillery is unveiling another ultra-aged bourbon, this one under the I.W. Harper label. At 34 years old, the new whiskey is billed as the rarest, oldest release in I.W. Harper’s 150-year history.
I.W. Harper dates back to the 1870s, when German-Jewish immigrant brothers Isaac Wolfe (I.W.) and Bernard Bernheim opened a trading company, Bernheim Brothers, in Paducah, Kentucky and within it, launched bourbon brand I.W. Harper (the brothers believed their last name was both too German and too Jewish for an American whiskey brand, and so used the name of a popular thoroughbred breeder and trainer, John Harper).
Within a few years of its debut, the bourbon had gained fans across the country, and by 1888, the brothers had enough capital to purchase the Pleasure Ridge Park Distillery in Louisville, which they renamed Bernheim Distillery. Production of I.W. Harper continued throughout...

Want to buy a whole barrel of whiskey? Read about how to do it, and consult this guide. Bear in mind:Due to high demand, some barrel purchase programs have been placed on hold, or have long waiting lists. Begin by setting up a selection session with a participating retailer. Unsure if your favorite whisky retailer participates? Look for “private selection” picks in their bourbon aisle or contact the distilleries below to assist with finding a retailer in your area.Updated 3/30/2020Whiskey Distilleries and Brands with Single Barrel ProgramsThe whiskeys offered for private barrels change frequently. Check with the distillery for current selections.Barrell Craft Spirits—Available for bourbon and Canadian rye, as well as occasionally whiskey and rumFor more information, contact Nic Christiansen: nic@barrellbourbon.comCascade Hollow Distilling Co. (George Dickel)For more information, contact DickelBarrel@diageo.comCatoctin CreekFor more information, email info@catoctincreek.com or...

We've turned the corner into the second month of 2020, and with that transition come several new whiskies.First up, Glenmorangie is launching The Cadboll Estate, a 15 year old single malt made from barley grown on the distillery's land. It will be available in limited amounts for $85.Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay has unveiled its seventh iteration of Black Art. The vintage 1994 whisky is 25 years old, and there are 12,000 bottles available at $430 each.Ireland's Kilbeggan Distillery is debuting its first single pot still whiskey, made with 2.5% oats. The new whiskey is widely available for $45.Retired NFL player and actor Terry Bradshaw has partnered with Silver Screen Bottling Co. to debut his own Kentucky straight bourbon. Bradshaw bourbon is priced at $40, currently available online with expanded distribution at retail stores coming soon.Conecuh Brands, the company behind Clyde May's Alabama whiskey, is reviving McConnell's, a historic Irish whiskey brand. The blended whiskey...

Among the latest new releases, Ardbeg takes us back to the the turn of the new millennium with some of its first whisky made in 2000, while Glenmorangie is out with the fourth edition of its Cadboll Estate label, made from barley harvested on its estate in the Highlands. From the U.S., Iowa whiskey maker Cedar Ridge has released its first sherry finished bourbon, while Ireland's Boann Distillery makes its global debut with a trio of Irish single pot still whiskeys—two of them finished in sherry casks and the other in madeira casks. Up until now, Boann has been best known for its branded whiskey The Whistler, and also for its work with old Irish mashbill recipes, specifically its Vintage Mashbill Project, done in collaboration with Irish whiskey historian Fionan O'Connor.
 
 
Ardbeg Vintage Y2K Single Malt Scotch
ABV: 46%
SRP: $800
Availability: Ardbeg.com, the distillery visitor center, Reservebar.com, and...

Joining the ranks of Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., and several other whisky-making nations, New Zealand has published guidelines setting out the standards for its native whisky styles. Though the country's exports to the U.S. have been tiny thus far, the new rules could help.There's plenty of new whisky hitting shelves now, however. First up, the folks behind Barrell Craft Spirits have unveiled Stellum, a line of bourbon and rye, including single barrels. The whiskeys are all priced at $55 and widely available.Highland Park is rolling out its third 50 year old single malt, priced at $30,000. There are just 274 bottles available.The Spring 2021 release of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond is hitting shelves, this time at 8 years old and with a suggested price of $85. As always, it's available in limited amounts.The latest offering in Jack Daniel's Tennessee Tasters' Selection line is called 14E19 Twin Blend—a combination of Tennessee whiskey and rye. There are 24,000 375 ml bottles...

Whisky is largely defined by its place of origin. Scotch wouldn't be scotch, after all, were it not made in Scotland. Bourbon must be made in America. But as the world of whisky expands, blenders are crossing borders to craft unique whiskies—just look at these bottles, for example.Beyond melding distinct liquids into totally new whisky styles, distillers are also stepping outside their home turf to learn from each other and take inspiration from other cultures. The majority of today's big distilleries are owned by a handful of multinational drinks companies, which often collect expert whisky makers in Scotland, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Japan, and elsewhere under the same corporate umbrella. Rémy Cointreau, for example, owns Bruichladdich Distillery in Scotland, as well as Seattle's Westland Distillery. The master distillers for those two brands—Adam Hannett and Matt Hofmann, respectively—have traveled to each other's distilleries to learn and to teach.Even longtime...

With the calendar turning a new page, there are plenty of new whiskies too.First up, Buffalo Trace has bottled a single barrel of Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr. bourbon in honor of the 124th anniversary of the Bottled in Bond Act and benefiting the nonprofit Outlaw State of Kind, which was founded by musician Chris Stapleton. There are less than 100 bottles available, with the first ones auctioned through Charitybuzz.A new blended Irish whiskey is hitting shores in not just bottles, but cans too. Two Stacks comes in 4-packs of 100 ml cans for $19, as well as a traditional 750 ml bottle ($40). There's also a cask-strength version called Blender's Cut for $60.Old Elk is debuting Sour Mash Reserve straight bourbon. Priced at $90, there are just over 5,000 bottles available in the first batch.Sagamore Spirit is rolling out its latest Distiller's Select rye, finished in tequila casks. The limited-edition whiskey is $69.Proof and Wood has partnered with bar owner Rob Morton to release Idle Hands...

Jamar Mack has bourbon in his bones. He recalls “smelling mash being fermented before I even knew what bourbon was,” while growing up three blocks from Brown-Forman's Louisville headquarters. He's since developed a passion for Kentucky's famed spirit, continuing the tradition of his grandfather who “drank Early Times ‘til the day he died.”
In 2017, Mack and a couple of fellow bourbon lovers banded together to form Kentucky's Original Black Bourbon Enthusiasts (KOBBE), looking to fulfill a need: In Kentucky at the time, “there was no group that was truly welcoming people of color,” Mack explains. KOBBE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing African American participation in the bourbon community. Their philanthropic endeavors include giving back to low-income Louisville communities and raising funds by auctioning prized bottles. The group's stated mission—“Drink good bourbon, keep good company, do good...

Driving down the road, you pass Rob Cameron’s work every day. The 39 year old is a design manager for a major Detroit automotive manufacturer, overseeing a team of five designers and a sculpting group to develop future automobiles. While his impressive designs may be parked in your very own driveway, you’ll definitely be interested in displaying his stunning side hustle in your bar.
At the height of the pandemic, while on paternity leave for the birth of his second daughter, Cameron needed a creative outlet more than ever. Hunkered down in his home office in the idle hours after the kids were bedded down resulted in extra pours from his collection of 200-plus bottles of whisky. Eying a bottle of Mayor Pingree’s Black Label 13 year old bourbon, he sketched it out one night.
“I love Mayor Pingree,” Cameron says of Valentine Distilling’s offering. “It’s a Detroit whiskey— it’s sourced, but aged in Michigan. It’s...

With the click of a mouse, the first million-dollar whisky has been sold at an online whisky auction. The bottle of rare Macallan was the highlight of The Perfect Collection Part One by Whisky Auctioneer, an estate sale of nearly 4,000 bottles, split into two sales, that has the potential to become the greatest whisky auction of all time. A European buyer paid a record $1,180,703, including premiums, for the 1926 Macallan Valerio Adami 60 year old on February 17, 2020, setting a record for Scotland's most expensive whisky ever auctioned. It's also the sixth standard-sized whisky bottle ever to achieve $1 million at auction, and the third-highest auction price ever achieved for a bottle of whisky. Even with the lower premiums charged by online whisky auction houses, this sale unambiguously surpassed the previous record for the Valerio Adami bottle, set in 2018.Whisky Auctioneer's New Record For 1926 Macallan Valerio Adami 60 year old* Calculated using historical currency tables at...

Whiskey distillers come from all walks of life, including the armed services. And for many veterans, making whiskey isn't just a passion—it's a way to use skills gained during their service, to employ their brothers and sisters in arms, and to give back to their communities. “Transitioning veterans need a good support system, especially if they are battling disability or PTSD,” explains Jason Justice, founder of Justice Label Distillery in Sinton, Texas.A PTSD sufferer himself, Justice understands the importance of such support. He currently employs three veterans part-time. “I have had success placing these individuals into roles that they can learn from and develop skills to succeed,” he says. “Giving them direction and a challenge is as rewarding to them as it is for me.” For Justice, both distilling and military service run in the family. His father is a retired Army First Sergeant and his grandfather "Papaw”—who once made moonshine—retired from the Navy after...

Kentucky whiskey fans need not fear—private barrel picks from the state's distilleries are here to stay. Earlier this year, the practice of having retailers, restaurateurs, bars, and clubs select their own special barrels from Kentucky distilleries suddenly came under scrutiny, as the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board ruled that the practice had no statutory authorization—meaning it wasn't clear that private barrel selections were entirely legal.Of course, Kentucky distillers had been running private barrel programs for years—some of them for decades—and in recent years private barrel selections have become a hot item at retail. So when this issue was called into question, the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA) sprang into action. Ultimately the group worked with state lawmakers to draw up new legislation—HB 500—that not only made private barrel programs fully legal, but also enhanced their role.

Jimmy and Eddie Russell are...

No matter what's going on in the world, the certainty that there will be new whiskies to look for stands firm. And so it is this week!First up, Crown Royal is rolling out the latest release in the Noble Collection, a 16 year old rye. The limited-edition whisky is priced at $70.Nikka has overhauled the recipe for Taketsuru Pure Malt while also updating the bottle. Priced at $80, the blended malt is widely available.Indian single malt brand Rampur has a new release, finished in Indian cabernet sauvignon casks. Rampur Asava is priced at $90 and widely available.Widow Jane is offering a higher-proof version of its 10 year old blended straight bourbon, with proceeds going to support hospitality workers and their families. Called "You'll Never Walk Alone," the whiskey is priced at $90, with 3,300 bottles available.Barrell has unveiled a Private Release series of single-cask bourbons, each with a unique microblend. The whiskeys are limited edition, with a recommended price of...

Last weekend, our sister publication Cigar Aficionado's Big Smoke event teamed up with WhiskyFest to stage "Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest", a combined extravaganza at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. It was a day filled with exquisite cigars, world-class whisky, and great company, with over two thousand cigar and whisky fans in attendance. Tonight, WhiskyFest will be held in Chicago, then hit New York on November 11 before wrapping in San Francisco on December 3.As for this week's new whiskies, Johnnie Walker offers a blend made with a sky-high percentage of rye in the mashbill, Jack Daniel's has a new expression from its single barrel series, and Angel's Envy celebrates the 10th anniversary of its annual cask-strength port-finished bourbon release.Johnnie Walker High RyeStyle: Blended whiskyOrigin: ScotlandAge: Not statedABV: 45%Price: $35Release: November 2021Availability: NationwideNeed to know:This whisky, which will be a core offering from Johnnie...

As we roll toward the July 4th weekend, there's plenty of Americana among this current crop of new releases. Separately, we've also put together a list of whiskeys that capture the spirit of July 4th, many through their part in the American story. As for this group, we have new expressions of the long-standing Michter's Legacy Series, a toasted barrel whiskey from Old Potrero and a toasted barrel bourbon from Peerless, a barrel proof rye from E.H. Taylor, and a new Babe Ruth commemorative edition from George Remus. From Scotland, we have another wine cask finished item from Glenmorangie, this one aged 23  years.
Not listed here is the partnership between Oregon-based Pendleton Whisky and the Bob Woodruff Foundation, a collaboration that began in 2021 and has just released a new Military Edition label to honor and support our veterans. A portion of every bottle sold (up to $100,000) will go to support veterans programs around the nation. The Bob...

Selecting a gift for the whisky lover in your life can be tricky, given the range of styles and whether their bar cart is already fully stocked with their favorite bottles. So, we’ve rounded up an array of accessories, gadgets, sweet treats, and cocktail kits (whiskey included) to make for some unique gifts this year. There’s even a Western-themed gift for the tequila lover. Of course, you can always check online stores of your recipient's favorite distillery.
If it's a great whisky you’re after, there is no shortage of excellent options in our Top 20 list. An ultimate gift guide of our favorite whiskies this year, it considers affordability, availability, and special appeal. 
Gifts With a Personal Touch
Elijah Craig Char No. 3 Cologne
Elijah Craig is extending its bourbon beyond sipping, crossing into the realm of men’s fragrance. No. 3 Cologne was designed to emulate the sensory experience of the label’s bourbon. Crafted from...

Gathering with friends to taste and discuss a flight of drams from around the world may be the best kind of classroom there is. But to truly deepen your appreciation for a whisky, going to the source—taking a field trip to the place where the liquid originated—is unmatched. So rally your club, pack a lunch, and get out there! Just remember to bring a signed permission slip.Go On A Pub CrawlA pub crawl may bring to mind stumbling bar-goers donning shamrock gear, but for a group of discriminating whisky fans, a well-organized bar tour can be a great outing. Organizing a crawl of your town's best whisky-focused establishments is a simple and fun way to shake up your club's routine.How To Plan a Pub Crawl for Your Whisky ClubTackle a Whisky TrailTouring a whisky trail at home or abroad is a rite of passage for any whisky enthusiast—and like most things, more fun with friends. If planning a whisky trail tour yourself seems too daunting, seek out help from one of many touring...

Anytime a bottle of The Macallan The Reach 81 year old sells at auction, it has the potential to bring one of the highest hammer prices of the year. This month, two auction houses sold bottles of The Reach on the same day. Both achieved almost identical prices—certainly less than a dram between them, with the conversion to dollars putting Sotheby’s, Hong Kong sale of $191,609 slightly ahead of England-based WVA Whisky Auctions’ hammer price of $189,859. Aside from Macallan, it’s also shaping up to be a good month for Karuizawa with several sales claiming potential slots in this month’s 20-highest hammer prices. Meanwhile, the 19 lots donated to the Demeter Collection raised $53,290 at Whisky Auctioneer for funds for the OurWhisky Foundation. The highest bid in the collection was $15,187 for a bottle of Dalmore 1979 44 year old, one of only two in existence.
Sotheby’s, Hong Kong
Auction ended April 2nd


Scotch: Macallan The...

After being established more than 150 years ago, Yellowstone Bourbon continues to keep things fresh. Founded in 1872, created to honor America’s first national park, the brand is, for the first time, offering twists to its world-class historic formula. 
The Special Finishes Collection launched in October of 2023 with bourbons that have seen secondary maturation in other types of casks and wood staves. 
First, came Toasted, a 100 proof, four-year-old bourbon, which recently received a Double Gold award at the 2024 San Francisco Wine Spirits Competition. Crafted using the same, heritage Yellowstone Bourbon mashbill, a flavorful blend of High Toast, American Oak, Double Toast, Rickhouse, High Vanilla and Spicerack staves were mixed with the Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey for added complexity. The result is a bourbon that explodes with toasted caramel, vanilla, and fall spices on the nose, before ushering in a palate of walnut, toffee, black tea, and white...

If you're hosting holiday celebrations this weekend, we have some tips and tricks for making the most of your party, as well as some batched holiday cocktail recipes that are sure to delight guests. If you're a last-minute gift buyer, look to our holiday gift guide for inspiration—while not all on the list may be available this late in the game, some are certainly still up for grabs. Happy holidays from us to you! 
Toward the end of the year, new whisky releases slow to a trickle, but there are still some interesting arrivals. Kentucky Owl returns with its final release of 2022; Irish label Writers' Tears debuts a sherry-finished single malt; and The Glenturret partners with Lalique once again for the second release in its Trinity Series. Read on for full details.

Kentucky Owl Batch #12Style: Straight bourbonOrigin: KentuckyAge: Not statedABV: 57.%Price: $400Release: December 2022Availability: Limited
Need to...

Whisky auctions can open the door to a world of whiskies you never dreamed you would taste. While auctions may seem daunting at first, once you familiarize yourself with the process—from reserve prices to buyer's premiums—you'll be bidding like a pro in no time. Use this guide to get started at both online and live auctions. Good luck!Get Familiar With What's Out ThereWhisky auctions have flourished online over the past decade, though the major name legacy auction houses still host the impressive spectacle of the auctioneer cajoling bids before bringing the gavel thumping down with aplomb. Online auctions offer the newcomer the discretion of round-the-clock bidding from the relative anonymity of a computer, tablet, or phone, sidestepping the need for familiarity with the rituals and conventions of the saleroom.Browse different auction websites to look at the type of bottles you could acquire. (Get full details on Where to Buy, the 10 Most Collectible Distilleries, and Great...

The biggest news of the week was the reveal of Whisky Advocate's Whisky of the Year and full Top 20 awards—a list that has something for everyone. Be sure to check it out! And then keep reading to discover the week's newest whiskies.First up, Balvenie has crafted a new 50 year old single malt, priced at $38,000. Just 110 bottles are available worldwide.Compass Box is rolling out its Myths & Legends trio in the U.S. The series includes two single malts and one blended malt scotch, all priced at $150 apiece; availability is around 4,400 bottles of each variant.Clyde May's is re-releasing its cask-strength expression with an added year of age. There are 3,000 bottles of Clyde May's 11 year old Cask Strength, priced at $120.Royal Salute has debuted a blended grain whisky, the Snow Polo Edition. It's available at travel retail for $155.High West is launching a single malt whiskey (sort of) that's all made in-house. Initially for sale in Utah for $80, it will go national in 2021.Wigle...

If you're whipping up cocktails this summer and putting orange juice to use, we have some recipes that let you go beyond the classic Blood and Sand, and use practically any style of whisky. And there are plenty of new whiskies to play around with from this week's Whisky Weekend lineup, including the return of Glenmorangie's single estate single malt, a finished rye from WhistlePig, a single grain scotch from Loch Lomond, and more. Read on for full details.Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate Batch #2Style: Single maltOrigin: Scotland (Highlands)Age: 15 year oldABV: 43%Price: $85Release: July 2021Availability: LimitedNeed to know:This is the second edition of Glenmorangie’s single estate whisky—made entirely from barley grown on its Cadboll Estate, which surrounds the distillery, and matured onsite. Like the first edition, this whisky was finished in American oak bourbon barrels.Whisky Advocate says:Cadboll Estate Batch #1 came out swinging, as it earned the No. 13 spot on our Top 20...

This week came word of a new Dickel Bottled in Bond (BIB) release, a welcome return after its last sighting in September of 2022. These Dickel BIB releases, which first appeared in 2019,  are of a quality that vaulted the once-maligned Dickel back into the American whiskey game. Its price has crept up to $45 from the 2019 level of $35, but folks, this is still an unbelievable deal for a beautifully aged American whiskey. Elsewhere around the  American whiskey scene, Basil Hayden is back with a second release of its Subtle Smoke expression, which uses hickory smoke infused barrels. Barrell has a new mizunara finished bourbon, and  Seattle's Copperworks Distilling Co. is out with three new single malts, albeit in very limited quantities. And from Scotlland, single malt maker Aberfeldy has ventured into Bordeaux for the latest effort in its wine cask-finishing work. Read on.
Aberfeldy Limited Edition 15 Year Old Cadillac White Wine...

Scotch whisky makers might once have had a reputation for being staid, tweedy, and hidebound, but in the modern era they're anything but. Last week we reported on the releases of Arbeg Y2K and Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate, and now we have a new Laphroaig experimental expression in Elements 2.0, as well as two new releases in Balvenie's Collection of Curious Casks—the latter quite limited, as seems to be the case all too often these days. For the high rollers, there's also a new 40 year old expression of Brora, a distillery exclusive of only 150 bottles, each priced at a cool $1,650. This release comes just past the third anniversary of Brora's reopening in the Northern Highlands. Scotch whisky lovers, perk up your ears: the distillate made at the new Brora right after it opened is now 3 years old, officially making it whisky. Diageo will keep it in the cellar for a long time to come. But if you travel to Scotland and visit the...

The whiskey brand co-founded by Bob Dylan, Heaven's Door, announced that it has a few more bottles of its 10 year old Tennessee bourbon for sale, priced at $130. In addition, there's another limited-edition offering coming: a 25 year old whiskey finished in mizunara oak casks. The first release in The Bootleg Series, this whiskey will come out later in 2019, priced at $500. We'll provide more details as they become available.If you're looking for new whiskies to buy now, however, you're in the right place. First up, Glenmorangie has changed the recipe for Quinta Ruban, adding two years to its age statement. The single malt will now age for about 12 years in bourbon casks, before a roughly 2-year finishing period in port casks. The price, however, stays the same at $55, and it will be as widely available as before. Simultaneously, Glenmorangie has updated the packaging for Lasanta to better highlight its 12 year old age statement.The Orphan Barrel range of "forgotten" whiskies has...

Indiana's MGP Distillery will launch its first bottled in bond bourbon this November under the George Remus label. The whiskey's end-of-year debut coincides with the 100thanniversary of the enactment of the Volstead Act, which carried out the 18th Amendment outlawing alcohol production and distribution in the United States.Remus Volstead Reserve straight bourbon was distilled in the fall season (July-December) of 2005 and matured in MGP's brick warehouses in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Like all bottled in bond whiskeys, it is 50% ABV. However, at 14 years of age, it far exceeds the minimum 4 years required for bottled in bond whiskey. The bourbon is packaged in a decanter bottle and commemorative box designed to evoke the Art Deco era of Prohibition, when namesake George Remus operated a notorious bootlegging ring. Preliminary tasting notes reveal aromas of honey-roasted peanuts and pecans, blueberry-pomegranate juice, and baking spice. The palate is soft and fruit-forward, with chocolate...

If you have extra Halloween candy lying around (or you're raiding the kids' stash), take advantage of the excellent pairing opportunity by matching it with some whisky. (Check out our suggestions here.) Then read all about this week's new releases, starting with some old bourbons.Michter's is rolling out the 2019 batch of its 20 year old bourbon. Retail-priced at $700, it's available in limited amounts.Meanwhile, Buffalo Trace has debuted the 1994 vintage of O.F.C. bourbon. The limited-edition whiskey is priced at $2,500, with 1,085 bottles available.GlenDronach Distillery is also releasing a 1993 vintage whisky, although this is, of course, a single malt scotch, priced at $350. Concurrently, GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 8 is rolling out, priced at $95. Both whiskies are available in limited amounts.Westward Whiskey from Portland, Oregon is launching a stout cask-finished single malt. Priced at $90, the whiskey will be available as a permanent line extension.Scotland's Glencadam...

WhiskyFest Chicago is right around the corner—the first WhiskyFest of 2018 takes place on March 23rd at the Hyatt Regency, in the heart of Chicago's Loop. With hundreds of whiskies on offer, there will be no shortage of amazing pours to try, from scotch to Irish to Japanese whisky. And if you're a bourbon lover, you're in for a treat—WhiskyFest Chicago will have dozens of great bourbons, including rare and highly aged offerings and the latest batch of Whisky Advocate's 2017 Whisky of the Year. Here's where to get started.These offerings are just the beginning—be sure to check out the full list of pours and the lineup of free seminars. And read our tips for navigating WhiskyFest like a pro. If you don't have your tickets yet, it's not too late. And if you do, start drawing up your cheat sheet now!Buffalo TraceOne of your first bourbon stops should be the Buffalo Trace table, where you can enjoy pours of most of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection—Eagle Rare 17 year old...

There are many drinks to toast St. Patrick's Day, but whiskey is, of course, our choice. At home, you could pour a healthy dram, make an Irish whiskey cocktail, or craft your own perfect Irish Coffee.Some big brands are offering ways to celebrate the holiday beyond the comfort of your own couch. In partnership with musician Anderson .Paak, Jameson will buy a drink for bar patrons who use the hashtag #lovethybar and share a photo on Facebook Messenger. Tullamore D.E.W., meanwhile, is inviting everyone to be Irish for the day—no matter their national heritage—with customizable shirts that transform any last name into an Irish-sounding name. I, for example, would be Ted O'Simmons. You can learn more and purchase your own shirt at oeveryone.com.Most of us whiskey lovers will celebrate the holiday with a dram of great Irish whiskey, and there's no better occasion to try a new bottle. Whether you like single malts, single pot still, or blends, there's something exciting to try right...

When buying a gift for a whisky lover, the easiest—and most appreciated—option is simply to buy a bottle of special bourbon, scotch, or Irish whiskey. With Father's Day coming up, whisky-drinking dads are no doubt hoping that their kids or partners will be presenting them with a tall, slim-necked package to enjoy neat or on the rocks. If you're looking for a way to make a gift bottle extra special, however, you can personalize it through custom labeling or engraving. Here are several options to make Dad's dram a little more memorable.
Get A Free Custom Label From Speyburn or Woodford Reserve
Speyburn offers some of the best value in single malt scotch, from Bradan Orach ($20) to the recently released 15 year old ($65). This year, the distillery is offering a free custom label to anyone who buys a bottle of Speyburn 10 year old, 15 year old, Arranta Casks, or Companion Cask (available at select retailers) before June 30th. (After June 3rd, delivery is not guaranteed...

When David Jennings was in college, he didn't particularly like Wild Turkey: It was the inexpensive stuff, a shooter to throw back before going out, something to mix with Coke. So he was as surprised as anyone to discover a few years ago that, actually, Wild Turkey is delicious. That realization has led him down a life-changing path to extreme fandom, which has so far yielded a successful blog, a book, and a following of paying Patreon supporters called Russell's Renegades who get access to Jennings' private barrel picks and other benefits.It all started around 2013 with a pint of Wild Turkey 101 that Jennings bought on a whim. He was just getting into whiskey seriously and wanted to try something new—or retry it, years after his first casual tastes—to potentially review on Reddit. “In my mind I'm thinking this is going to be bottom-shelf whiskey,” he says, “and it ends up tasting really good.”Although Jennings was surprised, his newfound appreciation kick-started his...

A quarter of British people don’t do anything spontaneously, and 40 percent of Brits won’t pick up unexpected calls from unknown numbers. Buffalo Trace Distillery wants to see if this data (pulled from a survey it commissioned) is accurate, so it installed a rebranded British phone booth in the Covent Garden neighborhood of London, steps from its Buffalo Trace Distillery London, a new brand center and "immersive experience" where visitors can, taste, buy, and learn all about Buffalo Trace's whiskeys. This weekend only, May 4th and May 5th, passersby who hear the phone ring and pick up the call will be rewarded with a very rare and VIP tasting flight, which will include some of the most coveted Buffalo Trace products. 
Buffalo Trace Distillery London officially opens Monday, May 6th, 2024, but anyone who picks up the call (and a friend) will immediately be whisked inside the place, ahead of the public opening. There, these lucky...

Single malt dominated the million-dollar list of the 20-highest hammer prices at auction in July, which produced a combined value of $1,017,291. For the second month in a row, this total outperformed the equivalent period from last year. With impressive performances from Macallan and Yamazaki in particular, the value of the 20 hammer prices was up 8.2% compared to July 2023. As noted in our mid-month report, July also produced a new highest single bottle hammer price for 2024 with the sale of a bottle of Yamazaki 55 year old at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong. It could have been even higher, however, as Whisky Hammer had another bottle of the Yamazaki for sale at the end of July. Despite bids exceeding $225,000, it failed to reach its reserve price.
While only one bourbon made July’s list, the prospects for August look better. This week’s Unicorn Auctions is a big one, with a huge array of dusties including over 1,000 bottles of bourbon. The list includes deep...

Welcome to the first auction update of 2026. We’ve hit the reset button after a remarkable 2025, and we’re looking forward to tracking the rarities that will come up for sale in 2026. Many online auctioneers paused for the holidays but kept live auctions running through the New Year, while Sotheby’s The Great American Whiskey Collection promises to be the most notable auction event of the month. Whisky Auctioneer has already delivered a crop of contenders for this month’s 20-highest hammer price list; Dalmore Constellation Collection 1964 46 year old achieved $67,622, the highest hammer price of the sale, but in addition, Macallan x Bentley Horizon took $33,811, and Samaroli Tormore 1966 Sherry Wood set a new distillery record with a winning bid of $27,049.
Elsewhere, Macallan Select Reserve 1946 52 year old fetched $16,839 at Whisky Online Auctions, and a bottle of Highland Park 50 year old 2018 Release, rated 95 points, sold for $15,736 at...

Memorial Day is on Monday, May 28, and if you're looking to show your support of our nation's armed services through whisky, look into some of the distilleries founded and run by veterans. You may just find your new favorite bourbon, rye, or corn whiskey.Or check out this week's newest whiskies. Smooth Ambler has unveiled Big Level, a 5 year old wheated bourbon made entirely at the West Virginia Distllery. Smooth Ambler had previously released a wheater, and this whiskey is made with the same mashbill, process, and barrels, but, according to director of sales John Foster, the team has "gotten better at divining the best of our own-make." Big Level—which is named for the area of West Virginia where Smooth Ambler is located—is 100 proof and costs $55. It's distributed in around 26 states currently.Next up, Old Carter Whiskey Co. is rolling out its second batch of rye, after Batch 1 (released in early March) sold out. Founded by Mark and Sherri Carter—who were previously partners...

Whether you’re a fan of neat bourbon or scotch on the rocks, there’s a great whiskey (or whisky) cocktail you’ll love. We’ve got variations on classics including the Old Fashioned, Sazarac, Manhattan, Irish Coffee, this spin on the Rob Roy, and more, plus newer cocktails, like this Paper Plane makeover. 
Whether your whiskey preference is bourbon, rye, Irish, scotch, Japanese, or a world whisky, there’s something on our list for every palate. There are plenty of options for refreshing summer whisky drinks as well as fireside sippers and cocktails that are perfect for the holidays or winter months when you want to warm up with whiskey. Looking for special occasion whiskies? We have you covered with suggestions for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and beyond. Or check out these entertaining with whisky ideas.
Our list spans the flavor gamut, too, with options for those who like cocktails sweet or floral to spicy and complex...

The Paper Plane cocktail is rapidly moving from a deep cut, rarely ordered imbibe to a menu mainstay. And for good reason: It’s positively delicious and has infinite riffs.
When I stumbled upon the Paper Plane a few years back, I sought a refreshing cocktail that was bourbon-forward, but not so much that it overpowered the glass, and something that I could have several rounds of without burning out my palate or overdosing on cloying sweetness. It was love at first sip. A punch of bourbon, a fair amount of tartness, and just a soupçon of sweetness; heaven in a coupe.
The fun part about this equal-parts drink? Due to the endless customization options, you can keep tweaking the recipe to suit any desired flavor profile. You’ll never get tired of trying another iteration, seeing how those new additions move the overall flavor of the cocktail.
I’ve spent the last few years trying Paper Planes at every bar I visit, across seven countries and more...

While no one would argue that simply getting a group together to sample and enjoy whiskies is a bad time, adding a focus can make it a much better time. Fresh, fun ideas will give your club's next tasting a clear focal point, and ensure everyone has a blast.“
The easiest and most common is for us to rally around a specific distillery,” says Josh Peters, a longtime member of several Los Angeles-area clubs, like Malt Nuts and the Southern California Whiskey Club (SCWC). And while there's no shortage of distilleries, he finds that slightly more “out there” tasting themes offer a welcome change of pace. Peters says core club members bounce ideas back and forth throughout the year to come up with creative and educational programming that brings whisky to life in new ways.
“When we have clear, interesting themes we sell out the events in under 24 hours,” he notes. “When the theme is a bit ambiguous or too similar to something we've done...

This week brings a mixed bag of new whiskies, from limited-edition scotch to a whole range of Japanese blended malts and a couple of craft whiskeys.Ardbeg is releasing a well-aged single malt called Twenty Something. Available in limited quantities for the Ardbeg Committee and at U.S. retailers, Twenty Something costs $550 and is made up of whiskies aged at least 23 years. This is remarkable not only because of its age, but because Ardbeg Distillery operated very infrequently during the 1980s and '90s, even closing down completely between 1981 and 1989. So stocks this old are tiny, and this whisky celebrates the fact that Ardbeg persisted even during the lean years—and thrives today.Meanwhile, fellow Islay distillery Laphroaig is rolling out a 27 year old expression, priced at a hefty $750. The whisky is available in limited quantities, but guaranteed to be on shelves through at least the end of this year.Several new Japanese whiskies are launching right now. Kurayoshi is a new line...

Summer is officially upon us, as of June 21, and there are lots of new whiskies to celebrate that occasion. In fact, Highland Park's latest release specifically honors the longest day of the year, and the lengthy daylight hours that occur in the Orkney Islands during the summer months. Highland Park The Light is a counterpart to The Dark, which came out last December. Aged only in refill American oak sherry casks, it is 17 years old and costs $300, with 4,500 bottles available in the U.S.Meanwhile, the newest Booker's bourbon is named Backyard BBQ, commemorating the cookouts Booker Noe would host for friends and family. Available in limited amounts around the country, it costs $70-$75.Michter's is rolling out the 2018 batch of its 10 year old single barrel rye, a consistently high-scoring whiskey that can be tough to find. At $160 a bottle, it frequently shows up on the secondary market at higher prices; if you find one on the shelf at recommended retail price, consider yourself...

Though rum is often seen as a spirit of the high seas, whisky can sometimes make that claim as well. In one way or another, ships have long played an active role in the whisky world. European distillers, of course, needed sailing ships to transport their wares to faraway markets that couldn’t be reached by horse and wagon. By the 1800s, American rye and bourbon barrels were often loaded aboard riverboats and steamships to be shipped to buyers across the country along various rivers and water routes. As Prohibition descended upon America in the 1920s, smugglers stayed one step ahead of the law by turning to the water, using watercraft to haul Canadian whisky across the Great Lakes and also to the West Coast and southern ports like New Orleans. 
In the modern world, some distillers believe a whisky that spends time on a ship can age differently—and taste better. They’ve turned to ships not out of necessity but as a stylistic alternative to warehouse...

It's Friday the 13th, but don't get spooked—this week's new whiskeys are all perfectly normal. In fact, Diageo just announced news of its 2018 Special Releases—most of them, that is.First up, Wild Turkey has announced a new, permanently available bourbon called Longbranch, which master distiller Eddie Russell made in partnership with creative director (and film actor) Matthew McConaughey. It's 8 years old and filtered through both American white oak and mesquite charcoals, and it costs $40. Since McConaughey's stamp of approval is on it, I'm guessing this whiskey is all right, all right, all right (or even better than that).Balvenie Distillery debuted DoubleWood 12 year old in 1993, and in celebration of its 25th anniversary, the company is rolling out limited-edition packaging. While the liquid inside is the same as in any other bottle, Balvenie also plans to release a 25 year old DoubleWood later this year.Blade and Bow is returning with its 22 year old bourbon for the fourth...

Holiday gifting-giving can be a stressful experience, especially if you're buying for a whisky drinker with persnickety tastes. Whisky Advocate'sBuying Guide can provide excellent recommendations for the right bourbon, scotch, or other whisky in a variety of price ranges, as can our many whisky lists.But while a bottle is always a welcome gift (particularly if it's so well-decorated you don't need to wrap it, like Hibiki Japanese Harmony's special anniversary edition), you may want to extend beyond the obvious and bestow something more special. Whisky Advocate is here to help with this list of suggestions that range from the practical (shatter-proof glassware) to the utterly frivolous (cocktail glitter dust). (We can also recommend some greatstocking-stuffer items, and a host of new whisky books.)Whether you're trying to find the perfect gift for the whisky lover in your life—or you are the whisky lover and making your own wish list—this list has something for everyone...

Christmas is nearly upon us, but there's still time to buy a whisky gift or two if you hurry—our gift guide makes recommendations both large and small.If whisky-related accoutrements aren't enough, however, there are many new whiskies coming out that will provide delicious excitement—that is, if you can afford them. This week, there are four whiskies aged for at least a half-century, and several others with advanced double-digit ages as well. The prices on these bottles vary widely, although, of course, none are inexpensive. (If you're wondering why whiskies of similar ages can be priced so differently, you're not alone. We explored the dynamics of luxury whisky pricing, and found a whole world of variables.)Two super-aged bottles from Macallan lead the pack. The Macallan 52 year old clocks in a whopping $53,500, while its younger sibling, the Fine & Rare Vintage 1978, is 40 years old and costs quite a bit less—$11,750. Naturally, both whiskies are available in very limited...

Wondering which whiskies are most flipped, sold, or traded on the secondary market? We scoured a half-dozen private Facebook and MeWe groups to compile this list, averaging the various prices at which the bottles sold. To get a better understanding of how and why these bottles are so in-demand, check out our exclusive report that goes deep into the world black market bourbon.Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 year old Bourbon (Lot B)MSRP: $80Secondary Market Price: $525 The poster child for whiskey flipping due to its rarity and high demand. The prevalence of counterfeits often requires multiple photos, showcasing fill level, laser code, and foil seals.W. L. Weller 12 year old BourbonMSRP: $37Secondary Market Price: $150 The potential margins on this bottle are generous and, given the scattered national allocation, people in some regions where it isn't distributed will pay as much as $200.Blanton's Single Barrel BourbonMSRP: $60Secondary Market Price: $120+Depending on the date it was...

Traveller whiskey, the brand from Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace, will air a Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, joining the ranks of only a handful of whisky brands that have ever been on-screen for the big game—Crown Royal, Jack Daniel's, and Uncle Nearest being the others. But the big news this week is that Four Roses will join the portfolio of E&J Gallo, a move that surprised most observers. Meanwhile, Barrell Craft Spirits has become another company to dial back production with the decision to sell its Jeffersonville, Kentucky facility, where it had moved as part of a major expansion project back in 2023. Elsewhere, there's Jeptha Creed's rising visitor traffic, Christie's unusual Karuizawa cask auction, and more.  

Traveller Takes To The Airwaves For Super Bowl
Traveller, the whiskey from Sazerac and country music superstar Chris Stapleton, will air a 30-second slot during the Super Bowl. Slated to appear...

Normally at this time of year, there would be lots of new bourbons to share, as the Kentucky Derby kicks off summertime sipping season on the first Saturday of May. But with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, new releases have slowed down, and even the Derby has been postponed until September. (There are still a ton of "Virtual Derby" events happening tomorrow, including cocktail and bourbon education from the folks at Woodford Reserve. And you can still make a delicious Mint Julep at home.)Nevertheless, even a handful of new whiskies is better than none at all, and there are several exciting offerings to look for now. First up, a new brand called The Clover, honoring golfer Bobby Jones, is launching widely. The lineup features single-barrel bourbon ($50), rye ($50), and 10 year old Tennessee whiskey ($70), available in about 20 states.Baltimore-based Sagamore Spirit has unveiled a new range of beer barrel-finished ryes, starting with one finished in Sierra Nevada casks. Sagamore Spirit...

Walk into a trendy bar and you’re bound to find a cocktail touting “fat-washed” as a seductive descriptor, and for a good reason. Fat-washing, popular with mixologists, yields incredibly rich flavors in cocktails. Infusing fats such as coconut oil, bacon, or butter into a liquor lends incredible depth and mouthfeel and can do the same for desserts.
This recipe incorporates both the fat-washed bourbon and the residual bourbon-infused browned butter in a moist almond-based cake. Enrobed in a silky bourbon-vanilla bean buttercream, this richly flavored but lightly textured dessert exhibits subtle toffee and caramel notes. It also acts as a blank canvas for other flavor combinations to highlight fat-washing as an approachable method to elevate the humble layer cake. This cake is a great backdrop for a variety of fall flavors and fillings: Homemade or store-bought pumpkin butter marries beautifully with the toffee notes of browned butter and brown sugar and mellows...

Fall is right around the corner, which means lots of new whisky is about to hit shelves—including many limited-edition bottles. Diageo released full details for its 2017 Special Release collection—which, for the first time, includes a blended malt using whisky from all 28 of the company's active malt distilleries—and Old Forester has announced this year's Birthday Bourbon. Full details are below, but know this: There are two versions of Birthday Bourbon this year, each bottled at a different proof. Certain states will get one or the other proof, while Kentucky will get both.Also coming out this week: the first expression of Port Askaig available in the U.S. The Port Askaig brand brand is a series of single malts from undisclosed Islay distilleries, and past expressions have received a range of scores from Whisky Advocate reviewers. We look forward to trying this new one.In addition, The Dalmore is making its 25 year old single malt available for purchase at retail for the first...

After more than 20 successful years in the country music industry, singer-songwriter Dierks Bentley is trying his hand at a new venture: bourbon. A longtime whiskey drinker, Bentley launches his Row 94 whiskey label today. It’s been a passion project for Bentley, and one he’s spent a couple of years working on through a partnership with Green River Distilling in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Row 94 debuts with this straight bourbon, which features a high-rye mashbill (70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley) and is bottled at 47% ABV (94 proof, a tie-in to the brand name). It’s aged for 4 years in new white oak barrels with a No. 4 char. Row 94 ($40) initially launches in Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, and row94whiskey.com, with additional states expected in 2025.
For Bentley, the parallels between country music and whiskey made the transition to bourbon-making feel natural. In an exclusive interview with Whisky Advocate, Bentley noted that whiskey...

Whisky will never qualify as a sports drink, but that shouldn't limit your barroom sipping to leather couches and cozy firesides. A fine dram can be made even more exhilarating by bowling a strike, putting a hole-in-one, or even heaving an ax at a target. We've rounded up a handful of bars that offer activities guaranteed to get you moving and encourage some friendly competition, each offering a respectable selection of whiskies—whether neat or in a cocktail.This article was originally published in October 2019. COVID-related restrictions may affect some of the opening times and offerings of these venues, so check in advance of a visit.Bowl some old-school strikesPinewood Social—Nashville, Tenn.This industrial-looking bar and restaurant offers Southern comfort fare, craft beer, and six vintage bowling lanes. The solid whisky list includes American, Japanese, Irish, and scotch, ranging in price from $9 to $63 for a two-ounce pour. Each lane accommodates groups of up to eight people...

Sotheby’s kicks off its Weekend of Whisky today, and it’s an event that could bring the first million-dollar bottle of whisky to auction in over two years (see below). Rare scotch and Japanese whiskies will be sold in London over two days, with Sotheby’s valuing these precious bottles at $4.1million – $5.8million. Today’s sale (November 17th) is called “Kodawari | The Greatest Japanese Whisky Collection Part I,” and features a bottle of Karuizawa 1960 52 year old ‘Daikoku God’ (Est. $320,000–$430,000). Each bottling in this series released in 2013 featured a unique netsuke, and these Karuizawa have previously set the record for the most expensive standard sized bottle of whisky at auction. The sale includes 272 lots of rare Japanese whiskies from Hanyu, Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, and Yoichi, as well as over 160 lots of Karuizawa. Then on November 18th, Sotheby’s will hold a sale entitled “The World’s Most...

Before getting into the week's new whiskies, there's an update on the recently released "Star Trek" whiskey, James T. Kirk straight bourbon. Announced in June, the bourbon's initial price was $60 a bottle, and the website for the bourbon stated it was between 4 and 12 years old. When I asked for clarification, the bottling company's representative told me the bourbon was 10 years old and sourced from Tennessee. A Whisky Advocate reader who pre-ordered the whiskey recently emailed to say he had received it, and what he got was actually a 12 year old. When I asked the company, Silver Screen Bottling Company, about the discrepancy, it further clarified that James T. Kirk will be bottled in batches, with each batch varying in age from 4 to 12 years old. Meanwhile, the whiskey's price has shot up from $60-$70 to $300 for the 12 year old batch.For those who aren't interested in Star Trek whiskey, there are plenty of other new releases to anticipate. Old Forester has announced the fourth and...

The aged whiskies just keep on coming: Colorado-based Stranahan’s is celebrating American single malt’s official classification with the release of a 12 year old, while Penelope is offering a 17 year old American light whiskey, and single malt scotch Aberfeldy has a 26 and a 39 year old—all of them being limited editions, of course. Meanwhile, Kentucky newcomer Garrard County Distilling Co., which filled its first barrel in January of 2024 at a new distillery in Lancaster, about 35 miles south of Lexington, is relaunching its All Nations brand using sourced liquid. Among other releases, Elijah Craig is out with its first barrel proof batch of the year, while Redwood Empire has a higher-proof version of its Pipe Dream expression. From across the pond, Irish single malt Dingle has the second release in its Celtic Wheel of the Year series
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon (Batch A125)
ABV: 59.1%
SRP: $75
Availability: Nationwide
Each January...

Gifting a bottle seems easy enough, but finding the right bottle for a whisky lover is where the difficulty lies. You could play it safe by buying a bottle of their usual pour, but that isn't very exciting. Alternatively, you could surprise them with something completely new—but then you run the risk of buying something they won't like. 
A great way to start is to focus on flavors. The best approach is to look for whiskies with profiles your giftee likes—focusing on familiar foods like chocolate and barbecue, beverages like coffee or wine, or certain things like cigars—that you know will hit the spot. To cut out the work for you, we've assembled a list of 26 high-scoring whiskies that will please your whisky lover's palate and put a big smile on their face.
Dessert Lovers
For whisky lovers with a sweet tooth, there are plenty of options to choose from, including well-aged bourbons, inventive blends, light-bodied Irish whiskeys, and beyond. The...

There aren't any summer doldrums in the world of whisky. In addition to Ardbeg's announcement about its newest whisky, An Oa, this week also brings news of a limited-edition release from GlenDronach. The pricy single malt scotch is meant as a companion whisky to the Kingsman film franchise, although unlike Old Forester Statesman—a permanent whiskey in Old Forester's range, specially created to be part of the upcoming film "Kingsman: The Golden Circle"—GlenDronach Kingsman Edition 1991 will not be reprising its role. Once it's gone, it's gone.Elsewhere in scotch, Johnnie Walker is rolling out its latest Blenders' Batch—this one featuring whiskies matured in wine casks. There are a couple of other new Blenders' Batch whiskies, but they will not be coming to the U.S.There are three new bourbons to look for soon. Kentucky Owl has been known among bourbon aficionados as a high-quality, expensive blend of sourced whiskeys. Up to now, it has only been available in Kentucky. But its...

Virag Saksena had already been brewing beer for a couple decades when, in 2011, he began dreaming up a plan to make American single malt that could stand up to the finest whiskies from Scotland and Japan. “In order to do that, the first step was to understand how the old masters made it,” Saksena says. He traveled to the source of the big peated malt whiskies he most adored, apprenticing at an Islay distillery before he and business partner Vishal Gauri—both engineers—opened 10th Street Distillery in an industrial part of San Jose, California in 2017. Using a pair of 500-gallon copper pot stills that are dwarfed by their lofty 6,500-square-foot space, they're making peated and unpeated malt whiskey that is rooted in European tradition, but with unmistakable California provenance.To make their peated whiskey, Saksena and Gauri use San Jose's alkaline, mineral-rich water for mashing and fermentation, combining it with custom-peated malt sourced from the Highlands of Scotland...

It's a big weekend on the American whiskey auction scene, as Chicago-based Hart Davis Hart (HDH) has commenced live bidding on its Finest & Rarest Spirits sale, which started earlier this morning and ends tomorrow. Of the 2,800 lots available, 2,189 are American whiskeys. HDH expects the total value of the American lots to reach between $1.9 million and $3 million, which would bring the highest value yet for an American whiskey sale. See the big-ticket items here.Of course, there are plenty of new whiskies to try—ones that are valued at quite a bit less than those! Kentucky Owl has added a new rye under The Wiseman label, Basil Hayden debuts a subtly smoky bourbon, and Compass Box introduces a new blended whisky that's evocative of old books. Read on for full details.Kentucky Owl Wiseman RyeStyle: Straight ryeOrigin: KentuckyAge: Not statedABV: 50.4%Price: $60Release: March 2022Availability: LimitedNeed to know:This whiskey is made with a mashbill of 95% rye.Whisky Advocate...

Father’s Day is this Sunday, and if you’re looking for some last-minute gift ideas, we’ve got you covered. The Dad's Day classic is a bottle of whisky, and earlier this week, we rounded up the ten highest scoring whiskies in our Summer 2022 Buying Guide. Any of them would make for a worthy splurge. Or perhaps you’d like to give the gift of gear—consider a canteen that will keep batched cocktails chilled all day; a high-end carrying case for hauling bottles, bar equipment, and more; or handy upgrades for any home bar cart.
In new whisky, there’s plenty to enjoy. The Spot range gets a brand new Gold addition, while Brother’s Bond has unveiled a cask strength iteration of its flagship bourbon and O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. debuts the latest Irish-American style whiskey in its Keeper’s Heart lineup. Read on for full details.

Gold Spot 9 Year Old
Style: Single pot still Origin: IrelandAge: 9 year oldABV: 51.4%Price...

Plenty of us have favorites when it comes to whisky; perhaps you're loyal to bourbon, or rarely stray from single malt scotch. But there's a whole world of whisky out there, ripe for the taking, and if ever you're in the mood for exploration consider one of the more esoteric offerings we highlight here, such as Japanese rice whisky or grain whiskies.On to the new releases. This week, there are new single malts from Macallan, Balvenie, Paul John, and Penderyn, as well as a host of bourbons up for grabs. Read on for full details.Macallan Harmony Collection Rich CacaoStyle: Single maltOrigin: Scotland (Speyside)Age: Not statedABV: 44%Price: $160Release: October 2021Availability: LimitedNeed to know:The first in a series focused on sustainable packaging, this single malt whisky is presented in a fully recyclable and biodegradable box made from discarded cacao pod husks. Aged in a combination of European and American oak casks, this expression is inspired by chocolate, as whisky maker...

Some relationships are skin deep: For Dennis Steckel and his love of Amrut single malts, the term takes on a whole new meaning. Steckel sports not one, but two Amrut tattoos on his forearms—symbols of an abiding fascination that has transformed the mild-mannered Swede into the whisky's No.-1 fan worldwide. On his left arm is a reproduction of the logo on Amrut's distillery in Bangalore, India, while his right arm shows a variation of the “Greedy Angel” illustration that bedecks the brand's oldest bottlings, with the names of Steckel's three children inked below.“I really connected with that angel,” Steckel says of his first time seeing and tasting a bottle of Greedy Angels in 2015. His first encounter with Amrut had come just a year or two earlier, and he was instantly smitten. “I'm a person that if I'm doing something, I will do it 110%,” Steckel explains, noting that Amrut's name intrigued him initially, but the whisky itself was what won him over. “Some people say...

Missouri is joining the ranks of Kentucky and Tennessee with a new measure that declares specific rules for its own style of whiskey—in this case, bourbon. According to House Bill 266, signed on Thursday, July 11, any whiskey labeled as Missouri bourbon must not only meet the federal standards for bourbon, but also be mashed, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled in the state; aged in oak barrels manufactured in the state; and—beginning January 1, 2020—made with corn exclusively grown in the state. The law goes into effect on August 28.The Missouri Craft Distillers Guild, which formed in 2018 and now has 35 members, pushed the measure heavily. “The whole point of the bill was to tie agriculture and tourism together in Missouri,” says Don Gosen, owner of Copper Mule Distillery and a member of the Guild. “Being able to make a high-class bourbon and make it truly a Missouri product—not just made in Missouri, but made from Missouri raw materials.” The bill, which was...

Kentucky distillers are known for camaraderie, sharing special bottles and helping each other out when in need. In many cases, their relationships run deeper than simply being colleagues or even good friends; Fred Noe, master distiller at James B. Beam Distilling Co., has said that he has regarded Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell as a father figure, especially in the years since his own dad, Booker, passed away. But rarely do bourbon makers come together on whiskey releases—after all, they're competitors when bottles hit the shelf.A new project centered in Bardstown, Kentucky is taking a significant step toward collaboration, however. The 12.25-square-mile town of around 12,000 people boasts 11 distilleries or distillery experiences within about 16 miles of its central Court Square, and five of them are joining together to create the Bardstown Collection, a lineup of special releases benefiting the community. Each distillery will launch a limited-edition bourbon in...

We made it! January is over, and as the calendar turns to its shortest month, there are new whiskies to anticipate.Glenmorangie has unveiled the tenth release in its Private Edition series. Allta ("wild") is a whisky whose barley was fermented from wild yeast found in the fields near the distillery—a first for Glenmorangie. Cultivating and using wild yeast is an unusual step for modern scotch distillers generally, although custom yeasts are very common in American whiskey. Glenmorangie Allta is priced at $99 and available in limited amounts.Angel's Envy has announced a new bourbon finished in oloroso sherry casks. There are just 3,600 bottles of the bourbon, priced at $200 each, and they're going on sale first to members of the distillery's 500 Main group. After that, the remaining bottles will be for sale at the distillery and select Kentucky retailers.Buffalo Trace is releasing the next two whiskeys in its Experimental Collection, a pair of bourbons aged in barrels whose wood was...

From Scotland this week, Macallan is out with the third edition in its Harmony Collection, this one created in collaboration with two of Paul McCartney's daughters—fashion designer Stella McCartney and photographer Mary McCartney. Compass Box has a new creation, Art & Decadence, blended from a rich, malty array of cask finishings. On the American whiskey scene, the very prolific Barrell Craft Spirits has a nicely affordable item in Barrell Foundation at $60, its first non-cask strength whiskey.  Pinhook,  meanwhile, has a truly unique concept in its Vertical Series, which follows the progress of 1,350 barrels of high-rye, MGP bourbons as they age over the course of time. First launched in 2019, the project will conclude in 2027, and this week we're greeted with Pinhook Vertical 8. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Verticals seem to be improving with each release, though opinions will vary on that, which is all part of the fun. Plenty of...

A compact but very interesting array of whiskies populate this round of new releases. Larceny Barrel Proof is out with its first batch of the year, while Memphis, Tennessee-based B. R. Distilling has unveiled the 2025 edition of its Special Reserve bourbon blend. Single malt maker Virginia Distillery Co. (VDC) has another stout cask-finished expression, this one timed especially for Valentine’s Day. From Scotland, blended scotch house Compass Box has announced the 2025 edition of its Hedonism label. And if Derby Day is in your sights, consider the Evan Williams Kentucky Derby Festival single barrel annual release, though it’s only on sale at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Louisville and at some Kentucky retailers. 
Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon (Batch A125)
ABV: 62.5%
SRP: $65
Availability: Nationwide
Just a few weeks ago, Kentucky’s Heaven Hill Distillery unveiled the newest version of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. Now it’s...