The Macallan released a limited edition single malt Scotch whisky – A Night on Earth in Jerez de la Frontera – as their third and final release of the year in their A Night on Earth Series and celebration of their 200th anniversary. The Macallan A Night on Earth in Jerez de la Frontera was […]
The Macallan released a limited edition single malt Scotch whisky – A Night on Earth in Jerez de la Frontera – as their third and final release of the year in their A Night on Earth Series and celebration of their 200th anniversary.
The Macallan A Night on Earth in Jerez de la Frontera was matured in a combination of European and American sherry-seasoned oak casks, bottled at 43% alcohol by volume [86 proof] and is said to offer notes of anise, grapes and pastry – which are said to have been inspired by the Spanish custom of eating 12 grapes before the start of the New Year, as well as the traditional Jerez pastry, pestiños – a rich, fried dough with sugar and aniseed or honey in the famous sherry-producing region.
The Macallan’s A Night on Earth in Jerez de la Frontera is being made available for $145 per bottle.
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Jimmy Russell is one of the living legends of not just Kentucky bourbon, but of world whiskey generally. That legend began 70 years ago, when Russell first began working at what was then called Anderson County Distilling, sweeping floors in 1954. During Russell’s time as an employee, the name would …
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell’s 70th Anniversary Edition Bourbon (Credit: Richard Thomas)
Jimmy Russell is one of the living legends of not just Kentucky bourbon, but of world whiskey generally. That legend began 70 years ago, when Russell first began working at what was then called Anderson County Distilling, sweeping floors in 1954. During Russell’s time as an employee, the name would change to J.T.S. Brown & Sons and finally the Austin Nichols Distillery (officially, the plant is still called the Austin Nichols Wild Turkey Distillery today, even if that name is very little used in practice). He became Master Distiller in 1967, four years before the distillery even became the home of the Wild Turkey brand. His son took over in that role in 2015, and now his grandson is being groomed to step up as well. The way we think of core Wild Turkey expressions, such as Wild Turkey 101, Rare Breed and Russell’s Reserve, is very much what Russell made them to be.
Russell never formally stepped down or accepted a title like “Master Distiller Emeritus,” but he is still semi-retired. He still comes out sometimes to greet visitors at the distillery Visitor Center or for events, and he has been memorialized by a number of special released over the years; in 2014, the distillery marked his 60th year with Diamond Anniversary edition bourbon.
They have now marked the 70th anniversary with an eight year old expression of Wild Turkey, and in most respects I think it is more appropriate to the subject than past commemorative bottlings. Those were middle aged and rather expensive, but Jimmy Russell was never fond of whiskey that old and he is best known for expressions that, while undeniably premium in nature, are approachable by the everyman. This platinum expression is therefore more in keeping with Jimmy’s style, and at 101 proof is somewhat reminiscent of the export-only Wild Turkey 101 8 years old.
The Bourbon In the glass, the whiskey has a bright, middle amber appearance. The nose is thick with cedar, vanilla and toffee, plus traces of baking spices. The flavor profile spins away from that to a large degree, finding its footing right on top of what I think of as benchmark bourbon qualities: caramel, brown sugar, nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon. That last spice blends into a what is a the distinguishing trait, a modestly dry, woody current. Add to that a little citrus zest, and the profile is complete, with just enough to give it some character away from and above the bourbon stereotype. The finish runs with peppermint and vanilla.
The Price
This one is quite reasonable at $50 a bottle.
Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers is expanding its Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey family with the release of Lux Row Small Batch PX Sherry Cask Finish. The new release is crafted from small batches of 4-year-old ryed straight Kentucky bourbon finished for six months in casks that held PX Sherry, an intensely rich and sweet wine …
Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers is expanding its Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey family with the release of Lux Row Small Batch PX Sherry Cask Finish. The new release is crafted from small batches of 4-year-old ryed straight Kentucky bourbon finished for six months in casks that held PX Sherry, an intensely rich and sweet wine made from overly ripened, sun-dried grapes. Offered at 112 proof (56% ABV), Lux Row Small Batch PX Sherry Cask Finish will be available this October exclusively at the distillery for $59.99 per 750mL bottle. A nationwide release of Lux Row Small Batch PX Sherry Cask Finish is planned for early 2025.
The PX Sherry cask finish imparts an aromatic bouquet of dried figs and dates, and decadent flavors of grape syrup and candied fruit followed by hints of spice, roasted coffee, and dark chocolate. The result is a unique and balanced pour.
“We wanted to meld the intensely sweet flavors of PX Sherry with the spicy, peppery notes of our ryed bourbon,” said Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. “The outcome is a delicious combination of two opposing yet complementary flavors that results in a truly unique expression.”
It was 70 years ago today that Jimmy Russell began his employment at Wild Turkey Distillery. At that time it was known as Anderson County Distilling Co. but would soon change its name to J.T.S. Brown & Sons. The years that followed were a time of g…
It was 70 years ago today that Jimmy Russell began his employment at Wild Turkey Distillery. At that time it was known as Anderson County Distilling Co. but would soon change its name to J.T.S. Brown & Sons. The years that followed were a time of great change for Jimmy. He rose through the ranks […]
The Jack Daniel Distillery has introduced its follow up to the Coy Hill Single Barrel of 2021 with Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8, a complex Tennessee Whiskey from barrels matured at the distillery’s highest elevations. The latest expression in the Single Barrel Special Release series is bottled at barrel strength …
Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill Single Barrel Barrelhouse 8 (2024)(Credit: Brown-Forman)
The Jack Daniel Distillery has introduced its follow up to the Coy Hill Single Barrel of 2021 with Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8, a complex Tennessee Whiskey from barrels matured at the distillery’s highest elevations. The latest expression in the Single Barrel Special Release series is bottled at barrel strength with proofs ranging from 122 to 137.5.
Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 starts with Jack Daniel’s traditional Tennessee Whiskey mash bill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye. After distillation, the whiskey was charcoal mellowed and entered into new, charred American white oak barrels in September of 2013 to mature on the fifth and sixth floors of Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8.
“Our annual Special Release series has allowed us to showcase the whiskey making credentials of the Jack Daniel Distillery, especially with our recent Coy Hill releases,” said Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller, Chris Fletcher. “This year’s release builds upon the mystique of the Coy Hill barrel houses that see such drastic temperature swings throughout the whiskey’s maturation. Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 is the same recipe as our Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, but the unique elements, time, and mother nature have helped to craft a whiskey with an incredible range of flavors and proofs that would be impossible to replicate.”
The 2024 Special Release follows two earlier releases matured on Coy Hill, including the 2021 Coy Hill High Proof Single Barrel and the 2022 Small Batch Coy Hill High Proof Small Batch, which marked the highest proofs ever released in Jack Daniel’s history.
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Although Whiskey del Bac (aka Hamilton Distillers, although they don’t seem to use that name so much anymore) has had their Arizona-style American malt whiskey on the market for almost a decade now, they only just released their first bottled in bond this year. My guess is that this was …
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
Whiskey Del Bac Classic Bottled in Bond (Credit: Hamilton Distillers)
Although Whiskey del Bac (aka Hamilton Distillers, although they don’t seem to use that name so much anymore) has had their Arizona-style American malt whiskey on the market for almost a decade now, they only just released their first bottled in bond this year. My guess is that this was because they continued to tweak and improve it from their first unveiling. Knowing a little something about whiskey maturation in the Southwest, I’m thinking the learning curve on how to keep barrels for the four years-plus needed to do a bonded whiskey was part of it as well. Stephen Paul, co-founder of Whiskey del Bac, said that he had been wanting to do a bonded whiskey for a long time, but wanted to master their malt whiskey style before embarking on such a project.
The whiskey built on the current version of Whiskey del Bac Classic. It was laid down in 2020 by their previous Master Distiller, Veronica Townsend, in 53 gallon American Standard Barrels as part of an experiment in moving the size of their barrels upward. In keeping with the Bottled in Bond Act, the whiskey is a minimum of four years old, all comes from a single distilling season/year; and is bottled at 100 proof.
The Whiskey My pour hit the glass bronzed. Like del Bac Classic, it’s nose evoked this meeting point of Scotch and American candy currents, with strong caramel and butterscotch in the nose. Underneath that was a hint of musty hay, like the bale that sat in the corner of the loft, dry but forgotten.
Sipping revealed a thick, but silky texture to the liquid, and flipped the script to a certain extent on the nose. That musty undertone came forward and developed into an oakier, spicier character, bringing that caramel, honey and butterscotch sweet side into balance. Further sipping brought out a modest note of nectarine. The finish ran with the woody, spicy aspect, but that faded speedily and left a sweet, damp tobacco note to linger on.
Overall, this is a solid step forward for American malts, craft whiskey in the Southwest and Whiskey del Bac. I find myself wishing not just for more of this item, but also a bonded version of their mesquite-smoked malt.
The Price Only 500 bottles of this were made, which is quite normal for a bonded whiskey coming from a small distiller, but some are still available for $120.
Jim Beam has announces the first innovation/expansion in five years for one of its classic expressions, which has been steadily focused on the standard Booker’s Bourbon since 2019. The new expression is Booker’s Bourbon: The Reserves, first of a new, annual limited-release series concocted by Freedie Noe in honor of his grandfather, 6th Generation Master …
Booker’s The Reserves 2024 (Credit: Beam Suntory)
Jim Beam has announces the first innovation/expansion in five years for one of its classic expressions, which has been steadily focused on the standard Booker’s Bourbon since 2019. The new expression is Booker’s Bourbon: The Reserves, first of a new, annual limited-release series concocted by Freedie Noe in honor of his grandfather, 6th Generation Master Distiller Booker Noe.
The first release of ‘The Reserves’ is an 8 to 14-year-old uncut and unfiltered blend of Beam bourbon familiar to Booker’s fans, which is always drawn from the center cut in the warehouse, just as Booker envisioned when he created his Small Batch Bourbon Collection in the early 1990s.
The 2024 release spans eight production dates and eight different warehouses, these barrels were aged as follows:
• 8 Years, 2 Months, 12 Days on the 4th floor of warehouse G
• 8 Years, 5 Months, 19 Days on the 5th floor of warehouse I
• 8 Years, 5 Months, 20 Days on the 5th floor of warehouse Z
• 9 Years, 2 Months, 3 Days on the 5th floor of warehouse Q
• 9 Years, 2 Months, 4 Days on the 6th floor of warehouse J
• 9 Years, 5 Months, 18 Days on the 7th floor of warehouse H
• 10 Years, 3 Months, 2 Days on the 4th floor of warehouse X
• 14 Years, 4 Months, 16 Days on the 6th floor of warehouse I
The 2024 Booker’s Bourbon: The Reserves is bottled at 125.9 proof and priced at $129.99.
Jim Beam has announces the first line extension the Little Book series, which was started to showcase the work of 8th generation Beam Master Distiller Freddie Noe, the heir apparent to Fred Noe. This extension is called Little Book ‘The Infinite: Edition 1’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. At the Fred B. Noe Distillery (the one …
Little Book Infinite 1 (Credit: Beam Suntory)
Jim Beam has announces the first line extension the Little Book series, which was started to showcase the work of 8th generation Beam Master Distiller Freddie Noe, the heir apparent to Fred Noe. This extension is called Little Book ‘The Infinite: Edition 1’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
At the Fred B. Noe Distillery (the one located in Clermont where the visitors go, not the larger production plant in Boston, Kentucky), Freddie Noe was experimenting with blending varying aged whiskeys, when he sought to blend barrels his father, Fred Noe, and grandfather, Booker Noe, laid down, resulting in a perfectly balanced profile forming ‘The Infinite’. Each year, new whiskey will be added to the blend, delivering an ever-evolving confluence of artistry for a unique experience while pushing the boundaries of flavor and tradition. It’s this initial, proprietary blend that sets the series apart from other Little Book chapters.
“My father and I are lucky enough to work together, side by side as Master Distillers, and I know he always dreamed of that with his own father, my Grandaddy Booker,” said the younger Noe. “This new series pays tribute to that dream and inspired the first Edition of Little Book ‘The Infinite’, a multigenerational liquid that will form the foundation of all future releases. Once a year, I’ll bottle some up for the world to try. So, savor this whiskey today, and come back in a year for its next evolution.”
Little Book ‘The Infinite: Edition 1’ includes the following liquids:
· Shared Family Component: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aged 8 Years
Little Book ‘The Infinite: Edition 1’ will be available in limited quantities nationwide across the U.S., in-store and consumers can go tolittlebookwhiskey.com for more retail locations. The new blend was bottled at a cask strength of 59.65% ABV and priced at $199.99.
Heaven Hill Distillery has announced the release of the 2025 Parker’s Heritage, the 18th edition of the series. This latest installment is a 14 year old Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Finished in Reconstructed Heavy Toast Cognac Barrels. This edition continues Heaven Hill’s partnership with Master Blender Alain Royer, who worked with the bourbon distiller on …
Parker’s Heritage 2024 is a middle-aged American Malt (Credit: Heaven Hill)
Heaven Hill Distillery has announced the release of the 2025 Parker’s Heritage, the 18th edition of the series. This latest installment is a 14 year old Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Finished in Reconstructed Heavy Toast Cognac Barrels.
This edition continues Heaven Hill’s partnership with Master Blender Alain Royer, who worked with the bourbon distiller on two previous Parker’s Heritage Collection releases. The American malt was barreled on March 2009, dumped fourteen years and entered into 56 rebuilt, heavy toasted Cognac barrels for a further four months of secondary maturation. he original Malt Whiskey barrels are from the fourth floor of Rickhouse O and the sixth floor of Rickhouse Q. Once re-barreled, the Cognac barrels aged in Rickhouse H1 on the fifth floor. It was bottled at 107 proof.
This whiskey is an American Malt rather than an American Single Malt because of its mash bill of 65% malted barley and 35% corn. Single malts are 100% malted barley. Coming from 2009, the whiskey was distilled and barreled at a time before craft distillers had come to cultivate the malt whiskey space and coalesce around the American Single Malt concept.
The 18th Edition is an allocated product and will be available nationally and internationally in limited quantities at the suggested retail price of $169.99. Like previous editions, a portion of the proceeds will continue to support ALS research and patient care in honor of Parker Beam, late Master Distiller Emeritus.
“We are excited to continue to work with Alain Royer as we look for more ways to innovate with barrel finished products,” said Susan Wahl, Vice President of American Whiskey at Heaven Hill. “In honoring Parker’s enduring legacy, Heaven Hill Distillery remains steadfast in our commitment to uphold the high standards he set. With this latest expression, we celebrate Parker’s influence on and dedication to innovating outside of Heaven Hill’s traditional Bourbon mashbills by crafting a Whiskey that embodies his spirit as we continue to support ALS research and patient care.”
The late Heaven Hill Master Distiller Parker Beam, for whom the acclaimed series is named, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2010. Since 2013, proceeds from sales of the Parker’s Heritage Collection have raised more than $1.3 million dollars toward ALS research and patient care through contributions made by Heaven Hill for each bottle purchased. With this edition, Heaven Hill will again contribute a portion of the proceeds from each bottle sold to the ALS Association. To learn more about The Parker Beam Promise of Hope Fund, please visit als.org/parker-beam-promise-hope-fund.
Russell’s 15 … It’s the talk of the town. If you visit YouTube and search for “Russell’s Reserve 15,” you’ll find no less than two dozen videos (likely more than that). And I get it. It’s an amazing bourbon. It truly is. But if I’m being completely hon…
Russell’s 15 … It’s the talk of the town. If you visit YouTube and search for “Russell’s Reserve 15,” you’ll find no less than two dozen videos (likely more than that). And I get it. It’s an amazing bourbon. It truly is. But if I’m being completely honest, some of the talking points are garnering […]
