Fall is upon us, and around the corner will be colder temperatures and a reason to get cozy indoors with a bottle of your favorite limited-edition brown spirit. Here are a few of our favorites finds to add to your home collection:
Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series 2020 Release
2020 is a special year for the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series- it marks the 10-year anniversary of the bourbon that started it all: Maker’s Mark 46™. The process involves a barrel of fully matured Maker’s Mark at cask strength and then inserted 10 seared virgin French oak staves – stave profile 46 – into the barrel and finishing with nine additional weeks in the limestone cellar. The results; amplified fruit notes, smooth, yet bold, with a smooth, balance of flavors highlighted by the one-of-a-kind vanilla and spicy, buttery caramel notes. Bottled at 110.8 proof, available nationwide while supplies last.
Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition
Historic Kentucky distillery Woodford Reserve today announced the ultimate expression of American Whiskey — Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition, which marries the world’s finest bourbon with the world’s finest crystal.
Historic Kentucky distiller Woodford Reserve is bringing together bourbon and the world’s finest crystal with the release of the limited-edition Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition. Aged an additional three years in XO cognac casks from France, then bottled in a handmade crystal decanter from Baccarat, France. $2,000 at select retailers and Reservebar.com.
Following in the footsteps of batches 1 through 6 of The Balvenie Tun 1509, Batch 7 is comprised of liquid from Sherry Hogshead, Ex-Bourbon American Oak Barrels, and DoubleWood Refill Sherry Butts, which were used once to finish DoubleWood before being filled with New Make and aged. Non-chill filtered whisky and bottled at 52.4% ABV, this Speyside whiskey is made up of 21 unique casks found by David Stewart to marry in the Tun, which sits in Warehouse 24. The liquid sits for three months before being bottled at the distillery, and this rare technique creates the perfect environment for the different casks to ‘knit’ together, allowing each of their qualities to mix and create a unique single malt Scotch whisky. The result? Exotic and elegant notes on the nose hints of ginger and melted brown sugar followed by sweeter aromas of dried fruit, honeycomb and dates. Balanced notes of toasted hazelnuts, nutmeg, and lots of vanilla.
“The Tun 1509 series has been hugely popular with whisky enthusiasts over the years and I’m in no doubt that this expression will receive a similar response,” says Stewart. “Batch 7 showcases this remarkable liquid resulting in a deep and rich Balvenie. It is intensely spicy with sweet aromas of dried fruits, notes of candied orange peel, golden syrup and honeycomb on the palate.” Available October 2020.
Westland Garryana 2020
The fifth edition of Westland Garryana, an annual limited-edition release for the American Single Malt Seattle-based distillery. Garryana’s focus is the wood-Quercus Garryana, a native species of oak from the Pacific Northwest that by law cannot be chopped down. This edition matures peated spirit in virgin Quercus garryana (36%) and the remainder in first-fill ex-bourbon Quercus Alba (American white oak). Available as of November 2020 at select retailers.
The Macallan Perfect Home Serve
The Macallan Estate is the Whisky Maker’s tribute The Macallan heritage and home. This new single malt contains rare spirit from a proportion of the barley grown at Easter Elchies estate, which is distilled just once a year over the course of a single week. This special edition also comes with The Macallan Ice Ball Maker- the perfect way to quickly transform a large cube of ice into a perfectly round ball of ice. This will chill your whisky but, as it melts more slowly than traditional ice cubes, it will not dilute the whisky as quickly.
