April New Whisky Releases

Here’s a quick look at some of the new whisky releases heading to store shelves…

Molson Coors is expanding its range of Coors whiskeys with the new Barmen 1873 Bourbon. It made its debut this month in 13 U-S states, and is a blend of two Bourbons that gets its name from Barmen, the Coors family’s German hometown, and 1873 is when Coors Brewing was founded. 

Irish Distillers is releasing four single cask versions of Midleton Very Rare to travel retail outlets around Europe. A 27 year old first-fill Bourbon cask bottling will be exclusive to the Exquisite Store at Amsterdam’s Schipohl Airport. 

A 25-year-old virgin American oak cask bottling will be also available in Amsterdam, along with Frankfurt and Shannon airports. A 21-year-old virgin American oak cask bottling will be available exclusively at London’s Heathrow Airport, and a 24-year-old first-fill Bourbon cask expression will be available at Dublin Airport. There is no word on pricing. 

Brown-Forman is releasing a new 40-year-old single malt from BenRiach. 

The distillery is one of the few remaining distilleries in Scotland with its own floor maltings, and uses it to produce peated malt. That peated malt plays a key role in the new expression, since 11 of the 13 casks used in the final blend were peated malt. 

The new BenRiach 40 year old will hit the market in June, with a recommended retail price of $5,000 dollars a bottle. 

Buffalo Trace has released the latest edition in its Old Charter Oak series. The fifth Bourbon in the series is matured in Spanish Oak, following previous releases in Chinkapin Oak, Mongolian Oak, French Oak, and Canadian Oak. It is available in select U-S markets with a recommended retail price of $69.99 a bottle.

Buffalo Trace has also released its latest Experimental Collection whiskey…a peated Bourbon. 

Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley swapped out the usual malted barley in the distillery’s rye-forward Bourbon mashbill with peated malt, based on his theory that the smokiness would add extra complexity to the traditional mash bill. It’ll be available in limited quantities in the U-S with a recommended retail price of $46.99 for 375ml bottles.

Lux Row’s annual Blood Oath Bourbon also has a Spanish flair. Pact Nine blends 12 and 16-year-old Bourbons with a 7-year-old Bourbon finished in Oloroso Sherry casks. It’s available with a recommended retail price of $129.99 a bottle. 

Beam Suntory has released the year’s first batch of Booker’s Bourbon. It is named “Charlie’s Batch” in honor of Charlie Hutchens, the carpenter who created the signature wooden box that Booker’s comes in. Hutchens also worked at the Beam distillery when Booker Noe was master distiller, and hand-made the very first box for Booker personally. Charlie’s Batch of Booker’s is available in limited quantities throughout the U-S with a recommended retail price of $89.99 a bottle.

On the Scotch front, Diageo has released this year’s range of Distiller’s Edition single malts. The six-bottle lineup includes malts from Oban, Talisker, Lagavulin, Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, and Glenkinchie distilleries, each one finished in a different type of cask than the standard releases. Prices range from $85 to $125 a bottle in the U.S.

Distell has released three new limited edition single malts.

Bunnahabhain Canasta is matured in rare Canasta Sherry casks. There’s also the new Bunnahabhain 1998 Manzanilla Cask and the Deanston Tequila Cask Finish. No word on pricing. 

Gordon and MacPhail has bottled its final remaining cask from 1959 for the latest Mr. George Legacy bottling. It’s a 63-year-old single malt from Glen Grant that honors the legacy of the late George Urquhart while also celebrating the 90th anniversary of his joining the family business in 1933. Only 368 bottles are available worldwide at a recommended retail price of £6,499 each.

Jack Daniel’s is adding a splash of papaya to its latest release — on the label, not in the bottle. It’s an official partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team this year, and the two have teamed up to release a special edition McLaren bottling of Jack Daniel’s. It’ll be available in limited amounts in select F1 race cities. In the U.S, that includes Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas. No word on pricing. 

Nikka is reviving its 10-year-old Yoichi Japanese single malt. The company removed age statements from its Yoichi single malts in 2015 because of shortages of aged whisky, and distillery expansions in recent years have only now allowed Nikka to bring back age statements. It’ll be an annual release in limited quantities, and the no age statement Yoichi single malt will still be available. The 10-year-old will carry a recommended retail price of $175 a bottle in the U-S…

Michter’s is releasing its 2023 batch of 10-year-old rye, while warning that even though the Louisville distillery has been expanding production capacity, it’s still not enough to meet demand…the rye will carry a recommended retail price of $200 a bottle…

The May 6 coronation of King Charles III has led to a flood of coronation-themed commemorative bottlings for collectors.

Gordon and MacPhail is honoring the coronation of King Charles with a 74-year-old Glen Grant release. The Private Collection 1948 from Glen Grant Distillery comes from the same year as the King’s birth, and part of the proceeds will be donated to the Prince’s Foundation. Just 281 bottles will be available at £25,000 each. 

Wolfburn Distillery is releasing a cask strength bottling based on the flavor profile the King most enjoyed during a visit to the distillery in 2019. Only 600 bottles will be available through the Wolfburn web site at £69.99 each. 

Loch Lomond is wrapping up its Remarkable Stills trilogy collection with a new 47-year-old single malt. The new release follows the previous 45 and 46-year-old offerings, and is finished in second-fill Oloroso Sherry casks. Only 200 bottles will be available worldwide with a price tag of £5,750 pounds each. 

Glenmorangie is out with the third release in its Cadboll Estate series of whiskies. The 15-year-old single malt comes from barley grown near the distillery, and was aged in a combination of ex-Bourbon and Amontillado Sherry casks. It’s available now in the UK with a recommended price of £75 a bottle…