The whisky scene was abuzz this week concerning the story of Mary Dowling, and the discharge of two whiskeys bearing her title. Dowling (1859-1930) was a distillery proprietor, entrepreneur, accused bootlegger, and all-around sensible businesswoman with some of the exceptional careers in whisky historical past (see under). She’s maybe greatest famous for relocating her complete distilling operation all the way down to Juarez, Mexico through the Prohibition years, outsmarting the regulation and her opponents. Rabbit Gap founder Kaveh Zamanian of Louisville has created two whiskeys beneath the Mary Dowling title to honor her legacy. Whereas the announcement isn’t fairly correct in saying that Dowling’s story has by no means been instructed—she was featured in Fred Minnick’s 2013 guide Whiskey Ladies, amongst different locations—dedicating whiskeys to her title is a house run of an thought. We have not tasted the whiskeys but, and we definitely hope they will stay as much as the legacy.
In different discuss across the whisky campfire, Maker’s Mark has moved into older whiskey with the discharge of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged, which is produced from 11 and 12 12 months previous whiskeys. And we proceed to be amazed at Jack Daniel’s current rye releases—this from a distillery based in 1866 that did not promote its first rye till 2012. However recently rye is turning into an ever greater a part of the Jack Daniel’s persona, and so they’re good ones, too. Additionally, Glencadam 18 12 months previous is returning after an absence of three years as a result of stock shortfalls, although it will not hit the cabinets till late fall. And Jefferson’s has sailed to Singapore to create its newest sea-faring expression. Learn on for extra.
Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Heritage Barrel Rye
Fashion: Rye
Origin: Tennessee
Age: Not said
ABV: 50%
Worth: $75 (700 ml)
Launch: August
Availability: Restricted
Must know:
The whiskey is charcoal mellowed utilizing the Lincoln County Course of after which aged for at the very least 5 years in new white oak barrels, earlier than maturation for greater than two years in heavy-toast barrels, which Jack Daniel calls its Heritage Barrels. The additional maturation within the Heritage Barrels is designed to realize higher complexity and a richer style. The mashbill has the same old Jack Daniel’s rye recipe at 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley. The barrels had been made on the Jack Daniel Cooperage in Trinity, Alabama.
Whisky Advocate Says:
When Jack Daniel grasp distiller Chris Fletcher launched the distillery’s 10 12 months previous expression in 2021, it was a giant story, and Fletcher hinted that extra new whiskeys had been ready within the wings. On the time it was simply seen as a tease, however he was severe. Since then Jack has been on a inventive tear—significantly with its particular releases, which have included a single malt, a barrel proof rye, the Coy Hill high-proof Tennessee whiskey, and others. This launch is one other instance of the distillery’s renewed concentrate on rye, the place it has develop into a number one participant. We’re hoping for extra.
Mary Dowling Tequila Barrel
Fashion: Completed bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 4 12 months previous
ABV: 47.5%
Worth: $75
Launch: August 2023
Availability: KY, NJ, MD, DC, FL, GA, TX, IL, CO, MI, MO, and LA
Must know:
This high-rye double-malt Kentucky straight bourbon was aged for 4 years, then completed in tequila barrels for two to six months. The tequila end is a nod to Mary Dowling’s distilling stint in Mexico through the Prohibition years. There she made bourbon—sure, it might be known as bourbon in these days even when made in Mexico—for cargo to numerous components, together with Prohibition-era America.
Mary Dowling Double Oak Barrel
Fashion: Completed bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not said
ABV: 53.5%
Worth: $130
Launch: August 2023
Availability: KY, NJ, MD, DC, FL, GA, TX, IL, CO, MI, MO, and LA
Must know:
This whiskey, a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon, was rested in two completely different oak barrels: one, a closely toasted, char #3 barrel, and the opposite, a evenly toasted, char #1 barrel. Each these whiskies had been made at Rabbit Gap Distillery in Louisville.
Whisky Advocate says:
These are the primary whiskeys from Mary Dowling Whiskey Co., launched by Rabbit Gap founder Kaveh Zamanian and the distillery’s proprietor, Pernod Ricard. The brand new firm honors prolific distiller Mary Dowling, who’s additionally known as the “Mom of Bourbon.” She had a tumultuous profession in whiskey, which started in 1903 with the opening of the Waterfill and Frazier Distilling Co. in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, in partnership together with her husband John. The distillery was destroyed in a hearth in 1904, and John died in 1905. Mary rebuilt their distillery alone, and operated it till Prohibition. Whereas Dowling tried to skirt Prohibition and develop into a bootlegger, she was caught and charged, although the costs would finally be dropped. With no technique of legally distilling within the U.S., Dowling teamed up with father-and-son Joe and Harry Beam—eventual founder and grasp distiller of Heaven Hill, respectively—to maneuver her distillery to Juarez, Mexico, beneath the D.M. Distilling moniker. The whiskey made there was smuggled into the U.S. through the Rio Grande, in addition to offered in Central and South America. Whereas Dowling died a couple of years earlier than the repeal of Prohibition, her youngsters carried on her legacy with distilleries close to Louisville and Bardstown. Dowling’s great-grandaughter, Cathy Brown, and great-grandson Bland Byrne, joined Zamanian on the new firm’s current opening ceremony in Louisville.
Glencadam 18 12 months previous
Fashion: Single malt
Origin: Scotland (Highlands)
Age: 18 12 months previous
ABV: 46%
Worth: $185
Launch: Late fall
Availability: Restricted
Must know:
The favored Glencadam 18 12 months previous returns after an absence of practically three years, and can be a everlasting a part of the lineup. It launched within the U.Okay. in late July and can be accessible later this fall within the U.S., in time for the vacations. Glencadam’s U.S. vary contains Glencadam Origin, American Oak Reserve, 10 12 months previous, 13 12 months previous, 15 12 months previous, 18 12 months previous, and 25 12 months previous.
Whisky Advocate Says:
Glencadam Distillery, situated within the city of Brechin within the jap Highlands, was mothballed by former proprietor Allied Domecq from 1999-2003. Angus Dundee bought the distillery in 2003 and introduced it again to life, however that four-year manufacturing hole created a list shortfall that finally choked provide for the 18 and 21 12 months previous. Now shares have been sufficiently restored for the 18 12 months previous to return, whereas the 21 12 months previous is due again in about 3 years. Angus Dundee owns Tomintoul Distillery in addition to Glencadam. The opposite a part of its enterprise is in supplying blended scotch whiskies to supermarkets and different commerce prospects in Europe, each bottled and in bulk.
Previous Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond (Spring 2023 Launch)
Fashion: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: 10 12 months previous
ABV: 50%
Worth: $140
Launch: August 2023
Availability: Restricted
Must know:
The most recent version of Previous Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond is comprised of barrels stuffed from January to June 2013. Whereas this 12 months’s Spring Launch is out a bit later than ordinary, it was bottled through the spring bottling season, which runs by way of the tip of June.
Whisky Advocate says:
That is the eleventh launch of Previous Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond and comes on the heels of final November’s iteration, which was 19 years previous—the oldest so far. Whereas this whiskey is among the many youthful bottled in bond releases from Previous Fitz, bottled at simply 10 years previous, it’s additionally among the many extra moderately priced (for comparability, the Fall 2022 bottling had a price ticket of $240).
Jefferson’s Tropics Aged in Humidity
Fashion: Straight bourbon
Origin: Kentucky
Age: Not said
ABV: 52%
Worth: $100
Launch: September 2023
Availability: Restricted
Must know:
In July 2019, 9 containers holding a complete of 720 barrels of Kentucky straight bourbon set sail for Singapore. As soon as they arrived at their vacation spot, the barrels had been uncovered to Singapore’s staggering warmth and humidity. Singapore, which is close to the equator, experiences common temperatures of 77-88 levels Fahrenheit year-round, with humidity hovering round 70%-80% most days. After a sultry 18 months, the transport containers returned to Kentucky, arriving in March 2023. Barrels had been then chosen and blended collectively by Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller.
Whisky Advocate says:
Jefferson’s way back planted its flag in ocean-aged whiskeys with its Ocean sequence, a set of whiskeys aged on ships that sail world wide. Now it provides this Tropics Aged bourbon as nicely. Trey Zoeller is eager on exploring simply how whiskey is impacted by the rolling seas. For the previous 11 years, he has partnered with OCEARCH (a nonprofit group that research and tracks marine species of the world’s oceans) in an effort to check the influence of a ship’s fixed rocking and the ensuing contact between whiskey and wooden.
Stranahan’s Experimental Collection: Chilly Brew Lower
Fashion: American single malt
Origin: Colorado
Age: 6 years previous
ABV: 47%
Worth: $45
Launch: August 2023
Availability: Restricted; distillery unique
Must know:
This one begins as 6 12 months previous whiskey aged in virgin oak barrels with a char #3. Then, as a substitute of being reduce to 94 proof with Stranahan’s ordinary Eldorado Pure Spring Water, Chilly Brew Lower was reduce utilizing, you guessed it, chilly brew espresso. The espresso comes from native roaster Cooper Door Espresso. Espresso has been utilized by quite a lot of whiskey makers lately, together with FEW, Jameson, and a number of other others.
Whisky Advocate says:
That is the tenth launch inside Stranahan’s Experimental Collection, which options creative, distillery-exclusive single malts. Different releases within the sequence embody Double Fermentation, which, because the title implies, was twice fermented and aged for 7 years in new oak, in addition to Maple Cask, an 8 12 months previous single malt aged 5 years in new oak, then completed for 3 years in barrels that beforehand held maple syrup. Stranahan’s is situated in Denver, Colorado, and makes all of its single malts with native barley from Golden. Its yeast is from Colorado Springs, and its spring water from Boulder’s Eldorado Canyon (by means of Eldorado Pure Spring Water, Inc.).
Rossville Union Bottled In Bond Straight Rye
Fashion: Straight rye
Origin: Indiana
Age: 6 12 months previous
ABV: 50%
Worth: $50
Launch: August 2023
Availability: 18,000 bottles
Must know:
This rye after all follows the necessities of a bottled in bond whiskey, which means it’s made by a single distillery—Ross & Squibb—in a single season, aged at a federally bonded warehouse for no less than 4 years (and on this case, that’s prolonged to 6 years), and bottled at 50% ABV. The whiskey, initially distilled in March 2017, has a mashbill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley.
Whisky Advocate says:
Ross & Squibb is a part of MGP, and was shaped in 2021 as the corporate’s branded whiskey division. Since then, Rossville Union releases have develop into a reasonably common affair. The Ross & Squibb portfolio additionally contains the Remus bourbon model.
Onerous Fact Harvest Candy Mash
Fashion: Rye
Origin: Indiana
Age: Not said
ABV: 53%
Worth: $70
Launch: September 9, 2023
Availability: Restricted; nationally
Must know:
Onerous Fact Distilling, primarily based in Nashville, Indiana, has partnered with Mellencamp Whiskey Firm for the launch of a four-part sequence. Harvest, the primary launch within the sequence, is made utilizing a mashbill of 72% rye and 28% corn. All grains used had been grown at two Indiana farms. Hud Mellencamp (singer John Mellencamp’s oldest son) and Levi Collison of the newly shaped Mellencamp Whiskey Firm collaborated with Onerous Fact grasp distiller Bryan Smith on the choice and mixing. The label is adorned with authentic paintings by John Mellencamp.
Whisky Advocate Says:
Harvest Candy Mash Rye can be accessible on the distillery on September 9th adopted by nationwide distribution to pick out retailers by way of December. Along with this fall 2023 launch, the remaining three bottlings can be launched in spring 2024, fall 2024, and spring 2025; every a one-off with a brand new portray from John Mellencamp on the label.
Sagamore Spirit Ravens Residence Reserve Version
Fashion: Rye
Origin: Maryland
Age: Not said
ABV: 41.5%
Worth: $40
Launch: August 2023
Availability: Restricted; on the distillery and Maryland
Must know:
That is Maryland-based Sagamore Spirit’s normal rye: a mix of a high-rye and a low-rye straight ryes, aged 4 to six years in high-char American oak barrels. What units this launch aside is its labeling as Ravens Residence Reserve.
Whisky Advocate says:
Sagamore Spirit has introduced its partnership with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens and the opening of Sagamore Spirit Bar on the M&T Financial institution Stadium, dwelling of the Ravens, the place Sagamore’s whiskeys and canned cocktails can be served. From September 4th-October sixth, followers can enter for an opportunity to be certainly one of 5 folks chosen to attend an unique occasion at Sagamore’s distillery in Baltimore to obtain a bottle and meet a Ravens legend whose id has not but been revealed. (baltimoreravens.com).
Boulder Spirits The ten Necessities
Fashion: American single malt
Origin: Colorado
Age: 5 12 months previous
ABV: 49.5%
Worth: $65
Launch: August 2023
Availability: 1,800 bottles
Must know:
This new American single malt (ASM) represents the mix of 5 casks aged between 5 and 6.5 years. Two of the casks had been new American oak, whereas the opposite three included armagnac, tawny port, and PX sherry casks. This expression will get its title from the ten important wants for wilderness survival—meals, water, shelter, solar safety, correct clothes, a way of navigation, gentle, hearth, a knife, and first help supplies.
Whisky Advocate says:
Boulder Spirits is owned by Alastair Brogan, a former Royal Air Drive officer from Scotland who appeared on the fact TV present “Survivor” (UK). Its distillation is carried out by Vapor Distillery, in Boulder, Colorado. The label’s portfolio contains bourbon and some ASMs—together with its 2022 launch, the 91-point The Trailhead, and now this launch. Boulder Spirits claims to proof-down all its expressions utilizing water sourced from the Eldorado Springs, which is of course filtered by sandstone deposits alongside the waterway.
Copperworks Launch 048
Fashion: American single malt
Origin: Washington
Age: 3 12 months previous
ABV: 50%
Worth: $70
Launch: August 2023
Availability: 1,310 bottles; accessible on the distillery’s tasting room and at copperworksdistilling.com
Must know:
This new launch from Copperworks Distilling Co. is a manzanilla sherry-matured ASM, produced from pale malt, married with the identical distillate used to make Copperworks’ earlier whiskey Launch 047. The youngest whisky is aged for at the very least 3 years.
Whisky Advocate says:
Launch 048 marks the sixth single malt from Copperworks in 2023. For this one, the Seattle-based distillery used sherry casks—with 7.5% of the general mix having been aged in sherry barrels. Copperworks has used sherry cask maturation fairly a couple of occasions in its historical past—beginning with Launch 006, which included half a barrel of oloroso-matured single malt in its mix, and most just lately in Launch 045, which additionally utilized manzanilla sherry casks.
Root Shoot
Fashion: American single malt
Origin: Colorado
Age: 4 12 months previous
ABV: 50%
Worth: $63
Launch: August 2023
Availability: Colorado-exclusive
Must know:
Root Shoot’s first whisky is a bottled in bond ASM, which is produced totally from domestically grown Colorado grains. It will likely be accessible from retailers throughout the state of Colorado.
Whisky Advocate says:
Root Shoot Malting is a part of a 5th-generation household grain farm in Loveland, Colorado, owned by the Olander household. In 2016, members of the family Todd and Steve Olander based Root Shoot to produce native grain and malt to craft brewers and distillers. This launch marks the corporate’s first step into making its personal whiskey, rising and malting 100% of the barley used to make this expression. The distillation was executed at Vapor Distillery, which is about 30 miles from the Olander farm.
Wolves Malted Barley Collection Lot Two
Fashion: American single malt
Origin: California
Age: 11 12 months previous
ABV: 55%
Worth: $305
Launch: August 2023
Availability: 2,010 bottles; accessible at retailers in choose states, and at wolveswhiskeyca.com
Must know:
This ASM is made in a brandy alembic nonetheless, utilizing imported Irish malted barley and a yeast pressure known as California ale (not a beer). It’s accessible in restricted portions, with every bottle bedecked by a bespoke label produced from Italian sheepskin.
Whisky Advocate says:
Wolves was based as a three way partnership between Jon Buscemi (designer behind the eponymous Buscemi streetwear line) and James Bond (co-founder of the attire model Undefeated, not the tremendous spy). The position of grasp distiller is stuffed by Marko Karakasevic, a 13th-generation distiller that leads California’s family-owned Charbay Distillery. Lot Two follows April’s launch of Lot One and Lot One: The twelfth Barrel, two different Wolves ASMs made utilizing Karakasevic’s alembic nonetheless.
Black Button Distilling Experimental Collection No.3 Smoked Corn
Fashion: Bourbon
Origin: New York
Age: Not said
ABV: 58%
Worth: $85
Launch: August 18, 2023
Availability: Restricted; distillery solely
Must know:
This can be a twist on Black Button’s 4 Grain bourbon. It consists of the identical mashbill of 60% corn, 20% wheat, 11% malted barley, and 9% rye, however the corn element was cut up to incorporate 70% yellow corn and 30% cherrywood-smoked yellow corn.
Whisky Advocate says:
Releasing as we speak on the Rochester New York distillery’s tasting room solely. On the day of launch, a particular Three Heads Brewing Helles lager may even be accessible. The Rochester-based brewery aged this lager in Black Button’s Smoked Corn bourbon barrel.
