Over the past few months, there have been some excellent new bourbon releases, some of which are readily available and others which are limited editions requiring a great deal of tenacity and deep pockets to acquire. That seems to be the current state of bourbon affairs these days: the obtainable versus the frustratingly elusive. One doesn’t necessarily trump the other in terms of quality, but the hype surrounding certain releases does annoy a lot of whiskey fans. Regardless, both are worth taking a look at considering the quality, or lack of, of these whiskeys. We compiled a list of some outstanding new releases from this fall, and the current trends of the past few years continue with barrel finishes, bottled-in-bond, high proofs and interesting blends of liquid from disparate distilleries. Here are nine of the best to add to your drink cart.
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Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Fall 2021
This bourbon from Heaven Hill comes out twice a year, each with a different vintage and age statement. The throughlines are that the bourbon is always bottled-in-bond (produced at one distillery during one distilling season, aged at least four years, bottled at 100 proof), comes in a fancy decanter, and is always made using the same wheated mash bill. The fall 2021 release is an 11-year-old bourbon distilled in 2010, the second with that age statement (the first was in 2018), with the barrels pulled from Heaven Hill’s rickhouse EE. This is classic Kentucky bourbon, with a layered palate full of honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel notes, given an extra boost of sweetness from the wheat in the mash bill. Retail price for this is $110, but here’s yet another collector’s item that will certainly be priced higher.
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Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021 Limited Release: FAE-02
There’s another mouthful of a name in the Maker’s Mark wood finishing series, and another tasty bourbon from this storied Kentucky distillery. FAE-02 is the second release of 2021, and is meant to be a complementary whiskey to last spring’s FAE-01. “FAE” stands for fatty acid esters, which are key to the whiskey’s flavor (and one reason why Maker’s doesn’t chill filter its whiskey). This new release was finished with custom-made oak staves like the others, this time specifically “double-heat-treated virgin French oak barrel staves that undergo an infrared exposure prior to a flame toast finish.” According to Maker’s director of innovation Jane Bowie, this gave the liquid a softer, more full-bodied palate, as opposed to FAE-01’s bolder tobacco and dried fruit notes. Fans of the series will notice that this new release veers towards the buttery sweetness of the 2020 bottle, so try them side-by-side if you have a bottle tucked away.
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Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen Bourbon
Brooklyn distillery Widow Jane makes its own young craft bourbon using different heirloom varieties of corn. But it also sources mature barrels from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee, further ages them in its Red Hook warehouse, blends and cuts them to proof with limestone mineral water from upstate New York. Lucky Thirteen started out as a private single barrel program bottled at varying proofs by Widow Jane president and head distiller Lisa Wicker, but now it’s available as a year-round offering. It’s a 13-year-old bourbon bottled at 93 proof, slightly higher than Widow Jane’s 10-year-old 91 proof bourbon. While no longer a single barrel whiskey, the distillery is blending small numbers of barrels for each batch. Lucky Thirteen is another example of artful barrel selection and blending, resulting in a fruity, oaky, vanilla-laden bourbon that is a very nice sipper.
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Daviess County Double Barrel
Lux Row Distillers has released several different bourbons under the Daviess County name over the past few months, including French Oak and Cabernet Sauvignon-finished expressions. The latest to hit shelves is Double Barrel, which has spent a secondary maturation period in Missouri white oak barrels with a #2 char and toasted heads. This is meant to augment the whiskey’s flavor, and indeed it does by enriching it with notes of toasted nuts, dark chocolate, and espresso bean. Lux Row has a partnership with Ducks Unlimited, a nonprofit focused on the conservation of American waterfowl, and this whiskey features a DU-branded label to celebrate that.
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Barrell Bourbon Batch 30
Speaking of expert blenders, Barrell Spirits is one of the best out there, sourcing and blending bourbon, rye, and even some American single malt, and experimenting with different cask finishes as well. The latest batch of the bourbon, number 30, is a blend of whiskey from usual suspects Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky, along with some from Wyoming (presumably Wyoming Whiskey, but the source is not revealed). The age of the liquid ranges from five to 15 years, and it’s bottled at cask strength of 117.32 proof. The composition of the blend began with the youngest whiskey from Indiana, 10-year-old Tennessee high rye bourbon, and a group of 6- to 15-year-old barrels. After blending these and allowing them to mingle, wheated bourbon from Kentucky and Wyoming was added. This is a great batch, with the wheated bourbon bringing a nice balance to the signature nuttiness that comes from the Tennessee whiskey, along with notes of succulent plum, cherry and a heaping teaspoon of vanilla.
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King of Kentucky 2021 Edition
This regal name has a long history in the world of bourbon dating back to the late 1800s. Brown-Forman acquired the brand in 1936, and for years it was sold as a blended whiskey before it was discontinued in the late ‘60s. The King returned in 2018, and is now in its fourth release. This is a big, bold bourbon, aged for 14 years and bottled at a hefty 130 proof. Just 33 barrels were chosen for the release from two production days that were 12 days apart, according to master distiller Chris Morris. The nose is pungent with an almost savory barbecue sauce note to it, along with vanilla and caramel. These flavors explode on the palate, particularly the caramel, with intense fig, spiced pear, and cinnamon-honey notes. This is a big whiskey meant for slow sipping, but the rewards are plentiful. You can find it on shelves in Kentucky, with some bottles available in Ohio and Illinois as well as the secondary market. The retail price is $250, but expect to pay nearly 10 times that amount.
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Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon 2021
Image Credit: Photo: courtesy Michter’s It’s been three years since the last release of Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon, a sometimes polarizing whiskey that has as many fans as it does detractors. After the first release in 2014, there were two more in 2015 and 2018 – the distillery blames the infrequency on shortages of its whiskey. But it’s back for the fourth time, as usual taking mature Michter’s bourbon and finishing it in new toasted (but not charred) barrels made from wood that was air dried for 18 months. The naysayers argue that the oak becomes the dominant note here, while proponents enjoy the extra boost of butterscotch, spice, and toasted almond that this finish imparts. I would posit that in general, a toasted barrel finish isn’t for everyone, and I have enjoyed some versions more than others. This particular batch has big vanilla and citrus notes on the nose, with nutmeg, leather, and tobacco flavors on the palate, and a deep copper color.
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Yellowstone 2021 Limited Edition Bourbon
Yellowstone is a whiskey brand produced at the Limestone Branch Distillery in Kentucky and is the work of two descendants of Jacob Beam, the man who was at the very origin of what is now the best-selling bourbon in the world. Yellowstone is a brand with a history, but since 2015 it’s been made up of sourced barrels that are selected by master distiller Stephen Beam. This year’s Limited Edition release is a blend of seven- and 15-year-old bourbon, with some of the seven-year-old liquid having been finished in Amarone wine casks. These held this rich red wine for at least two years, and according to tasting notes the barrel finish has imbued the already mature bourbon with notes of pepper, tobacco, dark chocolate and stone fruit. It’s bottled at 101 proof, giving it some heft and heat without overpowering the palate with alcohol.
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Four Roses 2021 Limited Edition Small Batch
This year’s Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch is another winner from master distiller Brent Elliott. It’s a blend of four of the 10 recipes that are made at the distillery by combining two mash bills with five different yeast strains. This year’s Small Batch is made up of bourbon aged between 12 and 16 years: 16-year-old whiskey from the OBSV recipe (this makes up the majority of the blend at nearly 60 percent), 14-year-old OBSQ, 12-year-old OESK and 16-year-old OESV. Check out the website to find out exactly what those codes mean, but the resulting bourbon, non-chill filtered and bottled at 114.2 proof, is delicious, full of fruit, oak and vanilla notes with a complex mouthfeel and some lingering spice on the finish.
