10 whiskies released during Bourbon Heritage Month
This September saw a crop of exciting new releases from Bourbon producers in Kentucky and beyond.
As Bourbon Heritage Month comes to a close, we revisited some of the most exciting whiskies released, including new products from Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Angel's Envy, and more. Bourbon continues to be big business for the state of Kentucky, generating US$9 billion in 2023 with distilling responsible for more than 23,100 jobs with annual salaries and wages of US$1.63bn. From special releases to permanent expressions, these whiskies show there is a lot to taste, with innovation and quality leading the way.Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024
Maker's Mark debuted its Cellar Aged line in 2023, releasing what was, at the time, the oldest whiskey ever bottled by the brand. It followed that up with an even older whiskey for the 2024 Cellar Aged, a blend of 15% 12-year-old Bourbon and 85% 13-year-old Bourbon. The whiskey clocks in at 59.7% ABV and US$175.
Angel’s Envy Triple Oak
Angel's Envy added to its core lineup for the first time in more than a decade when it released Triple Oak earlier this month. From the mind of master distiller Owen Martin, the whiskey was inspired by the conventional practice of rebarrelling American whiskey with the Scotch practice of using different finishing casks. It is bottled at 46% ABV and priced at US$75.
Row 94 Bourbon
Country star Dierks Bentley became the latest musician to launch a whiskey line this month when he announced Row 94, a Kentucky straight Bourbon made at Green River Distilling. “It’s been an evolution," said Bentley of his appreciation for the spirit, "from drinking basically any whiskey handed to me back in college, to it becoming something I enjoy tasting and sharing with friends.” Row 94 is bottled at 47% ABV and priced at US$40.
Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell's 70th Anniversary Bourbon
To commemorate Jimmy Russell’s 70-year tenure at Wild Turkey, the Campari-owned brand released a limited edition Bourbon. Wild Turkey, and Bourbon at large, wouldn't be what it is today without Jimmy's contributions, and this limited bottling features his signature eight-year-old 50.5% ABV Bourbon along with an additional blend of eight-year-old whiskeys selected from a few of his favourite rickhouses.
Widow Jane The Vaults 2024 Straight Bourbon
Brooklyn's Widow Jane added to The Vaults series with a blend of straight Bourbons finished in amburana wood casks. The 15-year-old whiskey is bottled at 49.5% ABV and priced at US$250 with 24,000 bottles available. Last year's Vaults release was the debut for head distiller and blender Sienna Jevremov, who said she's now feeling up to taking on different cask types. "After a year as head blender, I felt it was time to challenge myself," she said.
True Story Bourbon
Angel's Envy co-founder Wes Henderson returned to the whiskey scene this month with True Story, a new line of whiskies that debuts with two expressions, including a finished Bourbon. Aged for five to six years in American oak, the Bourbon is finished in White Moscatel casks for up to six months. It is bottled at 45% ABV and priced at US$60. Alongside a finished rye, the whiskey hits shelves starting 10 October at select Kentucky and Tennessee retailers.
Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill
It’s technically not a Bourbon, but it is difficult to talk about America's national spirit without mentioning its largest producer, even if it's classified as Tennessee whiskey. Jack Daniel's went back to its Coy Hill warehouses this month for its latest single barrel special release, a high-proof whiskey that master distiller Chris Fletcher says shows the distillery's complexity and balance.
Barrell Cask Finish Series: Ice Wine
Barrell Craft Spirits added to its Cask Finish line with the release of Ice Wine, a blend of Bourbons from Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wyoming. The whiskies in the blend range from five to 15 years old, while the derived mashbill lands at 71% corn, 24% rye, 4% malted barley, and 1% wheat. Ice Wine is bottled at 53.26% ABV and priced at US$90.
Wyoming Whiskey National Parks No 4
Wyoming Whiskey announced two new whiskies in September, both in its National Parks series. National Parks No 4 is a straight Bourbon bottled at 49% ABV and listed at US$80. The even-more-limited Old Faithful comes from 10-year-old wheated Bourbon barrels and is bottled at 54% ABV and listed at US$500. Wyoming also announced a new master blender this month.
Booker's The Reserves and Little Book Infinite
Jim Beam’s eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe released two limited expressions this September with Booker's The Reserves and Little Book Infinite. The Reserves will be an annual release under the Booker's name, with the first edition a blend of whiskies aged between eight and 14 years. It is bottled at 62.95% ABV and priced at US$130.
Infinite, meanwhile, is the first extension for Freddie's Little Book line and honours his family's legacy of distilling at Beam. Edition 1 features components representing three generations of Noe master distillers, with whiskies ranging in age from eight to 20 years. It is bottled at 59.65% ABV and priced at US$200.
