New Booze News: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2017, The Balvenie Peat Week 14 Year, Octomore The Eights, and More!

As we get closer to the fall, whiskey releases begin to hit the shelves in a rapid-fire succession. As a result, this week’s feature is an all-whiskey rundown. Old Forester has their highly sought after Birthday Bourbon, to be released in September. There’s a new limited edition release from Jack Daniel’s, to mark the 125th anniversary of a saloon. The Balvenie has a new peated single malt release—expected to be an annual tradition. Bruichladdich has released a quartet of heavily-peated single malts dubbed, The Eights. All this and more in the booze news for the week of August 14, 2017!

USA

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2017

This marks the 16th annual birthday release from Old Forester; always set to hit shelves beginning on the 2nd of September. This limited edition was put into the barrel in 2005 and aged for 12 years. It is a blend of bourbons aged in two different warehouses. Ninety-three barrels were aged in Warehouse G, and twenty-seven in Warehouse K.

Due to an issue with the first transferring of bourbon from the holding tank to the bottling line, there are two different proofs in this year’s release: 96 and 95.6. Kentucky will receive both proofs, while Florida and Georgia will receive the 95.6 proof. The rest of the country will see the 96 proof bottling. Suggested retail price $79.99.

Jack Daniel’s Red Dog Saloon

This release from Jack Daniel’s celebrates the Red Dog Saloon, a saloon Mr. Daniel opened in 1892. That saloon, located in the Lynchburg town square, has since closed. Bottled at 43% ABV, this is a limited edition release is expected to hit shelves in September 2017. Suggested retail price $29.

IRELAND

Egan’s Vintage Grain Single Grain

Introduced in 2017, this is the second release from Egan’s, a revived Irish whiskey brand. This sourced single grain whiskey is aged for 8 years in ex-bourbon barrels. It is non chill-filtered and bottled at 46% ABV. Suggested retail price $45.

SCOTLAND

The Balvenie Peat Week 14 Year (2002 Edition)

In 2002, The Balvenie began to set aside one week each year to distill heavily-peated whisky. This peated single malt release is a limited, vintage bottling, but it is expected to become an annual release. Matured entirely in American oak. Expected September 2017 release date. Suggested retail price $99.

BRUICHLADDICH

Octomore The Eights

A quartet of heavily-peated single malt whiskies, one of which is the most heavily-peated whisky to date. Expected release for all in September 2017.

Octomore Masterclass 08.1/167

Aged for 8 years. It was distilled in 2008 from 100% Scottish barley which was peated to a level of 167ppm (parts per million). The whisky matured in 100% first-fill bourbon barrels and was bottled at 59.3% ABV. Only 42,000 bottles were made. Suggested retail price £120 ($155)

Octomore Masterclass 08.2/167

Distilled from 100% Scottish barley that was peated to a level of 167ppm. It spent its first six years in one of three styles of second-fill, European oak wine barrels: French mourvèdre, French Sauternes, or Austrian sweet wine. The final two years of maturation were done in fresh Amarone casks. 36,000 bottles were produced. This is a travel retail exclusive. Suggsted retail price £125 ($160)

Octomore Masterclass 08.3/309 Islay Barley

Aged for five years. It was distilled in 2011 from 100% Islay barley with a peated level of 309ppm. This marks the most heavily-peated whisky to date. 56% of the single malt was aged in first-fill bourbon barrels. The remainder matured in European oak which held ex-Paulliac, Ventoux, Rhône, and Burgundy wine. Bottled at 61.2% ABV. 18,000 bottles were produced. Suggested retail price £165 ($212)

Octomore Masterclass 08.4/170 Virgin Oak

Aged for 8 years. It was distilled in 2009 from 100% Scottish barley which was peated to 170ppm. 20% of the single malt was aged in virgin oak. The remainder was aged in first-fill American oak bourbon barrels before being transferred to European virgin oak barrels which formerly held Octomore 7.4. Only 12,000 bottles were produced. Suggested retail price £150 ($195)

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