New Booze News: Michter’s, BenRiach, GlenDronach, Blood Oath, and More!

This week’s booze news features a range of whiskey offerings, both in style and price. In bourbon news, Michter’s just announced the latest batch of its 10-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon. Also hitting shelves this month is Luxco’s fourth installment in the Blood Oath Bourbon series. As per usual, expect an ornate wooden box to accompany the whiskey.

On the other side of the pond is a host of new releases from Brown-Forman owned GlenDronach and BenRiach distilleries. These bottles offer a variety of single malts to choose from, including cask strength, single barrel and peated whiskies. Finally, for the collectors out there, Gordon & Macphail has a single malt distilled in 1956 on offer. Only 53 bottles were produced—happy hunting! You can find out all the details on these new releases below in the booze news for the week of March 19, 2018!

Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

The Michter’s brand was originally based in Pennsylvania, but shut its doors in 1989. It was resurrected in the 1990s (under new management) and its homebase is now in Kentucky. This 10-year-old release is a single barrel, Kentucky straight bourbon. The latest batch is set to reach markets beginning April 2018 and was approved by master distiller Pam Heilmann and master of maturation, Andrea Wilson.

“Our goal is to make the greatest American whiskey. At Michter’s the standards are incredibly high, and we only release something when it’s ready, not just because it’s 10 years and a day old,” offered Heilmann. “It’s great to be able to work with someone as knowledgeable about wood science and whiskey as Andrea. When we tasted this 10 Year Bourbon, both of us were very happy and very excited to release it this year.”

Suggested retail price $120.

Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon / Photo Credit: Michter’s

Blood Oath Bourbon Pact No. 4

Released in March 2018, this is the fourth installment in the Blood Oath series, which began in 2015. Like previous versions, this is a blended Kentucky straight bourbon release. One is aged 12 years, another is aged 10 years, and the third is aged for 9 years. The 9-year-old bourbon is finished in toasted bourbon barrels. This is a limited edition release with 12,000 cases (3 packs) created. Bottled at 98.6 proof.

Suggested retail price $99.99.

Blood Oath Bourbon Pact No. 4 / Photo Credit: Blood Oath

THE GLENDRONACH & BENRIACH

Brown-Forman Corporation, based in Kentucky, has Glenglassaugh, GlenDronach and BenRiach distilleries in its single malt Scotch whisky portfolio. The latter two released a host of new whiskies this year. All were selected by master blender and whisky maker, Rachel Barrie. For GlenDronach, there are two single cask releases to mention, both aged in sherry butts and both exclusive to the US. This is in addition to the already announced ninth batch of GlenDronach 24 Year Grandeur.

BenRiach, located in Speyside, has a few new releases as well. This distillery, known for its experimentation, offers an unpeated style (now dubbed “Classic”) as well as peated and triple-distilled releases. Additionally, the distillery uses a variety of different casks to mature and finish the whiskies. In addition to the BenRiach 21 Year, available in the UK as of 2017, there are two single cask, a cask strength batch, and a peated 21-year-old release just announced.

GlenDronach 1993 24 Year Sherry Butt Single Cask #415

This single malt was distilled on the 12th of February 1993, and aged in a sherry butt for 24 years. Bottled in October 2017 at 51.8%, it is non-chill-filtered and became available beginning in February 2018.

Suggested retail price: $675.

GlenDronach 1993 24 Year Sherry Butt Single Cask #415 / Photo Credit: GlenDronach

GlenDronach 1990 27 Year Sherry Butt Single Cask #2257

This single malt was distilled on the 7th of July 1990 and aged in a sherry butt for 27 years. Bottled at 52.9% ABV, it is non-chill-filtered.

Suggested retail price: $1,100.

GlenDronach 1990 27 Year Sherry Butt Single Cask #2257 / Photo Credit: GlenDronach

BenRiach 2006 10 Year Virgin Oak Single Cask #7367

This single cask release from BenRiach was distilled on the 25th of October 2006. It is an unpeated single malt aged in a virgin American oak cask for 10 years. Bottled in October 2017 at 59.4% ABV, it is non-chill-filtered and has no color added. Available beginning February 2018, this is an exclusive US release.

Suggested retail price $95.

BenRiach 2006 10 Year Virgin Oak Single Cask #7367 / Photo Credit: BenRiach

BenRiach 2005 12 Year Peated Port Wood Finish Single Cask #2683

This single cask release from BenRiach was distilled on the 16th of February in 2005. This peated single malt whisky aged for 12 years, initially in second-fill bourbon barrel and then finished in a port pipe. Bottled in October 2017 at 53.6% ABV, it is non-chill-filtered and has no color added. Available beginning February 2018, this is an exclusive US release.

Suggested retail price $110.

BenRiach 2005 12 Year Peated Port Wood Finish Single Cask #2683 / Photo Credit: BenRiach

BenRiach Classic Cask Strength Batch 2

This batch was created by master blender Rachel Barrie. She created a blend of single malts finished in bourbon, virgin oak and oloroso sherry casks. This is bottled without an age statement at cask strength of 60.6% ABV. Available beginning February 2018.

Suggested retail price $95.

BenRiach Classic Cask Strength Batch 2 / Photo Credit: BenRiach

BenRiach Temporis 21 Year

Released in spring 2018, this is a peated expression from the Speyside distillery. It is aged for 21 years in a mix of bourbon, virgin oak, Pedro Ximenez and oloroso sherry casks. The name Temporis is Latin for “time” and according to BenRiach, “Emulates the original character of Speyside malts in the 19th century.”

Suggested retail price $265.

BenRiach Temporis 21 Year / Photo Credit: BenRiach

Linkwood 1956 Private Collection (Gordon & MacPhail)

Released in March 2018, this bottling is from the Private Collection series from independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail. Distilled on the 3rd of January 1956, it is the last 1950s cask of Linkwood in Gordon & MacPhail’s vast inventory. It is also believed to be the last 1950s cask from the distillery globally. This was one of the last casks laid down by John Urquhart—a first generation member of the family that owns Gordon & MacPhail—before he retired the following month.

This single malt aged for six decades in a first-fill sherry hogshead and was bottled at cask strength of 49.4% ABV. A total of 53 decanters were hand-blown and individually numbered. They come with a certificate of authenticity signed by Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige and fourth generation member of the Urquhart family.

Linkwood 1956 Private Collection (Gordon & MacPhail) / Photo Credit: Gordon & MacPhail

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