New Expert Spirit Reviews - August 16, 2023

Like the previous limited edition bottlings in this annual series, Limestone Branch Distillery's Master Distiller Steve Beam selected the three bourbons blended for this bottling. For this 2023 release, Beam chose Kentucky straight bourbons which were aged for 7, 13, and 16 years. After blending he then finished its maturation in Tokaji wine casks (a dessert wine from Northern Hungary made with white wine grapes). It's bottled at 50.5% ABV. Just 10,000 cases (3-pack) will be available for purchase beginning August 2023. (SRP $99.99)

Hardin's Creek is a series of rare and unique whiskeys from James B. Beam Distilling Co. For the brand's Kentucky Series — a three-part bourbon series — the aim is to explore "Kentucky terroir" within the Beam Family distilling campuses of Clermont, Frankfort, and Boston. Each of the three Kentucky bourbons are 17 years-old and were distilled with the same mash bill. However, they were each aged in a different location. This Clermont expression is the first release to be available beginning June 1st 2023. The other bottlings will be released on August 1st and September 1st 2023, respectively. (SRP $169.99)

Barrell Bourbon Batch 035 is made from a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys distilled in Indiana (6, 7 & 8 year-olds), Tennessee (7 & 13 year-olds) and Kentucky (8 year-old). The resulting blend had a mash bill recipe of 78% corn, 18% rye and 4% malted barley. Batch 035 is bottled at cask strength of 116.24 proof and is available as of August 2023. (SRP $90)

This Summer 2023 Red Corn Bourbon bottling is the first expression in Still Austin's Bottled in Bond Seasonal Series. It's made from a mash bill of 36% red corn, 34% white corn, 25% rye, 5% barley and is aged a minimum of four years in a federally bonded warehouse. As required for a bottled in bond whiskey, it is bottled at 50% ABV. Available as of June 17, 2023. (SRP $79.99)