New Expert Spirit Reviews - February 7, 2024 - Barrell Foundation Bourbon, George Dickel 18 Year Bourbon, Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon, and More!

Barrell Foundation is made from a blend of straight bourbons aged 5-9 years from several states: Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Maryland. But unlike the brand's previous blended bourbon batches which are bottled at cask strength, this one is bottled at 100 proof — a first for the brand. Barrell Foundation Bourbon is an ongoing release with availability beginning October 2023 in select US markets with a national roll out to follow in January 2024.(SRP $59.99)

Dickel Bourbon was first introduced in 2021 as a permanent 8 year offering to the brand's portfolio in order to showcase whiskeys made at the distillery that had more of a bourbon profile. Here, this 18 year bottling is a limited edition small batch bourbon which was aged in charred oak barrels at Cascade Hollow's single-story rickhouses. The mash bill recipe remains the classic 85% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. Availability begins in select US markets beginning November 2023. (SRP $510)

Knob Creek 18 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon (2023 Release) is a rare, limited whiskey that was first introduced in 2022. It is bottled at 50% ABV and has a suggested retail price of $169.99. It is available across the United States for a limited time as of October 2023.

FUJI Japanese Whisky is 100% distilled and aged in Japan at Mt. Fuji Distillery. Uniquely, the distillery is capable of creating malt whisky and three different styles of grain whisky — an American-style made with 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley; a Canadian-style made with 95% rye and 5% malted barley; and a light Scottish-style made with 95% corn and 5% malted barley. Master Blender Jota Tanaka blended these three grain whiskies with malt whisky which were aged in American white oak barrels with a medium char/toast. Average age for the whiskies was 7 years and includes some aged up to 16 years. Bottled at 43% ABV, it's available in select US markets beginning May 2023. (SRP $70)

Tenmile Distillery's Little Rest is an American single malt whisky from upstate New York. Located in the Wassaic Valley, the distillery uses entirely locally grown and malted barley. Master distiller Shane Fraser spent 30 years in the Scotch industry, with stops at Oban, Glenfarclas, and Wolfburn, and he deploys a Scotch-style approach to production, including with the use of Forsyths stills. Little Rest is aged for a minimum of three years and is bottled at 46%.

This bourbon bottling is the first for Yellowstone's Special Finishes Collection. Aged for four years, it begins with the brand's traditional bourbon mash bill recipe. After its initial maturation, Limestone Branch Master Distiller Stephen Beam selected a combination of five different staves for finishing — high-toast, American oak double-toast, vanilla, rickhouse, and spice rack. Released nationwide in October 2023, this is a new full-time member of the Yellowstone portfolio. (SRP $49.99)

This release from Log Still Distillery is a small batch Kentucky straight bourbon which uses wheat as its secondary grain. It was aged four years and is bottled at 94 proof. Launched October 2022 in select US markets.

This whiskey from Broken Barrel begins with a Kentucky-distilled American whiskey (99% corn, 1% malted barley) which was aged for 6 years. Then whiskey was dumped and batched into a tank and further aged with selected oak staves for five months — 50% honey barrel staves and 50% Texas sotol staves. Bottled at 110 proof, there are 1,900 bottles available via the brand's website and at select retailers in CA, IN, KY, MN, OK, and SC beginning November 2023. (SRP $79)

A124 is the first of three editions of Larceny Barrel Proof Batch for 2024. As with previous releases, this is an uncut small batch bourbon aged 6 to 8 years, bottled straight from the barrel. It is made with Heaven Hill's wheated bourbon mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. It is bottled at 124.2 proof and available in limited quantities as of January 2024. (SRP $64.99)