New Expert Spirit Reviews - June 28, 2023

The Buffalo Trace Old Charter Oak series was first launched in 2018 to distinguish the diverse taste profiles of barrels made from trees grown in different countries, climates, and soil types. This release explores Spanish oak harvested from the forests of Northern Spain. It is bottled at 92 proof and available in limited quantities beginning spring 2023. (SRP $69.99)

Green River Wheated Bourbon is a Kentucky straight bourbon from Green River Distilling Co., part of Bardstown Bourbon Company. The mash bill is comprised of 70% Kentucky-grown corn, 21% wheat, and 9% barley. This whiskey is in 25 markets across the United States as of March 2023. (SRP $34.99)

Gaelic for "friendship," Cairdeas is an annual release created for the Friends of Laphroaig. The 2023 release was created with three-quarters of the single malt maturing in second-fill Madeira casks and the remaining quarter finished in first-fill port casks, the majority of which were white port. Created in 1994, the Friends of Laphroaig is a loyalty program for Scotch whisky fans across the globe. Laphroaig Cairdeas 2023 is bottled at cask strength of 52.3% ABV and is available for sale in the US beginning June 2023. (SRP $99)

The Origin Series is the brand's first estate-distilled collection with 100% of production from distilling to bottling handled at Bardstown Bourbon Co. This bottled-in-bond bourbon release is one of three core releases in the series. It was made with locally sourced corn and wheat grains (20% wheat, 68% corn, 12% malted barley) and was aged for 6 years. Bottled at 100 proof, it's available as of December 2022 at select US retailers. (SRP $49.99)

This first batch of Milam & Greene Very Small Batch Bourbon was blended by Master Blender Heather Greene who combined 75 barrels of bourbon from Tennessee and Kentucky (80:20). Incidentally, the Kentucky bourbon was distilled by Master Distiller Marlene Holmes in Kentucky using the brand's signature mash bill (70% corn, 22% malted rye, 8% malted barley). The two aged bourbons were married into a 1,000 gallon vat and then finished with charred French oak staves that had been used to age both tawny port and Milam & Greene rye whiskey. The staves were first allowed to "bake" in the Texas summer heat for two weeks before being charred. Then they were tied into bundles and allowed to steep in the marrying vat for two weeks. Bottled at 54% ABV, there are 1,500 9L cases available at select retailers in the US and Alberta, Canada beginning June 2023. (SRP $69.99)