New Expert Spirit Reviews - May 1, 2024 - Hatozaki Omakase Rye Mizunara Cask Finish, Michter's Barrel Strength Rye (2024), and More!

Produced at the Kaikyō Distillery, this bottling is made with at least 51% rye and is produced in small batches of no more than 10 casks which are hand-selected by Master Distiller & Blender Kimio Yonezawa. Initial maturation is done in new charred oak barrels before a finishing in Japanese Mizunara oak casks. This limited edition release is the 3rd edition in the brand's Omakase Series and is exclusive to the US. Just 3,000 bottles are available beginning April 2024. (SRP $95)

This release uses the same mash bill as the one Abraham Overholt used when he founded the brand in Pennsylvania in 1810 — 80% rye and 20% soft malted barley. Today, the Overholt brand is made in Clermont, Kentucky at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. with other Overholt Rye bottlings incorporating some corn in the recipe unlike this release. Bottled at 47.5% ABV, A. Overholt Straight Rye is available nationwide beginning April 2024. (SRP $39.99)

Michter's US*1 Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye is a limited edition release with the last batch having been released in 2022. Barrels were selected by Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson who both deemed this batch ready for release. This a single barrel release so expect variations to appear from barrel to barrel, as is the nature of such offerings. On average, the proof of this batch is 110.2 proof (55.1% ABV). Barrels will be available on an allocated basis as of February 2024. (SRP $110)

This 8 year-old Kentucky straight bourbon is the oldest release to date from New Riff Distilling. It's made from a mash bill of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley like its flagship bourbon bottling. But while that release, and many others from the brand, is bottled in bond, this is the product of two distilling seasons and does not qualify for the designation. It's bottled without chill-filtration at 100 proof. Available beginning March 8, 2024. (SRP $67.99)

The Kiawah Blend is the fourth release for the 2XO's Icon Series. Like the others, this one was blended by American whiskey blender Dixon Dedman using a double-barrel process. For this bottling, two bourbon mash bills were used — one with a high-rye 35% recipe and another with a moderate 18% rye recipe. Dedman double-barreled the high-rye recipe into new, charred oak barrels (#3 and #4 char levels) for 9 months to a year. Available nationwide beginning April 2024. (SRP $99.99)

This is the first bourbon batch release from Booker's for 2024. Named after the small town in central Kentucky where Booker Noe was born and raised, the Springfield Batch was comprised of bourbon made on five different production dates and stored in four different warehouses. Aged for 7 years, 7 months, and 8 days, this was bottled at 124.5 proof (62.25% ABV). Available nationwide beginning April 2024. (SRP $89.99)

This straight bourbon release from Templeton Distillery is not only the first bourbon released by the brand, but it's the first bottling from the brand that was distilled onsite at its facility in Iowa. Templeton used a high-rye mash bill (55% locally-sourced corn, 40% rye, 5% malted barley). After maturation, it was bottled at 46% ABV without chill-filtration. Availability begins April 2024 nationwide and in select international markets. (SRP $39.99)

This is the second Rio release for Penelope and is part of the brand's Cooper Series using different types of oak to finish the bourbon. This expression is a four-grain straight bourbon made with a mash bill of 74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye and 3% malted barley. It was initially aged in new, charred American oak before a finishing in a combination of American honey and Brazilian oak casks. It is bottled non chill-filtered at 98 proof. For this 2024 release, there are 5,000 6-pack cases available beginning March 2024. (SRP $89.99)

This is the fourth and final release in the Extinct Blends Quartet a series which pays homage to Scotch whisky from the past. In addition to grain whiskies, malt whiskies from Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Glen Elgin and Pulteney are used in this peated blend. It is bottled at 50% ABV (700 ml bottle), limited to 5,532 bottles released worldwide as of April 5, 2024. (SRP $375)

Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask is the first release from the brand to feature three different types of sherry casks for maturation — oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, and Moscatel sherry. The brand fully matures new make spirit in each individual cask and then blends them in a marrying vat to allow the whiskies to rest and interact. Oloroso sherry is the main character of the whisky. This whisky makes its debut in the US beginning April 2024. (SRP $99.99)