New Expert Spirit Reviews - November 15, 2023 - Orphan Barrel Castle's Curse, WhistlePig The Boss Hog X, Dewar's Double Double 37 Year and More!

Castle's Curse is a single malt bottling in Diageo's Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co. portfolio which features rare and nearly forgotten barrels of whisky. The single malt here was made at Teaninch Distillery located in the northern Highlands. Aged for 14 years, it was matured in European oak casks. The label features a kelpie, a shape-shifting supernatural "water-horse" spirit of Scottish legend said to haunt rivers and streams. Bottled at 47.4% ABV, this limited edition is available at select retailers nationwide beginning September 2023. (SRP $175)

Whistlepig The Boss Hog X: The Commandments is the tenth bottling in the brand's Boss Hog series. This straight rye whiskey was hand bottled on the Whistlepig Farm after being finished in two different finishing barrels. The first housed a spirit distilled from rye and whey and infused with aromatic resins. The second held mead casks. It is bottled at proof, between 52.6-53.5% ABV and carries a suggested retail price of $599.99. It is available across the United States as of October, 2023.

Dewar's Double Double 37 is the first of four in a Collector's Series, each made to celebrate a Scotch whisky making region. The blended malt whisky is finished in oloroso sherry casks that held Aultmore single malt, honoring the Speyside region. Each of the whisky's constituent single malts was aged separately for 37 years prior to the finishing process.

Indri is one of three distilleries in Northern India under the Piccadily Distillers umbrella. This single malt, named for the ancient Celtic word for "oak" (Drú), is matured in ex-bourbon barrels in a warm climate that is described as "sub-tropical". It is bottled at a cask strength of 114.4 proof with availability in the US beginning November 2023. (SRP $80)

This is the second ever batch for Heaven Hill's Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey. Like the Original expression it is made with a mash bill of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley and the age will range from 7-9 years. Following Heaven Hill's naming conventions for its batch releases, B indicates the second batch of the year followed by 23 to indicate the year of release. It's bottled at a barrel proof of 120.6 proof (60.3% ABV). National availability for Batch B923 begins September 2023.(SRP $64.99)

Distilled at The Brown-Forman Distillery, King of Kentucky is a brand which was resurrected in 2018 and relaunched as a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. It is released annually as single barrel at barrel strength. The 6th expression in the series is a bourbon that was distilled on July 19, 2007 that entered the barrel at 125 proof. It is made from a mash bill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. It was released in fall of 2023 with a minimum age of 16 years, limited to 51 barrels with approximately 3,800 bottled produced. Note: proof varies by barrel bottling, typically between 125 to 135 proof. (SRP $300)

The Fifth District Series from Log Still Distillery's Monk's Road brand pays tribute to the historic distilleries of the fifth tax district in Central Kentucky. This second in the limited edition series honors the F.M. Head Distillery which also happens to share a Distilled Spirits Producer (DSP) number with Log Still — DSP-KY-47. This bottling is a high-rye bourbon which is aged for a minimum of 8 years. It was finished in toasted barrels before bottling at 100 proof. Available in early August 2023 in several states including KY, IN, OH, TN, MS, GA, and SC. (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 Frankfort expression is the second release in the series and is available beginning August 1st 2023. (SRP $169.99)