New Spirits Releases - April 8, 2022

Voyage 26 of the Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea portfolio is the first rye whiskey for the brand. It was created by taking fully mature rye whiskey and rebarreling the lot -- 75% was placed into char #3 barrels and the other 25% was placed into new, toasted barrels. After six months at sea, the rye was bottled without chill-filtration at 96 proof. Available as of April 2022. (SRP $79.99)

Ardcore is a limited edition release from Ardbeg which has been created to celebrate Ardbeg Day held each year during the Islay Festival of Music and Malt (Fèis Ìle). Like previous years, Ardbeg has created two versions of the same whisky for Ardbeg Day 2022 -- a higher proof version for its Committee Members released May 1, 2022, and this lower proof version (46% ABV) released in early June 2022. Ardcore is made with roasted black malt, a first for the distillery.

Blood Oath is an annual limited edition release crafted by Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. For Pact No. 8, Rempe blended three batches of Kentucky straight high-rye bourbon: a 14 year, an 11 year, and an 8 year which was finished in Calvados casks. 17,000 3-pack cases of Pact No. 8 were created and will be made available as of April 2022.

This release is one in Old Elk's Master's Blend Series, crafted by Master Distiller Greg Metze. As the name suggests, the bourbon is made with four types of grains: 51% corn, 22.5% wheat, 19% malted barley, and 7.5% rye. It's aged 6-7 years and is then bottled at 105.9 proof. Released April 2022.

Created by Master Distiller Greg Metze, this American whiskey is a limited edition release in Old Elk's Master's Blend Series. It's a combination of two of the brand's whiskeys: Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey which has a 95% wheat, 5% malted barley mash bill and Old Elk Straight Wheat Bourbon which has a 51% corn, 45% wheat, 5% malted barley mash bill. The bourbon whiskeys are aged between 6-8 years and are blended and bottled at 107.1 proof. Released April 2022. (SRP $99)

Kennessee is blend of Kentucky and Tennessee bourbon whiskeys which were selected and blended by Master Blender Marianne Eaves. After blending, she finished the bottling by adding special wood spirals made from toasted sugar maple to the stainless steel vat. The bourbon was then proofed and bottled at 110.7 proof. This limited edition release is available as of April 2022. Sweetens Cove is a nine-hole golf course which opened in 2014 just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. Athletes Peyton Manning and Andy Roddick are among the owners of the course and the whiskey brand.

Experimental Grain is a limited edition release from Compass Box. Its featured element is a parcel from Loch Lomond Distillery which makes up 31% of the blend. That whisky was distilled from 100% peated malted barley, but as it was distilled in a copper Coffey still and not a pot still, it doesn't qualify as a single malt whisky. The other conventional grain whiskies included are from The North British Distillery (36.7% of the blend); Cameronbridge Distillery (14.5%), and the brand's Hedonism blended grain whisky (17.8%). Released in the US in April 2022, there are 6142 bottles available worldwide.

Omakase is a limited edition collection of whiskies crafted by Kaikyo Distillery's Master Distiller & Blender Kimio Yonezawa. This is the first release in the Omakase portfolio and is exclusive to the US. It is a blend of non-peated single malts aged for 5-6 years in new, charred American oak. Then the whisky is finished in Japanese Mizunara oak barrels. It's bottled without added color or chill filtration at 92 proof. Available as of April 2022, only 3560 bottles produced.