Share Your Love With Whiskey This Valentine's Day

The Second Red Rose from Balvenie is the fifth release in its Stories expressions. The bottling pays homage to the 2008 distillery-only Balvenie Rose 16 year-old release which finished its maturation in port pipes. The Rose story in both bottlings refers to the rent paid by The Fair Maid of Galloway, Margaret Douglas. She lived in the Balvenie Castle in the 15th century and once King James II took over ownership of the estate, her rent to him was one red rose per year. Aged for 21 years, the whisky initially was matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels before its finish in Australian shiraz wine casks. Bottled at 48.1% ABV, it was initially released in the UK in September 2021 followed by a release in the US in November 2022. (SRP $459.99)

Like the 86 proof version, this Irish + American Whiskey is made with the following whiskey styles: Irish triple-distilled pot still whiskey (malted & unmalted barley), Irish grain whiskey (corn/maize), and American rye whiskey (made with 95% rye). Each of these whiskeys were aged over 4 years, the Irish whiskeys in refill bourbon barrels and the rye in virgin American oak. Bottled in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co at 110 proof. (SRP $44.99)

This bottling marks the seventh release of Flaming Heart for Compass Box with each edition featuring a unique recipe. This is a peated blended malt featuring single malts from Laphroaig (recharred hogsheads), Talisker (recharred hogsheads), and Caol Ila (refill bourbon barrels) as well as other single malt and blended malt whiskies. Additionally, there are parcels of past limited edition Compass Box bottlings including Peat Monster Arcana, Myths & Legends, and 2018 Flaming Heart. There are 9,606 bottles available globally with the US getting its allocation in November 2022. (SRP $155)

Viking Heart is a whisky made with casks selected by Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion. The single malt features a high percentage of first-fill European oak sherry seasoned casks along with first-fill American oak sherry seasoned casks. It is packaged in a heavily embossed ceramic bottle, created in partnership with renowned specialists UK based Wade Ceramics. Bottled at 44% ABV, this expression joins the distillery's core lineup as of September 2021. (SRP $110)

This expression is an Irish single malt that was fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels. It then spends an additional 9 months in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. It is bottled non chill-filtered at 92 proof. (SRP $44.99)

Four Roses Small Batch Select Bourbon is a non-chill filtered bourbon using a recipe selected by Master Distiller Brent Elliott. Four Roses has 10 bourbon recipes available to craft its bourbon offerings which are made from two different mash bills and five different yeast strains. Small Batch Select is made from six of the ten: OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, OESF. Each bourbon in the small batch selection will be six or seven years old. This is the first new brand extension for the brand in 12 years. It joins the other permanent releases of Four Roses Bourbon, Small Batch, and Single Barrel bottlings. Available as of spring 2019 in Kentucky, Texas, California, New York, and Georgia with other locations to follow in the future. (SRP $59.99)

Oak & Eden is a whiskey brand based in Texas which specializes in "in-bottle finishing" — a method of finishing a whiskey by inserting a spire, a 5-inch spiral-cut piece of wood, into a fully-matured bottle of whiskey. Wheat & Honey is part of the brand's Infused Series which in addition to which varying the type of wood for the spire, it is also infused. Here the brand uses a wheated bourbon whiskey which has been aged a minimum of three years. Then a medium-toasted American oak spire which is infused with American honey is inserted into the bottle. (SRP $59.99)

This expression uses Garrison Bros' Small Batch Bourbon as its base. It is flavored with Texas wildflower honey from Burelson's by immersing wooden cubes made with used bourbon oak in the honey, then marrying them with the bourbon in steel tanks for 7 months. It is bottled at 80 proof. (SRP $79.99)

The Chocolate Edition from Douglas Laing's Scallywag highlights the "dessert-like" cocoa rich flavors which is a trademark for the brand. Made from a blend of Speyside single malt whiskies including Mortlach, Macallan and Glenrothes, they are all sherry cask matured. Released on World Chocolate Day 2022, July 7th, only 3600 bottles are available globally. (SRP £57.50 / €67.50)

First released in 2021, Rabbit Hole has re-released its Raceking Founder's Collection and has stated that it will be an ongoing annual release each fall. The recipe for the Kentucky straight bourbon remains the same as the inaugural edition: 70% corn, 13% rye, 10% malted rye, 4% chocolate malted wheat, and 3% chocolate malted barley. It was aged in new, toasted & charred American oak barrels and bottled at cask strength. Availability begins in December 2022 at the Rabbit Hole Distillery an then a wider national release is expected in early 2023. Only 1,335 bottles available for the 2022 edition. (SRP $395)