Whiskey to Celebrate the Chinese New Year

John Walker was a grocer and tea blender who in the early 19th century began to blend whisky to appease his customers and found he had a knack for it. Eventually his whiskies were bottled and named according to the color of their labels and the Red Label has become the number one selling Scotch whisky in the world. The Red Label is really designed for a long drink, or highball as you might know it, so enjoy accordingly. (SRP $17.99-23.99 for 750ml)

George Dickel is the only major American whiskey brand to have been based in both Kentucky and Tennessee during its history. Founded in the 19th century in Tennessee, Dickel moved its operations north to Kentucky in 1910 because of Tennessee's enactment of prohibition, finally returning to Tennessee in 1958.

Red Bush is a blended whiskey aged in first-fill-bourbon casks. No age statement is given other than the standard "at least three years of age" as is the youngest age requirement for any Irish Whiskey. Available in the US market in early 2017. Bottled at 40% ABV. (SRP $22.99)

Released as part of the Octomore Eights series, this Islay single malt was aged for five years. It was distilled in 2011 from 100% Islay barley with a peated level of 309ppm (parts per million). This marks the most heavily peated Octomore to date (Aug 2017). 56% of the single malt was aged in first-fill bourbon barrels. The remainder aged in European oak which held ex-Paulliac, Ventoux, Rhône, and Burgundy wine. Bottled at 61.2% ABV. 18,000 bottles were produced.

Still Waters spent a lot of time working on this blended Canadian Whisky which contains a high percentage of their own single malt and rye whiskies for flavoring. This release coincides with their Stalk & Barrel Blue Label. Red Label is the higher end of the two blended at 43% alcohol. It also means their 1+11 Blended Canadian Whisky will be retired and hitting the golf course while these two new whiskies fill the roll as their ambassador blends.

Available beginning October 2017, this limited edition peated single malt was distilled in 2012. It aged entirely in red wine casks from the Douro Valley in Portugal. It is non chill-filtered and bottled at 50% ABV. Only 10,000 bottles available worldwide.

Redbreast is made in the classic Irish Single Pot Still style. This means it is produced using a mash bill consisting of both malted and unmalted barley which is triple distilled in copper pot stills. The 12 year is aged in ex-bourbon and European oak ex-oloroso sherry.

Released in mid-July 2017, this small batch bourbon release from Hirsch is comprised of two high-rye mash bills. In addition to corn from both Indiana and Ohio, one contains 21% rye and the other 36% rye. This sourced whiskey is aged in barrels with a char #4 on the bodies of the barrels and a char #2 on the heads of the barrels. This straight bourbon was aged for 8 years.

Lagavulin 8 was released in conjunction with the distillery's 200th anniversary in 2016. It's meant as a throwback to the style of whisky Lagavulin may have been producing around the 1880s. That's when author, Alfred Barnard, visited all the distilleries in Great Britain, over 150 of them, and came away with the opinion that Lagavulin was just one of a few putting out single malt worthy of drinking on its own, as opposed to being solely destined for a blend. As of November 2017, this is whisky is now a core bottling for the distillery instead of a limited edition with new labels to follow.

The James Buchanan Whisky Co. was founded in the late 1880s by its namesake in an effort to create Scotch blended from mature, lighter flavored whiskies as an alternative to the dark, heavier-tasting ones dominating the market at the time. Red Seal is their premium blend, inspired by the Royal Household whisky made for the court of King Edward VII in 1901. The blend is a selection of Islay and Highland malts (including a rare expression of Dalwhinnie) as old as 21 years as well as mature grain whiskies. Its ornate, etched amber bottle is presented in a gate-fold box.