Fall always seems to herald the arrival of a bunch of great limited edition whiskeys.
If the intention is to give people a head start on holiday shopping, that’s too bad, because most people will spend the next few months searching for the good stuff like parents tracking the hottest toy releases of the year.
And this year’s “toys” are extra hot. Just look at what came out this week. Big age statements from Knob Creek, Hibiki, Van Winkle, and Widow Jane all delivered impressive numbers. But a couple of quality bottles from Alberta Distillers and Hibiki also flew in under the radar.
Knob Creek 18
Vitals: Proof: 100 (50% ABV); $169.99
Knob Creek Bourbon has added a new, limited edition bourbon to its portfolio. Knob Creek 18 Year Old is the oldest age statement to-date, aged twice as long as the 9-year whiskey that is considered the brand’s flagship. This 18-year-old whiskey’s debut comes as parent Jim Beam celebrates 30 years of the Knob Creek brand and the Small Batch Collection, which were created by legendary master distiller Booker Noe.
“As we celebrate 30 years of Knob Creek, it’s clear to me that Dad was ahead of his time in creating innovative expressions with big, bold flavors that defined pre-prohibition whiskey,” said seventh generation master distiller Fred Noe. “This new 18 Year Old liquid is a nod to his vision and commitment to quality and craftsmanship, and I know this is a whiskey he’d be proud to serve. I’m honored to further his legacy with Knob Creek’s oldest and boldest expression yet.”
Bottled at 100 proof, limited supplies of this whiskey are available for a suggested retail price of $170 starting this month.
“As we celebrate 30 years of Knob Creek, it’s clear to me that Dad was ahead of his time in creating innovative expressions with big, bold flavors that defined pre-prohibition whiskey.”
— Fred Noe, seventh generation master distiller
Hibiki Harmony Blossom
Vitals: Proof: 86 Proof (43% ABV); $160
Speaking of Beam Suntory brands, the much-beloved Hibiki blended Japanese whisky announced a new product this month in Hibiki Blossom Harmony. Blossom Harmony features whiskies finished in Sakura wood casks, which impart honey and pear sweetness.
“I have been mesmerized by the Sakura cask for the last five years now due to its symbolism, but also because of its distinctive, subtly floral and spicy aroma and flavor notes,” says fifth generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo. “There have been many experiments with malt and grain whisky components, and we found that there was a special alchemy between the grain whiskies and the Sakura cask. It is this special relationship – harmony – that inspired me to create this blend.”
Hibiki will also be dropping their coveted Hibiki 30 in the U.S. market this season. Blossom Harmony is bottled at 86 proof with a suggested $160 retail price; Hibiki 30 will retail for $5,000 at the minimum.
Widow Jane The Vaults 2022
Vitals: 99 Proof (48.5% ABV); $250;
Hibiki isn’t the only brand dazzling with blends this season. New York’s Widow Jane Distillery has opened the vault again for the fourth year. The Vaults 2022 edition is a blend of bourbons ranging from 14 to 19 years of age hand-selected by master distiller Lisa Wicker.
“An act of congress in 1964 established bourbon as our only true ‘American Spirit’,” explains Wicker, whose latest Vaults release combines Tennessee and Indiana bourbons aged in Missouri Ozark wood barrels, before they’re blended and finished in New York. “The Vaults 2022 represents the craftsmanship of the distillers before me, the warehouse men and women, the farmers and the truck drivers and the Widow Jane team. I have the privilege of finishing and blending exquisite whiskey.”
The 2022 release of The Vaults is bottled at 99 proof; suggested retail is $250.
Pappy Van Winkle 23
Sensory experts have noted that the Family Reserve 15-Year-Old is particularly delicious this year, and they’ve called it, “An unbelievably opulent and flawless bourbon that takes wood and distillate to its absolute pinnacle.”
The six whiskeys (Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon, Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13-Year-Old, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15-Year-Old, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20-Year-Old, and Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23-Year-Old), range from $70 to $300 in retail price, although we of course know that the market will dictate higher prices—if you can find them at all.
Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye
Vitals: 127 Proof (63.5 % ABV); $80;
In addition to Van Winkle’s annual rye release, one bottle that will be on the market this month worth keeping an eye out for is the annual drop of Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye. Cask Strength, which has taken home significant awards in recent years, is hitting U.S. markets for only the third time this season.
“Our cask strength release has continued to capture the attention of whisky enthusiasts globally and is something we’re delighted to bring back this year,” said Alberta Distillers general manager George Teichroebs. “For distillers like myself, cask strength whiskies are where we get to demonstrate our skill and craftsmanship, as the final product is completely unadulterated.”
The 100 percent rye whisky is made entirely with Canadian grain grown by local farmers, before it is pot distilled and aged in new white oak. At 127 proof it’s tipping the scales, but at a $80 suggested price, those scales aren’t going to weigh too heavily on the wallet.
“For distillers like myself, cask strength whiskies are where we get to demonstrate our skill and craftsmanship, as the final product is completely unadulterated.”
— George Teichroebs, Alberta Distillers general manager
Clay Whittaker is a prolific freelance spirits, culture, and lifestyle writer. His work has been featured in some of the top print and digital publications like Esquire, Maxim, Men’s Journal, Southern Living, Popular Science, NBC, NPR, The Daily Beast, Playboy and Bourbon+. His media resume also includes assistant editor and tasting coordinator for Cigar Aficionado and editor at large for the Bourbon Review.
