<p dir="ltr">There&rsquo;s still a corner of the whiskey world that hears the term &ldquo;blend&rdquo; and assumes it means an inferior product, even though brands like <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=dewar%27s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Dewar&rsquo;s</a> and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Johnnie+Walker&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Johnnie Walker</a> have been proving for generations how refined blended whisky can be. Those houses built their reputations on scale, consistency, and the mandate to recreate a signature profile year after year&mdash;the classic mentality of a storied blender.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Relative newcomer <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Compass+Box&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Compass Box</a> came along in a different era, working on a smaller scale and with a different set of priorities: transparency about components, a willingness to put grain whisky in the foreground, and blends built for character rather than consistency. The brand&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Hedonism&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Hedonism</a> expression became one of the early examples of how grain whisky could stand on its own when treated with real age and attention.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When Hedonism first appeared in 2000, it didn&rsquo;t look or behave like the blended grain whiskies most people knew. It was built from older parcels than most people associated with grain whisky at the time, and it immediately stood out for its silky, almost custard‑like texture and maturity. As those parcels became harder to source, Hedonism moved into an annual limited‑release format, shaped each year by whatever older grain components were available. The 2026 release (46% ABV, $165) reflects that shift, built around older grain components that give it more weight and darker flavors than recent editions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This year&rsquo;s blend leans on some of the oldest grain whisky Compass Box has used to date, including a 30‑year Strathclyde and 20&ndash;24‑year whiskies from Port Dundas and Cameronbridge. There&rsquo;s also an older sherry element in the mix, and it shows. The nose is warm and rich&mdash;clove‑spiked fruitcake, dates, toffee&mdash;with that familiar Hedonism dryness underneath. On the palate, the texture is classic: soft, melting, almost custardy. But the flavors run darker than in previous editions, with coffee, roasted almond, tart raisin, and a cocoa‑tinged creaminess that lingers. The sherry doesn&rsquo;t take over; it simply adds depth.</p>
<p dir="ltr">That idea is showing up in American whiskey too, where a handful of producers are making straight blends built from mature straight components assembled with intention. If Hedonism shows how blending can evolve within scotch, these bottles show what happens when American distillers and blenders take the same approach.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">High West Bourye ($125)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=High+West&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">High West&rsquo;s</a><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=bourye&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc"> 2026 Bourye</a> leans more heavily on older stock and is a higher proof than previous editions, built entirely from 10 to 19‑year‑old bourbon and rye and bottled at 50.5% ABV without chill filtration. The blend includes two MGP bourbons (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley; and 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley), MGP&rsquo;s 95% rye/5% malted barley rye, and High West&rsquo;s own 80% rye/20% malted‑rye distillate&mdash;one of the few house‑made components that has now reached meaningful age. The elevated proof gives the blend a darker, more concentrated profile and a confectionary nose with orange‑cr&egrave;me and ginger‑spice character peeking through.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Barrell Craft Spirits 12‑Year French Oak Cask Finish Bourbon ($159)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Barrell%E2%80%99s+12%E2%80%91Year+French+Oak+Cask+Finish+Bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Barrell&rsquo;s 12‑Year French Oak Cask Finish Bourbon</a> is a blend of straight bourbons distilled in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Wyoming, all at least 12 years old. Each was given a secondary maturation in French oak casks with distinct toast levels designed to build aromatic spice and deepen the nutty, vanilla‑forward character. The French oak shows immediately, revealing hazelnut, vanilla, nutmeg, and allspice notes, with a worn‑leather earthiness that keeps the sweetness grounded. The palate carries the same toasted‑nut and baking‑spice profile, but there&rsquo;s also a faint herbaceous lift&mdash;a little spearmint, a little green freshness&mdash;that cuts through the richness.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">WhistlePig 12‑Year Market Street Bank Heist ($165)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Available only at <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=WhistlePig&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WhistlePig&rsquo;s</a> Vault tasting room in Louisville, the 12‑Year Market Street Bank Heist is built from mature rye finished across three cask types&mdash;20% Port, 28% Sauternes, and 52% Madeira&mdash;a combination that gives the whiskey a broader mouthfeel, a longer finish, and a darker flavor profile than the core 12‑year releases. According to Jennifer Bowker, lead tasting room host at the Vault, the Port component brings deep chocolate, dark fruit, and a warm baking‑spice edge, while the Sauternes and Madeira add lift while it remains a dessert dram.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Little Book Chapter 9: None for Granted ($160)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=little+book+chapter+9&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Little Book Chapter 9</a> is built from five Kentucky straight whiskeys: 11‑year bourbon, 8‑year rye, 8‑year brown‑rice bourbon, and two 7‑year bourbons (one fermented for five days at a lower distillation proof, the other finished in toasted oak). Freddie Noe still jokes about his first attempt at a blend&mdash;&ldquo;terrible&hellip; it tasted pretty much just like corn whiskey,&rdquo; he said in a recent interview&mdash;and how people questioned whether blending was even worth pursuing. The success of the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Little+Book&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Little Book</a> series, each of which has a different inspiration, has long since answered that skepticism, and Chapter 9 leans into the classic whiskey flavors he wanted to honor. The profile is deliberately traditional: caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee, with a little spice and dried fruit in the background.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Stranahan&rsquo;s Snowflake 2025 &mdash; Windom Peak ($120)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Snowflake has always been <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=snowflake&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Stranahan&rsquo;s</a> annual showcase for what blended American single malt can do. Each year&rsquo;s blend is built from a different set of finishing casks, and each year&rsquo;s release is treated like a pilgrimage by the brand&rsquo;s fans&mdash;a two‑day winter festival, a camp‑out, and a bottle that sells out within hours. Windom Peak, the 2025 edition and Justin Aden&rsquo;s third Snowflake since taking over blending in 2023, leans into that ethos with one of the most layered cask medleys Stranahan&rsquo;s has assembled to date.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The blend draws on 8- to 13‑year-old American single malts, all initially aged in new American oak before being moved into a set of expressive finishing barrels. The backbone is extra a&ntilde;ejo tequila casks, a profile Aden says he uses sparingly because agave barrels can dominate, but here they&rsquo;re softened by the presence of other finishes. Around that core he layers rhum agricole, peach brandy, applejack, white port, and orange wine casks, each contributing a different shade of fruit, texture, or acidity. Aden describes the process as &ldquo;staying under the same fruit umbrella&rdquo; as 2024&rsquo;s Redcloud Peak, but shifting the spectrum from dark, jammy fruit to bright and tropical flavors.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Bardstown Bourbon Co. Distillery Reserve Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend ($100)&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Launched in 2025, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=bardstown+bourbon+company&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Bardstown&rsquo;s</a> Distillery Reserve series serves as an outlet for small‑scale experimentation, including one‑off releases built around unusual casks, extended aging, and blending ideas that sit outside the core lineup.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">This <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Mars+distillery&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">edition</a>, developed with Japan&rsquo;s Mars distilleries, is the first Distillery Reserve built around co‑aging rather than finishing. Japanese single malts from Mars <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Komagatake&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Komagatake</a> and Tsunuki were shipped to Kentucky and introduced directly into barrels holding mature 10‑ and 16‑year bourbons, then aged together for a full year. Instead of layering flavors after the fact, the spirits integrated in‑barrel through a warm Kentucky summer, picking up additional wood sugars and structure along the way.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You can taste both the bourbon backbone and the Japanese malt character in the whiskey. Komagatake&rsquo;s Umeshu‑cask maturation adds plum and floral notes, while Tsunuki&rsquo;s Sakura‑cask influence contributes delicate spice.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Jefferson&rsquo;s Marian McLain, Second Release ($300)&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>
<p dir="ltr">The second release in <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=jefferson%27s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Jefferson&rsquo;s</a> Marian McLain series continues Trey Zoeller&rsquo;s effort to honor his eighth‑generation grandmother, a woman arrested in 1799 for illicit whiskey production while supporting her family after the Revolutionary War.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Bottled at 106 proof and built from older components, this is a bolder expression than the inaugural release. The 2025 blend is anchored by 62% 13‑year Kentucky bourbon, a dark‑fruited, tobacco‑leaning whiskey that sets the tone. It&rsquo;s joined by 15% 11‑year Indiana wheated bourbon double‑barreled in oak for added coconut, leather, and toasted sweetness; 11% Kentucky bourbon finished in wine barrels that brings spice and red fruit; 6% Kentucky bourbon finished in rum barrels for honeyed brown sugar; and 6% 9‑year Kentucky bourbon for caramel and fig notes.</p>
<h3>Laws Whiskey House Solstice Barrel Series, Armagnac Cask ($80)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">The Solstice Barrel Series began as an internal tradition at <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=laws&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Laws Whiskey House</a> in Denver. Every winter solstice, the blending team would gather employees, toast a barrel, and fill it with something experimental, according to Casey Rizzo, brand manager at the distillery. After several years of these annual fills, one of the early barrels finally reached maturity, and the distillery decided to bottle it as a limited distillery‑exclusive.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This first Solstice release is a blend of bourbon and rye, a style Laws has explored before in its Rackhouse Series. The whiskey was aged in an Armagnac cask that had been re‑toasted in 2022&mdash;a detail that matters, because the re‑toast opened up fresh oak to add more fruit and baking spice notes once the whiskey went in the barrel. The result is a whiskey that sits comfortably between the two mashbills: the bourbon brings warmth with caramel and vanilla, while the rye, grown in the high‑altitude San Luis Valley, is green, herbaceous and savory.<strong id="docs-internal-guid-279cc456-7fff-4a1d-84f2-c7014794e8d4"></strong></p>

What to Drink Next If You Love Compass Box Scotch Whisky

<p dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
<p dir="ltr">🥃 We picked some of the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/best-fathers-day-whiskeys">best bottles of whiskey to give to your dad</a> this Father&rsquo;s Day, all of which have a strong father-son family legacy behind them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">🍷 Vicki Denig <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/hidden-gems-wine-list-coqodaq">spoke to COQODAQ wine director Ian Smedley</a> about his career trajectory and how he keeps the Champagne list relevant at this NYC fried chicken and bubbles hotspot.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Russell&rsquo;s Reserve 13 (SRP $200)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=russells+reserve&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Russell&rsquo;s Reserve</a>&nbsp;released the latest batch of its always popular 13-year-old bourbon, and this one clocks in at a high 121.1 proof. This also coincides with master distiller Eddie Russell&rsquo;s 45th anniversary at <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Wild+Turkey&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Wild Turkey</a>, and to celebrate the distillery is also releasing a documentary about him called&nbsp;<em>His Own Way: The Story of Eddie Russell</em>. You can see the film starting June 23 at select Alamo Drafthouse locations.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>New Riff 10 Year Bourbon and Rye (SRP $90)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Kentucky distillery <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=New+Riff&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">New Riff </a>continues to impress with its bottled-in-bond whiskeys and fantastic American single malt. They also have some older barrels aging in the warehouses, as evidenced by the release of these new 10-year-old whiskeys. The bourbon was bottled at 116.9 proof and made from a mashbill of 65% corn, 30% rye and 5% malted barley; the rye was bottled at 118.8 proof and made from a mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted rye. Both are available now to New Riff Whiskey Club members.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Penelope Bourbon&rsquo;s Cooper Series: Riviera ($80)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Every now and then, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Penelope+Bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Penelope Bourbon</a> comes along and releases something pretty special. The brand, which was founded in 2018, was acquired by MGP in 2023, the same distillery that it sources its whiskey from. Penelope puts out a lot of new releases, and some of them are really good, while others sometimes feel a little bit redundant. But when the whiskey hits the right notes, it sings&mdash;and that is the case with Riviera, the new edition in the Cooper Series which is focused on different cask finishes.</p>
<p><strong>&nbsp;<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/c0068a9d-bf2b-4d4c-9756-8912f36d01a4.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Penelope Bourbon"></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Past releases in the Cooper Series include Rio, which was aged in the very divisive Brazilian amburana wood, and Havana, which was finished in maple syrup and rum barrels. Both of these drove their flavor points home very clearly, but that is not necessarily the case with Riviera, and I mean that in a very good way. This whiskey is similar to Rose Cask Finish, another Cooper Series release, which was finished in&mdash;you guessed it&mdash;rose wine casks. That expression was a bourbon, but Riviera is a blend of non-age statement bourbon (made from a mashbill of 74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye, 3% malted barley) and eight-year-old light whiskey. After initial maturation, it was finished in rose wine barrels from Spain and bottled at 94 proof.<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The result is a really light and flavorful whiskey, with the rich, juicy fruit notes that you might expect from this type of secondary maturation. I&rsquo;m not sure what the percentages of each component in the blend are, but the bourbon&rsquo;s vanilla and oak character are certainly present, along with notes of apricot, citrus, butterscotch, caramel, and red berries. There is a sweetness to this whiskey, but it&rsquo;s soft and not overpowering. Overall, this is a very well executed finish that stands out from the rest of the series, and is further proof that the Penelope team has really mastered the art of the secondary maturation&mdash;but please, no more amburana!</p>

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: June 5

<p>Let's be honest, dads can be hard to shop for.&nbsp; I say this as a dad myself, because when my wife and kids ask what I would like for Father's Day, I usually just shrug and tell them whatever they come up with will make me happy. And while that's generally true, one thing that always brings me&mdash;and many other dads&mdash;a great deal of joy is a good bottle of whiskey.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There is no shortage of fantastic options to choose from in all categories these days, from bourbon to single malt scotch to Japanese blends. And there can be real intention in finding a good bottle to gift for Father's Day, because so many brands and distilleries have long family ties, particularly when it comes to American whiskey. Generations of fathers and sons have worked or are still working at distilleries like Wild Turkey, the James B. Beam Distilling Co., and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Angel%27s+Envy&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angel's Envy</a>. Keeping this in mind, and of course focusing on really high-quality releases, we've put together a list of some of the best bottles to consider giving to your dad this Father's Day.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Little+Book&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Little Book</a></h3>
<p>This series of blended whiskeys was created by Freddie Noe, eighth-generation master distiller at the James B. Beam Distilling Co., the home of <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jim+Beam&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Beam</a> bourbon. Noe is the son of master distiller Fred Noe and the grandson of the late, legendary master distiller Booker Noe, who created the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection (<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Knob+Creek&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knob Creek</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Baker%27s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baker's</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Booker%27s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Booker's</a>, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Basil+Hayden&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basil Hayden</a>). Each chapter of Little Book differs from the last one in terms of the component whiskeys in the blend. The latest, Chapter 10, was one of the best, combining older, cask-strength versions of the entire Small Batch Collection along with some Jim Beam finished in sherry and toasted bourbon casks.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Booker%27s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Booker's</a></h3>
<p>It would be remiss not to include Booker's in this list, the uncut, unfiltered bourbon created by Booker Noe in the late '80s that is part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection. This bourbon is released in four batches per year, and there is some consistency&mdash;the whiskey is usually aged somewhere between six and seven years and bottled between 120 and 130 proof. But of course there are differences between batches, and it can be fun to try a couple of bottles side by side to see how they compare. In addition to the regular releases, there are also some highly collectible expressions like <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Booker%27s+Rye&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Booker's Rye</a> and the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Booker%27s+30th+Anniversary&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">30th Anniversary</a> edition to look out for.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Russell%27s+Reserve+15&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russell's Reserve 15</a></h3>
<p><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Wild+Turkey&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wild Turkey</a> is another distillery with three generations of fathers and sons that are part of its legacy: master distiller Jimmy Russell, his son Eddie Russell (also master distiller), and his grandson Bruce Russell (associate master blender). Their namesake brand, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Russell%27s+Reserve&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russell's Reserve</a>, has been overseen by Eddie and is generally is made up of smaller batches of whiskey compared to regular Wild Turkey. A few years ago, they started releasing age statement expressions, starting with a 13-year-old and moving into this 15-year. Each batch differs a bit depending on the year, but this is a truly fantastic bourbon with a strong family lineage behind it.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Wild+Turkey+Gold+Foil+Edition&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wild Turkey Gold Foil Edition</a></h3>
<p>This whiskey is significant for a few reasons. Most importantly, it represents the first time that Wild Turkey has really leaned into the legacy of its <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Cheesy+Gold+Foil&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cheesy Gold Foil</a> whiskeys, vintage expressions from the '80s and '90s that have become serious collector's items at auction. Also, it's the first bourbon that Bruce Russell has overseen from conception to bottling, continuing his family's legacy at the distillery. This is a 16-year-old bourbon bottled at 120 proof with a label design that recalls the vintage era, and it's a superb new release from Wild Turkey.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Angel%27s+Envy+Cask+Strength+Bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angel's Envy Cask Strength Bourbon</a></h3>
<p><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Angel%27s+Envy&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angel's Envy</a> was founded in 2010 by a father-son team: master distiller and Bourbon Hall of Fame member Lincoln Henderson, and his son Wes.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the elder Henderson died a few years later, but his son steered the brand until he left in 2022 (Angel's Envy is now owned by Bacardi, and Wes started a new brand called True Story). Over the years, Angel's Envy has stood out because of its focus on cask-finishing&mdash;the core bourbon is given a secondary maturation in port barrels. That is also the case with the very popular cask-strength expression. This annual release differs in terms of age and strength each year, but has become a very popular and often sells out soon after it comes out. The good news is that you can find many past expressions available to purchase at auction now.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jefferson%27s+bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jefferson's Presidential Select 18 Year</a></h3>
<p>Trey Zoeller founded Jefferson's along with his father Chet back in 1997, and the brand (now owned by Pernod Ricard) is still going strong today. There are many different expressions to choose from, including the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jefferson%27s+ocean+aged&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ocean Aged</a> series, in which barrels are placed on container ships to travel the world and expose the whiskey to different climates as it matures. The Presidential Select expression doesn't go on any journeys, however; instead, this is just a really excellent well-aged bourbon that has been released in different batches over the years. This can be hard to find and a bit pricy when you do, but it's well worth the expense and effort.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Pappy+Van+Winkle+15+Year&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year</a></h3>
<p>As most bourbon fans already know, the Van Winkles have a long history in American whiskey. The Pappy Van Winkle lineup has been produced at <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Buffalo+Trace&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buffalo Trace </a>since the turn of the century in partnership with the Van Winkle family, and the brand is still led by third-generation family member Julian Van Winkle III&mdash;son of Julian Jr., grandson of Pappy himself&mdash;along with his son Preston. There are some younger and older age statements in the Pappy lineup to consider, but the 15-year hits that sweet spot of maturation, resulting in a delicious bourbon that is worth hunting down.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Kentucke County 12 Year Old American Whiskey</h3>
<p>Father and son master blenders Rick and Ricky Johnson make up the team behind 15 Stars, a brand of sourced whiskeys that,&nbsp; it should be noted, just released its first in-house produced expression. They also launched the new Kentucke County brand recently with two inaugural expressions, a six-year-old bourbon and a 12-year-old American whiskey. The latter is a blend of straight bourbon and American whiskey that was aged in used oak for seven years followed by another five in virgin oak&mdash;a pretty unconventional formula, but one that really works here, making this a great new whiskey that your dad will enjoy.</p>
<h3>Fathertime</h3>
<p>This bourbon brand was founded by comedian Jim Gaffigan, an avid father and whiskey fan (read our interview with him <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/jim-gaffigan-interview-bourbon-set" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>). The Father's Day tie-in is right there in the name, but this is a good whiskey in its own right, with several expressions to choose from. The most recent is called The Caboose, a blend of barrels selected by Jim and his partner and friend Stu Pollard that was bottled at 92.4 proof. It also comes in the Empty Nester cask strength version at 121 proof.&nbsp; Many of the past releases are sold out, but take a look around to see what you can find, and if your dad is a fan of comedy and bourbon&mdash;or just bourbon&mdash;this would be a great bottle to gift.</p>
<h3>Sweeten's Cove Father's Finish</h3>
<p>This whiskey brand was founded by some star athletes and musicians, including Andy Roddick, Peyton Manning, and Drew Holcomb. There have been several releases over the past few years, and the most recent is called Father's Finish. This is a blend of Kentucky and Tennessee bourbons that was finished in cuvee wine barrels and bottled at 98 proof. Granted, the main tie-in to Father's Day is really in the name, but the juice is good so this is a bottle to consider gifting.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Willett&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Willett</a></h3>
<p>Where do you even start when it comes to Willett? The modern history of the brand and distillery is certainly a family affair. Norwegian immigrant Even Kulsveen took over the property with his wife Martha in the mid-'80s, and he was responsible for releasing bourbons like <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Rowan%27s+Creek&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rowan's Creek</a> and Noah's Mill. His son Drew joined the business in 2003, and his daughter Britt a few years later, and eventually the distillery started releasing its own in-house produced whiskey. The old purple top bottles are still some of the most popular that you'll find at auction, and for good reason&mdash;they are often well-aged, high-proof, superb bourbons and rye whiskeys. Any of these would be a treat for dad.</p>
<h3><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Four+Roses&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four Roses</a> Father's Day</h3>
<p>Last month, Four Roses released its Mother's Day Private Barrel Selection, a single barrel release made from the OBSQ recipe and bottled at 115.78 proof (the distillery uses five yeast strains and two mashbills to create 10 different recipes). Later this month, it will release a Father's Day version, made using the OBSV recipe, aged for 14 years, and bottled at a high 128.71 proof. This is Four Roses for the dads who are hardcore Four Roses fans, a singular bourbon that will never be repeated in this exact form. It will be released on June 20 (SRP $139) with a two bottle per customer limit.</p>

The Best Whiskeys to Give Your Dad On Father's Day

<p dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
<p dir="ltr">🥃 Susannah Skiver Barton <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/bill-lumsden-ardbeg-glenmorangie">spoke to Bill Lumsden</a>, master distiller for Ardbeg and Glenmorangie, about his whisky philosophy, penchant for experimentation, and that one time an Ardbeg fan wanted to kill him.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Michter&rsquo;s 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye (SRP $210)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=michter%27s+10+year+rye&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Michter&rsquo;s 10 Year Rye</a> is back for 2026. This year&rsquo;s release, like past ones, is a single barrel expression that was bottled at 92.8 proof, and is made from an undisclosed mashbill that likely falls somewhere just above or at the 51 percent required rye grain. Look for flavors like baking spice, citrus, and some floral notes, with a sweetness and some tannic character from a decade in oak.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Very Olde St. Nick Immaculata (SRP $260)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">This is the second release of Preservation Distillery&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Very+Olde+St.+Nick+Immaculata&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Very Olde St. Nick Immaculata</a>, following the initial 2023 release. The 2026 edition is a blend of just three barrels bottled at 118.2 proof: 10-year-old and 19-year-old bourbon sourced from another distillery, and 8.5-year-old wheated bourbon distilled at Preservation. Look for notes of toasted almonds, espresso beans, cr&egrave;me br&ucirc;l&eacute;e, dried apricot, fresh blueberries, tobacco, and some black pepper spice on the palate.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Barrell Bourbon Batch 38 (SRP $85)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Over the years, Louisville blending house <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Barrell+Craft+Spirits&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Barrell Craft Spirits</a> has become one of the best in the business, sourcing barrels of whiskey from distilleries around the country, blending them, and sometimes giving them unique and innovative cask finishes. Batch 38 of the core expression, Barrell Bourbon, was just released, combining whiskey from four different states into another cask-strength blend of straight bourbons that proves why BCS is a name that you should be familiar with.</p>
<p><strong><img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/ef79dd65-766a-421d-8663-4dd2e7cf334e.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Batch 38"><br></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The specs of Batch 38 are as follows: it&rsquo;s a blend of straight bourbons distilled in Kentucky (12-year), Tennessee (12 and 15-year), Indiana (9 and 10-year), and Maryland (8-year). It has a derived mashbill (meaning the mashbill derived from all the bourbons in the blend) of 79% corn, 17% rye, and 4% malted barley, and the whiskey was bottled at cask strength of 116.96 proof (58.48% ABV). The sources of the whiskeys are not revealed, but you might be able to pick some likely suspects based on the source states and ages of each component&hellip; or perhaps not. For example, the Maryland component seems like it could be from Baltimore&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=sagamore+spirit&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Sagamore Spirit,</a> but that is just speculation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The result is another high-quality bourbon from BCS that is full of classic flavors and sips pretty easily at less than 117 proof. Dark, tannic oak notes are present as you sip, which should not be a surprise given the ages of the whiskeys in the blend. This is a pleasant experience, however, and not overpowering, allowing flavors like vanilla, maple, caramel, honey, dark plum to shine, along with black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg notes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">How do you rate which batch of Barrell Bourbon is the best? The only way to do that is to try them all side by side, an achievable but pretty overwhelming task to undertake. The other option is to not really worry about which one reigns supreme, and just enjoy each batch on its own merits. That&rsquo;s what I would advise here, because Batch 38 is a solid one&mdash;and it comes in a special bottle with a red, white, and blue label to celebrate America&rsquo;s 250th anniversary, if you&rsquo;re feeling a little patriotic as the 4th of July approaches.</p>

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: May 29

Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Master Distiller Bill Lumsden Doesn’t Care What You Think

<p dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
<p dir="ltr">🥃 Gina Pace spoke to Wild Turkey&rsquo;s Bruce Russell about the new Austin Nichols Archive Collection Gold Foil Edition, a tribute to the highly collectible Cheesy Gold Foil whiskeys of the 1980s and 1990s.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Penelope Architects of Golf (SRP $60)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">This is the latest release from <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=penelope+bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Penelope Bourbon</a>, a brand that started out in 2018 by sourcing its whiskey from MGP and is now owned by the distillery. The Architects of Golf collection starts out with three different bottles, each at 94 proof but finished with a unique combination of wooden staves. Golf Hole 1 is said to have notes of dark chocolate, sweet oak, and roasted nuts; Golf Hole 2 is said to have notes of dark chocolate, butterscotch, and vanilla; and Golf Hole 3 is said to have notes of chocolate mousse, vanilla, and oak.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Blended With Laird's Apple Brandy (SRP $65)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Chicken+Cock&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicken Cock</a>, a brand that we&rsquo;ve covered before, has an interesting new expression that is worth mentioning. As you can tell by the name, this whiskey, which is being released to celebrate America&rsquo;s 250th anniversary, is a blend of 70% Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey and 30% Laird&rsquo;s Apple Brandy, both of which were aged for a minimum of four years. As you&rsquo;d expect, the rye whiskey definitely dominates the palate, but the apple brandy shines through as well making this an interesting blend of spirits to try in your favorite cocktail.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project Rye Bourbon (SRP $75)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Buffalo+Trace&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buffalo Trace</a> launched two new whiskeys that kind of flew under the radar, at least compared to the distillery&rsquo;s major tentpole annual releases like <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Pappy+Van+Winkle&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pappy Van Winkle</a>, the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Antique+Collection&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antique Collection</a>, and ultra-aged <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Eagle+Rare&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eagle Rare</a> bourbons. The pair consisted of <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Low+Entry+Proof+Wheated+Bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Low Entry Proof Wheated Bourbon</a>, part of its Experimental Collection, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=buffalo+trace+%27single+oak%27+rye+bourbon+%28barrel+80%2C+375+ml%29&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Single Oak Rye Bourbon</a>. This week we are going to take a closer look at the latter, and dive into what makes this outstanding bourbon tick.</p>
<p><strong><img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/ece49d5a-72c3-4d53-a3eb-69c3cc04e6bc.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Single Oak"><br></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Buffalo Trace launched its Single Oak Project back in 1999, which involved picking 96 oak trees from the Missouri Ozarks and cutting them into 192 individual barrels. To study the effects of maturation on the whiskey, the following steps were varied: mashbill (either wheat or rye bourbon), length of time the staves were seasoned, wood grain size, barrel char level, what part of the tree the staves were cut from, and warehouse type (wooden or concrete floor). In 2011, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=buffalo+trace+%27single+oak%27+rye+bourbon+%28barrel+80%2C+375+ml%29&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barrel #80</a> was selected by consumers as being a standout from the bunch, and this new permanent release is a recreation of that whiskey in terms of mashbill and maturation conditions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Specifically, this is Buffalo Trace&rsquo;s rye bourbon (the distillery does not reveal exact mashbills). It was entered at 125 proof into barrels made from staves cut from the bottom half of a tree that were seasoned for 12 months and then charred to level four. This bourbon was aged in one of the distillery&rsquo;s concrete-floored warehouses for a full eight years and the whiskey was bottled at 90 proof. Of course, this is not going to be the same as that initial Single Oak release from 15 years ago, but if you&rsquo;re going to attempt to recreate a past whiskey, this seems to be as close as you can get.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And it&rsquo;s a really tasty bourbon. At 90 proof, there&rsquo;s just a bit of heat on the palate, but nothing that overwhelms the notes of vanilla, caramel, black pepper, oak, maple, cherry, orange, and butterscotch. This bottle might be a bit hard to find&mdash;it&rsquo;s available in 375-ml size at the distillery and select retailers in limited quantities&mdash;but check the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=single+oak+buffalo+trace&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> to see if any are available at auction&mdash;if you&rsquo;re a fan of Buffalo Trace&rsquo;s more experimental side, this is one worth checking out.</p>

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: May 22

<p dir="ltr">For collectors, the 1985 to 1992 run of <a href="unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+12+year&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wild Turkey 12‑year</a>&mdash;which bears the reflective gold‑foil label that earned its &ldquo;Cheesy Gold Foil&rdquo; nickname&mdash;remains one of the most mythologized bourbons of the Glut Era. These are the bottles that turned a lot of people into Turkey obsessives, and taught a generation of dusty hunters what mature&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wild Turkey</a> could taste like. Even now, a single pour can feel like a time capsule.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Four decades later, Wild Turkey has decided to touch that nerve again.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This week, the distillery released Gold Foil Edition ($400), the debut whiskey in the new Austin Nichols Archives Collection. This is a project that Bruce Russell, associate master blender and the third generation of his family to work at the distillery, first conceived more than a decade ago.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For collectors, the name alone is a signal flare. Austin, Nichols &amp; Co. was the New York distributor whose label appeared on every legendary Wild Turkey bottling of the &rsquo;70s, &rsquo;80s, and &rsquo;90s, including the original Cheesy Gold Foil. If you&rsquo;ve ever hunted dusty Turkey, you&rsquo;ve been on the lookout for an Austin Nichols bottle.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Russell didn&rsquo;t take reviving this revered name lightly. &ldquo;Those old bottles are what made me fall in love with whiskey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I wanted to do something that honored that era without pretending we can recreate it.&rdquo;&nbsp;That distinction matters. Collectors know why CGF tasted the way it did: Glut Era aging conditions, older stock, wooden fermenters, and a distillery environment that was far from sterile. Back then, Turkey&rsquo;s barrels were often made from older, tighter‑grain oak, wood that releases flavor more slowly and builds deeper oxidative complexity. It&rsquo;s one of the reasons those bottles taste the way they do.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;Vintage whiskey&hellip; it has a big, sweet, powerful nose,&rdquo; Russell said. &ldquo;That kind of stewed‑fruit thing going on. That dark, almost walnut‑cola thing that a lot of Jimmy&rsquo;s old whiskeys had. Sweet tobacco. Mature oak funk.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">According to David Jennings, Wild Turkey historian and author of <em><a href="https://rarebird101.com/book-reviews/">American Spirit: Wild Turkey Bourbon From Ripy to Russell</a></em>, the age and the quality is what sets CGF bourbon apart from other vintage Wild Turkey releases. &ldquo;While stated at 12 years of age, there is reportedly much older whiskey in those bottles, as old as 18‑plus years,&rdquo; he said. He noted that the new Gold Foil Edition is composed of 16‑year‑old bourbon, which in some ways mimics what was actually in the original Cheesy Gold Foil releases. Also, while modern Wild Turkey isn&rsquo;t the same as dusty Wild Turkey in terms of flavor profile, the two share &ldquo;a lot of oak‑driven characteristics.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Aaron Goldfarb, author of&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dusty-Booze-Search-Vintage-Spirits/dp/1419766791">Dusty Booze</a></em> and a whiskey writer who has&nbsp;<a href="https://punchdrink.com/articles/how-wild-turkey-bourbon-funk-became-whiskey-geek-obsession/">chronicled</a> Wild Turkey&rsquo;s Glut Era mystique for years, thinks this release is a smart move for the distillery. He pointed out that the drinkers obsessing over every detail&mdash;the ones who can tell a 1987 CGF from a 1991, or who can identify a Glut Era bottling by nose alone&mdash;are exactly who this release is speaking to.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Still, Gold Foil Edition reaches for the spirit of those bottles without trying to mimic them exactly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not trying to recreate the past,&rdquo; said Russell. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to honor it.&rdquo; That means that this is a modern whiskey built with a vintage sensibility, and while it will likely be a hot commodity on the secondary market and at auction, it is not a museum piece&mdash;it's a conversation with the past.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It arrives at a pivotal moment for the Russell family. As mentioned before, Archives has been led by Bruce from start to finish. It&rsquo;s also a new high-end series that seems poised to replace the collection that his father Eddie shepherded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+master%27s+keep&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Master&rsquo;s Keep</a>, which ended with last year's <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+master%27s+keep+Beacon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beacon</a> release.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And it marks the first time Wild Turkey has intentionally engaged the mythology of CGF since the original run ended in 1992. The packaging makes that clear with the return of the old flying‑turkey emblem pulled from vintage Austin Nichols tubes, an illustration of the original station master&rsquo;s house on the Tyrone grounds, and typography lifted from archival labels. Even the gold foil itself is a deliberate callback. &ldquo;I wanted people to pick it up and immediately feel like, &lsquo;Oh, this is Turkey history,&rsquo;&rdquo; said Russell. &ldquo;Not a replica, but something that nods to all the things we grew up loving.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Gold Foil Edition is another example of how the Russell family&rsquo;s role at Wild Turkey is evolving. Bruce's grandfather Jimmy spent more than 70 years defining the house profile&mdash;notes of sweet oak and tobacco, and the signature Turkey funk. Eddie carried that forward while modernizing the portfolio and shaping the distillery&rsquo;s character into the 21st century. And now Bruce is helping to decide what the next era of Wild Turkey will look like, while recognizing why the vintage era bottles matter to the people who love them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For collectors, that context matters because the hierarchy of rarity in American whiskey has shifted dramatically over the last decade. <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Pappy+Van+Winkle&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pappy Van Winkle</a> may be the bottle that civilians are most likely to namecheck, an auction mainstay that still sells for thousands of dollars, but it&rsquo;s also an annual release with a more predictable cadence. As Goldfarb pointed out, Pappy's scarcity is real, but it&rsquo;s also navigable. &ldquo;[Pappy] is expensive and kind of hard to find, but not that hard to find,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Standing in Manhattan right this second, I could probably find a <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Pappy+23&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pappy 23</a> within the next 30 minutes.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Cheesy Gold Foil lives in a different universe. It&rsquo;s not just older; it&rsquo;s finite. There is no annual drop, no retail channel, no lottery. There are only the bottles that survived the 1980s and early &rsquo;90s, scattered across private collections up for auction, back bars, and the occasional estate sale. Even for someone like Goldfarb, who has spent years writing about dusty culture, tracking one down isn&rsquo;t a matter of walking into the right shop. &ldquo;Even I would have to start making some calls and emailing some people,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s another echelon of rarity.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">And that&rsquo;s the challenge Russell is taking on&mdash;to build the kind of whiskey that future collectors will argue about decades from now. He sees Gold Foil Edition as part of a broader run of modern Wild Turkey releases shaped by the last of the great <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=camp+nelson&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Camp Nelson</a> barrels: the F, D, and E rickhouses whose mature stock powered <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=russell%27s+13&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russell&rsquo;s 13</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=russell%27s+15&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russell&rsquo;s 15</a>, Beacon, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+Generations&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Generations</a>, and which won&rsquo;t last forever.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost like this mini dusty era,&rdquo; said Russell. &ldquo;For the past handful of years&hellip; when the next generation looks back, they&rsquo;ll say that era&mdash;from 2023 until whenever the Camp Nelson liquids finally dries up&mdash;was a really special time at Wild Turkey.&rdquo;<strong id="docs-internal-guid-7334986c-7fff-df2d-3357-ff16785a43ef"></strong></p>

Wild Turkey’s New Bourbon is a Fitting Tribute to its Vintage Cheesy Gold Foil Era

<p dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
<p dir="ltr">🥃 Susannah Skiver Barton <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Little+Book&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">recommends some bottles to check out</a> if you&rsquo;re a fan of Jack Daniel&rsquo;s Single Barrel Select.</p>
<p dir="ltr">🍷 Gina Pace talked to comedian Eric Wareheim and winemaker Joel Burt about their Las Jaras Wines brand, and how they shaped its identity over the years.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Stitzel Reserve 31 Year Bourbon ($3,000)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">This is the second release in the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Stitzel-weller&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stitzel Reserve</a> collection, following last year&rsquo;s 24-year-old bourbon. Stitzel Reserve 31 Year is, as you can tell by the name, a 31-year-old whiskey. That&rsquo;s really, really old for bourbon, but according to Diageo&rsquo;s director of American whiskey liquid development and capabilities, Nicole Austin, the 13 barrels she selected for this release were outstanding. This bourbon, which was bottled at a staggering 163.2 proof, was not actually distilled at Stitzel-Weller, but it was aged there. The 176 bottles are available to purchase onsite, with a limit of one per customer.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Green River Honey Finished Bourbon Whiskey ($25)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Green+River&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green River </a>may have paused most of its production recently, but the distillery, which is now part of Lofted Spirits with <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bardstown+Bourbon+Company&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bardstown Bourbon Company</a>, just released this interesting new expression. This is a four-year-old straight bourbon that was finished with honey, which was added directly into the barrel, and bottled at 92 proof. That means it&rsquo;s technically no longer a straight bourbon, or even a bourbon, but a whiskey specialty product. Whatever the case, this is a uniquely honey-flavored bourbon that should work well in a variety of cocktails.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Smokehead 15-Year-Old ($70)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">If you&rsquo;re a fan of smoky scotch whisky, you&rsquo;re familiar with all the big names that are located on the island of Islay&mdash;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Laphroaig&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laphroaig</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Ardbeg&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ardbeg</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Lagavulin&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lagavulin</a>, Caol Ila, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bowmore&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bowmore</a>, to name a few. Each has its own distinct style, and each produces whisky to its preferred level of smokiness&mdash;some are verifiable smoke bombs, others are more subtle. One peated scotch that prefers to keep its source a secret is Smokehead, a brand owned by Ian Macleod Distillers, which also owns the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Glengoyne&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glengoyne</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Tamdhu&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tamdhu</a>, and Rosebank distilleries. Smokehead recently released a 15-year-old expression, which turns out to be an affordably priced peated whisky that is worth trying.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/65544fdb-71bc-430f-91ce-c2a87153a380.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Smokehead 15"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Of course, secrets are meant to be sleuthed, especially when it comes to whisky. With the caveat that nothing I&rsquo;m about to write is confirmed, if you search online there are three likely suspects that come up as being the source of Smokehead&rsquo;s whisky: Ardbeg, Caol Ila, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bunnahabhain&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bunnahabhain</a>. Again, to be clear, none of these are confirmed, so this is just conjecture. But the fact that the distillery is not disclosed, and given that there are only 10 working distilleries on Islay, whisky fans can&rsquo;t help but speculate.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Anyway, on to the bottle at hand. The new 15-year is the oldest expression to date to be released here in the U.S. from this brand that has been around since 2006. Other expressions include the NAS Original and various cask-finished releases, like Sherry Cask Blast and Tequila Cask Terminado. What you can expect here is, of course, a very smoky whisky, with layers of peat that span the range from seaweed to iodine to smoldering campfire. In between there are notes of vanilla, oak, citrus, black pepper, and ripe berries, but if you&rsquo;re drinking Smokehead you&rsquo;re here for the smoke&mdash;and it delivers. This is not the most complex smoky scotch you&rsquo;re ever going to drink, but at about $70 it certainly packs a punch (it&rsquo;s bottled at 86 proof), and at 15 years old it&rsquo;s in that nice mid-range of maturation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Of course, you&rsquo;re also going to have to get past the packaging. The skull on the label feels like a second rate Punisher logo, and overall the design and even names of these whiskies just feels a bit aggro, a little bro-y, a tad middle school Halloween. Still, it&rsquo;s about what&rsquo;s inside the bottle, not the bottle itself, and if you&rsquo;re a fan of peated single malts this is a whisky worth trying.</p>

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