What’s happening in wine and whiskey this week:

This Week’s Unicorn Review Stories

🥃 Some of the NBA’s biggest names have become major wine collectors, helped along by a couple of expert sommeliers.

🍷 If you like Compass Box blended scotch, there’s a whole world of blended American whiskeys to try now.

New Bottle Releases

Elijah Craig 21-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon (SRP $300)

Elijah Craig has expanded its Single Barrel lineup over the past few months. First it introduced a new 15-year-old, then relaunched the 18-year. And just this past week, Heaven Hill announced that the 21-year-old was back in production for the first time in about a decade, bottled at 94 proof. This is an oaky, rich, deep bourbon that fans of this Kentucky bourbon brand will love.

Starlight 2026 10-Year Reserve Bourbon (SRP $250)

Indiana distillery Starlight just released a new batch of its 10-year-old bourbon. This is a blend of ten barrels of two whiskeys, one made from three grains and one from four. The bourbon was partially aged in Starlight’s Warehouse #2, which it says is the warmest onsite and augments the interaction between wood and whiskey. Look for notes of toffee, stone fruit, and seasoned oak in this 114.2-proof bourbon.

Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week

Seelbach's Private Reserve Classic ($40)

Online whiskey retailer Seelbach’s has been putting out whiskeys under its own label for years now, in addition to selling some fine bottles from a variety of other brands. Some of these are on the pricier side, and some of them are higher proof. But the latest release, Private Reserve Classic, is an attempt at a midrange bourbon in terms of cost, strength, and age that can be enjoyed neat or in a cocktail—and it’s a success.

The details of this bourbon are as follows: it was distilled at an unnamed distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky, which makes Green River a likely suspect (this is just speculation, of course). It was made from a mashbill of 70 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and nine percent malted barley (again, sounds like Green River), aged for seven years and eight months, and bottled at 99 proof. According to Seelbach’s, the bourbon was inspired by the legally allowable entry proof being raised from 110 to 125 in 1962—they prefer the lower proof, and add water to the whiskey while still in the barrel to allow water and spirit to marry and slowly dilute. That’s not a new method—some other distilleries use this practice as well, and Cognac producers have been doing it for a long time. And it was also a conscious attempt to bottle a lower proof bourbon that still delivers strong flavor.

And it does. This is a versatile and very sippable bourbon that also works very nicely in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan (that higher rye content helps here). And yes, Classic is very classic in its flavor profile, with notes of oak, maple, butterscotch, cinnamon, grape jelly, vanilla custard, and baked apple. 99 proof is a sweet spot in terms of strength, providing heat without much burn. Overall, Seelbach’s latest is a bottle that should be a staple on your home bar.