With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this Spirts Gallery takes a look at a handful of the notable new spirit releases that we’ll be toasting with at the dinner table this year, including a solera-aged rye from Maryland’s Gray Wolf Distilling, the second expression in the Heaven’s Door Bootleg Series, and a special release from Widow Jane aimed at supporting the USBG National Charity Foundation and CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees.
Tequila Partida
Anejo Cristalino is the latest ultra-premium release from Tequila Partida, which is aged a minimum of 18 months before being filtered, producing sweet and woody aromas. The expression is available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $59.99 per bottle.
Widow Jane
The limited 3,000 bottle release from Brooklyn’s Widow Jane, dubbed “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” was created to raise funds to benefit the USBG National Charity Foundation and CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees. The spirit is available in California, Washington, D.C., Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.
Watershed Distillery
Columbus, Ohio’s Watershed is releasing what it claims to be a world’s-first: a bourbon finished in Nocino barrels. Nocino Finished Bourbon is bottled at 59.5% ABV and is available exclusively at the distillery’s Bottle Shop for $79.99.
Spirit Hound
Halloween isn’t just for kids: to celebrate this year’s holiday, Colorado-based Spirit Hound Distillers released a rare three-year bourbon aged in fully charred American oak barrels.
Heaven’s Door
The second release in the Heaven’s Door Bootleg Series, the 2020 edition (“Volume II”) features a cask strength 15 year-old Straight Bourbon finished in 30 year-old Jamaican Pot Still Rum Casks. The package — a handmade ceramic bottle featuring Bob Dylan’s painting “Sunset, Monument Valley,” and housed in an ornate leather journal that is individually numbered — is a gift in itself. The release, limited to less than 3,000 bottles, is available for a suggested retail price of $499.99.
Gray Wolf
To celebrate its fourth anniversary, Maryland-based Gray Wolf Distilling has released its solera-aged Rye Whiskey, mashed and distilled from 60% rye and 40% malted barley. The expression is available exclusively at the distillery in Saint Michaels and at participating Maryland farmers’ markets.
Distillery 291
Colorado-based Distillery 291 is releasing two whiskeys for the holiday season: 291 Bad Guy Colorado Bourbon Whiskey Batch #6 and 291 High Rye (“HR”) Colorado Bourbon Whiskey.
Catoctin Creek
On Nov. 16, Catoctin Creek will release its Peach Barrel Select Rye Whisky, limited to approximately 540 bottles. This 100% Virginia rye whisky was aged in charred new oak barrels and then finished for over one year in peach brandy barrels from its Short Hill Mountain Peach Brandy. The expression is 80 Proof/40% ABV and available for $45.90 per 750mL bottle.