Bottles will be popping on Christmas Eve and New Year’s, but once the bubbly has gone flat, it’s time to move on to the real stuff. Whether you’re looking for last minute gift ideas or some holiday sippers for yourself, here’s a look at some of the notable new end-of-year whiskeys, including two special expressions from Heaven’s Door and a straight bourbon inspired by British metal legends Motörhead, plus other non-music related releases.
High West
In a first for Utah-based distillery High West, the new High West High Country Single Malt is the first of its bottlings to be finished in Oloroso sherry barrels, without the use of peated malt. Produced high up in the Wasatch Mountain range, this unfiltered whiskey is bottled at 88 proof (44% ABV) and is available for purchase nationwide for a suggested retail price of $79.99. For more information, visit highwest.com.
TX Whiskey
Considering that TX already produces a Blended Whiskey and a Straight Bourbon, it’s only sensible that the distillery has released TX Blended Straight Bourbon as the third expression in its Experimental Series (following Rye and Texas Straight Bourbon). This 100-proof blend includes a four-year Rye Bourbon (aged for an extra three years in Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels), four-year Wheated Bourbon (finished in a new char oak barrel, double oaked for two years) and a two-year Wheated Bourbon finished in a maple smoked, new char oak barrel. A limited run of 1,000 750ml bottles are available for purchase for $39.99 at Whiskey Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit frdistilling.com/tx-whiskey/.
Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co.
After the successful release of its 24 Year Old vintage, where does Orphan Barrel Whisky go from there? To 25 years, naturally. Muckety-Muck is the label’s latest limited edition release in its family of rare single grain Scotch whiskeys, a tribute to the legendary Port Dundas distillery in Scotland. The expression is available in six label variations in 750ml bottles for a suggested retail price of $249.99 each. For more information, visit orphanbarrel.com
Heaven’s Door
Bob Dylan is nothing if not a showman, and the legendary singer/songwriter is collaborating with one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, MGM Resorts, for the latest limited release from Heaven’s Door Whiskey. The 777 Blend consists of three 7-year-old straight whiskeys – wheated bourbon, low rye bourbon and straight rye whiskey – to create a harmonious combination bottled at 93.6 proof (46.8% ABV) packed with notes of bing cherry, brown sugar and toasted oak. The bottle also showcases one of Dylan’s original artworks, entitled “Portal,” which is a sculpted iron archway he designed exclusively for MGM National Harbor in Maryland. The 777 Blend is now available at the National Harbor resort as well as MGM Resorts’ Las Vegas properties including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Park MGM, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. For more information, visit heavensdoor.com.
Heaven’s Door, cont.
Along with the 777 Blend, Heaven’s Door is also releasing less than 4,000 bottles of the third installment in its Bootleg Series collection of rare whiskeys: a cask strength Kentucky bourbon aged 13 years and finished in Vino de Naranja casks from southern Spain. Bottled at 121.2 proof (60.6% ABV), the Bootleg Series Vol III is packaged in a handmade ceramic bottle featuring an original Bob Dylan painting (Sunday Afternoon) and housed in an individually numbered, collectible leather journal. The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle is $545. For more information, visit heavensdoor.com.
Booker’s Bourbon
The fourth and final batch of its 2021 Collection is the “Noe Strangers Batch,” an 6-plus-year-old, unfiltered whiskey bottled at 124.4 proof, with aromas of vanilla and brown spice. The limited edition expression is available now for a suggested retail price of $89.99 per 750ml bottle. For more information, visit bookersbourbon.com.
Proof Artisan Distillers
Aged for four years in charred oak barrels, Motörhead Ace of Spades Straight Bourbon is a blend of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% barley, with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, rye, black pepper and mint. But maybe most notably, it’s made in collaboration with the members of the legendary British heavy metal band. Ace of Spades Straight Bourbon (45% ABV) is available now for a suggested retail price of $49.99. For more information, visit www.proofdistillers.com.
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
Limited to less than 600 bottles, Batch 2 of Stranahan’s second-ever 10-year-old American single malt, dubbed Mountain Angel, boasts a more potent and complex flavor profile, with an angel’s share loss similar to Scotches over twice its age, according to the company. Mountain Angel 10-Year Batch 2 is available for purchase on the brand’s website and at select retailers for $129.99. For more information, visit Stranahans.com.
Knob Creek
Originally released last year, Knob Creek has revived its limited edition, 100-proof 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Whiskey for the holiday season. Featuring a rich gold color and notes of smooth caramel and toffee, Knob Creek 15 Year Old is now available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $99.99 per 750ml bottle. Fore more information, visit knobcreek.com.
Maverick Whiskey
Along with Samuel Maverick Gin, the latest release from San Antonio, Texas-based distillery Maverick Whiskey is Samuel Maverick Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a pot-distilled expression that is made from a mash of 72% Texas-grown corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley, aged two-years minimum in new charred White Oak barrels and hand-bottled at 114 proof, giving it an earthy flavor with notes of vanilla and caramel. The whisky is available now in limited quantities at retailers across Texas for a suggested retail price of $54.99. For more information, visit maverickwhiskey.com.