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12 Overpriced Bourbons You Should Leave On The Shelves There's a lot going on in the world of bourbon and choosing your next bottle can be overwhelming. To say that we're spoiled for choice is something of an understatement, as there are thousands of active distilleries scattered across the U.S. Let's say you've worked your way through all the best bourbons for beginners and you're ready to explore something new and complex, and you're even thinking about dipping your toe into something on the pricier side. Hold that thought, because a high price tag doesn't automatically mean a bourbon is worth the investment. We wanted to know what overpriced bourbons the experts avoid, so we reached out to Chris Walster. He's the whiskey and bourbon guru over at The Cask Connoisseur, and he gave us some outstanding insight into red flags, price tags, and brands that aren't worth what they're typically commanding. In addition to giving us a number of bottles to steer clear of, he also gave us this advice: "The biggest mistake bourbon drinkers can make is confusing scarcity with quality," he says. "A bottle being allocated, limited, or difficult to find doesn't automatically make it better. Bourbon has become incredibly collectible, and that means the price can sometimes reflect how badly people want to own a bottle, rather than how good it actually tastes." With that in mind, let's take a deep dive into which bottles you should avoid — and why. Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region. Basil Hayden Bourbon When you think about overpriced bourbon bottles, you might immediately go to ones with three-figure price tags. At the time of this writing, you can expect to pick up a bottle of Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon for around $45. That's not a terrible dollar amount by any means, and you might be tempted by it. According to whiskey and bourbon guru Chris Walster, you can absolutely do better. "It's approachable and easy drinking, but at 80 proof it can feel quite light for the money," he says. "There are bourbons at a similar price that offer considerably more flavor and character, including Knob Creek and Wild Turkey 101." Basil Hayden has relied on distinctive packaging to stand out on the shelf for a long time, and it's worked. When the brand got a redesign that got rid of the paper label and upgraded the snazzy belt buckle, sales rose by 15% over the previous year's numbers, as reported by Designalytics. However, that brings us to some words of wisdom from Walster: "Our rule would be: Buy the whiskey, not the hype." Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea If you hear the story of Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea and side-eye its gimmicky origin story, you're definitely not alone. The idea was to load barrels of bourbon onto a boat, send it around the world, and see how those changing conditions impacted the aging process. There have been dozens of different expeditions that have produced different types of bourbon, and it's legitimately a neat idea. However, all that work means pricey bottles. A bottle of the Very Small Batch Straight Bourbon sits around $85. The cask-strength bourbon jumps to $105, while the New York edition will set you back a hefty $130. Chris Walster told us that while it's a unique, fun idea, you're not only paying for the bourbon — you're paying for its background. "This has one of the best stories in bourbon," he says. "It's interesting whiskey and certainly something I'd try, but there are a lot of excellent bourbons competing at this price point. The aging process is fascinating, but unusual doesn't automatically mean better." Kentucky Owl Confiscated Kentucky Owl is a bit of a weird one. The marketing, lore, and packaging suggest a history that goes back to pre-Prohibition, and releases started out as highly limited and extra-buzzy. The brand is a bit newer than it looks, though; Kentucky Owl Confiscated, which hit markets in 2019, was the first standardized offering. And yes, it's going to set you back a pretty penny, which is surprising, considering Kentucky Owl doesn't distill its own bourbon. That bourbon is actually sourced from unidentified locations, so if you're hoping for more details on what you're paying a premium for, you're out of luck. Vague labeling and a lack of information generally aren't a great look, especially if you're paying more than $100 for a bottle of something. That helps make it one that Chris Walster recommends skipping, and it's an enthusiastic recommendation. "Kentucky Owl has a very premium reputation, but Confiscated sits at around $125," he says. "At that price, we'd want either outstanding whiskey or something particularly distinctive in terms of age, proof, or character. There are some fantastic age-stated and barrel-proof bourbons available for less." Blanton's Single Barrel Surprised? If you feel like you need to lie down after seeing the price tag on a bottle of Blanton's Single Barrel, you'll understand why it's on this list. Blanton's spearheaded the idea of single barrel bourbons back in the 1980s, and a combination of limited availability, collector hype, and the fact that it's a pretty tasty bourbon have all led to skyrocketing prices. The official MSRP is a perfectly respectable $65, but good luck finding it at that price. The nationwide average is around $119, and that's just part of the story. It didn't take much looking to find some places selling it for $137 a bottle, and that's about the time you really start to wonder if it's worth it — considering there are a number of outstanding bourbons that rival Blanton's and don't hit nearly as hard in the wallet. It's that premium pricing that makes this one a miss for Chris Walster. "Blanton's is a good bourbon," he told us. "At a sensible retail price, we'd happily drink it. Once you start seeing bottles well over $100, however, you're increasingly paying for scarcity, collectability, and that famous horse stopper. The liquid hasn't become twice as good just because the bottle is hard to find." Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon Sometimes, we see bottle prices that make us think that the whole bourbon industry needs to settle down a bit. Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon has an MSRP of $195, but much like Blanton's, you'll find this one being sold for exorbitant amounts. The national average price sits at around $443 a bottle, and yes, we did an almost comical double-take at that one, then refreshed the results a few times just to make sure. At these prices, Chris Walster says that you can absolutely feel confident in leaving this one behind. "This might be a controversial one, because Michter's 10 is genuinely excellent whiskey. But excellent and good value aren't necessarily the same thing," he says. "At around $200, we'd question whether most drinkers would get more enjoyment from that one bottle than two or three really good bourbons in the $50-$80 bracket. Collectors may feel differently, but if your priority is purely what's in the glass, there's a lot of competition." And collectors have spent incredible amounts on a bottle of this bourbon. Back in 2020, a private barrel selection bottle went up for auction in London. Sure, it was a charity auction to benefit the hospitality industry in the wake of COVID-19, but it's still pretty shocking that the single bottle sold for a whopping — and record-setting — $209,462. Angel's Envy Cask Strength There's a lot going on with Angel's Envy Cask Strength bourbon, and we'll use the 2026 edition to explain. That one isn't just a 2026 bourbon, it's a blend of cask-strength bourbons from 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, all in varying percentages. It's finished in port wine barrels, and there are usually about 24,000 bottles in each edition. Descriptors like "limited" and "incredibly complicated" usually come with a price tag to match. In this case, it's an MSRP of $249.99 a bottle. The truth is, of course, more complicated, and the national average for this one is ri

Master of Malt unveils The Islay whisky brand By Joe RogersRetailer Master of Malt has partnered with design agency Studio Minerva to create The Islay, a range of single malts that embraces variation and emphasises a sense of place. The new range of independently bottled Islay single malts from Master of Malt and Studio Minerva has adopted an unusual ‘continuous single cask model’ for its core range of three ongoing expressions. The brand makes its debut with three bottlings that evoke the ‘geological identity’ of Islay, rather than naming their distilleries of origin: The Islay 16 Year Old Basalt, RRP £99 (US$135); The Islay 20 Year Old Red Sandstone, RRP £149.95 (US$203); and The Islay 30 Year Old Quartzite £499.95 (US$675). All are offered in a standard 700ml format at 46.3% ABV. Each entry in The Islay range is drawn from a single cask. When a release sells through, it will be replaced by a sister cask bottled with the same name and age statement at the same ABV, resulting in a ‘permanent, always-available range with the individuality of a single cask, where no two batches are ever quite the same’. Island inspiration “Islay does hold a special place in the heart of a whisky lover’s imagination, doesn’t it?” Dr Sam Simmons, Master of Malt’s head of whisky, told The Spirits Business: “Perhaps the cult-like devotion stems from the romance of a small, windswept island producing such bold, powerful spirits. “The island itself is geographically wondrous, geologically unique and historically rich. Not easy to get to, and not easy to love. There’s that extreme, love it or hate it perception of the spirits produced there, that peat ‘badge of honour’ thing. That purity of character, that unique ‘maritime terroir’ element.” For Simmons, The Islay range of whiskies was always about capturing a unified sense of place, rather than showcasing individual distilleries. “For The Islay, I’m pursuing ‘unmistakably Islay’. By that I mean minerality, underlying sweetness and maritime peat,” he added. “Yes, not all of Islay produces peaty whisky, but ‘unmistakably Islay’ has to feature peat. Beyond that, the selection seeks out more minerality than medicinal qualities in the peat, and more distillery character than cask. We don’t want oak to dominate any of the casks.” London-based Studio Minerva is described as a co-creator of The Islay, helping develop the whiskies, brand, and packaging. This collaboration is the first time the firm has built a brand of its own, following its work with clients including Brugal, Bushmills and Courvoisier. “The concept behind the whisky inside the bottle is brought to life on the outside, and that’s the result of a dynamic, inspired creative collaboration with Studio Minerva,” added Simmons. “We stand on the shoulders of giants, for sure, but we asked ourselves – over several enthusiastic design sessions – what else we could bring to this. “We talked through Islay, what individual distilleries have done, what they do, what they don’t do, what they could do, and we’ve created something we feel no individual distillery could create. Something genuinely inspired by personal whisky enthusiasm and Islay devotion that hopefully nurtures that spirit of discovery and adventure, one single cask at a time, for others. And thanks to Studio Minerva, it’s strikingly beautiful, too.” When asked about plans for The Islay, Simmons makes it clear that the brand and its ‘continuous cask model’ have scope to grow. “I just hope people want to come on the journey. But we do think we’ve created a template for huge variation, albeit within parameters. “The variety that three ages, multiple distilleries, cask types, and peat levels afford us means the concept is nearly inexhaustible, with every bottle of The Islay different from the last. It’s probably kind of backwards, but I do hold out hope to bring out younger expressions, working with the newer Islay distilleries to get all coordinates represented.” Founded as a mail-order company in 1985, Master of Malt is based in Tonbridge, England, and operates as a retailer, bottler, distributor, and wholesaler under its parent company, Atom Group. In 2018, Atom Group was purchased by ZX Ventures – an arm of AB InBev – for an undisclosed sum. In 2024, Atom Group was sold back to its founder Justin Petszaft. Last year, the firm marked its 40th anniversary by making a selection of whiskies bottled under the Master of Malt name available in global retail for the first time. Related news Islay Rum Distillery launches first single cask release

Innovation has become something of a buzzword in the whiskey industry, and there are moments when it feels like producers are trying something unusual for the sake of it. Straight Neck Stills & Littlemill Roots: Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loch Lomond READ THE STORYHowever, there are equal numbers of producers doing genuinely fascinating things with amazing results. Brands are changing how they ferment, mature, or finish whiskey because they are chasing a flavor or an idea they think is worth the effort. The five bottles below are proof of just that. Each one did something differently at some stage of production, and each was recognized for it by a major competition in 2025 or 2026. All of those competitions judge blind, so the panels scored these whiskies without knowing anything about how they were made. So, here are five whiskies that picked up awards for straying outside the norm. Crazy Cock Madhuca III Gold, International Wine & Spirits Competition 2026, 95 Points Mahua comes from the flowers of the Madhuca longifolia tree, which grows across the forests of central and western India, and communities there have been fermenting and distilling it for centuries. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. South Seas Distilleries in Dahanu, Maharashtra, has been maturing the spirit in oak for decades, and in 2024 it released Six Brothers Mahura 1922 Resurrection, a run of 102 bottles priced at £1,000 each. Emptying those casks left the distillery holding oak that had been seasoned with aged mahua, which no other producer had. And so, they decided to do something with it, resulting in the Madhuca series. Madhuca III is distilled from six-row Indian barley in copper pot stills, matured in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in the ex-mahura wood. It took a Gold with 95 points at the IWSC 2026, the highest Indian whisky ranking in the competition, and a Gold at the World Whisky Masters 2026. Dahanu sits on the coast, and the humid conditions there move maturation along more quickly than a cooler climate would. Starlight Mizunara Reserve Bourbon Best of Category, New Orleans Spirit Competition 2026 Mizunara is a Japanese oak with a reputation for being awkward to use. The trees need decades before they are suitable for coopering, the wood is porous enough to make barrel construction difficult, and casks are extremely expensive. What it contributes to whiskey, though, is a set of aromas and unique flavors including sandalwood, toasted coconut, and incense-like spice. Starlight blends its three-grain and four-grain mash bills, using grain grown on the Huber family estate in Indiana, ferments with a sweet mash process and double pot distills. The bourbon spends around seven years in new charred American oak, then several months in the mizunara casks. Proof shifts from batch to batch and generally sits between 112 and 116. It won Best of Category for Cask-Finished Bourbon at the New Orleans Spirits Competition 2026 and a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2026. Teeling Crystal Single Malt Spirit Silver, International Wine & Spirits Competition 2026, 93 Points Crystal malt is a brewing ingredient, produced through a process called stewing. Once the barley has germinated, it is heated in a closed environment that keeps the moisture in, so the starches mash inside the grain and the sugars caramelize there. Whiskey distillers use it very rarely, because the process leaves far fewer of the enzymes fermentation depends on. Teeling, though, was unfazed. Alex Chasko, Teeling’s master distiller, worked in brewing before whiskey, and he built this release around crystal malted barley alongside distillers’ malt. Fermentation happens twice, once with distillers’ yeast and once with white wine yeast. The whiskey is triple distilled and matured only in fresh American oak. It is bottled at 46% without chill filtration, and the release was limited to 18,000 bottles. The IWSC 2026 judges gave it a Spirit Silver with 93 points. Ampersand Aureus Best of Show 3rd Place, North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition 2026, 95 Points Chip Tate founded Balcones Distilling in Texas in 2008 and left in 2014. Foley Family Wines & Spirits brought him in during January 2024 as master distiller for innovation, and Ampersand is the line he has been working on since. The first three releases arrived in November 2025 and included a rye blended with Calvados, a rye married with corn spirit aged in XO Cognac casks, and a 15-year-old Kentucky bourbon finished in Tokaji barrels. Aureus is the fourth, a five-year-old whiskey finished in Naranjo wine casks and bottled at 60.9%. When the North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition published its 2026 results, the bottle had not appeared on the Ampersand website or in retailer listings, and the competition’s CEO confirmed the details to us. It placed third in Best of Show with 95 points and a Double Gold, and went on to take the Taste Master award at the American Whiskey Masters 2026. I, for one, am excited for this to hit the shelves. Peach Street Cider Barrel Finished Single Malt Double Gold and Best of Category, ADI 2026 The barrels behind this one make the release come full circle. Fenceline Cider in Mancos, Colorado fills once-used Peach Street bourbon barrels with its Bourbon Barrel winter seasonal cider, and when the cider is ready the barrels go back to Peach Street, who use them to finish an American peated single malt. Peated malt is far more common in Scotland than in Colorado, and very few American single malts include it at all. Peach Street works out of Palisade on Colorado’s Western Slope, and Rory Donovan founded it in 2005 with Bill Graham and Dave Thibodeau of Ska Brewing. The whiskey took a Double Gold and Best of Category at the ADI International Spirits Competition 2026. Beyond the award there is very little on record, since the distillery has not published a product page and has not disclosed the age, the ABV or how long the whiskey sat in the cider wood. The tasting room in Palisade is the place to ask. Would You Track Any of These Down? Any of these five is a good starting point if you want to see what happens when a producer takes a different route. Which one would you pick up? Let us know in the comments. Also, if you have any other wacky whiskey recommendations for your fellow drinkers, drop them below.

How a pioneer tavern and two fires inspired this new award-winning bourbon - Burnt Tavern Bourbon is a new brand from William Berkele Distillery inspired by Kentucky history. - The name comes from a 1700s tavern on the property that burned down twice. - The bourbon is known for a subtle, smokey finish and has won several international awards. - The distillery plans to build a visitor center and lodging on its Garrard County property. Burnt Tavern Bourbon's name came from smoke and two fires that devastated a 1700s watering hole in east-central Kentucky. In a fitting homage, the whiskey's whisper of a smoky, campfire-like finish sets it apart among Kentucky's expansive bourbon scene. In 2025, Burnt Tavern Bourbon from William Berkele Distillery launched as a new brand steeped in Kentucky heritage. The founders drew on the history of their mostly vacant property in Garrard County, which is about 100 miles to the southeast of Louisville near Danville. They're mingling Kentucky's spirited history with modern distilling culture to tell a bourbon story unlike another in the commonwealth. In the late 18th century, pioneer James Smith purchased 400 acres of land and built a log cabin tavern near a sinking spring. It burned in 1798, and the new brick structure that replaced it garnered the moniker "Burnt Tavern." By the early 1800s, that spot became a popular waystation along Zane's Trace, the storied path to the American Frontier. It burned a second time in the 1850s, and the proprietor rebuilt the structure from the house's surviving wing. Burnt Tavern doesn't divulge the details about how it's mastered the balanced, subtle, signature smokey flavor in its bourbon, said Bennett Clark the president of Burnt Tavern Bourbon and William Berkele Distillery. But it's no surprise it takes at least two fired barrels to achieve it. "I think the founders, as Kentuckians, were very proud of our traditions," Clark said. "And when you unearth something like that, it's almost your duty to not let it continue to be lost. We gotta bring it back and make sure that history is preserved." The young company has put the history of the property on the bourbon's label, so that whiskey drinkers everywhere can know the legacy that inspired it. Thanks to the expertise of William Berkele Distillery master distiller Chip Tate, Burnt Tavern is already turning heads around the globe. The seven-year-old, 105 proof bourbon raked in several awards in its first year, including a double gold medal at the 2026 London Spirits Competition, a gold medal at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and gold medal at the 2026 International Bartenders Spirits Awards. The company's namesake and the second part of the land's legacy taps directly into Kentucky's early whiskey industry. In 1868, William Berkele purchased part of the land near the tavern that had access to that sinking spring and opened a distillery there. The modern distillery's name nods to historic distillery, which operated into the 1900s. In recent years, metal detectors have helped unearthed artifacts such as barrel rings that suggests where the distillery's first rick houses might have stood, said Royce Blevins, the company's lead founder. There's not much on the company's land now, but in the next three to five years, the founders hope to launch a visitors' center, a tasting room and a performance space on the property, Blevins said. There are loose plans to acquire a wood burning pot still and produce a special reserve whiskey onsite using historic methods. They're hopeful they can eventually unearth and use the same yeast strain that the original William Berkele Distillery pulled from the grounds. "We talk about bringing heritage and bringing history to life, and that would definitely epitomize the idea of that heritage," Blevins said. Eventually, they'd like to build some sort of lodging, so that travelers can rest easy at the distillery just as they did at the old tavern nearly two and a half centuries ago. "Burnt Tavern was this respite for the weary traveler," Clark said of the stop along Zane's Trace. "I would love to see our version of Burnt Tavern, today's version of Burnt Tavern to become … a destination." This story has been updated to include a new video. Reach Courier Journal reporter Maggie Menderski at mmenderski@usatodayco.com.

The Original Peanut Butter Whiskey Brings the Iconic PB&J Pairing From the Sandwich to the Can NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Skrewball Whiskey, the original peanut butter whiskey, today announced the launch of Skrewball Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey, the brand's first move into flavor innovation since pioneering the peanut butter whiskey category in 2018. Available in the U.S. beginning this September, the release pairs Skrewball's signature peanut butter whiskey with strawberry jelly flavors for a natural evolution on one of the world's favorite sandwiches – this time, no need to cut the crust off. Inspired by the iconic sandwich pairing loved by generations, Skrewball Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey gives the PB&J a grown-up upgrade. The brand's signature smooth, sweet and savory peanut butter whiskey meets the nostalgic flavor of strawberry jelly, creating an unexpectedly delicious combination that proves some classics are even better with a little Skrewball twist. Available in convenient 100ml cans and 50 ml bottles, Skrewball Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey delivers big flavor in a tiny can. Pocket-sized and party-ready, it delivers the same taste fans know and love in a format built for tailgates, concerts, camping trips and wherever the unexpected happens. "Drinkers want big flavor, and we wanted to deliver it in a tiny can," said Steve and Brittany Yeng, co-founders of Skrewball Whiskey. "Throw it in your cooler or back pocket, crack one open with a friend, and enjoy the nostalgic combination. The unexpected is what Skrewball does best, and this sets the stage for where our brand is heading next." "Skrewball has always challenged expectations around what whiskey can be, and PB&J is a natural expression of that spirit," said Richard Black, Managing Director of North American Distillers. "By taking a flavor combination that consumers know and love and reimagining it through our signature peanut butter whiskey, we're continuing to push flavored whiskey in unexpected directions. The result is a playful, nostalgic take on a classic pairing that feels unmistakably Skrewball." Skrewball Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey will be available in the U.S. beginning September 2026 in a 100ml can (MSRP $3.99 per can), featuring two full-strength servings, and a 50ml bottle (MSRP $1.99 per unit). Both formats are 70 proof (35% ABV). Consumers must be 21 or older to purchase. Fans can expect even more unexpectedly delicious surprises from Skrewball later this fall as the brand continues to inspire people to Skrew the Usual, including an all grown up way to turn the classic brown paper lunch bag into something worth showing off. For more information about Skrewball Whiskey, visit www.skrewballwhiskey.com and follow along on Facebook,Instagram, and TikTok (@skrewballwhiskey). PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. SKREWBALL® PB&J WHISKEY. WHISKEY WITH NATURAL FLAVORS. 35% ALC./VOL. ©2026 Skrewball Spirits, LLC, New York, NY ABOUT SKREWBALL PEANUT BUTTER WHISKEY Skrewball Whiskey was founded by Steven Yeng, a Cambodian refugee, and his wife Brittany. Steven discovered his love of peanut butter shortly after arriving in the United States. Later, he began to integrate the quintessential American nut butter into a top-selling cocktail at a bustling downtown Ocean Beach (San Diego) bar he ran. Seeing the popularity, Brittany would take Steven's bestselling shot and help turn it into a shelf-stable whiskey with her chemistry background. Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey has won numerous awards, including Double Gold from the Chilled 100 and Proof Awards. The brand is rapidly expanding worldwide. ABOUT PERNOD RICARD USA® Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA., the world's second largest spirits and wine company. Pernod Ricard employs approximately 18,000 people worldwide, is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI) and is part of the CAC 40 index. The company's leading spirits include such prestigious brands as Absolut Vodka, Avión Tequila, Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky, The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Kahlúa Liqueur, Malibu, Martell Cognac, Olmeca Altos Tequila, Beefeater Gin, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Código Tequila, Monkey 47 Gin, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin, Malfy Gin, Hiram Walker Liqueurs, Midleton Irish Whiskey, Redbreast Irish Whiskey, Aberlour Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Lillet, Jefferson's Bourbon, TX Whiskey, Skrewball Whiskey, Smooth Ambler Whiskey, Rabbit Hole Whiskey, Pernod and Ricard; Château Sainte Marguerite rosé and exquisite champagne Perrier-Jouët. Pernod Ricard USA is headquartered in New York, New York, and is responsible for more than 1,000 jobs across the country. As 'Creators of Conviviality', we are committed to sustainable and responsible business practices in service of our customers, consumers, employees, and suppliers. Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active program to promote responsible drinking. For more information, visit: www.pernod-ricard-usa.com Pernod Ricard USA: [email protected]  Praytell Agency: [email protected]  SOURCE Skrewball Whiskey Share this article

Heaven Hill Distillery Announces 2026 Parker’s Heritage Collection® Limited Edition Bottling 20th Edition honors Parker Beam’s legacy with a 14-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey made with rye backset BARDSTOWN, Ky. (September 8, 2026) – Heaven Hill Distillery announced today the release of the 20th edition of the Parker’s Heritage Collection®, a 14-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey made with rye backset. The annual ultra-premium release honors the legacy of Heaven Hill’s late Master Distiller Emeritus Parker Beam, while continuing the collection’s tradition of thoughtful innovation and exceptional American Whiskey craftsmanship. “The Parker’s Heritage Collection has allowed us to celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Parker Beam—his passion, his craft and the lasting impact he had on Heaven Hill and American Whiskey,” said Max Shapira, Executive Chairman of Heaven Hill. “We are proud that each release carries forward both his memory and his enduring commitment to doing things the right way.” Comprised of 100 barrels, the 20th Edition is made from Heaven Hill’s traditional Bourbon mashbill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. Distilled between October 2011 and January 2012, the whiskey was aged for 14 years across four rickhouses and multiple floors: Rickhouse A on the second floor; Rickhouse KK on the first and second floors; and Rickhouses L and M on the third floor. This release incorporates rye backset during fermentation which is a portion of the liquid left after distillation that is reused in the next batch to help maintain consistency and develop the whiskey’s signature flavor. Long championed by Parker Beam, the technique contributes a bold, spicy depth while enhancing the bourbon’s balance and consistency. “Parker understood that the smallest details in the whiskey making process can have a meaningful impact on the final pour,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Heaven Hill Master Distiller. “This edition reflects that belief, using rye backset to create a 14-year-old Bourbon with remarkable depth, balance and spice. We’re proud to honor Parker’s enduring influence through a release that celebrates his steadfast belief in making the highest quality whiskey.” Bottled at barrel proof at 118.0 proof and non-chill filtered, the 20th Edition Parker’s Heritage Collection will be available nationally in limited quantities beginning this September, with select quantities available in international markets. The suggested retail price is $199.99 for a 750ml bottle. The late Parker Beam, for whom the acclaimed series is named, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2010. As with previous releases, Heaven Hill will donate a portion of the proceeds from each bottle sold to the ALS Association in honor of Parker Beam, supporting ALS research and patient care. To date, Heaven Hill has donated more than $1.4 million to the ALS Association through this partnership. To learn more about The Parker Beam Promise of Hope Fund, please visit als.org/parker-beam-promise-hope-fund. IMAGES: Download here MEDIA CONTACT: Kaitlynn West Heaven Hill Distillery [email protected]

Classification: Blend of Straight Whiskeys Finished in Ice Wine Barrels Company: Chattanooga Whiskey Co. Distillery: Chattanooga Riverfront Distillery Release Date: August 2026 Proof: 95 Age: 4 Years (Finished more than a year in ice wine casks) Mashbill: 72% Straight Malt Whiskey, 28% Straight Bourbon Whiskey Color: Dark Copper SRP: $60 / 750mL (2026) Honeydew | Toasted malt | Wildflower honey | Stone fruits | Graham cracker | Light brown sugar | Toasted oak | Inviting Oatmeal cookie | Honeycomb | Sweet malt | Toasted oak | Dried apricot | Wildflower honey Apricot | Chewy malt | Chewy oak | White peppercorn | Light rye spice | Faint brown sugar | Lingering light chewy toasted malt The latest Chattanooga Whiskey Barrel Finishing Series release delivers a malt-centric take on an ice wine finished whiskey. Chattanooga introduces their eighth member of their Barrel Finishing Series with the release of Moldovan Ice Wine Cask. To produce this release, the distillery blended five malt whiskeys with one bourbon and finished it in ice wine barrels from one of Moldova's oldest wineries. Located in the hills above the Black Sea, the grapes on the vines were allowed to freeze solid before being harvested and pressed to form the winery's ice wine. Although Chattanooga’s whiskey releases feature a high malt content in their mashbills, almost all of their single malt releases have been relegated to their experimental line, making Chattanooga Whiskey Moldovan Ice Wine Cask one of their first majority-made mainline malt whiskey releases.   Chattanooga Moldovan Ice Wine Cask opens with an incredibly inviting aroma. It starts with a strong honeydew scent, with toasted malt and wildflower honey joining in and slowly revealing notes of stone fruit, graham cracker, and toasted oak. The palate pulls in more of the base malt whiskey as notes of oatmeal cookie, honeycomb, and sweet malt jump out. Dried apricot and wildflower honey make an appearance and remind you of the whiskey's ice wine finish. Rounding out the sip is a finish that brings in just a dash of fruit thanks to apricot before transitioning to notes of chewy malt and oak, while white peppercorn and a light rye spice bring subtle heat. The whiskey is slow to let go of its grip, as it ends on a lingering, light, chewy toasted malt note. Chattanooga Moldovan Ice Wine Cask does a nice job of balancing its three main components: Malt whiskey, bourbon, and an ice wine finish. The bourbon is the least prominent, playing a light supporting role, and adds oak and brown sugar notes. Surprisingly, the ice wine finish isn’t the most dominant part; instead, it provides fruit and wildflower honey notes as needed, while the malt whiskeys take the dominant role and display a hefty amount of various malt and toasted oak. While Barrell Craft Spirits released their own ice wine finished bourbon, these types of finished whiskeys are still a rarity. Chattanooga Moldovan Ice Wine Cask stands out even more thanks to its high percentage of malt whiskey. It’s a great whiskey for those who enjoy Chattanooga’s unique malt whiskey first and a barrel finish second. For others, that uniqueness comes with a double-edged sword, as the high percentage of malt sometimes overpowers the ice wine finish and the sweeter, fruit-influenced notes that many will be expecting throughout. For those who are fans of ice wine, this will prove to be a nice deviation from so many wine finished whiskeys that normally rely on port, sherry, cabernet sauvignon, and other red wine finishes. The bottle in review is from batch #26H10R.

Oregon’s famous for creating many things, such as Marionberries, running shoes and goofy protesters. And while hoppy beers and structured wines are pillars of Oregon’s productivity, Oregon-made whiskey isn’t exactly on the national radar. It should be. And while Kentucky and Tennessee whiskeys are sought out nationwide (they used to be enjoyed worldwide, but in retaliation for punitive tariffs on all of our closest allies, the foreign market is drier than the 18th Amendment), the upside is we get to drink most of it ourselves. The upcoming sixth annual Oregon Whiskey Festival, hosted by Bend’s Oregon Spirit Distillers, features a baker’s dozen of Oregon distilleries that make and age all their own whiskey. That includes brown spirits from bourbons and ryes to American single malts and even a trit. That’s the whiskey style pioneered by Branch Point Distillery in Dayton, Oregon, made from a grain called triticale, itself a hybrid of wheat and rye. The festival is as much a celebration of Oregon terroir as any fresh hop IPA fest in Portland or Pinot Noir fête in the Willamette Valley. As Oregonians, we respect provenance. It’s that sense of embracing and nurturing Pacific Northwest terroir that leads several whiskey makers to use corn, barley, wheat and rye grown in the Beaver State, to say nothing of Oregon’s coveted watersheds featuring soft water ideal for brewing that other mineral-heavy water sources are unable to offer. There’s one other critical ingredient to make exceptional whiskey. I’m not going to say “love” or “craftsmanship,” or as Oregon Spirit’s owner and master brewer Brad Irwin has said, “passion.” It’s time. This year’s Oregon Whiskey Festival lineup features more and longer age statements from participating distilleries than ever before. Branch Point is bringing a nine-year triticale. Portland’s Bird Creek Whiskey is bringing an eight-year-old whiskey (finished on cognac staves at that). And McMenamins, which operates distilleries in Troutdale and Hillsboro, will have on offer a 14-year Devil’s Bit Rye and a 16-year Terminator Single Malt. Considering McMenamins first started its distilling operation in 1997, this whiskey has been aged for over half of that. Then there’s the host, Oregon Spirit. Attendees at the festival will be able to sample, and buy a bottle, of its newly bottled 10-year-old bourbon. Irwin notes it’s bottled at a higher proof—116 compared to Oregon Spirit’s foundational bourbon at 90 proof—and retains the “grain notes… but sweetness, caramel and brown sugar and honey notes, continue to grow.” Irwin, seated at the bar of his tasting room, then noted, “These aren’t garage (distilleries) anymore. They’ve got own their own rickhouses.” Across Oregon Spirit’s two rickhouses, Irwin says the distillery has some 2,500 barrels currently aging whiskeys. As the infamously misattributed Chinese curse goes, may you live in interesting times. Just as the American independent, small-batch whiskey industry is maturing, the ill-advised tariffs have led to a trade war with America’s strongest allies, who have in response dropped the American whiskey export market back to the (merely) billion-dollar level. That includes a crash of more than 80% with the largest foreign market: Canada. You may have heard Jim Beam powered down its flagship distillery as a result of the global market drying up, but that’s also led to U.S. liquor stores being flooded with those very bottles. At a time when a sizeable percentage of consumers are diminishing consumption if not turning away from alcohol entirely, and industrial producers are simultaneously flooding the domestic market with price-reduced product, Oregon makers welcome local support more than ever. Admission includes a commemorative whiskey tasting glass, eight sampling tokens, food trucks and live music performed by Joanna Lee and Jacob Nelson. Oregon Whiskey Fest VIP Event Fri., Sept. 18; General public tasting Sat., Sept. 19. Doors 3pm (2pm with VIP) $150 VIP, $40 general admission, free for designated drivers 740 NE 1st St., Bend oregonwhiskeyfestival.com

If you’re a brand owner dealing with the recent whiskey market struggles, why not try something completely new? That’s not to say that Pinhook Bourbon, which was founded by Sean Josephs in 2010, has had it any worse than any other whiskey brand. Still, the former sommelier and restaurateur has decided to start a new venture, a members-only whiskey club called Old Josephs which allows consumers to join at different tiers and—most importantly—get a new, limited-edition bottle of bourbon a couple of times per year. Josephs actually views the current downturn in the whiskey market as more of an opportunity than an obstacle. “The surplus of aging barrels has set the stage for what I believe is the golden age of American whiskey, and provides a unique opportunity to blend bourbon and rye across different distilleries, mashbills, and states,” he told Robb Report. “We have been afforded a window of exploration that allows for layering flavor and complexity in new ways that will push American whiskey forward in exciting way.” Pinhook, a successful brand in its own right, is built upon Josephs’ skill in sourcing and blending bourbon and rye from different distilleries in Kentucky and Indiana, often releasing batches with increasingly older age-statement expressions. But he said that Old Josephs is a more personal endeavor. “I was struck by the desire to make something on an extremely small scale,” he explained. “That allows me to explore and connect directly with the community of folks that are interested in joining me on a journey of taste.” So here’s how it works. As mentioned earlier, Old Josephs is only available to members, and there are three tiers: Founding Members get a three-year membership at $1,100 with two bottles allocated for each spring and fall release (this is capped at 250 members); Annual Members get a one-year membership at $400 with two bottles allocated for each spring and fall release; and Access Members get a one-year membership at $60, but are only able to get a bottle if there are any left. The whiskey in those bottles is what Josephs is calling “double solera bourbon,” meaning it combines whiskey from two solera tanks—one that is a blend of barrels from Kentucky distilleries, one that has whiskey from distilleries around the country. Each batch will combine whiskey from both “at the precise ratio that best expresses the whiskey at that moment in time” that has been married and proofed in used barrels. There will also be occasional single-barrel releases, but the focus will be on the blends. We were able to sample the first release, and it’s a very tasty bourbon—and it’s limited to just 210 bottles. Look for notes of leather, maple, toasted almond, dark roast espresso, and cherry on the palate, along with some spice and heat at 110 proof. In addition to the bourbon, Josephs is also launching Josephs Family Wines, and the first release is a run of 600 bottles of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’re interested in signing up and trying the new bourbon and wine for yourself, you can inquire about a membership at the Old Josephs website now.

Updated: Readtime: 11 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. If you’re just starting out with single malt whisky, hovering around the $80-100 section at the local bottle shop is a rite of passage. It’s the sweetspot for gateway drams while you build your palate to unpack intricate, nuanced flavours on day one. They’re essential for stocking your home bar, but when you’re ready for something with more substance and depth, you’ll need to step up to the AUD $200+ tier. That’s where the wheat truly separates from the chaff. But rather than aimlessly strolling the aisles or scrolling online retailers in search of a top-shelf pour, we’ve done the heavy lifting. Like you, we didn’t start our single malt journeys sipping ultra-rare expressions – so consider this your fast-track guide to the bottles actually worth your hard-earned cash. The Best Single Malt Whiskies Over $200 1. Yamazaki 12 Year Japanese Single Malt Whisky As the defining benchmark for Japanese whisky, the Yamazaki 12 Year remains an essential rite of passage for any serious collector. This popular expression is the flagship whisky from the iconic House of Suntory, Japan’s oldest distillery, founded in 1923. Matured for a minimum of 12 years, this is a complex, balanced bottle all single malt drinkers should own. - ABV: 43% - Price: AU$350–$390 - Cask type: This popular expression is matured for at least 12 years in a combination of American oak, Spanish oloroso sherry, and Japanese Mizunara oak casks. Flavour profile: - Nose: The nose is a mix of aromas including stone fruits, caramelised pineapple, manuka honey, toasted vanilla beans, and gentle wildflowers. - Taste: Sipping it reveals flavours of cinnamon, raisins, toffee, toasted coconut, vanilla, and gentle wintry spices. - Finish: Long and warm, ending with a mix of baking spices, butterscotch, and oaky wood. - Key Detail: Mizunara oak aging provides its distinct signature notes of sandalwood, coconut, and incense. 2. Glenmorangie Signet Single Malt Scotch Whisky Glenmorangie’s crown jewel skips age statements in favour of pure flavour innovation. After you’ve tried some of the brand’s less expensive expressions, move on to Glenmorangie Signet. This non-age-statement single malt whisky is made using some of the distillery’s oldest and rarest reserves, with some as old as 40 years. - ABV: 46% - Price: AU$300–$370 - Cask type: While the true age isn’t known, this non-chill filtered single malt is matured in a combination of American oak, ex-bourbon, and sherry casks. Flavour profile: - Nose: Scents of dark chocolate, freshly brewed coffee, orange zest, dried fruits, and baking spices greet you before your first sip. - Taste: The palate is centered on notes of coffee beans, chocolate fudge, caramelised sugar, oak, raisins, candied orange peels, and gentle spices. - Finish: The finish is indulgent and almost dessert-like, with notes of coffee beans, dark chocolate, and light citrus zest. - Key Detail: Along with estate-grown Cadboll barley, this unique single malt is made with high-roasted chocolate malted barley, which is more often used to craft dark beers. 3. Lark Tasmanian Peated Single Malt Whisky For drinkers who crave campfire smoke without the medicinal bite of Islay Scotch, Lark delivers a uniquely Australian take on peated malt. Made in Tasmania, this 46% ABV single malt whisky is made with peat-smoked barley, similar to the classic whiskies from Islay in Scotland. It’s a great choice if you prefer your whisky to have a little extra smoky flavour on top of nuanced, complex characteristics. - ABV: 46% - Price: AU$200–$390 - Cask type: While this single malt whisky carries no age statement, it was fully matured in ex-bourbon American oak barrels, adding caramel sweetness to the robust smoke. Flavour profile: - Nose: Scents of ocean brine, salted caramel, toasted vanilla beans, candied orange peels, and rich peat smoke draw you in. - Taste: Drinking it brings flavours of espresso beans, dark chocolate candy, orange zest, wintry spices, and more campfire smokiness. - Finish: It all ends with a long, warm finish of toffee candy, ginger cookies, vanilla beans, orange peels, and rich, memorable peat smoke swirling throughout. - Key Detail: The barley used to craft this whisky is smoked using sustainably-sourced peat from Lark’s bog in the Tasmanian Central Highlands lake district. 4. Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky Taiwan’s rapid sub-tropical aging makes Kavalan one of the most dynamic producers on the global market. Start your journey with this award-winning brand with a bottle of Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky. Exclusive to the Australian market, this cask-strength single malt is the perfect gateway to the Yilan City, Taiwan-based brand. At a minimum of 100-proof, it’s best enjoyed neat, with a splash or two of water to open up the aromas and flavours. - ABV: 50-59% depending on the batch - Price: AU$220–$260 - Cask type: While it has no age statement, we know it’s a non-chill-filtered whisky matured entirely in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. Flavour profile: - Nose: Aromas of caramelised pineapple, toasted coconut, vanilla beans, sticky toffee pudding, and charred oak greet you first. - Taste: The palate is filled with flavours such as toasted vanilla beans, ripe tropical fruits, chocolate, clover honey, cracked black pepper, and oak. - Finish: The finish is lingering, warm, and dry, ending with a pleasant balance of baking spice and caramel sweetness. - Key Detail: While many single malt whiskies are in the 40-46% ABV range, this cask strength whisky hovers in the 100-120-proof range. 5. Sullivans Cove Double Cask Single Malt Whisky Sullivans Cove Double Cask derives its character from a dual-barrel aging process split between French oak and American oak. Distilled in Hobart, Tasmania, this award-winning single malt is made with locally-grown barley and mountain spring water. While there’s no age statement, it’s believed to contain whiskies aged 6 to 18 years. Its ABV can change with age, but it will be between 40- 47.7%. - ABV: 40% and 47.7% depending on the batch - Price: AU$250–$300 - Cask type: This award-winning single malt whisky is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon American oak barrels and French oak casks. Flavour profile: - Nose: Orchard fruit, clover honey, tropical fruit, candied orange peel, caramel, and wintry spice aromas are prevalent. - Taste: Sipping it reveals notes of apricot, caramel, candied nuts, cracked black pepper, orange zest, and oaky spice. - Finish: It all ends with a lingering, warm finish featuring notes of cinnamon candy, tropical fruits, citrus peels, and caramelised sugar. - Key Detail: Blends ex-bourbon (vanilla, caramel) and ex-port/sherry French oak (spiced fruit) for balanced depth 6. Archie Rose Heritage Red Gum Cask Single Malt Whisky Crafted in Sydney, Archie Rose Heritage Red Gum Cask Single Malt Whisky is a truly unique single malt whisky that genuinely brings the taste and smell of the Australian bush to your dram in a completely unexpected way. This limited-release expression is limited to just under 4,000 bottles. It gets its name because it’s matured in a rare, one-of-a-kind barrel that you likely won’t find at any other distillery. - ABV: 46% - Price: AU$210–$235 - Cask type: This creative single malt is matured in ex-Apera (Australian fortified wine) barrels made from red gum wood. Flavour profile: - Nose: On the nose, you’ll find aromas of clover honey, dried stone fruit, raisins, sandalwood, candied nuts, caramel, and wood. - Taste: The palate features flavours such as candied orange peels, ripe cherries, candied nuts, toasted vanilla beans, sticky toffee pudding, and baking spices. - Finish: Long and warm, ending with notes of butterscotch, chocolate, and wintry spice. - Key Detail: Not only is

Costco sells a 12-year-old blended Scotch in a 1.75 liter jug for $40, alongside two single malts, one of which is widely believed to come from Caol Ila. When we asked 2,724 readers to rank the full Kirkland Signature range, the blend finished third overall and both malts landed in the bottom three. The margin came to roughly 800 points either way. Straight Neck Stills & Littlemill Roots: Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loch Lomond READ THE STORYThe malts are older, stronger and, on paper, the more serious whiskies. Readers preferred the blend anyway, and the reasons have less to do with what is in the glass than with how Scotch is bought and drunk. The result would surprise nobody who follows the awards circuit, where blends have been quietly taking the value categories for years. Why Costco’s 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch Beat Its Single Malts The blend took 2,107 points against 1,313 for the Islay single malt and 1,255 for the Speyside and Highland releases. The more telling number is its 486 first-place votes, only 15 fewer than the bottle that led the entire survey on outright firsts, from a whisky named on just 34 percent of ballots. A third of our readers put it in their top three, and more than half of those made it their favorite. The bottle earns the support it has. It carries a genuine 12-year age statement, comes from the independent bottler Alexander Murray & Co., and costs $40 for 1.75 liters. The nose is classic Speyside in style, floral and honeyed, and the palate runs to caramel and baking spice with a faint wisp of smoke on the finish. It is thin next to a good malt and will not reward slow attention in a Glencairn, but in a highball it does the work of Dewar’s at half the money. A second explanation belongs alongside the first one. Both Kirkland single malts are rotational releases. Alexander Murray sources the casks, the bottles land in warehouses, they sell through, and they do not return for months. A large share of the readers voting have never had the chance to buy one. The Speyside releases also run to $90, which puts them in competition with named distilleries instead of the rest of the Kirkland range. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The survey therefore does not prove that blends beat malts. It proves that a good blend, priced sensibly and stocked every week of the year, will out-vote a better malt most people cannot find. What the Awards Circuit Says About Blended Scotch The competition results point in the same direction. Blended Scotch has taken gold and double gold medals at the major spirits competitions across the past two years, at price points single malt cannot approach and often at a third of the cost of an age-stated malt from a comparable region. The three bottles below all carry a 12-year age statement, and all three cost less than Costco’s Speyside single malt. Dewar’s 12 Year Old, Around $50 Dewar’s took a gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge in 2026 and was named best blended Scotch in the 12-year-old category at the International Whisky Competition in 2024, scoring 89.06 points. The blend draws on Aberfeldy, Craigellachie, Aultmore, Royal Brackla and Glen Deveron, and is double aged, which means the malt and grain whiskies are married together in oak after blending. It runs at 40 percent, with fresh vanilla, clean oak and a touch of spice. It is also the bottle Alexander Murray reportedly had in mind when building the Kirkland blend, which makes it the obvious next step for anyone who likes what Costco is selling. Imperial 12 Year Old, From $18.99 Imperial took first place in the 12-year-old blended Scotch category at the International Whisky Competition in 2025 with 88.45 points, and a double gold at the New York World Spirits Competition in the same year. Sazerac owns the brand and Chivas Brothers produces it, and it carries real status in South Korea while remaining almost unknown in Western retail, which is a large part of why it costs what it does. The nose is floral, with white flowers and ripe pear, and the palate opens on espresso and dark chocolate before turning to pear sweetness and warm baking spice. At 40 percent and under $20, it is the cheapest whisky in this article. MacNair’s Lum Reek 12 Year Old, Around $79 MacNair’s took a double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2026. This one is a blended malt rather than a blended Scotch, which means it contains single malts only, with no column-distilled grain whisky in it at all. Billy Walker, the blender behind GlenAllachie, built it from GlenAllachie malts and heavily peated whisky sourced across Scotland, then aged it in a mix of ex-bourbon, Pedro Ximénez sherry and red wine casks. It arrives at 46 percent and non-chill filtered, with mocha, heather honey, dark raisin and sweet peat smoke. Anyone left wanting smoke after the Islay result, without waiting on a Costco allocation, should start here. The Takeaway A 40 percent blend at $40 and a 46 percent blended malt at $79 are doing different jobs, and neither is a lesser version of single malt. What our survey caught is readers voting for the bottle they will actually finish, which is a fair standard for judging whisky and one the review circuit tends to overlook.

D’YAVOL Spirits has won Gold medals for its Single Estate Vodka at the Asia World Spirits Competition 2026 and the SIP Awards 2026. The wins bring the brand’s total to 53 international awards across its three-expression portfolio. Straight Neck Stills & Littlemill Roots: Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loch Lomond READ THE STORYD’YAVOL Spirits was founded through a partnership between Shah Rukh Khan, Aryan Khan’s D’YAVOL Luxury Collective, Radico Khaitan and Nikhil Kamath. The latest medals cover the brand’s Single Estate Vodka, Inception Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and Vortex Blended Scotch Whisky. The three expressions have earned recognition across competitions in Asia, Europe, the US, Australia and the UK. “D’YAVOL was built with patience and a lot of heart,” said Shah Rukh Khan. “Fifty-plus awards later, what the team feels is gratitude, and a responsibility to keep deserving it.” The Asia World Spirits Competition, formerly the Singapore World Spirits Competition, was launched in 2019 and is part of The Tasting Alliance. Every product is judged blind by bartenders, buyers, sommeliers and spirits specialists. The SIP Awards, now in its 18th year, is a consumer-judged competition. The 2026 edition brought together 354 consumer judges to evaluate 1,385 spirits. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “Fifty-plus international awards is a significant milestone for D’YAVOL Spirits, recognising the quality and craftsmanship behind our spirits and reinforcing our ambition to stand among the world’s best,” said Abhishek Khaitan, managing director at Radico Khaitan. D’YAVOL Single Estate Vodka was the brand’s first product, launched in 2023. It is distilled in Poland from 100% winter wheat using a grain-to-glass process, and filtered through rare black pearls. The vodka has been named ‘Vodka of the Year’ at the Asia International Spirits Competition and received Double Gold at the Singapore World Spirits Competition. “The idea at the heart of D’YAVOL Spirits was always to source each expression from the region that does it best,” said Leti Blagoeva, CEO of D’YAVOL Spirits. “Whatever you pour from D’YAVOL, you can expect it to be exceptional.” The portfolio also includes Inception, a blend of eight single malts aged up to 12 years, and Vortex, a blend of single grain and single malt whiskies. D’YAVOL Spirits are currently available in select cities across India, the US, UK and UAE, with more markets to follow.

Johnnie Walker has unveiled a limited edition Black Label bottle design with Grammy Award-winning artist Sabrina Carpenter. The scotch whisky brand launched the collectible bottle in Great Britain on September 8, ahead of a rollout in Mexico, India, and selected markets in Europe and Asia Pacific. Straight Neck Stills & Littlemill Roots: Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loch Lomond READ THE STORYThe release forms the latest part of Johnnie Walker’s multi-year partnership with Carpenter. The bottle design takes inspiration from Carpenter’s album, Man’s Best Friend. It features a bespoke Sabrina blue colorway and dog paw motifs. Carpenter said: “I adore creating little surprises for my fans, and this felt like such a cool way to bring the world of Man’s Best Friend to life. “I love telling stories beyond music, so getting to put my own spin on something as iconic as the Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle was such a fun challenge. “I can’t wait for everyone to see all the little details.” Johnnie Walker and Carpenter announced the partnership in August. The collaboration later launched with a global campaign tied to Man’s Best Friend and the final leg of Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet Tour. That campaign introduced consumers of legal drinking age to the Go Go Highball, Carpenter’s signature Johnnie Walker serve. Johnnie Walker said the new bottle extends the collaboration and reinforces the brand’s connection to music, culture and creativity. The brand, owned by Diageo, describes Johnnie Walker as the world’s number one scotch whisky, citing IWSR 2024 data. The range includes Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label, Gold Label Reserve and Blue Label. According to IWSR data cited by the company, Johnnie Walker sells more than 22 million cases annually. The brand also said it is the number one best-selling scotch whisky, based on 2024 volume. Diageo’s wider portfolio includes Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Carpenter is signed to Island Records. Her album Short n’ Sweet debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy Award for best pop vocal album, while Espresso won best pop solo performance. The bottle will be available in 70cl and 75cl formats at 40% ABV. Johnnie Walker said the recommended retail price will sit in line with Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Caol Ila Distillery has announced its plans for this year’s Islay Jazz Festival, running from 11–13 September. The Diageo-owned distillery will release The Drummer, a limited-edition 19-year-old single malt and the second bottling in its jazz-inspired trilogy. Straight Neck Stills & Littlemill Roots: Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loch Lomond READ THE STORYThe Drummer follows last year’s The Guitarist as part of the partnership between the distillery and the festival. The whisky has undergone a rare experimental three-stage maturation in American oak. The third and final stage took place in ex-Bulleit bourbon casks. According to the brand, this produces “an unusually sweet and spicy edition of the coastal whisky, with smooth, rich flavours and undertones of the signature smoke for which Caol Ila is famed.” The Drummer will launch exclusively at Caol Ila Distillery from 7 September. It is priced at $373 (£275) and bottled at 52% ABV. Alongside the release, the distillery will host a weekend of live music and exclusive whisky experiences. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Performances will come from acclaimed Scottish musicians including saxophonist and composer Laura Macdonald and award-winning guitarist Graeme Stephen. Stephen will premiere his latest work, ORWELL, inspired by the author’s novel 1984 and written during his time on the neighboring island of Jura. The distillery will also host cask-strength tastings in its Maturation Warehouse through the Spirit of Smoke: Cask Draw & Tasting Experience. A further experience, the Caol Ila x Islay Cocoa: Artisanal Chocolate Pairing, will combine the distillery’s peated whisky with luxury chocolate created by Emma Goudie, owner of local chocolatier Islay Cocoa. Emma Watson, Caol Ila’s brand home manager, said: “The line-up at this year’s Jazz festival is incredible, and we’re excited to once again be a part of this celebration of music, whisky and island culture.” She added: “Jazz embodies experimentation, boldness and the perfect blending of styles to make something beautiful – quite like our new festival release, The Drummer.” Caol Ila reopened in August 2022 as part of Diageo’s £185 million ($249m) investment into scotch whisky tourism. The distillery, on the shores of the Sound of Islay, has produced single malt scotch since 1846. Now in its 27th year, the Islay Jazz Festival stages concerts in venues including distilleries, village halls and churches across the island.

Johnnie Walker has unveiled a new limited-edition Black Label bottle design, created as part of the brand’s ongoing collaboration with Grammy Award-winning singer Sabrina Carpenter. Featuring details inspired by her new album, Man’s Best Friend, from a bespoke Sabrina blue colourway to playful dog paw motifs, the design is said to blend the timeless character of Johnnie Walker Black Label blended Scotch whisky with Sabrina’s signature style. The bottle marks the latest chapter in Johnnie Walker and Sabrina Carpenter’s multi-year partnership, which was announced last August. The global campaign kicked off by celebrating the launch of Sabrina’s Man’s Best Friend album and coincided with the final leg of her Short n’ Sweet Tour. Commenting on the news, Sabrina Carpenter, said: “I adore creating little surprises for my fans, and this felt like such a cool way to bring the world of Man’s Best Friend to life. I love telling stories beyond music, so getting to put my own spin on something as iconic as the Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle was such a fun challenge. I can’t wait for everyone to see all the little details.” The limited-edition Johnnie Walker Black Label Sabrina Carpenter bottle (40% ABV), is now available from selected retailers in the UK, ahead of rolling out to global markets, including Europe, Asia, Mexico and India, later this year. RRP: £35.00. Leave a comment

Johnnie Walker has put Sabrina Carpenter’s name on a Black Label bottle. The whisky inside is unchanged, but the packaging has had a full pop makeover: a bespoke Sabrina blue sash, a gold heart on the shoulder and playful dog paw motifs, all lifted from the world of her album Man’s Best Friend. This is the Sabrina Carpenter Johnnie Walker Black Label, a limited edition design released today. It is a collector’s bottle rather than a new whisky, and it is worth being clear about that from the start: the liquid is the standard Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 year old blend at 40% ABV. What is new is the dress. The bottle comes in both 70cl formats, carries a recommended retail price of £35 in Great Britain, and is available now before rolling out to further markets including Mexico, India and selected countries across Europe and Asia Pacific in the coming months. What is the Sabrina Carpenter Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle? It is a limited edition Black Label bottle designed in collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter, the two time GRAMMY winning pop artist, as the latest chapter in a multi year partnership between her and the brand that was announced in August 2024. The design takes its cues from her album Man’s Best Friend, released in 2025, and translates that era’s look onto Johnnie Walker’s most recognisable everyday bottle. The collaboration has already produced a signature serve, the Go Go Highball, which Johnnie Walker rolled out around the final leg of Sabrina’s Short n’ Sweet Tour. The bottle extends that story onto the shelf, giving fans something physical to keep. Sabrina Carpenter described putting her own spin on the bottle as a fun challenge and said she loves creating little surprises for her fans. On the packaging that surprise reads clearly: this is Black Label speaking in her visual language rather than the brand’s. The liquid inside: standard Black Label 12 year old Because only the packaging has changed, the whisky is the familiar Black Label blend that has been on shelves for decades. It is a blended Scotch built from around 40 malt and grain whiskies, each aged a minimum of 12 years, with a recognisable thread of gentle West Coast smoke running through it. For readers outside the UK, blended Scotch means malt whisky married with lighter grain whisky, which is what gives Black Label its approachable weight. Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old, blended Scotch Nose: vanilla, dried orchard fruit, orange peel, a wisp of soft peat smoke  Palate: toffee, raisin, baking spice, light Islay smoke, a touch of oak  Finish: medium, warming, gentle smoke and dried fruit  ABV: 40% | Style: blended Scotch, 12 years old | Price: £35 (70cl) None of that changes with this release, so if you already know where you stand on Black Label, you know how the liquid tastes. The reason to pick this one up is the bottle, not a reformulation. The design: Sabrina blue, dog paws and a gold heart The starting point is the classic slanted Black Label bottle, which the design keeps rather than reinvents. Over that sits a pale Sabrina blue sash with her signature across it, a small gold heart embossed on the shoulder reading “Man’s Best Friend,” and gold dog paw detailing that nods to the album title. A Carpenter crest sits alongside the Johnnie Walker Striding Man on the lower label, marking the collaboration. It is a restrained piece of work by celebrity collaboration standards. The blue and gold read as playful without burying the Black Label identity, which is the balance these tie ups usually miss. Price and availability Price: £35 recommended retail (Great Britain)  Formats: 70cl and 75cl, 40% ABV  Available: Great Britain now, from selected retailers  Rolling out to: Mexico, India, and selected markets across Europe and Asia Pacific in the coming months At £35 the design edition sits broadly in line with a standard bottle of Black Label, which is the good news for anyone who collects music collaboration bottles. There is no heavy premium attached to the artwork, so the calculation is simply whether you want this version on the shelf. For a limited run tied to a current album cycle, that is a fair place to land. Who this bottle is for This is a collector’s and a fan’s bottle first. If you follow Sabrina Carpenter, or you keep an eye on music and drinks collaborations, the appeal is obvious and the price makes it an easy yes. If you were hoping for a new expression, a higher strength or a different cask story, this is not that: the liquid is the Black Label you already know. Buy it because you like the bottle and want to keep one, or because you will pour honest, everyday Black Label from it and enjoy the label while you do. On both counts it delivers exactly what it promises. If you are chasing it as a keepsake, the move is to buy while it is on shelves in Great Britain, since limited design editions tend to disappear from retailers well before the wider rollout is done. Frequently asked questions What is the Sabrina Carpenter Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle? It is a limited edition Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle designed in collaboration with pop artist Sabrina Carpenter, inspired by her 2025 album Man’s Best Friend. The packaging features a Sabrina blue colourway, gold dog paw motifs and a gold heart, while the whisky inside is the standard Black Label 12 year old blend. Is the whisky inside different from normal Black Label? No. Only the bottle design has changed. The liquid is the same Johnnie Walker Black Label, a blended Scotch of around 40 malt and grain whiskies each aged at least 12 years, bottled at 40% ABV. This is a collectible packaging edition, not a new or reformulated whisky. How much does the Sabrina Carpenter Johnnie Walker bottle cost? The recommended retail price is £35 in Great Britain, which is in line with standard Johnnie Walker Black Label. It is sold in both 70cl and 75cl formats at 40% ABV. Prices may vary slightly by retailer and by market as the release rolls out internationally. Where can I buy the Sabrina Carpenter Johnnie Walker Black Label? It is available now from selected retailers in Great Britain. Johnnie Walker has said it will roll out to further markets including Mexico, India and selected countries across Europe and Asia Pacific in the coming months, so buyers outside the UK should watch local retailers and the brand’s own channels. What does Johnnie Walker Black Label taste like? Black Label offers vanilla, dried orchard fruit and orange peel on the nose, then toffee, raisin, baking spice and a light Islay smoke on the palate, with a medium, warming finish. It is a gently smoky, fruit forward blended Scotch that works neat, over ice or in a highball. What is the Go Go Highball? The Go Go Highball is Sabrina Carpenter’s signature Johnnie Walker serve, created as part of the same partnership and introduced around the final leg of her Short n’ Sweet Tour. It is a long, easy drinking highball built on Black Label, aimed at drinkers of legal drinking age. Leave a Reply

Can a bottle that costs less than a restaurant main course really win a medal? Every blended Scotch below took one this year, judged blind against whiskies selling for several times the money. Straight Neck Stills & Littlemill Roots: Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loch Lomond READ THE STORYPanels at the major competitions taste from coded glasses without labels, packaging or price in front of them, which strips out the brand loyalty and the sticker shock that shape most buying decisions. A famous name on the label earns nothing at all on that table. Each of the five took gold or better in 2026 or 2025, and each holds its price under $40 in normal retail. All five are bottled at 40% ABV, which is the standard strength for the category. Prices are real-world averages across US and UK retail, and they move by a few dollars either way depending on where you shop. Johnnie Walker Black Ruby – Red fruit, sherry sweetness, and a Master medal Price: $33 / £27 ABV: 40% Award: Master medal, The Scotch Whisky Masters 2026 Black Ruby is the first core range addition Johnnie Walker has made since Dr. Emma Walker became master blender in 2022, and it does not behave the way a Johnnie Walker is supposed to. The house signature has always leaned on smoke, with Caol Ila and Talisker carrying the structure behind Black Label. This blend puts fruit at the front and lets the smoke work as seasoning instead. The backbone comes from Roseisle, the large Speyside distillery Diageo opened in 2009 and has kept fairly quiet about ever since. Its contribution here matures in first-fill red wine casks, which is an unusual and expensive-sounding choice for a bottle at this money. Around it sit whiskies from Clynelish, Glenkinchie, Cardhu, Cameronbridge and Caol Ila, drawn from Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks alongside ex-bourbon barrels. What lands in the glass is red berries, honey, figs, plums and sweet cherry, carried on a buttery toffee weight with a little spice at the close. The Caol Ila shows up as a faint coastal edge rather than a peat statement. Anyone who has bounced off Black Label for being too smoky should start here instead. A Master medal is the highest award the Scotch Whisky Masters gives, and it very rarely goes to a bottle this cheap. Set against Black Label at around $40, the value argument is difficult to answer. Drink it neat or over a large cube, and keep it away from anything that will bury the fruit. Islay Mist – Dry peat smoke, sea salt, and honeyed grain Price: $32 / £24 ABV: 40% Award: Gold medal, International Spirits Challenge 2026 Islay Mist exists because somebody decided that neat Laphroaig was too much for a party. The brand’s own account dates the blend to 1922 and a coming-of-age celebration on Islay, where the host wanted his guests to taste the island without frightening them. The solution was to take Laphroaig as the heart of the malt content and wrap it in softer mainland whisky. That original brief still describes the bottle accurately more than a century later. Laphroaig supplies the medicinal, tarry, unmistakably Islay core, and sweet mainland grain whisky spreads it out and takes the edges off. The result is genuinely smoky rather than smoke-flavored, which separates it from most blends that gesture at peat and deliver almost none. The nose is dry peat smoke and sea salt, closer to a bonfire on a beach than to a hospital. The palate carries maritime phenols and warm oak, with the honeyed sweetness of the grain whisky holding the whole thing in balance rather than fighting it. The finish is shorter than a single malt would give you, and it stays clean. Laphroaig 10 Year Old sits near $60, which is a substantial commitment for anyone who is not yet sure they like peat. Islay Mist offers the same conversation for roughly half the money, and it makes an unusually good Penicillin or smoky highball. This is the bottle we hand to people who say they want to try peat without explaining what peat is. Black Bottle Original – Malty, sherried, and quietly smoky Price: $29 / £22 ABV: 40% Award: Gold medal, International Spirits Challenge 2026 The Graham brothers were tea blenders in Aberdeen before they turned their attention to whisky in 1879, and the habits transferred neatly. Blending tea and blending Scotch both depend on holding several strong components in proportion without letting any one of them dominate. Black Bottle has carried that reputation for a high proportion of malt in the blend ever since. At the core sits peated single malt from Bunnahabhain on Islay, including the heavily peated Moine distillate that the distillery produces alongside its unpeated house style. That material is balanced with selected sweet grain whiskies and matured across charred casks and sherry-seasoned wood. The whisky is malty and honey-driven, and considerably richer than the price suggests. Sherry cask dark fruit arrives in waves rather than all at once, and the smoke reads as a soft maritime campfire somewhere in the background instead of a peat reek at the front. A lingering spice closes the whole thing out without turning harsh. At $29 this is one of the most competitive propositions in whisky, and it is a legitimate everyday bottle rather than a compromise. It handles an Old Fashioned better than most 40% blends because the sherry influence gives the sugar something to hold on to. It also works neat, which cannot be said of every blend at this price. Ballantine’s 7 Year Old American Barrel – Vanilla, orchard fruit, and bourbon cask sweetness Price: $38 / £27.99 ABV: 40% Award: Gold medal, World Whiskies Awards 2026 (12 Years and Under) and gold, International Spirits Challenge 2025 Ballantine’s released this in 2020 with a specific reader in mind, and that reader drinks bourbon. The idea was to build a Scotch that arrives on familiar ground for anyone raised on Kentucky sweetness, using first-fill American oak bourbon barrels to finish the blend and push vanilla and caramel forward. The company frames it as a nod to George Ballantine’s nineteenth century practice of using aged stocks, and there is a real age statement underneath the marketing. Every component spends a minimum of seven years in wood before the finishing period begins, which is more disclosure than most blends at this price offer. The malt content leans on Glenburgie and Miltonduff, the two Speyside distilleries that have long supplied the Ballantine’s house character. The bourbon influence is obvious in the glass and entirely unapologetic. Toffee apples, wildflower honey, ripe pear and rich vanilla run through the middle, and the finish is buttery and creamy rather than dry. There is no smoke to speak of, and no attempt to introduce any. It is the easiest of the five to give to someone who has always said they do not like Scotch whisky. It also makes a decent Highball with soda and a slice of orange, where the vanilla holds up better than a drier blend would. Purists will find it sweet, and the people it was built for will not care. Buchanan’s De Luxe 12 Year Old – Citrus, chocolate, and a full age statement Price: $24 ABV: 40% Award: Gold medal, International Spirits Challenge 2025 James Buchanan arrived in London in the 1880s and worked out something his competitors had missed, which was that the English market wanted lighter whisky than the Scottish one did. He built his blends accordingly and became one of the defining figures of the Victorian whisky trade. The De Luxe 12 still follows that original instruction very closely. Every drop in this bottle has spent at least twelve years in oak, which at $24 is genuinely difficult to explain. Twelve-year age statements have been quietly disappearing across the industry as stocks tighten and no-age-statement releases take their place. Finding one at $24 is close to an anomaly in 2026. The blend focuses on soft Highland and Speyside malts, and the result is light-bodied and unusually smooth. Bright orange peel and honey lead, fol

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Amazon does not often beat the specialist whisky trade on price, and when it appears to, the saving usually rests on a recommended price nobody has charged in years. Five Scotch listings sitting on the site this week are a different proposition, because the comparison holds against the shops that actually sell the stuff. Straight Neck Stills & Littlemill Roots: Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loch Lomond READ THE STORYWe checked each of them on 8 September against Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange, Royal Mile Whiskies, Whisky-Online and the distilleries’ own shops. In every case the Amazon price came in below the cheapest specialist listing we could find, and on the Tullibardine it came in more than eleven pounds below. Ardnamurchan The Midgie 2025, £37.94 on Amazon The Midgie is Ardnamurchan’s annual summer release, and the 2025 bottling is the second of them. It brings together three quarters unpeated spirit and one quarter peated, matured across an almost even split of ex-bourbon barrels and Port barriques, with a two percent scattering of sherry casks. Whisky-Online places the component whiskies between 2017 and 2019, which for a distillery that filled its first casks in 2014 is close to the oldest stock it can currently put in a bottle. The 2024 edition leaned on Madeira and Sauternes, while this one pushes firmly toward ruby Port. Dramface called the result a more red-fruit-driven reading of the distillery’s usual character and scored it seven out of ten. Whiskybase carries 235 ratings at 85.06 for a run of 16,500 bottles, and our own review of the same batch put it at eight out of ten. Aberdeen Whisky Shop currently has it reduced from £54 to £44, while Hard To Find Whisky lists it at £51.95, Whisky-Online at £54 and Royal Mile Whiskies at £54.95. It is bottled at 48 percent without chill filtration or added coloring, and a limited release does not get cheaper as the stock thins. Check the current price of Ardnamurchan The Midgie 2025 on Amazon before the batch clears. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Lindores Abbey The Casks of Lindores II STR, £37.92 on Amazon Lindores Abbey distills on the ground where the Exchequer Rolls record Friar John Cor making aqua vitae in 1494, and its Casks of Lindores series exists to show what a single cask type does when nothing else is in the way. A wine finish sits on top of a whisky for a few months and colors the edges of it, whereas this spirit spent its entire maturation in shaved, toasted and re-charred barriques from Spain and Portugal. The STR technique is bound up with the late Dr Jim Swan, who advised a generation of new distilleries on how to draw flavor out of young spirit without waiting a decade for it. Master of Malt gives the youngest whisky in the batch as four years and eight months, with some of the component stock past five years, and at release this was the oldest general bottling Lindores had put out. Whiskybase has it at 84.44 from 30 ratings, which is a community aggregate rather than a judged score. Whisky-Online charges £46 for the same bottle, Master of Malt £56.50, The Wee Dram £59 and Hard To Find Whisky £59.95. The whisky is bottled at 49.4 percent, non-chill filtered and without added coloring. See what The Casks of Lindores II STR is currently selling for on Amazon. Kilchoman Machir Bay, £39.95 on Amazon Machir Bay is Kilchoman’s flagship peated malt and a permanent fixture rather than a limited run. The composition sits at roughly 90 percent bourbon cask and 10 percent Oloroso sherry, peated to 50ppm and bottled at 46 percent, and the distillery has been refining that recipe since its earliest releases. Kilchoman lists gold from The Spirits Business in 2025 alongside gold and double gold at that year’s International Spirits Challenge, with Master of Malt recording an earlier International Spirits Challenge gold in 2022. Because Machir Bay is batched continuously, Whiskybase keeps separate entries by bottling date rather than one running score, and a 2025 bottling currently sits at 84.55 from 35 ratings. Whisky Magazine scored it eight out of ten and described a heavily peat-led dram with smoke that refuses to let go of the finish, while Master of Malt’s own customers give it four out of five across 70 reviews. Master of Malt charges £44.25, The Whisky Exchange £46.50 and Kilchoman’s own shop £49.90. The saving here is the smallest of the five in percentage terms. Check the latest Amazon price on Kilchoman Machir Bay before it returns to normal. Tullibardine Sovereign, £24.69 and the Cheapest Amazon Whisky Deal Here I pay £6.50 for a pint of Moretti in my local, which is no longer a remarkable price anywhere in Britain. Four of those comes to £26, and this bottle costs less than the round. A 70cl bottle holds 28 standard 25ml measures, so the Amazon price works out at 88 pence a dram, poured at 43 percent rather than the four and a bit that lager gives you. Sovereign is the entry point to Tullibardine’s range, matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and built around the vanilla, malt and cream that first-fill wood reliably produces. The Whisky Exchange notes that the bottling carries added coloring. It took silver at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards in the Scotch Highlands no age statement category, following silver at the International Spirits Challenge in 2019 and medals at the International Wine and Spirit Competition before that. Whisky Magazine scored it 7.6 and singled out the floral, malty nose and the creamy texture, while Whiskybase has a recent bottling at 80.48 from 94 ratings. Those numbers put it behind the Ardnamurchan and the Lindores in enthusiast estimation, and neither of those bottles is available for the price of a short round. Master of Malt currently charges £35.90, The Whisky Exchange £37.95 and Royal Mile Whiskies £40.95. Buy Tullibardine Sovereign on Amazon while it remains under twenty five pounds. Woven WXC, £29.95 on Amazon WXC is not legally whisky, and Woven has never presented it as one. The Edinburgh blender worked with London’s Assembly Coffee to combine a proprietary Scotch blend, given as 69.83 percent of the contents, with Colombian single-origin coffee. Scotland Food and Drink puts the coffee proportion at 29.47 percent and the sugar content below one percent, and the finished spirit drink is non-chill filtered at 44.5 percent. Adding coffee to Scotch forfeits the right to the blended Scotch whisky designation, which is why the label reads as a spirit drink rather than a blend. It was named World’s Best Flavoured Whisky at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards, the first global title Woven has taken, and it is currently a finalist for Distilling Product of the Year in dark spirits at the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards, where the winner will be announced on 24 September. There is no accumulated body of Whiskybase or Whisky Magazine scoring behind it in the way there is for the four single malts above. Woven sells it directly for £40, Wee Whisky Shop lists it at £39 and Ardfern at £45. It is the only bottle here that is not a single malt, and the only one that arrives with a coffee roaster’s name on the label. Check the current Amazon price on Woven WXC ahead of the September awards result. What These Amazon Whisky Deals Have in Common Two of these bottles will not be replaced once the current stock has gone. The Midgie is an annual release of 16,500 bottles and the Casks of Lindores II STR is a fixed batch,

The 3 Best Cocktails To Make With Costco's Kirkland Signature Canadian Whisky We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Everyone knows that shopping at a wholesale club like Costco can save you money on everyday grocery purchases. Buying Costco's house brand Kirkland Signature can help you save even more. It's so popular that for some customers, having access to Kirkland Signature is their main reason for shopping at Costco. For instance, being able to buy cheaper yet still satisfying options for higher-ticket items like liquor is a major advantage for members who like to keep a bottle of Kirkland Signature Canadian whisky on hand. For the mixed drink fans out there, we also have some classic cocktail suggestions to go with it: a whisky sour, whisky and Coke, and last but certainly not least, an Old Fashioned. One truth about Kirkland Signature whiskeys is that they hold their own against more recognizable brands. Kirkland Signature Canadian whisky has been likened to Crown Royal, with many speculating that Crown Royal is the distiller behind Costco's brand. Whether that is true remains unknown, but customers recommend using Kirkland Signature in many of the same ways as you would Crown Royal, and consider it a serviceable mixer to keep around. The taste is sweet and smooth with notes of vanilla, caramel, honey, and cinnamon, all of which which would complement the supporting ingredients of our recommended cocktail recipes. Whisky sour The whisky sour (or whiskey sour, depending on the specific liquor used) is such a beloved cocktail that it has its own holiday, National Whiskey Sour Day on August 25th. The first known mention of a whisky sour was in a Wisconsin newspaper, the Waukesha Plain Dealer, published on January 4, 1870. As for the recipe for a classic whisky sour, it's pretty simple. Add 2 ounces of Kirkland Signature Canadian whisky, a ½ ounce of lemon juice, a ½ ounce of simple syrup, and 1 egg white to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Add a couple of ice cubes to the shaker, and continue shaking until chilled. Strain into a rocks or coupe glass, then garnish with a dash of Angostura bitters, a maraschino cherry or two, and an orange peel. If consuming a raw egg concerns you, you can buy pasteurized eggs or egg whites from the grocery store or omit the egg altogether. The egg white adds a creamy texture, some richness, and is mostly optional in more modern versions of the cocktail. Whisky and Coke Whisk(e)y and Coke have been best friends almost since the beginning of Coca-Cola's existence. The first written record of mixing whiskey with Coke is from a 1907 United States Bureau of Chemistry report investigating the still fairly new soft drink. The owner of a southern soda fountain reported selling Coca-Cola to soldiers from the local military base. Soldiers residing on a military base added whiskey to their Cokes, which the local soda fountain owner called Coca-Cola highballs. Technically, any whiskey or whisky can be paired with cola. In the U.S., bourbon, or a domestic whiskey like Jack Daniel's, tends to be the liquor of choice. In Canada, Canadian blended whisky or rye is often preferred. Kirkland Signature Canadian whisky's notes of caramel and spice bring depth to sweet Coca-Cola. The sugar in Coke tempers the whisky's hard edge, and the carbonation adds a delightful effervescence. Combine 2 ounces of whisky with 4 ounces of Coke, and you've made the drink in its most basic form. Adding a ½ ounce of fresh lime juice brightens up the drink. Garnish with a twist of lime. Old fashioned By the 1870s, cocktails had been popular for several decades, and variations in how different liquors and ingredients were mixed had developed. The name "Old Fashioned" came into use as a way for customers to request a whisky cocktail made in the old-fashioned style with sugar and bitters. Rye whisky was the liquor of choice for this cocktail until Prohibition, when the alcohol industry in the U.S. was completely shaken up. Today, a classic Old Fashioned recipe resembles the late 19th century version and includes 1 sugar cube, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, 1½ ounces of whisky, and 1 orange peel for garnish ( a maraschino cherry may also be added). The sugar cube gets saturated with the bitters and muddled until mostly dissolved. This may result in some undissolved sugar settling in the glass after the ice and whisky are added and everything is stirred together, but this was actually a mark of quality back in the cocktail's heyday. If this texture is a turnoff, a ½ ounce of simple syrup or, in keeping with the Canadian theme, a ¼ ounce of maple syrup may be substituted.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review. Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued. Can a bottle costing less than a restaurant main course really win a medal against whiskies selling for several times the money? These five blended Scotches did. What happens when Scotch meets pop? Johnnie Walker’s Sabrina Carpenter Black Label bottle brings Man’s Best Friend to whisky shelves. Can a decade of patience and estate-grown grains produce the finest bourbon Starlight has ever made? We taste the limited 10-Year Reserve to find out.

New Riff Distillery will host a bourbon tasting at John Schickel’s Pickles and Wieners Feast on Saturday, September 26, a free community event benefiting Special Olympics Northern Kentucky. Last year the fundraiser raised for the program. Straight Neck Stills & Littlemill Roots: Five Things You Didn’t Know About Loch Lomond READ THE STORYThe even will run from noon to 5pm at Erlanger Lions Park, in Florence, Kentucky. A bourbon tasting is planned for guests aged 21 and older. Alongside the New Riff pour, the event will feature food, a silent auction, two raffles and live music from the Lazy River Band. “This event is supposed to be simple: Come as you are, bring your family, eat a pickle and a hot dog, listen to some good music and help some wonderful athletes,” said former Kentucky state Sen. John Schickel. Schickel added: “People showed up in a big way last year. We raised $58,000, and I want to see if Northern Kentucky can top that this year.” The Feast began in 2012 and has grown into a major fundraiser for the volunteer-run program, which provides year-round opportunities for local athletes. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Special Olympics Northern Kentucky program director Mark Staggs said last year’s record $58,000 represented more than half of the program’s annual operating budget. “Western Kentucky has its Fancy Farm. We have the Pickle Feast,” said Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore. Moore added: “It has developed into quite a gathering spot for persons seeking statewide political office, and I look forward to seeing my friends from around the state.” Organizers are accepting event sponsorships and select auction donations. Raffle tickets are available in advance from participating Special Olympics athletes and coaches, and will also be sold at the Feast. New Riff Distilling is based in Newport, Kentucky, across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. The distillery was founded by Ken Lewis and released its first bottled-in-bond bourbon in 2018. The producer is known for its Kentucky straight bourbon and rye whiskeys, all made without the use of a sourced whiskey. New Riff also operates a visitor center at its Newport facility. Admission to the Feast is free, though charges for food, beverages, raffle tickets and auction items may apply. Businesses or individuals wishing to help can contact organizers directly.

What was your way into whisky? By Dave Hunter Most whisky drinkers have a story about how they first took an interest in the spirit, from memories of a particular event or tasting to a specific dram that blew the category wide open for them. So with whiskies on our minds, SLTN approached some drinks company spokespeople to find out what sparked their own passion for whisky. Andy Lennie from Fettercairn recalled trying whiskies with his dad, with a friend of his also having a soft spot for Laphroaig. But it was a more northerly island distillery that really brought things into focus. “The turning point came when I attended my first whisky tasting with Highland Park,” he said. “That experience opened my eyes to the depth, diversity and storytelling behind whisky, and it was the moment I realised I wanted to build a career in the whisky industry.” Returning to Islay, it was a trip to Scotland’s famous whisky isle that brought Gregor Hannah of Lady of the Glen to whisky. He explained: “One whisky that has always stayed with me is Lagavulin. My girlfriend, now my wife, and I visited Islay during Fèis Ìle, and it remains one of our favourite holiday memories. “Standing in the warehouse at Lagavulin, tasting whisky in the very place where it had matured for years, was a special experience. It wasn’t just about the whisky itself; it was about the people, the place and the memories attached to it. “That’s something Scotch does exceptionally well. Every distillery has a story, and sometimes those stories become part of your own.” Lagavulin was also an early favourite for Felix Bottomley at Wee Smoky. He recalled: “I began with rums before I got to whisky; working at Waitrose for six years in the booze section as one of my first jobs I was exposed to a wonderful assortment of different spirits and I was always into the sweeter things so I started at rums and then progressed to aged rums and then one day my boss told me we were going to do samples with the customers and he brought out three different bottles of whisky: Old Pulteney 12 year old, Glenfiddich 12 year old and 16 year old Lagavulin and whilst I did and to this day enjoy all of them I remember sneaking myself pours of the Lagavulin 16 year old every time a customer would come to try them.” It’s not just the Scottish distilleries that bring people into whisky, of course. Ryan McFarland of Drinksology Kirker Greer said a visit to the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Kentucky ultimately led him to whiskies from all over the world. “That experience changed my perspective on the category,” he said. “I completely fell in love with the story of how Irish immigration helped shape and influence an American distillery, and I quickly began to appreciate the sweeter flavour profiles that come from maturation in charred new oak barrels. “Fast forward 20 years and my palate has evolved considerably. “Irish whiskey and Scotch are now a regular part of my repertoire, but that first distillery visit showed me how a great story and a memorable experience can transform someone’s perception of whisky and create a lasting appreciation for the category.”