The Best New Bourbon and Other Whiskey Releases of 2023 (So Far)

Jack is getting older. With its new 12-year-old whiskey, JD has released its oldest age-statement bottle in over a century. The Lynchburg distillery revived age statements on its whiskey last year for the first time since the early 1900s with its 10-year-old, and now it's following it up with the 12-year and Batch 2 of the 10-year. The new JD dozen-year is bottled at 107 proof with tasting notes of tobacco, oak and butterscotch.

The Glen Grant is also hawking older liquids this month. The Speyside distillery has added to its permanent range with a new 21-year-old Scotch — beating out the previous oldest member of its principal collection by three years. The single malt boasts an array of sweet and tropical notes, from stone fruit on the nose to coconut on the palate to a crème brûlée finish.

High age statements aren't just for Scotch, as Boondocks proves. The distillery's 18-year-old bourbon is a cask-strength expression bottled at 52.7 percent ABV and has a complex flavor profile of Tahitian vanilla, butterscotch, dark roasted coffee and various fruits. Snagging a bottle may prove difficult, though, as this is a limited release of just 1,620 bottles.

Diamond Peak is Stranahan's limited series of cask-finished whiskeys. Following up last year's version finished in Bushmills Irish single-malt barrels, Diamond Peak Batch #2 ends its maturation in casks that once housed José Cuervo Reserva de Familia extra añejo tequila. The result is an American single-malt whiskey with plenty of spice and a hint of agave sweetness.

Coffee and whiskey are a classic paring, and Virginia Distillery Co.'s combines them in one magnificent bottle for a great cause. First, the booze: it's a 92-proof American single malt aged in bourbon barrels and finished in casks that previously held ethically sourced small-batch coffee. Now, the cause: proceeds from the woman-owned whiskey's sales will go to the Angela H. Moore - Women In Distilling Scholarship at Appalachian State University to help women entering the spirits world.

Pinhook has added another bottle to its Vertical Series, a unique experiment that chronicles a select group of bourbon and rye barrels sourced from Midwest Grain Products as they age from 4 to 12 years. This latest installment is a 7-year-old rye blended from 28 of the group's finest barrels. Bottled at 105.12 proof and with 95 percent rye in the mash bill, the Vertical Series Rye has tasting notes that include chocolate, root beer and cardamom.

For the 18th edition of Woodford Reserve's coveted Master's Collection, the distillery went back in time — way back. In the 19th century, it was common for bourbon to go into the barrel at a proof of around 100, while these days it typically starts its maturation around 125 proof, with the idea being that a higher proof at entry results in a less watered-down whiskey. But it turns out that a lot of the flavors that are extracted from the barrel are more soluble in water than in alcohol, meaning a lower entry proof will actually extract richer flavors from the "red layer" of the charred oak where these elusive flavors reside. This old-school technique was used for Woodford Reserve's Historic Barrel Entry, which went into the barrel at 100 proof and emerged at 90.4 proof and full of sweet and rich flavor.

Stillhouse is one of the funnest whiskey brands around thanks to their combo of rugged steel bottles that beg to be taken outdoors and flavor infusions that actually taste good without being cloyingly sweet. Their latest is Peanut Butter S'Mores, a 70-proof combination of peanut butter and marshmallow that begs to be passed around a campfire. Having tried it, I can confirm that it is indeed tasty — full of mouthwatering flavor, but not too sweet — and immediately puts one in the mood for crunchy leaves, cool temps and good times.

American single-malt whiskey is a fairly new but rapidly growing category, and now Tattersall Distilling has entered the fray with their first spirit in the style. Interstate is a four-year-old American single-malt whiskey bottled at 80 proof and is meant to be a tribute to the nation's first interstate park — the aptly named Interstate Park. The park straddles Minnesota and Wisconsin, and those two states also played a role in the making of this whiskey. The grains were sourced from Wisconsin, maturation took place in both states and the whiskey was finished and bottled at Tattersall in Minnesota. The resulting hooch is said to be complex with notes of coffee, chocolate and cherry.

Barrell Bourbon's latest Batch edition is a cask-strength blend of straight bourbons aged 6, 8, 10 and 15 years, respectively. Bottled at 114.62 proof, this reddish-copper liquid boasts quite the array of tasting notes, according to the distillery, from eggnog on the nose to grape soda and cinnamon donuts on the palate to a finish starring shiso and peanut butter cups. It sounds pretty wild, but given the acclaim garnered by Barrell's previous Bourbon Batches, I'm inclined to believe this one's a stunner, too.

Pennsylvania's Bluebird Distilling has teamed up with country music star Jordan Davis on a new whiskey that celebrates their shared love of "bluebird days" — a term used by skiers to refer to sunny, cloudless days following a snowstorm, and the title of Davis's latest album. The pair set out to create an easy-sipping whiskey for such days, and the result is a 6.5-year-old blend of the best barrels of four-grain bourbon and American wheat whiskey from the distillery's stocks. Bottled at 86 proof, the sweet sipper has traditional bourbon tasting notes of sweet corn, vanilla and toffee.

Texas-based Garrison Brothers' annual Guadalupe release is always a favorite, and 2023 definitely looks to continue that tradition. The premium bourbon is again finished in its trademark port casks, resulting in some seriously sweet tasting notes. The southern distillery classifies it as a "dessert bourbon" to be paired with chocolates and other treats, with tasting notes of lavender honey and strawberry-buttered biscuits. This straight bourbon is bottled at 107 proof and is limited to 16,098 bottles.

If you're in search of a whiskey that's a bit more ... luxurious ... then say hello to The Glenturret's latest bottle. The 260-year-old Highland distillery is in the midst of a three-bottle partnership with French crystal maker Lalique, and Prowess is the second entry in the collaborative Trilogy Series. The Scotch was put together by Master Blender Bob Dalgarno using just three casks from Glenturret, with an age statement of 33 years old. The 87.8-proof whiskey is bottled in a custom crystal decanter from Lalique, and just 320 are being produced. If you pony up the $14,000+ required to purchase one, you can expect robust tasting notes of wood, spices and other aromatics.

Ohio-based Watershed Distillery isn't one to be pigeon-holed. While probably best known for their award-winning bourbon, the brand also churns out gin, vodka and other spirits. But they've never made a rye whiskey ... until now, that is. Watershed's first-ever rye whiskey is aged six years in charred oak barrels with a mashbill that's 57 percent rye, 36 percent corn and 7 percent barley. In other words, this is just a lightly-spiced rye, so if you're into Watershed's bourbon, you'll probably dig this too. Bottled at a hefty 122.8 proof, the first 125 bottles were gobbled up via a lottery, but don't worry — more will be on the way soon as the rye eventually makes its way into Watershed's permanent catalog.

OK, slight disclaimer here. Suntory's World Whiskey Ao isn't exactly new. In fact, we covered its initial release back in 2019. But what is new is now, in 2023, the unique "global whiskey" is finally being offered for sale in the United States. Hailing from the world's most famous Japanese whiskey distillery, Ao is actually a blend of whiskeys from the world's five most significant whiskey-producing countries — Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada and of course, Japan — making it unlike anything else you've likely tasted. Bottled at 86 proof, you should finally be able to find this well-traveled tipple at a store near you.

Woodford Reserve’s annual Double Double Oaked expression is anxiously looked forward to every year, and the 2022 mix — released in early 2023 — was no exception. Crafted to be the “perfect winter bourbon,” this year’s Double Double Oaked — which gets its year from the additional year spent in a charred oak barrel that Woodford Reserve Double Oaked receives — boasts tasting notes of burnt marshmallows, cranberry and bittersweet chocolate. Bottled at 90.4 proof and initially offered for $60 a bottle exclusively at Woodford Reserve’s distillery and a few Kentucky retailers, you can also find it online — but expect to pay a premium.

Highland Scotch distillery The GlenDronach has released the eleventh iteration in its Cask Strength series. The series is designed to showcase the true and full nature of The GlenDronach’s style, which ages Highland scotch in Spanish oak sherry casks and bottles the product at its natural cask strength. For this expression, both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía were used, and the resulting spirit sports tasting notes of spiced bramble wine, chocolate raisin and maraschino cherry, among others. It’s bottled at cask strength, 119.6 proof, and retails for $100 per bottle.

Every once in a while, we come across a bottle of whiskey that, were we to try it, would qualify as a life-altering experience. Without hyperbole, this is one such bottle. Released by ultra-rare spirits purveyor Duncan Taylor from its “Rarest Collection” vault, this 52-year-old Macallan scotch began stewing in its juices at the Duncan Taylor estate back when the Beatles were still together. Now, it’s been bottled at cask strength with no chill filtration or artificial coloring, allowing its true double-matured (American ex-bourbon followed by first-fill Oloroso sherry casks) nature to shine through. And shine through it does, with an easy-drinking 82.92-proof rating and tasting notes of dark chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla. Bottles are priced at £75,000 (~$93,000) a pop and are available only by request.

Colorado-based Old Elk Bourbon has brought back their Cask Finish series with three brand-new expressions that are sure to inject some fun diversity into the brand’s lineup. The three whiskeys are all finished in a different type of cask, with each offering up something unique. First there’s the Cognac Cask Finish, a high-test straight bourbon that spent 10 months maturing in ex-cognac casks from France. Next is the Port Cask Finish, another straight bourbon that takes on a sweeter profile thanks to its time spent in Portugeuse port wine barrels. Finally, there’s the Rum Cask Finish, a straight rye aged in 14-year-old Barbados rum barrels that’s bursting with tropical tasting notes. All three whiskeys are at least five years old, at least 100 proof and are available in limited quantities.

Speaking of American whiskeys with interesting cask finishes, we have Chattanooga Whiskey’s latest effort that sees its Tennessee high-malt whiskey matured in spent Cabernet Sauvignon casks from acclaimed Napa Valley winery Silver Oak Cellars. The resultant bottle, part of Chattanooga’s always-interesting Experimental Distillery series, is 95-proof and sports a gorgeous red-tinged color. Look for it in select retailers and expect to pay around 60 bucks.