Heaven’s Door has become a juggernaut of whiskeydom, to the point where we’ve lost count of the number of expressions the outfit has cranked out to date. The good news is they are almost uniformly excellent, so we aren’t complaining about the arrival of yet another series from Heaven’s Door: The Exploration Series. Heaven’s Door will unveil two unique expressions under The Exploration Series banner annually, each standing as a testament to the brand’s dedication to pioneering the frontier of the whiskey category. Fueled by the restless and uncompromising spirit of co-founder Bob Dylan, the t ..read more

Heaven Hill’s first 2024 release of the Old Fitzgerald bottled in bond series has arrived with extra-special vibes attached: This release commemorates the 25th anniversary of Heaven Hill acquiring the historic Bernheim Distillery (DSP-KY-1) in Louisville — and along with it the Old Fitzgerald brand. This isn’t the spring release of Old Fitz — we figure that will show up by the end of summer — but rather a special “VVS” edition, which features a maroon label. Since 2018, there have only ever been two other VVS releases, including VVS 2018 14-year-old and VVS 2020 16-year-old — neither of which ..read more

Bruichladdich has just launched a new series of whiskies dubbed Luxury Redefined — or Re/Define, per the label. The pair of high age statement whiskies are “taken from landmark moments in the distillery’s recent history, charting its renaissance since 2001.” They also highlight Bruichladdich’s commitment to sustainability, with “an industry-first, fully recyclable bespoke outer wrap” in lieu of a metal canister. Here’s some errata for the faithful: The first 18-year-old single malt in the Bruichladdich portfolio, The Bruichladdich Eighteen is a true coming-of-age bottling. When the distiller ..read more

While Islay remains the primary region for peated whiskey in Scotland, more and more mainland distilleries are adding smoky offerings to their portfolio. Billy Walker is no stranger to the concept of peated Speyside malts, as his two previous distilleries, Benriach and GlenDronach, both produced the style, albeit sparingly. It’s no surprise then that his current operation at GlenAllachie is doing the same. Meikle Toir, Billy’s newest line of peated creations, is Gaelic for “Big Pursuit.” The name seems fitting. At the end of 2023, his distillery released not one but four different peated sing ..read more

In the overcrowded world of American whiskey, it’s getting harder and harder to grab the consumer’s attention, but Filmland Spirits seems well-positioned to crack that code. The brand has one of the most creative and eye-catching bottle labels in the industry right now, with each offering sporting a B-movie name and a full, pulp-style movie poster to go along. Each expression even includes snippets of script, storyboards, and an animated trailer for those curious enough to visit the brand’s website. But we all know what matters most is what’s on the inside of the bottle. And Filmland made a r ..read more

Seattle’s Westland Distilling continues to iterate its special edition single malt whiskeys, annual releases of Garryana, Colere, and now Solum, which just hit its second release. We missed 2022’s Garryana bottling and the inaugural Solum release, so we’re picking things up here with our look at the latest Garry and our first spin with Solum. Incidentally, the environmentally focused Westland just achieved B Corp status, reflecting its hard efforts put into sustainability. Details, and thoughts, follow. Westland Outpost Range – Garryana American Single Malt Whiskey Edition 8 (2023) – Release ..read more

Bernheim Barrel Proof — the high-test version of Heaven Hill’s wheat whiskey — is released twice a year. A224 marks the first release of 2024 and the third release of the whiskey ever. As usual, the whiskey changes little from batch to batch, this one hitting 62.6% abv. The blend is made from a mash of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley, aged 7 to 9 years. Maybe my nose is dialed down a bit today, but this expression seems less aggressively sweet than previous bottlings of the Barrel Proof — and the standard release of Bernheim. That classic maple character is part of the equation, bu ..read more

The recently rebranded and relaunched Savage & Cooke whiskey brand just got its first line extensions with the arrival of a new Bottled in Bond Series. These two whiskeys are both built around heirloom corn varietals designed to showcase the grain above all else. We got a very early look at these whiskeys, so let’s dive in to see how they fare. Savage & Cooke Bloody Butcher Bourbon Bottled in Bond – Made from 70% Bloody Butcher heirloom corn, 16% red winter wheat, and 14% malted barley, 4 years old, aged in #3 char barrels. The nose is complex and expressive but refined, the note ..read more

Heaven Hill’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof machine is rolling for 2024, and we’re off to a curious start: A124 is one of the youngest releases in the series, at 10 years, 9 months old — and one of the lowest in proof, at just 59.5% alcohol. That’s still toasty, but considering some ECBP releases have hit over 66% abv, it comparatively feels like it should come in a juice box. Much to my surprise, right out of the gate, this is tough stuff. The nose is heavy, weighted down by notes of well-roasted meat, saddle leather, and some camphor. In time, the aroma lightens up to reveal dried flowers and a ..read more

First, I love that a company in the 2020s named itself “Liquor Co.” Forget “Distilling” or “Spirits,” Sausalito Liquor Co. is kicking it old school. The California operation launched last year with three spirits, a gin, a bourbon, and a rye. Designed with northern California’s distinct flora in mind, “these spirits are meant to be enjoyed with just a few other simple ingredients in any glass you have handy and with good friends and family – no Ph.D. in mixology required,” per the company. “Our goal with Sausalito Liquor Co. is to provide spirit drinkers with the same welcoming, authentic, an ..read more