<p dir="ltr">For collectors, the 1985 to 1992 run of <a href="unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+12+year&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wild Turkey 12‑year</a>&mdash;which bears the reflective gold‑foil label that earned its &ldquo;Cheesy Gold Foil&rdquo; nickname&mdash;remains one of the most mythologized bourbons of the Glut Era. These are the bottles that turned a lot of people into Turkey obsessives, and taught a generation of dusty hunters what mature&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wild Turkey</a> could taste like. Even now, a single pour can feel like a time capsule.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Four decades later, Wild Turkey has decided to touch that nerve again.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This week, the distillery released Gold Foil Edition ($400), the debut whiskey in the new Austin Nichols Archives Collection. This is a project that Bruce Russell, associate master blender and the third generation of his family to work at the distillery, first conceived more than a decade ago.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For collectors, the name alone is a signal flare. Austin, Nichols &amp; Co. was the New York distributor whose label appeared on every legendary Wild Turkey bottling of the &rsquo;70s, &rsquo;80s, and &rsquo;90s, including the original Cheesy Gold Foil. If you&rsquo;ve ever hunted dusty Turkey, you&rsquo;ve been on the lookout for an Austin Nichols bottle.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Russell didn&rsquo;t take reviving this revered name lightly. &ldquo;Those old bottles are what made me fall in love with whiskey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I wanted to do something that honored that era without pretending we can recreate it.&rdquo;&nbsp;That distinction matters. Collectors know why CGF tasted the way it did: Glut Era aging conditions, older stock, wooden fermenters, and a distillery environment that was far from sterile. Back then, Turkey&rsquo;s barrels were often made from older, tighter‑grain oak, wood that releases flavor more slowly and builds deeper oxidative complexity. It&rsquo;s one of the reasons those bottles taste the way they do.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;Vintage whiskey&hellip; it has a big, sweet, powerful nose,&rdquo; Russell said. &ldquo;That kind of stewed‑fruit thing going on. That dark, almost walnut‑cola thing that a lot of Jimmy&rsquo;s old whiskeys had. Sweet tobacco. Mature oak funk.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">According to David Jennings, Wild Turkey historian and author of <em><a href="https://rarebird101.com/book-reviews/">American Spirit: Wild Turkey Bourbon From Ripy to Russell</a></em>, the age and the quality is what sets CGF bourbon apart from other vintage Wild Turkey releases. &ldquo;While stated at 12 years of age, there is reportedly much older whiskey in those bottles, as old as 18‑plus years,&rdquo; he said. He noted that the new Gold Foil Edition is composed of 16‑year‑old bourbon, which in some ways mimics what was actually in the original Cheesy Gold Foil releases. Also, while modern Wild Turkey isn&rsquo;t the same as dusty Wild Turkey in terms of flavor profile, the two share &ldquo;a lot of oak‑driven characteristics.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Aaron Goldfarb, author of&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dusty-Booze-Search-Vintage-Spirits/dp/1419766791">Dusty Booze</a></em> and a whiskey writer who has&nbsp;<a href="https://punchdrink.com/articles/how-wild-turkey-bourbon-funk-became-whiskey-geek-obsession/">chronicled</a> Wild Turkey&rsquo;s Glut Era mystique for years, thinks this release is a smart move for the distillery. He pointed out that the drinkers obsessing over every detail&mdash;the ones who can tell a 1987 CGF from a 1991, or who can identify a Glut Era bottling by nose alone&mdash;are exactly who this release is speaking to.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Still, Gold Foil Edition reaches for the spirit of those bottles without trying to mimic them exactly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not trying to recreate the past,&rdquo; said Russell. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to honor it.&rdquo; That means that this is a modern whiskey built with a vintage sensibility, and while it will likely be a hot commodity on the secondary market and at auction, it is not a museum piece&mdash;it's a conversation with the past.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It arrives at a pivotal moment for the Russell family. As mentioned before, Archives has been led by Bruce from start to finish. It&rsquo;s also a new high-end series that seems poised to replace the collection that his father Eddie shepherded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+master%27s+keep&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Master&rsquo;s Keep</a>, which ended with last year's <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+master%27s+keep+Beacon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beacon</a> release.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And it marks the first time Wild Turkey has intentionally engaged the mythology of CGF since the original run ended in 1992. The packaging makes that clear with the return of the old flying‑turkey emblem pulled from vintage Austin Nichols tubes, an illustration of the original station master&rsquo;s house on the Tyrone grounds, and typography lifted from archival labels. Even the gold foil itself is a deliberate callback. &ldquo;I wanted people to pick it up and immediately feel like, &lsquo;Oh, this is Turkey history,&rsquo;&rdquo; said Russell. &ldquo;Not a replica, but something that nods to all the things we grew up loving.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Gold Foil Edition is another example of how the Russell family&rsquo;s role at Wild Turkey is evolving. Bruce's grandfather Jimmy spent more than 70 years defining the house profile&mdash;notes of sweet oak and tobacco, and the signature Turkey funk. Eddie carried that forward while modernizing the portfolio and shaping the distillery&rsquo;s character into the 21st century. And now Bruce is helping to decide what the next era of Wild Turkey will look like, while recognizing why the vintage era bottles matter to the people who love them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For collectors, that context matters because the hierarchy of rarity in American whiskey has shifted dramatically over the last decade. <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Pappy+Van+Winkle&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pappy Van Winkle</a> may be the bottle that civilians are most likely to namecheck, an auction mainstay that still sells for thousands of dollars, but it&rsquo;s also an annual release with a more predictable cadence. As Goldfarb pointed out, Pappy's scarcity is real, but it&rsquo;s also navigable. &ldquo;[Pappy] is expensive and kind of hard to find, but not that hard to find,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Standing in Manhattan right this second, I could probably find a <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Pappy+23&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pappy 23</a> within the next 30 minutes.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Cheesy Gold Foil lives in a different universe. It&rsquo;s not just older; it&rsquo;s finite. There is no annual drop, no retail channel, no lottery. There are only the bottles that survived the 1980s and early &rsquo;90s, scattered across private collections up for auction, back bars, and the occasional estate sale. Even for someone like Goldfarb, who has spent years writing about dusty culture, tracking one down isn&rsquo;t a matter of walking into the right shop. &ldquo;Even I would have to start making some calls and emailing some people,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s another echelon of rarity.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">And that&rsquo;s the challenge Russell is taking on&mdash;to build the kind of whiskey that future collectors will argue about decades from now. He sees Gold Foil Edition as part of a broader run of modern Wild Turkey releases shaped by the last of the great <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=camp+nelson&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Camp Nelson</a> barrels: the F, D, and E rickhouses whose mature stock powered <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=russell%27s+13&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russell&rsquo;s 13</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=russell%27s+15&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russell&rsquo;s 15</a>, Beacon, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+Generations&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Generations</a>, and which won&rsquo;t last forever.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost like this mini dusty era,&rdquo; said Russell. &ldquo;For the past handful of years&hellip; when the next generation looks back, they&rsquo;ll say that era&mdash;from 2023 until whenever the Camp Nelson liquids finally dries up&mdash;was a really special time at Wild Turkey.&rdquo;<strong id="docs-internal-guid-7334986c-7fff-df2d-3357-ff16785a43ef"></strong></p>

Wild Turkey’s New Bourbon is a Fitting Tribute to its Vintage Cheesy Gold Foil Era

<p dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
<p dir="ltr">🥃 Susannah Skiver Barton <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Little+Book&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">recommends some bottles to check out</a> if you&rsquo;re a fan of Jack Daniel&rsquo;s Single Barrel Select.</p>
<p dir="ltr">🍷 Gina Pace talked to comedian Eric Wareheim and winemaker Joel Burt about their Las Jaras Wines brand, and how they shaped its identity over the years.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Stitzel Reserve 31 Year Bourbon ($3,000)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">This is the second release in the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Stitzel-weller&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stitzel Reserve</a> collection, following last year&rsquo;s 24-year-old bourbon. Stitzel Reserve 31 Year is, as you can tell by the name, a 31-year-old whiskey. That&rsquo;s really, really old for bourbon, but according to Diageo&rsquo;s director of American whiskey liquid development and capabilities, Nicole Austin, the 13 barrels she selected for this release were outstanding. This bourbon, which was bottled at a staggering 163.2 proof, was not actually distilled at Stitzel-Weller, but it was aged there. The 176 bottles are available to purchase onsite, with a limit of one per customer.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Green River Honey Finished Bourbon Whiskey ($25)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Green+River&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green River </a>may have paused most of its production recently, but the distillery, which is now part of Lofted Spirits with <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bardstown+Bourbon+Company&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bardstown Bourbon Company</a>, just released this interesting new expression. This is a four-year-old straight bourbon that was finished with honey, which was added directly into the barrel, and bottled at 92 proof. That means it&rsquo;s technically no longer a straight bourbon, or even a bourbon, but a whiskey specialty product. Whatever the case, this is a uniquely honey-flavored bourbon that should work well in a variety of cocktails.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Smokehead 15-Year-Old ($70)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">If you&rsquo;re a fan of smoky scotch whisky, you&rsquo;re familiar with all the big names that are located on the island of Islay&mdash;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Laphroaig&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laphroaig</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Ardbeg&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ardbeg</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Lagavulin&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lagavulin</a>, Caol Ila, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bowmore&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bowmore</a>, to name a few. Each has its own distinct style, and each produces whisky to its preferred level of smokiness&mdash;some are verifiable smoke bombs, others are more subtle. One peated scotch that prefers to keep its source a secret is Smokehead, a brand owned by Ian Macleod Distillers, which also owns the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Glengoyne&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glengoyne</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Tamdhu&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tamdhu</a>, and Rosebank distilleries. Smokehead recently released a 15-year-old expression, which turns out to be an affordably priced peated whisky that is worth trying.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/65544fdb-71bc-430f-91ce-c2a87153a380.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Smokehead 15"></p>
<p dir="ltr">Of course, secrets are meant to be sleuthed, especially when it comes to whisky. With the caveat that nothing I&rsquo;m about to write is confirmed, if you search online there are three likely suspects that come up as being the source of Smokehead&rsquo;s whisky: Ardbeg, Caol Ila, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bunnahabhain&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bunnahabhain</a>. Again, to be clear, none of these are confirmed, so this is just conjecture. But the fact that the distillery is not disclosed, and given that there are only 10 working distilleries on Islay, whisky fans can&rsquo;t help but speculate.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Anyway, on to the bottle at hand. The new 15-year is the oldest expression to date to be released here in the U.S. from this brand that has been around since 2006. Other expressions include the NAS Original and various cask-finished releases, like Sherry Cask Blast and Tequila Cask Terminado. What you can expect here is, of course, a very smoky whisky, with layers of peat that span the range from seaweed to iodine to smoldering campfire. In between there are notes of vanilla, oak, citrus, black pepper, and ripe berries, but if you&rsquo;re drinking Smokehead you&rsquo;re here for the smoke&mdash;and it delivers. This is not the most complex smoky scotch you&rsquo;re ever going to drink, but at about $70 it certainly packs a punch (it&rsquo;s bottled at 86 proof), and at 15 years old it&rsquo;s in that nice mid-range of maturation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Of course, you&rsquo;re also going to have to get past the packaging. The skull on the label feels like a second rate Punisher logo, and overall the design and even names of these whiskies just feels a bit aggro, a little bro-y, a tad middle school Halloween. Still, it&rsquo;s about what&rsquo;s inside the bottle, not the bottle itself, and if you&rsquo;re a fan of peated single malts this is a whisky worth trying.</p>

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: May 15

<p dir="ltr">Though best known for its iconic Old No. 7, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jack+Daniel%E2%80%99s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jack Daniel&rsquo;s</a> has a much bigger portfolio of whiskeys, and one that stands out is <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Single+Barrel+jack&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Single Barrel Select</a>. More complex than the flagship, it is nevertheless overlooked surprisingly often by connoisseurs, perhaps because it sits in the shadow of high-profile releases like the barrel-proof (and sometimes hazmat) <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Coy+Hill&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coy Hill</a> and Jack&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=jack+daniel%27s+age+statement&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">age-statement range</a>. But those who drink Single Barrel Select love it, thanks to its consistently high quality and crushable flavor at a price (around $55, sometimes significantly less) that&rsquo;s hard to beat.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Made from the same recipe as Old No. 7&mdash;80% corn, 12% malted, and 8% rye&mdash;Single Barrel Select is a few steps up in terms of both proof (47% ABV) and depth of flavor. You might not like the bananas foster character of the JD mashbill, but many people do, and here it takes on a br&ucirc;l&eacute;ed edge that injects depth and complexity into the familiar sweet, creamy profile. There&rsquo;s also plenty of oak&mdash;lightly tannic and just the right amount of bitter&mdash;to counterbalance all those dessert notes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This whiskey was well ahead of the single barrel boom when it debuted in 1997. Since then, Jack has also unveiled versions at 100 proof and barrel strength, as well as special editions like <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Single+Barrel+Heritage+Barrel&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Single Barrel Heritage Barrel</a>, which is matured in high-toast, low-char casks. But the 94-proof Single Barrel Select remains popular and widely available for a reason. It may be chosen by the Jack Daniel&rsquo;s tasting staff or by a store or bar owner, but either way the whiskey will be sweet and smooth while avoiding the bland territory its lower-proof siblings tend to occupy.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jack's single barrels have enough variety to keep many fans engaged from bottle to bottle, but when you're ready to explore beyond these, there are plenty of whiskeys from other distillers that share similar flavors. Rather than jumping right into another single barrel line&mdash;where individual bottlings aren't predictable&mdash;we're recommending core whiskeys that provide a consistent drinking experience and a grounding in the brand's house style. These bottles deliver the effortless enjoyment&mdash;and similar smooth sweetness&mdash;of the best Jack single barrels, again and again.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Old Forester 1870 Original Batch</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Jack and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Old+Forester&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Old Forester</a> share the same parent company, Brown-Forman. And although one is a Tennessee whiskey and the other is a Kentucky bourbon, they share some flavor similarities. In particular, both showcase an estery sweetness that comes from fermentation; while Jack&rsquo;s is notably banana-forward, Old Forester&rsquo;s highlights more honey and vanilla ice cream. At 90 proof, the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=old+forester+1870+Original+Batch&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1870 Original Batch</a>&mdash;which pulls together three types of barrels to showcase different entry proofs, age profiles, and aging locations&mdash;is a great example of the brand&rsquo;s house style and a satisfying all-rounder.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Widow Jane 10-Year-Old</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Forget the silly claims about New York mine water somehow making this bourbon special; it&rsquo;s just good whiskey, full stop. The current bottling combines straight bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee&mdash;it&rsquo;s worth noting that <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Heaven+Hill&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heaven Hill</a> acquired <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Widow+Jane&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Widow Jane</a> in 2022, so it&rsquo;s possible that eventually one of the company&rsquo;s two Kentucky distilleries will be the source for this brand. For now, the blend&rsquo;s evenhanded mix of sweet oak and caramel, bottled at 91 proof, requires no pedigree to be enjoyed.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Traveller</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">It&rsquo;s okay if you can&rsquo;t name a single Chris Stapleton song. You can still drink the whiskey he endorses, made by <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Buffalo+Trace&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buffalo Trace</a> master distiller Harlen Wheatley, which is neither bourbon nor Tennessee whiskey but something else altogether. This is a blend whose components haven&rsquo;t been disclosed, but there is likely a decent amount of straight bourbon in the mix, as well as some light whiskey, corn whiskey, and/or general used-barrel American whiskey (Sazerac states that it contains no neutral spirit). Regardless of the makeup, Traveller is a sweet and straightforward whiskey that rolls right down the middle of the road with flavors of vanilla and chocolate and a warm, cushiony texture. If you get thirsty for something stronger, there&rsquo;s a new high-proof&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=traveller+whiskey&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Traveller</a> sporting a chunky 60.5% ABV.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>George Dickel Barrel Select</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Since Tennessee whiskey is a pretty small category, this offering from the state&rsquo;s number-two distillery was obviously created to compete with Jack&mdash;I mean, the names are almost identical, and in fact <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=george+dickel&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dickel&rsquo;s</a> mashbill is almost exactly the same at 84% corn and 8% each rye and malted barley. This whiskey, however, is batched from multiple barrels, typically showcasing pastry notes of apple pie and pecan roll. It&rsquo;s proofed to 86 for a milder sip, but punches well above its weight with a minimum of nine years&rsquo; maturation. And there&rsquo;s a single-barrel option for when you&rsquo;re ready to step up in proof (103) and try out some more varied flavors.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Sweeten&rsquo;s Cove Bourbon</strong></p>
<p>This golf course&ndash;inspired brand, backed by Peyton Manning and Andy Roddick, hit it right down the fairway with its first release in 2020, a 13-year-old Tennessee bourbon that has long since sold out. But the new flagship bourbon, made by Tennessee Distilling Group and aged for five years, carries through well to the next hole. Proofed to 93.7, it has weight without heaviness and ample sweetness in notes of Werther&rsquo;s Original and cr&egrave;me br&ucirc;l&eacute;e. And it goes down very easy&mdash;no need to wait for the 19th hole to wet your whistle with this one.</p>

What to Drink Next if You Love Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select

<p dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
<p dir="ltr">🥃 Gina Pace picked some of the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/best-tequila-for-whiskey-fans">best aged tequilas for whiskey drinkers</a>, from single estate expressions to anejos aged in wine barrels to a reposado matured in Japanese mizunara oak.</p>
<p dir="ltr">🍷 Alissa Bica Raines took a <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/new-zealand-central-otago-wine-region">deep dive into the world of New Zealand&rsquo;s Central Otago region</a>, exploring its world-renowned Pinot Noir and highlighting a range of white wines that are worth collecting.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>TX Whiskey Texas Straight Rye Whiskey Full Proof ($40)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">This is the 16th edition of TX Whiskey&rsquo;s Experimental Series, which highlights the Fort Worth distillery&rsquo;s use of different mashbills and maturation techniques. This rye whiskey was aged for seven years and bottled at 120 proof, an attempt to showcase how the specific climate in Texas affects a whiskey&rsquo;s flavor. Look for notes of toasted oak, cinnamon, molasses and caramel, along with a healthy dose of spice.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Jack Daniel&rsquo;s Halo MK1 Tennessee Whiskey ($600)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=jack+daniel%27s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_aschttps://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jack+Daniel%E2%80%99s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Jack Daniel&rsquo;s</a> partnered with the Formula 1 McLaren Racing team back in 2022, and has released special edition bottles every year since. Those have basically been the same whiskey as you&rsquo;d find in a bottle of Old No. 7 with different label designs, although sometimes the proof has been bumped up. But the latest release is something totally different&mdash;Halo MK1 is a $600 bottle of whiskey aged in barrels made from staves that were seasoned for much longer than usual, and the liquid was bottled at an impressive 117.4 proof. Look for notes of caramel, chocolate, pipe tobacco, and baking spice.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Glenmorangie Harrison Ford Limited Edition ($100)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">There are a lot of celeb-backed booze brands out there, and most of them fall into the tequila category. From George Clooney&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Casamigos&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Casamigos</a> to Kendall Jenner&rsquo;s 818 to The Rock&rsquo;s Teremana, there&rsquo;s a face and persona for everyone looking for an agave spirit. The whiskey world doesn&rsquo;t have quite as many examples, but there are a few of note. Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=brother%27s+bond+bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brother&rsquo;s Bond</a> is one of the best, and it&rsquo;s a brand that the two actors seem to be quite actively involved in. More recently, Willem Dafoe partnered with smoky scotch distillery <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Laphroaig&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laphroaig</a>. Concurrently, Harrison Ford embarked upon an ad campaign with Highland distillery <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Glenmorangie&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenmorangie</a> called &ldquo;Once Upon a Time in Scotland,&rdquo; and the corresponding whisky has finally arrived. It&rsquo;s aptly called Glenmorangie Harrison Ford Limited Edition, and it&rsquo;s a classic example of a single malt that you might expect from this distillery, with or without Ford&rsquo;s name attached to it.</p>
<p><strong><img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/aac13657-6d2d-4e4b-bc8f-45c25908089e.png?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Harrison Ford Limited Edition   K V2"><br></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Of course, the official line is that Ford &ldquo;co-created&rdquo; the whisky, and there might be some truth to that, but it&rsquo;s always good to take it with a grain of salt. The reality is more likely that director of whisky creation Dr. Bill Lumsden MBE and his team did most of the heavy lifting. He&rsquo;s often called the mad scientist or Willy Wonka of whisky, but we are not going to do that here because it&rsquo;s a total cliche. What we will say is that he&rsquo;s been responsible for some very unique and innovative whiskies from both Glenmorangie and its sister distillery <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Ardbeg&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ardbeg</a> over the years.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This new whisky might not fit that bill as far as going to the extremes of barley varietal or maturation experimentation, but it&rsquo;s still a very nice version of Glenmorangie&rsquo;s house style that has been given a cask finish. In other words, this is a non-age statement single malt that was initially aged in bourbon barrels and then given a secondary maturation in toasted Portuguese red wine casks. It&rsquo;s bright and zesty with notes of honey, maple, cherry, vanilla, spiced apple, orange marmalade, and dark chocolate on the palate, with a bit of heat slowly lingering beyond your final sip.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Like Laphroaig&rsquo;s collab with Willem Dafoe, Glenmorangie Harrison Ford Limited Edition stays true to the distillery&rsquo;s core character, but just gives it a little boost, a bit of a spin, a wee twist. This single malt is not the most interesting whisky Glenmorangie has ever released, but it&rsquo;s a very satisfying sipper that fans of the distillery&rsquo;s honeyed, citrusy, vanilla-infused character will certainly enjoy.</p>

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: May 8

<p dir="ltr">Whiskey drinkers tend to think of tequila in broad strokes&mdash;blanco for cocktails, reposado for adding some mellow barrel notes, a&ntilde;ejo for people who want it to taste like bourbon. But the category is far more varied than that shorthand suggests, and the best way to understand its range is to look at it the same way you&rsquo;d look at whiskey&mdash;through production choices, cask influence, and the way distillers shape flavor over time. Agave has its own voice&mdash;peppery, vegetal, often savory&mdash;and oak interacts with it differently than it does with grain. Some tequilas stay bright and distillate‑driven; others lean into sherry casks, French oak, or extended aging that pushes them into deeper, more oxidative territory.</p>
<p dir="ltr">To make sense of that spectrum, it helps to borrow a few reference points from whiskey&mdash;pairing each tequila with a whiskey whose structure makes its profile easier to understand. Here are eight tequilas that show how far the category can stretch, and are great for collectors or those just getting into the category.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Tequila Ocho Single Estate A&ntilde;ejo, ($70)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Tequila+Ocho&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tequila Ocho&rsquo;s</a> Single Estate A&ntilde;ejo stays remarkably pale after a year in ex‑American oak, a deliberate choice by master distiller Carlos Camarena, whose priority is preserving the agave&rsquo;s voice rather than letting the barrel speak for it. The nose opens with aromas of cooked agave, black tea, light pepper, and a touch of honeyed sweetness, with hints of chocolate and nuts emerging on the palate. Oak plays only a structural role, adding shape without sweetness or weight. It would appeal to fans of <a href="https://www.auchentoshan.com/core-range/american-oakhttps://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Auchentoshan&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Auchentoshan American Oak</a>, a single malt scotch that is bright, citrus‑lifted, minimally oaked, and driven by the distillate rather than the depth of the cask.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><a href="https://mijenta-tequila.com/products/mijenta-anejo">Mijenta A&ntilde;ejo</a> ($200)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Aged for roughly 18 months in four cask types&mdash;American oak, French oak, acacia, and cherry&mdash;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Mijenta&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mijenta</a> A&ntilde;ejo leans into a soft, confectionary profile. The nose shows cacao nibs, butterscotch, and cooked agave, transitioning&nbsp; into dried fruit, gentle spice, and coffee on a smooth, velvety palate. The cask influence is layered but never heavy, giving the tequila a rounded sweetness and polished finish. For whiskey drinkers, this sits closest to <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Balvenie&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask</a>, a Speyside single malt that is dessert‑leaning, honeyed, chocolate‑tinged, and shaped more by elegance than intensity.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Laelia<a href="https://laeliatequila.com/products/laelia-anejo?srsltid=AfmBOop23rsSysHL3WnsI93FlfxEPz3-Gh42erIWhyheHSxklYrwdZ-J"> A&ntilde;ejo</a> ($80)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Aged 12&ndash;14 months in French oak, Laelia A&ntilde;ejo stays light in color but not in character. The nose is buttery and agave‑forward, with pepper, cooked agave, and a touch of black tea. The palate brings gentle sweetness&mdash;caramel, soft chocolate, dried fruit&mdash;that is held in check by a clean line of agave spice. For whiskey drinkers, this brings to mind <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Michter%E2%80%99s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Michter&rsquo;s US 1 Rye</a>, where the distillery&rsquo;s toast‑then‑char barrels build a rounded sweetness that sits in harmony with rye spice. Both spirits land in that space where pepper and sweetness meet at the center.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.lobos1707.com/extra-anejo">Lobos Extra A&ntilde;ejo</a> ($70)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Aged more than three years in American oak and finished in PX sherry casks, Lobos 1707 Extra A&ntilde;ejo leans into a dark, sweet, oxidative profile. The nose brings sweet tobacco, cinnamon, and orange peel, while the palate layers caramel, roasted agave, leather, and a touch of wood smoke, with a long, honey finish. Fans of <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Redbreast&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Redbreast Lustau Edition</a>, a PX‑finished Irish single pot still whiskey known for its dried‑fruit richness and chocolate‑caramel sweetness, will like it. Both spirits deliver a plush, spiced dessert‑leaning profile.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><a href="https://partidatequila.com/products/tequila-roble-fino-anejo">Partida Roble Fino A&ntilde;ejo Tequila</a> ($150)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Partida&rsquo;s Roble Fino A&ntilde;ejo starts with 18 months in ex‑bourbon barrels before a five‑month finish in sherry‑seasoned single‑malt casks, and the result is one of the most layered a&ntilde;ejos in this lineup. Dried fruit, toasted oak, chocolate, and cooked agave drive the nose, with a line of pepper and a faint smokiness. It&rsquo;s reminiscent of <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Highland+Park&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Highland Park 18</a>&mdash;a lightly smoky, sherry‑rich scotch where dried fruit, chocolate, spice, and gentle smoke accent a punchy core.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><a href="https://donfulano.com/products/imperial">Don Fulano Imperial</a>, ($200)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Aged more than five years across French oak, European oak, oloroso sherry, wine casks, and Hungarian oak, Don Fulano Imperial leans into true umami depth. The nose has coffee beans, dried tobacco, old leather, and dark berries; the palate follows with dark chocolate, berries, baking spices, roasted nuts and a savory brothiness that runs through the mid‑palate. It&rsquo;s a profile that echoes the character of <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Mortlach&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Mortlach 16</a>&mdash;sherried, meaty, and complex, with a dark, structured core and a long, cocoa‑rich finish.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><a href="https://cazcanes.com/products/no-7-rosa-anejo">Cazcanes No. 7 Rosa A&ntilde;ejo</a>, ($140)</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Only 600 bottles exist of this one‑off, three‑barrel blend. Two components were aged in uncharred French oak wine casks, the third in a lightly re‑charred American oak bourbon barrel. Together they create a profile that&rsquo;s subtle rather than showy. The nose has cinnamon, vanilla, and a little jalape&ntilde;o warmth; the palate brings gentle fruit from the wine casks and a touch of sweetness from the bourbon barrel, finishing clean with a snap of pepper. Fans of <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Compass+Box&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Compass Box&rsquo;s</a> wine-influenced blends, like <a href="https://www.compassboxwhisky.com/products/the-story-of-the-spaniard">Story of the Spaniard</a>, will likely be fans of this tequila.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><a href="https://casadragones.com/us/sipping-tequila/casa-dragones-reposado/">Casa Dragones Reposado Mizunara</a> ($160)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Casa+Dragones&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Casa Dragones</a> Reposado is aged exclusively in new Mizunara oak, and the influence is immediate: sandalwood, white pepper, and a soft, almost cedar‑like perfume that sits over cooked agave. The palate is clean and lightly sweet, with hints of vanilla, citrus peel, and a gentle incense note. It&rsquo;s an unusual profile for a reposado&mdash;more aromatic than oaky&mdash;and it is a good tequila counterpart to the <a href="https://us.glendaloughdistillery.com/whiskey/7-year-mizunara">Glendalough 7‑Year Single Malt Mizunara Finish</a>.</p>

The Best Tequila For Whiskey Fans to Drink on Cinco De Mayo—Or Any Day of the Year

<p dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
<p dir="ltr">🥃 Gina Pace picked some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/best-bourbons-kentucky-derby">best bottles of bourbon to drink during the Kentucky Derby</a> this year, from official Derby-affiliated expressions to bourbons that encompass the spirit of the event.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Abraham Bowman Special Release #26 Rye Whiskey ($80)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">This is the first rye whiskey that the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=A.+Smith+Bowman&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A. Smith Bowman</a> distillery has released since 2010. Abraham Bowman Special Release #26 (110 proof) was entirely distilled and aged onsite at the Virginia distillery, which is not always the case&mdash;this is a sister distillery to <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Buffalo+Trace&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buffalo Trace</a>, and some of the whiskey is first distilled there or at another Sazerac distillery before being shipped to Bowman and redistilled. Look for notes of vanilla, apricot, black pepper, and spice on the palate.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Blue Run Blueprint Series ($70)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">This new release takes the role of flagship bourbon for <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Blue+Run&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Run</a>, a brand owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company. It was blended by head of whiskey and innovation Shaylyn Gammon, combining two different mashbills&mdash;a wheated recipe and an experimental mashbill known as &ldquo;Founders' Mash&rdquo; (details are not revealed)&mdash;and bottled at 105 proof. This bourbon is meant to be sipped or used in a cocktail like an Old Fashioned, with notes of orchard fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, baking spice, and and toasted oak.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Cedar Ridge Pete &amp; Sherri Married &mdash; 2nd Anniversary ($100)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Do you give whiskey made in Iowa much thought? And no, I&rsquo;m not talking about Templeton Rye, which is actually making whiskey at its Iowa distillery after sourcing from MGP for many years (it still does that too, to be clear). But have you heard of Cedar Ridge Distillery? That name is a reason to pay attention to Iowa whiskey, because it&rsquo;s making some really good stuff, and the latest example is the third installment in the Pete &amp; Sherri Married series, which is part of its QuintEssential Special Release series. That&rsquo;s a lot of setup, so let&rsquo;s explain what this whiskey is all about.</p>
<p><strong><img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/7402554b-da20-4539-96d8-71072fd22a0d.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Cedar Ridge"><br></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Cedar Ridge makes different kinds of whiskey, but it excels in particular at making American single malt, which is what this new release is. The QuintEssential series focuses on this style, and for this release master blender Murphy Quint blended single malts aged from six to nine years together, and bottled it at cask strength of 116.8 proof (58.4% ABV), with no chill filtration and, of course, no color. The two main whiskeys in the blend are as follows: single malt made from two-row pale malted barley initially aged in ex-bourbon barrels from the distillery and then finished in Pedro Xim&eacute;nez and Oloroso sherry hogsheads; and peated malt whiskey initially matured in the distillery&rsquo;s bourbon barrels and then finished in amontillado sherry butts.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The result is a really complex and rich sipper, with notes of dried fruit, black pepper, creme brulee, ripe grapes and dried raisins, dark chocolate, and cinnamon. At nearly 117 proof, there&rsquo;s a flash of heat on the palate as you sip, ending with a lingering bit of warmth that lasts for a moment or so after the liquid is gone from your glass. If you like this whiskey, and I&rsquo;m pretty sure you will, there will be more to come, as the series continues to focus on different blends and cask finishes. In the meantime, give the rest of the Cedar Ridge lineup a try as well, and you may decide that Iowa whiskey is something you need to start paying more attention to.</p>

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: May 1

<p dir="ltr">The Kentucky Derby has come a long way over the last century and a half. The first running in 1875 was a local spectacle; now it&rsquo;s a weekend‑long operation involving hats, handicapping, traffic patterns, and a surprising amount of bourbon logistics. The julep didn&rsquo;t become the official cocktail until 1938, but by then Kentuckians had already made whiskey part of the rhythm of the day&mdash;something for the early races, a dram for the main event, and a healthy pour for the post‑race debrief when everyone&rsquo;s feet hurt.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Most people experience all of this from a living room, backyard, or party where the dress code is &ldquo;Derby‑adjacent at best,&rdquo; but the bourbon still matters. What changes each year are the bottles people reach for: special releases, seasonal editions, and the occasional showpiece that feels right for a weekend built on speed, spectacle, and very fast horses. A few of these eight bourbon picks have clear Derby lineage; the rest are here because they&rsquo;re the right pour for a weekend built around celebration, whether you&rsquo;re there in person or watching the race from a bar, a party, or your living room this Saturday, May 2.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Rabbit Hole Raceking ($95)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Rabbit+Hole&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rabbit Hole</a> started with founder Kaveh Zamanian falling in love twice: first with his wife Heather, a Louisville native, and then with the city and its bourbon. The brand, which was founded in 2012, has a naming convention which comes out of that&mdash;Cavehill for the historic cemetery, Heigold for the German stonecutter&rsquo;s Butchertown home, Boxergrail for Louisville&rsquo;s boxing culture, and Dareringer as a tribute to Heather herself. <a href="https://www.rabbitholedistillery.com/pages/raceking">Raceking</a> extends that pattern into the city&rsquo;s horse racing identity, treating it as another facet of the place that pulled him in.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The original Raceking debuted in 2020 as a NAS whiskey; this new edition is aged six years and bottled at 95 proof, giving the chocolate‑malted wheat and chocolate‑malted barley in the five‑grain mashbill more room to deepen and integrate. The profile leans into notes of cocoa, roasted espresso, toffee, and warm spice.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Bottle ($50)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=woodford+derby&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woodford Reserve&rsquo;s</a> annual <a href="https://buynow.woodfordreserve.com/en_us/#/US-NY/quick-shop/f8b4212c-a0e4-4510-a68a-823f138789a7">Derby bottle</a> returns with artwork by Chicago‑based artist <a href="https://annapmurphy.com">Anna Murphy</a>, whose blue‑and‑white porcelain-inspired illustration anchors the 2026 release. &ldquo;At the heart of my work is a simple mission,&rdquo; Murphy said. &ldquo;To create beauty that leaves people feeling uplifted and carrying a little more wonder into the world.&rdquo;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Woodford (90.4 proof) has the kind of balance that holds up in a julep: enough body to withstand dilution, enough sweetness to keep the drink rounded, and just enough oak and citrus to show through the mint. It doesn&rsquo;t disappear under crushed ice, and the finish stays present even as the drink softens.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Blanton&rsquo;s Gold Barrel ($200-$300)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Blanton%E2%80%99s&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blanton&rsquo;s</a> has two calling cards: the eight horse‑and‑jockey stoppers, each frozen in a different phase of the race; and the letters they collectively spell (B‑L‑A‑N‑T‑O‑N‑S). The toppers made it a collectible; the quality of the whiskey made it a benchmark. When it launched in 1984, Blanton&rsquo;s became the first modern single‑barrel bourbon sold as a branded product, formalizing an idea that had existed informally for decades, and turning &ldquo;from one barrel&rdquo; into a category rather than a curiosity. It also means that a new bottle of Blanton&rsquo;s can taste slightly different than the last you had.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-brands/blantons-single-barrel/blantons-gold-edition/https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Blanton%E2%80%99s+Gold+Edition&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Gold Edition</a> takes that foundation and pushes it further. Bottled at 103 proof and originally released for international markets, it&rsquo;s a deeper, spicier expression of the Blanton&rsquo;s profile&mdash;honeyed citrus, clove, toasted oak, and richer than the standard bottling. It will take a bit of a hunt to snag a bottle.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Angel&rsquo;s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon and Rye ($250, $270)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.angelsenvy.com/us/en/product/2026-dual-cask-strength/https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Angel%E2%80%99s+Envy+cask+strength&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Angel&rsquo;s Envy&rsquo;s highly anticipated 2026 Cask Strength release</a> arrives as a pair&mdash;a port‑finished bourbon (117.8 proof) and a 10‑year-old rum‑finished rye (111.6 proof). The bourbon comes from some of the distillery&rsquo;s oldest barrels and uses a solera‑inspired approach that incorporates re‑casked liquid from past Cask Strength releases before an extended finish in ruby port barrels. The profile has notes of chocolate-covered cherries and salted caramel. The rye, distilled from 2013&ndash;2015 and finished for up to four years in Caribbean rum casks, lands at a combined 10 years. The result is a whiskey with notes of spiced rum cake and tropical fruit.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There&rsquo;s only 20,640 bottles of the bourbon and 10,800 of the rye, and having both on hand for guests to try side-by-side would make for a memorable derby party.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Michter&rsquo;s Celebration Sour Mash ($6,000)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Michter%E2%80%99s+Celebration&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Michter&rsquo;s Celebration</a> doesn&rsquo;t come out every year&mdash;it appears only when master of maturation Andrea Wilson and master distiller Dan McKee find barrels that live up to the name. The 2025 edition (115.2 proof)&nbsp; is built from just seven of the distillery&rsquo;s barrels, a mix of Kentucky straight ryes and bourbons ranging from more than 12 years old to well over 30. Each barrel is selected for how it contributes to the whole, with the goal of creating a whiskey defined by balance rather than sheer age.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Celebration helped redefine what American whiskey could look like at the top end when it debuted in 2013, and part of its appeal is that each release is genuinely unrepeatable. Only 315 bottles exist worldwide. If someone brings one to a Derby party and actually opens it, it&rsquo;s the kind of pour that changes the whole party.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Knob Creek 21 Year ($170)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Knob+Creek&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Knob Creek 21 Year Old</a> (100 proof) is the oldest bourbon the James B. Beam Distilling Co.&nbsp; has ever released, following the 18‑year expression which came out in 2022, and showing how the brand&rsquo;s profile evolves at extreme age. Managing barrels this old becomes a hands‑on project&mdash;global small batch ambassador Tim Heuisler described it as &ldquo;warehouse Tetris,&rdquo; adding, &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t just leave a barrel in one place for 21 years and hope for the best.&rdquo; Careful management by moving barrels to cooler places in the warehouse helps keep the whiskey from going too woody, and the 21‑year old actually comes across as more lively than the 18‑year, with brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla layered over oak, leather, baking spice, and tobacco. For Derby weekend, it&rsquo;s the kind of bottle that fits the moment: a historic age statement from one of Kentucky&rsquo;s biggest names.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Wild Turkey Master&rsquo;s Keep: Beacon ($300)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Wild+Turkey+Master%E2%80%99s+Keep%3A+Beacon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">Beacon</a> closes out <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Wild+Turkey&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wild Turkey&rsquo;s</a> decade‑long <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Master%E2%80%99s+Keep&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Master&rsquo;s Keep</a> series, a run of annual limited releases built around older and harder‑to‑find stocks from the distillery&rsquo;s warehouses. This final edition brings together three generations of Russell family work: the oldest component comes from Camp Nelson barrels distilled in 2007 and 2008, part of the stock Jimmy Russell helped lay down before the 2011 expansion; Eddie Russell shaped the 16‑year portion; and Bruce Russell picked the 10‑year whiskey distilled during his early years at the distillery. At 118 proof&mdash;the highest in the series&mdash;Beacon has rich caramel and vanilla, dark fruit, oak, a bit of spice, and a long, warm finish. For Derby weekend, it is a fitting capstone: a finale to a series that brings together Wild Turkey&rsquo;s past and present in a way that matches the scale of the day.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Old Forester President's Choice ($225, but can go for much more)</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Old+Forester&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc">President&rsquo;s Choice is Old Forester&rsquo;s</a> most selective single‑barrel program, built around the same idea that guided the brand&rsquo;s first private barrels in 1964.Historically, each release came from a single barrel hand‑selected by the company president. The 2025 barrels were selected by assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo and master taster Melissa Rift, drawn from stocks that typically mature between seven and nine years and bottled at whatever proof (usually in the 110&ndash;125 range) best preserves the barrel&rsquo;s character. These barrels aren&rsquo;t chosen on a schedule; they&rsquo;re released only when one shows the kind of definition and maturity that warrants the label.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Old Forester <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Birthday+Bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birthday Bourbon</a> gets most of the attention each year as the prized unicorn, but as master distiller emeritus Chris Morris noted during a recent tasting at the Louisville brand home, President&rsquo;s Choice is the rarer of the two&mdash;a true one‑barrel‑at‑a‑time release available only at the distillery and a few national retailers. For Derby weekend, it&rsquo;s the insider pick.</p>

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<p dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
<p dir="ltr">🥃 Susannah Skiver Barton <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/julian-van-winkle-interview">interviewed Julian Van Winkle III</a> about <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Pappy+Van+Winkle&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pappy Van Winkle</a>, the infamous Jell-O shots, &ldquo;Poor Man&rsquo;s Pappy,&rdquo; and secondary market price inflation.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Star Hill Farm Whisky ($100)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Maker%E2%80%99s+Mark&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maker&rsquo;s Mark&rsquo;s</a> <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Star+Hill+Farm+Whisky&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Star Hill Farm Whisky</a> has returned for 2026. When it was first released last year, it was made from the distillery&rsquo;s first new mashbill in 70 years&mdash;actually, a blend of two mashbills: 100% malted wheat; and 70% wheat and 30% malted barley. The two were aged for seven to eight years, blended together, and bottled at 58.2% ABV, which is slightly higher than the first release. The whisky (Maker&rsquo;s spells it without the &ldquo;e&rdquo; like the Scots) is also Estate Whiskey certified and made from regeneratively grown grains. Look for notes of ripe fruit, dark chocolate, cherry syrup, maple, and vanilla on the palate.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Ardbeg Dolce ($110)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">This single malt is <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Ardbeg&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ardbeg&rsquo;s</a> new Ardbeg Day release to celebrate the annual F&egrave;is &Igrave;le festival. Expect the typical intense smokiness that defines Ardbeg&rsquo;s whiskies, but there&rsquo;s a bit of sweetness in the mix as well due to the fact that this expression is a combination of whisky aged in bourbon barrels and whisky aged in Sicilian marsala dolce casks. Ardbeg Dolce is bottled at 47.8% and has notes of dark chocolate, soft smoke, salted nuts, and lemon rind on the palate.&nbsp;</p>
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>New Riff Duet ($80)</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=New+Riff&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Riff</a> is one of the very best new-school Kentucky distilleries, an independent operation that produces fantastic bottled-in-bond bourbon, rye, and American single malt whiskey. New Riff's latest release doesn&rsquo;t fall into any of those categories, however, but it&rsquo;s a superb new whiskey nonetheless that was made in collaboration with a local brewery called Rhinegeist.</p>
<p><strong><img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/e9ccbf51-ccbb-4d4c-84ea-8d7f3c9fc1fd.png?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Nrd Duet Rhinegeist 4"><br></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">DUET American Whiskey was made from a mashbill of 57% malted barley, 37% raw barley, and 6% rye, so from the get-go this is not your usual whiskey (and notably one that doesn&rsquo;t meet the qualifications of an American single malt because of the mashbill). The &ldquo;majority&rdquo; of the whiskey was then aged in a combination of barrels&mdash;new American oak, Spanish Oloroso, and Pedro Ximenez sherry (unclear where the minority of the whiskey was aged)&mdash;before being blended together. That blend was then put into a foeder, a large oak vat typically used to ferment beer or wine, and then put back into used American oak barrels for a period of time. The final whiskey was aged for a minimum of six years and bottled at 111.2 proof.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And it&rsquo;s delicious, with notes of toasted nuts, dark and milk chocolate, ripe berries, dark roast espresso beans, orange candy, baked apple, and sherry spice on the palate. Once again, New Riff has come up with a really good, and really unique, whiskey that is truly worth hunting down. DUET American Whiskey is available now at New Riff&rsquo;s gift shop and select retailers in Ohio and Kentucky, and you can also find it being poured at The Aquifer Tasting Room at New Riff and at Rhinegeist&rsquo;s Tap Room.<strong id="docs-internal-guid-2a1646ea-7fff-bdb7-b7fb-4de12c177d13"></strong></p>

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