Holiday gift guide: New 2024 bourbons, whiskeys you must try

As we head into the holiday season, Kentucky distilleries are launching new products that just might make a perfect gift. Castle & Key is releasing a Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon, King of Kentucky is releasing its seventh edition, and Yellowstone Bourbon has released its 2024 Bourbon Giftpack, among numerous other new expressions.

What will you gift or add to your at-home bar? Here's what to know about nine new bourbon releases:

Bardstown Bourbon Company and Blackberry Farm Brewery combined their passion for exploration to create a bourbon that pushes the boundaries of flavor — a custom blend of 6 to 14-year-old bourbon, finished in Oxheart stout barrels for 17 months.

On the nose, inviting aromas of baked strawberry, plum and fig draw you in, accompanied by a palate of rich caramel, cinnamon, and cocoa for an indulgent experience worth savoring. Tasting notes include dark chocolate, honey, and toasted oak leading to a decadent palate of mocha and cinnamon. The rich mouthfeel evolves into a lasting finish of marshmallow, vanilla, and malt.

Available in limited quantities at the distillery and Louisville Tasting Room, exclusively hitting shelves in Tennessee and Kentucky with a suggested retail price of $159.99 and 107 proof.

Find more at bardstownbourbon.com/products/blackberry-farm-brewery.

Blade and Bow has re-released its ultra-premium 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The highly sought-after iconic American bourbon is aged and bottled at the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville.

Each year, Blade and Bow's 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon is released to pay homage to the craftsmanship, history, and tradition of Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

"Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a testament to the enduring craft of American bourbon," Douglas Kragel, master educator for Blade and Bow, said in a release. "Bourbons of this age and caliber are a rarity, and when they do reach this level of maturity, they reveal incredible complexity. This whiskey unfolds with layers of baked orchard fruit, warm vanilla, and hints of spiced honey, creating a deeply nostalgic flavor profile that pays tribute to the heart of Kentucky tradition."

The fragrant aroma of the spirit includes notes of toasted oak, vanilla bean, fig, and a touch of caramel, boasting a sweet and smoky flavor layered with hints of torched sugar, honey-baked apples, and warm spices.

Limited bottles are released each year and available while supplies last.

However, consumers can experience the 22-Year-Old year-round at The Garden & Gun Club at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, 3860 Fitzgerald Road. The 22-Year-Old Tasting Experience includes one ounce of Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old in a handcrafted Terrane glass, alongside a signature wool tartan bag, Blade and Bow enamel pin, and a tasting notes guide. Find more at BladeandBowWhiskey.com.

Castle & Key Distillery is releasing a Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon. Aged seven years, the Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon is the oldest age-stated product from the distillery and the second wheated bourbon in the portfolio.

Blended from hand-selected barrels that were laid down within the inaugural year of production, the Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon is composed of 73% locally grown non-GMO white corn, 10% winter wheat, and 17% malted barley before being barreled at 107 proof.

“Our Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon gives the most genuine and pure representation of its mashbill,” said Brett Connors, lead blender at Castle & Key Distillery. “White winter wheat differs from the traditional red wheat usually used in bourbon in color, protein content, and gluten development, which has the ability to affect flavor. The result is a ‘wheater’ that highlights a depth and maturity of seven years in the barrel while retaining the sweet roundness imparted by the white winter wheat.”

Tasting notes include orange zest, brûléed peach, pound cake, baked nutmeg, with a taste consisting of pastry dough, red apple, black pepper, mango, walnut, and white sage, with an oatmeal cinnamon cookie with lingering dried cherry and chai finish.

The suggested retail price is $65. For more information visit, castleandkey.com.

King of Kentucky, an ultra-premium Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, is releasing its seventh edition. The limited-edition expression, aged 16 years, will mark the seventh anniversary of the brand.

King of Kentucky was established in 1881 as a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Brown-Forman acquired the brand in 1936 from Selected Kentucky Distillers and, by 1940, converted it to a blended whiskey until it was discontinued in 1968. In 2018, Brown-Forman revived the label paying homage to the brand’s past.

King of Kentucky is an annual release of a single barrel inventory featuring a barrel-strength, minimally-filtered proof presentation, with each release and every barrel being unique. For this year’s iteration, Master Distiller Chris Morris chose two lots of barrels to set aside for the limited-release product from 2007.

“This year’s release of 63 barrels came from the production dates July 19, 2007, and Nov. 15, 2007. All the barrels were aged in Warehouses G and J at the Brown-Forman Distillery,” Morris said in a news release.

It includes tasting notes of dark chocolate, old oak, sweet coconut, malt, and rich vanilla-covered wood spice.

Approximately 5,100 bottles will be produced at a proof of 130.4, with a suggested retail price of $349.99.

In April, Keeneland Racecourse and Maker’s Mark Kentucky Bourbon unveiled the newest chapter in their longstanding partnership with the launch of “Greats of the Gate,” a 10-year commemorative bottle series celebrating Thoroughbred racing’s most iconic horses, featuring a different horse each year. Now, Maker's Mark is releasing its inaugural “Greats of the Gate” bottle honoring the legendary racehorse, Man o' War.

The limited-edition bottle features an illustration by Kentucky artist Tyler Robertson with the 2024 artwork wrapping around the bottle in yellow and black, the racing colors for Man o’ War.

Each bottle will be packaged in a collectible box with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Rob Samuels, eighth-generation distiller and managing director of Maker’s Mark; Shannon Arvin, president and CEO of Keeneland Racecourse; and artist Tyler Robertson.

Only 5,000 bottles will be available, and all proceeds will benefit Kentucky Harvest, Arts Center of the Bluegrass, Blue Grass Farms Charity, and Kentucky Classic Arts. The bottle will be available at select Kentucky retailers for the suggested retail price of $149.99. For more information visit, makersmark.com.

Russ Smith, of Mr. and Mrs. Bourbon Company, will release a second bourbon in partnership with EthanAlmighty, who survived after he was left for dead outside a Kentucky animal shelter.

The almost 7-year-old bourbon will be called “Ethan’s Batch, Series 2.0” and will be available beginning Nov. 16.

“We had such great success on our first release earlier this year, and were able to raise a good amount for Ethan Almighty’s Blessings, that we decided we had to scale up and drop another collaboration in time for the holidays,” said Smith, who played basketball for the University of Louisville.

This release will be just over 500 bottles and proceeds will go to Ethan Almighty’s nonprofit that helps animals in need of care.

Bottles must be reserved by going to EthanAlmighty.com and can be picked up at a meet-and-greet with Ethan at O’Shea’s on Whiskey Row, located at 123 W. Main St. in downtown Louisville, on Saturday, Nov. 16, and Sunday, Nov. 17, noon to 2 p.m. Bottles will retail for $100.

RD1 Spirits has unveiled a 10-year Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey finished in Brazilian Amburana wood at cask strength The brand is known for exploring the interaction of Kentucky straight bourbon with unique woods from across the world. It has released 900 cases across its U.S. distribution footprint.

The straight bourbon is aged for 10 years in traditional American oak barrels before honeycomb-drilled Brazilian Amburana wood staves are added to the barrels. It features a mash bill of 78% corn, 13% rye, and 9% malted barley and is bottled at 117.78 proof.

"Our four-year-old Amburana is ... known for its nostalgic holiday tasting notes. In this limited release, the oak and leather from this decade-old bourbon are beautifully softened by dynamic yet delicate hints of Amburana wood character," said Mike Tetterton, chief executive officer of RD1 Spirits.

Tasting notes include spiced apple and honey with a finish of aged oak, leather, apple, earth and anise.

The 10-year limited release is packaged in the iconic RD1 bottle, paired with a rich black and gold label. The retail price is $299 and is available for purchase at RD1's Tasting Room in Lexington, at select retailers, and online at RD1spirits.com.

Woodford Reserve releases its fall 2024 Master’s Collection release, Madeira Cask Finish, a Woodford Reserve Whiskey that is finished in Madeira casks and blended with wheat whiskey.

Woodford Reserve Distillery introduced the Master’s Collection in 2006 with the first release of its Master’s Collection, “Four Grain.” Madeira Cask Finish marks the 20th release in Woodford Reserve’s Master’s Collection.

“Madeira Cask Finish is a tremendous way to celebrate 20 years of the Master’s Collection,” Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall said in a news release. “In 2007, Woodford Reserve was among the first bourbons to finish in wine casks. It was quite controversial at the time but is now a common practice by other distillers. This 20th expression marks that historic milestone, with a new Madeira wine cask.”

Tasting notes include an aroma of dark cherries, brown sugar, and candied oranges sprinkled with clove and nutmeg, with a taste of raisin and dried cranberries that fade into walnut and baking spice and a finish of candied walnut.

Suggested retail price of $179 for a 700ml bottle. It is available at the distillery, select retailers, and at shop.woodfordreserve.com.

Yellowstone Bourbon releases its 2024 Bourbon Giftpack, just in time for Christmas. The giftpack showcases three of its award-winning innovations from the Yellowstone Bourbon family: Yellowstone Select, Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection Toasted, and Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection Rum Cask.

Here's what to know about the featured bourbons:

Packaged in a decorative box and available at local retailers nationwide at a minimum suggested retail price of $49.99, the Yellowstone Giftpack is the first time these Yellowstone expressions have been offered together in 375mL sizes.

Reach features news clerk Gege Reed at [email protected]