The Best New Whiskeys to Drink This May

Welcome back to our monthly guide to all things whisk(e)y. This month, there’s an emphasis on the rare and hard-to-get, with fascinating limited releases that encompass Japan, Scotland, Australia and a few domestic bottles.

Sweetens Cove 22

So that large “22” on this bottle isn’t an age statement — that’s the year of release (2022) from this all-star whiskey brand, which counts Peyton Manning, Andy Roddick, Tom Nolan, Rob Collins, Mark Rivers, Skip Bronson and Drew Holcomb as owners. We just got a chance to try this one, which is a blend of bourbons finished in Speyside Scotch casks. It’s very fruity, with lots of baking spices, tobacco, orange peel, vanilla and oak on the palate, with a hint of salinity and a creamy, decadent mouthfeel. If the labeling is frustrating, the liquid itself is top-notch.

WhistlePig’s Bespoke Old World Rye, Aged 12 Years

The Vermont distillery partnered with The Black Bourbon Society (a group that bridges the gap between the spirits industry and African American bourbon enthusiasts) to launch a version of traditional 12 Year rye, available to paid members of the Society. The wine character is really what shines through here — it’s very fruit-forward and a bit tart, with the rye spiciness coming in more on repeated sips.

Wolves Single Malt “Lot One”

The first single malt from Wolves, a Cali-based luxury whiskey brand co-founded by Jon Buscemi. Coming in at 110 proof, you’ll get a lot of biscuit, eucalyptus, berries, cherry and oak spice on the nose and palate. Each bottle in the limited-edition series is hand-numbered and wrapped in a sheepskin label.

Jefferson’s Marian McLain

The brand’s newest bourbon was created by Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller to pay homage to his 8th-generation grandmother (a whiskey pioneer and one of the first women involved with American whiskey). This one is a blend of a 14-year-old Tennessee bourbon, an 11-year-old Kentucky bourbon, a wheated double barrel, a rum cask finished whiskey and an 8-year-old Kentucky bourbon. It’s an exceptionally crowd-pleasing and multi-dimensional blend (akin to blend from Barrell) — the notes from the rum barrel particularly shine through — and the whiskey itself serves as a launch for the Marian McClain Fund, which offers young entrepreneurs a chance at a grant.

Glenfiddich Grand Yozakura

Part of this Scotch distillery’s Grand Series — limited-edition single malt bottlings that have undergone experimental cask finishes — this 29-year-old Scotch whisky is finished for six months in oak casks that previously held Awamori, the oldest distilled alcoholic spirit in Japan (it’s distilled from long-grain Indica rice). This is a first for this type of aging, and with the luxury bottling here (bespoke stopper, Hanko stamp embossing, a rotating box with cherry blossom florals), it’s no wonder this expression launched at $1,999. Herbal, fruity, citrusy-y and featuring a warm finish with plenty of oak (but not overpowering), it’s a wonderful sipper and a nice piece of art.

Diamond Peak Batch #2: Extra Añejo Cask

Stranahan's

Breckenridge 105 High Proof

Lark

Oak & Eden’s 4-Grain & Maple

Oak & Eden

Acclaim – The Karuizawa Whisky Stage

dekanta

Lark Symphony No. 1

Lark

And five more…

Colorado’s Stranahan’s just released its latest limited-edition: Diamond Peak Batch #2: Extra Añejo Cask, their American Single Malt (aged 5-8 years) that spends just over two years in Extra Añejo tequila casks that previously held Jose Cuervo’s Reserve de Familia (which we’re quite familiar with). It’s a nice mix of two worlds, with plenty of caramel, malt and wood spice enhanced by some earthy undertones.
Also in Colorado, Breckenridge just won the “World’s Best Blended” whiskey at the World Whiskies Awards in London for their Breckenridge 105 High Proof. It’s a worthy pick; this high-rye expression is full of flavor, featuring strong notes vanilla, caramel, orange peel and a slight nuttiness.
Oak & Eden’s 4-Grain & Maple features a four-grain bourbon (55% corn, 18% rye, 22% wheat, 5% malted barley) finished with a maple syrup-soaked American Oak spire. Yes, it’s sweet, but not cloyingly so, and it seems ideal for cocktails. At least in the fall.
Luxury Japanese whisky retailer dekantā recently launched a new private bottling called Acclaim – The Karuizawa Whisky Stage. This three-bottle set features separate expressions from the 1999-2000 vintage Karuizawa (which stopped production in 2000) housed in a Wajima Lacquerware cabinet and featuring 24-carat gold leaf layering and bottle art hand painted by David Hewett. Only 50 sets and 150 bottles were available at launch, with a retail price of $50,000.
Since we just spent two weeks in Australia, let’s shout out an Australian whisky. Lark, based in Tasmania, does several excellent single malts. We weren’t able to try their Tasmanian Peated (using local peat) but their flagship Symphony No. 1, a 2023 World Whiskies Awards winner, is a blend of Tasmanian single malt whiskies. It’s full of apricot, peach, toffee, biscuit and a hint of salinity and salt. Not cheap or easy to get outside its home country, but worth a try if you’re traveling.