New Whiskeys For National Bourbon Day

By Richard Thomas

National Bourbon Day is this coming Sunday, June 14th*. An interesting coincidence about that date is how it is not far off from the mid-point of the year. With that in mind, the best way to celebrate the holiday for America’s “national spirit” is to sample some of the new bourbons released in the first half of 2015. Here are five suggestions at the forefront of the new bourbons that have come out thus far this year:

1. I.W. Harper 15 Year Old ($75): For the last two decades the venerable I.W. Harper brand has been found only in Japan, so it made big news in March when it was announced that the brand was being brought back to the States. The 15 Year Old is the more aged of the two I.W. Harpers, bottled at 86 proof, and based on a high corn mash bill.

2. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength ($40): For decades the House of Samuels was better known for its commemorative bottlings than for its new expressions. The introduction of Maker’s 46 some five years ago marked only the second regular bourbon release from the Loretto, Kentucky distillery. This year the line expanded to three with the release of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. As the name implies, the proof varies with each batch, ranging from 108 to 114 proof.

3. Jim Beam Bonded ($23): The word “bonded” has sanctified significance for bourbon purists, representing as it does a step beyond straight whiskey. All the whiskey within must come from the same distillery, distilled in the same season, be at least four years old, bottled at 100 proof, and all be done under the watchful eye of the Federal government. The way to look at this is as a Jim Beam Plus product, and one with the lowest price tag on this list.

4. Old Forester 1870 Original Batch ($45): Some sneak peeks of this throwback to Old Forester’s Louisville Whiskey Row days were out at the end of last year, but the full and regular release came only in 2015. The “original batch” refers to the practice of old George Garvin Brown, founder of Brown-Forman, in batching bourbons made at different distilleries to improve consistency. This 90-proof blend is the handiwork of Marianne Barnes, making it the first bourbon crafted for a major company by a woman in modern times.

5. Barrell Bourbon Batch 004 ($85): The folks at Barrell Bourbon have earned some high marks for finding some good casks to buy and bottle, making their first release of the year a whiskey to try. This particular installment is Kentucky-distilled, aged for 6 1/3 years, and bottled at a potent 116.7 proof, making it the strongest bourbon on the list.

* For Americans, but we encourage our international readers to find some bourbon and participate!