Led by Master Distiller Ken Pierce and Master Blender Alex Moore, Heaven’s Door strives to innovate with new finishing methods for a collection of limited-time offerings. The celebrit-led brand unveiled two expressions under The Exploration Series banner annually. Fueled by the spirit of Co-Founder Bob Dylan, the team draws inspiration from his ethos to push the boundaries of innovation with new blends, secondary finishes, and intriguing staves.

The collection’s debut release is rooted in French influence, with elements of product, wood, and technique. The foundation comprises a blend of Heaven’s Door’s award-winning Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey, culminating in a finish inside freshly dumped Calvados Brandy casks before introducing an additional layer of complexity through medium-heavy toasted French oak staves. Calvados, an apple brandy from Normandy, France, matures for at least two years in French Oak Casks. This imparts sought-after characteristics like fresh apple cider and baked apple brandy to the bourbon.

“Our new medium-heavy toasted French oak staves bring forth balanced complexity and enhanced aroma, culminating in a dark color and a smoother, creamier mouthfeel, providing a truly enriched flavor experience,” said Heaven’s Door Spirits’ Master Blender Alex Moore.

Heaven’s Door The Exploration Series is aged for at least 5 years, bottled at 108 proof, and available for $79.99.

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Bringing the terroir of Scotland together with the precision and artistry of Japan, the award-winning Suntory blending team brought together complex whiskies to celebrate the wonderful attributes that make scotch special.

Ardray’s journey began with a vision. Calum Fraser, Beam Suntory’s Chief Blender for Scotch, worked with Suntory’s blenders, to bring this to life. Calling on blend styles of the past when fewer, more characterful malts were blended to create whiskies of distinction, complexity, and depth, Ardray intertwines the past and the future.

With inspiration drawn from The Father of Japanese Whisky, Suntory’s founder Shinjiro Torii, his journey now comes full circle. A hundred years ago, inspired by traditional Scottish whisky, Torii-San envisioned a Japanese approach to create a whisky that would suit the delicate palate of the Japanese. With this blend, we honor Torii’s quest, from a reinterpretation of Scotch for the Japanese palate to Ardray.

Drawing from just a handful of Scotch distilleries from Beam Suntory and their partners at Edrington (owners of The Macallan, The Glenrothes and Highland Park), this is a blended whisky that captures the role of terroir and the production traditions of Scotland’s distilleries that define each of their unique spirit character.

“In creating Ardray, we have combined an exceptional selection of the very best Scotch whisky has to offer with the inspiring talent of Suntory’s blending team to create something new, refreshing and exciting,” said Calum Fraser, Beam Suntory’s Chief Blender for Scotch. “The time, care and attention to detail taken to source both malt and grain whiskies from some of Scotland’s most noted distilleries has allowed us to explore hundreds of blends of Scotch malt and grain whiskies to achieve Ardray’s optimum balance of multi-layered flavors. Driven by the desire to ensure the true beauty of this blend is greater than the sum of its parts. Ardray promises a rich and complex taste, with a distinctive harmony of flavors: a mild, gently floral, and citrusy fruitiness, with a vanilla custard creaminess and a rich, silky mouthfeel and lengthy aftertaste that is unmatched.”

Presented in a bespoke bottle each marked with the year of release, the artwork of artist Lia Melia adorns each one, capturing Scotland’s raw beauty. Its textured rippling pattern representing malt and grain highlights two fundamental ingredients in Scotch whisky. The feel of the glass bottle takes after the free-flowing water of Scotland’s streams and rivers, and the patterns made by the wind blowing across barley fields.

Ardray Blended Scotch Whisky is bottled at 96 proof, is non-chill filtered and retails for $85.

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The rye expression is being released with the Angel’s Envy 2023 Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels These expressions mark the first releases under the helm of Master Distiller Owen Martin, who joined the brand last fall. Beginning on December 1, both expressions will be available at select retailers, including the Angel’s Envy distillery in downtown Louisville.

Angel’s Envy 2023 Cask Strength Rye is the brand’s first time releasing a limited-edition Rye Whiskey at Cask Strength – just 5,500 bottles will be available for purchase. Martin blended barrels selected first-hand of two rye whiskeys – one finished in Sauternes Casks and the other finished in Toasted Oak Barrels. This limited-edition Cask Strength Rye falls under Angel’s Envy’s highly acclaimed Cask Strength program and comes in a newly designed, elevated glass bottle.

“We are always looking to push the boundaries of innovation at Angel’s Envy,” says Owen Martin, Master Distiller at Angel’s Envy. “It was thrilling to kick off my journey with the best-in-class team at the distillery on the 12th Annual Cask Strength Bourbon and the first-ever limited-edition Cask Strength Rye Whiskey. With my deep background in maturing, blending, and finishing whiskey, I’ve been able to share a unique perspective on the Angel’s Envy’s award-winning Cask Strength program, and am looking forward to this next chapter with the brand.”

The limited-edition annual Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon will have just 22,656 bottles. This year’s expression marks the first Cask Strength release from Martin. It will also feature a brand-new, elevated bottle design.

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Rye (114.4 proof) and Cask Strength Bourbon (118.2 proof) are now available in limited quantities for $269.99 and $229.99, respectively.

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In commitment to innovating the American Single Malt Category, Stranahan’s creates and release a handful different of limited-edition of distillery experimental expressions, each with unique cask finishing techniques, year-over-year.

The Red Wine Cask is an American Single Malt crafted from a marriage of seven-year-old whiskeys, with a minimum of three years spent in casks that previously held Bordeaux and Pinot Noir. Distilled from 100% malted barley and handmade in small batches at the distillery, the spirit is then aged for four years in virgin American Oak with a #3 char. After the initial maturation, the whiskey was transferred into Bordeaux and Pinot Noir casks. Each cask was finished for three years. It is then cut to proof with Rocky Mountain water from Eldorado Springs and non-chill filtered.

Stranahan’s Red Wine Cask is a 90 proof spirit that is retails for $69.99.

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