New whiskeys include bourbon aged in gin barrels, Woodford’s first single malt
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Blue Run Spirits debuts gin barrel-finished bourbon at 103.2 proof for $149.99
- Michter’s releases 2025 Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash Whiskey for $110
- Woodford Reserve unveils 12-year American Single Malt in Distillery Series at $99.99
New bourbon and whiskey releases are starting to come down like leaves in the fall as September’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival approaches.
Some are brand new while others are old favorites.
Here’s what to look for on shelves soon.
Blue Run Glimmer
Blue Run Spirits is releasing Glimmer, a limited edition 103.2-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in gin barrels, specifically Barr Hill Tom Cat Gin barrels.
It’s the second release (and first barrel-finished bourbon) crafted by Coors Spirits Co. by head of whiskey development Shaylyn Gammon. It has a suggested retail price of $149.99, hitting shelves in August and September.
“The barrels used in most secondary finishes tend to accentuate the base notes of the whiskey,” said Gammon in the announcement. “I chose to use gin barrels because I wanted the liquid to deliver a fresh take on a classic — whether sipped neat or in a cocktail.”
According to the tasting notes, it has a nose of delicate botanicals with a hint of soft pine. On the palate, it’s honeyed sweetness with cardamom spice and subtle herbal tones and a finish of barrel toast and char with layers of cocoa-rich complexity.
Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash
Louisville-based Michter’s is releasing the 2025 US*1 series bottle Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash in September. It’s 86 proof, with a suggested retail price of $110.
“In 2014 our Michter’s team didn’t realize that we were putting the Toasted Uncharred Barrel Finish category on the map when we released our bourbon finished in a second barrel that was toasted but not charred and named it Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon,” said Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco in a news release. “This 2025 release of Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash Whiskey is really special.”
“We’re proud that we were able to show how good fully matured whiskey finished in a second barrel that was toasted but not charred can be. The second toasted only barrel really complements the flavors of the Sour Mash and deepens the rich honey, burnt sugar, and citrus spice notes with smoky vanilla reminiscent of a cozy campfire,” said Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson.
Woodford Reserve Single Malt
Woodford Reserve has released a first of its kind as part of its Distillery Series. American Single Malt Whiskey uses 100% malted barley, triple pot distilled and aged for 12 years in used whiskey barrels.
“I’m excited to release this 12-year-old American Single Malt, a whiskey that proves just how essential long aging in used barrels is for unlocking its full flavor potential. Its lighter color and nuanced flavor profile demonstrate the importance of time. I believe it’s one of the most authentic American Single Malts ever released — the first of its kind,” said master distiller Elizabeth McCall. in the announcement.
The 90.4-proof release has a suggested retail price of $99.99 and is available at select Kentucky retailers, at the distillery on McCracken Pike outside Versailles and online at shop.woodfordreserve.com for shipping to New Hampshire, North Dakota, Nebraska and Washington D.C.
According to the tasting notes, it has a nose of soft caramel, sun tea and pear with hints of lemon, ginger and cardamom. On the palate, it’s sweet, nutty malt and caramel, giving way to notes of sun tea with clove and a squeeze of lemon, and a long-lasting finish of sun tea and lemon oil.
Chicken Cock Miller’s Reserve
Chicken Cock Whiskey, one of America’s oldest whiskey brands, is releasing Miller’s Reserve American Whiskey, blended from whiskeys from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. Miller’s Reserve will debut at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, with an official launch party at the brand's home, Circa 1856 in Bardstown, on Sept. 6. during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.
The limited release is 115 proof, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $99.99. It has a notes of caramel, fig, toasted oak and a rye-spiced finish, according to the announcement.
It was blended in Bardstown from a 10-year-old double oaked Kentucky whiskey, an 8-year-old high rye bourbon from Indiana, an 8-year-old wheated bourbon from West Virginia and a 10-year-old wheated bourbon from Ohio.
