Whisky Watch: Knob Creek 21 Returns, Johnnie Walker Blue's Festive Blend, Dalmore 18 Cigar Malt, & More

Aged liquid seems to be a running theme in this week’s list, which is headlined by the return of Knob Creek 21—the oldest whiskey ever released by Jim Beam—following its debut last year. It’s joined by a new 12 year old from Barrell that explores special French oak casks, a 10 year old from Missouri-based Holladay Distillery, a 10 year old permanent release from independent bottler Copper & Cask, a commemorative release from Wyoming Whiskey, and new bourbons from Koopers and Ghostwood. Looking abroad, Johnnie Walker has a new blend to celebrate the Indian festive season, Dalmore is set to debut a new 18 year old Cigar Malt Reserve spin-off, Teeling taps Venezuelan rum casks for its latest creation, and Indri explores ruby port casks for this year's Diwali Collector’s Edition.

Knob Creek 21 year old Bourbon (2026)

ABV: 50%
SRP: $250
Availability: Nationwide

Last year, Jim Beam rolled out the oldest whiskey in the distillery’s history—a 21 year old Knob Creek bourbon that was distilled by Fred Noe in 2004. Now the distillery is back with a fresh batch, available for a limited time at retailers nationwide. Like its predecessor—and many of the other expressions in Knob Creek’s lineup—this was bottled at 50% ABV.

Barrell 12 year old French Toast(ed) Bourbon

ABV: 53.62%
SRP: $160
Availability: Limited

The newest blend in Barrell’s Red Label Series—which highlights finished whiskeys with age statements—was aged in French oak casks of varying toast levels. The liquid is comprised of 12 to 17 year old bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Wyoming, finished in Grand Chauffe French oak barrels. (Grand Chauffe is a method by which the barrels are subject to low heat over a longer period of time, yielding deeper flavors.) The supporting cast of French oak casks rounded out the blend with additional dimension and layers of flavor. Finishing time varied from 5 to 39 months.

Barrell 12 year old French Toast(ed) is available online and at retailers nationwide.

Ben Holladay 10 year old Bourbon

ABV: 55.5%
SRP: $125
Availability: Limited

In celebration of its 170th anniversary, Weston, Missouri’s Holladay Distillery has released a 10 year old Ben Holladay, its oldest bourbon to date. It’s crafted from the original Ben Holladay bourbon mashbill of 73% corn, 15% rye, and 12% malted barley. It will debut at the distillery at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 17th, with a limit of one bottle per person.

Although the distillery was founded in 1856 and survived Prohibition, by 1985 it was mothballed amid a slumping American whiskey market. Private investors bought the site in 1993, but didn’t restart whiskey operations; that would come 23 years later in 2016, when the distillery underwent a $10 million renovation. Upon completion, it began distilling bourbon once more, led by master distiller Kyle Merklein.

Wyoming Whiskey Queen of the Tetons Second Edition

ABV: 49.5%
SRP: $80
Availability: 1,000 bottles; online, at the distillery, Wyoming retailers

The second release of Wyoming Whiskey’s Queen of the Tetons, a bourbon that pays homage to Grizzly 399—a bear killed by a car in October 2024—is a blend of just eight barrels. Bottled at 99 proof, the whiskey is made from Wyoming-grown grains and distilled, aged, and bottled in-state. A new documentary film, “399 Forever,” is being released alongside the bourbon, available on Amazon Prime Video beginning today. As part of the release, Wyoming Whiskey will donate $5 from every bottle of Queen of the Tetons Second Edition sold to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, which supports grizzly education, conservation, and research programs in the park.

Copper & Cask X Barrel Proof Bourbon

ABV: 58.2%
SRP: $70
Availability: Nationwide and online

Independent bottler Copper & Cask has released its first permanent release, a barrel proof bourbon aged 10–12 years. This expression, created by barrel master Stephen Corrigan, comprises 45 barrels of low-rye (21%) and high-rye (36%) MGP bourbons. The barrels were aged in various locations prior to blending, including Indiana, Kentucky, and at Copper & Cask’s own outpost in Rhode Island.

Ghostwood 3 Brothers Bourbon

ABV: 40%
SRP: $49
Availability: Online and select Texas retailers

Bozeman, Montana-based whiskey brand Ghostwood has introduced a new three-grain bourbon. This one was distilled in Indiana with a mashbill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. It was aged for 6 years in No.-4 char barrels and bottled in Columbus, Illinois, at 80 proof. According to founder and master blender Lucas Perks, this expression was inspired by memories of sitting by the campfire and telling ghost stories with his brothers.

Koopers Whiskey The Prodigal Son Bourbon

ABV: 47.2%
SRP: $61
Availability: Online, at the Koopers tasting room, and select retailers

Texas blending house Koopers has a new bourbon that celebrates coming home for the holidays and toasting cherished memories. The newcomer is a blend of four mashbills, including high-rye, low-rye, and wheated recipes. The stocks were sourced from Green River, OZ Tyler, and Lux Row distilleries, and were aged 4–6 years.

Bruichladdich The Laddie Rye (2026) Scotch Single Grain

ABV: 50%
SRP: $60
Availability: Select retailers nationwide

Last year, Bruichladdich debuted a new single grain expression touted as a Scottish take on American-style rye whiskey. Now the distillery has released a follow-up that has a slightly different recipe. At 6 years old, the newcomer is just a bit younger than the original. It was distilled entirely from Islay rye and barley harvested in 2019 and aged in a mix of first-fill bourbon barrels and second-fill American Virgin Oak casks. Unlike the original, which used toasted and uncharred oak, the new batch includes a selection of de-toasted and re-charred bourbon barrels.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Festive Blend blended scotch

ABV: 40%
SRP: $220
Availability: Limited; imported by Diageo USA

Johnnie Walker is no stranger to limited-edition packaging, but its new Festive Blend offers something more substantial: A whisky created specifically for India’s festive season. Developed by Johnnie Walker master blender Dr. Emma Walker, this limited edition was drawn from older stocks to create a balanced, spicy flavor profile designed to complement the cuisine of the Indian festive table. The release continues Johnnie Walker’s collaboration with Indian couturier Rahul Mishra, whose design brings a contemporary dimension to the brand’s celebration of Indian culture and festive traditions.

The release continues a broader theme in Walker’s work to evolve Blue Label through blending with purpose. The 93-point Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami explored whisky’s relationship with gastronomy in collaboration with chef Kei Kobayashi, with a recommended pairing with Oscietra caviar, while the 94-point Johnnie Walker Label Azure was designed with coastal dining and seafood in mind. Now, Festive Blend draws inspiration from India's spices and celebratory traditions.

Dalmore 18 year old Cigar Malt Signature Reserve Scotch Single Malt

ABV: 46%
SRP: $400
Availability: Nationwide starting in November

Dalmore announced that it will add a new expression to its core Signature Range starting next month. The newcomer is purpose-built for pairing with cigars, following the success of the distillery’s Cigar Malt Reserve expression. It was aged for 16 years in bourbon barrels before finishing in a series of four casks—matusalem sherry, marsala, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. The latter three of those were French oak casks. The final whisky was bottled at 46% ABV with natural color and no chill filtration.

Teeling Small Batch Santa Teresa 1796 Cask Finish Blended Irish

ABV: 46%
SRP: $50
Availability: Limited; imported by Bacardi

Teeling adds a Venezuelan rum twist to its Small Batch series with this limited-edition release, swapping the Caribbean rum casks typically used for its flagship blend for solera casks from Santa Teresa 1796 to add depth and character. The collaboration brings together two producers with deep heritage; the Venezuelan rum producer has roots dating back over 200 years, while the Teeling family’s whiskey-making history in Dublin stretches back to 1782. The collaboration was developed through close partnership between Teeling’s master distiller Alex Chasko and Santa Teresa 1796 master blender Nancy Duarte, exchanging expertise, casks, and insights throughout the maturation process. The expression arrived in select European markets in September and is expected in the U.S. by early 2027.

Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2026 Ruby Port Cask Indian single malt

ABV: 58.5%
SRP: $275
Availability: 540 bottles for the U.S.; imported by ImpEx Beverages Inc.

Indri master blender Surrinder Kumar matured this year’s 2026 Diwali Collector’s Edition in ruby port casks. Now in its fourth year, the series pairs distinctive cask maturation with specially commissioned packaging. This edition’s artwork by Indian designer Krsna Mehta draws on royal heritage and traditional miniature paintings. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. The series debuted in 2023, earning 92 points, with the first two annual expressions featuring peated malt matured in sherry casks, though with subtle differences in ABV and cask types, before the 2025 edition turned to marsala wine cask maturation.