Top 9 Collectable American whiskey, bourbon & rye

Westland Garryana 2019 Edition 4|1- 50% 70cl - It's the fourth release in Westland's Native Oak Series, and Garryana 4|1 showcases whiskey aged in Quercus garryana, also known as Garry oak, native to the Pacific Northwest. Though the focus is on Garry oak, the whiskey was matured in five different cask types, with rye casks, new and refill Garry oak, Pedro Ximénez hogshead, and bourbon casks all contributing to the flavour profile. Only 3,750 bottles available for the 2019 edition.

Weller Special Reserve Bourbon - 45% 75cl - W.L. Weller Special Reserve is considered the most “common” of the W.L. Weller line up, and is one of the three bottles that were, at one time, released on an ongoing basis and commonly seen on spirit store shelves. As anything carrying the name “Weller” on it, this is now becoming rarer and more collectable and definitely not as easy to fin as it used to. The palate presents notes of honey, butterscotch, and a soft woodiness. It's smooth, delicate and calm.

Elijah Craig Small Batch Barrel Proof Bourbon - 65.7% 70cl - This Barrel Proof bottling from Elijah Craig is only released four times a year. The selection of casks the distillery usually uses for their 12 year old bottling, gets diverted to this raw, untamed version. While the whiskey is still 12 years old, it is left unfiltered and bottled at cask strength, with a slightly higher abv and punchier flavour. A wonderful dram, and a step up for Elijah Craig enthusiasts.

Parkers Heritage Collection 13th Edition 8 Year Old Rye - 52.5% 75cl - This bottling is the 13th edition of the Parker’s Heritage Collection, which is released each year in September. This is the first rye to be released in the series and utilizes Heaven Hill’s standard rye whiskey mashbill. Matured in heavily-charred barrels for 8 years and bottled at the slightly higher abv of 52.5%, the spirit showcases a richer and deeper flavour profile with an elevation of spice.

Michters 10 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey - 70cl 46.4% - A rare and limited release from Michter's distillery, Louisville, Kentucky. A 10 year old single barrel straight rye whiskey, matured in hand-selected charred white oak barrels and bottled at 46.4%, showcasing a great combination of oaky vanilla notes and deep rye spice. Michter's are keen to pay homage to rye's important place in history as America's first whiskey style.

Old Fitzgerald 9 Year Old Bottled in Bond 2nd Edition - 50% 75cl - The autumn 2018 release of Old Fitzgerald’s Bottled-in-Bond bourbon is a 9 whiskey that was distilled in October 2008 and bottled in August 2018. It has aromas of caramel, dried fruit and butter, followed by citrus, toffee and black pepper flavours and a soft, liquorice-tinged finish.

WhistlePig Boss Hog 16 year old Samurai Scientist - 61% 75cl - This Boss Hog Edition is the first American Whiskey finished using Japanese Umeshu, the result of a true collaboration between WhistlePig and Kitaya brewery on Japan’s Kyushu island. This well-aged Straight Rye Whiskey was created using koji fermentation.  Each bottle is adorned with The Samurai Scientist, Jōkichi Takamine, who pioneered koji fermentation in the American whisky industry over a century ago. Each bottle is released at cask strength, between 120 – 122 proof.

Makers Mark Cask Strength - 55.05% 70cl - This bourbon whiskey from Maker’s Mark is a rare batch release, bottled at the cask strength of 110.1 proof or 55.05% abv, meaning all the typical flavours from Maker's Mark have been amplified to add more spice, vanilla and caramel notes to their classic character.

Benromach 15 Year Old - 43% 70cl - This bottling of WhistlePig Straight Rye has been released in 2016, being their oldest expression so far! This 15 year old actually predates the 2007 foundation of the distillery. Matured in Vermont oak barrels which have been previously toasted and heavily charred, this complex rye whiskey presents dark chocolate and toffee notes and a lingering spicy finish.