13 Bottles to Pop on NYE That Aren't Champagne
Booker’s Sip Awhile ($70)
At under $100, Booker’s is a relatively affordable special occasion bourbon. Jim Beam’s former legendary master distiller Booker Noe is said to have conceived of the brand as a holiday gift for his friends and family. Sip Awhile is the fourth release of this barrel-strength bourbon for 2017, which clocks in at a hefty 128.1 proof. That’s good news, because adding a little water is recommended, which means you can really stretch this bottle out among a large group of people and all still get decently inebriated. Can champagne do that? Nope.
Jefferson’s Presidential Select 16 Year Old Twin Oak ($200)
Jefferson’s new small batch bourbon was aged for 11 years in American oak barrels before being transferred to new casks for another five years. That might not sound like such a big deal to some, but the proof is in the whiskey–it’s delicious, with deep flavors of vanilla and caramel. The brand, which sources its bourbon, released this in a limited run of 10,000 bottles. These are certainly going to go for much more on the secondary market, so this whiskey would be an impressive bottle to pull out on New Year’s Eve.
Michter’s 25 Year Bourbon ($800)
If you really, really want to splurge, Michter’s 25 is an excellent way to do it–if you can find a bottle, that is. This year is the first time since 2008 that this quarter-century-old whiskey has been released, so odds are any store carrying it is going to jack up the already steep price quite a bit. But go ahead, dip into your emergency savings, and share this with some good friends to ring in the New Year.
Hochstadter’s Family Reserve ($200)
The Cooper Spirits Co. sources some damn good rye whiskey for its releases, much of which comes from our neighbor to the north (Alberta Distillers Limited, to be precise). This 16-year-old, cask-strength rye is unlike most of the MGP-sourced rye your friends are drinking under labels like Templeton and Bulleit; it’s older, spicier, and higher proof. Hochstadter’s drinks fantastically on its own, but it’s a special night, so why not make a bunch of Sazeracs or Manhattans with this potent, pricey whiskey?
Redemption Whiskey The Ancients Collection 18-year-old Rye ($400)
If you’re looking for an older, more expensive rye, consider Redemption’s The Ancients Collection. There are two expressions, an 18-year-old rye and 36-year-old bourbon, both sourced from MGP in Indiana. The bottles themselves are impressive, particularly the 36-year-old bourbon (pictured; $1,200), which has a penny from 1978 (the year the whiskey was distilled) embedded in the stopper. But the rye is the better bet of these two bottles, and it costs $800 less. Neither the whiskey (or you) are getting any younger, so polish this bottle off while watching Anderson Cooper wittily banter with Andy Cohen in Times Square.
Availability TBD. Check local liquor stores.
Orphan Barrel Entrapment ($150)
This new release is part of Diageo’s Orphan Barrel collection of rare and mature whisky, and the first in the line to come from Canada. The 25-year-old whisky was distilled in 1992 at Crown Royal, which has been releasing some really great juice in recent years, like its Northern Harvest Rye and Wine Barrel Finished Whisky. Those familiar with the soft flavor (and trademark purple bag) of Crown Royal Deluxe are in for a treat.
Bowmore 26 Years Old Wine Matured ($540)
Bowmore has two brand new bottles from its Vintner’s Trilogy, whisky that was double matured in the Islay distillery’s famed No. 1 Vaults - first in bourbon barrels and then in a variety of wine and sherry casks. There is an 18-year-old Manzanilla Cask available for $127, but the 26-year-old Wine Matured is worth the splurge for the New Year. It spent 13 years in ex-bourbon barrels, and another 13 in wine barriques (a type of wine cask). The whisky is a deep amber color with a decent amount of smoke and notes of mango and cherry on the palate.
The Last Drop 1971 Blended Scotch Whisky ($4,000)
Yes, four grand seems like an exorbitant amount to spend on whisky, and for good reason–it is. But this show-stopping spirit from the Last Drop Distillers is a great chance for a group of friends to pool together some funds, purchase a bottle, and drink it all while ringing in the New Year. The Last Drop sources rare and aged spirits in various categories, which it matures, bottles, and releases in very limited quantities. This 45-year-old whisky was blended as a 12-year-old in 1983, put into sherry casks for another nine years, and finally refilled into ex-bourbon barrels for the remainder of its time in wood. Old whisky isn’t always good whisky, but this is particularly nice with a hint of peat, a pop of citrus, and a spicy finish.
Midleton Dair Ghaelach Bluebell Forest Edition ($300)
Irish whiskey is getting more popular as new expressions hit the market. This whiskey was distilled at Midleton outside of Cork, where brands like Jameson and Redbreast are also produced. Bluebell was finished in rare Irish oak casks from the Bluebell Forest for about a year and a half, with each bottle traceable back to one of six trees used to make the casks. It’s a lovely whiskey, with balsa and honey flavors underlying its inherent malty palate. If your frame of reference for Irish whiskey is a shot of Jameson to go with a beer at a dive bar, this will undoubtedly change your perception.
Slane Irish Whiskey ($30)
Slane Irish Whiskey is cheap but tasty, and there’s a cool rock and roll story behind it. The co-founder of the brand, which is sourcing whiskey while its distillery gets up and running, is Alex Conyngham. His family founded the Slane Castle concert series in the early ‘80s, and acts like the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and U2 have played there–Conyngham hung out with a young Bono many years ago. The flagship release was aged in three casks–seasoned oak, virgin oak, and sherry–and is a very smooth dram to sip or make cocktails with.
Patrón Extra A?ejo ($90)
Patrón makes high quality tequila, some of which is produced using the old-school tahona method in which agave is crushed into a pulp by a big stone wheel (this is supposed to impart a more pure, concentrated agave flavor into the tequila). Extra A?ejo is the first new addition to the Patrón lineup in 25 years, and the liquid is rich, oaky, and perfect for your whiskey-drinking friends. It was aged for over three years in a combination of American, French, and Hungarian oak, giving it a dark woody color and flavor to match. Discourage your buddies from shooting this when the clock strikes 12; it goes down much better sipped.
Avión Reserva 44 ($150)
It’s hard to credit Entourage for much beyond lionizing Hollywood man-child celebrity culture, and possibly inspiring people to name their babies “Turtle.” But the series also prominently featured Avión, a brand that is responsible for some nice tequila. Reserva 44, a reasonably priced (considering its age) and very tasty extra a?ejo expression, has been around for a few years. The tequila was matured for 43 months in oak casks and then finished for a final month in smaller barrels to concentrate the flavor. It comes in an elegant case and bottle, and is a good choice for a New Year’s Eve drink while binge-watching old episodes of Entourage, if that’s your thing.
Samuel Adams Utopias ($200)
If you really need bubbles for your bubbly substitute, go ahead and drink Miller High Life, “the champagne of beers.” But even better is Samuel Adams Utopias, an extremely unique brew that is un-carbonated and served at room temperature. The beer drinks like a port or cognac, with a fascinating blend of flavor from its time spent in barrels that previously held aquavit, Buffalo Trace bourbon, and wine. The bottle looks cool as well, kind of like a mini still, with little sliding doors that open up to a picture of Mr. Samuel Adams himself.
Bourbon
Booker’s Sip Awhile ($70)
At under $100, Booker’s is a relatively affordable special occasion bourbon. Jim Beam’s former legendary master distiller Booker Noe is said to have conceived of the brand as a holiday gift for his friends and family. Sip Awhile is the fourth release of this barrel-strength bourbon for 2017, which clocks in at a hefty 128.1 proof. That’s good news, because adding a little water is recommended, which means you can really stretch this bottle out among a large group of people and all still get decently inebriated. Can champagne do that? Nope.
Pop a different kind of bottle to ring in 2018.
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