Whisky Critic – Whisky Reviews & Articles – Style. Attitude. Whisky.

Forget 6-7 – Kaikyo Hatozaki Releases 5-6

Alex Bean — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:53:28 +0000

Japanese Kaikyō Distillery Hatozaki has released 5-6 – the fifth and sixth limited editions of their experimental Omakase Collection whisky series which showcases the Japanese dining tradition of Omakase – meaning ‘the choice is in your hands’ – both featuring the sakura (cherry blossom) season.

Additionally, for the first time, Kaikyō’s Hatozaki Omakase Collection will be available worldwide, with limited allocations including the USA.

Kaikyō Fifth Edition is a five-year-old blended malt whisky initially matured in new charred oak barrels, and finished for one year in sakura cherrywood casks, bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is said to produce notes of cherry blossom, fruit and vanilla. Only 3,480 bottles are being made available for $85 per bottle.

Kaikyō Sixth Edition is a blend with added bourbon, matured in American oak casks, finished for three years in Mizunara oak casks, bottled at 42% alcohol by volume [84 proof] and is said to emit notes of coconut, sandalwood and vanilla. Only 1,884 bottles are being made available for $80 per bottle.

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Hennessy Debuts VSC – Very Special Cocktails

Alex Bean — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:57:17 +0000

Hennessy Cognac has brought out their new ready-to-drink cocktails – dubbed Hennessy Very Special Cocktails – just in time for both the 2026 World Cup and the summer season.

Hennessy Very Special Cocktails are made with Hennessy Very Special (VS) Cognac and features three cocktail iterations – the Henny-Rita, Henny Berry and Henny Iced Tea – all in 375ml Hennessy VS bottles.

The Henny–Rita – Hennessy’s VSC version of a margarita – is 18% alcohol by volume [36 proof], Henny Berry is the VSC version of a mojito and checks in at 20% alcohol by volume [40 proof] while the Henny Iced Tea is also 18% alcohol by volume [36 proof].

All Hennessy Very Special Cocktails are being made available at select venues across the USA for $16.

Ballantine’s Collabs With Malbon

Alex Bean — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:58:00 +0000

Ballantine’s blended whisky has entered into a collaboration with teamed up with lifestyle golf brand Malbon to release two limited edition whiskies – a 17- and 21-year-old – in South Korea, along with a limited Ballantine’s x Malbon clothing collection.

The Ballantine’s x Malbon collaboration includes the 21 Year Old – touting a higher proportion of Glentauchers single malt in the blend – along with a 17-year-old with a higher proportion of Glenburgie in the blend. Both whiskies are being offered exclusively for the South Korean market, with the 21-year-old being made available exclusively in South Korea’s travel retail sector while the 17-year-old will be made available exclusively in the domestic sector.

Additionally, there will be a pop-up store at Jeju Domestic Airport in South Korea.

Lochlea Reveals Red Wine Cask

Alex Bean — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:51:49 +0000

Lochlea Distillery has rolled out their second red wine cask – a limited edition single malt in their Wine Cask series – finished in Sangiovese casks from Tuscany in Italy.

Lochlea Red Wine Cask 2026 was matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels before the finish in the Sangiovese wine casks, then was bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is said to contain notes of red berries, honey, oak and spice.

Lochlea Red Wine Cask 2026 is being made available for $75 per bottle.

The Macallan Rolls Out The Romantica

Alex Bean — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:15:35 +0000

Speyside-based The Macallan has rolled out the Romantica Collection – a single malt whisky featuring original artwork to commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Macallan 1926 vintage.

Only a mere 258 bottles of the new Romantica Collection 40-year-old were produced and are originating from a sherry-seasoned European oak cask and bottled at 48.6% alcohol by volume [97.2 proof] with notes of cinnamon, peach and peat.

The three original 1986 artists bestow their artwork on only an appropriate 86 bottles – Sir Peter Blake’s ‘The Music Room’, Valerio Adami’s ‘Romantica (1986)’ and Michael Dillon’s ‘The Macallan Estate’.

The Macallan Romantica Collection is being made available exclusively as a complete set of three artist editions, from The Macallan, albeit for an undisclosed price.

Sazerac Goes To Tennessee With AJ Bond

Alex Bean — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 12:36:09 +0000

Buffalo Trace-owned Sazerac introduced itself to Tennessee whiskey with their newest release from AJ Bond Distillery.

Sazerac’s AJ Bond Tennessee Whiskey is a straight Tennessee whiskey made from a single mash bill using locally sourced ingredients, bottled at 47.5% alcohol by volume [95 proof] and is said to display notes of butterscotch, cinnamon and chocolate.

Sazerac AJ Bond Tennessee Whiskey is being made available in Tennessee for $40 per bottle and is expected to be available in select states in the USA later in 2026.

Bushmills Reveals Black Bush

Alex Bean — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:05:29 +0000

Bushmills has unveiled their new Black Bush blended Irish whiskey bottle re-design – the first bottle re-design in nearly two decades for Bushmills. The Irish whiskey contained within the bottle remains unchanged.

The new Bushmills Black Bush bottle retains the square shape that makes Bushmills iconic – and which Bushmills has used since the late-1800s – but tweaks it with a taller, slimmer look along with a hexagonal indentation at the base of the bottle [a nod to the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway, located near Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland].

Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey is a blend of triple-distilled single malt whiskies aged in Oloroso sherry casks aside batch-distilled grain whiskey.

Bushmills Black Bush’s newly re-designed bottle is being made available beginning this month in Poland, Spain and the UK, with an appearance later in the year in Ireland and the USA and worldwide in 2027.

The Stranglers Unveil Another Golden Brown

Alex Bean — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:52:22 +0000

British rock band The Stranglers have unveiled another Golden Brown – this time it is a single malt Scotch whisky – in a collaboration with Caskade Drinks. The whisky’s name is a reference to their 1982 mainstream hit “Golden Brown” which lead singer Hugh Cornwell says was about “heroin….and a girl”.

The Stranglers Golden Brown is a 14-year-old single malt originating from Speyside-based Craigellachie Distillery, matured in ex-sherry casks, bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is said to contain notes of almond, coffee and burnt toffee.

“It’s a limited run and there’s only 835 bottles available in total, so be quick if you want a dram with us,” said The Stranglers in a press release.

The Stranglers Golden Brown is being made available to pre-order directly from Caskade Drinks and will also be sold at The Stranglers’ live shows in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park on Friday, June 6, 2026 and Saturday, June 7, 2026.

Bardstown Collabs With Mars For Bourbon-Whisky Blend

Alex Bean — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:30:31 +0000

Japanese whiskymaker Mars has collaborated with Kentucky-based Bardstown Bourbon Company to create a limited edition blend combining the Japanese single malts with the bourbon in a ‘first-of-its-kind’ process.

Single malt whiskies emerging from Mars’ Komagatake and Tsunuki were shipped to Bardstown, where they were married with Bardstowns’ 10- to 16-year-old bourbons. The Komagatake single malt had been aged in Umeshu plum liqueur barrels while the Tsunuki single malt was aged in Sakura cherry wood barrels.

The trio were then further aged in Kentucky for a year before being bottled at 54.9% alcohol by volume [109.8 proof] and is said to emit notes of fruit and spice from the Japanese single malts along with malt and vanilla from the bourbon.

Bardstown Distillery Reserve Mars Single Malt Japanese Blend is being made available for $100 per 375ml bottle – but, alas, only at Bardstown’s distillery in Louisville.

Bruichladdich Revives Yellow Submarine

Alex Bean — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:44:58 +0000

Islay-based Bruichladdich Distillery plans to celebrate their 25th anniversary aboard a Yellow Submarine – specifically, Yellow Submarine III – a commemoration of both the distillery’s inaugural whisky after it re-started in 2001 and a real yellow submarine that was discovered off Islay’s coast near the distillery in 2005.

Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III lacks the fancy secondary name but is, of course, the third resurfacing of the Yellow Submarine, following a sighting in 2005 [Whisky of Mass Distinction: Yellow Submarine] and in 2018 [Yellow Submarine II: The Legend Resurfaces].

Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III was matured 14 years in both first-fill ex-bourbon barrels [25%] and first and second-fill former French red wine casks [75%], unpeated, distilled from 100% Scottish Appaloosa barley, bottled at 54.2% alcohol by volume [108.4 proof] and is said to offer notes of apple, crème brûlée and pear.

Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III is being made available from the official distillery website for $135 per bottle.