When Kevin Plank, the assured founder of sports apparel powerhouse Under Armour, set his sights on whiskey back in 2012, it wasn’t just another bold business move—rather it was a love letter to his home state’s long forgotten rye heritage. Plank, along with partner Bill McDermott, wanted to invest in Maryland in a way that resonated with the region’s past. Their inspiration? The limestone-rich spring at Sagamore Farm, a thoroughbred horse racing estate Plank had purchased in 2007.

That spring water—long prized in whiskey-making—sparked research that led them to uncover Maryland’s once-booming rye industry. Before Prohibition, more than 40 distilleries thrived in the state, their spicy, full-bodied ryes renowned across the country. By the 1970s, they were all gone, casualties of war, changing tastes (aka the infamous whiskey crash) and consolidation. So Plank and McDermott saw a chance to resurrect rye in Charm City with Sagamore Spirits.

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The early days were about building a foundation. While they steadied themselves, and built their distillery in Baltimore’s Port Covington neighborhood, Sagamore Spirit initially sourced whiskey from Indiana’s MGP. One of the largest rye producers in America, renowned for their 95% rye / 5% malted barley mash bill, MGP’s recipe built labels like Templeton, Bulleit, High West and Redemption, while also being used by the likes of Angel’s Envy, Smooth Ambler, George Dickel and more. 

From the beginning, however, one of the ways Sagamore distinguished itself was utilizing a unique mash bill philosophy. Instead of leaning solely on MGP’s now-classic “high-rye” 95% rye, Sagamore uses two recipes—adding a “low rye” (52% rye, 43% corn, 5% malted barley) to the mix. By blending this other rye that hovers close to a bourbon in its high-corn grain bill, Sagamore creates a whiskey with rye’s spice but also a softer, sweeter profile. “We’re trying to educate the consumer,” Ryan Norwood, the brand’s Vice President of Operations, tells Maxim. “At the same time we’re trying to bring bourbon drinkers into rye.”

Those barrels gave the fledgling brand a foundation while their own Baltimore distillery took shape. In 2017, steel and copper finally met in Sagamore’s Patapsco River waterfront home, and the brand began laying down its own whiskey—mostly replicas of those twin MGP high- and low-rye whiskeys which built the Sagamore name. But the team made a deliberate choice: instead of flipping a switch, they slowly transitioned, blending their own whiskey into the MGP juice until Sagamore’s flagship Small Batch and Cask Strength expressions were fully Maryland-made—an achievement the former only achieved last year, and latter earlier this year.

That approach comes to full expression in Sagamore’s latest Reserve Series release: a 10-Year Rye, bottled at just over 110 proof (55.4% ABV). Made from some of the earliest MGP stock Sagamore ever purchased, the whiskey is both a farewell and a milestone—one of the last sourced barrels before the brand fully transitions to its own distillate. For Norwood, it’s a fitting capstone: “For me, rye kind of has that sweet spot between about six and ten years.”

Despite being sourced from Indiana, Maryland’s climate leaves its own fingerprint on the spirit. With humid summers and frigid winters, the state’s seasonal swings push whiskey deep into the oak barrels’ wood and back again, extracting flavor in bold strokes. Unlike Kentucky or Indiana, Norwood reveals Sagamore’s rickhouses often see proof rise during maturation, adding another layer of character. The result in the 10-Year is a whiskey the VP describes as “super balanced… with notes of peach crumble, roasted nuts, rye spice, with just enough sweetness to round it out.”

The 10-Year release is limited, and rye aficionados will likely snap it up for its SRP of $80. But for Sagamore it’s less about chasing hype than telling a story—about water and wood, about Maryland’s forgotten past, and about a decade-long gamble slowly paying off. Beyond being Sagamore Spirits oldest rye to date, the newest addition to its award-winning Reserve Series is also both an ending and a beginning, a tribute to the barrels that carried them this far, and a promise of what’s to come as more of their whiskey carries the unmistakable mark of Baltimore.

Follow our Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.

It’s right there in the lyrics of his inescapable hit single “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” after all: As Shaboozey sings, “they know me and Jack Daniel’s got a history.” The song has been positively everywhere since its release just last April, spending 19 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and leading to four Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, for the singer (real name: Collins Obinna Chibueze).

In fitting fashion, its success led Shaboozey to team up with the iconic Tennesse whiskey maker as part of the Jack Daniel’s “Highway No. 7” cross-country music series. Ahead of a show sponsored by Old No. 7 at New York City’s Terminal 5 earlier this month, Shaboozey was grateful to see his dreams and hard work taking shape and paying off, saying Jack Daniel’s is “like my number one fan.”

For the singer, it’s still all about being authentic as he kicks his “The Great American Roadshow” Tour into high gear. “I’m big on just putting parts of myself in the music,” he told Maxim as he prepared to head to New York City. “It’s just really cool that… with, the mention of Jack Daniel’s, so much support could come from it.”

The ultra-stylish 30-year-old singer added that working with Jack Daniel’s feels like family, and feels like a more-than-natural fit. “That’s something I’ve kind of done my whole career is… putting some of my favorite things in life into my music,” he added.

More than 1,000 guests got to see the singer-songwriter debut a new song, “Move On,” and the Grammy-nominated artist naturally brought plenty of Old No. 7 onstage. For a distillery with as much heritage (and modern innovation) as Jack Daniel’s, Shaboozey favors the classics when it comes to whiskey. “I like JD, you know what I mean? Some of my friends call me… the Jack Man,” he said with a laugh.

Of a hectic past year, Shaboozey described it as “rewarding” and “exhilarating,” and notes that he’s eager for more, describing his mindset as “go, go, go, go” as he works to build off the success of his breakout third album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going.

Musically, the singer lists everyone from Gillian Welch to Johnny Cash as inspirations, along with the gritty outlaw country of Townes Van Zandt, and naturally, the singer is a fan of any music with a focus on “great storytelling,” he says. Those inspirations should give the artist plenty to go off as he plots his next album, and Shaboozey noted his band will bring a mobile recording rig to try out new songs on tour for the first time.

His perspective goes well beyond whiskey and songwriting, though. The self-described “jeanhead” is also a big fan of Levi’s and even starred in a short film for the brand’s recent Global Icons campaign. “I wear a lot of jeans, a lot of Western shirts, and it’s always about style and how I can feel good up on stage,” he said.

Shaboozey’s rise in the music scene has taken him to the likes of legendary rock clubs like Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, and helped him dial in his setlist and stage design (Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottles, like any good rock show, are certainly par for the course).

“The set is really awesome. We spent a lot of time dialing it in and trying to make it as great as possible,” Shaboozey added, noting that “it takes a village to get here.” As Shaboozey brings his global smash hit (and plenty more fun) out on the road, check out his setlist here and be sure to bring your dancin’ boots (and an appetite for Jack Daniel’s whiskey).

The Great American Roadshow Setlist

1. “Last Of My Kind”
2. “Anabelle”
3. “Blink Twice”
4. “Tall Boy”
5. “Drink Don’t Need No Mix”
6. “Vegas”
7. “Highway”
8. “Move On” (with Kevin Powers)
9. “Family Traditions” (Hank Williams Jr cover)
10. “Amen”
11. “Finally Over”
12. “Fire And Gasoline”
13. “East Of The Massanutten”
14. “Horses & Hellcats”
15. “Good News”
16. “Let It Burn”
17. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”

The Balvenie Fifty might be having its Empire Strikes Back moment in 2025. After releasing a rare 50-year-old single cask scotch in 2024, this year’s release adds complexity, depth, and a bit of flexing from Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie.

She started this trilogy with a single European oak refill butt laid down in 1973 — a testament to the whisky making talent of her forbearers. For the record release, McKechnie has taken a more hands on approach, marrying some of that original European oak liquid with whisky from an American oak hogshead filled the same year, making this a two-cask creation. 

”For The Second Edition,” explains McKechnie, “we selected an American oak hogshead filled in 1973 to build on the legacy of the inaugural release. The time spent maturing in American oak has nurtured a beautifully balanced character, with notes of sweet honey and warming oak. This profile was chosen to complement the European oak influence of The First Edition, creating a marriage of casks that brings both contrast and continuity to the flavor thread running through the trilogy.”

The Balvenie Fifty is a planned collection of three releases. The first, launched in 2024, had an ABV of 52.3, while the second dips a bit lower to 49.8. According to tasting notes provided by the distillery, it seems to make up for the lower proof with darker flavors and aromas — violets, roses, currant and multiple layers of toffee, butter, and oak. 

What the third release will look like is anyone’s guess. McKechnie could continue her pattern and add a third cask to create the final liquid, or release the American hogshead as a standalone bottle. She could likewise do something completely new and different — or draw on whiskies of the past for inspiration. Balvenie is known for its more eccentric age stated releases and collections. The David Stewart Compendium collected incredible bottles from rare vintages, and the Balvenie Tun releases are among the distillery’s most coveted bottles. But this undertaking is substantially bigger and more ambitious.

Now for the bad news: only 97 bottles of this rare whisky were even filled, which a crushingly small portion of just 13 allocated for the US market. Suggested retail for batch two of Balvenie Fifty is $55,000, which isn’t a bad price by current standards for whiskies half a century old. Trilogies are always a challenge (just ask JJ Abrams), so it’s entirely possible that this could end up as the best bottle in the collection. But Balvenie has a long, rich history of incredible whiskies.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be expecting McKechnie to stick the landing, and hoping that you’re able to try a flight next year when all three are out in the world.

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for whisky reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.

“While we use time-tested, traditional Kentucky methods to make Michter’s, our production team is always experimenting and always searching for innovations,” Joe Magliocco reveals to Maxim. Honored to have the time of the always busy Michter’s Distillery President, we asked him as craft whiskey-makers built on a strong foundation of tradition, how they balance that dedication with still finding ways to innovate. In this case, with the Louisville-based distillery’s newest use of their ‘Toasted Barrel Finish’ process:  Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash.

“When we got the idea in 2014 to finish Michter’s US*1 Bourbon in a second barrel that had been toasted but not charred, and when we coined the phrase “Toasted Barrel Finish” we had no idea that it would be the start of a new category,” Magliocco adds. “Over time we saw that finishing in a second, toasted but not charred barrel introduced wonderful flavor components not just to our bourbon but to our Barrel Strength Rye and to our Sour Mash Whiskey as well. It’s very exciting for us to see people enjoying the toasted barrel finish whiskeys that are now on the market.” 

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The concept is simple, but offered explosive results. As mentioned above, it was in 2014 that Michter’s first thought of using these innovative barrels as a second finish on their award-winning bourbon. Credited with being the first American whiskey to use this toasted barrel finish technique, the Michter’s team first preps the wood by air-drying the staves for 18 to 24 months, or even longer for some releases. While more expensive and time-consuming than kiln-drying, this air-drying reduces astringent compounds in the wood, resulting in a smoother flavor. They are then toasted using a specific, proprietary heat profile.

But they are never charred like most barrels; charring involves an intense, high-temperature flame licking the wood, while toasting uses a more gentle heat over a longer period. This patient process caramelizes the wood sugars and breaks down flavor compounds, bringing them to the surface, amplifying the secondary barrel’s effect on the already mature whiskey poured in. 

Michter’s followed up their US*1 Bourbon Toasted Barrel Finish with applying the unique finish to their Rye in 2017, and now for 2025 introduce that treatment to their lesser known but also award-winning Sour Mash expression. A worthy candidate, given their original Sour Mash was the first American whiskey to ever be named ‘Whisky of the Year’ by The Whisky Exchange (it also scored a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition). 

While Michter’s does not disclose the exact mash bill of their Sour Mash, since it is not labeled a ‘bourbon’ we can infer that the recipe does not satisfy the 51% corn requirement, nor 51% rye since it does not fall under their ‘rye’ umbrella. The rest is anyone’s guess. 

“The [toasting] process itself allows for the different compounds present in the wood to be extracted at different levels,” Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee shares with us, noting how it was Michter’s former Master Distiller Willie Pratt who led the first toasted barrel research in 2014. The exact heat/toasting profile for the barrels is not the same for every Toasted Barrel Finish expression, however. For this one, in which Michter’s popular Sour Mash whiskey was poured, had its own toasting recipe.  

“There are almost an infinite number of toast profiles that one can try, and each one will yield a different result when used in a toasted-only barrel to finish a whiskey,” McKee continues. “When we decide what toasted-only barrel to use, our production team strives to find the specific toast profile best-suited to the particular whiskey that we are finishing. In the case of our Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash, burnt sugar as well as spice notes with smoky vanilla come to the forefront.” These flavors compliment and magnify the original Sour Mash’s notes of caramel and marshmallow which brought it so much acclaim. 

The limited release Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash comes bottled 43-percent ABV (86 proof), with a SRP of $110. If you can find a bottle, score it quick. 

Follow our Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.

“At Bushmills, tradition and innovation go hand in hand,” Alex Thomas tells Maxim. “With more than 400 years of heritage and experience, we have an unparalleled foundation of craft and consistency. At the same time, we see innovation as essential to keeping that legacy alive.”

And that four-century old Bushmills story is one about as turbulent as its Irish homeland. Launched in 1608 with a whiskey making license in the verdant meadows of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Bushmills determinedly survived fits and starts. Through devastating fires, world wars, industry crashes, and countless rebirths, it all leads today to our wonderful Spirit Of the Week: Bushmills 26 Year Old Crystal Malt Irish Whiskey.

Beyond its globally recognized Bushmills Original expression, the label truly excels in its extra-aged options. Back in 2022 we fell in deep, hopeless Gaelic love with the latest in their Rare Casks collectors’ series: a 29 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey finished in Pedro Ximenez casks. Then this spring came ‘Secrets Of The River Bush,’ a 46 Year Old Bushmills that laid claim to being the oldest Irish single malt ever bottled. 

Although claiming bragging rights as the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, that production has not been continuous since the early 17th century. As previously touched upon, a disastrous fire razed the distillery in 1885—and then once rebuilt World War II shuttered the doors once again. Still, the heritage at Bushmills runs deep—which makes the experimentation in their latest ultra-premium Irish single malt noteworthy. 

“The 26 Year Old Crystal Malt is a perfect example of this innovation,” posits the esteemed Bushmills Master Blender. “Instead of relying solely on maturation or cask finishes to influence flavor, we impacted the process at the malting stage by crystallizing the sugars before the liquid ever touches oak. This allows us to preserve the unmistakable character of Bushmills while introducing a new dimension of depth.

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“The process involves an additional stage during malting, where the natural sugars in the barley are crystallized during kilning,” Thomas explains of their proprietary process—one rarely used in the world of whiskey-making. “By carefully controlling temperature and timing, we are able to lock in those sugars, resulting in a malt that brings forward intense flavor at the pre-distillation stage.”

Thomas describes how the crystallization process creates an “unmistakable signature flavor,” the triple-distilled raw white dog coming out of the still already boasting a commanding depth of caramel and creamy chocolate before any oak influence whatsoever. So what happens then when this unique whiskey sits for more than a quarter-century in first-fill bourbon barrels sourced from Kentucky’s Kelvin Cooperage? 

“These notes evolve into a velvety texture with layered vanilla sweetness, malt richness, and subtle spice,” Thomas reveals. “The finish is long, warming, and elegantly balanced. Visually, the whiskey is surprisingly golden-hued and lighter than typical whiskies of its age, but it delivers astonishing depth.” 

Subtle elements of caramel, roasted barley, and chocolate malt found in traditional Bushmills are dialed up to 11 in the Bushmills Crystal Malt, while the long 26-year slumber in American oak softens the cacao punch into more of a deep tissue massage of toasted nuttiness. While its price tag of $1,000 for the bottle is steep, Bushmills here offers a truly unique spirit born both of ingenious innovation and ceaseless time. 

Follow our Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.

The Booker’s line bears an impressive enough lineage without experimentation, the result of a late 1980s debut that saw distiller Booker Noe (the grandson of Jim Beam) offer up 1,000 cases of barrel-strength whiskey to consumers. Previously, the barrel-strength bourbon was only set aside for lucky family and friends. But never before had James B. Beam Distilling experimented with a tequila barrel-finish for Booker’s, nor any of its prized whiskey stock: The results manage to speak for themselves, as Maxim found out during an exclusive visit to the rolling hills of the distillery’s Kentucky home earlier this month.

Calling them “particularly well-traveled,” the iconic distillery turned to barrels used to age its 2018 30th anniversary edition, sending them south of the border to El Tesoro tequila distillery and noting that “there’s a time-honored practice of collaboration between distilling families.” But here’s where things took a turn for the better (an already high bar to clear), as El Tesoro then sent the barrels back north: Enter Booker’s Kentucky straight bourbon.

While Booker’s “The Reserves” 2024 was an intricate blend of eight-to-fourteen-year-old whiskies blended and delivered at 125.9 proof, the 2025 edition leans on liquid aged to precisely 8 years, 10 months and 11 (or 12) days, with exact timing noted on the hand-numbered label And while the proof clocks in at 123.3 and the color is no less rich and sumptuous, the distinction is noticeable, at least in a side-by-side tasting. A “story as unique as its flavor” marks the offering, which manages to feature bright, utterly subtle and yet near-citrus like notes with a light touch of agave on the nose. It’s a curious and utterly delicious prospect that assuredly warrants the $129.99 suggested retail price.

Eighth-generation Beam family master distiller Freddie Noe said the Reserves line marks “something new, inspired by my granddaddy’s boundless curiosity and relentless pursuit of flavor.” Noe continues to carve out his own path in substantial fashion, as his own name recently graced a bottle of Jim Beam for the first time (in the Jim Beam Lineage 2025 offering).

The fact that bright cooked agave notes shine through on both the nose and finish in the latest Booker’s release, along with charred oak on the palate, speaks to an experiment done the right way, opening the door for further tequila-related releases, likely from both companies (at least, bourbon enthusiasts can dream).

Delivered as per tradition in a striking wooden display box that echoes the illustrious center-of-the-rickhouse barrels from which it was born, there’s a sense of tradition further extended and made modern by the younger Noe. From the 2023 debut of an American single malt to this year’s use of an altogether-new finishing process for the legendary distillery, Jim Beam handily proves the best whiskey is worth taking on a journey from barrel to bottle and onto your bar cart.

The annual drop of Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Bourbon and the other Van Winkle whiskeys is upon us, but the infamous 23-year bottle isn’t actually the most impressive one coming to market. Sazerac is sweetening the 2025 collection with a single re-release of Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year, up for auction starting today.

That bottle is the first in a new collection of auctions, as Sazerac is debuting a proprietary auction platform this month: Legacy de Forge. This platform is designed to “improve access to Sazerac’s most coveted spirits,” starting with a series of auctions in September. The lingering bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old up for auction stands as the oldest Van Winkle ever released. Old Rip Van Winkle 25 first debuted in 2017 in hand-engraved Glencairn crystal decanters, but Buffalo Trace made a big deal that they weren’t releasing all of the supply. This bottle — No. 706 — has been collecting dust in a temperature-controlled vault since then, although I suspect Sazerac has at least one bourbon duster employed to maintain standards. 

Only 710 were produced, so it’s possible that we have an idea how many Sazerac has left — potentially three, after this one. As for the “core” whiskeys of the Van Winkle Collection, they’ll be comparably easier to get to taste, though you’ll still have to do some hunting. The Van Winkle whiskeys have maintained a somewhat polarizing presence in the bourbon world for the last decade — everyone who gets serious about bourbon feels the pressure to have the experience at least once. Some people fall in love, some people use the experience to define their contrarian tastes. Either way, you need the dram first. 

Prices for this year are as follows:

Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10 Year Old – $149.99

Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year Old – $169.99

Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year Old – $229.99

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15 Year Old – $239.99

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20 Year Old- $359.99

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year Old – $499.99

As for the secondary market, those prices have begun to trend slightly downwards in recent months, with many experts saying that secondary prices in general should slide as the year progresses. Of course, Sazerac and the Van Winkles still advise against buying from authorized retailers. 

“Whiskey enthusiasts increase their risks of alcohol scams by purchasing from secondary markets and online sellers, including Craigslist, eBay, and social media groups,” Sazerac and the family said in a press release. “Additionally, many alcohol scams take place overseas. In some cases, consuming alcohol that is not purchased from a licensed retailer can lead to bodily harm and even casualties. Whiskey buyers who believe they have been scammed should not drink out of their bottle.” 

As a reminder, they added this: “The Van Winkle family reminds fans that neither they nor Buffalo Trace Distillery control the prices individual retailers charge for the expressions.” The Legacy de Forge auction lots will total eight this month, and will also include “O.F.C 2006, the newly-released Colonel E.H. Taylor Distiller’s Council, and a Stagg Single Barrel pick.” 

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for bourbon reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.

The pioneering whiskey company is no stranger to experimentation, nor to having a bit of cheeky fun in the process (whiskey cut with Liquid Death water, anyone?). And yet, there’s a lofty and luxe air to The BigShǝBàng. Slated for release this fall and newly announced, it joins other covetable and pricey WhistlePig offerings, including its Boss Hog series. Previously, the 25-year-old Badonkadonk (which debuted last year) was the crown jewel of its high-age statement whiskies, and 2023’s 21-year Béhôlden marked its entry into the burgeoning American Single Malt category.

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Consider WhistlePig a force to be reckoned with in that quickly growing arena, with the tools and pursuit of innovation to match. That means BigShǝBàng’s whopping 30-year age statement is a “super aged anomaly” that clocks in at an SRP of $4,999. The exact provenance of the liquid is unknown, but its designation as North American single malt likely places its origin north of the border in Canada (other releases have included whiskey blends from Indiana, for example).

Not to worry: Both 21-year-old Béhôlden and 25-year-old Badonkadonk will continue to receive annual limited releases.

The company, which describes its latest luxury offering as a “cosmic shift” in the world of whiskey, notes that The BigShǝBàng was “aged longer than any other North American Single Malt.” The liquid spent three decades in American Oak before receiving what should be a rather curious, luscious secondary maturation in Vin Santo Italian dessert wine barrels, giving it what WhistlePig calls “velvety character with profound depth.”

There’s already plenty of deep mouthfeel to WhistlePig’s flagship lineup, including its excellent 10-Year Straight Rye offering and its Piggyback series, anchored by a highly approachable yet no less luxe 6-year bourbon. The latest WhistlePig release ventures well beyond the boundaries of what the market knows as American Single Malt at the moment, the distillery noted. “The BigShǝBàng is a flavor supernova – radiant, otherworldly, and unlike anything we’ve ever put in a bottle,” said Meghan Ireland, Head Blender at WhistlePig.

It was a labor of love to track down rare Vin Santo barrels, Ireland said, and in total, fewer than four barrels of The BigShǝBàng have been made available this year. “We’ve been hunting down Vin Santo barrels for a few years now, and the stars finally aligned with a precious few to finish this inaugural release,” Ireland said. “As with many of our most elusive casks, they’ve proved to be a catalyst for complexity that’s well worth the quest.” Boasting a floral nose with touches of wheat crust and honeyed bread, WhistlePig notes the ultra-exclusive whiskey also features toasted cedar on the palate and a delicate, sweet finish.

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The liquid, presented in a handsome wooden display box, features an elegant script label on its bold glass bottle, which is further numbered individually. What limited quantities are available of this impressive 30-year-old single malt will be for sale at “the best establishments nationally,” while The BigShǝBàng will notably be available at the WhistlePig Vault in Louisville. The elusive quest for the latest and greatest rare offering from WhistlePig continues apace.

After this year’s Sundance Film Festival, I headed into the mountains to the stealthy and uber-luxurious Auberge Resort that I’d been scoping online for months––the Lodge at Blue Sky. I first heard about it through their Macallan Whisky Yurt. Then, through a series of coincidences, the chance fell into my lap to extend my time in Utah after a family ski trip at Deer Valley and Sundance, to stay at Blue Sky for the better part of a week while I waited for a DPS Skis media ski day with Ted Ligety. 

Acura was a sponsor of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and they loaned me one of their new ZDX EVs to test out on the mountain roads that would bring me to my new lair for the week. After passing through the main gates of the property, the winding mountain road left me doubting my sense of direction. Then I passed the massive tanks and chimneys of the High West Distillery––with whom the resort shares the property––and knew I was on the right track. The final curve is a blind one, and so the Lodge appears out of nowhere––one moment you’re on a tiny mountain road and then suddenly you’re under the giant, modern porte cochère and valet is walking out to meet you. 

I stepped through a massive door into the bright lobby with a mountain wear (and -ware) boutique, a lounge space with a chess board by a glass wall, and access to the bar and restaurant. It felt like I had been invited to a weekend retreat at the home of a tech oligarch. Owners Barb and Mike Phillips bought the 4,000-acre ranch in 2004 and transformed it into a luxury retreat that opened in 2019, and which is managed by Auberge Resorts. You still feel the fact that the ranch is at the heart of things. 

My room was one of the Earth Suites––modern structures that emerge from the slope of the landscape like rock formations, each with a private entrance and a private patio with an outdoor fireplace. These suites have doors to make them adjoin, so you could come with a group and have one big modern mountain luxury pad. With natural stone tile floors and thick wood paneling on the walls, the use of materials to mimic the earth, stone, and wood of the landscape create a sense of unity that the best architecture possesses; that rare ability of a new building to feel like a fresh idea and a timeless part of its surroundings at the same time. 

The in-room mini bar was well-stocked, everything was included in the room, and it was re-stocked daily. The bathroom was massive and had both indoor and outdoor showers. In the morning, one push of a button on the bedside table would bring up the blackout curtains and a gleaming mountainside would urge me out of bed.  

DINING AND DRINKING

Breakfast, and all of my meals, were at Yuta, the hotel’s main restaurant. The food of Executive Chef Guillermo Tellez is exciting, inventive, and refined. Mexican-born, you feel his native influence in subtle ways that add an important dimension to the menu. The wine list is extensive and earned it aWine Spectator award as one of 2024’s Best Restaurants for Wine. Yuta and the adjoining bar look out over Blue Sky’s heated infinity pool, and the mountains beyond. 

Seasonally, Blue Sky offers Guy Ritchie’s WildKitchen, inspired by the British filmmaker, which is an outdoor dining tent set in a high alpine field. The cuisine is open-fire centric, with things like native trout and elk, and produce grown on the property. Natalie Hamilton, Blue Sky’s sommelier, leads unique wine and whisk(e)y tastings throughout the property in summer and winter.

On my visit, she hosted me for a private Macallan tasting in a yurt with a wood-burning fire. Alongside a cheese and charcuterie board, we sipped inventive hot toddies, with ingredients like Star Anise, Sage, Pink Peppercorn, and fresh ginger juice. 

ON THE RANCH

After breakfast I would head to the spa, where a massive sauna and hot steam room would erase the wine from the night before. It’s one of those spas that have no red tape about guests using them whether or not you have a treatment booked. So, any time I wanted to go, I’d just call ahead, and they’d the prepare the sauna for me. Afterwards, in a chillout room with chaise lounges and floor-to-ceiling windows, I relaxed in a robe with green tea and complimentary superfood balls. 

You’ll need a few trips back to Blue Sky to do all there is to do here, but sporting clays, horseback riding, 4X4 tours, hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing, and various wellness options will keep you busy, whether you come in the winter or the summer. Even without a planned activity, it’s a nice property to explore. On one morning stroll, I saw coyotes and multiple bald eagles. 

Blue Sky shares a property with High West Distillery, and guests can book tours, or eat lunch at the distillery with a whiskey tasting. Hotel staff can drive you back so there’s no issue with imbibing. High West produces some of my favorite whiskeys, so this is no token distillery but a serious producer of world-class bourbon and rye. If you want to get off property and you didn’t bring a car, Blue Sky has a fleet of Mercedes that guests can take out for a few hours at a time. For skiing, Blue Sky offers daily shuttle service (seasonally) to their own private ski lounge in Park City, as well as shuttles to Deer Valley Resort. 

Maybe because it’s the first mountain I ever skied, but Deer Valley is my personal favorite mountain in the country. New for the 2025/26 season, Deer Valley will have 7 new chairlifts, and nearly 100 new ski runs. As part of an aggressive expansion plan, the resort has doubled their skiable terrain to a total of 4,300 skiable acres for this upcoming season. 

THE LAST DETAIL

The Lodge at Blue Sky is one of only seven Auberge Resorts properties in the Mountain West. Room rates begin around $2,700 for a one-bedroom, with all-inclusive options beginning at $3,685. The property offers tailored activities for summer and winter visitors and only closes for a few weeks in April and November. 

The 2025 edition of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is delicious, and absolutely worth getting your hands on once it’s available. The problem, unfortunately, is that this whiskey won’t be available at all in stores. Birthday Bourbon isn’t available in stores anymore — it has been relegated to a “sweepstakes,” which ran from August 15-21. I’m not sure why this is preferable to the equally disappointing scramble to find one in local stores — many of the Birthday Bourbons you’ll see people drinking were acquired on the secondary market for the last decade — but with a national rollout, it was at least possible to enjoy the thrill of the hunt. 

And this is a whiskey that’s consistently worth searching for. One of the coolest things about Birthday Bourbon is that we get so many details about the batch, which is traditionally comprised of barrels from a single day’s production, and a production where something unusual happened. Previous batches have had all sorts of unique quirks — one batch’s fermentation was extra long because of a power outage caused by a squirrel.

The 2025 was bottled at 12 years of age. The batch came from 210 barrels from Warehouse K, from floors 1 and 5. This whiskey was all distilled on April 5, 2013, and unlike almost every Old Forester you’ve ever tasted, this one was not made by sour mashing. Sour mash bourbons are created when a portion of the last batch’s mash is held over and added to the next batch. This “setback” helps to ensure consistency among batches. When you start from scratch, however, it’s referred to as a sweet mash.

Though it’s admittedly a bit sweeter than other bottles, the Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2025 is a classic Old Forester whiskey — deep woody spices, hints of dark chocolate, and a lingering cherry note that’s in and out through the finish. Great Old Forester bottles have this sort of cherry cough drop and cough drop menthol note — a product of the minty character of rye grain and, well, alcohol. That might not sound pleasant on its own, but as a background flavor, it adds this sort of cooling, syrupy texture that can counterbalance the bourbon’s spice-forward profile.

Yes, the proof point for 2025 leaves something to be desired. Birthday Bourbon does typically average a bit higher, but it has never been a cask strength release at heart. A few have taken ice or a dash of water well, but I wouldn’t get either within spilling distance of a glass of this year’s release. That’s not a negative, though. The last few years have seen a major swing toward high proof, cask strength bourbons, and the coining of the “HAZMAT” moniker for bottles hitting 130, 140, 150, and even 160 proof. I’ve had plenty of great Old Forester whiskeys with high proofs — this bottle is proof that proof doesn’t need to be high for the bourbon to be great.

In fact, the only negative thing worth saying about this bourbon is that you’ll never have the chance to walk into a store and find it — even at an absurd price hike. If you did manage to get in on the sweepstakes, you’ll likely be paying the $200 MSRP. But most of us will be looking at twice that price. Is it worth that? Absolutely, at least this year. But let’s hope that when we next celebrate the birthday of Brown-Forman founder George Garvin Brown, there’s a higher proof point, and a national rollout.

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for whiskey reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.