by KIRK MILLER

The Best New Whiskeys to Drink This March

Hercules Mulligan Eyr & Rye

Basically an intercontinental take on a Manhattan, this ready-to-drink bottle (the company is named after an unsung American Revolutionary War hero) is a blend of four spirits, including three American Rye Whiskies and one Irish Whiskey, with a touch of cherry bitters and all-natural sweet and sour cherry juice.

Benriach The Sixteen

Speyside’s Benriach reintroduces a new take on their 16-year-old Scotch, which is now three-cask matured for at least 16 years in bourbon barrels, sherry and virgin oak casks. Benriach’s Global Brand Ambassador Stewart Buchanan told me this age is kind of a “sweet spot” for the single malt, and it certainly strikes a flavorful balance of apple, creamy malt, apricot, oak and honey.

WhistlePig PiggyBack Bourbon

Known for their rye, Vermont’s WhistlePig tests a 100-proof bourbon, aged six years in char #3 barrels with a “super-high” corn mashbill (and, of course, a bit of rye). There’s a lot of caramel corn on the nose, while the vanilla and spicy oak notes really shine through on the palate, along with a hint of maple and herbal tea on the finish.

Bowmore Masters’ Selection Aged 22 Years

If the packaging isn’t quite as eye-catching as their last $75,000 collaboration, Bowmore’s latest team-up with Aston Martin certainly offers merit purely on taste (the packaging is pretty nice, though!). This Islay single malt marries two stocks: One distilled in 1997 and aged in American oak hogsheads, the other distilled in 2000 and aged in Sherry butts.

District Made Spirits

The Bottled in Bond bourbon — not quite available yet — is a rye-forward standout, but the actual rye release is also unique, with plenty of toasted rye on the palate but also notes of cherry cola, licorice, cinnamon and a hint of mint.

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