This New Whiskey Subscription Will Ship You Jim Beam Bourbon Finished in Macallan Casks
There are several subscription services available for whiskey fans these days, which makes sense given the continued popularity of categories ranging from bourbon to rye to scotch to Taiwanese single malts. The latest to hit the market comes from World Whiskey Society, an non-distilling producer that sources different styles of whiskey from around the world, often giving them a secondary maturation in another set of casks. And if you join now, you’ll have access to the first release: a bourbon that was finished in Macallan single malt barrels.
World Whiskey Society was founded in 2020, and over the past five years it has been responsible for some excellent and innovative whiskeys. The core lineup, or the Classic Collection as it calls it, consists of different bourbons finished in peated barrels, Cognac casks, sherry butts, and others. The Western Collection is made up of the Doc Holliday bourbons and one hazmat level whiskey called Wyatt Earp, which was bottled at about 160 proof (that’s 80 percent alcohol, to be clear). Finally, there’s the Reserve Collection, some of which we’ve covered before like a rye whiskey finished in awamori casks and a five-year-old Chinese single malt.
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World Whiskey Society’s new subscription program comes in two tiers, free and premium. Society Access is the free plan, which allows you to receive early announcements of new releases, behind the scenes insight, and invites to virtual and in-person events. The Society Subscription is the better option if you actually want to get your hands on some whiskey and are also willing to shell out $150 per quarter for bottles that are solely available to subscribers. The first release is a marriage of two very popular distilleries—it’s a 12-year-old bourbon from Jim Beam that was finished in casks previously used to mature single malt from Speyside scotch distillery the Macallan. The tasting notes are a little unusual for this whiskey—it says there is “bold, smoky peat” on the nose, and “a rush of smoky” peat on the palate. The Macallan really doesn’t make peated whisky these days, with a few exceptions—the M Black 2023 release did have some peated barley in the mashbill. But a rep for the brand says that the bourbon was finished in the 33-year-old Macallan barrel released by WWS last year, so those smoky notes come from the older barrel and not peat.
You can join for free or with a premium membership now at the WWS website, and you’ll receive a new whiskey delivered to your door every three months, starting with this interesting cask-finished bourbon.
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