Independent bottler Wu DRAM Clan is expanding its American whiskey program after the rapid sell-out of its 21-year-old Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey. The European group will build on this momentum by conducting its first on-site barrel selection at Kentucky’s Willett Distillery in December 2025.
The recent release, part of the bottler’s Liquid Crew series, was limited to 109 bottles from a single cask distilled in 2003.
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Its European allocation sold out almost immediately after being announced, signaling strong interest from collectors for ultra-aged American whiskeys.
Long-aged Tennessee whiskey is seldom seen in Europe, and expressions exceeding two decades are especially rare on the continent.
Official notes from the brand describe the whiskey as having notes of “beeswax, antique leather, resinous oak and sweet corn.”
The Liquid Crew series was created to highlight individual American whiskeys that would otherwise remain in private collections or be absorbed into larger blends.
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For Wu DRAM Clan, the release demonstrated the growing appetite among European drinkers for unusual, character-driven American expressions.
The group’s American program, launched in 2024, has expanded steadily, with most of its releases selling out before reaching European shelves.
This growth has been supported by a relationship with Willett Distillery, which began earlier in 2024 when Wu DRAM Clan supported the German release of a Willett 7-Year-Old Family Estate Single Barrel Rye.
The bottling represented the first Willett single cask to reach Germany in almost 20 years and opened the door for a closer partnership.
Building on the successes of the past year, Wu DRAM Clan will now increase its activity in the United States, planning more on-site barrel selections and new collaborations.
Co-founder Sebastian Jäger commented on the importance of direct engagement with producers.
“Working with American whiskey means understanding the place it comes from,” Jäger said.
He continued: “Being present in the rickhouse, speaking with the teams and learning from the distillers is essential. It helps us choose barrels that feel honest and true to their origin.”
