Dewar’s 19 Year Old The Champions Edition for the 2023 U.S. Open was a limited blended Scotch bottled at 43% ABV and extra-matured in American oak casks seasoned with Napa Valley red wine. Dewar’s said the blend brought together up to 40 grain and single malt whiskies. The release is now a historical product, so this article explains what it was rather than implying current availability.
The 2023 release
The producer announced the bottle on 8 June 2023 for the 123rd U.S. Open, held at Los Angeles Country Club from 15 to 18 June. It was the third annual 19 Year Old Champions Edition in the U.S. Open series. The 2021 edition used a first-fill ex-bourbon finish; the 2022 edition used American oak and rye casks; and the 2023 edition moved to Napa Valley red-wine-seasoned casks.
The 19-year statement has a specific legal meaning for Scotch whisky: the stated age cannot exceed the age of the youngest Scotch whisky in the product. It does not mean that every component is exactly 19 years old. Dewar’s described the 2023 composition as up to 40 malt and grain whiskies, making “blended Scotch whisky” the relevant category rather than single malt.
At launch, the producer gave a suggested US retail price of $79.99 for 750 ml and described distribution as limited. That was launch information, not a permanent market price. Regional supply, taxes, bottle condition and seller terms can all affect a later transaction.
The Napa Valley cask finish
The 2023 release was extra-matured after blending in American oak casks previously seasoned with red wine from Napa Valley. Dewar’s called it the brand’s first finish in non-fortified wine casks. This is more precise than saying simply that the whisky was “aged in red wine”: the whisky had already reached its age before the additional finishing stage.
Dewar’s published tasting notes of red berries and black cherries, leading to a fruity finish with nutmeg. Those are the producer’s notes, not objective outcomes for every drinker. Serving temperature, glassware and individual sensitivity can change the experience. A collector should also distinguish the liquid specification from the commemorative packaging and U.S. Open branding.
Cask finishing can alter aroma, flavour and colour through further contact with oak and residues from the cask’s previous contents. It does not create a direct read-across to the future performance of private whisky casks. For more on the underlying production stages, see how whisky is made.
Collectibility has limits
It is reasonable to call the 2023 Champions Edition a limited commemorative release because that is how the producer launched it. It is not reasonable to infer a future resale price from that description. A branded event bottle may attract enthusiasts, but demand, provenance, storage, fill level, packaging condition, fees and the number reaching resale all influence a later result.
Anyone considering a secondary-market bottle should verify the exact edition. Later Champions Editions use different finishes, and the current Dewar’s product page may feature a newer release. Check bottle size, ABV, year, closure, packaging and seller photographs. Keep the purchase receipt and provenance records, and account for auction or platform charges before comparing prices.
Bottle collecting and whole-cask ownership are also different. A sealed bottle no longer matures, while spirit in a cask continues to change and lose volume. A bottle sale does not demonstrate what a cask will sell for. Our evidence guide explains the documentation questions that apply before a whole-cask purchase.
Whole-cask checks are separate
Whole-cask paperwork needs more detail than a bottle specification. It should record the cask number, current bulk litres, alcohol strength, warehouse, ownership, naming rights, storage charges and permitted sale or bottling routes.
A whole-cask buyer acquires a physical asset and carries uncertainty over condition, future demand, costs and exit. There is no automatic connection between a limited bottle launch and a ready buyer for privately held stock. Read the cask buyer checklist before comparing any offer, and use current primary documents rather than promotional descriptions.