Twenty Years in Wood for Fifty Dollars
Black Velvet is marking its 75th anniversary with the Velvet Collection, four new Canadian whiskies that begin rolling out in the U.S. in November 2026. The headline bottle is a 20-year-old at $50. All four are distilled and aged in Lethbridge, Alberta, and the brand's owner, Heaven Hill, is positioning the collection as a significant step up from the budget bottle most drinkers know.
That budget bottle sells for around $9 for 750 ml on average, which makes the new range a very different offer from anything the brand has sold before.
The Lineup
12 Year-Old Signature
Bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV) for about $20 and sold nationwide. The nose is honeyed and nutty with stone fruit, and the palate is peppery with rye and vanilla.
12 Year-Old Tawny Port Finish
Also 80 proof at $20 nationwide, finished in tawny port casks. It carries toffee, coffee-chocolate, tropical fruit and clove, and it is the only one of the four with a named cask type.
15 Year-Old Select Rye Recipe
Priced at $30 and 80 proof, but sold in select markets only. It uses an undisclosed rye-focused recipe, and tasting notes run to floral and herbal top notes, rye spice, caramel, honey and cedar.
20 Year-Old Legacy
The top of the range at 90 proof (45% ABV) and $50, available nationwide. It shows sweet honey and dried-fruit aromas, rye, flaxseed and vanilla.
Why $50 Is the Story
Twenty-year-old whisky from any country rarely lists at $50. Scotch or bourbon at that age usually commands several times the price. For a brand whose standard bottle sits near $9, a $50 20-year-old is a big jump, though it still undercuts competing age statements. The 12-year-olds at $20 are the more approachable trial, and they place an age-stated Canadian whisky in the price range most drinkers consider everyday.
Christie Brinkley Returns
Christie Brinkley first appeared in Black Velvet ads in 1978 as one of the original "Black Velvet Ladies," and she returns as the brand's spokesperson for the anniversary campaign, which pays homage to the vintage ads, including the velvet gloves. In a press statement she said: "returning nearly five decades after my first campaign with the brand felt incredibly meaningful," and that the campaign "celebrates the legacy Black Velvet has built over 75 years." One part of the coverage describes the gap as "nearly 50 years" and a photo caption says 48.
A Brand With a Long Story
Black Velvet was created by Heublein in 1951 and has been made in Lethbridge since 1973. Its mash bill is rye, barley and corn, matured in bourbon casks. At the anniversary event, master distiller Jonathan Goldberg traced the brand's origins to Toronto in the late 1930s, when Gilbey's Gin Distillery began making Canadian whiskey. The whisky first came out of the barrel in 1951 as "Black Label," but after original distiller Jack Napier sampled it, he changed the name.
Ownership has changed more than once. Constellation Brands bought the brand from Diageo in 1999, and Heaven Hill acquired it in 2019 for $266 million. Today it sells about 2 million cases a year and is described as the second-largest-selling Canadian whisky in the world. The Lethbridge distillery employs about 60 people and makes about 10 million litres a year.
The Trade Backdrop
The launch arrives at a rough moment for Canadian whisky. Roughly 95% of the Lethbridge distillery's output is sold in the United States. The whisky is shipped in bulk and bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky, which may partly shield it from the harshest import restrictions. The U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on billions of Canadian exports, including alcohol, effective August 22, and Canada responded with counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion of U.S. goods.
At the anniversary event, Claude Bilodeau, vice president and general manager of the Black Velvet Distilling Company, described the tariff environment as causing "unsettling turbulence" for the business. U.S. spirits exports to Canada have collapsed by nearly 70% since several provinces pulled American whiskey from shelves. Bilodeau hopes to add a small bottling line in late October or early November to serve the Canadian market, which the company has largely neglected.
What Drinkers Should Do
For anyone who wants to see what Canadian whisky can do at age, the 12-year-olds at $20 are the easy trial and the 20-year-old at $50 is the one to watch. The 15-year-old rye recipe is limited to select markets, so availability will depend on where you live. All four reach shelves starting in November. Given the age statements and the price, expect the 20-year-old to attract collectors and bartenders looking for a value pour, and expect it to sell out in some markets.
