Black Velvet Canadian Whisky has launched a new premium lineup, and the brand tied it to a familiar face from its past. On October 26, 2026, Black Velvet announced the Velvet Collection and a new campaign featuring Christie Brinkley, who first appeared in the brand’s advertising in 1978.
What Black Velvet announced
According to Black Velvet’s announcement, the Velvet Collection is a new four-expression lineup of aged Canadian whiskies. The release is part of the brand’s 75-year story and arrives alongside fresh campaign images with Brinkley that mix new photography with visuals connected to her earlier Black Velvet ads.
Black Velvet said Brinkley’s return is meant to connect the brand’s past with its current portfolio update, rather than introduce a first-time spokesperson. In the announcement, Aaron Wilke, AVP at Black Velvet Whisky, said the campaign is meant to honor the brand’s history while introducing the new collection.
The lineup includes four bottles:
Black Velvet Velvet Collection 12-Year-Old Signature, 80 proof (40% ABV)
Black Velvet Velvet Collection 12-Year-Old Tawny Port Finish, 80 proof (40% ABV)
Black Velvet Velvet Collection 15-Year-Old Select Rye Recipe, 80 proof (40% ABV)
Black Velvet Velvet Collection 20-Year-Old Legacy, 90 proof (45% ABV)
For shoppers, the practical takeaway is straightforward. This is a broader shelf expansion, not a one-off bottle, and it adds age statements and a cask-finished option to a brand that many buyers already know from lower-priced whisky shelves.
What is in the new lineup
Black Velvet described the 12-Year-Old Signature as a blended Canadian whisky with notes including caramel, honey, rye spice, apple, pear, vanilla, pepper, and baking spice. The brand said it finishes smooth, clean, and dry, which positions it as the most classic expression in the set.
The 12-Year-Old Tawny Port Finish adds a cask finish that Black Velvet said brings aromas of toffee, mocha, tropical fruit, nuttiness, allspice, and clove. On paper, that makes it the bottle in the lineup most likely to appeal to drinkers looking for a sweeter or more dessert-leaning profile.
For the older releases, the 15-Year-Old Select Rye Recipe is described by the brand as featuring intense rye spice, brown sugar, stone fruit, lavender, herbal notes, caramel, honey, and cedarwood. The 20-Year-Old Legacy, bottled at 90 proof, is described with honey, raisin, floral notes, vanilla, flaxseed, and baking spice.
That flavor detail may matter most to people planning pours for the holiday season. A port-finished whisky or an older rye-forward blend can shape cocktail choices, cheese boards, and dessert pairings, even though Black Velvet’s announcement did not include serving suggestions.
When it arrives and what it costs
Black Velvet said each expression in the Velvet Collection will be sold in 700 mL bottles. The company said availability begins nationwide in November, with suggested retail prices ranging from $19.99 to $49.99 depending on the expression.
The announcement did not provide a bottle-by-bottle pricing breakdown, so shoppers may need to wait for retailers to post listings or shelf tags. It also did not name specific chains or markets beyond saying the collection will be available nationwide.
Bar and beverage trade coverage published after the announcement repeated the same core launch details, including the four-bottle lineup, Brinkley’s return, the 700 mL bottle size, and the November timing. That makes the release look less like a limited nostalgia campaign and more like a formal portfolio extension for the brand.
For anyone browsing store shelves this fall, the key facts are the date, the four expressions, and the price range. Black Velvet is adding older Canadian whisky expressions to its lineup, and Christie Brinkley is the face helping introduce them.