GSN Spirited News: September 14th 2021 Edition

Kentucky’s Covered Bridge Whiskey Company has expanded its offerings, adding a new rye whiskey to its Ruddell’s Mill label. The 47.2% abv whiskey is distilled from a high-rye mash bill that also includes malted barley. The brand is named for the founder of a gristmill that operated in Bourbon country during the early years of Kentucky whiskey production. Ruddell’s Mill rye is now available in select markets across the U.S. through Worldwide Libations for around $50 a 750-ml.

E.& J. Gallo has launched a new 19-year-old expression in the Germain-Robin family of brandies. The 41.4% abv single barrel brandy is distilled from Pinot Noir grapes from the Anderson Valley in Mendocino county and matured in Limousin oak barrels. Germain-Robin Pinot Noir Single Barrel is now available at the company’s California Brandy House in Napa for $250. It will soon be available in other select locations across the U.S.

Rothes, Scotland’s the Glen Grant Distillery is celebrating the 60th anniversary of distiller Dennis Malcolm with a new 60-year-old single malt whisky. The Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition is bottled at 52.8% abv and is drawn from a single ex-Oloroso Sherry cask filled in October, 1960. Only 360 Glencairn decanters are available in select global retailers with each bottle selling for €25,000 (roughly $30,000).

Peoria, Illinois-based JK Williams Distilling is adding two new products to its lineup. Distilled six times, Blueprint Vodka (40% abv) is the first clear spirit from the company, featuring the Peoria skyline and a local bridge on the bottle. The distillery is also launching its new Bridge Series with American Wheat Whiskey, made from 95% wheat and bottled at 47% abv. It will retail for $50 a bottle at select Illinois retailers as the third release from JK Williams since it launched its initial offerings in the fall of 2020. Named for a storied bootlegger, JK Williams’ previously released Gold Zephyr Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Stormy River High Rye Whiskey.

Actress Eva Longoria has introduced a new luxury Tequila brand, Casa del Sol. The new franchise includes 100% Blue Weber agave Blanco ($60 a 750-ml.), Reposado ($70) and Añejo ($100) expressions, the latter two of which are aged in Martell Cognac barrels. Alejandra Pelayo, Casa Del Sol’s head of production, is a protege and goddaughter of the late Patrón master distiller Francisco Alcaraz. Casa del Sol is launching now in California, Colorado, and Florida ahead of a national rollout slated for early next year.

Lux Row Distillers is releasing a new Bourbon in partnership with conservation organization Ducks Unlimited. The new release is called Daviess County Double Barrel Bourbon and is a variation on Lux Row’s existing Daviess County Bourbon. Created by Lux Row master distiller and Ducks Unlimited member John Rempe, it’s finished in Missouri white oak barrels with toasted heads and bottled at 48% abv. The label features an inset of the Ducks Unlimited duck head logo. The Double Barrel Bourbon is available in mid-September, with limited supplies retailing for a suggested $50 a 750-ml. 

YaVe Tequila has extended its range with a Reposado expression. Aged eight months in American oak barrels, the brand’s new Reposado is bottled at 40% abv and retails at $60 a 750-ml. It joins the existing Blanco Tequila in the YaVe range, which is distributed across eight markets (and ships to 33 states nationwide).

Compass Box has introduced a new blended malt Scotch whisky called Orchard House. Compass Box says the majority of the recipe is made from stocks of spirit purchased from distilleries known for their fruit-forward flavor. These spirits were then aged in a variety of casks including first fill ex-Bourbon barrels, Oloroso Sherry-seasoned butts, and French oak custom barrels. Retailing at $50 a 750-ml. and bottled at 46% abv, Compass Box Orchard House will be part of the brand’s core collection and will debut widely in October.

Beam Suntory has released 100 bottles of the Yamazaki 55 Japanese whisky in select global markets. The 46% abv offering is a blend of whiskies distilled in 1960 and 1964, with the older whisky maturing in Mizunara oak and the younger whisky in white oak, before bottling in 2020. The whisky is available in the U.S., U.K., mainland China, and Taiwan, among other nations, for a suggested price of $60,000 a bottle. For each bottle released, Beam Suntory will donate $5,000 to the White Oak Initiative, a group focused on sustaining America’s white oak forests.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: August 3rd 2021 Edition

Hye, Texas-based Garrison Brothers Distillery is releasing a new expression called Guadalupe. Named for the Texas river of the same name, Guadalupe is a Bourbon aged four years in American white oak and finished an additional two years in Port casks sourced from winemakers in Portugal. The release follows 2019’s Estacado, a similar Port-cask expression that resulted from a barrel trade with Texas winery Llano Estacado. Guadalupe is bottled at 53.5% abv and will be available year-round for a suggested $130 a 750-ml.

Chopin Imports has added the Catalan Vermouth maker Dos Déus to its portfolio, bringing the fortified wine producer to the U.S. for the first time. Beginning August 1, Chopin will make three of Dos Déus’ wines—Dry White Vermouth Reserve, Dry White Vermouth, and Red Vermouth Reserve—available through Southern Glazer’s and other distributors. The line will retail from $25 to $35 and each wine’s label features a Greek god: Zeus for the dry white, Poseidon for the white, and Athena for the red.

Dallas-based Ricou Spirits has teamed with Vallejo, California’s Hearts + Tales Beverage Co. to import and distribute Brandy Saint Louise in the U.S. The 43% abv French brandy is blended from spirits aged between three and 10 years. It launched in 2018. Brandy Saint Louise retails at $35 a 750-ml. and is distributed to 20 states.

Uncle Val’s Gin is expanding its lineup with new release Zested. It’s a citrus flavored gin, distilled five times and infused with Bergamot orange, coriander, barley malt, and juniper. Zested joins Botanical, Restorative, and Peppered in the Uncle Val’s portfolio, which is part of 3 Badge Beverage Corp., developed by 3 Badge president August Sebastiani as an homage to his Italian uncle Valerio Cecchetti. Zested is at 45% abv and will launch in early September for a suggested $40 a 750-ml.

Diageo has announced a new, highly limited expression for Tequila Don Julio. The new release, Primavera, begins as Don Julio Reposado before aging for an additional period in orange wine casks. Don Julio Primavera is bottled at 40% abv and only 15,000 cases will be available this year at a suggested retail price of $99 a bottle. Though the release is quite limited for now, Diageo says that Primavera will return in spring 2022. 

Harridan, a New York-based vodka, has made its debut with distribution handled by Park Street. The spirit is distilled from New York-grown corn at Ovid, New York’s Myer Farm and bottled at 44% abv. Brand founder Bridgette Taylor chose the name and proof in tribute to women who have been denigrated for being too bold. Harridan is now available in 48 states and through e-commerce services like Drizly and ReserveBar with a suggested price of $60 a 750-ml.

Milton, Delaware-based Dogfish Head Distilling Co. is launching its first single malt whiskey, called Let’s Get Lost. Distilled from a custom blend of malted barley and aged for more than three years in charred oak barrels, it’s available now in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. Dogfish Head shared early samples of the 51% abv expression last holiday season, leading Whiskey Advocate to give it 92-point rating. Dogfish Head was acquired by Boston Beer Co. in 2019.

Compass Box has announced Canvas, the latest blended malt whisky from the well-regarded independent bottler. The blend comes in at 46% abv and features whisky matured for three years in casks that held Vino Naranja, a Spanish fortified wine from Condado de Huelva that ages on orange peels. Only 5,880 bottles will be available worldwide. In the U.S., the whisky will retail for a suggested price of $150 and will be available on ReserveBar, Flaviar, and in other e-commerce channels. Canvas also has an interactive component whereby customers can create their own label designs. The bottle’s QR code links to a label template where customers can input a photo, sketch, or any other artwork and then print it out for use on the bottle.

Beam Suntory and Aston Martin have teamed up for a new series of travel-retail-exclusive bottlings of Bowmore Islay Scotch whisky. The Designed by Aston Martin series is kicking off with limited edition packaging for Bowmore’s 10-, 15-, and 18-year old whiskies. The Bowmore 10-year-old is paired with Aston Martin’s LM10, the 15-year-old is inspired by the Aston Martin Atom, and the 18-year-old by the DB MKIII. The whiskies are rolling out now in global travel retail for around $59, $80, and $121, in order of age.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: March 23rd 2021 Edition

Diageo has launched Cîroc Summer Citrus, the latest flavored offshoot for the grape-distilled vodka brand. The 35% abv spirit is infused with orange and other citrus flavors, and comes packaged in a multicolor bottle meant to evoke summer. Cîroc Summer Citrus is now available for a limited time across the U.S. for a suggested price of $34 a 750-ml.

Luxco has announced the latest release in the Blood Oath Bourbon whiskey series: Pact 7. The 49.3% abv whiskey is blended from a 14-year-old and two 8-year-old Bourbon whiskies, with one of the 8-year whiskies finished in Sauternes casks. Roughly 17,000 cases of the whiskey will roll out across the U.S. in April for a suggested price of $100 a 750-ml.

Scotch whisky player Compass Box is now importing its latest limited edition to the U.S. Beginning in April, Compass Box’s Menagerie Blended Malt Whisky will be available stateside. It’s a 46% abv blend created with single malts from the Mortlach, Deanston, Laphroaig, and Glen Elgin distilleries, combined with Compass Box’s Highland malt blend. Just over 7,700 bottles are being distributed worldwide, with a suggested retail price of $120 a 750-ml.

Frankfort, Kentucky’s Castle & Key Distillery has unveiled Slow Hands Rye, a new series of single barrel whiskies. The series will initially launch with four barrels—with each giving up roughly 200 bottles of whiskey—all retailing for $60 a 750-ml. and ranging from 54.15% abv to 57.95% abv. Looking ahead, the company will expand the Slow Hands offerings and plans to make 10 barrels available by the fall. All of the whiskies are distilled from a mash of 63% rye, 17% corn, and 20% malted barley. Castle & Key Slow Hands Rye will go on sale at the company’s distillery beginning March 26, with wider distribution being planned.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: December 22nd 2020 Edition

Precept Wine has launched A.G. Perino Dry and Sweet Vermouths. Retailing at $10 a 750-ml., A.G. Perino is made by winemaker Hal Landvoigt and uses premium wines and natural flavors to produce vermouth in a classic Italian style. Both the sweet and dry varieties are recommended to be served on the rocks or in a variety of cocktails. The vermouth category was up 35% in dollar terms in Nielsen channels over the 26 weeks through November 28.

Kentucky’s Bardstown Bourbon Company has announced three releases—including two new editions of its “Series” labels and the return of a previous collaboration. Bardstown’s Fusion Series 4 ($60 a 750-ml.) is a blend of 13-, 4-, and 3-year old whiskies bottled at 47.45% abv, and its Discovery Series 4 ($130) is a blend of 15-, 13-, and 10-year old whiskies bottled at 57.5% abv. The third release is the Phifer Pavitt Collaborative Series ($125), a 50% abv Tennessee Bourbon aged 10 years and finished 18 months in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. All three releases will be available across Bardstown’s distribution footprint.

Jefferson’s Bourbon has added a new single barrel release to its portfolio. The 50% abv offering marks the first time that Jefferson’s has marketed a single barrel whiskey, and it comes in at a higher proof than the company’s flagship releases. Jefferson’s Reserve Single Barrel is now available in select retailers across the U.S. for around $60 a 750-ml. 

Compass Box has announced the February 2021 launch of Magic Cask, a new blended malt whisky. Bottled at 46% abv, Magic Cask’s creation was inspired by a particular cask of Sherry-matured Scotch, which was blended with whiskies from the shuttered Imperial Distillery. The 2021 iteration of Magic Cask is an extremely limited release, with only 1,800 bottles available across the U.S. at $175 a 750-ml.

Nashville, Tennessee-based Brown Water Spirits is releasing O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Rye. It’s the second in the company’s River Aged Series and follows the October debut of O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Whiskey. Both expressions are aged in a floating rickhouse moored on the bank of the Mississippi River in Ballard County, Kentucky, creating constant motion during the aging process. River Aged Rye ($80) is at 49% abv and is currently available in Tennessee, with additional markets coming as inventory allows through R.S. Lipman and Vintage Point. Brown Water Spirits was founded in 2015.

Barrell Craft Spirits has released Barrell Bourbon Batch 027, a blend of Straight Bourbon whiskies distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. The new bottling features a selection of five-, six-, eight-, nine-, 13- and 15-year-old barrels. Retailing at $90 a 750-ml., it was bottled in Kentucky at a cask-strength 115.7 proof. Barrell Craft Spirits has a distribution footprint of 45 states.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: October 20th 2020 Edition

Newport, Oregon-based Rogue Ales & Spirits is launching an addition to its line of canned cocktails. Rogue Ginger Lemon Whiskey Mule is the first in the series to use whiskey as its base spirit, joining three vodka-based offerings and a Gin Fizz. It’s at 7.5% abv and contains a blend of Rogue Spirits whiskey aged between 4 and 6 years along with ginger, lemon, simple syrup, and sparkling water. It is available nationwide now, retailing in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans.

Cincoro Tequila, the brand founded by Michael Jordan and other NBA owners, has released a limited number of 1.75-liter bottles of its Añejo Tequila. Each bottle is individually numbered and will be available for purchase on Cincoro’s website. Interested consumers can register now for a chance to buy. The 1.75-liter bottles will be available in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nashville, Dallas, and Houston.

Palm Bay International is launching Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Retailing at $65 a 750-ml., the newcomer is triple-distilled from a blend of malted Irish barley, unmalted Irish barley and Irish barra oats. It was aged five years in first use ex-Kentucky Bourbon and ex-Oloroso Sherry casks and was bottled at 43% abv. Rolling out nationwide, it joins Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin in the Drumshanbo range.

Herradura Tequila, part of the Brown-Forman portfolio, is introducing a new permanent extension to its range. Herradura Legend is an Añejo Tequila matured for 14 months in heavily charred, new American White Oak barrels. Herradura makes its own barrels and deeply grooves them to expose the Tequila to more layers of toasted oak. Legend will initially be available in select markets, including New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Oregon, California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina retailing at $125.

Boston, Massachusetts-based Latitude Beverage has added a new Bourbon to its Wheel Horse Whiskey brand, following the launch of Wheel Horse rye earlier this year. The 50.5% abv whiskey is aged between two and four years from a mash of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. The whiskey was distilled at the Owensboro Distilling Company in Kentucky and is now available in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Tennessee for around $28 a 750-ml.

Bacardi is debuting three new offerings from its Exceptional Cask series of single malt Scotch whiskies: Aberfeldy 18 Years Old ($120, 43% abv), Aberfeldy 20 Years Old ($200, 43% abv), and Craigellachie 24 Years Old ($300, 52.2% abv), all of which are rolling out this month. Each expression in the Exceptional Cask series is hand-selected by malt master Stephanie Macleod.

Sweet Amber Distilling Co. has announced a new cask strength program for the Blackened American whiskey line. The whiskey, called Batch 106, is a blend of Bourbon and rye that’s bottled at 55.35% abv. According to the company, the whiskies in the blend are an average of eight years old. Like the wider Blackened release, Batch 106 is finished by playing music through the spirit, in this case Metallica’s S&M2 collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony. Blackened Batch 106 is available for around $55 in Kroger Supermarkets in Kentucky and in Tampa, Florida at Luekens Wine & Spirits.

Constellation Brands has extended Svedka with a new range of canned Vodka Soda cocktails. The new offerings, made with real fruit juice and natural flavors, are at 8% abv and come in Strawberry Lemonade, Black Cherry Lime, and Mango Pineapple flavors. They’re rolling out now, retailing at $13 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans, and $3 an individual can.

Beam Suntory has launched Suntory World Whisky Ao, its first global blend of whiskies, to 16 travel retail markets. The 43% abv blend is assembled from Beam Suntory’s Scottish, Canadian, American, and Japanese distillers by fifth generation Suntory chief blender, Shinji Fukuyo. This marks the first international launch for Ao, which was previously released in April 2019 as an exclusive for the Japanese market. Suntory World Whisky Ao retails for around $71 a bottle.

Lucas Bols USA has launched a new, non-alcoholic version of its Damrak gin, called Damrak Virgin 0.0. The spirit alternative is made with citrus peels, lavender, and coriander seeds, among other botanicals, and aims to mimic the flavor of Bols’ alcoholic Damrak gin. It’s now available nationwide in retail channels as well as online via the brand’s website and Amazon.

Frankfort, Kentucky’s Pinhook has announced its 2020 Vertical series whiskies. The new releases are Bourbon War 5 Year, bottled at 52% abv, and Tiz Rye Time 4 Year, bottled at 48.5%. Both whiskies are sourced from MGP. Pinhook will release new editions each year until the Vertical series gets to 12-year-old whiskies. The whiskies retail for $50 and $45, respectively, and are now available in 25 states and through Breeze, the company’s text message-based e-commerce channel that allows fans to text a photo or description of one of Pinhook’s whiskies to a personal shopper who then sources the spirit.

Louisville, Kentucky’s Barrell Craft Spirits has introduced a new addition to its BCS (Barrel Craft Spirits) line, a 15-year-old Bourbon. The whiskey is blended from straight Bourbons distilled in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee, and bottled at 52.45% abv. Barrel’s BCS Bourbon is rolling out now in limited quantities—only 12,000 bottles will be released—and will retail for around $250 in select stores across the company’s 45-market distribution footprint. In addition to this new release, the BCS line also includes another whiskey and a rum.

Compass Box has announced the Peat Monster Arcana, the latest whisky celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary. The 46% abv whisky is made from a base of cask strength Peat Monster that aged for an additional two years before blending with malt whiskies from the Talisker, Miltonduff, and Ardbeg distilleries. The Peat Monster Arcana is rolling out this month in limited quantities across the U.S.; only 3,900 bottles will be available for a suggested price of $95 a 750-ml. This is the third celebratory whisky the company has released for its 20th anniversary, following Hedonism Felicitas and Rogues’ Banquet.

Elenita, a new brand of sparkling mezcal cocktails, is debuting across California. The 5% abv range includes Cucumber Lime Basil and Pineapple Jalapeno offerings and retails at $36 an eight-pack of 12-ounce cans on the company’s website. In addition to online, Elenita is available at select Total Wine and BevMo outlets among other on- and off-premise locations. The brand’s mezcal base is made from 100%-Espadin agave and distilled in Oaxaca.

Brooklyn, New York-based Widow Jane has announced the next batch of Decadence, the company’s maple syrup cask-finished whiskey. The 45.5% abv Bourbon starts as Widow Jane’s standard 10-year-old whiskey before finishing in casks used to age Crown Maple Syrup. This iteration of Decadence is rolling out now in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, and Texas, and will retail for around $80. Each batch of Widow Jane’ Decadence comes in at around 3,300 bottles of whiskey.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily