Garrison Brothers Distillery

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

Pasote Tequila has debuted new packaging across its whole line of agave spirits. The new bottles feature the brand’s name on colored labels with Aztec gods and warriors—a black label for Blanco, red for Reposado, and orange for Añejo—as well as a new white band across the bottles’ stoppers. While the bottles and labels have changed the liquid inside remains the same and is still produced from 100% estate grown blue agave. Pasote’s Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo offerings retail for $49-$69, and its Extra-Añejo sells for around $190.

Austin, Texas-based Garrison Brothers Distillery will release Laguna Madre on May 8. The new, limited-edition Texas straight Bourbon is the most ambitious expression Garrison Brothers has produced, the result of four years of aging in white oak barrels followed by four years in French-imported Limousin oak barrels. Only 2,000 bottles will be available nationwide. Each bottle is housed in a display case framed by a photo of its namesake Gulf Coast waters and hand-signed and numbered by master distiller Donnis Todd. Laguna Madre is at 50.5% abv and will retail for $300 a bottle at the distillery and in select outlets nationwide.

Austin, Texas-based Ballotin Whiskey’s latest release is Ballotin Chocolate Peanut Butter Whiskey Cream. Blending the brand’s barrel-aged whiskey with dairy cream, the release elaborates on Ballotin’s previous Chocolate Whiskey Cream and is a permanent addition to the lineup, which also includes Chocolate Mint, Caramel Turtle, and Bourbon Ball, among others. It’s at 17% abv and retails for a suggested $22 a 750-ml. Ballotin Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream is available now across Ballotin’s more than 30 state distribution area.

Jura Whisky has added a new 12-year-old expression to its U.S. portfolio of single malt Scotch expressions. The new offering first matures in ex-Bourbon casks before finishing in Oloroso Sherry casks. It joins Jura’s 12-year-old, Seven Wood, and 18-year-old expressions, and retails for around $50 a 750-ml.

Honkaku Spirits is debuting Takamine Whiskey in the U.S. market. Made at Japan’s Shinozaki Distillery, Takamine is an 8 year-old, 80-proof, 100% barley, koji-fermented whiskey. Koji (aspergillus oryzae) is a mold that grows on grains, breaking the starches into sugars which yeast can then convert into alcohol through fermentation. Koji has been used in Japan for more than 1,200 years to make sake as well as soy sauce, miso, shochu, and other familiar umami-laden Japanese products, according to the company. Aged in virgin American oak and ex-Bourbon casks, Takamine is rolling out now across 15 states, distributed by Winebow and retailing at $99 a 750-ml.