GSN Spirited News: November 23rd 2021 Edition

Glenmorangie, part of the Moet Hennessy portfolio, is launching A Tale of Winter, a new innovation from the single malt Scotch whisky brand. Finished in Marsala wine casks from Sicily, the 13-year-old single malt retails at $100 and is bottled at 46% abv. 

Cognac Frapin is introducing two new offerings in the U.S., a VSOP and VIP XO. Frapin’s VSOP is made of 100% Grande Champagne Cognac, aged in limousin oak, and retails at $70 a 750-ml. The VIP XO expression, higher up the ladder, is a blend enhanced with very old Cognacs from the family cellars and retails at $250.

The Singleton is releasing a new 39-year-old single malt Scotch whisky from The Singleton of Glen Ord Distillery. Aged in a blend of casks including Port, red wine, Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherries, and then finished in French Bordeaux casks, the new luxury malt was bottled at 46.2% abv and retails at $2,680 a bottle, of which 1,695 are being released globally. The Singleton 39-Year-Old follows on from The Singleton 38-Year-Old within the Diageo brand’s Epicurean Odyssey Series.

Italy’s Villa Massa has launched Vermouth Giardino. The new label is debuting with two options, Vermouth Giardino Mediterranean Dry by Villa Massa and Vermouth di Torino Rosso Traditionale by Villa Massa. The former is a contemporary-style dry vermouth made with Sorrento lemon peels, at 18% abv and retailing for $25 a 750-ml. The latter is a Torino-style sweet vermouth, at 16% and the same price point. They are available now in the U.S. The vermouths join Villa Massa Limoncello and Amaretto in the brand’s lineup.

Alameda, California-based St. George Spirits is releasing its annual single malt. A yearly tradition since 2000, St. George Single Malt Whiskey, Lot 21 is blended from 26 barrels of single malt that St. George has distilled over the years, selected by head distiller and blender Dave Smith. With a 100% barley mashbill, the liquid spans batches aged 4.5 to 10 years across Kentucky Bourbon barrels, Tennessee whiskey barrels, apple brandy casks, and California Sauternes-style casks. It’s at 43% abv. The distillery produced 700 cases, with a 750-ml. bottle priced at $100 and available at fine spirits retailers nationally.

Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door whiskey brand has partnered with MGM Resorts International on a new exclusive bottling, 777 Blend. The new entry consists of three 7-year-old straight whiskeys: Heaven’s Door’s previously unreleased wheated Bourbon; a low rye Bourbon; and a straight rye whiskey. The 46.8% proof offering is now available at MGM Resorts’ Las Vegas properties including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Park MGM, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage, as well as MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

Jefferson’s Bourbon, part of the Pernod Ricard portfolio, has debuted Ocean Voyage 24, the latest offering in its Ocean: Aged At Sea series. For this release, Jefferson’s whiskey traveled by boat through ports in the Caribbean and Central America, resulting in barrel exposure to high heat and tropical humidity. Retailing at $80 a 750-ml., Jefferson’s Ocean Voyage 24 is now available nationwide. Pernod Ricard acquired Jefferson’s along with the rest of Castle Brands for $223 million in 2019.

Conecuh Brands is introducing four new expressions under its Clyde May’s Whiskey label. They include: Clyde May’s Single Barrel Straight Bourbon 5-Year-Old (102 proof, $50); Special Reserve Straight Bourbon 6-Year-Old (110 proof, $60); 13 Year Cask Strength Alabama Style Whiskey (120 proof, $140); and Kentucky Straight Bourbon 15-Year-Old (112 proof, $200). 

Ireland’s Waterford Whisky, founded by industry veteran Mark Reynier, is rolling out a new bottling called Luna, made from biodynamically grown Irish barley. Luna is the latest whisky in Waterford’s Arcadian Series, which showcases rare barleys and forgotten ways of farming. Retailing at $125 a 750-ml., Luna is matured in a combination of 35% first-fill U.S. oak; 17% virgin U.S. oak; 26% premium French oak; and 22% Vin Doux Naturel oak. At 50% abv, it’s debuting in the U.S. in a supply of approximately 21,000 bottles (1,750 cases).

Calirosa Tequila, produced in Jalisco, Mexico, is launching a limited-edition Extra Añejo expression in the U.S. The newcomer is made with 100% blue agave and aged three years in California red wine barrels. Joining Calirosa’s existing lineup of Rosa Blanco and Añejo, Extra Añejo is at 40% abv and is priced at $200 a 750-ml. It’s available to pre-order now on ReserveBar. Calirosa is backed by Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine and his wife, model Behati Prinsloo.

Denver-based Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey has launched the second edition of Mountain Angel, the distillery’s 10-year-old, limited edition single malt whiskey. Batch 2 is bottled at 47.3% abv and matured entirely in new charred American oak casks. The whiskey carries a suggested retail price of $130 and is available in very limited quantities (roughly 600 bottles for this release) at Stranahan’s distillery and in select retail locations. It joins the company’s original expression and sits alongside other limited releases like Snowflake.

The Whistler Irish Whiskey has announced the annual release of its Imperial Stout Cask and Calvados Cask whiskies. This year’s version of The Whistler’s Imperial Stout Cask Finish—dubbed Batch 002—was made in collaboration with O’Hara’s Brewery in Bagenalstown, Ireland. It’s a blend of 50% wheat whiskey, 35% malt whiskey, and 15% grain, aged six months in casks from O’Hara’s that originally housed sherry, and bottled at 43% abv. Calvados Cask Finish is a continued collaboration with Chateau du Breuil composed of 35% malt whiskey and 65% grain whiskey, aged 15 months in the Chateau’s Calvados casks and also bottled at 43%. Only 3,000 bottles from Batch 002 will be available in the U.S. for a suggested $40.

American Liquor Co. Vodka has expanded distribution into Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, on the heels of its successful initial launch in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. American Liquor Co. Vodka is a four-crop blend made from locally-grown Midwest winter wheat, light rye, Rio Grande potato, and white corn, and was co-founded and blended by master blender Chris Montana, who is also the owner of microdistillery Du Nord Social Spirits in Minneapolis. The brand retails at $24 a 750-ml.

Texas-based Marfa Spirit Co. has launched its inaugural product, Chihuahuan Desert Sotol. Led by entrepreneurs Josh Shepard, Seth Siegel-Gardner, and Morgan Weber in partnership with master sotolero Jacobo Jacquez, who is based in Janos, Mexico, the company aims to bring awareness to sotol with its debut product, which is distilled in Mexico and then processed and bottled in Marfa. Chihuahuan Desert Sotol (45% abv) is now available across Texas, retailing at $49 a 1-liter bottle.

Diageo has announced Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour, a new ultra-limited release celebrating the vast stores of rare whisky available to master blender Jim Beveridge. The whiskies in the blend are all at least 48 years old and come from ghost distilleries like Glyn Albyn, Port Dundas, Brora, and Glenury Royal, as well as Cameronbridge, Blair Athol and Dalwhinnie. The release, one of Beveridge’s last before retiring at the end of the year, is bottled at 41.8% abv, and is limited to 288 bottles, priced at £20,000 (roughly $27,000).

Georgetown, Kentucky’s Blue Run Spirits has announced three holiday releases. First up is Blue Run’s Holiday Rye, available both as an individual bottle and as a gift set. The whiskey is a 53% abv special bottling of the company’s recently released Golden Rye, bottled at a higher proof (up from 47.5% abv) and retailing for $140 across Blue Run’s distribution footprint. Additionally, Blue Run will release a gift set version, with two tumblers from Aged & Ore, through online service Seelbach for $230. Finally, on December 1, Blue Run will kick off 12 Days of Single Barrel High Rye Bourbon, a series which will see bottlings from different barrels released each day. These will be available through Blue Run’s website and will retail for $140.

Casa Lumbre has launched Lost Irish, a new, internationally-minded Irish whiskey, that’s rolling out now in New York, Illinois, Texas, and California. The 40% abv whiskey is a blend of grain, malt, and pot still whiskies partially matured in six different cask types from around the world: South African brandy, Japanese Mizunara oak, European Sherry casks, Bourbon casks, North American rum casks, Australian Tawny Port casks, and South American rum casks. 

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: November 9th 2021 Edition

Evanston, Illinois-based Few Spirits is celebrating its tenth anniversary with new release Few Bottled In Bond Bourbon Whiskey. It’s made from a mashbill of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley and bottled at 50% abv after aging in oak for a minimum of 4 years. An initial 2,000 cases are being released this month to the New York, Illinois, California, Florida, and Colorado markets, as well as direct-to-consumer online, with wider distribution planned for next year and a suggested retail price of $50 a 750-ml.

Glenmorangie is introducing a special edition 18-year-old single malt in collaboration with Tokyo-based floral artist Azuma Makoto. The newcomer, which retails at $140 a 750-ml., showcases a special display, Dancing Florals of Glenmorangie, created by Makoto on its giftbox and label featuring over 100 blooms and confetti-like petals meant to evoke the whisky’s nuances.

Brown-Forman has launched Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release, Coy Hill High Proof, the 2021 iteration of the company’s limited edition barrel program. The whiskey—ranging from 68.7% abv to 74.15% abv—is the highest proof bottling the distillery has ever released. It’s drawn from barrels matured in the highest levels of the Coy Hill barrel house, which is located on the highest hill at the distillery. The whiskey is rolling out now across the U.S. for a suggested retail price of $70.

Frankfort, Kentucky’s Castle & Key Distillery has partnered with the Black Bourbon Guild to release a brand new series of whiskies, with 100% of sales going to the Diversity in Kentucky Distilling Scholarship program, a new initiative launched by the distillery and guild. The Untold Story of Kentucky Bourbon, Chapter 1 is bottled at 53.3% abv and is made from a mashbill of 73% corn, 10% rye, and 17% malted barley. Each year a new Untold Story will be introduced, with each release highlighting the contributions of Black Americans throughout Bourbon history. Chapter 1 retails for a suggested price of $150 a 750-ml. and only 425 bottles will be released. 

Diageo’s George Dickel has teamed up with Colorado craft distiller Leopold Bros. to create the George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend, a new blend of rye whiskies. The 50% abv whiskey brings together Leopold Bros. Three Chamber rye (named for the type of still used to distill it) and George Dickel’s column still rye whiskey and carries a suggested price of $110 a 750-ml. The George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend is rolling out now in limited quantities in select markets across the U.S.

American Highway Bourbon, a new brand from country music star Brad Paisley, is set to hit shelves across the U.S. this month. The 48% abv whiskey was distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company and is blended from two 3-year-old whiskies, plus a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old. In a unique twist on the maturation process, American Highway spent part of its life on the road with Paisley, aging in a 53-foot trailer that accompanied the musician on his 2019 tour. For the first batch, 30,000 bottles will be released for a suggested price of $100. American Highway will be available in 21 markets across the U.S. and online through Seelbachs.

Fort Collins, Colorado-based Old Elk Distillery is releasing a limited edition expression called Old Elk Infinity Blend. It’s a blend made up of 60% Six Year Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon, 24% a 12 year old Kentucky vintage, and 16% an 11 year old Kentucky vintage. The distillery plans to use this blend in future releases, continuing annually. Old Elk Infinity Blend will be distributed by Southern Glazer’s for a national limited release, available at select retailers for $150 a 750-ml.

Beam Suntory has launched Baker’s Exclusive Selection, a new limited-time spinoff for the Bourbon brand. This release is bottled at 53.5% abv and the chosen barrels aged for over 11 years. Like the standard Baker’s, the Exclusive Selection is a single barrel whiskey. It’s rolling out now in select locations across the U.S. with a suggested price of $100 a 750-ml.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: June 1st 2021 Edition

Islay single malt producer Kilchoman Distillery has released the 2021 edition of Kilchoman Loch Gorm, its Oloroso Sherry cask-aged expression. The 2021 Loch Gorm is a vatting of 24 Oloroso Sherry butts that were filled with Kilchoman whisky in 2011. It’s at 46% abv and retail-priced at $125, the same as last year’s release. Some 17,000 bottles of the 2021 Loch Gorm have been released worldwide, with 2,040 bottles for the U.S. That’s up slightly from last year, when 15,000 bottles were released worldwide and 1,920 bottles went the U.S. Kilchoman has also unveiled Kilchoman PX Sherry Matured, a vatting of 33 casks—nine fully matured in PX casks and 24 finished in PX casks for 12-18 months. Kilchoman PX Sherry Matured is at 47.3% abv and retails at $125. Some 12,000 bottles were released worldwide, with 1,500 bottles for the U.S.

Welsh distiller Penderyn has released Penderyn 10-Year-Old Ruby Port U.S. Exclusive Single Cask (PT 178). This whisky was casked in an ex-Bourbon barrel in November 2010, then transferred to an ex-Ruby Port cask in May 2013, and disgorged for bottling this past January. It’s at 61.1% abv and retail-priced at $150, with 231 bottles available. A second Penderyn Ruby Port finish, a 12-year old, will follow in the coming weeks.

Heaven Hill Brands has revamped the packaging and upped the proof for Evan Williams 1783 Bourbon. The refreshed packaging includes a taller bottle shape with tapered sides and “1783” embossed above the label. The whiskey’s abv has been bumped up from 43% abv to 45%, bringing it back to its original proof. The whiskey will retain its small batch designation, with 300 or fewer barrels blended together for each batch. Evan Williams 1793, with its raised proof and new bottle, is rolling out now across the U.S. for around $20 a 750-ml.

Philadelphia Distilling has announced a new offshoot in the Bluecoat gin family: Bluecoat Gin for Seltzer. The 47% abv spirit is made with yuzu and black limes, among more traditional gin botanicals, and is designed to pair with seltzer for easy-to-make cocktails. The company is positioning the gin as an upscale alternative or additive to hard seltzer. Bluecoat Gin for Seltzer will launch in July in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. for around $31 a 750-ml.

Glenmorangie is launching Grand Vintage Malt 1997, a new limited-edition offering. After aging for almost a decade in Bourbon casks, a parcel of the whisky was transferred to Château Montrose red wine casks from the Saint-Estèphe appellation of Bordeaux, while another portion was finished in Oloroso Sherry casks. The seventh offering in the single malt Scotch brand’s Bond House No. 1 series, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1997 will debut on ReserveBar on June 1, retailing at $900 a bottle.

Sarasota, Florida’s Bushwacker Spirits has launched its namesake pre-mixed cocktail in Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee. The 17% abv liqueur is made with rum, coconut, cream, coffee, and chocolate, and is intended to be served on its own and as a base for other cocktails. The company is planning further expansion this year, targeting the South and Midwest.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: September 29th 2020 Edition

Moët Hennessy USA is set to launch A Tale of Cake, the newest limited release from single malt Scotch brand Glenmorangie, in October. The 46% abv whisky was finished in Tokaji casks. A Tale of Cake’s launch will be accompanied by a promotional campaign involving cocktails and cake recipes by Jeremy Le Blanche and Dominique Ansel, respectively, to go with the new whisky and with Glenmorangie’s core releases. The whisky will retail for around $99 a 750-ml.

Brown-Forman has announced a new three-batch Bourbon release to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Old Forester. The three whiskies will each be at cask strength and bottled in amber-colored glass reminiscent of hand-blown bottles used in the 19th century. Batch 1 is bottled at 62.8% abv and is made from 46 barrels; Batch 2 is made from 48 barrels and bottled at 63.2% abv; and Batch 3 is assembled from 53 barrels and is at 63.4% abv. Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon is bottled unfiltered—only barrel char sediment has been removed—and will be available in limited quantities across the U.S. for around $150 a 750-ml.

Goslings Rum is offering a new limited release called Papa Seal Single Barrel Bermuda Rum. It was blended from a range of pot- and column-distilled rums that run between 10 and 21 years aged in white oak barrels and aged another two years in Bermuda, ultimately bottled at 41.5% abv. Only 1,500 bottles of Papa Seal 2020 will be available nationwide, each hand-labeled with its barrel number, bottle number, and bottling date. Beginning next month it will be available at select retailers in 16 states as well as online, retailing for $199 a 750-ml.

Edrington has announced the sixth and final release in the Macallan Edition Series. The Macallan Edition No. 6 is a 48.6% abv whisky made from liquid matured in both European and American Sherry-seasoned oak casks. Tying in with the launch, the Macallan has started a partnership with the Atlantic Salmon Trust to support efforts to protect at-risk fish, including in the Macallan’s own section of the river Spey. The Macallan Edition No. 6 is rolling out globally this month and will retail for around $150 in the U.S. Last year, the Macallan was at 268,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.

Heaven Hill Brands has released a packaging refresh for parts of the Evan Williams family of whiskies. Evan Williams Black’s new label sports a richer gold color and a black and gold capsule with Evan Williams’s signature. The bottled-in-bond release features a green and white label that more prominently shows the higher proof and the standards of bonded whiskey; the capsule shows the tax strip designating the whiskey as bonded. Evan Williams’ flavored releases will now feature a centered label and the new bottle shape.

Minnesota-based Prestige Beverage has added Davidoff Cognac to its import portfolio for the U.S. The company is now rolling out Davidoff’s V.S. ($35), V.S.O.P. ($50), and X.O. ($150) releases—all bottled at 40% abv—in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Carolina, North and South Dakota, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wisconsin.

William Grant & Sons has relaunched Milagro Select Barrel Reserve, the brand’s luxury-priced tier. The full line—Blanco ($40), Reposado ($45), and Añejo ($55)—is returning to market in new bottles inspired by Mexican architectural works and featuring an engraved agave plant and colors specific to each release.

Proximo Spirits has made former special edition Kraken Black Roast Coffee rum a permanent addition to the line. The 33.3% abv rum is made from macerating the brand’s Trinidadian spiced rum with coffee beans to create a richly spiced and sweet spirit, according to the company. Kraken Black Roast Coffee rum is now available across the U.S.

Sombra mezcal, part of the Davos Brands portfolio, has unveiled a new bottle design. The new packaging, which rolls out this fall, takes its inspiration from the vaso veladora, glass cups traditionally used to contain prayer candles that are common in Oaxacan churches. The updated design also includes a refreshed logo, copper lettering, and a reduced glass weight to be more eco-friendly. Sombra, which translates to “shadow,” is at 90 proof and retails at $35 a 750-ml.

Clase Azul Tequila has announced the launch of the 2020 edition of its Día de Muertos Tequila, set to hit shelves on October 1. The 40% abv spirit is made from a blend of Clase Azul’s Plata, 8-month-old reposado, and 5-year-old Ultra—aged in ex-Sherry casks—Tequilas. The 2020 Día de Muertos Tequila is a limited release and only 2,000 bottles will be available globally, retailing for around $400 a 750-ml.

The Dalmore has launched the latest release in its Principal Collection, a 12-year-old single malt finished in Sherry casks. The 43% abv whisky is initially aged for 10 years in American oak barrels previously used to mature Bourbon before finishing for up to three years in casks that held Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry. The Dalmore 12-year-old Sherry Cask Select single malt is now available in the U.K. and major Asian markets with a U.S. launch to follow in 2021.

Plantation rum has extended its portfolio with two new Fijian rums. Plantation Isle of Fiji is a permanent addition to the range. Distilled in pot and column stills at Rum Co. of Fiji, and then double-aged in Fiji and France, it’s at 40% abv and retails at $25 a 750-ml. Plantation Fiji Vintage 2005 is the first offering in Plantation’s new Birds of Paradise vintage collection. It was first distilled in triple column stills and aged for 14 years in Bourbon casks in the mild climate of the Fiji Islands, then spent an additional year in Ferrand French Oak barrels in the House’s cellars in Cognac. The limited edition is at 50.2% abv and retails at $80.

Chicago-based House of Somrus is adding to its range with a new Coffee Cream liqueur. The line extension is made with coffee and chicory, together with real dairy cream from Wisconsin and quintuple-distilled Caribbean rum. Retailing at $25 a 750-ml., it carries an abv of 13.5% and is rolling out across 21 states.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: February 4th 2020 Edition

RumChata is extending its range with a new Limón expression. Retailing at $20 a 750-ml., the newcomer is a blend of Caribbean rum with dairy cream, vanilla, and lemon, packaged in a bright yellow version of the RumChata bottle. Designed to be served on the rocks, in hot or cold coffee, or in cocktails, RumChata Limón will roll out nationally by April, backed with a TV, print, and social media campaign.

MGP Ingredients has debuted single barrel offerings for its George Remus Bourbon and Rossville Union Rye whiskies. Bottled at cask strength, George Remus Single Barrel Straight Bourbon whiskey will be available through participating accounts for $60 a 750-ml. Rossville Union Single Barrel Straight rye whiskey, meanwhile, is a bottled-in-bond expression retail priced at $50. Both labels are offered in two different mashbills, with pre-sale open until March and shipping expected by September.

Angel’s Envy has announced the second release in the Louisville-based distillery’s Cellar Collection, Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tawny Port Wine Barrels. The 55.8% abv whiskey was aged for 10 years before finishing for 10 months in Tawny Port barrels. Only 5,400 bottles will be available, beginning February 8. The limited release will be sold in Kentucky, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Tennessee, as well as the Angel’s Envy Distillery, at a suggested price of $250.

NFL legend Terry Bradshaw is launching his own Bourbon brand. Bottled at 51.9% abv, Terry Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is sourced from an unnamed third-generation master distiller and will roll out nationally in the coming months, retailing at $40 a 750-ml. The brand is a collaboration between Bradshaw and Silver Screen Bottling Company, which has also partnered on spirits labels with franchises like Showtime series Ray Donovan, Star Trek, and the movie Predator.

Glenmorangie is launching The Cadboll Estate, billed as the single malt label’s first “single estate” whisky. Aged for 15 years in first-fill American white oak Bourbon casks, the new offering was made with barley grown on the Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate in the Scottish Highlands, chill-filtered, and bottled at 43% abv. Retailing at $85 a 750-ml., it’s debuting across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico beginning March 1.

Conecuh Brands is bringing J.&J. McConnell’s Irish Whisky back to life 60 years after the original distillery folded. Conecuh says the brand—which spells “whisky” without an “e” in a nod to the original product—was at its peak in pre-Prohibition America and is returning to the U.S. after a 90-year absence. The new release is distilled at Great Northern Distillery and aged for five years in American oak before bottling at 42% abv. The brand will continue to be produced by Great Northern until Conecuh’s new Belfast distillery is completed. McConnell’s Irish Whisky retails for a suggested price of $33 a 750-ml.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Backbar Review: September 29-October 3, 2014

Glenmorangie has released a new single malt, Taghta, which it says is the world’s first crowdsourced whisky. Created over the past 18 months with input from whisky enthusiasts in more than 30 countries, Taghta—which is Scots Gaelic for “The Chosen One”—will be available globally in a supply of 12,000 bottles, retailing at £70 ($114) apiece. The new malt was developed by—and will be sold through— Glenmorangie’s Cask Masters program, led by Dr. Bill Lumsden, the brand’s director of distilling and whisky creation. Through the Cask Masters program, consumers helped decide in which casks the spirit was matured and assisted with packaging design and imagery associated with the finished malt.

Phillips Distilling’s UV vodka has launched UV Salty Caramel Apple, the brand’s first limited edition seasonal flavor. Featuring notes of apple, caramel and salt, the fall-inspired offering will be available nationwide, retailing for $11.99 a 750-ml. and $12.99 a 1-liter. Salty Caramel Apple joins UV’s existing range of more than 20 flavored vodkas, including its recently released UV Sugar Crush and UV Sriracha entries.

The Edrington Group has officially unveiled Macallan Rare Cask, a new expression within the luxury malt’s core range. Aged in handpicked Spanish oak Sherry seasoned casks, Rare Cask is presented in a sculpted, heavy glass decanter and retails at $300 a 750-ml. The ruby red-hued single malt carries an alcohol-by-volume of 43%.

Louisville, Kentucky’s Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. is releasing a new offering, Absinthe Blanche, a 130-proof clear absinthe that retails at $55 a 750-ml. bottle.

Beam Suntory’s Pinnacle vodka has re-introduced its Pumpkin Pie and Peppermint Bark flavors ahead of the holiday season. The pair, which are priced at around $12.99 a 750-ml., will be available nationwide for a limited time. Pumpkin Pie and Peppermint Bark join Pinnacle’s existing 40-plus portfolio.

Fishbowl Spirits’ Blue Chair Bay rum brand has released Coconut Spiced Rum Cream, a new limited edition extension. Featuring vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove notes, Coconut Spiced Rum Cream is targeted toward the holiday gift-giving occasion and, according to the company, can serve as a lower-calorie egg nog alternative. The 30%-abv offering joins Blue Chair Bay’s existing White, Coconut, Coconut Spiced and Banana entries. The brand, created and owned by singer Kenny Chesney, retails for around $19 a bottle.

California-based Congenial Spirits is launching a new small-batch whiskey, Twelve Five Rye, to select on- and off-premise outlets in Los Angeles, San Diego and Arizona. Retailing at $50 a 750-ml. bottle, Twelve Five is distilled at Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery in Swisher, Iowa, and aged for a minimum of two years in charred American oak barrels. The mashbill of the 95-proof whiskey—which is named for the day Prohibition was lifted in 1933—is 70% rye, 15% malted barley and 15% corn. Initially, Twelve Five is being released in a limited quantity of 2,500 cases.

All information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

 

GSN: Backbar Review – October 7-11, 2013

William Grant & Sons is releasing a new Balvenie single malt expression exclusively for the U.S. market. Tun 1401 Batch 9 ($250) is a 49.3%-abv whisky sourced from 11 traditional whisky casks and three sherry butts, whose ages span a number of decades. It rested for several months in Tun 1401, one of the distillery’s unique “marrying vessels,” which also produced the previous limited releases Batch 3 and Batch 6. The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 9 will be distributed in limited supply beginning this month.

Diageo is introducing two new flavors to Smirnoff vodka’s range this fall—Wild Honey and Cinna-Sugar Twist. Both are now in national distribution, priced at $15.99 a 750-ml. The flavors join Smirnoff’s existing Confections portfolio, which also includes Root Beer Float, Iced Cake, Kissed Caramel, Whipped Cream and Fluffed Marshmallow.

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Beam Inc.’s Laphroaig single malt Scotch brand has reintroduced Laphroaig Triple Wood, its limited edition fall seasonal, in the U.S. Triple Wood, a 96-proof whisky, is matured three times, using ex-Bourbon barrels, 19th century-style quarter casks and European oak Oloroso Sherry casks. The returning entry will be available in limited quantities nationwide, priced at around $59.99 a 750-ml. Laphroaig Triple Wood is joined in the Laphroaig portfolio by the brand’s 10-year-old, 10-year-old Cask Strength, Quarter Cask, 18-year-old, 25-year-old, QA Cask and Càirdeas offerings.

Brown-Forman has added a new seasonal variant to Jack Daniel’s, Winter Jack. A blend of apple cider liqueur, Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey and holiday spices, the new product is suggested to be served warm and touted as “reminiscent of apple pie complemented with Tennessee whiskey and seasonal spices, with a finish of toasted oak and vanilla.” Winter Jack is hitting 30 U.S. states and Canada this month.

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Sidney Frank Importing Co. has expanded its Bärenjäger honey liqueur brand with a pair of new offshoots—Bärenjäger Honey & Tea and Bärenjäger Honey & Pear. Bärenjäger Honey & Tea features notes of sweet black tea and honey, while Bärenjäger Honey & Pear offers a blend of honey and pear brandy sourced from Germany. Both entries are currently available nationwide in 50-ml., 375-ml. and 750-ml. formats, priced at around $28.99 a 750-ml. The Honey & Tea and Honey & Pear variants are joined in the Bärenjäger portfolio by the brand’s original Bärenjäger honey liqueur and its Honey & Bourbon label, which launched last year.

Glenmorangie is set to introduce a very limited offering of what it calls the “world’s first extra-matured single malt,” Glenmorangie 1963. Packaged in a commemorative bottle including its original label, 1963 was extra-matured in Spanish Oloroso Sherry casks for almost two years prior to its original release in 1987. Glenmorangie says it recently uncovered 50 bottles of the historic whisky in its Highland warehouses. Twenty of them will be made available for purchase in the U.S. through high-end stores at a suggested price of $2,600 each.

Fort Worth, Texas-based Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. has launched its flagship T-X blended whiskey brand in Louisiana. Currently available in the state both on- and off-premise via Glazer’s, T-X is a blend of select whiskies priced at around $35 a bottle. Louisiana marks brand’s first expansion outside of its home market of Texas. A craft whiskey distillery established in 2010, Firestone & Robertson is planning to debut a straight Bourbon made with locally-sourced corn, wheat and yeast as the second offering in its portfolio.

Pernod Ricard is returning its Pernod absinthe to its original recipe. The brand’s revamped formula was reconstructed in a two-year process from records that show how it was made in the 1800s, prior to the U.S. ban on absinthe from 1912-2007. Changes include a move from neutral grain to neutral wine spirit for the base, with grapes sourced from Languedoc as specified; the usage of grande wormwood sourced from Pontarlier, the historical home of the brand where the original factory was founded in 1805; and natural coloration through the maceration of green nettles, instead of added dyes and artificial colors. The remade Pernod (136-proof) will first appear at several leading New York City retailers, priced at around $68 a bottle.

35 Maple Street, the spirits unit of Sonoma-based The Other Guys, has released two new limited-edition versions of its Masterson’s whiskey brand. Masterson’s 12-Year-Old Straight Wheat Whiskey ($79), at 50% abv, is made from Canadian wheat and glacial water, distilled in a copper pot still and aged in white oak casks. Masterson’s 10-Year-Old Straight Barley Whiskey ($79), at 46% abv, is made from Canadian barley and glacial water, double-distilled and also aged in white oak casks. Some 2,337 cases (14,022 bottles) of the 12-Year-Old Wheat and 1,954 cases (11,724 bottles) of the 10-Year-Old Barley will be available. The Other Guys, run by August Sebastiani, launched 35 Maple Street in 2011 with Masterson’s Rye ($79) and has since followed with Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin ($35-$40) and Kirk & Sweeney Dominican Rum ($40).

South Carolina-based High Wire Distilling Co. has made its debut in its local Charleston market with the launch of Hometown vodka and Silver rum. Initially rolling out into retail outlets this week, the pair will also be available at local bars and restaurants in the near future. Priced at $27.99, Hometown vodka is a gluten-free offering made with 100% corn, while Silver rum is produced using Barbadian molasses and will retail for $23.99. High Wire, which bills itself as Charleston’s first distillery since Prohibition, distills its spirits using a handmade German copper still.

Several new limited-edition malts are joining the Campari America portfolio across the Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch brands. Bowmore is welcoming a new addition called The Devil’s Cask, named for a local Islay legend in which the devil stows away in a barrel of Bowmore bound for the mainland. A 10-year-old Scotch aged in Oloroso Sherry barrels, Devil’s Cask is at 56.9%-abv and will retail at around $90, with 1,302 bottles coming to the U.S. starting next month. Atop the pricing ladder, Bowmore is introducing a 50-year-old, retail-priced at around $20,000 a 750-ml. It’s replacing a 40-year-old that was priced at $15,000. Devil’s Cask and the 50-year-old join Bowmore’s recently added Dorus Mor (55.1%-abv), a 10-year-old priced at $120, of which 2,400 bottles were imported. Meanwhile, Bowmore stablemates Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch, from the Lowland and Highland regions respectively, are being extended with small-batch Virgin Oak expressions. Auchentoshan’s is 46%-abv and will retail at around $130 with 2,100 bottles headed to the U.S. Glen Garioch’s is 48%-abv, retails at $110 and is available in an allocation of 1,038 bottles.

Proximo Spirits will expand the Jose Cuervo line with the launch of a cinnamon-infused silver Tequila called Cinge. The new expression will roll out nationwide this fall, priced at $17.99 a 750-ml. bottle, and will also be available in 50-ml., 200-ml., 375-ml., 1-liter and 1.75-liter sizes.

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Pernod Ricard’s House of Martell is launching a new Cognac—Martell Caractère. The new variant, available exclusively in California and retailing at $34.99, is meant to pay tribute to Martell founder Jean Martell. Caractère (40% abv) is produced using grapes sourced from the company’s own vineyards in the Domaine Jean Martell, distilled twice without lees and aged in French oak.

William Grant & Sons has introduced a new variant, Phoenix, to the Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey range. Phoenix, priced at $54.99 a 750-ml., will be an annual limited edition release, with only 2,500 nine-liter cases now available in the U.S. market. The triple-distilled whiskey (55% abv) is finished in Oloroso Sherry casks. Phoenix joins Original, 12-year-old Special Reserve and 10-year-old Single Malt in the brand’s lineup.

Fairfield, New Jersey-based Jersey Artisan Distilling has debuted the first entry in its premium craft spirits range, Busted Barrel dark rum. Made with all-natural molasses sourced from Louisiana, Busted Barrel is aged with a handful of vanilla beans in American oak casks for three months. The 80-proof spirit will be available at New Jersey retail outlets starting next week, priced at around $34.99 a 750-ml. Jersey Artisan Distilling, which bills itself as the state’s first licensed distillery since Prohibition, is also gearing up to launch an eponymous vodka and gin range, as well as Busted Barrel Bourbon and whiskey offerings.

All information courtesy of Shanken