GSN Spirited News: October 26th 2021 Edition

Código 1530, known for Tequila, is entering the mezcal category. Its newcomers include an Ancestral Mezcal (43.1% abv) and an Artesanal Mezcal (42.2% abv), retailing at $180 and $65 respectively. The Ancestral expression is notable for the fact that no machines or automation are involved in its production, with the agave mashed by hand using a wooden stick, fermentation done in a leather vat, and the distillation taking place in clay pots, according to the company. The Artesanal offering includes wild tobalá agave and is rested in Sauvignon Blanc wine barrels. Both are available at retail and on Código 1530’s website.

Shoreham, Vermont’s WhistlePig has announced the eighth edition of the Boss Hog: LapuLapu’s Pacific. This edition is a 17-year-old rye whiskey aged in American oak before finishing twice in heavily toasted Philippine rum casks, with the first finishing cask previously holding 7-year-old rum and the second 10-year-old rum. The whiskey is bottled at barrel proof with bottles ranging from 52.4% to 53.3% abv. The Boss Hog VIII: LapuLapu’s Pacific is rolling out now in limited quantities to select retailers across the U.S. for a suggested price of $500 a 750-ml.

Beam Suntory has released Bardstown Batch, the third bottling of Booker’s Bourbon for 2021. The release, named for the home of distiller Booker Noe, among other Beam family members, aged for six years and five months before bottling and comes in at 62.75% abv. Booker’s Bardstown Batch is now available in limited quantities across the U.S. for a suggested price of $90 a 750-ml. 

Beam Suntory’s Tres Generaciones has kicked of the Legacy series, a new collection of limited-edition Tequilas, with Cenobio’s Batch Plata. The 45% abv Tequila celebrates the first generation of the Sauza family and is named for Don Cenobio, who purchased the Sauza distillery in 1873. Cenobio’s Batch Plata is now available across the U.S. for $70 a 750-ml. In addition to launching the Legacy series, Tres Generaciones has updated the packaging for its entire portfolio, with the new bottles featuring three lines gradually increasing from rough to smooth to represent the distillation process. 

Wyoming Whiskey has released another batch of its Single Barrel Bourbon, the first since November 2020. The 48% abv wheated Bourbon is aged for at least five years and made from locally sourced grains from the Bighorn Basin. The limited release is now available in Wyoming, Illinois, California, Colorado, New York, Georgia, Arizona, New Mexico, Maine, Idaho, Florida, and South Carolina, as well online via the brand’s website and other e-commerce channels, for a suggested price of $99 a 750-ml.

Graton, California’s Redwood Empire Whiskey, part of Purple Brands, has launched its first two bonded whiskies: Rocket Top Straight Rye and Grizzly Beast Straight Bourbon. The 50% abv whiskies were distilled in spring 2016 by distiller Jeff Duckhorn. The rye is made from a mash of 87% rye, 7% malted barley, and 6% wheat; and the Bourbon from 69% corn, 22% rye, 5% malted barley, and 4% wheat. Only 500 cases of each expression are available and both carry a suggested retail price of $80 a 750-ml.

Canada’s Alberta Distillers has announced the 2021 edition of Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye. This year’s whisky, which ranges in abv from 63% to 67%, is the second edition of Alberta’s barrel proof whisky to reach American shelves. The whisky is distilled from 100% Canadian rye and made with Rocky Mountain water. The Beam Suntory release will be available in select markets across the U.S. for a suggested price of $75 a 750-ml.

Hotaling & Co. has expanded Hirsch Selected Whiskeys with a new single barrel Bourbon. The first single barrel release from the brand, the initial bottling consists of 57 barrels bottled at 62% abv. The barrels aged for at least six years and the Bourbon was made from a mash bill of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% malted barley. Hirsch Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon is now available in select retailers across the U.S. for a suggested price of $90 a 750-ml. Beginning November 1, a limited number of bottles will also be available through ReserveBar.

Scotch producer Compass Box Whisky has announced another installment in its limited edition series No Name. The final release of the series, No Name, No. 3, is a blended malt whisky based on liquid from the Laphroaig Distillery aged in recharred hogsheads, augmented with additions from Bowmore Distillery and the Compass Box Highland Malt Blend. Compass Box will market 10,794 bottles worldwide. No Name, No. 3 is at 48.9% abv and will be available from spirits retailers beginning November 1 for $130 a 750-ml.

Mount Gay Rum, part of the Rémy Cointreau portfolio, has unveiled the newest expression in its limited edition Master Blender Collection: Andean Oak Cask. The fourth offering in the series, Andean Cask is available nationwide, retailing at $195 a 750-ml. Made by master blender Trudiann Branker, the new rum was double distilled in a traditional copper pot still, aged for 14 years in ex-Bourbon barrels, and then finished in Virgin Andean Oak, an evergreen tree that grows across the mountains of the Colombian Andes.

Tanteo Tequila is launching a limited edition seasonal expression. Tanteo Navidad is an ultra-premium Añejo Tequila rested for 18 months in American oak barrels, then hand-infused with pequin chilis, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger, and cocoa beans. Retailing at $60 a bottle, it will be available exclusively on Tanteo’s website. 10% of profits will go towards Un Salto Con Destino, a charity providing essential medical services to underprivileged members of Tanteo’s Mexican community.

Georgetown, Kentucky’s Blue Run Spirits has launched a new high-rye Bourbon, the first release overseen by former Four Roses distiller Jim Rutledge. The 55.5% abv whiskey is made from a mash of 65% yellow corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley, and was distilled at Castle & Key. The new bottling was assembled from 100 barrels and carries a suggested retail price of $90 a 750-ml. Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Whiskey is now available in select retailers in Kentucky, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, Colorado, California, Florida, and New Jersey.

Princeton, Minnesota’s Phillips Distilling Company has reintroduced its Revel Stoke line of flavored whiskies, with new flavors and a new design philosophy. The whiskies, which come in 12 flavors, now feature irreverent names like SonofaPeach and Lei’d Roasted Pineapple, for example, and matching artwork. The brand, aimed at men aged 21-34, will also be supported by a marketing campaign centered around the tagline “Stoke Your Wild.” The redesigned Revel Stoke is now available across the U.S.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: October 12th 2021 Edition

Phillips Distilling has officially launched Cubist, a new vodka brand intended to be stored in the freezer. Beginning this month, Cubist is being test marketed in Minnesota and Arizona with an expanded launch slated for 2022. Thermochromic ink technology turns the brand’s bottle label blue when the liquid has reached optimal temperature. Aimed at males aged 26-45, Cubist will retail at $25 a 750-ml.

Bacardi-owned Patrón Tequila has announced a new aged expression: Patrón Sherry Cask Aged Añejo. The 40% abv Tequila matured for over two years in Oloroso Sherry casks before bottling. The new Tequila is available exclusively in the U.S. in select retailers and on Drizly while supplies last for a suggested price of $80 a 750-ml.

Walsh Whiskey has released a new limited-edition whiskey in the Writers’ Tears family. Writers’ Tears Icewine Cask Finish is a blend of Irish single malt and pot still whiskies finished in Inniskillin casks from Ontario, Canada for 12 months. 3,500 bottles of the 46% abv whiskey are being distributed to select retailers in Canada, Ireland, and the U.S., where the new release carries a suggested price of $85 a 750-ml.

Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., part of the Pernod Ricard portfolio, has launched TX Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks, the latest release from the Fort Worth-based distiller. The 50.8% abv whiskey is the third release in the Barrel Finish series, following Tawny Port and PX Sherry Cask finished whiskies. This release also marks the end of master distiller Rob Arnold’s tenure with F&R, as he is now stepping aside, allowing Ale Ochoa, master blender, and new master distiller Evan Brewer to take the helm. TX Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks is rolling out now throughout Texas for a suggested price of $65 a 750-ml.

Rémy Cointreau has added a new brandy to the St-Rémy portfolio in the U.S. St-Rémy Signature is bottled at 40% abv and is first matured in new oak before transferring to more traditional used casks. St-Rémy Signature is the first spirit created by the brand’s master blender Cécile Roudaut and is rolling out now in select markets across the U.S. for a suggested price of $30 a 750-ml.

Disaronno International has launched Engine gin, a new Italian spirit designed by Paolo Dalla Mora, former CMO at Moschino and global communications director for parent company Illva Saronno. The 42% abv gin is made with juniper and a variety of Italian botanicals, including Ligurian sage, lemon, licorice root, and damask rose. The gin is packaged in a tin mock-oil-can, evoking its creator’s passion for racing and cars. Engine is now available across the U.S. for a suggested price of $30 a 750-ml.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: January 26th 2021 Edition

San Diego-based Cutwater Spirits is expanding its lineup of RTDs. This month, Cutwater debuted a Mango Margarita (12.5% abv) in California, ahead of a nationwide launch in February. Strawberry and Peach Margaritas will follow in April. Additionally, Cutwater is introducing Frozen Margarita ice pops in a mixed pack featuring lime, strawberry, mango, and pineapple flavors nationally in March. The new entries join Cutwater’s existing Tequila RTDs, which include Paloma, Tequila Soda, and Margarita.

Rémy Cointreau has a launched a new limited edition bottle for Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac that hearkens back to the brand’s designs from the 1980s and 1990s. The bottle features a gold label and comes in a cardboard box with cassette tape art inspired by hip-hop and mixtape culture. The Cognac inside is Rémy’s normal 40% abv VSOP Cognac. The limited edition bottling is available now in select retailers across the U.S. for around $50 a bottle. 

Disaronno and Jack Daniel’s are teaming up with a new initiative called Velvet Fire, a cocktail created by combining Disaronno Velvet with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire in a 2-to-1 ratio. Disaronno Velvet, launched last April, is the newest addition to the brand’s lineup; it’s at 17% abv and retails for $30 a 750-ml. The Velvet Fire campaign is being supported with a dedicated release bundling a bottle of Disaronno Velvet with a bottle of Tennessee Fire. It’s available now nationwide priced at $50 for the two 750-ml. bottles.

Ardbeg is releasing a new limited edition bottling that represents its first rye cask matured offering. A non-age-stated 51.8% abv expression wholly aged in ex-rye casks, Arrrrrrrdbeg! is a tribute to distillery manager Mickey Heads, who retired late last year after 13 years at the distillery’s helm. It’s launching exclusively to the Ardbeg Committee’s 100,000 members on February 1, priced at $180 a bottle. Islay-based Ardbeg is part of the Moët Hennessy-owned Glenmorangie Co. 

Newport Beach, California-based the Cooper Spirits Company has announced a 20-year-old bottling of its Lock, Stock & Barrel rye whiskey. The 56% abv whiskey is sourced from Alberta Distillers and aged in new charred American oak barrels that were not toasted, a move the company says has allowed the whiskey to age gracefully over two decades. Only 1,000 3-pack cases have been released and the whiskey is now available at select retailers across the U.S. for a suggested price of $389 a 750-ml.

Brown-Forman has announced Woodford Reserve’s 2021 Winter Distillery Series release, set to debut tomorrow. This year’s release marks the return of Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked, which as the name suggests, is Woodford’s Double Oaked Bourbon finished for an additional year in a heavily toasted, lightly charred new oak barrel. The whiskey comes in at 45.2% abv and will launch Wednesday at the Woodford distillery. It will also be available at select retailers in Kentucky for a suggested price of $50 a 375-ml.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: October 6th 2020 Edition

Biddeford, Maine’s Round Turn Distilling has launched Bimini Coconut, a new flavored gin. The 47% abv gin is made with juniper, grapefruit, and hops, before fat washing with coconut to naturally infuse the gin. Bimini Coconut is available in California, Maine, New York, and Massachusetts for around $35 a 750-ml. The new spirit sits alongside Bimini gin, Bimini Barrel Reserve No.-1, and Bimini Overproof in the distillery’s lineup.

Minnesota-based Phillips Distilling Co. announced the release of Douglas and Todd Small Batch Bourbon Cream Liqueur. As the name implies, the new product is made from the company’s Douglas and Todd Bourbon, aged a minimum of four years in new charred oak barrels, then blended with cream and vanilla bean flavors. It’s available now as a limited release retailing for $35 a 750-ml. at select retailers and coming soon to online sales. The Phillips Distilling portfolio also includes UV Vodka, Prairie Organic Spirits, and Revel Stoke Whiskies, among others.

Proximo Spirits has launched Bushmills 28-Year-Old Single Malt Cognac Cask, the first in the brand’s new Rare Casks series. The 46.7% abv whisky first aged in Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks for 11 years before spending an additional 17 years in Cognac casks. Fewer than 500 bottles of the whiskey will be available, exclusively in the U.S., for a suggested retail price of $500 a 750-ml.

Mystic, Connecticut’s Prima Barista has launched a new ready-to-drink hard coffee, made with vodka. The 12.5% abv drinks come in two flavors—Mocha Hard Iced Frappé and Vanilla Hard Iced Latte—and contain roughly the same amount of caffeine as a 1-ounce shot of espresso per 200-ml. bottle. Prima Barista’s coffee cocktails are now available in Florida and Indiana at retail for around $19-$20, and for direct shipping to over 30 states across the U.S.

Edrington-owned Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky has launched Cask Strength No.-1, the first release in its new cask-strength collection. This edition comes in at 63.3% abv and matured in Sherry-seasoned American oak casks for a range of years before blending and bottling. The non-chill-filtered whisky will be released yearly. Highland Park Cask Strength No.-1 retails for around $90 a 750-ml. and will be available online and in specialty retailers across the U.S.

Kahlúa is extending with a new Blonde Roast Style liqueur. Made with medium roast coffee and hints of caramel, toffee and citrus flavors, Kahlúa Blonde Roast Style is at 20% abv and suggested to be served with tonic or coconut water. Pernod Ricard-owned Kahlúa posted 6% growth in NABCA channels in the 12 months through June. 

Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander’s Crystal Head vodka has launched Onyx, a new vodka distilled from Blue Agave. The new brand extension is bottled at 40% abv in an opaque black bottle. The agave for the spirit is sourced from a single farm in Mexico and the final product is bottled without additives or sweeteners. Crystal Head Onyx will retail for around $55 a 750-ml. and joins the brand’s original release, made from Canadian corn, and Aurora, made from English wheat, in the full-time lineup.

High West, part of the Constellation portfolio, has introduced two bottled whiskey cocktails, Barrel-Finished Manhattan and Barrel-Finished Old Fashioned. Both are made using a blend of Bourbon and rye, then finished in rye barrels. The Old Fashioned is at 43% abv, while the Manhattan is at 37% abv. Rolling out nationwide, High West’s new bottled cocktails retail at $50 a 750-ml. (containing 12 cocktails) and $30 a 375-ml.

Mount Gay Rum, part of the Rémy Cointreau portfolio, is launching a new limited edition, Master Blender Collection: The Port Cask Expression. Created by master blender Trudiann Branker, the new bottling is a blend of rums distilled in a traditional column still and aged for five years in Tawny Port casks, together with rums double distilled in a copper pot still and aged for 14 years in American whiskey casks and finished in Tawny Port casks for one year. Retailing at $175 a 750-ml., Mount Gay’s new luxury Port Cask expression is a cask-strength at 55% abv and is limited to 2,100 bottles in the U.S.

Código 1530 Tequila is releasing a new limited-edition extra añejo expression, the George Strait Origen. The new expression aged over six years in French white oak barrels that previously held Napa Valley Cabernet. The 40% abv spirit will retail for $350, with only 1,200 bottles available nationwide. The six barrels used to create the Tequila were hand-selected by Código co-founder and country music legend George Strait. Código 1530 reports that it’s seen rapid gains in the year-to-date, registering growth of 40%.

Diageo is bringing back Cîroc vodka’s White Grape expression for the holiday season. Five times distilled from French grapes, Cîroc White Grape is rolling out now. Cîroc slipped 9% to 1.4 million cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank, amid intense competition in the U.S. vodka category. In Diageo’s full fiscal year through June, the brand’s net sales fell by double-digits, with the decline partially offset by good results for limited-time offers like White Grape.

Minnesota’s Tattersall Distilling has launched a bottled Manhattan, made from 100% Minnesota grown rye, aged in charred American white oak barrels, and blended with Tattersall Italian-style liqueur, Sherry, and bitters. This is the distillery’s fourth ready-to-drink cocktail, joining Old Fashioned, Bootlegger, and Salty Dog. It retails at $35 a 750-ml. and carries an abv of 35%. The new entry will roll out first in Minnesota, with Wisconsin to follow shortly after. Tattersall’s portfolio is distributed to 30 states.

Whiskeysmith Co., a new line of flavored whiskies from Colorado-based Old Elk, has launched nationally via Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits. The line is launching with three flavors—Chocolate, Banana, and Pineapple—and all come in at 30% abv. Beverage director Melinda Maddox said the brand is aimed at home and on-premise mixology, and as a one-step home cocktail alternative. Whiskeysmith is now available across the U.S. and retails for between $25 and $30, depending on the market.

Brown-Forman has launched Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition, a new ultra-limited luxury release from the American whiskey brand. The newcomer is bottled at 45.2% abv and, after its initial maturation in American oak, aged for an extra three years in ex-Cognac casks. The whiskey is bottled in a handmade crystal decanter from Baccarat that’s reminiscent of the standard Woodford bottle but engraved in gold with both Woodford’s and Baccarat’s logos. It’s now available in limited quantities for $2,000 a 750-ml. 

Teeling Irish whiskey has announced a new addition to the distillery’s portfolio, Blackpitts Peated Single Malt whiskey. The 46% abv whiskey is triple distilled and matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sauternes casks. According to managing director Jack Teeling, the smokiness of triple distilled peated whiskey is quite distinct; he described it as more like “barbecue-style smoke,” compared to the briny or medicinal peated whiskies of Islay, Scotland. Blackpitts Peated Single Malt whiskey will launch globally in January 2021, for a suggested price of $75 in the U.S.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: March 17th 2020 Edition

Rémy Cointreau has unveiled a new ultra-luxury edition of Louis XIII Cognac. The second iteration of the brand’s Opus of Time collection, Louis XIII Tribute To The City Of Lights 1900 is launching at select retailers globally, retailing at €7,000 ($7,860), in an edition of 2,000 numbered decanters. The new offering commemorates the year Paris hosted the World’s Fair, and has packaging created in partnership with Monnaie de Paris and the Cristallerie of Saint-Louis.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Spirited News: March 3rd 2020 Edition

Winebow has added El Buho mezcal to its New York distribution portfolio. The Oaxaca, Mexico-based brand was founded in 2012 by chef T.J. Steele, Adam Parker, and John Henry, enlisting the Don Isaac Distillery for production. El Buho’s portfolio includes Espadin, Ensamble, Cuishe, Tepeztate, Jabali, Pulquero, and Tobala-Espadin, all distributed by Winebow. The distributor now represents the brand in five states: Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, and now New York.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Copper & Kings and Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. have teamed up for a pair of limited-edition offerings. Copper & Kings’ release ($65) is an American brandy blended in a 60%-40% ratio from the distiller’s own five-year-old distillate and sourced brandies aged from nine to 18 years. The brandy was finished for 14 months in Peerless rye barrels before bottling at 54% abv. Peerless’ new whiskey ($129) is a single barrel rye finished in a Copper & Kings Absinthe barrel. Both releases are available in the companies’ gift shops and in extremely limited quantities across their distribution footprints.

Malibu Rum is launching a line of canned RTDs called Malibu Splash. The sparkling malt beverages come in 12-ounce slim cans and are targeting summer social occasions like barbecues and beach trips. Malibu Splash comes in strawberry, lime, passion fruit, and pineapple flavors, all of which are at 5% abv and retail for $9 a 4-pack or in variety 8-packs for $17, rolling out now nationally.

Sonoma, California-based 3 Badge Beverage Corporation is launching a new whisky called Benjamin Chapman. Its first release is a blend of 51% 10-year Canadian rye and 49% 7-year Canadian prairie wheat retailing at $39 a 750-ml. and bottled at 45% abv. The rye component aged for 10 years in white oak casks, while the wheat spent seven years in American oak barrels. 3 Badge says the new brand’s name refers to “an enigmatic figure from the 1960s international jet set era.” 3 Badge has a diverse stable of spirits that also includes La Pivón Vermouth, Uncle Val’s Handcrafted Gin, Kirk & Sweeney Rum, Pasote Tequila, and Bozal Mezcal.

San Diego-based Cutwater Spirits, part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev portfolio, has launched Tequila Soda, a 7%-abv canned cocktail made from Tequila, house-made soda and a hint of lime. It’s the third Tequila-based offering from Cutwater’s canned cocktail portfolio, which includes 18 labels overall. Tequila Soda will hit retail shelves in early March, priced at $9.99 a 4-pack. Cutwater is led by master distiller Yuseff Cherney, formerly of San Diego craft brewer Ballast Point.

Diageo is launching two limited edition whiskies from female blenders. The first is a new edition of Jane Walker (41.9% abv), created by master blender Emma Walker. A blended malt Scotch aged for 10 years, that offering retails at $38 a 750-ml. Also new is Bulleit Bourbon Blenders’ Select No. 001 (50% abv), made by blender Eboni Major and retailing at $50. It’s the first edition in Bulleit’s new Blenders Select series.

Rémy Cointreau-owned Mount Gay has revamped the blend of rums used in its Black Barrel and XO releases. The new blends were created by master blender Trudiann Branker. The new Black Barrel ($45) will now be made from rums aged three to seven years with more pot still rum included in the blend. The rum is finished in Bourbon casks for six months, up from four weeks. Mount Gay XO’s ($65) new recipe will use a wider range of aged rums—five to 17 years, as opposed to eight to 15—drawn from spirits aged in American whiskey, Bourbon, and Cognac casks.

No. 3 London Dry Gin, part of the Hotaling & Co. portfolio, is getting a packaging refresh. The updated bottle features turquoise glass along with clean lines and a minimalist, text-heavy label beneath the brand’s prominent key logo. The name and key are a reference to the home of the brand’s creator, Berry Bros. & Rudd, at No. 3 St James’s Street in London. The 46% abv spirit is produced in Holland at the De Kuyper distillery and imported by Hotaling, retailing nationally for $40 a 750-ml. The new packaging is available now in select states, with additional distribution to come.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily