Solum

Armagnac house Château de Laubade has collaborated with Kentucky’s Bardstown Bourbon Company to create the Traveling Barrel, a limited-release eau de vie de vin d’Armagnac finished in a Bourbon barrel. The 48.4% abv spirit is made from two barrels of 8-year-old Armagnac (one distilled from Ugni Blanc and one from Baco) that spent eight months finishing in a Gascony oak barrel used to mature a Bardstown Bourbon whiskey. Only 698 bottles of Château de Laubade the Traveling Barrel will be available in select retailers in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, California, and Washington state.

Seattle-based Westland Distillery has unveiled Westland American Single Malt Whiskey, its new flagship label, which will replace the previous core trio of Westland American Oak, Sherry Wood and Peated. Those expressions will be discontinued, though they will remain on retail shelves until supplies are depleted. Westland American Single Malt ($60 a 750-ml.) was distilled from six different types of barley and matured in five different cask types for 40 months on Washington’s Olympic peninsula. Going forward, Westland’s range will include the new flagship label and the annual releases from its Outpost Collection, comprised of Garryana ($150), Colere ($150), and Solum, whose first release is slated for 2023.

Campari America has added a new high-end rum to the Appleton Estate family. The new expression, Appleton Estate 15-year-old Black River Casks, is rolling out now and will be available nationally. The 43% abv rum was created by master blender Joy Spence, who is currently celebrating her 40th anniversary with Appleton, and takes its name from the Jamaican river used to proof Appleton’s rums. The 15-year-old rum retails for around $65 a 750-ml. In addition, Spence and Appleton have also relaunched the brand’s 21-year-old rum ($150) with a new bottle and flavor profile to retailers across the U.S.

The distilleries of Bardstown, Kentucky, including Heaven Hill, the James B. Beam Distilling Co., Bardstown Bourbon Company, Preservation, and Log Still have come together to celebrate their shared history, with each distillery contributing whiskey to a new limited-edition line of Bourbon whiskies. Beginning in September, the new whiskies—all sharing the same bottle design and housed in a gold-embossed navy blue box—will roll out to the distilleries’ on-site tasting rooms. The release dates will be spaced to allow collectors to make trips to each distillery and complete the set.

Diageo has added a new 8-year-old Bourbon whiskey to the George Dickel family. The 45% abv whiskey was created by Cascade Hollow distiller and general manager Nicole Austin, who selected barrels of whiskey that showed more traditional Bourbon notes, distinct from Dickel’s Tennessee whiskey offerings. George Dickel 8-Year-Old Bourbon is now rolling out in select markets across the U.S. for a suggested price of $33 a 750-ml.

Intrepid Spirits’ Mad March Hare Poitin has received a new bottle design. Inspired by Celtic art and mythology, the new design links Mad March Hare with the long history of poitin, which has been made in Ireland since the sixth century. Retailing at $30 a 750-ml., Mad March Hare is at 40% abv, with the new look hitting the market now.

Courtesy of Shanken News Daily

Seattle, Washington’s Westland Distillery has announced the Outpost Range, a new series of whiskies to be released beginning in November and continuing through 2023. First up will be Garryana American Single Malt Whiskey, the fifth edition of the distillery’s Garryana-aged malt. The November release comes in at 50% abv and is made with peated spirit. The second release, Colere, will be released in spring 2021. It’s bottled at 50% abv and is made with Alba barley. Future Colere releases will be dedicated to distilling different varieties of barley. The final release, Solum, will use locally sourced peat.

Bacardi is mounting a renewed push into spiced rum, reintroducing its former Oakheart label in a new incarnation as Bacardi Spiced. Noting that spiced rum is the only segment of the rum category to show volume growth over the past decade, Bacardi is launching Spiced ($13) nationwide this month, targeting at-home occasions and both new and existing spiced rum consumers.

Ireland’s West Cork Distillers has launched a new, limited release IPA Cask Finished Irish Whiskey in the U.S. The 40% abv whiskey is a blend of 75% grain whiskey, distilled from wheat, and 25% malt whiskey that matured for four years before blending and finishing for six months in casks that held Blacks of Kinsale’s IPA. Through M.S. Walker, West Cork Distillers IPA Cask Finished Irish Whiskey will be available across the U.S. for around $33 a 750-ml.

Kansas City, Missouri-based Boulevard Brewing has partnered with West Des Moines, Iowa-based Foundry Distilling Co. to turn Boulevard’s Unfiltered Wheat Beer into a whiskey. The result is called Midnight Ritual, a 44.5% abv malt whiskey that’s aged more than two years in charred oak barrels. The release promises to be the first in a series of partnerships between the two producers, turning more brews into limited edition whiskies. Beginning next month, Midnight Ritual will be available in very limited quantities in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska.

Phillips Distilling Company has launched Prairie Organic Sustainable Seasons, a new line of botanical and fruit flavored spirits. The 30% abv flavored vodka comes in three varieties: Grapefruit, Hibiscus, and Chamomile; Watermelon, Cucumber, and Lime; and Apple, Pear, and Ginger. Each contains 75 calories per serving and all are made with organic ingredients and without added sugar. The trio is rolling out nationwide for a suggested price of $22 a 750-ml.

Proximo has expanded 1800 Tequila with a new, luxury-priced extension, 1800 Cristalino. The 40% abv spirit is made from 100% blue agave and aged for 16 months in American and French oak before finishing for six months in Port barrels. The añejo Tequila is then filtered to remove the color imparted by the barrel. 1800 Cristalino is now rolling out in select markets across the U.S. for $65 a 750-ml.

375 Park Avenue Spirits has added Ming River Baijiu to its import portfolio, effective October 1. The importer, a division of Sazerac, will handle the brand’s sales and will also support Ming River’s marketing efforts in the U.S. Ming River is a young brand—created in 2018—from China’s oldest continuously operating distillery. The spirit is distilled from red sorghum and bottled at 45% abv. 375 Park Avenue will offer Ming River in 750-ml. and 50-ml. bottles.