GSN Backbar Review: November 24-28, 2014

Brown Forman’s Old Forester Bourbon has unveiled its Whiskey Row Series, a new lineup inspired by the brand’s history. Rolling out this month, the Whiskey Row Series makes its debut with 1870 Original Batch, which commemorates the year Old Forester switched from being sold by barrel to becoming a batched Bourbon. 1870 Original Batch is made according to brand founder George Garvin Brown’s 1870 batching process, using barrels from three different warehouses. Priced at $44.99 a 750-ml., the 90-proof expression will be available in select cities, including Chicago, Denver, Louisville, Nashville, New York City, Seattle and San Francisco.

Terlato Wines has officially launched Langley’s No. 8 gin in the U.S. Produced by Birmingham, England-based Langley Distillery, the small-batch London-style gin is made with a proprietary blend of botanicals, including juniper, coriander, orange peel, lemon peel, cassia bark and nutmeg, among others. Langley’s No. 8 is currently available in select markets, priced at $42 a bottle.

William Grant is launching a new single grain Scotch whisky brand, Girvan, which is made at its grain distillery in Ayrshire and distilled predominantly from wheat, with a small amount of malted barley. The line will include a non-age-stated No. 4 Apps edition ($45), as well as 25-year-old ($400) and 30-year-old ($600) expressions. Nash says the core No. 4 Apps—named for the patented column still from which it’s produced—is a sweet, lighter whisky that’s versatile and amenable to cocktails in addition to drinking straight.

Diageo recently placed a high-profile bet on single grain whisky with the global launch of Haig Club ($70 a 750-ml.), developed in partnership with soccer star David Beckham and British entrepreneur Simon Fuller. Rolling out currently in the U.S., China, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore with additional markets upcoming, Haig Club is intended to attract both novice consumers and Scotch whisky cognoscenti.

Ireland’s Teeling Whiskey Co. is planning to launch a 46%-abv single grain offering—fully matured in California Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels—in the U.S. next year. Teeling’s newcomer will join another rare Irish single grain whiskey, Greenore, on the market. Greenore, which includes 8-year-old, 15-year-old and 18-year-old variants, is now part of the Beam Suntory portfolio, and is produced at the Cooley Distillery that Beam acquired from the Teeling family in early 2012.

All information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Backbar Review: Mar. 3-7, 2014

U.K. import Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer has added a new flavored offering to its portfolio, Spiced Orange, which will be sold in the 42 states within the brand’s distribution footprint. The 4.8%-abv beverage will be available in four-packs of 11-ounce bottles or in a 16.9-ounce bottle. The new addition will have a lighter ginger profile with an added orange flavor and is ideally served chilled with a slice of orange, by itself or in ginger beer cocktails.

Irish whiskey upstart Teeling launches its first product in the U.S. April 1. Teeling’s debut release, an eponymous blended Irish whiskey finished in Flor de Caña rum casks, is positioned at $40 a bottle. Initially launching in 17 states through importer Infinium Spirits, the 46%-abv, non-chill-filtered expression is expected to be in national distribution by next year.

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Brown-Forman has unveiled the 2014 limited edition Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle. Rolling out this month, this year’s commemorative offering features artwork by Louisville-based artist David O. Schuster, which depicts horses, jockeys and the final stretch of the Kentucky Derby race. The 2014 Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle will be available nationwide, priced at around $43.99 a 1-liter. Woodford Reserve has served as the official Bourbon sponsor of the Kentucky Derby for 16 years.

All information courtesy of Shanken News Daily.

GSN Backbar Review: Jan. 6-10, 2014

Terlato Wines has added super-premium Tequila brand Riazul to its Artisan Spirits portfolio. Under the new, long-term partnership, Terlato will import and market Riazul’s Plata ($45), Reposado ($55) and Añejo ($65) expressions in select U.S. markets, effective early this year. Launched in 2008 by founder Inaki Orozco, Riazul is a 100%-agave range sourced from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. The brand’s Plata is a silver, unaged offering, while its Reposado is aged for nine months in French and American oak. Riazul’s Añejo, meanwhile, is matured for two years in French Limousine oak Cognac casks.

Four new single malt Scotch whiskies from Speyside’s BenRiach Distillery are rolling out in the U.S., imported by San Francisco-based Anchor Distilling. Anchor already markets 20 BenRiach expressions in the U.S. That offering will now be expanded to include: The BenRiach Horizons 12-year-old Triple Distilled (50% abv, $80 a bottle), The BenRiach Solstice 2nd Edition 17-year-old (50% abv, $100), The BenRiach Septendecim 17-year-old Peated Single Malt (46% abv, $80) and The BenRiach Authenticus 25-year-old Peated Single Malt (46%, $250).

Beam Inc.is partnering with Justin Timberlake on a new Tequila project, Sauza 901, which will appear in select U.S. markets early this year. Timberlake had already been marketing a 901-branded Tequila—referring to the area code of his hometown of Memphis—which was handled by Palm Bay. Beam says the new Sauza 901, which will be owned jointly between it and Timberlake, will not change in taste profile from the original 901, and will retail around $30 a bottle.

The Teeling Whiskey Co. has appointed California-based Infinium Spirits the exclusive U.S. importer for its flagship Irish whiskey brand. Infinium will officially launch the Teeling Whiskey entry in the U.S. market, across on- and off-premise channels. Founded in 2012 by Jack Teeling, the Teeling Whiskey Co.’s Teeling Whiskey is billed as a small-batch bottling made with hand-selected grain and malt Irish whiskies and matured in ex-rum casks. In addition to Teeling Whiskey, Teeling also produces Teeling Whiskey Company Vintage Reserve and Poitin labels.

Florida craft distiller Cape Spirits Inc. is extending its Wicked Dolphin rum brand with a new spiced offering. Wicked Dolphin Florida Spiced ($25.99 a bottle) is crafted from Florida sugarcane and a blend of fresh-ground spices. The 80-proof offering, which joins Wicked Dolphin’s white rum in the portfolio, is distributed by RNDC in Florida, where it’s present in chains like Publix, Total Wine & More, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Sweet Bay and Walgreens. Company founder JoAnn Elardo tells SND that the group is also exploring potential expansion into the central and northeastern parts of the country.

Diageo is expanding the Johnnie Walker range at the high end with the U.S. launch of John Walker & Sons Odyssey, a super-luxury blended Scotch whisky. A mix of three rare, undisclosed single malts, the Odyssey blend was developed by Johnnie Walker master blender Jim Beveridge using hand-written notes from Sir Alexander Walker, grandson of the brand’s namesake. The whiskies were married in European oak and the blend is bottled in a crystal-grade glass decanter. Formerly available only in select Asian and other global markets, Odyssey is now in U.S. national distribution at a suggested retail price of $1,100 a 750-ml.

Glenmorangie has introduced the latest release in its upscale Private Edition series, Glenmorangie Companta. Companta, which is Scots Gaelic for “friendship,” is a 46%-abv non-chill filtered Scotch whisky that retails at $99 a bottle. Crafted by Glenmorangie master distiller Bill Lumsden, Companta’s wood profile includes maturation time in Grand Cru casks from Burgundy’s Clos de Tart and in sweet fortified wine casks from Côtes du Rhone. This latest offering marks the Highland distillery’s fifth annual release in its Private Edition Range, with predecessors including Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX, Finealta, Artein and Ealanta.

All information courtesy of Shanken News Daily