distillery

The Classicist: Thoroughbreds, Bourbon and Private Planes from Flexjet

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, Wings, Events, Sports, The Classicist

Private jet juggernaut Flexjet is offering an alluring incentive to new fractional owners via a promotion with Kentucky's Keeneland, one of the world's leading thoroughbred racing and auction facilities. The three-day Unbridled experience centers around the 2011 Breeders' Cup World Championships this fall. Known as the thoroughbred industry's most prestigious championship event, the Breeders' Cup attracts fierce competition for the richest prize-money event in the world with over $26 million in purses at stake. There's a lot more to the Unbridled experience, however, as you'd expect considering the cost for a 1/16th fraction (or 50 hours / year) on one of the company's Learjet 40XRs starts at $362,500.

Each owner and their guest will enjoy the Breeders' Cup races in the comfort of a finish-line owner's suite at the iconic Churchill Downs, one of the world's greatest racetracks and home of the Kentucky Derby, as well as an invitation to attend sun-up morning workouts. A one-on-one meeting with a renowned thoroughbred trainer and an insider's look at a famed horse farm are also in the offing. The Unbridled experience is available in limited quantities at no extra charge for Flexjet customers purchasing a new fractional share now through June 12, 2011; the all-inclusive experience takes place November 3 - 6.

Gallery: Flexjet Unbridled Experience

Tags: 21c Museum Hotel, Bombardier, bourbon, Breeders Cup, Buffalo Trace, Churchill Downs, distillery, equestrian, events, Flexjet, fractional ownership, horse breeding, horse farm, horse racing, horses, jets, Keeneland, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, lear+jet45, Learjet, learjet45, Louisville, luxury travel, Private jet, private plane, spirits, sports, stables, the South, thoroughbred, whiskey

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Michael Collins Irish Whiskey Debuts 10 Year Old Single Malt

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Michael Collins Irish Whiskey Debuts 10 Year Old Single Malt

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, the last independent, Irish-owned distillery in Ireland has unveiled a Michael Collins 10 Year Old Single Malt and an attractive new bottle for its classic blended whiskey. The 10 Year Old Single Malt is double distilled in small, long-necked copper pot stills from both malted barley and peated malted barley and then matured in bourbon casks for a minimum of ten years. The result is rich and complex with hints of ripe fruit, meadow flowers and peat, a medium dry finish and lingering light smokiness. A refined blend of malt Irish whiskey and grain Irish whiskey, Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey is double distilled for proper balance of purity and character and then matured in bourbon casks from four to twelve years. Aromas of honey, citrus and malt give way to a delicate balance of these flavors with a fresh oak finish.

Tags: Cooley Distillery, distillery, Ireland, Irish, Irish whiskey, Michael Collins, Michael Collins Irish Whiskey, single malt, spirits, St. Patricks Day, whiskey, whisky

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Glen Garioch Releases Ltd. Edition 1991 Single Malt

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Glen Garioch Releases Ltd. Edition 1991 Single Malt

The Distillery Manager at Glen Garioch, one of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland founded in 1797, has delved into his library of well-aged whisky to release a limited batch of single malt featuring a peated production style that hasn't been seen from the Highland landmark in nearly two decades. The Glen Garioch (pronounced "Geery") 1991 is limited to only 120 bottles in the U.S. priced at $100 apiece. More than two centuries ago, the brothers John and Alexander Manson built the Glen Garioch distillery in the Scottish town of Oldmeldrum.

The distillery peated its own golden barley from the Valley of the Garioch back then which gave their whisky a heathery smokiness, now recaptured for the 1991 expression. In 1995 the distillery was mothballed but was reopened in 1997 in time to celebrate its 200th birthday. The precious 1991 whisky, floor malted with small amounts of peat, has been maturing for 19 years in hogshead bourbon casks. The bottling is presented at cask strength and non-chill filtered to show the true expression of the single malt.

Tags: distillery, Glen Garioch, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, whisky

Arroyo Vodka, A New Taste In Arizona

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

A pair of enterprising sisters in Arizona have created a new vodka brand in Arizona. Arroyo Vodka is part of Forward Brands LLC a brand founded by Lauren Klemp and her sister Morgan. The Arizona Republic reports that the two sisters watched the growth of microbreweries and decided there was room for a new vodka brand. They found that buying the still and other equipment was easier than dealing with the paperwork. There are future plans for other flavors and a tasting room in Glendale.

Arizona only has a handful of microdistilleries including Arizona High Spirits Distillery which produces a unique prickly pear vodka. They may not have a lot of competition in Arizona but microdistilled vodka brands have popped up all around the country. Vodka remains a popular spirit for fledgling brands because of its popularity, versatility and the ability to customize flavors that might appeal to the public.

The first brand from Forward Brands, Arroyo, is named for the street the sisters grew up on. It launched with only 886 bottles selling at under $20. The vodka is corn based and distilled only once.

Tags: arroyo vodka, distillery, microdistillery, spirits, vodka

Ltd. Edition Glenfiddich Decanter by Steuben

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Spirits

In search of the ideal present for the Scotch lover on your list? Famed single malt distillery Glenfiddich has partnered with renowned luxury glassmaker Steuben to create an exclusive hand crafted whisky decanter (above) in a limited edition. Priced at $690 and available exclusively at the Steuben flagship store in New York, the bespoke decanter is a collaboration between Steuben's master craftsmen and Glenfiddich master distiller Brian Kinsman, representing more than a century's worth of artisanship, tradition and expertise. The Steuben hallmarks of flawless design and attention to detail are combined with filigreed decorative elements inspired by some of the rarest and most precious Glenfiddich expressions.

The elegant piece also features subtle design cues that reflect the storied history of the Glenfiddich distillery, est. 1876, including the famous stag head design and the signature of its founder William Grant. "Both Glenfiddich and Steuben share a dedication to craftsmanship that stretches back more than a hundred years," notes David Bitran, Glenfiddich Senior Brand Manager. "In that time, while the successes of both our companies have grown, the dedication to craftsmanship and quality has endured." "Much like Glenfiddich, this beautiful decanter is the result of hard work, the best materials and the finest craftsmanship," adds Robert Nachman, Vice President of Design and Marketing for Steuben.

Tags: bar, barware, decanter, distillery, gifts, glass, Glenfiddich, Holiday 2010, Scotch, Scotland, spirits, Steuben, whisky

Warm Up with Kellan Irish Whiskey

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

In cooler weather we often turn to whiskey and brandy to help keep us warm. Kellan Irish Whiskey is a relatively new and delectable addition to the U.S. market, so far only available in a handful of states but rapidly gaining ground.

Kellan is a unique blend of malt and grain Irish whiskey, double distilled and aged over four years in American oak barrels previously used to mature bourbon, a common practice with Scotch whisky but relatively rare with Irish blends, which can lack fullness as a result.

The double distillation method helps maintain the natural flavor of Kellan's raw ingredients, while the bourbon barrels help impart a rich character resulting a full-bodied Irish blended whiskey that has a smooth malty and sweet start, with a perfect balance ending in a tingle of honey citrus fruit.

Kellan is produced at the Cooley Distillery, one of the only three distilleries in Ireland, and the only independent distillery in the country. Cooley was recently honored with the prestigious title of World and European Distiller of the Year at the 2008 International Wine and Spirits Competition Awards.

Tags: brandy, Cooley Distillery, distillery, Ireland, Irish whiskey, Kellan Irish Whiskey, UK, whiskey, whisky

Diageo Inaugurates £40 Million Roseisle Mega-Distillery

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Some will lament it as the industrialization of scotch whisky production. Others will hail it as the answer to growing demand for scotch around the world. But whichever way you look at it, Diageo's enormous Roseisle distillery is now up and running.

Culling expertise from the 27 distilleries currently owned by the drinks consortium, Roseisle is the product of three years of construction. It cost Diageo £40 million to build, employs 25 workers and encompasses 3,000 square meters of space. On the premises Diageo expects to produce 10 million liters of whisky each year through fourteen new stills crafted by the coppersmiths at Abercrombie, Alloa.

The Speyside facility was built not to replace the individual distilleries under the Diageo umbrella, but to supplement them, in response to increased market demand which those distilleries have been struggling to meet. The spirits produced there will be used in Diageo's profile of blended whiskies, which include Johnnie Walker, J&B, Bell's and Black & White. No plans have been announced to ever bottle a single malt from Roseisle, but you never know what time may bring.

Source

Tags: bells, black white, diageo, distillery, jb, johnnie walker, roseisle, roseisle distillery, scotch, speyside, whisky

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection - Maple Wood Finish

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Woodford Reserve has announced the release of Maple Wood Finish, the latest entry in its exclusive Masters Collection put together by Master Distiller Chris Morris. The new expression (as previewed on Luxist) is one of the most unique Master's Collection offerings to date as it is the industry's first bourbon to be finish aged in barrels made from sugar maple wood.

Though it was thought that whiskey barrels could not be crafted from sugar maple wood, the Brown-Forman Cooperage accomplished the feat, creating a toasted instead of charred barrel. The result is a smooth, elegant whiskey enhanced with hints of maple, honey and cinnamon.

Maple Wood Finish is the fifth in the Woodford Reserve Master's Collection series following the Four Grain, Sonoma-Cutrer Finish, Sweet Mash and Seasoned Oak offerings. Released periodically at the master distiller's discretion, the Master's Collection whiskeys are extremely limited in quantity and bottled only once in a proprietary package inspired by the copper pot stills of The Woodford Reserve Distillery.

The inspiration for the Master's Collection is rooted in the distillery's rich history and tradition. In the mid-1800s distillery owner Oscar Pepper and Master Distiller James Crow studied and recommended use of key processes like sour mashing and charred barrel maturation at Kentucky's historic Woodford County distillery.

These practices are still maintained in the bourbon industry and, today, the distillery receives more than 100,000 visitors annually and is the only one in America to triple-distill bourbon in copper pot stills. The Maple Wood Finish will go on sale throughout the United States on Nov. 1 in limited quantities with a suggested retail price of $89.99.

Tags: bourbon, Brown-Forman, distillery, Kentucky, whiskey, whisky, Woodford Reserve

Barbados' Famed Mount Gay Rum Gets a Redesign

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Architecture & Design

One of our very favorite spirits, Barbados' Mount Gay Rum is getting a new look courtesy of a Parisian design firm. QSLD Paris was charged with giving the iconic brand a refresher while keeping it firmly rooted in the traditions of the 300-year-old distillery.

QSLD came up with a new oval-shaped bottle, designed to be uncluttered and very comfortable to handle. The company crest is engraved on the bottle face and the label has been redesigned for a cleaner feel, while the rum's signature red cap remains.

QSLD had already re-designed the brand's Extra Old and 1703 Cask Selection bottlings before turning its attention to the classic, known as Eclipse. Founded by Denis Boudard, QSLD has done design work for several luxury brands including Guerlain, Lacoste, Chopard, Oscar de la Renta, Veuve Clicquot and Hennessy.

The new design also contains cues to the rum's nautical heritage. A legend dating from the 1600s relates that in order to prove passage across the Atlantic from Europe to the "New World," sailors were obliged to bring back a barrel of Barbados rum.

As evidence of its "profound and privileged relationship with the sea, with sailors and with ships", every year Mount Gay Rum proudly sponsors over 120 regattas around the globe.

Tags: Barbados, design, distillery, Mount Gay, Paris, rum, spirits

Kanon Organic Vodka from the King of Sweden's Distillery

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Green

New to these shores, Kanon Organic Vodka is a Swedish spirit from Gripsholm Distillery, founded by King Karl IX of Sweden, which has been producing organic vodka for over 400 years. Forsaking charcoal filtering and multiple distillation, the distillery uses local organic wheat and untouched spring water for a subtle, natural flavor without the usual vodka burn.

Gripsholm is the only EU and US certified organic distillery in Sweden. Once the king's cannon maker in the late 16th century (hence the vodka's name), Gripsholm started supplying vodka to the foundry workers and people in the surrounding area. With its 29 pot-still pans, 280 workers and a production of over a million liters of vodka annually, Gripsholm was once the largest distillery in Sweden.

Kanon is distilled from locally grown organic wheat in a continuous process without the use of environmentally harmful or genetically modified additives. The whole setup is eco-friendly; the distillery is run on wind and water power and all by-products are renewed. Even the attractive bottle is made from 60% recycled glass. Now available in New York at Morgan's hotels, Kanon will be launching in Los Angeles in January 2011.

Gallery: Kanon Organic Vodka

Tags: distillery, eco-friendly, organic, organic spirits, organic vodka, royalty, spirits, Sweden, vodka

Chase Vodka Heads To The U.S.

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

An English vodka favorite is making its way to the U.S. Chase Distillery is an English artisan spirits company founded by UK Entrepreneur William Chase in 2007. The brand won the "World's Best Vodka" award as voted by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010. The potato vodka will be represented by Pelican brands. "Success in the US is the benchmark for all spirit brands and businesses like ours and as such it is a fiercely competitive market. It is critical that we enter the US with the right partner and we have been extremely impressed by Pelican Brands' people, processes and ambitions," said Will Chase, Founder and CEO Chase Distillery. Pelican Brands will launch Chase Distillery's flagship brand Chase Vodka and Chase Elderflower Liqueur in key markets in the US in September.

Tags: chase vodka, distillery, spirits, vodka

Park Avenue Whiskey by NY's Tuthilltown Spirits

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

New York's storied Park Avenue Liquor Shop, established in 1934, is releasing new limited edition whiskey bottlings made exclusively for them by the artisanal Tuthilltown Spirits distillery in New York's Hudson River Valley. Priced at $45 per bottle, the Park Avenue Whiskey collection features 375 ml bottlings of bourbon, rye and a special new "BouRye", each 46% alcohol by volume. The first is dubbed "Baby Bourbon" because it is made using very small barrels, the whole grain rye is aged in oak, and the "BouRye" is a 50/50 blend of bourbon and rye, a combination requested specifically by the shop's owner and whisky expert Jonathan Goldstein. Goldstein also selected the specific barrels at Tuthilltown from which the exclusive whiskies were bottled to produce a truly unique set of spirits, presented in hand-numbered, wax-sealed bottles.

Tags: bourbon, distillery, Hudson River, Hudson River Valley, liquor store, New York, Park Avenue, Park Avenue Liquor Shop, rye, spirits, Tuthilltown Spirits, whiskey, whisky

The Classicist: Sipsmith, the First New London Distillery in 200 Years

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, The Classicist

The first new distillery in London for nearly 200 years recently began operating out of a tiny former brewery. Sipsmith is an independent micro-distillery producing small batch spirits in the true sense of the word; they never make more than 500 bottles at a time and often just half that number. After years working in the drinks industry, Sam Galsworthy, Jared Brown and Fairfax Hall struck out on their own to "pursue a passion for beautifully handmade spirits." They called themselves "sip-smiths" to celebrate the craft of distillation and artisanal methods. Since no one had done it for so long they had a hard time acquiring a license at first; when they finally obtained one from HM Revenue & Customs it was handwritten on a slip of paper.

The first thing the partners did was to commission a custom handmade copper-pot still from Germany's oldest distillery producers, Christian Carl, a small, family business in Bavaria who have been crafting stills since 1869; they named it Prudence. Of course they decided to start with the classics: a London Dry Gin and a Barley Vodka. Both are blended with pure water from Lydwell Spring in the Cotswolds, one of the sources of the River Thames, and each bottle is inscribed with a batch number which customers can be enter into the Sipsmith website to find out exactly what was happening and how the weather was at the distillery on the day it was made.

Gallery: Sipsmith Artisanal Spirits

To create their London Dry Gin, Sipsmith distills English barley spirit with a 10 carefully selected botanicals from around the globe - Macedonian juniper berries, Bulgarian coriander seed, French angelica root, Spanish liquorice root, Italian orris root, Spanish ground almond, Chinese cassia bark, Madagascan cinnamon, Sevillian orange peel and Spanish lemon peel - samples for some of which were originally collected from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The result is a particularly dry gin with a zesty, citrus freshness. They have also made a quintessentially English mince pie-flavored version, available exclusively at the bar of the Oxo Tower in London.

To craft their Barley Vodka, they distill English barley spirit cut from the very top of the 'heart' run, and carefully blend it with the exceptionally pure water of Lydwell Spring. The result is a smooth, buttery spirit with a light, nutty finish and a hint of spice and pepper. For now Sipsmith remains an extremely small operation; Galsworthy makes deliveries to Harvey Nichols and London's Ivy restaurant on the back of his moped. However we have a feeling there are grand things to come.

Tags: distillery, gin, London, Sipsmith, UK, vodka

The $2 Million Scotch Whisky Gift Experience

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Continuing our series on the seasonal smorgasbord of over-the-top exclusives offered by that glossy chronicle of the filthy rich Robb Report, we present their $2 million single malt Scotch experience. The profligate publication's gift package includes the following: a private tour of the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, conducted by their malt master Biran Kinsman, where the recipient and a guest will learn firsthand how the famed single malt is produced before selecting a personal vintage cask of their own; a rare bottle of Glenfiddich 50 Year Old (above); two nights' accommodation at Ballindalloch Castle, home since 1546 to the Macpherson-Grant family, who will host a dinner in the recipient's honor; first-class roundtrip air travel for two from any U.S. city to Edinburgh; one night's stay and dinner at Edinburgh's renowned Prestonfield Hotel, plus a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle; private roundtrip helicopter rides from Edinburgh across the Scottish Highlands to the Glenfiddich Distillery; and a private tour of the historic Johnston's Woolen Mill and a traditional Scottish lunch with the owner.

Tags: Ballindalloch Castle, BallindallochCastle, castle, distillery, Edinburgh, Glenfiddich, Prestonfield Hotel, PrestonfieldHotel, Robb Report, RobbReport, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, whisky

Edradour Ballechin Discovery Series Single Malt

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Scotland's smallest distillery, Edradour, has released the fourth distillation of Ballechin, The Discovery Series, a program to age its heavily peated Highland single malt Scotch solely in wine casks instead of the usual bourbon barrels. The Oloroso Sherry Cask expression has been matured solely in first fill Oloroso sherry casks and and is being released in a limited edition of 6,000 bottles.

Edradour is the last original "farm'" distillery in Perthshire and possibly the smallest legal distillery of any kind in the world. John Reid and his two assistants hand-craft Edradour without automation, using skills handed down through generations. At a weekly output of a mere 600 gallons - enough to fill twelve casks - what Edradour makes in a year, a typical Speyside distillery would produce in a week. Only the finest spirit is laid down by Reid into hand-selected oak casks for the ten year long wait before it can take the name of Edradour.

"Since acquiring Edradour distillery in 2002, I have pursued an extensive program of experimentation," notes Edradour Owner Andrew Symington. "Several heavily peated distillations have been produced initially on a very limited scale, and these are being matured in a wide range of wood types." Other Ballechin releases include a Burgundy cask matured, a Port cask matured, and a Madeira cask matured. Edradour is known for its smooth, creamy character with a touch of peat smoke.

Tags: distillery, Edradour, Perthshire, Scotch, Scotland, single malt, SingleMalt, whisky