whisky

Forty Creek Launches Confederation Oak

Filed under: Spirits

Anyone who has tried Forty Creek Canadian Whisky knows that a distillery doesn't have to be decades old to produce a fine product.

In business only ten years, and already impressing critics with a Barrel Select, the Ontario distillery has just released a new expression, Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky.

The name comes from the fact that owner John Hall, who also produces Kittling Ridge Wines, aged his whiskey in barrels made from Canadian white oak trees about 150 years old--dating back to Canada's structure as a confederation. "As a proud Canadian whisky maker, I have always been curious what a Canadian whisky would taste like aged in a Canadian oak barrel, because most Canadian whiskies are aged in American oak," says Hall.

Each bottle will be numbered, and 16,800 are being released.

The nose on this whisky is maple-raisin-vanilla-fig, progressing to praline, banana, butter cream, honeyed nuts, marzipan, spice and orange blossoms. It is full-bodied on the tongue, with vanilla, butter cream and pepper spice. A long lingering finish with fading spice and white pepper.

Price: About $69.95 (Canadian) for a 750-mL bottle.

Tags: Canadian Whisky, Forty Creek, whiskey, whisky

Jura Celebrates 200th Anniversary with Special 21-Year Old Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The only distillery on the Hebridean island that serves as a stepping-stone between Islay and mainland Scotland. Jura always stands out from other single malts. But this year stands out more than others, as the distillery celebrates its 200th anniversary.

To commemorate the bicentennial, Jura has released a special-edition 21-year old bottling, which joins its core range of 10, 16, Superstition and Prophecy single malts. It will be offered only in strictly limited quantities, direct from the distillery and from select retailers worldwide.

Sweetening the deal even further, buyers lucky enough to get their hands on the 200th anniversary bottling are also invited to visit the distillery and taste some of their even rarer malts on site.

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Tags: 200th anniversary, 21, bicentennial, isle of jura, jura, jura 21, jura 21-year old, scotch, single malt, single malt scotch, whisky

Bunnahabhain Launches 30-Year Old 1980 Vintage

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Single malts from Islay – like Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin or Bowmore – are known for their heavily peated, smokey flavor. Bunnahabhain stands apart with a gentler taste, and now the island distillery has launched an exclusive new edition.

The Bunnahabhain 1980 Vintage has been aged at the distillery's seaside warehouses on the North East side of Islay for the past three decades, imparting it with a creamy, silky taste. It's been bottled after 30 years at a cask strength of 45.4%, non-chill-filtered, with no color added (many distilleries add caramel) and otherwise completely unadulturated.

Only 357 individually-numbered bottles have been filled. Each comes with unique gold-foil labeling in an un-dyed leather case that promises to age with time, accompanied by a branded quaich (a traditional Scottish serving dish) and special parchment in a glass tube.

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Tags: bunnahabhain, Bunnahabhain 1980 Vintage, Bunnahabhain 30, islay, scotch, single malt, whiskey, whisky

Glenfyne Single-Malt Expected to Fetch £10,000

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A rare malt whisky from a distillery that closed more than 70 years ago is expected to fetch up to £10,000.

The Glamis ten-year-old 20th century single malt was distilled and bottled by The Glenfyne Distillery Co. Ltd., on Ardrishaig in Scotland.

The distillery operated for more than 100 years before it closed in 1937, and the bottle was imported into the USA by Greig, Lawrence and Hoyt Limited, of New York. In addition to the Glenfyne Distillery crest embossed on top, it also bears an American tax strip and carries the words "Federal Law Forbids Sale or Re-use of This Bottle" on the shoulder.

It is the star item in Bonhams' whisky sale in Edinburgh on November 17.

Tags: BonhamsAuction, glamis, Glenfyne Distillery, malt whisky, whiskey, whisky

White Owl Whisky: The Clear Alternative from Highwood Distillers

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

White or clear whiskies aren't entirely new to the market. American distillers have been producing them for years. Explaining their lack of color is simple enough: "fresh make spirit" – that is, whisk(e)y straight from the still – comes out clear. The amber color we're used to in our whiskies is imparted by the years spent aging in wooden barrels. American clear whiskey simply skips that step, giving customers a clear spirit that can be used in cocktails just a you would vodka or gin, just with a different flavor – while skipping the time-intensive aging processs.

White Owl Whisky takes a different approach. Unlike in the United States where regulations don't mandate that a whisky needs to be aged, Canadian rules are closer to those in Scotland: a whisky must be aged for at least three years in wooden barrels to be called whisky. White Owl does even better, with some of the spirits contained therein having been aged for ten years. Its makers Highwood Distillers of Alberta have filtered it extensively through charcoal until the color is gone, but the flavor stays.

The result can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks like any other whisky, or mixed into cocktails for a fresh take on the Bloody Caesar – a Canadian version of the Bloody Mary that adds clam juice and which Highwood calls the Clam WOW (White Owl Whisky) – or the Night Owl, an intriguing alternative to the usual Vodka/Red Bull.

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Tags: canadian whisky, clear whiskey, clear whisky, highwood, highwood distillers, rye whiskey, rye whisky, whisky, white owl whisky

Compass Box Releases Tenth Anniversary Special Edition

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Compass Box president John Glaser is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the brand with a new expression called Flaming Heart blend.

For Flaming Heart, Glaser says he sought to create an unusual balance among sweet, peat and spice that he'd found in an early Compass Box limited edition he called Eleuthera. "Eleuthera was this lovely balance of sweet and and fruity, with spice and peat," he said, while drawing the comparison.

Compass Box's 10th Anniversary Flaming Heart malt Scotch whisky is being produced in a limited release of 4,000 bottles (1,800 available in the U.S.). It should be available at better whisky shops in the major U.S. markets, as well as abroad by October 25.

Compass Box is a blender, not a distiller. The company offers five "base" labels--Asyla (malt and grain blend), Oak Cross (10- to 12-year-old Highland single malts), The Peat Monster (10- to 16-year Islay, south shore and Ardmore blend), The Spice Tree (10- and 12-year Highland blend), and Hedonism (12- to 28-year whiskies).

Flaming Heart is made from single malt whiskies from six distilleries located in the northern Highlands and Islands. Primarily whiskies from distilleries located in the villages of Brora (Highlands), Port Askaig (Islay) and the Isle of Mull (Islands), 40% was aged in refill American oak, while 31% was aged in first-fill American oak and 29% in new French oak.

Tags: alcohol, Compass Box, Compass Box Peat Monster, flaming heart, liquor, whiskey, whisky

Chivas and Christian Lacroix Create 18-yo Limited Edition Scotch

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Chivas Brothers launched its latest collaboration with fashion designer Christian Lacroix – a luxury limited-edition version of its super-premium Scotch whisky Chivas Regal 18-year old. Following on the success of the Chivas 12 year-old magnum by Christian Lacroix last year, the new edition of Chivas 18yo will be available in selected travel retail outlets starting in November.

Chivas Regal 18 Year Old by Christian Lacroix features a brocade presentation box in French jacquard, with a mirrored interior, while the Chivas label on the bottle is also embroidered in jacquard. The bottle features an intricate "metallic" design reminiscent of Lacroix's work on the Chivas 12-year old magnum. Only 3,000 bottles of the Lacroix 18 will be available, with around one-third allocated to the duty free market at a retail price of $495.

In November Paris Charles de Gaulle airport will mark the world premiere of Chivas 18 Year Old by Christian Lacroix, with the bottle making its debut at Aelia's stores in terminals 2C and 2E. The following month the limited edition will be rolled out to World Duty Free's stores in London Heathrow terminals 3, 4 and 5, before the product is launched in duty free outlets in Moscow and New York JFK. In the New Year, the limited edition will be introduced to key airports in the Middle East and Asia Pacific, including Dubai, Singapore Changi and Hong Kong.

Tags: 18-year-old scotch, 18-year-old whisky, Chivas Regal, Christian Lacroix, duty-free, whisky

New Spirit: The Balvenie 17 Year Peated Cask

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Speyside Scotch distillery The Balvenie has released a new limited edition expression, a 17-year old that is finished in a peated Islay cask. This is not the first time that the Balvenie have dabbled in peat. A previous limited edition, Islay Cask, sold out fast and is considered a collectible, selling well North of $200 in the secondary market.

Balvenie Peated Cask, $130.00, is comprised of a marriage of 17-year old Balvenie finished in new oak and 17-year old finished in casks that had previously held an unreleased experimental heavily-peated Balvenie distilled in 2001.

The nose on this expression is honeyed malt, which is The Balvenie's signature, soft oak dried apricots, orange liqueur, with some wood smoke notes chasing the fruit. The smoke is more pronounced on the tongue: indeed it overshadows the fruit. There is a saltiness in the finish typical of Laphroaig.

As Islay malts have grown in popularity, some of the Speyside and Highland distilleries, that generally do not malt their barley with peat, have been playing around with peat finishing to broaden their portfolios.

The Balvenie 17 is interesting, but not as pleasing, I think, as its core expressions. If you want peat, buy an Islay malt I say.

Tags: alcohol, Islay malts, Laphroaig, peated whisky, The Balvenie, The Balvenie 17 year-old peated cask, whiskey, whisky, whisky tasting

The Dalmore Trinitas Sells for Record £100,000

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Ten thousand seemed like an awful lot for a bottle of whisky back last December, when we tasted The Dalmore's 58-year old Sirius malt. But the truth of the matter is that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg for one of Scotland's most exclusive distilleries. As our own Jonathon Ramsey pointed out in sampling the Mackenzie malt, The Dalmore has sold some bottles that have absolutely eclipsed every other when it comes to the prices they fetch. In 2003 they sold a bottle of 62-year old Dalmore sold at auction for over £25k, setting a world record. Three years later another bottle of the same went for £32k. But even those astronomical prices pale in comparison to Dalmore's latest.

For the first time in history, a bottle of whisky has sold for over six figures. And guess who sold it. The kicker? Dalmore didn't just sell one of them. They sold two: one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom. The bottle in question contains 64-year old whisky from the distillery's unsurpassed old stock. It's called Trinitas, and is so named because only three bottles were produced. That's right: there's another out there, and it'll be going up for sale at London' Whisky Show later this month. So if you've got an extra hundred grand in pounds sterling lying around and want to get the most expensive scotch on the market, there's your chance. (Follow the jump for video footage documenting the historic occasion.)

Tags: dalmore, dalmore trinitas, scotch, single malt, single malt scotch, the dalmore, the dalmore trinitas, whisky

Continue reading “The Dalmore Trinitas Sells for Record £100,000”

The Glenlivet Celebrates Expansion with new Founders Reserve

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Over the course of the summer, The Glenlivet underwent a £10 million expansion of its highland distillery. The project was overseen by its new Master Distiller Alan Winchester and which promises to help the distillery remain the top-selling single malt in the United States, to say nothing of its market domination overseas.

None less prominent a figure than Charles Prince of Wales was on hand together with the parent company executives to dedicate the new facility. Fortunately the 184-year-old distillery isn't about to keep the celebrations to itself though: to commemorate the expansion, The Glenlivet has released a new bottling called the Founders Reserve.

With a rich citrus nose and palate of clementines, caramel, cinnamon and raisins, the Founders Reserve will be available in strictly limited quantities at $375 per 750ml bottle.

[Source: WDJK]

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Tags: alcohol, founders reserve, glenlivet, glenlivet founders reserve, spirits, the glen livet, the glenlivet, whiskey, whisky

Mt. Vernon Adds Peach Brandy To Rye. Sells Rye for $25K at Auction

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Auctions

George Washington was not only the first President, "Father of our Country" and hero of the American Revolution, he was also a passionate distiller of rye whiskey and brandy.

At a reconstructed distillery [pictured] at Washington's estate, Mt. Vernon, there has been an effort to recreate both the rye and peach brandy that Washington made, sold, consumed, served and gifted to common folk as well as luminaries of his day.

Last summer, Mt. Vernon sold a limited edition of 470 bottles of the recreated rye whiskey. The bottles sold out in two hours at $85 each. And earlier this month, bottles #1 and #2 sold as a pair at auction for $25,000 to, ironically, an anonymous U.K. buyer.

But this month saw industry craftsman and leaders gather at Mt. Vernon to see if they could recreate a peach brandy that was as close to Washington's own recipe as they think possible. There is no written recipe for Washington's brandy, but the hope is that by distilling it in a still that is a close replica of the first President's and from juice from the local peaches Washington would have used, the "spirit" of the brandy will be close to what it was 240 years ago.

Tags: brandy, George Washingtons Rye, Mount Vernon, Mt. Vernon, Peach Brandy, rye, rye whiskey, Washington Peach Brandy, whiskey, whisky

Continue reading “Mt. Vernon Adds Peach Brandy To Rye. Sells Rye for $25K at Auction”

India's Amrut Readying Ultra-Premium Rum

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Indian distiller Amrut, which caused a sensation in the West last year after having its single-malt whisky rated #3 in the world by The Whisky Bible, has its eye on extending its new-found brand cachet into premium or ultra-premium priced rum.

Amrut makes most of its revenue, in fact, from selling rum and brandy inside India--Old Port Rum and Silver Cup Brandy. The company's chairman says Amrut blenders have been working on a luxury-priced rum that would be a blend of Caribbean and Indian rums. No release date is set yet.

Tags: alcohol, amrut, amrut intermediate sherry, Amrut Kadhambam, glenfiddich, rum, single-malt whisky, The Glenlivet, whisky

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Ballantine's Christmas Reserve

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Hunting a gift for a whisky lover never presents the challenge it does for any other recipient, and the holiday season makes for a great time to bring your friends and family a bottle of the good stuff. Ballantine's, however, is taking it a step further with its new Christmas Reserve.

The special blend packs yuletide aromas such as sweet wood, dried fruit and cinnamon, and comes in a special bottle and white box with a snowflake motif. Ballantine's Christmas Reserve hits European markets this month, and is slated to become a seasonal offering for years to come.

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Tags: ballantine, ballantines, ballantines christmas reserve, blended scotch, bottles to bring, christmas, christmas reserve, scotch, whisky

Amrut Launches the Limited-Edition Kadhambam Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Indian whisky distiller Amrut has been making a name for itself with its creative experimentation with different wood finishes. Just a couple of weeks ago we reported on their Intermediate Sherry finish, now the Bangalore-based distillery has announced the launch of its limited-edition Kadhambam malt.

Taking its name from the Tamil word for "mixture" (Tamil being one of the languages spoken on the subcontinent), Kadhambam is first aged in Oloroso sherry butts and then Blue Brandy and rum casks from the distillery's own stock for an intriguingly complex flavor.

Only 234 bottles of the malt will be offered, launched at the Potstill Festival in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and distributed exclusively by Dutch tobacconist and spirits distributor Van Wees Holland.

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Tags: amrut, Amrut Kadhambam, Kadhambam, single malt, single malt whisky, whisky

Hammer Head keeps Malt Whisky in Czech

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Think of single malt whisky and Scotland usually comes to mind. Maybe Ireland, Japan if you're really with the times. But the Czech Republic?

That's where Hammer Head Malt Whisky hails from, made at the Pradlo Distillery that was built in what was then western Czechoslovakia in 1928. A thoroughly Czech product, Hammer Head – so named for the noisy iron mill used in its production – is made using Czech barely, Czech spring water and aged in Czech oak barrels.

A limited number of barrels were laid down in 1989, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Soviet dominion over Eastern Europe. 20 years of aging later, the Bohemian whisky is now available from World of Whiskies, the extensive British travel retail chain, for £34.99.

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Tags: czech, Czech Republic, czechoslovakia, hammer head, pradlo, pradlo distillery, single malt, single malt whisky, whisky