Chivas Regal, the original luxury whisky, has teamed up with British luxury shoe designer, Tim Little, to launch a limited edition collectible tin. Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Made for Gentlemen by Tim Little is the first in a series of annual collaborations with modern craftsmen who share a passion for style, discernment, heritage and creativity.
The limited edition tin – designed by Little, the owner and creative director of British luxury shoe label, Grenson – is inspired by the modern gentleman’s wardrobe staple, the handmade brogue. The bold and masculine design aims to appeal to Chivas’ largely-male customer base and features a stylish deconstruction of this classic shoe.
James Slack, Global Brand Director for Chivas Regal, comments: “Made for Gentlemen highlights Chivas’ appreciation of heritage, craftsmanship and luxury. Our core customers are successful, modern gentlemen who seek style and substance in the brands that they connect with. Our collaboration with Tim Little taps into this insight – it’s stylish, distinctive and, importantly, a modern take on the typical whisky gift tin.”
Available in more than 60 markets worldwide from September 2012, orders for the Chivas 12 Made for Gentlemen Limited Edition by Tim Little have already exceeded two million units, making it one of brand owner Chivas Brothers’ most successful limited editions to date. Participating markets include the UK, Germany, Thailand, Gulf and Colombia, with the UK RRP set at £25.39.
Notes
About Chivas Regal
Chivas Regal is a truly global brand, selling 4.6 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Americas. The Chivas Regal range is the epitome of style, substance and exclusivity and includes Chivas Regal 12, 18 and 25 Year Old.
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.
British designer and shoemaker Tim Little has designed and crafted footwear for discerning gentlemen for over twenty year. He is the Creative Director and owner of heritage luxury footwear brand Grenson, founded in 1866, and heads up his own brand, ‘Tim Little’ which he launched in 1997. He is credited with transforming Grenson, a traditional English shoemaker, into a contemporary mark of luxury.
MORRISON BOWMORE DISTILLERS SCOOPS DISTILLER OF THE YEAR
Distillery manager and brand ambassador hailed as industry icons in awards hat-trick
Morrison Bowmore Distillers has cemented its position as the single malt specialist by being voted Whisky Distiller of the year at the 2013 Icons of Whisky Awards Scotland.
Glasgow-based MBD, the producer of four single malt brands – Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch and McClelland’s – was applauded by the judges for transforming a bulk blend business into a single malt specialist and reinvigorating all its brands with some “stellar releases”.
The awards celebrate the people and places behind the greatest whiskies in the world and two long serving MBD employees also won individual awards.
Eddie MacAffer, Bowmore Distillery Manager won the inaugural Distillery Manager of the Year category for 46 years of committed service, and Iain McCallum landing Brand Ambassador award, being hailed as “a new breed of ambassador who manages to mix a mastery of hard-core technical knowledge with a rare passion for the fun aspect of whisky.”
Mike Keiller, CEO, Morrison Bowmore Distillers said: “To see off such stiff competition and land a hat-trick of awards is a massive boost for us. Compared to any of our peers, we’re a small company so it’s immensely flattering to see both our business growth and individual expertise recognised. Being a single malt specialist requires considerable care and patience, but we’re certainly reaping the rewards of our investment.”
The 2013 Icons of Whisky Scotland were announced at an awards ceremony at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House on Friday 7th Sept 2012. The judging process included regional heats in the U.S, Scotland and other international markets.
Distiller of the Year: Morrison Bowmore Distillers Brand Ambassador of the Year: Iain McCallum Distillery Manager of the Year: Eddie MacAffer
ABOUT MORRISON BOWMORE DISTILLERS (www.morrisonbowmore.com) Founded in 1951, Morrison Bowmore Distillers Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Suntory Limited and is one of the major names in Scotch whisky. With three Malt Whisky Distilleries situated in the major production areas of Islay (Bowmore), the Highlands (Glen Garioch) and the Lowlands (Auchentoshan), as well as significant blending, bottling and warehousing facilities, the company has established a leading role in the export of Single Malts. The success of Morrison Bowmore Distillers Limited is based upon maintenance of traditional values and innovation in the marketplace.
Great King Street to Release the First of its Limited Release Regional Blends
GREAT KING STREET, the Blended Scotch whisky specialist brand launched by the Compass Box Whisky Company last year, has announced they will launch next month their NEW YORK BLEND, the first of the brand’s Limited Release regional blends.
Compass Box founder and Great King Street whiskymaker John Glaser explains: “We were approached by the New York Whisky Fest last year asking us to debut a new whisky at this year’s festival, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to start a series of regional blends, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. What better place to begin than New York?”
Glaser has long been inspired by the old Scotch whisky blending houses of 120 years ago who commonly made different blends for regional tastes. He has also been inspired by the ways in which blends were made in this period, delivering far more flavour than those of today. These things have formed the basis of his whiskymaking approach for the Great King Street brand.
For the New York Blend, Glaser made two key discoveries that inspired this one-off, limited edition bottling. One was an ancient New York Times article describing an 1890s bartender named Patrick Duffy who was responsible for instigating the importation of branded Scotch whisky in glass bottles for the first time into New York. Second, was an old Scotch blend recipe from a Glasgow blending house from the same era. Glaser fashioned a blend based on the old recipe and dedicated the bottling to Duffy, and the New York Blend was born.
What sets this Great King Street blend apart from Scotch whisky blends of today is flavour. The New York Blend uses lots of peaty single malts, plenty of sherry cask-aged single malts, and a much higher proportion of malt to grain whisky (80%/20%) than is typically used today (generally 30%/70%).
The Great King Street “New York Blend” will be launched on Saturday, October 27th, 2012 at the New York Whisky Fest at the Marriot Marquis hotel in Manhattan. Only 1,840 bottles are being released and it will be available primarily in the New York metropolitan area and via the Compass Box Whisky Company web site. The suggested US retail price will be $75.00. Glaser plans more Great King Street regional blends in the future, but for now he is mum about the details of where or when!
ABOUT GREAT KING STREETwww.greatkingstreet.com
“This is more than a brand; it’s a mission. A mission to get people – all people – to take a fresh look at Blended Scotch; to join in the Rebirth of the Blend: in how Blends are made, how they are viewed, how they are consumed.” – John Glaser, Whiskymaker
Great King Street is a new range of whiskies solely dedicated to Blended Scotch Whisky. The first in the range, the Artist’s Blend, launched in 2011. The name and label are inspired by Compass Box’s registered office address in Scotland – 24 Great King Street, in Edinburgh. By applying the same skill, techniques and philosophy used for the Compass Box Signature Range of whiskies, Great King Street will offer a style and approach to Blended Scotch that has not existed before. The keys are using individually chosen casks from some of Scotland’s best distilleries, a high proportion of malt whisky, truly excellent quality grain whiskies, and the careful use of new French Oak aging for added complexity. All bottled at a natural colour and without chill-filtering. They call whiskies made with this approach ‘craft blends’.
Glaser explains, “In a world where malt whisky gets all the attention, people often overlook the pleasures of good Blended Scotch. We believe that Great King Street will change this. There are good reasons why the blending of grain whisky and malt whisky has been the mainstay of the Scotch industry for over 100 years. Well-made Blended Scotches have an elegance and approachability that make them a joy to drink. Great King Street will offer a new and compelling alternative for both whisky enthusiasts who ordinarily drink only malt whiskies, and for whisky novices.”
ABOUT COMPASS BOX (www.compassboxwhisky.com)
The Compass Box Whisky Company is a boutique Scotch whiskymaker and craft blender, started in 2000 by John Glaser. Compass Box produces and bottles a range of Scotch whiskies, available in over 25 countries around the world. A four-time winner of the Whisky Magazine Innovator of the Year award, Compass Box is known throughout the whisky world for quality, innovation and passion for great whisky. The Compass Box signature range of whiskies includes Asyla, Oak Cross, The Peat Monster, The Spice Tree and Hedonism. They also produce limited release whiskies annually, and Orangerie, a Scotch whisky infusion. Their latest creation is a ground-breaking range of Blended Scotch whiskies called Great King Street. The first in the range is Artist’s Blend.
ABOUT JOHN GLASER
American ex-pat John Glaser started Compass Box Whisky Company from the kitchen of his west London home in 2000. Having started his career on a path to become a winemaker, then re-routing himself through the corporate world and ending up as marketing director for Johnnie Walker in London, Glaser has a unique perspective on both the creation and the marketing of Scotch whisky.
Glaser established Compass Box based on his commitment to evolving practices in the industry to make great Scotch whisky more approachable and relevant to more people. From the beginning, his vision has been to create one of Scotland’s finest and most exciting whisky companies, re-establishing the standards for quality and style in the industry.
Bowmore Islay Single Malt Whisky Announces Release Of Bowmore 1957 – 54 Years Old
~ The Oldest Bowmore and Oldest Islay Single Malt Ever Released ~
A Whisky Collector’s Dream Come True:
Bottles No. 1 and No. 2 to be Auctioned at Bonhams in Edinburgh and New York City this October with net Proceeds Donated to Charity
Islay, Scotland (September 17, 2012) – Bowmore®, the first Islay Single Malt whisky, will release its oldest ever expression this October: the exceptionally rare Bowmore 1957, 54 Years Old. Not only is this the oldest whisky the distillery has ever released, it is also the oldest IslaySingle Malt ever released. Distilled in 1957 and bottled in 2011, this marvel has been lying in wait in the finest oak for over half a century in Bowmore’s legendary No. 1 Vaults, the oldest maturation warehouse in Scotland. With only 12 bottles in existence worldwide, this is the rarest Bowmore and will no doubt become one of the most sought-after and collectible Single Malt Scotch Whiskies in the world.
Bottles No. 1 and No. 2 will be offered at a public auction at esteemed international auction house Bonhams in Edinburgh on Oct 10 and in New York City on Oct 28 with a minimum reserve set at £100,000 per bottle (approx. $155,000). All net proceeds from both saleswill be donated to five Scottish charities.
Many generations have been the custodians of Bowmore 1957’s long journey from cask to bottle. Beginning in 1779 when Bowmore was established through to the present day, the distillery team has served as guardians of Bowmore’swhisky-making traditions and its inventory, safeguarding them so that future generations can continue to experience the unique spirit that is Bowmore. Bowmore 1957 was as much nurtured by the people as it was by its cask and the ancient distillery walls.
A collection of 1957 casks were bottled in 1995 but one in particular was held back from the outset as it was clear that it was more special and exceptional than the rest. Since 1995, the whisky in that cask has been examined every six months to check the quality, taste, developments and changes; closely watched to see how long the whisky could mature without losing Bowmore’s signature trait of a sweet/smoky balance.
Andrew Rankin, Morrison Bowmore’s Chief Blender, comments: “Upon checking the whisky in early 2011, we knew it had reached perfection at 54 years of age. Bowmore 1957 has withstood the test of time astoundingly well and is nothing short of brilliance in a glass.”
The Auction
Widely considered as one of the leading collectible Single Malts in the world, the Bonhams’ auctions for the Bowmore1957 are certain to quicken the heartbeats of whisky collectors around the world. Auctions are slated for Edinburgh on October 10 (http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19871/) and in New York City on October 28 (http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20459/) with bids accepted live in each location as well as live internet bidding. Enquiries regarding bidding can be directed to bids@bonhams.com. The minimum reserve set by Bonhams is £100,000 per bottle, the highest reserve ever set for a Single Malt Whisky. Says Martin Green, Bonhams’ Whisky Specialist, “We, at Bonhams, are very excited to offer at auction the rarest and oldest expression of Bowmore. This iconic bottling, the most mature spirit ever to come from Islay, has been watched over for 54 years and is in impeccable condition.”
The Charitable Donation
Morrison Bowmore Distillers, producers of Bowmore, have chosen to donate all the net proceeds of both auctions to five Scottish charities that encompass a variety of worthy causes: ALZHEIMER SCOTLAND (care for people with dementia, their caregivers and families); THE BEATSON ONCOLOGY CENTRE (care for cancer patients receiving treatment in the west of Scotland); CHAS (children’s hospice services); ERSKINE (medical care for Armed Forces); and MARIE CURIE CANCER CARE (cancer care and research). Mike Keiller, Morrison Bowmore Distillers ChiefExecutive Officer, says: “The notion of having a cask from 1957 that can still produce something so glorious shows the acute attention to detail and care that we pride ourselves on at Morrison Bowmore. The fact that we can take some of the precious cargo from this cask to help the lives of so many across many different communities through our charitable contribution, we thought we should help Scottish charities with this rare piece of Scotch whisky history.”
The Unique Presentation
Bowmore has been distilling and perfecting its celebrated Single Malt on Islay since 1779, using time-honored traditions that have not changed since. Bowmore is one of the few distilleries that still turns its floor-malted barley by hand, checks the germinating barley by rolling it between finger and thumb and judges the “middle cut” of new made spirit by eye to determine the best liquid to fill the casks that will mature into well-aged Bowmore.
No attention to detail has been missed in making this precious spirit, and thesame hand-crafted thoughtfulness has been applied to the vessel and presentation box that carries the Bowmore 1957. Each of the 12 bottles has been hand-blown and sculpted by two of the world’s foremost glass artists Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burns, into the shape ofwaves reminiscent of those that constantly crash against the No. 1 Vaults’ sea-facing walls, whilst the glass is inlaid with shimmering flecks of platinum.
Adorning each bottle is a platinum neck collar, hand-engraved with the bottle number and spirit strength, and platinum stopper hand-crafted by Hamilton & Inches, Warrant Holder to the Queen. The bottle and accompanying glasses and water pitcher, also hand-blown by Nairn and Burns, are nestled in a presentation box created by acclaimed woodworker Peter Toaig, using hand-selected pieces of Scottish Oak. View artisans’ videos here:http://www.bowmore.com/news/something-magical/
The Allocation Of 12 Bottles
Only 12 bottles of the rarest Bowmore 1957 have been created. Two of these will be auctioned, two have been retained for the Morrison Bowmore archives and the remaining eight will be available for purchase by the public solely at the Bowmore Distillery on Islay. The retail price for Bowmore 1957 will be £100,000 (approx. $155,000). Islay is the whisky-making mecca for many aficionados and those people who make the special journey to purchase Bowmore 1957 will be captivated by this magical island’s craggy coasts, windswept moors and friendly inhabitants.
The Cask Maturation And Tasting Notes
Bowmore 1957 (42.1%) is a symphony of aromas and flavors never before experienced. After distillation, the new spirit was placed into a second fill sherry cask (where it spent 43 years) and then in2000 was moved into a second fill bourbon cask. At first breath, an elixir of blueberries and wild figs with mellow almonds, tropical fruit and rich oakyovertones hits the nose. The palate reveals layer upon layer of sweet and refined ocean tastes with soft blueberries, cassis and figs, sea salt and fresh eucalyptus. Next, a wisp of teasing smoke and traces of dark chocolate fusewith notes of grapefruit and juicy oak, carried along by a warming marine breeze. This sensory journey ends with a long and whispering finish of cassis, bergamot and star anise.
Founded in 1779, Bowmore is the oldest Distillery on Islay. Islay malts are famous for their characteristic smokiness and Bowmore is no exception. Bowmore carefully smokes its malt and uses skills handed down from generation to generation to craft a perfectly balanced single malt. Bowmore’s adherence to traditional production methods helps to shape the character of its single malts – they are one of only a few distilleries anywhere which still produces its own floor malted barley, hand-turned by traditional wooden malt shovels. It draws water from the Laggan River, with its rich peaty overtones, and it’s the same Islay peat that fires the malt drying kiln.
Bowmore Distillery’s close proximity to the sea is also vital in determining the final character of the spirit. The famous Bowmore No. 1 Vaults is where most of the whiskies spend their time resting quietly in the cool,dark, damp cellars below sea level, oblivious to the waves thrashing the Vault’s sea-facing wall. They mature in oak casks, previously used for bourbon, sherry or claret, gradually developing rich and mellow flavors. It’s this combination of peat, barley, sea breeze, water, wood, people and tradition that together create the perfectly balanced warm and smoky character of Bowmore single malt whiskies.
The Bowmore domestic product range:
Bowmore Legend
Bowmore 12 Years Old
Bowmore 15 Years Old ‘Darkest’
Bowmore 18 Years Old
Bowmore 25 Years Old
Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a furtherthree in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plusdetails of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com
Chivas Regal, the world’s original luxury Scotch whisky, has launched a permanent bottle exclusively for the on-trade – Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Night Magnum.
The Night Magnum will disrupt premium and VIP on-trade venues by tapping into occasions that are typically owned by premium white spirits and Champagnes.
Global Brand Director for Chivas Regal, James Slack, says: “When people purchase a bottle in an exclusive venue they are either ordering bottle-to-table vodka for the night ahead or Champagne to celebrate a moment. The Night Magnum will introduce Scotch whisky to these occasions, ensuring increased visibility for Chivas in the premium on-trade environment.”
The eye-catching 1.5 litre Night Magnum has a metallic finish and a burgundy Chivas Regal emblem. It will be available in more than 30 markets, including China, Brazil, Japan, France and Malaysia.
Notes
Chivas Regal is a truly global brand, selling 4.6 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Americas. The Chivas Regal range is the epitome of style, substance and exclusivity and includes Chivas Regal 12, 18 and 25 Year Old.
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.
The award winning single malt whisky Highland Park, distributed by Maxxium UK, has clinched a total of seven new awards for both Thor and Highland Park 50 year old reinforcing the brand’s ability to continue to win the highest accolades for new and limited editions.
Following the recent launch of Thor, the first edition of Highland Park’s stunning Valhalla Collection, (a range of four unique whiskies, released annually, taking inspiration from the legendary Nordic gods of old) it has been awarded the first ever Spirit Design Masters Award at The Spirits Business 2012 Awards. The stunning 16 year old single malt, which is the newest edition to the Highland Park family, also secured Gold, Best in Class at the International Spirits Challenge 2012. This is one of the most respected and influential spirit competitions in the world, receiving more than 1000 entries from across 70 countries.
Highland Park’s oldest ever island single malt whisky – Highland Park 50 year old, which launched exclusively at Harrods, London in 2010 has also collected a total of four awards. As well as winning Best Design at the World Whiskies Award 2012, this unique bottle, encased in an intricate ‘net cage’ of hand-crafted ornate Sterling silver created by Scottish jewellery designer Maeve Gillies, also took home the Best Limited Edition at the World Whiskies Design Awards. With only 275 bottles produced this prestigious edition was also named Best Single Malt Scotch 41 Years and Over (Multiple Casks), at the 2012 Whisky Bible Awards.
Adding to the brands successful run recently both Highland Park 50 year old and Thor have also both clinched a gold medal for design and packaging at the International Spirits Challenge 2012.
Peter Sandstrom, marketing director for Maxxium said: “To receive recognition from these respected industry bodies is a great honour and we are thrilled with the success we have achieved this year. The quality of the competition means that all of these awards are of great significance to us. We’re looking forward to building on this success in the near future, especially in terms of our newer editions, which will allow us to maintain our award winning reputation within the industry.”
To find out more about Highland Park please visit www.highlandpark.co.uk
Notes:
Highland Park:
Five keystones contribute to making the Best Spirit in the World:
· Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
· Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
· Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
· Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
· Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection. Its core range of 12, 18, 21, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malt is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts.
It seems that, in spite of how enthusiastic the Scottish are about their alcohol, the most recent attempt at a Guinness record for “longest whiskey tasting” is a failure, but not for the typical reason. The group of Whiskey aficionados did in-fact break the world record – but no Guinness officials showed up to witness the event, stripping the team of their world record.
The team of Whiskey lovers traveled to eight cities and eight whiskey shops over the 24-hour period, traveling over 643 miles.
Andrew Torrence from the Whiskey Shop (one of the event organizers) explained the development of the idea saying,
“I heard someone talking about the world’s biggest whisky tasting and I felt that it was a record that should be held by Scotland but it wasn’t. I got to thinking and had the idea that if we couldn’t do the biggest we should do the most, so that’s how it developed.”
The tastings focused on three core Compass Box whiskeys:
Great King Street Blend
Peet Monster
The Spice Tree
The DailyMeal writes that
“The officials from Guinness contacted the team a few days after the event to let them know it would have broken the record. However, they could not officially count it because they were not able to attend.”
I don’t know about you, but I’d be pretty pissed if I traveled to eight cities in 24 hours and didn’t get the record because some lazy Guinness reps didn’t show up. But in any case, hats off to such a dedicated group of whiskey aficionados.
Every now and again a press release drops through my inbox that I have to share. This one is worth sharing for sure. I have a lot of good friends who are now going to be keeping a closer eye Glendronach and BenRiach Scotch Whiskey (and a few who are now going to pick some up). Take a look at the awards below.
~~~~~
ON the opening day of the Olympics, the BenRiach Distillery Company is delighted to have won two golds, five silvers and a bronze medal!
The Edinburgh-headquartered company is celebrating eight awards, not at London 2012 of course, but at this year’s International Wine & Spirits Competition, the world’s most prestigious wine and spirit contest.
The results were announced today (27 July) in London.
IWSC medals and trophies are the most highly regarded in the trade, representing the best of the best in the world of wines and spirits. The IWSC is judged by a panel selected from 300 fully-qualified and experienced industry judges. Noted for its intense and unrivalled judging process, the IWSC is proud to be the only competition of its kind that conducts a full blind tasting with extensive technical analysis.
BenRiach’s Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “We are really pleased by the results of this year’s competition and I suppose it’s quite fortuitous that the medals were awarded on the opening day of the Olympic Games!
“A number of these products are relatively new releases, such as the GlenDronach Octarine, 21YO and Port Finish, and the BenRiach Septendecim, so it’s nice to see them getting some industry recognition. We’re particularly delighted with the Gold Medal for the GlenDronach 12YO – this is our flagship GlenDronach expression, and we’ve invested heavily in the wood management programme at the distillery, so it’s satisfying to see that effort come to fruition.”
The tasting notes for the two gold winners are:
BenRiach 25 yo
NOSE
Rich honey, spices, apples and peat, in combination with superb oak-wood notes.
TASTE
A rich cocktail of honey, Oloroso sherry, cocoa and apples, supported by a fascinating presence of citrus, sweet peat and wonderful wood notes.
GlenDronach 12 yo
NOSE
Sweet, creamy vanilla, with hints of ginger. Autumn fruits.
TASTE
Rich, creamy, silky-smooth. Warm, rich oak and sherry sweetness, full mouth feel, raisins and soft fruits. Spicy with medium length and a dry finish.
Sifting through the morning cigar and spirits news with my cup of coffee this morning, I found a real gem of an article. In “Jack Daniel’s Sends the Most Polite Cease-and-Desist Letter Ever,” Christina Warren from Mashable.com reports on just how nice working in the spirits industry can tend to make people.
As the story goes, Patrick Wensink was commissioning the cover for his new book, Broken Piano for President, when he received a letter from Jack Daniels Properties. Take a look at the photo above (especially the border), and it’s easy to see why Jack Daniel’s might take issue.
What is most unique, however, isn’t the fact that a distillery sent an author a cease-and-desist letter, it was how the letter was written. See for yourself:
Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon comes in an elegant glass bottle with an engraved four roses. The bottle has a simple yellow label with four red roses. Each bottle has a warehouse and barrel number. My bottle’s warehouse number is NS and barrel number is 12-5N. The dram of Four Roses Single Barrel is tawny in my Glencairm glass. When swirling the tawny liquid in my glass the bourbon lightly coats the glass.
Product Specifics
Maker: Four Roses,
Bottled By: Four Roses Distillery LLC, Lawrenceburg, KY
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Website: http://www.fourrosesbourbon.com/
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Bottle: (750 ml)
Notes
Nose: I pick up spice, dried fruit, vanilla, floral, maple, and wood.
Palate: Four Roses Single Barrel has a thick velvety texture and is full-bodied. There are kitchen spices: pepper, nutmeg, and clove. Dried fruit, specifically pear is evident as well as sweeter notes of vanilla and toffee. Additionally, there are subtle floral notes that soften the initial spice.
Finish: The Single Barrel finishes clean and smooth.
Cigar pairing:
I would recommend a medium-full to full body cigar to complement the spicier notes in the Four Roses Single Barrel. Here are a few recommendations: Murcielago Hispaniola Cristobal Colon 1492, or Joya De Nicaragua Antonio 1970.
Where to Try: On The Rocks and Brandy Library.
Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon is excellent. The bottle can be found between $40-$45 in the New York area. I recommend finding this delectable bourbon at a liquor store or sip it at a bar.
Grade: A
Where to Buy
Manhattan (Chambers Street Wines, California Wine Merchant, Winfield Flynn Wine & Spirits, Sherry-Lehmann); Brooklyn (Heights Chateau).
Glaser has long been inspired by the old Scotch whisky blending houses of 120 years ago who commonly made different blends for regional tastes. He has also been inspired by the ways in which blends were made in this period, delivering far more flavour than those of today. These things have formed the basis of his whiskymaking approach for the Great King Street brand.
