Categorie: Whisky nieuws

The (first) single malt renaissance

Whisky writer Iain Russell discusses the word-of-mouth successes and surge of interest in single malt Scotch whisky as a category between the 1950s and 1980s.

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Does darker = older?

This myth-busting blog series separates the simple mistakes from marketing speak.

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New Diploma date added

With the March dates now full, we’ve added a new date in May 2023 (11th & 12th) for the in-person Diploma in Single Malt Whisky at Arniston House. Don’t forget, we also offer 3- and 6-month payment plans, plus a 100% online self-study option for the course.

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Wake Up Your Whisky Nose

Set aside an hour for yourself. This standalone module includes a valuable set of sensory skills to help train your nose and build your aroma memory.

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Linkwood 1998 23YO Cask #13808

A fantastic example of Linkwood Single Malt.

Sherry influences complement aromas of plump raisin and seville orange zest. Smooth flavours of clementine accompany stewed apple and cinnamon spice. A medium-bodied finish with toasted hazelnut and oak.

£176.00 >

Notes: Sherry influences complement aromas of plump raisin and seville orange zest. Smooth flavours of clementine accompany stewed apple and cinnamon spice. A medium-bodied finish with toasted hazelnut and oak.  Bottled exclusively for TyndrumWhisky by Gordon & MacPhail.

Macallan 25 Year Old 2022

Bottled at 43% abv, this rich and sumptuous dram wonderfully displays The Macallan’s skill for hand-picking some of the finest casks from around the world. 

£2,750.00
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Part of the Sherry Oak range from The Macallan, this expression spent 25 years maturing in sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez. Bottled at 43% abv, this rich and sumptuous dram wonderfully displays The Macallan’s skill for hand-picking some of the finest casks from around the world. The nose has bonfire smoke, cinnamon, and orange peel. The palate brings more smokiness alongside decadent notes of dried fruits that continue into the long and spicy finish.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 474: Laphroaig 10 Year Old ‘Pre Warrant’

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries an older Islay. In 1994 Laphroaig received a visit from Prince (now King) Charles, who gave the distillery a Royal Warrant, something the distillery is of course happy to mention on the label. On this bottle, that warrant is not yet mentioned. And while Mark is not sure when exactly this was bottled, it must have been from before 1994 and consequently contain a whisky that was distilled in the early 1980s.

https://youtu.be/UOBSFdcxWwc

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Often forgotten is that autumn ends not at the end of November, but on December 22. So it is that we are nearing the end of autumn proper, and with it the conclusion of the uber-hot season when so many of the most sought after bourbon releases come out. It’s a fitting time for the 16th installment of Parker’s Heritage to hit the shelves.

Having completed a run of whiskeys aged in ultra-charred barrels, Heaven Hill took a blender’s route with this edition. The core is a 13 year old bourbon that got the double new oak treatment, with four weeks spent in a second set of charred, new oak barrels. This was then married to a 15 year old bourbon, this latter whiskey having not received the double new oak maturation and constituting 1/3 of the total. The result was then bottled, as has been the case with Parker’s Heritage, at cask strength: 132.2 proof.

So, what Heaven Hill has given us this year is a thoroughly middle-aged bourbon, and one that leans pretty heavily on the vanilla flavor coming from new oak barrel aging, but without diving as deeply into it as most of the double new oak bourbons (such as Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and Michter’s Toasted Barrel).

The Bourbon
The coloring for this pour is a reddened amber, neither as dark or as brown as one might expect from a middle-aged bourbon bottled at such high strength. My take on the nose is a layer of hazy nuttiness atop a base of caramel and butterscotch. The palate here is a richly sweet one. The core of deep vanilla and brown sugar is accented with cocoa, with modest, off-center notes of earthy-style tea tannin and ginger. The flavor turns somewhat spicier and more peppery on the back end. In my opinion, the main deficit of this bourbon is its lack of a distinguished finish, which I found rather light an indistinct.

The Price
The official price for this bottle is $179.99, with a portion of the proceeds going to support ALS research in honor of Parker Beam. To date, over $1 million has gone from Parker’s Heritage profits to ALS research donations.

This makes the mark-ups on the secondary market and especially by retailers all the more outrageous. Although I am an advocate for allowing prices to rise to stabilize the market, the price charged by online retailers for the preceding 15th edition is currently between $800 and $1,500 per bottle. None of that mark-up goes back to Heaven Hill.

Laphroaig 10 yo ‘Original Cask Strength Batch 15’ (56.5%, OB, Dec 2021)
Laphroaig 34 yo 1987/2021 (46.2%, OB, Ian Hunter Story, Book 4 : Malt Masters)
Laphroaig 10 yo (90 US proof, OB, ‘Unblended’, Julius Wile Import, USA, screw cap, +/-1980)

Walsh Whiskey is proud to announce the stateside launch of its much-anticipated release, the Writers’ Tears ‘Red Head’ Single Malt Irish Whiskey. A triple-distilled single malt, the Writers’ Tears ‘Red Head’ joins the Writers’ Tears range of its celebrated Copper Pot, Double Oak and annual Cask Strength Whiskeys, which started coming into the U.S. in 2016.

The Writers’ Tears ‘Red Head’ Single Malt whiskey is matured in select handpicked Spanish sherry casks, previously seasoned with the finest Oloroso sherry. It is the influence of these scarce casks that give this expression of Writers’ Tears its signature rich and ruby hue, hence the moniker – ‘Red Head’. The expression is distilled without chill filtering, as nature intended at a distinctive 46% ABV.

“We are delighted to finally debut Writers’ Tears ‘Red Head’ in the United States, especially for fans of our other core expressions in the Writer’ Tears range, who have long looked forward to experiencing this distinct whiskey,” said creator of Writers’ Tears, as well as co-founder and Managing Director of Walsh Whiskey, Bernard Walsh. “We are very proud of the marriage between this Single Malt expression and the precious, hand selected Oloroso sherry casks.”

Imported by Hotaling & Co. of San Francisco, the Writers’ Tears ‘Red Head’ Single Malt Whiskey, is a limited-edition expression available at an SRP of $69.99 in 22 States

Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used for medical or recreational purposes. The main psychoactive part of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids. Cannabis can be consumed by smoking, vaporizing, within food, or as an extract. This Herb is one of the most popular ones today and that means that there are many misconceptions about it. Today, we are going to discuss those misconceptions and try to show you the real picture.

Many People Believe They Cannot Use CBD And Drink Whiskey

There is a common belief that cannabis does not work well with alcoholic beverages like whiskey, for example. But, that is not true. Smoking cannabis can make you enjoy whiskey even more. It can mellow you in a way you can enjoy every detail of your whiskey-drinking experience. Many people love to smoke cigars when drinking whiskey. If you are not a tobacco lover, then CBD may be the best option for you.

Why many people think that THC and CBD are the same thing?

There is a lot of confusion regarding THC and CBD, with many people thinking that they are the same thing. However, there are some key differences between the two substances. THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, meaning it is responsible for the ‘high’ associated with smoking weed. CBD, on the other hand, is not psychoactive and will not get you high. It is often used for its medicinal properties, as it has been shown to help with conditions like anxiety and pain relief.

Why thinking that legalization of cannabis would lead to higher crime rates is wrong?

The belief that the legalization of cannabis would lead to higher crime rates is wrong for a number of reasons. First, there is no evidence to support the claim that cannabis use leads to criminal activity. In fact, studies have shown that cannabis use is actually associated with lower crime rates. Second, even if there were a correlation between cannabis use and crime, it does not necessarily mean that one causes the other. It could be that people who are more likely to commit crimes are also more likely to use cannabis. Third, the legalization of cannabis would likely lead to lower prices and increased availability, which would in turn reduce the incentive for people to engage in illegal activity to obtain the drug. Finally, many countries that have legalized or decriminalized cannabis have not seen an increase in crime rates. Therefore, it is clear that the belief that legalization would lead to higher crime rates is unfounded and unsupported by evidence.

How can we correct the misconceptions about cannabis?

Cannabis has been misunderstood for a long time. People have many misconceptions about it, which can lead to negative attitudes and judgments. One of the best ways we can correct the misconceptions about cannabis is by educating people. By decriminalizing the herb, we can show people at public forums the benefits of it. This way, people will not stigmatize cannabis, but understand it.

Those are some of the most common misconceptions about cannabis and ways to correct them.

Pursuit Spirits is announcing a new line extension to their portfolio of award-winning bourbon and rye whiskeys. The Oak Collection starts with a curated blend of whiskeys that has been developed to precisely pair with certain styles of secondary oak finishes. The result is a union of flavors where the original blend shines through while the secondary finish provides perfect balance. The Oak Collection will be an ongoing series that provides exploration of whiskey tastes and constant innovation. This initial release will feature two limited expressions, Pursuit United Bourbon Finished with Toasted American and French Oak and Pursuit United Rye Finished with Sherry French Revere Oak. Both will be available in limited quantities with a SRP of $74.99.

“I guess you’re not a real whiskey company until you have a toasted release,” says Co-Founder Kenny Coleman. “In all seriousness, the Oak Collection creates a better whiskey than traditional rebarreling because it allows us to develop a custom blend to match a particular wood finish.” This line extension marries the concept of Pursuit United by blending different distillates, states, barrel types and aging environments with various oak types to develop unexplored taste profiles.

For the initial debut of the Oak Collection, a new bourbon blend was introduced that marries two types of oak. “Finding the right blend and wood finish proved to be a challenge because there are many variables at play,” says Co-Founder and blender, Ryan Cecil. “My goal was to complement the whiskeys being used. I did not want to hide them behind the flavors of the wood.” The Pursuit United brand provides the flexibility to use any barrel and achieve a blend that works with different wood finishes. After testing multiple blends, oak types, and finishing times from a few days to a couple of weeks, a perfect union was found.

Pursuit United Bourbon Finished with Toasted American and French Oak uses a proprietary combination of three different straight bourbon whiskeys. After the barrels were blended together, it was split into two different containers where one was finished with Toasted American oak while the other was finished with French oak. After each achieved a desired flavor, the two containers were blended together again for the final product. The nose is met with a flamed orange peel followed by dusted dark chocolate roasted nuts. The chocolate notes continue with a hazelnut spread along with cherry cola on the palate. Familiar notes of toasted oak, cloves, and black pepper are prominent on the finish.

The bourbon whiskeys included in the proprietary blend are from three different distilleries:

TN – Undisclosed but NOT in Tullahoma (80% Corn, 10% Rye, 10% Malted Barley)

IN – MGP (60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley)

NY – Finger Lakes Distilling (70% Corn, 20% Rye, 10% Cherry Smoked Barley)

Pursuit United Rye Finished with Sherry French Revere Oak uses the same award-winning and proprietary blend as the flagship using three distillates from two different distilleries. The barrels were blended together at final proof before finishing with Sherry French Revere Oak. This release provides aromas of tropical fruits, coconut, and herbal tea. The initial taste has a creamy texture, like warm fruit cobbler, followed by brown sugar. The finish leaves soft spices and hints of cocoa.

The three rye whiskeys are from two different distilleries:

MD – Sagamore Spirit (A: 52% Rye, 43% Corn, 5% Malted Barley / B: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley)

KY – Bardstown Bourbon Co. (95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley)

Pursuit United Bourbon Finished with Toasted American and French Oak and Pursuit United Rye Finished with Sherry French Revere Oak is limited to 300 6-pack cases and are bottled at 108 proof. They will be available in very limited quantities in IL (Binny’s only), KY, MO, NM, TN (Knoxville market only), TX and online at Seelbachs.com with a SRP of $74.99.

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Crosses $100 Million Sales Mark

Nearest Green Distillery Is Officially the Most Successful Black-Owned Distillery in the World

SHELBYVILLE, TENN. – Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, the most-awarded Bourbon and American Whiskey of 2019, 2020, and 2021, announced that its sales exceeded $100 million through October 2022, with an on-track forecast to more than double that total by the end of 2023. Its recently expanded 323-acre distillery has already welcomed more than 100,000 guests with that number increasing significantly every week.

The company was founded by its CEO Fawn Weaver in 2017. She was then joined by Chief Business Officer Katharine Jerkens and, shortly after, Victoria Eady Butler, the great-great-granddaughter of the company’s namesake, Nearest Green, and four-time Master Blender of the Year recipient. Last year, Uncle Nearest announced it had become the best-selling Black American-founded, owned, and led spirit brand in U.S. history. With today’s announcement, the company has taken on the world’s largest. The company’s whiskey portfolio of seven offerings, available at its distillery in Shelbyville, Tennessee and in all 50 states, territories, and districts nationwide, ranges in suggested retail price from $49.99 to $149.

“To reach this and every other milestone on our horizon, we continue to push nonstop. Every penny this company has earned has gone back into the business, as well as to put Nearest Green’s college-age descendants through college and to invest in minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs through our Black Business Booster program (BBB), the Nearest and Jack Advancement Initiative (NJAI) and Uncle Nearest Ventures,” said Weaver. “Every cent we make in the future will continue to do the same. We have an entire generation of women and people of color, who represent 70 percent of our country but still feel marginalized and underrepresented, counting on us. This group continues to look to Uncle Nearest as proof that anything is possible. We will not let them down. With the support of one of the most loyal consumer bases in spirits, we will continue to do the ‘impossible’ so they know, as long as they operate in excellence and refuse to give up, they can achieve whatever their heart believes.”

On Juneteenth 2021, an expanded Nearest Green Distillery opened to the public, a project that has cost approximately $50 million. On Black Friday, the company released its much-anticipated Single Barrel Black Label at the distillery for $79 and sold out of the first set of barrels immediately, requiring an additional bottling before doors opened the following morning.

“I joined the team this year with one mission in mind: to make Nearest Green Distillery one of the top three most visited distilleries in the world,” said Brielle Caruso, Chief Marketing Officer for Nearest Green Distillery, who two years ago made history as the first Asian American female CMO in the spirits industry. “I have no doubt we will achieve that milestone even faster than we crossed the $100 million sales mark.”

“For the longest time, folks were sitting around waiting for us to fail. First, they underestimated us, then they expected us to fail,” said Victoria Eady Butler. “I guess they do that with independent companies owned by women or people of color. Well, more than five years into this level of growth, y’all can stop waiting. We are not a fad or some trendy brand – we are a purpose-driven, mission-oriented company. Uncle Nearest and Nearest Green Distillery aren’t just here to stay, but to grow and sustain at a pace never seen before in our industry.”

About Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey honors the world’s first-known African American master distiller, Nearest Green. It was the first spirits brand in the world to be named after a Black American. The portfolio is the Most Awarded Bourbon and American Whiskey of 2019, 2020 and 2021, with over 600 awards and accolades since the brand’s 2017 launch, including 394 Gold medals or higher, 68 Best in Class honors and an average critic’s score of 92. Uncle Nearest is currently sold in all 50 states and 12 countries, and is sold in more than 25,000 stores, bars, hotels, restaurants, as well as at its 323-acre Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tenn. For more information, please visit the Uncle Nearest website, and follow on Instagram and Facebook @unclenearest.

About Nearest Green Distillery

Nearest Green Distillery is the world’s first distillery to commemorate an African American. Dubbed as “Malt Disney World,” and named by Travel + Leisure as a “true whiskey destination,” the 323-acre property has become known as a full-blown destination for whiskey lovers, history enthusiasts, and families. It is a master class in storytelling and history-making, paying tribute to the three things Tennessee is most known for: Tennessee Whiskey, Tennessee walking horses and Tennessee music.

At Nearest Green Distillery, visitors can purchase Uncle Nearest’s flagship whiskeys as well as exclusive bottles such as the award-winning Uncle Nearest Master Blender Edition Whiskey and Uncle Nearest Uncut/Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey. In addition to world-class attractions as the Welcome Center and Philo + Frank’s, the world’s first non-alcoholic speakeasy, guests can indulge in award-winning BBQ at Chuck’s Barrel House BBQ II, or enjoy drinks, food and music at Humble Baron, the world’s largest bar, opening March 2023. For more information or to book a tour, please visit unclenearest.com/distillery.