WRITERS TEARS LAUNCHES ITS FIRST IRISH SINGLE MALT WHISKEY

Walsh Whiskey has today announced the launch of the first single malt bottling in their Writers Tears range of Irish whiskey’s, the first major addition to the brand since their first Cask Strength release in 2012.

Writers Tears ‘Red Head’ (46% ABV) is a no age statement Irish single malt whiskey, that has been triple-distilled and matured in hand selected Oloroso sherry casks.

Writers Tears - 'Red Head'

The influence of the sherry casks is said to have given this new expression from the County Carlow based brand its signature rich, ruby hue and also provided inspiration for its name ‘Red Head’.

Limited to 12,000 bottles, Writers Tears ‘Red Head’ will now join the brands hugely successful and multi-award winning Writers Tears “Copper Pot” and the Writers Tears Cask Strength vintages. 

Commenting on the news, Bernard Walsh, Walsh Whiskey Distillery Co-Founder and Chief Executive Bernard Walsh said: “We are thrilled with the result of the marriage between our first ever Single Malt expression of Writers Tears and these precious Oloroso sherry butts. The natural interaction and careful aging between the pot-still spirit, styled in Writers Tears signature fashion in copper pots, as all Irish whiskey was in the golden era of the 1800s, and the Spanish wood contributes to the outstanding quality and distinctive flavours of this sublime single malt.”

Writers Tears ‘Red Head’, will be available from next month in selected markets. RRP (tbc).

Posted by Steve Rush

REBEL YELL BOURBON ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST UK 'REBEL YOUR COCKTAIL' COMPETITION WINNER

Rebel Yell Bourbon and Cellar Trends, have announced the winner of their first ‘Rebel Your Cocktail’ competition, which will see it’s winner heading off to the 25th Kentucky Bourbon Festival, in September.

Thom Solberg from the Black Rock bar in Shoreditch, has been named the winner of the competition, which saw bartenders from across London compete in five heats, which led to the grand final at MASH in Soho on Monday.

'Rebel Your Cocktail' Competition Winner: Thom Solberg

The winning cocktail by Thom Solberg: Bakken (name inspired by one of the largest oil fields in the US) comprised of: 50ml Rebel Yell bourbon, 15ml Amaro Angostura. 10ml Velvet Falernum, 5ml walnut oil and the zest of half a lime.

Commenting on his winning cocktail, Thom Solberg, said: “My personal act of rebellion was to shake up the cocktail – needed due to the oiI. Whereas at my bar Black Rock, all our whisky cocktails are stirred.  But there is harmony.  I chose the garnish so that every flavour in it reflects the nuances of taste within the Rebell Yell bourbon.”

The full finalists for this year’s inaugural competition were Harry Knox from Boulogne Bar in Kentish Town, Lükas Gotze from Three Six Six in Battersea, Milan Kresan from The Churchill Bar in Portman Square, Tertius Wharton from Opium in Chinatown and Thom Solberg from Black Rock in Shoreditch.

The judges for the final on Monday included Greg Mefford, International Sales Director at Luxco in the US, which owns Rebel Yell, along with the brands Master Blender John Rempe and whisky expert Dominic Roskrow.

Overall, a diversity of ingredients in the entrants’ ‘recipes for rebellion’ ranged from: banana liqueur, absinthe, 31 Year Old Armagnac, PX sherry, Chinato, peanut punch, seaweed to corn. 

Commenting on the competition, Caroline Pihoue, Marketing Manager for Rebel Yell at Cellar Trends, said: “The competition brought some really confident serves.  At times, one would think that the ingredients lined-up by the competitor would clash, but then came the magic.  Incredible aromas and taste sensations were matched with ultra-creative presentations.  We enjoyed discovering such creative mixes in this inspiring collection of bourbon cocktails, and thank all the bartenders for taking so much time to dream up and perfect their serves.  We especially thank the bars hosting the heats: MASH, Shaka Zulu, Milroy’s & The Vault, Whistling Shop and Three Six Six.”

The Rebel Yell campaign will continue with diary coverage of highlights of this year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival, and a UK Tweet Tasting, hosted by Steve Rush at The Whisky Wire, which will take place on November 7th, the eve of the United States Presidential election.

Posted by Steve Rush

TOMATIN LAUNCHES A TRIO OF NEW LIMITED EDITION SINGLE MALTS

The Tomatin Distillery has announced the launch of three new limited edition vintage single malt whiskies, which are said to be set apart by the distinct differences in their cask maturation.

Tomatin 1995 (46% ABV) has been finished in Oloroso sherry casks and is limited to 1908 bottles. According to the distillery the whisky delivers aromas and flavours of heavy dried fruits, rich sherry, honeyed oak spice and dark chocolate.

Tomatin 1995 Oloroso Sherry Finished - Tomatin 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Finished
Tomatin 2007 Caribbean Rum Matured

Tomatin 2002 (46% ABV) has been finished in Cabernet Sauvignon in red wine barriques and is limited 2436 bottles. According to the distillery the whisky delivers aromas and flavours of red fruits, honey, citrus, spices, rounded off with a punchy fruit jam.

Tomatin 2007 (46% ABV) has been fully matured in Caribbean rum casks and is limited to 6600 bottles. According to the distillery the whisky delivers aromas and flavours of coconut, pineapple, banana, vanilla custard and lingering tropical fruits. This is also the very first rum matured release from the Highland distillery.

Commenting on the launch of their three latest releases, Stephen Bremner, Sales Director at Tomatin, said: "Our dedication to continuous development of our products has been reflected in our growth of 60% in branded goods over the past 4 years.  We are constantly striving to experiment and push boundaries with our Tomatin single malt to produce unique creations that appeal to our existing customers and a wider audience.  The array of tropical notes, citrus spices and rich sherry infusions will entice a range of enthusiasts to sample the new products."

Tomatin 1995, Tomatin 2002 and Tomatin 2007, will be available next month from specialist retailers, for the respective RRP’s of £99.00, £69.00 and £39,00.

Posted by Steve Rush