OLD FORESTER LAUNCHES 150TH ANNIVERSARY BOURBON

Brown-Forman, has announced the launch of a special limited-edition Old Forester bottling, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the bourbon brand.

Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon, which will be available in three batches with varying ABV’s of 62.8%, 63.2% and 63.4%, was produced from a selection of 150 bourbon barrels, which were chosen by Master Distiller Chris Morris.

Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon

At maturity, several barrels lost their full contents to the ‘Angel's Share’. The resulting aged liquid was then personally and individually tasted by Master Taster Jackie Zykan and separated by-hand into three distinct batches, differing in proof and flavour profile.

George Garvin Brown, changed the spirits industry forever when he sealed and sold his whisky ‘Old Forester’ exclusively in a glass bottle. Each bottle was adorned with his signature, a personal guarantee of the brand's quality and consistency.

Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon, references and pays homage to George's original process, composed of three batches, unfiltered and each presented at individual batch strength. The limited release is presented in an amber glass bottle, reminiscent of the hand-blown glass of George's day, and comes in a commemorative canister.

Commenting on the launch, Campbell Brown, Old Forester President and Fifth-Generation Brown Family Member, said: "This special bourbon has been in the works for some time now, and while it is exciting for our family and colleagues, I hope the larger Old Forester family - the bourbon lovers and fans - will appreciate it just as much. My great-great grandfather had quite the vision for his whisky. He was bringing something to the market that had previously not existed and today, we instil his legacy of ingenuity in everything we do - especially in the halls at Old Forester Distilling Co., in the same building George ran the business in the early days of the company."

Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon, will be available next month in limited quantities, across the US, for a RRP of $150.00

 

Posted by Steve Rush

THE WHISKY CELLAR LAUNCHES NEW PRIVATE CELLARS SELECTION RANGE

The Edinburgh based independent Scotch whisky bottler, The Whisky Cellar, has today announced the launch of the first batch of single cask bottlings, from its new Private Cellars Selection range.

The Whisky Cellar Private Cellars Selection, is designed to offer a broader range of casks to a wider audience including whiskies and, possibly in the future, other premium dark spirits from around the world.

The Whisky Cellar launches new Private Cellars Selection range

Each of the ten casks in the first batch of releases, are comprised of a mixture of barrels, hogsheads, butts and a quarter cask, which were carefully selected by an expert panel of assessors, headed by company founder Keith Bonnington.

With just 2,100 bottles drawn from the ten casks, the whiskies will be made available on strict allocation through a select number of retail partners.

In addition to the named distillery bottlings in the series, the panel of assessors will select a cask from a particular region – one which they believe captures the essence of that region – and bottle it unnamed as their ‘House Malt’.

The first batch of The Whisky Cellar Private Cellars Selection bottlings, are comprised of:

Ardmore 2006 - 14 Year Old Single Malt (58.9% ABV) £85.00

Benriach 1997 - 22 Year Old Single Malt (57.1% ABV) £185.00

Cameronbridge 1984 - 36 Year Old Single Grain (53.6% ABV) £165.00

Glen Moray 1996 - 23 Year Old Single Malt (55.5% ABV) £150.00

Glenallachie 1995 - 24 Year Old Single Malt (56.5% ABV) £150.00

Invergordon 1996 - 24 Year Old Single Grain (48.6% ABV) £95.00

Royal Brackla 2013 - 7 Year Old Single Malt (56.8% ABV) £65.00

Teaninich 2007 - 12 Year Old Single Malt (58.2% ABV) £85.00

Westport 1999 - 21 Year Old Blended Malt (43.8% ABV) £115.00

House Malt 2004 - Speyside 15 Year Old Single Malt (40% ABV) £50.00

Commenting on the launch, Keith Bonnington, said: “We have selected across a broad spectrum of styles, age references and price points, some from well-known distilleries, others from lesser-heralded or even unnamed. I believe that there’s a whisky out there for every palate and our ethos is to make Scotch enjoyable for all, opening up possibilities to try an expanse of flavours within each of our series. We are a flavour diversity driven bottler and our core message is that, if we love the spirit enough, we will bottle it, irrespective of age, region, cask type or style. We want to bring to market extremely high-quality one-off whiskies which represent good value to the consumer.”

The Whisky Cellar Private Cellars Selection, will be available later this month from specialist retailers. Five of the new releases from the first batch, will also be featured in a special Tweet Tasting event, hosted by Steve Rush from The Whisky Wire, over on Twitter from 19:00 BST on Wednesday September 23rd.

Posted by Steve Rush

KYRÖ DISTILLERY LAUNCHES ITS MALT RYE WHISKY IN THE UK

The Finland based Kyrö Distillery Company, has today announced the UK launch of its Malt Rye Whisky.

Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky (47.2% ABV) which has been double pot distilled, has been made using 100% malted Finnish wholegrain rye, and matured in American white oak barrels.

Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky

This new release from the all rye distillery, which first fired up its stills in 2014, lends from both Scottish and American whisky traditions, with its 100% wholegrain rye, and its distillation in Scottish style pot stills.

Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky, is said to deliver notes of vanilla, caramel and dried fruits on the nose, followed by notes of sweet rye bread, honey, wild berries and pepper on the palate.

Commenting on the whisky, Kalle Valkonen, Head Distiller at the Kyrö Distillery Company, said: “You never know how the reaction is going to be when you do things differently in a traditional industry such as whisky. We’re not from Scotland and we don’t play golf. Why should we make whisky the same way it’s done there? Finland might not have much whisky tradition. But we know our rye and grow it to be extremely delicious”.

Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky, will be available later this month from specialist retailers including Master of Malt, for a RRP of £44.95 – 50cl.

Posted by Steve Rush