Here’s the scoop, as described in excerpts from their press release. (No doubt this was strategically timed for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival this week.)
BARDSTOWN, KY – Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the nation’s largest independent family-owned distilled spirits producer and marketer, announces the release of a special limited edition Bourbon bottling commemorating the 225th anniversary of […]
These two new whiskies are very different in style. One focuses on malted barley quality and variety; the other concentrates heavily on wood management.
Signet
According to Dr. Bill, head whiskymaker for Glenmorangie, Signet is the culmination or 20 years of ideas going back to when he was in brewing and distilling school. The actual experiments involved […]
My 90 minutes with Bill Lumsden was very productive. I was also joined by Glenmorangie’s Business Development manager, Francois-Laurent Vitrac, and he was able to answer some of the more distribution-oriented questions.
I printed out your questions and asked him them as soon as we sat down. Here are his answers.
There are no plans on doing floor maltings […]
I was speaking with Jim Rutledge, Four Roses’s Master Distiller, yesterday and asked him if he has anything new coming out this fall. And, of course, he does. Ever since the new owners let the Four Roses tiger out of the cage a few years back, they have been releasing some wonderful whiskeys.
The new whiskey will […]
I’m heading into NYC for a one-on-one with Glenmorangie’s whisky wizard, Dr. Bill Lumsden this Friday. He told me he’s bringing lots of goodies to taste. I’ll get you updated over the weekend regarding all the new Glenmorangie whiskies (Signet, Astar, etc.) and Ardbeg whiskies too!
The Balvenie Rum Cask, 17 year old, 43%, $130
Rich and sweet, with toffee, coconut cream, Turkish delight, nougat and honey. Ripe black raspberry, citrus and dried spice (vanilla, fennel, and evergreen mint) provide complexity and attempt to balance all the sweetness. A pleasant dram, but I wish there was a little more there to prop up […]
The Balvenie Signature, Batch #1, 12 year old, 43%, $55
Good, straight-forward, moderately sherried Balvenie. Classic Balvenie honeyed notes combine with vanilla, ripe barley, glazed citrus, apricot marmalade, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A nice entry level Balvenie. It’s a solid whisky.
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 83
This is one of three new Balvenie whiskies being released this fall, and it’s my favorite of the three. I’ll post my review of the other two over the next two days.
The Balvenie Vintage Cask, 1976 vintage, 53%, $800
Very spicy and complex, with incredible depth. Once again, this 30-plus year old whisky proves the aging ability […]
Some of the Willett Bourbons and Ryes have been outstanding. But they’re often very difficult to find. I spoke with Drew, my contact at Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (the bottlers of Willett) yesterday, and here’s a brief synopsis of what he told me regarding what’s available where (and contact information!):
John, we sent 96 bottles of our […]
Here’s my review of the new Birthday Bourbon. I was sent a review sample in advance. It is scheduled to be released in mid-October.
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (2008 release), 47%, $40
A very hearty Birthday Bourbon. Richly textured with lush sweet notes of jammy berried fruit, coconut cream pie and apple crisp, married with firm dry notes […]
