October 3rd, 2011

More new whiskies coming on the market

John Hansell

(This is from a U.S. perspective…)

The Family Casks from Glenfarclas are finally coming to the U.S. (I’m not certain of the actual list of whiskies and timing.)

Bunnahabhain 18 year old is being phased out and replaced by a vintage offering in 2012.

The Mackinlay (a.k.a. the re-creation of the whisky discovered in the Antarctic from the Shackleton expedition in 1907) is finally being introduced to the U.S. (A very nice whisky, btw.)

Johnnie Walker Double Black is also just now being introduced to the U.S. market this month. More smoke than the regular JW Black Label, and dangerously drinkable. (I brought my bottle to a friend’s house on Friday night and by the time I brought it home 3/4 of it was gone. Everyone liked it.)

On the American whiskey front, the newest Parker’s Heritage Collection is out. This one’s a 10 year old rye-formula bourbon finished in cognac barrels. (Another dangerously drinkable whiskey!) It’s the same cognac brand (and from the same producer) that was part of Jim Beam’s Distillers’ Masterpiece cognac-finished whiskey introduced over a decade ago. (Beam was ahead of their time with those Distillers’ Masterpiece releases.)

Also noteworthy, but available only at Heaven Hill’s Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, is a single barrel, 20 year old bottling of Elijah Craig that was produced to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Why do I mention this very limited, logistically-challenged bourbon? I tried it and it’s excellent! If you know someone heading that way, have them purchase a bottle for you.

There’s a low-cost, very smooth Canadian whisky just released called “Rich & Rare Reserve” from Sazerac (Buffalo Trace’s parent company). My guess it’s from the same stock of Canadian whiskies that produced the recent releases of Caribou Crossing Single Barrel and Royal Canadian Small Batch, but just less expensive. It comes in a cool-looking 375 ml flask-shaped bottle.

On the liqueur front, following the successful introduction of Red Stag Black Cherry, Jim Beam is introducing two new flavors: Red Stag Honey Tea and Red Stag Spiced.

Category: Bourbon,Canadian whisky,Flavored whiskies,Liqueurs,New Releases,Scotch whisky Tags: , , , , , 41 Comments

August 31st, 2011

More whiskies (and whiskeys) heading our way

John Hansell

The new and seasonal releases are still picking up with autumn just around the bend. (This post is from a U.S. perspective.)

There’s yet another 10 year old, 100% rye whiskey from an undisclosed Canadian source coming out called Masterson’s. I have a bottle and tried it last night. It definitely displays the same flavor profile as WhistlePig and Jefferson’s Rye whiskeys. So, if you missed out on your chance to get those, you have another opportunity with Masterson’s. It’s 90 proof and will be priced at around $80.

I also have a review sample of the 2011 Limited Edition release from the Four Roses distillery. This one combines four different recipes, aged between 11 and 13 years. It’s being released in September.

Buffalo Trace announced the impending release of this year’s Antique Collection. No change in the whiskey line. Just tweaks. I’m looking forward to trying them.

Laphroaig Triple Wood is finally hitting the U.S. shores. Look out for that one.

Finally, Drambuie introduced “Drambuie 15″ in the U.S. It’s a more premium version of the liqueur, supposedly made with Speyside malts (pictured). It’s bottled at 43% and will be around $56.

I’ll try to get some formal reviews done on the American whiskeys and post them up here soon. (You can find my Laphroaig Triple Wood review here. )

Category: Bourbon,Liqueurs,New Releases,Rye whiskey,Scotch whisky Tags: , , , , , , 25 Comments

August 12th, 2009

New Evan Williams Honey Reserve Flavored Bourbon

John Hansell

Described as “All flavor, no sting.”  Details below from their press release. If you like whiskey liqueurs, you might want to check it out.

EVAN WILLIAMS HONEY RESERVE FLAVORED BOURBON TO BE LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER

New bottling leverages popularity of both flavored spirits and Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

evan-williams-honey-reserveBARDSTOWN, KY–Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the country’s largest independent family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer, announces the release of Evan Williams Honey Reserve Kentucky Liqueur, a new product that marries extra-aged Evan Williams Bourbon with real, natural honey.  Bottled at 70 proof and available in both a 750ml and 50ml size, Evan Williams Honey Reserve will be shipping to select markets across the country in September at an average retail price of $14.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Evan Williams Honey Reserve takes advantage of several established trends in the distilled spirits industry in general and the American straight whiskey category in particular.  First is the ongoing success of flavored spirits, whose growth is more than double that of unflavored spirits; second is the continued popularity of Bourbon,  especially Evan Williams which showed a double digit sales percentage increase in 2008; and thirdly the growth of mid-tier products, with ultra-premium brands down 2.5% and brands perceived as a better value up 5.4% year-to-date, according to AC Neilsen.  By combining Evan Williams extra-aged Bourbon, the second largest selling Bourbon brand in the United States and the world and a “Best Buy Whiskey of the Year” winner, with all-natural pure honey, Evan Williams Honey Reserve is the right product at the right time.

Packaged in the highly-recognizable square Evan Williams bottle, with a clear label carrying a striking and stylized rendition of a honey bee and a black and yellow capsule closure, Evan Williams Honey Reserve draws on the equity of the Evan Williams brand franchise, but with a contemporary flair.  At an approachable 70 proof, and with the addition of pure honey that gives it a sweet, easy-to-drink Bourbon flavor, Evan Williams Honey Reserve lives up to its tagline of “All Flavor.  No Sting.”

“We have seen remarkable success with Evan Williams Black Label and Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Bourbons,” asserted Heaven Hill brand manager Susan Wahl.  “Given the strength of the Evan Williams brand franchise and the on-going success of the flavored spirits sub-category, we believe it is the perfect time in which to launch Evan Williams Honey Reserve.  And with a very approachable price point and a full range of retail and on-premise marketing materials available, we are expecting this to fly off the shelves.”

To create a “buzz”, Evan Williams Honey Reserve is supported by an array of retail display materials–including a permanent wire rack, floor bin, shelf talkers, case cards and a 50ml counter unit–allowing off-premise operators to create impactful displays that will capture consumer attention.  In order to generate sampling in bars and restaurants, on-premise POS including chiller machines, posters, table tents, T-shirts, shot glasses and buttons will be made available.  All POS materials utilize striking graphics and the “All Flavor.  No Sting.” positioning, rendered, appropriately, in yellow and black graphics.  Support materials also emphasize that Evan Williams Honey Reserve can be consumed as a shot or in a variety of delicious simple cocktails such as the Honey Splash and the Stinger.

Category: Bourbon,Liqueurs,New Releases Tags: 5 Comments

March 3rd, 2009

Red Stag (black cherry infused bourbon)

John Hansell

Jim Beam will be debuting a new bourbon product in June. It’s called Red Stag, and it’s described as “Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey infused with natural flavors.” (While the label doesn’t identified it as such, the closest category I would put it in is “liqueur.”) The label states “Black Cherry” as the main flavor. It’s bottled at 40% ABV.

I was on the list of writers to get an advanced review bottle. I got it yesterday and tried it informally last night. (It was my companion while watching two hours of “24″ on TV. There certainly were plenty of commercials for me to contemplate what I was drinking.)

I like the fact that the bourbon notes come through very clearly. The black cherry flavors married nicely with the bourbon notes. It’s too sweet to drink neat. I enjoyed it on the rocks, which helped to cut through some of the sweetness.

I also tried it once with a a bit of lemon juice, which also helped to tone down the sweetness. Then, I tried it with a dash of bitters to make my own pseudo-Manhattan, which I also enjoyed. (Like I said, there were a lot of commercials, so Red Stag kept me entertained.)

Bottom line here: I like it. And if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you can control the sweetness by adding bitters or lemon (or some other citrus-based juice) as you see fit.  It’s a nice change of pace.

If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll get to drizzle some on vanilla ice cream tonight. (Pretty please, with a Red Stag on top!)

Category: Bourbon,Liqueurs,Opinions,Reviews Tags: 12 Comments



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