New Booze: Twenty Six New Whiskies Hitting The Market
March 12, 2015
I'm a bit behind in my New Booze posts about new spirits hitting the market, and boy howdy have there been a lot of them. Here are just the new whiskies.
Woodford Reserve Rye
Woodford Reserve announces the release of its latest permanent product extension, Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Woodford Reserve Rye is the third permanent line extension to join the portfolio, which includes the original Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.
The Rye uses a base that’s 53 percent rye. Woodford Reserve Rye is available with an MSRP of $37.99 for a 750ml and in select markets, including: California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York (Metro and Upstate), New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
Orphan Barrel Forged Oak
The fifth limited release from the Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company is Forged Oak. This Kentucky Straight Bourbon spent 15 years in charred American oak. Forged Oak was produced at the New Bernheim Distillery between 1997-1998 and was found in the Stitzel-Weller warehouses in Louisville, Ky. The whiskey is bottled in Tullahoma, Tenn. The mash bill for Forged Oak Whiskey is 86% corn, 8% barley and 6% rye.
Forged Oak is sold at 45.25% ABV for a suggested retail price of $65.
Jim Beam Bonded Bourbon
Originating with the “Bottled in Bond Act” of 1897, bonded bourbon is produced and bottled in accordance with Federal Law – 100-proof, at least four years old, and produced in a single distillery season at a single distillery.
Jim Beam Bonded is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, aged four years and bottled at 100-proof. Jim Beam Bonded has a suggested retail price of $22.99 for 750mL, and will be available in select locations nationwide.
Booker’s Bourbon Batch 2015-1
Booker’s Bourbon unveils the inaugural batch of its limited-edition collection celebrating founding distiller Booker Noe’s legacy as the father of small batch bourbon. These commemorative releases will be available in limited quantities throughout the year.
Booker’s Bourbon Batch 2015-1 was culled from seven different rack houses, bottled at 128.7 proof at an aged of 7 years, 2 months and 16 days. SRP $54.99
Glenmorangie Tusail
Glenmorangie Tùsail, the sixth release in the Private Edition collection, draws on the taste of Maris Otter barley. MMaris Otter was originally bred in 1960s England, near Cambridge, at a site on Maris Lane, the street after which the barley was named. The variety's popularity began to wane in the 1970s as tastes changed and farmers switched to barley with higher yields. By the late 1980s, uncertified seed and cross-pollination had put Maris Otter at risk of extinction. This alarmed some who still depended on its unique flavor. Reacting to these concerns, two English seed merchants formed a partnership to rejuvenate the variety, and in 1992, began a program to build the stocks back to an acceptable standard.
Their efforts attracted the attention of Glenmorangie's Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, who ordered a batch of the winter barley and arranged for it to be traditionally floor-malted for use in Glenmorangie Tùsail (Scots Gaelic for 'originary'). Glenmorangie Tùsail is non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% ABV for an SRP of $99.
"The Last Great Malts"
John Dewar & Sons Ltd. will release a range of never-before-released single malts: Craigellachie, Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Deveron, and Royal Brackla.
Craigellachie releases a portfolio of single malts for the first time in history. The distillery uses worm tubs – so called for their coiled copper tubing – to cool the spirit. The brand was described as “old-fashioned” even in 1891. There will be a 13-year-old ($55) and a 23-year-old ($300), with future expressions to come over time.
Aberfeldy is repackaged and available globally as a 12-year-old ($50) and a 21-year-old ($180).
Glendalough Double Barrel Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Glendalough Distillery announces the American release of its new Double Barrel Irish Whiskey, available in Boston, DC, and Atlanta from February, and NYC with an SRP of $29.99 - $34.99
Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey was distilled in a Coffey still from a mash bill of malted barley and corn. The double-aging process combines three years and six months in first-fill American oak bourbon barrels, then graduates to six months in first-fill Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. Before bottling, the cask-strength whiskey is cut with water sourced from the surrounding Wicklow Mountains.
Based in Glendalough, County Wicklow, Glendalough’s first release was a modern poitín, and the distillery has since moved in a natural progression towards whiskey, first with the release of 7- and 13-year single malts and now, the Double Barrel Irish Whiskey.
2014 Diageo Single Malt Special Releases
Each year Diageo, which owns about 50 distilleries in Scotland, puts forth a collection of limited release single-malts. Here's what just came out.
Benrinne 21 Year Old
Region: Speyside
ABV: 56.9%
SRP: $400
Brora 35 Year Old
Region: Coastal Highlands
ABV: 48.6%
SRP: $1,250
Caol Ila Unpeated 15 Year Old
Region: Islay
ABV: 60.39%
SRP: $120
Caol Ila™ 30 Year Old
Region: Islay
ABV: 55.1%
SRP: $700
Clynelish Select Reserve
Region: Coastal Highland
ABV: 54.9%
SRP: $800 A
Cragganmore 25 Year Old
Region: Speyside
ABV: 51.4%
SRP: $500
Lagavulin 12 Year Old
Region: Islay
ABV: 54.4%
SRP: $130
Port Ellen 35 Year Old Distilled 1978
Region: Islay
ABV: 56.5%
SRP: $3,300
Rosebank 21 Year Old
Region: Lowlands
ABV: 55.3%
SRP: $500
The Singleton of Glendullan 38 Year Old
Region: Speyside
ABV: 59.8%
SRP: $1,250
Strathmill 25 Year Old
Region: Speyside
ABV: 52.4%
SRP: $475
Balblair New Vintages for 2015
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky distillery, Balblair, is announcing the release of four new vintage expressions in the U.S. market. The newly released whiskies include the Balblair 2003, 1999, 1990 and 1983 vintages.
Balblair is the only distillery in Scotland to release exclusively vintages. Given this philosophy, bottles of Balblair are not marked with an age statement, but instead with the year that the whisky was laid down.
The 2003 and 1983 vintages were aged in American oak, ex-bourbon barrels. The 1999 and 1990 vintages were aged in American oak, ex-bourbon barrels with the addition of Spanish oak sherry butts.
Each of the four new Balblair vintages were bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtering. Balblair 2003, 1999, 1990 and 1983 vintages will be available in major markets nationally, at a suggested retail price of $70, $90, $140 and $330 respectively. For more information, visit www.balblair.com.
Teeling Single-Grain Irish Whiskey
Teeling Single Grain is one of only a handful of single grain bottlings in the world. The whiskey is aged in Californian Cabernet Sauvignon red wine barrels. The whiskey is made by combining ingredients, with maize/corn dominating and uses column distillation to produce the whiskey.
Like all Teeling whiskeys it is bottled at 46% with no chill filtration. Teeling Single Grain will be available nationally with an SRP of $49.99 for a 750ml.
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