New Booze March 2016: Gins, Irish and Other Whiskies, Mushroom Cordials, and More
March 09, 2016
Here are new products launching in the US in this or recent months.
Makar Gin
The Glasgow Distillery Company launches the first gin made in Glasgow: Makar Glasgow Gin. Makar Glasgow Gin is produced in small batches in our own copper pot still – Annie. Juniper berries form the heart and soul of Makar Glasgow Gin, which is complemented by seven botanicals shipped to Glasgow from around the world: angelica root, liquorice root, coriander seeds, lemon peel, rosemary, black peppercorns, and cassia bark.
43% ABV
Fernet Michaud
Fernet Michaud is a 82 proof (41% abv) amaro (Italian for “bitter”) and is available in 750ml bottles. Priced at $34.99, Fernet Michaud is available for purchase at Liquid Riot and through Maine’s Agency Liquor stores. Fernet Michaud is infused with 22 herbs and botanicals over the course of 6 days and is then aged 3 months in Maine blueberry wine barrels.
Diplôme Dry Gin Now with Heavenly Spirits LLC
The original 1945 recipe for Diplôme was perfected during WWII and soon after became the official gin for the American army stationed throughout Europe. Diplôme Dry Gin is a unique French made “London Dry" style Gin, created and distilled in Dijon, a city known and respected worldwide for its culture and fine cuisine.
Diplôme will make its debut in the U.S. in late February, 2016, launching first in Boston, New York, and Chicago. The recipe for Diplôme Dry Gin is one of the oldest in France. Using natural botanicals sourced from Europe and Morocco, Diplôme Dry Gin is made from a selection of juniper berries, coriander, whole lemons, orange peel, angelica, saffron, iris root and fennel seed available. With an ABV of 44%, Diplôme Dry Gin retails for an MSRP of $36.00.
Charbay Double Aged Rum
Charbay’s founder, 12th Generation Grand Master Distiller Miles Karakasevic, and son, Marko, sourced Hawaiian and Jamaican sugar cane syrup for their rum to showcase the islands cane character. They double-distilled the rum in Charbay’s all copper Alambic Charentais pot still. The rum was aged twice: first for five (5) years in stainless tanks, then in old French oak barrels for three (3) years before resting in the bottle until release.
A decade after distillation, Marko (now Charbay’s Master Distiller), chose to bottle this single-release rum at cask-strength in tribute to his father’s lifetime achievements. 462 cases (68.5% abv/137 proof/ $450/750 ML) produced, only 120 cases being released in 2016. Available in CA, NY, Zurich and online at Charbay.com.
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye
Rye is crafted using a unique 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn and 12 percent malted barley grain bill. Rye also uses the same cave spring water from the Jack Daniel's Hollow and proprietary yeast process that's been used in the distillery's 150-year-old Tennessee Whiskey recipe. From there, the liquid enters a charred White American Oak barrel, crafted at Jack Daniel's very own cooperage and set to age in the upper regions of the barrelhouse. In this resting place, the whiskey is exposed to the extreme temperature variations that a Lynchburg, Tennessee season brings.
Single Barrel Rye completes the distillery's journey into rye whiskies, following limited release batches of Rested Rye in 2014 and Unaged Rye in 2012, allowing fans to taste the maturing rye over time. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye will be available nationwide beginning February 2016. The product will be priced approximately $49.99 per 750ml.
Jefferson’s Reserve Old Rum Cask Finish
Tentative Release: July 2016
Tentative MSRP: $79.99
Eight year old Kentucky straight bourbon aged in barrels which previously housed Gosling’s Old Rum. The whiskey was stored in there for 14 months before bottling.
Sazerac Introduces Peychaud’s Aperitivo
Today, the Sazerac Company, still faithfully producing Peychaud’s Bitters according to the original recipe, is announcing a new spirit: Peychaud’s Aperitivo. Peychaud’s Aperitivo has launched in New Orleans and will be spreading to other markets in spring 2016.
Peychaud’s Aperitivo is 22 proof, and suggested retail pricing for a 750ml is $19.99.
Merlet C2 Café Liqueur
Merlet House of France is proud to welcome a new product to the C2 family of Cognac & Liqueurs—C2 Café Liqueur. C2 Café is a coffee and cognac liqueur. The 100% Arabica Brazilian coffee blend was selected together with coffee specialist and importer Café Merling in La Rochelle, just a few kilometers away from the Distillerie Merlet & Fils. For each new batch produced during the day, the coffee is freshly roasted and then ground and infused in hot water within the Merlet & Fils cellars of the Distillerie Merlet & Fils. A neutral alcohol is then added to stabilize this infusion. After filtration, a specially blended cognac is then added, which account for more than half the finished liqueur. Sugar is added to finalize the production and obtain the desired liqueur.
C2 Café Liqueur is now available throughout the U.S. It is 33% ABV with a retail selling price of approximately $32.99.
Orphan Barrel The Gifted Horse American Whiskey
Some time ago at the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, Ky., a batch of 17-year-old Kentucky bourbon was accidentally mixed with barrels of much younger whiskey. The older bourbon wasn’t marred, but was transformed into something surprisingly special.
The Gifted Horse (115 proof/57.5% ABV) is comprised of 38.5% 17-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, distilled at the Bernheim Distillery historically located at 17th and Breckinridge in Louisville, Ky., while operated by United Distillers. It also contains 51% four-year-old bourbon and 10.5% four-year-old corn whiskey, both produced at a distillery in Indiana. Initially, these individual whiskeys were stored at their original distilleries before being moved to Stitzel-Weller, where the mingling error occurred. The Gifted Horse was hand bottled in Tullahoma, Tenn. and highly allocated, with no future releases planned. The seventh release from Orphan Barrel is available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $50.
Green Spot Château Léoville Barton and Midleton Dair Ghaelach
Château Léoville Barton is the latest addition to the Spot whiskey family. Initially matured in a traditional mix of ex-Oloroso sherry and ex-Bourbon barrels the whiskeys were then transferred into the ex-Bordeaux wine casks for between 12 and 24 months. Green Spot Château Léoville Barton is sold at a suggested retail price of $99.99.
Midleton Dair Ghaelach. It means, quite simply, Irish oak. This whiskey has been matured in barrels made from virgin Irish oak grown on the Ballaghtobin Estate in Co. Kilkenny. The Irish Oak casks are filled with a select range of 15 to 22 year old Single Pot Still distillates. Midleton Dair Ghaelach is sold at a suggested retail price of $269.99.
Wigle Whiskey Afterglow
Made from Pennsylvania baby ginger and pot-distilled whiskey, Afterglow is the second product developed in collaboration with Chatham University’s Food Studies Graduate Program. Along with our Walkabout Apple Whiskey, this will be a seasonal product released once a year and another brave attempt at redeeming the category of flavored whiskeys. The base whiskey of the spirit is distilled from a custom blend of multigrain whiskey. The whiskey, when pulled from barrels, was steeped with roasted baby ginger before being lightly sweetened with brown sugar syrup.
375 ml, 81.22 proof
Barton 1792 Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon
A new Single Barrel Bourbon is the latest limited edition expression in the premium 1792 whiskey collection from Barton 1792 Distillery. All of the bourbon used in this bottling was distilled and aged at the historic Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown. Bottled at 98.6 proof, this Single Barrel Bourbon is the third expression released from 1792 Distillery. Previous special releases are now sold out, such as the Sweet Wheat and Port Finish Bourbons. Like those, this limited edition Single Barrel Bourbon will be available in most states.
The 1792 Single Barrel bourbon has a suggested retail price of $39.99. Barton 1792 Distillery plans to release even more new and different 1792 expressions throughout the year.
The Pogues Irish Whiskey Now Available in US
Having sampled their share of brown spirits over the years, the band, known for Fairytale in New York and other hits, was deeply involved in the creation of The Pogues Irish Whiskey from start to finish. The Pogues Irish Whiskey is a blend of 50% 10-year single malt Irish whiskey aged in sherry casks and 50% 5-7 year Irish grain whiskey aged in bourbon oak casks.
West Cork is Ireland's only whiskey producer to still malt its own barley, enabling exceptional precision and control over flavor profile. The Pogues Irish Whiskey is distilled using ingredients indigenous to Ireland, including locally grown grain and spring water from the River Ilen. The Pogues Irish Whiskey (40%ABV) is imported into the United States by MS Walker, and is available just in time for St. Patrick's Day at bars, restaurants and retailers throughout the country. Suggested Retail Price: $39.99 for 750ml.
CR&FTWERK Brandy
Louisville-based Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. is launching the series of small batch, American Brandy aged for 12 months in oak barrels previously used to age eclectic American craft beers from 3 Floyds, Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues and Against the Grain breweries. The allocated release will be available in select liquor stores and bars in Copper & Kings’ current 22 market footprint. Each new brandy expression is 55.5% ABV and 111 proof with a suggested retail price of $50 per 750 mL bottle.
Matured in the craft beer barrels for 12 months, the CR&FTWERK series has a barrel entry proof at the high end, +/- 130 proof, to maximize flavor extraction and is bottled at 111 proof, to minimize dilution with just a touch of water to open it up.
Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Seasoned Wood Bourbon Whiskey
Buffalo Trace Distillery continues its homage to former Distillery owner Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. with a special release bourbon whiskey aged in seasoned wood oak barrels. This 100 proof, Bottled-In-Bond, small batch wheat recipe bourbon was aged well over a decade and is a special one-time-only release.
The barrels in this release underwent a variety of special seasoning processes, including barrels made from staves that were immersed in an enzyme rich bath with water heated to 100 degrees. After spending time in this proprietary solution, these staves were then placed into kilns and dried until they reached an ideal humidity level for crafting into barrels. Other staves were seasoned outdoors for six months, and still others were left outdoors for a full 12 months before being made into barrels and sent to Buffalo Trace Distillery to be filled and aged. All barrel staves were seasoned, dried, and crafted at Independent Stave Company, who consulted on this project with the premiere expert on oak maturation, Dr. James Swan.
This special bottling of Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Seasoned Wood Bourbon Whiskey will be available starting in late March in limited supply. The suggested retail price is $69.99 per 750ml bottle.
Smithworks Vodka
Smithworks Vodka rolls out in limited markets across the United States and is impassioned by a mission to create The Spirit of the Heartland. Made with corn from Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and water from Lake Fort Smith, Smithworks is distilled three times and charcoal filtered. Smithworks is finished and bottled with pride in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The debut of Smithworks is also coupled with the excitement of officially raising a glass with an essential member of the Smithworks family: award-winning country music star and fellow Heartland native, Blake Shelton.
Currently available in select U.S. markets, Smithworks has a suggested retail price of $19.99 for a 750 mL. Smithworks is also available in 50 mL, 1L and 1.75L.
D. George Benham's Sonoma Dry Gin
Located in the west Sonoma County town of Graton and independently owned by Derek George Benham, D. George Benham's Sonoma Dry gin combines the classic juniper character of London Dry with the bright, citrus notes of New Western style. In California, Young's Market Company's Craft Spirits division will represent D. George Benham's Sonoma Dry gin at a suggested retail price of $40.
At the heart of Graton Distilling Company is an innovative, continuous micro-column still that was custom built by Headframe Stills of Butte, Montana. For Benham's gin, special botanical baskets allow Distiller Jeff Duckhorn to gently coax aromas and flavors from each botanical through vapor distillation. Duckhorn is able to raise and lower temperatures by tenths of a degree to control the heat and length of vapor extractions, teasing out each botanical's flavor essence. D. George Benham's Sonoma Dry gin is crafted with 12 botanicals including a traditional gin base of juniper, coriander and citrus. Locally grown Meyer Lemon and Buddha's Hand is zested to showcase citrus characteristics. Chamomile, peppermint and orris root add cool floral notes while botanicals of cardamom, grains of paradise, angelica root, star anise and galangal add a warm, spicy character.
Pasote Tequilas
The new Pasote tequilas will be sold in select markets throughout the U.S. by the company’s spirits
division, 3 Badge Mixology. Each is made from ripe blue agave that is baked and then distilled with rainwater and natural spring water in copper pot stills. Pasote’s master tequilero grows blue agave in the Jalisco Highlands in Mexico and uses traditional production techniques.
Pasote Blanco ($49). Pasote Reposado ($59) was aged six months in American oak. Pasote Anejo ($69) was aged for a year in American oak.
Art in the Age Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial
Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial is the newest farm-to-bottle spirit in the collaborative Art in the Age Infusions series. Following the Beet, Sweet Potato, and Chicory Root infusions made from winter crops and released in 2015, the Black Trumpet Blueberry Cordial is a taste of New Hampshire summer.
In search of a unique accompaniment to the blueberry, distillers Matt Power and Jamie Oakes turned to their fellow foragers at the New Hampshire Mushroom Company. Together, they decided on the black trumpet mushroom, which is native to area forests. Mushrooms are an unexpected choice — this is the only spirit we know of that uses them. In addition to the blueberries and mushrooms, the spirit is seasoned with lemon verbena leaf and lavender flowers from the distillery’s herb garden. Finally, the cordial is sweetened with cane sugar.
ABV: 25% (50 proof)
Bottle Size: 375 mL
SRP: 30.00-35.00
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