The Rumor Still: More Dirt

After a long absence from our shelves – the Dirt has returned. Black Dirt Bourbon that is. Black Dirt takes its name from the dark, fertile soil left by an ancient glacial lake that once covered Thousands of acres of upstate New York. The ‘dirt’ is perfectly suited for growing crops such as corn for fantastic bourbon.

Our Price: $50/btl

Cheers!

Jonathan & Eric
The Park Avenue Liquor Shop
292 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-685-2442 

www.parkaveliquor.com 

info@parkaveliquor.com

Jim Beam® Taps Fans’ Own Personal “Statements” To Help Co-Create Bottle Labels For Its New Single Barrel Bourbon

With the Jim Beam® “Single Barrel, Single Statement” Contest, the world’s No. 1 bourbon celebrates the launch of Jim Beam® Single Barrel by showcasing fans’ “bourbon wisdom” on actual bottle labels

Deerfield, Ill. – July 16, 2014 – Each bottle of Jim Beam® Single Barrel, the first-ever single barrel offering from the world’s No. 1 bourbon brand, exemplifies individuality – not only with the distinct flavor and personality of the bourbon itself, but also with its hand-crafted and hand-written bottle labels. And to celebrate its launch, Jim Beam announces today that it’s giving fans across the U.S. the opportunity to take part in the craft-making process with the launch of the Jim Beam® “Single Barrel, Single Statement” Contest.

Today through August 17, anyone of legal drinking age can share their unique “single statement” – whether it’s a favorite toast, how to sip a great glass of bourbon, whom to enjoy it with or where to drink it – at www.JimBeamSingleStatement.com for a chance to be featured on actual bottle labels of this super-premium bourbon. 

“As a brand rooted in making history, we wanted to allow our fans to make their own history by helping co-create bottles of Jim Beam® Single Barrel with their words (and names) on actual bottle back labels,” said Vanessa Jenkins, Senior Brand Director at Beam Suntory. “With 219 years and seven generations of Beam heritage, we feel the time is right to include our fans in our first-ever single barrel product.”

Fred Noe, Jim Beam’s 7th Generation Master Distiller, will select the six (6) finest statements that will be featured on the back label of actual bottles of Jim Beam® Single Barrel sold in stores nationwide, joining select Jim Beam® craftspeople whose statements are also currently featured on the inside back labels of bottles of Jim Beam® Single Barrel currently in market.

“Jim Beam® Single Barrel is special because it represents more than just the great liquid in our bottles,” said Noe. “We are excited to give our fans a chance to be part of our story and have their unique words on our labels. It’s the perfect way to finish off this super-premium bourbon in a one-of-a-kind, personalized way that only Jim Beam can deliver.”

Jim Beam® “Single Barrel, Single Statement” Contest Details
In addition to having their names and statements printed on bottle labels sold across the nation, six (6) First Prize Winners will receive an authentic Jim Beam® Single Barrel barrelhead, customized with their name and statement, autographed by Noe. Then Fred will select two (2) Grand Prize Winners who will receive a once-in-a-lifetime, private bourbon tasting in their hometowns with friends and Noe himself.

To enter the contest, Jim Beam® fans 21 years of age and over can share their “statement” (within 50 characters) and a brief description of the context or story around their statement at www.JimBeamSingleStatement.com. Fans can enter the Jim Beam® “Single Barrel, Single Statement” Contest from July 16 – August 17, 2014, with winners being announced on Jim Beam® social channels the week of September 15, 2014. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be legal resident of the 50 United States and 21 years of age or older to participate. Void where prohibited. Subject to complete official rules located at www.JimBeamSingleStatement.com. Contest begins July 16, 2014, and ends August 17, 2014.

Throughout the contest entry period, fans will be able to watch a series of web videos featuring Noe and other Jim Beam® craftspeople to find out their role in the Jim Beam® Single Barrel process and for inspiration for their own “single statements.” 

For more information on the Jim Beam® “Single Barrel, Single Statement” Contest, please “Like” Jim Beam® on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jimbeam),  please “Follow” @jimbeam on Twitter, or visit www.JimBeamSingleStatement.com to enter.

About Jim Beam® Single Barrel Bourbon
•    Jim Beam® Single Barrel, the first ever single barrel bourbon from Jim Beam, is a smooth and approachable hand-crafted Kentucky Straight Bourbon bottled at 95 proof to commemorate the first barrel of Jim Beam® made in 1795.
•    Less than one percent of barrels qualify to be chosen for Jim Beam® Single Barrel with each producing more than 200 bottles that are individually bottled and hand-numbered with care to ensure a unique taste profile and premium quality for a perfectly crafted bourbon.
•    Barrels are carefully selected from a range of racks that excludes the top and bottom to ensure the perfect taste, consistency and color of this new, super-premium expression that marks the historic and exciting move by Jim Beam into the quickly growing arena of premium bourbons. 
•    Jim Beam® Single Barrel is a rich, full-bodied bourbon with well-balanced notes of vanilla, oak and caramel. The aroma carries a rich oaky background with a light spiciness.
•    Jim Beam® Single Barrel is the perfect sip and savor bourbon to enjoy neat or on the rocks.

About Beam Suntory Inc.
As the world’s third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World.  Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the flagship Jim Beam bourbon and Yamazaki Japanese whisky, as well as world renowned premium brands including Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek bourbons, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher’s,  Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur.  The company generates annual worldwide sales of approximately $4.6 billion excluding excise taxes.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and entrepreneurial culture.  Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan.  For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

New arrivals in stock now…

Yamazaki Distillers Reserve Japanese Malt Whisky 43% | 70cl

Yamazaki, at the foot of Mt. Tenno on the outskirts of Kyoto, is the birthplace of Japanese whsiyk. Yamazaki malt whisky with a long tradition of Yamazaki distillery since 1923 is matured over several beautiful Japanese four seasons; spring with flowers, summer with luxuriant vendure, autumn with red leaves and winter with snow. This single malts whisky is made only from Yamazaki malt whiskt carefully selected by its blenders. It has a soft, elegant fragrance, and its sweet, mellow flavour spreads while the clean aftertaste continues comfortably.

Tasting notes.

Colour: Gold

Nose: Strawberry, Cherry, Mizunara

Palate: Raspberry, White peach, Touch of coconut

Finish: Sweet vanilla, Clean finish with hint of cinnamon

Price:£36.66 ex VAT
£43.99 inc VAT

Hakushu Distillers Reserve Japanese Malt Whisky 43% | 70cl

In 1973, the Hakushu Distillery was built in a dense forest at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake with numerous streams including Ojira River, one of the top 100 spring waters in Japan. Various blessing of the forest such as natural water of the southern Japan Alps purified by granite rocks, Japan’s distinctive four seasons, majestic forest atmosphere full of inspiration, and the enriching and intense climate caused by the altitude richly mature the whisky. The “Single Malt Whisky Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve” born in Hakushu distillery is a refreshing whisky characterised by the brisk aroma and flavour that remind of fresh green in the forest. Enjoy a new whisky experiance that makes you feel as if it take you to the forest.

Tasing notes.

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Peppermint, Melon, Cucumber

Palate: Yuzu, Grapefruit, Lemon thyme

Finish: Refreshing, Subtle smoke

Price:£36.66 ex VAT
£43.99 inc VAT

Longmorn 17 Year Old 1996
Single 1st fill sherry butt bottled March 2014 by Signatory Vintage.

Terrific value sherry-matured Speyside single malt.
Longmorn 17 Year Old $59.93

Non-chill filtered and aged for a decade in first fill Bourbon casks, Tempest V is a true product of it’s environment with the salty ocean breeze and signature dark Islay peat detectable in every mouthful.

As with each release in the Tempest series, Tempest V carries the hallmark style with subtle nuances of mandarin, tangy lime and cassis whilst establishing its own personality, setting it apart from its predecessors, presenting a full, rich and sweet first fill bourbon character.

Master Blender, Rachel Barrie describes the fifth release:

“Bowmore matured in the very highest quality of 1st fill ex bourbon cask maturation revealing harmonious and enveloping layers of honeycomb, rich bourbon vanilla and ripening fruits carried on an Ocean breeze. Tempest V’s highly complex layers of silky smooth vanilla and luscious fruit-infused peatiness transports you to the elemental beauty of Islay.”

Extremely limited stocks – £50

This small batch release has been exclusively matured in the finest wine casks since 1998, adding a touch of French finesse to Glen Garioch’s famously Rich Highland Character. The result is fruity, sweet and very spicy. Rich and complex – layers of chocolate malt, autumn fruits like brambles, wild blueberries and plums, and warming oak spices, followed by nutmeg and ginger marmalade drizzled with heather honey. Sweet and spicy to the end, with chocolate, brambles and ginger.

£93

With their biggest & best month ever, Just Whisky are holding an auction with style this time around featuring some of the World’s most desirable bottles. Lots from Port Ellen, Karuizawa, Kawasaki, Ardbeg to name a few, a Glenfarclas 60 Year old and even a Mortlach 70 (!) year old have us extremely excited. Be sure to head over and check it out.

There are approximately 450 lots this month and by the looks of things Just Whisky are going from strength to strength with not only a high volume of bottles, but also ultra – high quality offerings on sale.

As usual Just Whisky charge 5% to sellers and are now accepting entries to their September auction.

The auction ends on Sunday 17^th August at 8PM.

http://www.just-whisky.co.uk/

AUGUST UPDATE: TOP TIER OF THE CAKE STAND

As the cake stand touched the table, all hands shot out to snag a sweet morsel. The fancies flew off the plate so fast that a few ran out in minutes, but don’t worry: you’re still in time to enjoy that perfect dainty. Here are your favourite five remaining delights…

No. 1: Lightly peated

29.157 Heidi’s Holiday to Islay

17 years, ex-sherry butt

BUY £62.40

No. 2: Spicy & sweet

35.122 Perfumed lady at a garden fete

12 years, ex-bourbon barrel

BUY £43.80

No. 3: Peated

53.210 Fantastic stuff

24 years, ex-bourbon hogshead

BUY £97.60

No. 4: Old & dignified

59.49 Celebration in a glass

30 years, ex-bourbon hogshead

BUY £137.60

No. 5: Spicy & sweet

39.101 Sophisticated adult sweetness

30 years, ex-bourbon hogshead

BUY £84.60

Browse Full August Outturn

Browse all bottlings

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Words to live by!! The August Outturn is full of great bottles, so keep calm, put your feet up and find the perfect scotch for you. For full tasting notes please visit http://www.smws.ca.

Cask No. 125.67 Clean and innocent
14 years old; 1st fill barrel; 58.7%
The nose is sweet (honey, meringue, toffee, creme brulee) and pleasantly woody (tea chests, coconut, polished Steinway) with lemon, leather, vanilla and elderflower. The palate evokes wooden toys, sticky with love and sweets (creme eggs, ice cream, custard) – fruitily perfumed with water.

Cask No. 77.30 Attractively accessible and mouth-watering
9 years old; refill hogshead; 61.9%
An attractive nose, brimming with barley sugars, fondants and shortbread; added interest from fresh linen, pear sorbet and orange zest; water brings mango, lime and daffodil stems. The easy-drinking, mouth-watering palate has stewed apples, pineapple tarts, toffee, tablet and sherbet fizz.

Cask No. 9.78 White chili chocolate
11 years old; 1st fill barrel; 59.3%
Sweet aromas dominate; brown sugar, golden syrup and cream of coconut. The taste is devilishly hot and lip tingling like white chili chocolate. With water fresher and slightly herbal on the nose and wonderfully smooth and creamy, white chocolate lime mousse, on the palate.

Cask No. 3.201 Scented wood smoke, lavender and violets
24 years old; 2nd fill sherry butt; 50.8%
Lots of scented wood-smoke on the nose – also polished furniture, rosemary, leather, marmalade on toast, toffee, cedar and carbolic. The palate has nice viscosity, wood smoke and ash (leather armchair by a log fire), charred orange peel, lavender and parma violets.

Cask No. 29.131 Buttercups, bothies and BBQs
17 years old; refill barrel; 60.6%
The unusual nose eventually balances sweetness and smoke – sugar puffs, vanilla and honey against coal, charred mackerel, rock-pools and oil lamps in bothies. The palate has caramelized onions, burnt schnitzel, mustard, tar, ash and smoke; lavender and buttercups in the background.

Cask No. 53.200 A day at the beach
18 years old; refill sherry butt; 59.8%
On the beach with fresh seaweed and overgrown wooden groynes next to a harbour where the boats are landing their catch. The taste is like fresh oysters with Tobasco and honey butter roasted scallops. Adding water, like eating ashy marshmallows and fresh rhubarb with an agave syrup.

http://www.smws.ca

The Society is having a Summer Sale until August 11^th

Members receive 10% off all Society bottle orders placed through August 11^th.

Cask No. 64.50                         $180 

Impressionist oil painting 

Speyside, Lossie 

The nose neat greeted us with fresh, floral and fruity aromas in the air. Warming sunshine, turquoise sky, fluffy white clouds, lots of birds tweeting in an orchard of flowering apple and peach trees with countless daffodils blossoming in the meadow. All very delicate with a vibrant mix of colours like an impressionist painting – you get the picture. The taste, much more intense, best described as a mixture of various Indian spices together with the fragrant, sweet and warm flavour of ground cinnamon like the German ginger cake Lebkuchen. With water sweeter aromas appear, bourbon vanilla, pancakes with melted butter and maple syrup and the taste fresh and sweet like a mango lassi with ginger nut biscuits. 

Drinking tip: Picnic in the meadow 

Colour: Sauternes wine

Cask: Refill barrel

Age: 23 years

Date distilled: February 1990

Alcohol: 56.4%

USA allocation: 120 bottles 

Cask No. 3.215                                   $150 

Weird but wonderful 

Islay 

Gentle waves of smoke lapped across the nose – peat burning among sand dunes, perfumed wood smoke from a campfire – but also acid drops, chalk, hazelnut, charcoal, old leather books, sea-salt, lavender and violets – certainly complex. The unreduced palate seemed initially meaty – salty cured ham and Italian salami with caraway and peppercorns – quite delicious – then other things opened up – sweet smoke, charred oak, perfumed soap and fresh laundry. Water brought some fruit to the nose (perfumed peach, ripe Charentais melon). The palate now married a make-up bag to a first aid box; (slightly) weird but wonderful stuff from Islay’s oldest distillery. 

Drinking tip: For summer evenings in the garden – when the bats come out 

Colour: Pale primrose gold

Cask: Refill hogshead

Age: 18 years

Date Distilled: April 1995

Alcohol: 55.2%

USA allocation: 96 bottles

Cask No. 41.58                                   $100 

Juicy, juicy, tart and fruity 

Speyside, Spey 

Someone described the initial nose as ‘half-constructed flat-pack furniture – wood, glue and puzzlement’; then we got custard creams, jammy dodgers, vanilla, lemon bonbons, pears in custard, sugared almonds and marzipan – sweetly attractive, in other words. The palate was busy; bittersweet, tart and fruity, with gooseberry jam, grapefruit, blackcurrant, lime pastilles and dark chocolate orange – plus light perfume and liquorice tingles at the end. The reduced nose found green apple, floral notes and pepper – pretty dynamic stuff. The palate became juicy and fruity (tinned pears, sherbet lemons, Starburst) with varnished wood – the flat-pack furniture finally completed. The distillery lies near Carron. 

Drinking tip: Quite a juicy, chirpy wee number – for a garden celebration or to spice up an outdoor tea-party 

Colour: Habitat pine

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 10 years

Date distilled: August 2003

Alcohol: 61.5%

USA allocation: 108 bottles 

Cask No. 123.8                                             $120 

In the Spanish mountains 

Highland, Southern 

From the nose, we conjured an image of Spanish mountain villages – horses, hay-wains, orchards, citrus groves, rose gardens, sunshine on rosemary and rustic farm-labourers whittling wood. We also found plentiful sweetness in plum jam, juicy raisins, chocolate, toffee, marshmallows and fig rolls. Water brought out raspberry notes and Sangria. The palate was fruity, winey and tasty, with various jams, dried figs, vanilla sponge, Soreen and granola, but spicy notes of ginger, clove and chilli tweaked our tongues. Water sweetened it further resolving those tweaks into tingles –cranachan, jam tarts, Pavlova and posh Pimms. The distillery is near the West Highland Way. 

Drinking tip: Will get a conversation going, for sure 

Colour: Deep rose gold

Cask: Refill port pipe

Age: 12 years

Date Distilled: April 2001

Alcohol: 59.2%

USA allocation: 60 bottles

Please visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at http://www.smwsa.com/

Buffalo Trace Distillery Releases Fourteenth Round of

Single Oak Project Bourbon  

Experiment Focuses on Wood Seasoning and Char Level, with Insights from Industry Expert  

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Aug. 5, 2014) – Barrel stave seasoning and barrel char levels are the latest variables Buffalo Trace Distillery attempts to examine with the release of its fourteenth round of the Single Oak Project Bourbon.  This release features bourbons which were all aged in barrels made from the bottom half of the tree, while keeping the other variables such as entry proof (at 125), and warehouse type (all aged in Warehouse K, a wooden floor warehouse) the same.  The remaining variables, recipe (wheat or rye), grain size, barrel stave seasoning, and char level vary. 

To further explore the results of using different char levels and stave seasoning, Buffalo Trace turned to barrel expert Brad Boswell, president of Independent Stave Company, the cooperage Buffalo Trace partnered with on the Single Oak Project.  “Charring the wood breaks it down quickly and certainly changes the flavor, in a more intensive way than just seasoning. Charring provides more of the vanilla and caramel characters coming from the barrel.

A number three char (which is what Buffalo Trace used on some of the barrels in this release) takes approximately 45 seconds while a number four char (the other char level Buffalo Trace used on the barrels in this release) takes approximately 55 seconds.  The lighter char preserves more of the natural oak aroma and flavor (think a little spicy, a little earthy, with a touch of cedar). The heavier char provides more color and caramelization. Tannins will vary between these two types of barrels. The heavier char can also provide for more of a sweet smoke note that is often desired.” said Boswell. 

“Stave seasoning allows the wood to slowly break down (degrade) whereas charring and toasting breaks down the wood much more quickly. When the wood air seasons, the microbial activity breaks the wood down and the rain leaches out some of the tannins. The freezing and thawing breaks down the wood. Even the UV light breaks down the wood to some extent. The flavor of the wood changes as it breaks down.

Barrels with extended air seasoning with charring will provide a slightly different array of flavors as compared to barrels with less air seasoning and then similarly charred. The levels of smokiness, vanillin, caramelization, and tannin will vary between the two types of barrels,” continued Boswell.

If past online votes are any indication, fans prefer a lighter #3 char with a six month barrel stave seasoning, as barrel #82 remains in the lead for the past several months in a row.  Barrel #83 is right behind it though, with a darker, #4, char and also a six month stave seasoning.

            Reviews are still being encouraged, as two more releases will take place before this project ends in the summer of 2015.  More than 4,000 reviews have been given so far on www.singleoakproject.com.             

            The Single Oak Project is part of an intensive research project Buffalo Trace Distillery started conducting in 1999 by hand picking 96 trees with different wood grains and then dividing them into a top and bottom piece, yielding 192 unique sections. From there, staves were created from each section and were air dried for either 6 months or 12 months. After all the staves were air dried, a single barrel was created from each tree section, resulting in 192 total barrels. These barrels were given either a number three or a number four char and then filled with either wheat or rye recipe bourbon.

            To further the variety of experiments, the barrels were filled at two different proofs, 105 and 125 proof.  And if this wasn’t enough, two completely different warehouses were used, one with wooden floors and one with concrete floors.  In total, seven different variables were employed in Buffalo Trace’s ultimate experiment.

            For eight years the Distillery continued with its tracking process, creating intricate databases and coming up with a potential of 1,396 tasting combinations from these 192 barrels!

            The Single Oak Project Bourbon is being released in a series every three months from 2011 through 2015 until all of the 192 barrels have been released. The first release hit select stores in 2011.  This fourteenth release will reach stores towards the end of August. Like all the other releases, the quantities are very limited. Every case will contain 12 bottles, each from a different barrel. The fourteenth release is made up of barrel numbers 2, 12, 34, 44, 66, 76, 98, 108, 130, 140, 162, and 172. All releases will be packaged in a 375ml bottle. Suggested retail pricing per bottle is $46.35.   

            At the conclusion of the Single Oak Project, the Distillery plans to take the top rated Single Oak Project Bourbon and make more just like it, under the Single Oak name.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1786 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com