PERNOD RICARD NORTH AMERICA TO INVEST IN WEST VIRGINIA-BASED SMOOTH AMBLER

It has been announced that high-end bourbons Smooth Ambler Contradiction Bourbon, Old Scout Single Barrel Bourbon and other high-end spirits will be be distributed by Pernod Ricard USA. NBV Investments Inc. (“NBVI”), a subsidiary of Austin Nichols & Co. Incorporated (d/b/a Pernod Ricard North America) and an affiliate of New York-based Pernod Ricard USA LLC, announced that it has signed an agreement to take a majority stake in Smooth Ambler Spirits Co.

The transaction is currently subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in early 2017.

Smooth Ambler Spirits Co., founded in 2009, is located in the Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia. It uses regional natural resources and ingredients to produce gins, vodkas, rums and whiskeys, including the Old Scout Single Barrel Bourbon, which was recognized recently as the “Best Single Barrel Bourbon in the World” at Whisky Magazine’s 2016 World Whiskies Awards.

“We are very impressed by Smooth Ambler’s successful track record, and we are excited to partner with that team as they continue to produce high quality American Whiskeys.” said Jeff Agdern, President of NBVI.

 “Smooth Ambler is committed to making great spirits, using the best American ingredients,” said John Little, Smooth Ambler’s Co-Founder and Head Distiller. “The investment from NBVI will enable us to introduce our premium craft spirits to many more consumers.” Smooth Ambler plans to increase production capacity and further expand its local team in West Virginia, Little said.

Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard commented: “This investment illustrates perfectly our strategy of partnering with rising entrepreneurs sharing the same passion for authentic, high-quality brands. It represents a strong opportunity to enter the fast-growing, high-end bourbon market extending even more our fantastic portfolio of genuine brands in our number 1 market”.

Under the terms of the transaction, John Little will assume the role of CEO and continue to operate the company with same culture and commitment to quality. John Foster will also remain as Director of Sales and Marketing.

Words cannot describe the beauty of the Balvenie Set DCS Compendium Chapter 2.

We will however, give it a go:

Available at Whisky Galore at The Green Welly Stop

1 of only 6 sets available here in the United Kingdom.

The Balvenie DCS Compendium Chapter Two features five extremely rare single-cask single malt whiskies and highlights the complex manner in which different oak casks influence the flavour of The Balvenie during the maturation process.

David Stewart MBE pioneered double cask maturation, or finishing, during his career at The Balvenie and this chapter showcases his vast knowledge and understanding of this process. The whiskies in Chapter Two, range in age from 15 years to 43 years, with each of the casks chosen by David imparting their own distinct flavour profile to the final expression.

Each whisky in Chapter Two hails from a different cask style – including European oak Oloroso sherry butts, first fill American oak Bourbon barrels, a European oak port puncheon and a European oak Pedro Ximénez sherry butt.

The Balvenie Aged 43 years.

European oak Oloroso sherry butt – Filled 31st October 1972.

“ The 1972 refill sherry butt may have lost some of the flavours we expect from sherry casks, dried fruits and spice, but it really shows a unique character of the balvenie, spicy but less ‘winey’ sweet, more honeyed sweetness. Very few examples like this remain and I love it.” – David C Stewart

Tasting Notes..

Nose – Fragrant, floral and fruity, fresh pineapple juice and melons, a malty sweetness and soft oak vanilla.

Taste – A syrupy sweetness, with honey, butterscotch, vanilla toffee and delicate cinnamon spice.

Finish – Lingering with gentle waves of vanilla and subtle oak spices.

The Balvenie Aged 26 years.

First fill American oak bourbon barrel – Filled 1th May 1990.

“ Seeing the different effects wood can have is still a great pleasure for me. Distilled just six months apart we can showcase first fill American Oak and European oak with 1990 casks

David C Stewart Tasting Notes..

Nose – Rich and malty, sweet toffee, vanilla fudge with layers of honeycomb and a delicate spiciness.

Taste – Rich maltiness, honey maple syrup and citrus notes, ending in delicate cinnamon spice and subtle oak vanilla.

Finish – Rich with a creamy sweetness and gentle spices.

The Balvenie Aged 25 years.

European oak Oloroso sherry butt – Filled 3rd October 1990.

“ The first few months are when an oak cask gives the bulk of its colour and a good deal of the influence over the flavour of the liquid. When I feel like the oxygen, wood and time have done their jobs it’s time to move them to another cask.” – David C Stewart

Tasting notes..

Nose – Rich and deep, elegant oaky notes followed by sweet aromas of raisins, dates and gentle ginger spice.

Taste – Velvety smooth with sweet dried fruits, a deep nuttiness and sherry oak. Gentle warm spices and a touch of oak tannin.

Finish – Sumptuous with a sherried sweetness.

The Balvenie Aged 19 years.

European oak port puncheon – Filled 6th August 1997.

“ I remember this port puncheon; it was a cask we used to finish our 21 Year Old PortWood. I decided in 1997 to fill it with a new-make and to be fair I think we forgot about it after that. I noticed it again some years ago and I’m delighted I kept it aside” – David C Stewart

Tasting notes..

Nose – Creamy toffee notes of brown sugar, hints of dried fruits and delicate spices of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Taste – Warm and inviting, with prunes, plums and figs. Tropical fruit juice, sweet wood spices and dried.

Finish – Lingering with dried fruits, oak spices and sweet wine.

The Balvenie Aged 15 years.

European oak Pedro Ximénez sherry butt – Filled 25th April 2001.

“ This 2001 cask was a butt that held gorgeous Gonzales Byass Pedro Ximénez over several decades before it came to our cooperage. It is unusual in really showing the sweetness of the Pedro Ximénez and The Balvenie as a near liqueur. It reminds me of the freedom I’ve enjoyed in my role as I filled it without having to decide how it would be used or when” – David C Stewart

Tasting notes..

Nose – Deep and intensely fruity, peaches and mango, soft vanilla with layers of brown sugar and oak spices.

Taste – Syrupy with a toffee sweetness, a touch of spicy ginger overlaid with gentle oak tannins.

Finish – A fruity sweetness with gentle oak vanilla and spices.

The Balvenie’s david stewart is the longest serving Malt Master the industry has ever known. As he enters the twilight of his career, it’s important to David that he passes on his knowledge so others can follow in his footsteps.

For more information and where to buy click here

Shinshu Mars Komagatake 30 Year Single Malt Japanese Whisky (750ml)$1,799.99 View

This small distillery is located in the Japanese Alps and, at 800 meters above sea level, is Japan’s highest-altitude whisky distillery. Owners Hombo family have been distilling for over a century and added whisky to their portfolio in 1949.

Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)

Email: wine@klwines.com K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA

San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Last Call for Washington, DC Early Bird Pricing Early Bird pricing for WhiskyFest™ Washington, DC is set to expire on January 10th. You won’t want to miss this exciting new WhiskyFest city. Place your order now, before this great discount takes flight!

SAZERAC COMPANY PURCHASES BUILDINGS

AT CANAL AND MAGAZINE STREET 

Plans to Open “The Sazerac House” Homeplace

to Include Museum Space  

NEW ORLEANS, LA (Dec. 15, 2016) The Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans since 1850, has purchased two buildings on the corner of Canal and Magazine Street, adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel, and only a few hundred yards from the original 1850 Sazerac Coffee House site.  The company plans to rehabilitate the nearly 200 year-old buildings into The Sazerac House visitor attraction and beverage alcohol museum.  Guests will be able to learn about the spirited history of the iconic Sazerac Cocktail, the official cocktail of New Orleans, as well as many other original New Orleans brands, along with exploring the unique role New Orleans has played in the bourbon and rum industries and in American cocktail culture.  The buildings will also include a gift shop and Sazerac company offices, with a projection of 60 employees eventually working there, 45 of which will be new positions.

The buildings, which have sat vacant for more than 30 years, date back to the mid-1800s and contain rich architectural details including wood floors, high ceilings, oversized windows, and ornate support columns throughout.  As many of the original design elements as possible will be kept as the buildings undergo renovation.  “We simply could not be happier than to have the opportunity to restore such beautiful buildings to their former glory, in a perfect location, so close to the original site of the Sazerac Coffee House that will act as our future New Orleans homeplace,” commented Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer of the Sazerac Company. “We’re excited to have this opportunity to preserve our roots, while at the same time explore opportunities to introduce our visitors to new product releases that have a special tie to New Orleans.”

Sazerac has a history of buying hidden gems and restoring them to their natural beauty. In 1992 the company bought Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, complete with ramshackle buildings, barbed wire fences surrounding the property, and an employee base which had dwindled down to 50 from its thriving post World War II days of 1,000 employees.  Today, Buffalo Trace Distillery is one of only 2,600 national historic landmarks in the United States, employing nearly 500 workers, and welcoming 165,000 visitors a year who enjoy its lush gardens and picturesque campus.

Local historic preservation architects Trapolin-Peer and Ryan Gootee General Contractors have been selected to renovate The Sazerac House and plans are being finalized for the nearly 50,000 total square foot facilities.  The historic renovation will start in the next coming months, and Sazerac expects the building to be complete by late 2018.  Upon completion, Sazerac is projecting 100,000 visitors its first year of operation. The purchase price is not being disclosed.

About the Sazerac Company

         Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in Louisiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, Maryland, California, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit http://www.sazerac.com/.

 Tomintoul 16 Year Old is known as ‘the gentle dram’. Aged in bourbon casks, it’s rich, nutty and spicy with notes of almonds, vanilla and a buttery texture. The distillery may be one of Speyside’s lesser-known producers, but it produces some cracking whiskies such as this which offer great value for money.

NOTES

Tasting Notes From the Producer

• Colour: Amber gold.
• Nose: Soft fruits with hints of hazelnut and vanilla.
• Palate: Full flavour, nutty with spicy overtones.
• Finish: Creamy and velvety at first with, a spicy finish.

About Tomintoul

Tomintoul is a young distillery in Scottish terms, only built in 1964 by whisky-broking companies Haig & Macleod and W&S Strong. For most of its life, its main purpose has been to product malt whisky for blends, and single malt production remains low. Now under the ownership of Angus Dundee, the distillery’s whiskies continue to gain recognition, and a peated malt, Old Ballantruan, is also produced here.

Tuesday, January 24th, 5 PM – 6:30 PM:
Laphroaig Tasting presented by Simon Brooking

Please join us for a Laphroaig tasting presented by Simon Brookings, whisky expert and ambassador of Laphroaig distillery. Recently awarded “Scotch Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year” by Whisky Magazine, Simon Brooking is renowned throughout the whisky world for his extensive expertise and engaging presentations.

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The Classic Cask 23 Year Old Selection began with the acquisition of superlative casks of single casks of single malt Scotch whiskies from Speyside, the Highlands and Island distilleries and premium aged grain whiskies. All were matured in their original casks for a minimum of 23 years. The whiskies were judiciously blended and then married in vats for 6 months. The blend was returned to casks for additional maturation and finishing. The four finishes include Original Bourbon Barrels, Oloroso Sherry Butts, Caribbean Rum Barrels and Port Pipes. Each cask finish is sure to surprise and delight any whisky enthusiast.

$154.99 EACH

CHARITIES TO RECEIVE O.F.C.

VINTAGE-DATED BOURBON ANNOUNCED 

Two hundred bottles of collectable bourbons have been shipped 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (December 28, 2016) Two hundred lucky charitable recipients received an extra special holiday gift from Buffalo Trace Distillery this year, as the last of the bottles of the O.F. C. Bourbon have been shipped all across the United States.  From there, it’s up to the charities to hold fundraisers of their choosing with hopes of raising thousands of dollars for their cause. The only requirement from Buffalo Trace is the charity hold their fundraiser by March 1, 2017 and report back how much money it raised.

All of the selected charities have been notified and are in the process of receiving their bottle.  The selected charities can be found on the O.F.C. Bourbon website here: http://ofcvintages.com/charities. These rare bottles are not available in stores, bars or restaurants, so true collectors will need to bid high at the various charitable events so the organizations can raise as much money as possible.

“Many worthwhile charities will receive bottles, from New York to California and most states in between,” said Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director. “We expect these bottles to raise upwards of $10,000 each!  We are excited to see what kind of creative fundraisers these non-profits come up with and how much money they can raise for themselves.”

The O.F.C. Bourbon is vintage dated according to the specific year in which the bourbon was distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery. Each hand-cut crystal bottle features the vintage year on the label.

The first release is comprised of only 200 bottles; 100 bottles from the year 1980, 50 bottles from 1982, and 50 bottles from 1983.  Each charity selected will randomly receive one of these three particular vintages.

The packaging for O.F.C. matches the splendor of the whiskey itself, in lead free crystal bottles with detailed fluting engraved into the mold. Each bottle was manually polished to achieve maximum glass brilliance before copper lettering was in-laid in the bottle to spell out “O.F.C.” on the front.  A paper label was then hand applied below with the vintage prominently noted, along with a label on the back of the bottle noting the milestones for the vintage year of the bottle.  The bottles are packaged in a wooden display box containing a provenance card with the same information found on the back label.

      This is the second time Buffalo Trace Distillery has partnered with non-profit organizations to raise money. In 2011, the Distillery gave away 174 bottles of its Millennium Barrel, the last bourbon barrel filled on the last day of the last century. In total more than $150,000 was raised for various charities across the United States, with the top organization raising more than $7,000 for their cause.

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/.

Saturday January 21st 12-4PM:

The Exclusive Malts & Isle of Skye

Join us Saturday the 21st for a traditional scotch whisky tasting! From 12-4 PM, We’ll be presenting award-winning favorites and new releases from a variety of distilleries, including The Exclusive Malts and Isle of Skye.  Pour list will be revealed as the event approaches, but rest assured some truly rare drams will make an appearance!

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