Elijah Craig Launches Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

New expression finished in custom toasted new oak barrels continues Elijah Craig’s spirit of innovation

The process begins with fully matured Small Batch, which is dumped and then re-entered at barrel proof into a second, custom toasted new oak barrel designed in partnership with Independent Stave Company. Made with 18-month air dried oak, the finishing barrel is first toasted and then flash-charred using a moderate toast temperature and toast time. An extensive research and development process resulted in a final barrel toast profile bringing forward dark sugar flavors within the wood to create a balance of smokiness and sweetness after months of finishing. The resulting taste is big, rich and complex with spice and pepper notes that fade into milk chocolate with a hint of smoke as the finish lingers with chocolate and baking spices. Only charred new American oak barrels are used throughout the process to maintain the standards of identity class and type designation for Straight Bourbon Whiskey.BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Elijah Craig, a leading premium Kentucky Bourbon, today announced the launch of Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The latest line extension from the award-winning Elijah Craig family, Toasted Barrel adds an extra layer of sweet oak complexity to the traditional Bourbon.

“Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel pays homage to our namesake’s pioneering spirit as the first to char oak barrels through thoughtful innovation in the barrel-aging process,” said Max Stefka, Elijah Craig Senior Brand Manager. “It was a pleasure partnering with Independent Stave Company to create a custom toast profile and char level designed to best complement fully matured Elijah Craig. Twice barreled for nuanced flavor, Toasted Barrel showcases a Straight Bourbon process unique in the marketplace.”

In 1789, Elijah Craig was the first to char oak Barrels to make Bourbon, earning his place in history as the “Father of Bourbon.” Toasted Barrel celebrates this pioneering spirit by pushing the Bourbon barrel-aging process a step further. Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel is bottled at 94 proof, consistent with Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon and Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, and joins the rest of the award-winning lineup of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Packaged in the iconic Elijah Craig bottle, Toasted Barrel is distinguished by new bottle decoration, face, side and neck labels with smoky blue features. With an SRP of $49.99, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel will launch nationally on an allocated basis this September.

About Elijah Craig Bourbon

Elijah Craig Bourbon bears the name of the Reverend Elijah Craig, known as “The Father of Bourbon,” who established his distillery in 1789 on the banks of Elkhorn Creek in modern day Georgetown, Kentucky. He is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels. The clear, unaged corn liquor became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the family of whiskeys includes Elijah Craig Small Batch, Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

First brought to market in 1986, Heaven Hill Distillery’s Master Distillers were selecting a small number of barrels of the finest Bourbon to make Elijah Craig Small Batch long before the term “small batch” even existed. It is this attention to detail and superb craftsmanship that give Elijah Craig an ideal balance of age, robust body and rich flavor. Elijah Craig accolades have included Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year, Best Small Batch Bourbon and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and Excellent Highly Recommended honors at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com.

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 1.7 million barrels aging in 60 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky and Parker’s Heritage Collection. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the title of 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Distillery of the Year, Best in Show Whisky, and previously held the titles of 2018 San Francisco Spirits Word Spirits Competition Best Bourbon, 2017 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year, 2016 Whisky Advocate American Whiskey of the Year and 2016 Rye Whiskey of the Year from “Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.” For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

TyndrumWhisky.com

Presents

Trilogy Part I

We have a stormer of a whisky for you.

Billy Walker (Sherry Whisky King) took a personal interest and as a result chose from his OWN personal stash of casks, these are normally reserved for beauties such as the Spirit of Speyside bottlings, or distillery exclusives. When we found this out, we knew we were on to a winner.

Billy’s wood/cask management is very well documented, when taking on GlenAllachie, a wide range of cask changes were made, including this one. 12 Years in a 1st Fill Bourbon Cask, then since takeover, in a 1st Fill Sherry Puncheon.

One of 698 Bottles

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A Unique, Cask Strength Single Malt Powerhouse Aged in Bordeaux Barrels
2010 Port Charlotte “MRC:01” First Growth Bordeaux Barrel Aged Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)
“Goodness gracious—this is a hell of an Islay whisky.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L NorCal Spirits Buyer

NOTE: Our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have curbside pickup and low cost (often free) delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

It seems Bruichladdich can do no wrong of late and that certainly holds true for their 2010 Port Charlotte “MRC:01” release. This cask strength powerhouse has it all going on. It is an Islay malt that’s spent time in a combination of American whiskey and French wine casks that is then finished for a year in barrels from Bordeaux. This heavily peated monster delivers on a multitude of levels, offering one of the most complex and engaging whiskies we’ve tasted this year. A lesser malt might be dwarfed by such a regimen, but this colossus strides confidently from one strength to the next. Previous allocations of this blockbuster were very limited, but recently we acquired a parcel sizable enough to feature it here. This is a bottling no whiskey collector will want to miss, as it shows with perfect clarity the prodigious talents of head distiller Adam Hannett. We expect once word gets around our allocation will disappear quickly, so you’ll want to move quickly to add this singular Islay to your collection.

2010 Port Charlotte “MRC:01” First Growth Bordeaux Barrel Aged Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)

Bottled at cask strength of 59.2% alcohol and distilled from 100% Scottish barley sourced from the Invernesshire region, this vintage heavily-peated malt spirit is aged initially in first fill American whiskey casks and second fill French wine casks. These component parts have been combined and matured for an extra year in the casks sourced from one of the Left Bank’s wine producers. The resulting powerhouse is an absolute rocket. The powerfully sweet malt and dense textured peat play wonders against the deep red fruit and spice coming from the top-tier French oak. Add the cask strength nature of this special release and you’ve got one of the most exciting Bruichladdich releases in years.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 14, 2020

Goodness gracious—this is a hell of an Islay whisky. Adam Hannett has knocked the ball out of the park, off the island, and into the sea with this one. Typically I’m not a huge fan of red wine cask whiskies, but there have been a few releases over the years that have caught the attention of my palate. I had a sneak peak at this beauty when wandering the warehouse with Mr. Hannett back in the spring of 2018. There is a veritable treasure trove of casks from Bordeaux’s top producers hiding mere feet from the edge of Loch Indaal. These casks represent the first time I’ve been truly excited for red wine-finished whiskies to come to market. While the MRC:01 first hit shelves in the US last year, we only received a minuscule amount of product at that time. The peculiarities of different markets has somehow meant that a sizable portion of this rare release has found its way to CA in the middle of 2020. Finally some good news for the year! The peat is intense—the nose smells like you’re walking through the rubble of a burned down malting facility combined with a BBQ pitmaster’s best cherrywood-smoked brisket. Add to that the salt air of Islay, dazzlingly deep ruby red fruits courtesy of MRC’s finest Bordeaux, and you have a complex powerhouse. The all Scottish barley stands up strong against all this peat and wine. It’s easy to see how a lesser malt would simply be lost here, but at the generous ABV of 59.2% everything lines up just right. Whether it’s Bruichladdich itself, Islay in general, wine finished whiskies, or all of the above that you love, this bottling is not to be missed by any aficionado or collector.

Arran 18 Year Old

Superb expression of Arran malt with a deep richness and a depth complimented by spirit and cask. Arran 18 Year Old Island single malt Scotch whisky. Sherry cask matured is a wonderfully balanced expression of The Arran Malt which displays the tremendous depth of character of the Distillery. Caramelised citrus and tropical notes on a background of toasted oak have created an intense, well rounded dram with charm and personality. A luxurious mix of our finest aged Sherry Casks, this fully mature expression of The Arran Malt is exceptional.

£87.35/ $95.28* / €96.52*

Arran 21 Year Old

The oldest official core bottling from Arran. Some of the oldest sherry butts. Fruits & spice! Arran 21 Year Old Island single malt Scotch whisky. Matured in a mix of some of the oldest Sherry Butts from our the distillery. Nose: Sweet spices and hazelnut. Palate: Ginger and dark chocolate. Finish: Sweetness, Spice, Bitter orange, Citrus, Dark chocolate, Satisfying.

£123.30/ $134.49* / €136.25*

Arran Distillery was commissioned by the Isle of Arran Distillers in 1995 and lies amid stunning scenery just to the south of Lochranza on the northern tip of the Isle of Arran. This distillery has four stills, dunnage warehouses, a visitor centre offering distillery tours and a distillery café. Arran distills both un-peated and peated malt spirit and matures its whisky in sherry, bourbon, port and wine casks in order to produce an ever-evolving and expanding range of whiskies including Arran single malts such as Arran Machrie Moor and The Illicit Stills, and Arran blended scotch.

Auction Closing Monday 10th of Aug @ 21:00 (BST)

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Almost 2ooo lots to bid on this month!

Bowmore – 29 Year Old 1964 Black Bowmore 1st Edition

Glorious Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

A Grand Selection of Casks…

New Releases…

Port Ellen – 40 Year Old 1979 – 9 Rogue Casks

Ardbeg – 2000 Single Cask #2/2000

Macallan – 30 Year Old SMWS 24.140 Sublime Nectar

Waterford – SFO – Bannow, Ballykilcavan, Ratheadon, Ballymorgan, Sheestown 1.1 & Pilgrimage

Browse and bid on over 1,850+ lots at:

www.thegrandwhiskyauction.com

Interested in selling whisky in our next auction?

+44 (0)1463 210 427

sales@thegrandwhiskyauction.com

Have a cask you are looking to sell?

E. casks@thegrandwhiskyauction.com

whisky review 1 – Talisker 10 y.o.

SLIABH LIAG DISTILLERS RECLAIMS DONEGAL’S WHISKEY HERITAGE WITH FIRST LEGAL DISTILLATION IN NEARLY 200 YEARS

Donegal distillery fills its first cask with a peated single malt new-make spirit

The resurgent Irish whiskey industry has a new feather in its cap with the announcement that the island’s most remote county is once again distilling whiskey.  In the far northwest, in the shadow of the imposing mountain of Sliabh Liag, a double distilled smoky spirit made from Irish peated malt has been filled into a first fill bourbon oak cask by Sliabh Liag Distillers (SLD).  It is the first time since the closure of Burt Distillery in 1841 that legal whiskey distillation has taken place in Donegal.

The small-batch production at its Carrick facility will help the company’s founders and distillers, James and Moira Doherty, undertake valuable research and development while the business’s new whiskey distillery at Ardara is under construction.  The timing also marks an important period in Sliabh Liag Distillery’s history as it prepares for a crowd-funding launch on Wednesday 26^th August to help raise €1.5m of capital for the new distillery.

Commenting on the landmark occasion, James Doherty, SLD Founder, said: “We’ve done it!  It’s only now that the first cask is filled, ready to mature into a smoky single malt Irish whiskey that we feel we have really returned to Donegal.  When Moira and I moved back here in 2014, it was with the dream of reigniting the county’s distilling heritage, and with the Crolly and Baoilleach distilleries, the county is getting there. Our new spirit smells lovely and drinks even better; it is soft and smoky sweet with a fresh pear note and a hint of treacle.”

“While the success of our An Dúlamán gin and Silkie and Dark Silkie blended Irish whiskeys has been rewarding”, James says, “the distilling genes in me knew this scatterling’s return wouldn’t be complete without an Irish malt flowing from the stills. While Burt Distillery ceased production in 1841, we know illegal distilling continued during the intermittent years, not least by my grandfather who was creating a smoky, double distilled spirit under the authorities’ radar on the hills ‘up the glen’ in Kilcar. I think my grandfather would approve that we are now distilling the first legal whiskey in Donegal for nearly 200 years, and there’s a lovely sense of coming full circle.”

“There has been a fair amount of blood, sweat and tears to get to this point – especially last week in hand-mashing 500L of wort for brewing – but it’s given us a huge lift as we embark on the next stage in both our and Donegal’s history.  Turf has been turned at the site of the Ardara Distillery and we launch our fundraising exercise on Crowdcube in a few weeks’ time.  Once we are up and running there, the future of Donegal Irish Whiskey will be even brighter.”  James added.

The new make spirit is exceptionally soft and is fresh, citrusy and has rich chocolate notes to complement the pronounced smoke. It has been made from Irish Craft Malts barley grown in Meath and some malted over peat from Mín na bhFachraín.  The smoky profile of the spirit is true to what was being distilled in Ulster 200 years ago, and like the county itself, a contrast to the rest of Ireland in character.

It was distilled twice in SLD’s copper pot still, known as Méabh.  This first run of spirit has been filled into a first fill bourbon oak cask.  The creation of the spirit was delayed from earlier this year when Sliabh Liag Distillers turned its focus to creating hand sanitizer for the local community during the early stages of the pandemic.

When this very first whiskey is ready for bottling, it will give some indication of what James, Moira and the ‘meitheal’ (work-gang) around them aim to produce at Ardara Distillery.  The hope is to make Donegal to Ireland what Islay is to Scotland.

Notes

• Sliabh Liag (pronounced ‘sleeve league’) Distillers is independently owned.
• SLD is committed to reclaiming the distilling heritage of Donegal. In addition to An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin, the company also produces the blended Silkie Irish Whiskey, Dark Silkie Irish Whiskey and Assaranca Vodka.
• SLD has begun construction of its new distillery at Ardara, co Donegal. The state-of-the-art facility will combine the latest distilling technology and a unique “all grains in” process with ancient Donegal distilling knowhow to create a whiskey unlike that found in the rest of Ireland.
• On Wednesday 26^th August, the company launches its €1.5m fundraising campaign on Crowdcube.com. (NB: it will not be live on the Crowdcube website before then.)
• Silkie, Dark SilkieAn Dúlamán and Assaranca are all distributed by Vine Distribution Services in the UK. Established in 2000, Vine Distribution Services (VDS UK Limited) are importers and distributors of premium drinks and other FMCG brands in the UK. Founded by Steve Brown and Paul Macgregor, VDS is a sales, marketing and distribution company that specialises in the development of premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic brands.

New Community Funded Whisky from the Faroe Islands

A new whisky is on its way to the market. Probably the first in the world to be community funded using crypto currency. And the location is not what you would expect.

Despite it’s close proximity to Scotland, the small archipelago of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic does not yet have a whisky brand on the market. This is about to change. Test production and maturation of “Faer Isles Whisky” has been conducted for some time now, and on August 1. it will be launched as a crowdfunding project, where whisky enthusiast all over the world will have the opportunity to invest in the project.

The beautiful and remote Faroe Islands are the optimal location for whisky production and maturation because of the abundance of clean surface water. This is due to the high humidity and rainfall caused by the passing Gulf Stream, which also ensures the very stable year-round temperature. The constant wind provides a salty atmosphere that has been used for centuries to dry and ferment food and will now benefit Faroese whisky as well.

Behind the project are a group of local whisky enthusiasts and investors. To ensure the necessary industry knowledge an Advisory Board of International experts within spirit production has been established.

People participating in the first phase of the crowdfunding, starting August 1., will become lifetime members of the Fair Isles Founder’s Club, making them eligible for several club member benefits, including the option to later buy shares in the Faer Isles Distillery. They will also receive a reward package containing a sample of the First Edition 3-year-old whisky, along with samples of the Faer Isles Seaweed Special Edition Gin and a small bottle of the newmake whisky, including oak cubes for home maturation.

The obtained first-phase crowdfunding will be used for starting up commercial production, although still in a small scale. The second phase of the crowdfunding that will be launched later this year will be used to fund the full-scale commercial production at the picturesque site in the old Viking village of Kvívík.

This second phase will be funded through a Security Token Offering. An STO is similar to an IPO as it enables people to invest in a company. The difference is that the shares are not traded on a traditional stock exchange but instead traded directly from the licensed issuer using a value token based on crypto currency. This method of funding is becoming more and more common, but Fair Isles Distillery will probably be the first whisky distillery in the world that is funded this way.

Read more on www.faer.io

Rogues’ Banquet arrived back in March to mark the 20th anniversary of Compass Box. We decided the time wasn’t right to accompany its release with any fanfare, but all the same we’ve been delighted with the response from the many people wishing to know more.

This limited edition combines four parcels of whisky, each of which exhibited the generosity and depth of flavour one would hope to find after many years of maturation. Brought together as a blend, the impression is of rich cakes, stem ginger, pastry cream, and softened tropical fruits. The patisserie elements are provided by whiskies from the Miltonduff and North British distilleries, while the lush and exotic touches come courtesy of individual casks from the Clynelish and Glen Elgin distilleries.

DEDICATED TO THE GOURMANDS AND HEDONISTS
WE HAVE MET OVER 20 YEARS OF COMPASS BOX

Those culinary-infused tasting notes also offer a clue to another side of this limited edition – it pairs beautifully with desserts. We particularly love the combination of Rogues’ Banquet with a treacle tart, a classic British pudding, so we’ve put together a tasting video where our Founder John Glaser talks you through this delicious pairing.

Shop Rogues’ Banquet

And Above All, Share & Enjoy!

The Pinnacle of Blended Whisky from a Historic Brand
The Tweeddale 28 Year Old “The Evolution” Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)

NOTE: Our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have curbside pickup and low cost (often free) delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

One of the most exciting projects in the world of blended Scotch can be found under the Tweeddale label. First founded in the mid-1880s and resurrected in 2010, Tweeddale is Alasdair Day’s modern interpretation of the Scotches blended by his great-grandfather Richard Day. Alasdair inherited his great-grandfather’s cellar book and struck out to recreate the masterful blends that made the Tweeddale label so famous. Alasdair is every bit the artist that Richard was, assembling blends that are more than the sum of their parts and are among the finest blended whiskies on the market today. “Evolution,” the oldest bottling in the portfolio, draws together Speyside malts and lowland grains to excellent effect. Perfectly balanced and engagingly complex, it is a dramatic Scotch that offers wave after wave of ripe, red fruits, citrus, Christmas spice, and a modest touch of smoke. A rival to the coveted whiskies of Compass Box, Tweeddale has earned an ever-growing following in recent years. Whiskies with this kind of age statement often come at a significant premium, so finding a gem like this for under $150 is a real boon for collectors. No blended Scotch enthusiast should be without a bottle of The Evolution, as it represents this category at its very best.

The Tweeddale 28 Year Old “The Evolution” Blended Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)

The Tweeddale brand was created by the brothers John and Andrew Davidson in the mid 1800s. In 1895, Richard Day was hired as an office boy and began to learn the art of blending. Mr. Day took over the business in 1923 and continued to buy and blend whiskies until World War II caused a decline in market viability, at which point Day sold his stocks and retired. In 2010, Alasdair Day inherited his great-grandfather’s cellar book and the quest to recreate Tweeddale Whisky was born. The Tweeddale Evolution is the whisky that Alasdair Day believes his great-grandfather would have created given access to the same components. This melange of sherry-aged Speyside malt and fresh feisty lowland grain has a minimum age of 28 years, but likely includes whiskies much older. Bottled without chillfiltration and natural color, the Tweeddale Evolution is a harmonious expression of the potential that blended whiskies offer. The nose is a bouquet of red plummy fruits, honey, waxy lemons, and spice. On the palate, it’s bold and juicy, with strong spice and zesty pomaceous fruit. The finish brings tangy burnt orange, cloves and roasted vanilla.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 28, 2020

For a very long time single malt has reigned supreme over all other spirits. The most collectible, expensive and coveted spirits in the world are all single malt Scotch. But the industry has changed drastically over the last forty years and I wouldn’t be the first to say that golden age of single malt production may be behind us. Now that is not to say that there are and will be many more exceptional and collectible malts to be released in the coming years, but what it is to say is that we will achieve the great heights we once did less frequently and when we do see those greats the prices will reflect that. But it’s not simply demand that is responsible for diminished potential of single malts, but the actual production itself. Distillers across Scotland have exchanged potential greatness for efficiency and consistency. It is of course, the economical and rational choice to make, but with it comes a homogenization of production—in style, flavor, cost and process. While as a whole the Scotch industry is producing better spirits overall, the quality and flavor of those spirits have converged into certain styles that are deemed desirable. The result is a future where great whisky will look more like the past than many care to admit. It will be in fact the blended products that offer us the diversity of flavor that was once the exclusive territory of the single malt. It will take a look back at the origins of Scotch whisky and its subsequent domination of the spirits world to truly offer something unique going forward. The Tweeddale Evolution is exactly that type of product. It is a modern re-imagining of an old recipe. Yes the ingredients are different but the soul is the same and in that capacity it is one of the most interesting Scotches on the shelf today. Let’s have a taste! The color is yellow gold. We’ve got a nose packed with orchard fruit (yellow plums and green apples), butter biscuits, coconut candy and bits of mineral-pulverized limestone. It’s not a challenging profile by any means, yet it’s certainly outside the norm of any popular blend. On the palate, vibrant and tangy, with some cooked apple and more vanilla. It does have a feeling of a nicely aged Speysider marked with something unique—whether it’s some older Highlander or the grain element poking through isn’t clear. It doesn’t have the opulence of some other old blends we’ve sold, but it does a uniqueness and openness that can be appreciated by almost anyone. Not to say it’s completely tame or safe at this high proof, but it’s not going to scare anyone away. It’s especially fun to sip this and imagine what this same blend might have been like 200 years ago when the Tweeddale was original created. I would love this with the tiniest dash of water which brings out a bit more coconut husk and vanilla, but don’t put too much or she’ll go a bit quiet.