Lux Row Distillers releases the second edition of its Blood Oath Trilogy featuring

Pacts 4, 5 and 6

Highly collectible bourbons will be available in September 

ST. LOUIS (Aug. 26, 2021) — Lux Row Distillers announced the release of Blood Oath Trilogy – Second Edition, the latest collection of limited-release bourbons, or “Pacts,” created by Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. Featuring 750 ml bottles of Pacts 4, 5 and 6, this latest Trilogy has a limited supply of 1,400 sets, and its $799 suggested retail price reflects the quality and scarcity of these bourbons. The newest Blood Oath Trilogy will be available in late September.

In 2014, Rempe decided to create an exceptional bourbon using a blend of three unique Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys. The following year, that idea came to fruition with the creation of the Blood Oath series. The name refers to a promise Rempe made to keep the blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys a secret known only to him, as well as a promise to create the best bourbon for bourbon connoisseurs. Now, every year Rempe adds a new Pact to the Blood Oath family. Each Pact comes in at 98.6 proof (49.3% ABV), is carefully crafted and will never be repeated.

The second Blood Oath Trilogy contains Pacts 4, 5 and 6 – reserved since 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively – and is packaged in a black wooden display box designed to highlight each Pact’s distinctive label.

• Blood Oath Pact 4 is a blend of an extra-aged 12-year bourbon, a rich 10-year bourbon and a 9-year bourbon finished in toasted barrels for seven months. It has an ultra-smooth finish with lasting notes of caramel, vanilla and oak.
• Blood Oath Pact 5 is a blend of a 13-year mahogany bourbon, peppery with shavings of dark chocolate; an 11-year silky, wheated bourbon rich with vanilla and honey; and an 8-year bourbon finished in Caribbean rum barrels to impart orange, brown sugar and warm island spice notes.
• Pact 6 rounds out the Trilogy with a blend of a 14-year ryed bourbon which provides oak and leather undertones; an 8-year, toasty, ryed bourbon that delivers hints of spice; and a 7-year ryed bourbon finished in cognac casks to produce a slightly fruity, brandy flavor.

“I look back on each Pact I’ve created for the Blood Oath Series with a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment, and with each new Pact I develop, I become more eager to create the next,” said Rempe. “The bourbons I’ve selected to create each Pact are becoming rarer and harder to find, as are the resulting Pacts themselves. A Blood Oath Trilogy set is like a piece of bourbon history. I’ll never repeat a blend, so once it is gone, it’s gone.”

Blood Oath Trilogy — Second Edition set to be released in September

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux Family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Merged with MGP Ingredients, Inc. in 2021 (Nasdaq: MGPI), Luxco operates as MGP’s Brands Division and manages all MGP/Luxco brands. This extensive and award-winning spirits portfolio includes well-known brands from five distilleries: Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Daviess County; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin; Jalisco, Mexico-based Destiladora González Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas, El Mayor, Exotico and Dos Primos; MGP’s historic distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where the George Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey are produced; and the Washington, D.C.-based Green Hat Distillery, producer of the Green Hat family of gins. The innovative and high-quality brand portfolio also includes Everclear Grain Alcohol, Pearl Vodka, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company and its brands, visit luxco.com.

ENJOY ART INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE

Canvas is our artful exploration of whisky’s bolder colours. We’ve drawn on very special casks seasoned for two years with Vino Naranja, orange wine from Condado de Huelva. Made from a grape must – typically derived from Palomino or Pedro Ximénez grapes – which is infused with bitter orange peel and then fortified, it’s Spain’s only aromatised wine with protected origin status. We filled these casks with mature whisky from the Tomatin Distillery for a further three years, and this special parcel makes up 10.9% of the recipe for Canvas. The resulting flavours of citrus oils and honeyed oak were so striking that our thoughts turned to the captivating texture and power of oil-on-canvas paintings. Could this colourful whisky inspire art in those who take a sip?

WHAT’S IN A FRAME?

The Canvas label is an ornate ‘trophy frame’ inspired by the Renaissance trend for memorialising the lifetime’s achievements of the person pictured within. Except we’re not celebrating an individual, but rather the story of whiskymaking. The eagle-eyed will spot nine specific details in the frame that paint a picture of our process, including a nose to denote the importance of aroma in the art of whiskymaking and a fiery hourglass signifying ageing and cask charring. Keep your eye on our Instagram to discover more about the other elements that feature on the label, from cherubs to a pot still.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU CAN CREATE

So that’s the frame, but what about the canvas inside? Well, that’s where you come in. We’re calling on creatives of every medium to fill it with something that reflects their take on Scotch whisky and creativity. Are you a painter? A photographer? Do you compose music? Do you doodle? Head to our blog to download all the materials and find out how your idea could inspire the concept behind our next whisky. And of course, if you think a friend would rise to the challenge, invite them to get involved too!

Share & Enjoy,
The Compass Box Team

GORDON & MACPHAIL
PRESENT:
BENROMACH TASTING
21st SEPTEMBER
6:30PM
SPITALFIELDS

We are happy to announce that we will be hosting a Benromach tasting at Milroy’s of Soho. The tasting will be hosted by the UK Brand Ambassador Luke Todd-Wood who will be talking us through this fantastic range.

Benromach 10yo
Benromach 15yo
Benromach Cask Strength
Benromach Peat Smoke
Benromach 21yo

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Tales of the Macallan

Vol. 1: The Laird of Easter Elchies

Distilled 1950 | Bottled 2021

£POA

This stunning 1950 vintage single malt whisky is the first release in the Tales of The Macallan series from the acclaimed Speyside distillery. The series tells the story of the pioneering characters of The Macallan’s history and their whisky-making legacy.

Paying tribute to Captain John Grant who brought the influence of nature and community spirit to The Macallan, this release is a collaboration between the distillery, luxury glassmaker Lalique, and renowned English illustrator Andrew Davidson. Distilled in 1950 and bottled in 2021, Vol. 1 of the series is housed in a stunning handcrafted Lalique crystal decanter depicting Captain Grant’s life. The decanter is presented in an extraordinary almanac book featuring the artwork of Andrew Davidson. Just 350 bottles of this incredibly mature and limited release have been produced.

With echoes of a very old tale, this whisky has omnipresent notes of wood spice, sweet wood smoke and antique oak alongside a delicate symphony of ripe fruits and spices. Presented at a strength of 44.6% abv this unique expression makes an exquisite addition to even the most impressive whisky collection.

Register your interest now →

Exclusive whisky

Milk & Honey 2017 Ex-Islay Cask

This single malt was distilled just south of Tel Aviv and matured in a single Islay whisky cask. We can’t tell you exactly which distillery the cask stopped off at on its way to Israel, but it’s on Islay’s south coast… What its mystery trip has produced is a bold and grassy dram with bags of white fruit, tarry smoke and a little barnyard funkiness on the nose. Only 231 bottles exist, so don’t let yours get away.

  SHOP NOW  

Events

Once-in-a-lifetime tastings

Tickets are on sale now for October’s Whisky Show masterclasses. Highlights include a tasting with Buffalo Trace master blender Drew Mayville and a deep dive into the Diageo warehouses with blenders Maureen Robinson and Emma Walker. The former offers a chance to try American whiskies rarely seen in the UK, including the Double Eagle Very Rare, while the latter features a special bottling of 40-year-old Port Ellen. Spaces are limited, so don’t delay.

  BOOK NOW  

ralfy review 892 Extras – Online Scotch Whisky Awards

‘ARTISTRY IN OAK’

GORDON & MACPHAIL REVEALS DESIGN OF UNIQUE DECANTER AND OAK PAVILION BY ACCLAIMED ARCHITECT AND DESIGNER SIR DAVID ADJAYE FOR WORLD’S OLDEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

ELGIN, SCOTLAND, 2^nd September 2021:  Whisky creators Gordon & MacPhail today revealed the unique jewel-like decanter and oak pavilion designed by world-renowned architect and designer Sir David Adjaye OBE to celebrate their release of the oldest single malt Scotch ever bottled – Generations 80YO from Glenlivet Distillery.

The design is a celebration of the artistry, craft and care that went into the single malt it encases.  Its unique form represents Gordon & MacPhail’s history of repeatedly pushing the boundaries in terms of long-term whisky maturation, where experimentation, patience, and quality have remained the foundations for progress since 1895.

The creative theme for the ground-breaking release – ‘Artistry in Oak’ – bears tribute to both the precious and rare liquid, carefully nurtured in an oak cask by four generations of the family that owns Gordon & MacPhail, as well as its stunning presentation. Never before has oak and single malt spirit been combined for eight decades and the historic liquid has been described by renowned whisky writer Charlie Maclean as “truly, one of the finest I’ve ever encountered.”

“Oak is a primary material, produced from the planet,” explains David Adjaye. “I appreciate its preciousness as an integral part of the whisky-making process. I wanted to create a design that pays tribute to the role oak plays in transforming liquid into an elixir with almost magical properties.”

The jewel-like decanter contains lenses to provide focus on the richly coloured liquid. A generous volume of crystal balances both heft and delicacy, and provides a beguiling, tactile presence.

“The gentle combination of liquid, weight and form invokes a sense of care, responsibility and slowness.  As you pour, a sense of time fades and all that is understood is the preciousness of each drop,” adds Adjaye.

Designed to appear as hewn from a single solid block of crystal, the decanter’s curving core needed to be individually hand-blown by experienced artisans overseen by Glencairn Crystal Studio, experts in ultra-premium decanters and another family business based in Scotland.

“The ambition was to create a vessel in which Gordon & MacPhail’s unique experience and tradition is transmitted and incorporated,” remarks Adjaye. “The vertical struts of the outer pavilion are reflective of trees in an oak forest from which the staves of the original cask were hewn. A pivotal moment in the design narrative is the relationship between the light and shadow as the casing is opened and closed.  The light refracted through the opened casing recreates the sunlight as it shines through oak trees within a natural forest setting. The act of opening the pavilion becomes a ceremonial and sensorial process.”

While similar, no two decanters are exactly the same, reflecting the complexity of the process and its organic nature.

The oak pavilion is constructed from sustainably sourced oaks grown less than five miles from makers, Wardour Workshops, another family-owned company, based in Dorset, South West England.

Co-founder at Wardour, Dom Parish, comments, “Oak is an inherent part of British craftsmanship, full of character. It has this wondrously enduring quality that lasts forever. Once it is cut and sized, it’s still a living organism.”

Ewen Mackintosh, Managing Director at Gordon & MacPhail, comments, “It is often quoted that the maturation of whisky over very long periods of time is more art than science.  The decanter and oak pavilion that David has created for our historic release is a true reflection of this art; the presentation is itself a work of art.  I’m sure George Urquhart and his father John, who had the extraordinary foresight to lay down spirit from the Glenlivet Distillery in a bespoke Gordon & MacPhail cask to be enjoyed after their lifetime, would love the design. It pays tribute to their craft and vision.”

Only 250 70cl decanters have been created. Decanter #1 is being auctioned by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on 7 October 2021 with a framed cask end from the original cask and a lithograph of the original concept drawings signed by David Adjaye. Auction proceeds (minus costs) are being donated to local Scottish charity Trees for Life whose mission is to rewild the Caledonian forest.

“The donation will help the Trees for Life nursery which grows 100,000 rare and native trees, including oaks, from seed each year,” continues Ewen Mackintosh. “It’s fitting that this whisky will provide a legacy for all that will last for generations.”

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist says: “Joining forces with Gordon & MacPhail to auction the world’s first 80-Year-Old single malt whisky is a genuine thrill. To have expertly matured this whisky for eight decades and maintained the vibrancy of the exquisite liquid is remarkable. Decanter #1 represents a landmark moment in Scotland’s liquid history and the cask end and signed 1-of-1 lithograph further elevate this unique and very special lot.”

Public showcases of the Gordon MacPhail Glenlivet 80YO decanter and oak pavilion will be exhibited from early September 2021 in Sotheby’s historic galleries on New Bond Street in London, at Sotheby’s HQ in New York on the Upper East Side, and at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as part of the company’s 2021 Hong Kong Autumn Sales Series preview exhibition.

THE TASTE OF LIQUID HISTORY

Charlie MacLean MBE, Scotland’s leading whisky writer and world authority on the subject, presents his tasting notes for Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80YO from Glenlivet Distillery:

Appearance: Deep umber with magenta lights; old polished rosewood.

Aroma: A complex, mellow nose-feel, still vivacious after all these years. Top notes of almond oil, scented hand-soap, backed by sandalwood and gorse flowers on a war m day. A whiff of peat-smoke in the empty glass.

Palate: An oily texture, and lightly sweet to start (dates, salted plums, figs), drying elegantly (traces of dry Oloroso Sherry), towards a lengthy menthol finish. Drop of water increases spiciness.

Summary: Vibrant and wholly satisfying. Truly, one of the finest malts I have ever encountered.

GORDON & MACPHAIL GENERATIONS 80YO FROM GLENLIVET DISTILLERY AVAILABLE FROM 3 SEPTEMBER 2021

PRICE ON APPLICATION VIA GORDONANDMACPHAIL.COM

FOR DETAILS RE SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG AUCTION OF DECANTER #1 ON 7 OCTOBER VISIT SOTHEBYS.COM

@GORDONANDMACPHAIL

PLEASE FIND YOUTUBE LINKS TO VIDEO CONTENT BELOW:

Liquid History – Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-Years-Old from Glenlivet Distillery 

Artistry in Oak – Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-Years-Old from Glenlivet Distillery

Creating Future Legacies – Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-Years-Old from Glenlivet Distillery

Launch Film – Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-Years-Old from Glenlivet Distillery

THE OXFORD ARTISAN DISTILLERY DEBUTS A NEW SERIES OF WHISKIES CALLED GRAIN STORIES WITH RELEASE OF BRITAIN’S FIRST CORN WHISKY 

Oxford, UK, 25^th August, 2021 – The Oxford Artisan Distillery launches a series of experimental whiskies titled Grain Stories, with the inaugural release of Heritage Corn Whisky.

Each expression in the new collection will focus on Master Distiller Chico Rosa’s research into different heritage grains combined with a variety of distilling and maturation processes. The name is also indicative of the creativity and experimentation planned for the bottlings, giving the distilling team plenty of room for play.

Chico comments: “Every whisky we produce has its own narrative and with our exclusive use of heritage grain, the different varieties we use play a vital part –   it is these distinctive grains which are the thread that binds every chapter in this tome of Grain Stories whiskies.”

The distillery’s regenerative and organic farming partners, led by their Head of Grain & Sustainable Development, John Letts, grow the heritage grains, the likes of which have not been grown in England for centuries. The Oxford Artisan Distillery is the only distillery in England to use these populations, painstakingly sourced and bulked up over many years, and now grown sustainably using ‘restorative’, carbon-negative methods.

Heritage Corn Whisky has a particularly unique, and serendipitous, origin. John Letts grew up in Canada surrounded by fields of modern hybrid corn used to make products like corn flakes and high fructose syrup. A few farmers grew multicoloured corn (technically North Eastern ‘flint’ corn) that was once grown by native people all over North America. Some also grew a slightly sweeter corn – the ancestor of modern ‘sweet corn’ – which has a mutation that prevents the sugar initially stored in the seed from turning into starch (flour) as it ripens.

In 2010 John collected samples of both ‘flint’ and ‘sweet’ corn from gene banks all over the world and added this to seed he’d obtained from Canada. He planted all of it in a large research plot in his garden and allowed it to cross-pollinate for 5 years, which produced a genetically-diverse population with a large range of cobs with multicoloured seeds. After every harvest he selected out the earliest ripening plants with the healthiest and most productive ears.

In 2017 John harvested about a ton of corn – by hand! Half of this was dry, but the other half was still damp and began to germinate (malt) on the barn floor as it was being cleaned. What at first appeared to be a disaster was actually an opportunity. John comments: “I flaked and crushed all of this maize and sent it to the distillery in a panic… and the team immediately put it in the distilling vat.”

The grain ratio the team used contained 51% corn (a mixture of ‘sweet’ and ‘flint’ corn seeds), half of which had germinated (malted) along with 34% rye, 10% wheat and 5% malted barley. Lactic maceration was undertaken prior to mash, and the corn was fermented dry as a paste after milling and before mixing with water and the other grains for three days boosting creamy characters and textures.

Having been fully matured in New American oak for three and a half years, the highly active wood has gifted the creamy spirit sweet vanilla, allspice and cinnamon notes.

Chico comments: “The second most abundant grain used is rye which is quite noticeable through its spicy character, but the corn is oily and its charm comes through with butter and biscuity notes that elevate the spirit. The whisky is full of the distillery’s characteristic floral and herbal tones coupled with shortbread and unroasted nuts, while banana and ginger cake flavours interplay with the whisky’s smooth velvety mouthfeel, finishing with spicy and green grass vibes.”

Heritage Corn Whisky is a first from a British distillery. It has been bottled at 50.4 % ABV, and the batch consists of 830 bottles, priced at £95 for 50cl and it is now available exclusively from the distillery’s website.

www.theoxfordartisandistillery.com

The Oxford Artisan Distillery:

The distillery opened for business at its purpose-built site in Oxford on 27th July 2017.

It is Oxford’s first ever distillery and produces a range of spirits, including gin, absinthe, vodka and whisky, all with total provenance from grain to glass. The Oxford Artisan Distillery is rare amongst UK distilleries in producing its own organic spirit, rather than purchasing Grain Neutral Spirit (GNS) from other sources.

The distillery has a licence to produce spirits for the University of Oxford and has a notable partnership with the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden.  

About Organic Heritage Grain:

Certified Organic in April 2020, The Oxford Artisan Distillery is the only distillery to use genetically diverse ‘populations’ of ancient heritage grains, restored and bulked up by archaeobotanist and organic farmer John Letts. John has spent 35 years researching and creating these mixed ‘Medieval style’ crops, which can contain hundreds of varieties. He has also developed a method of growing them sustainably, without chemicals, with an understorey of white clover that feeds the soil and supports biodiversity. These heritage populations are very hardy and can adapt to climate change – but also produce exceptionally delicious grain for making spirits. The Oxford Artisan Distillery has an exclusive license to use John’s grains for distilling, and they are now being grown on over 500 acres on select farms including the Bruern Estate and Fir Farm in West Oxfordshire, Sheepdrove Organic Farm in Berks, and the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

Corn is very productive, and can be bulked up 10-20 times faster than wheat or rye (because one cob produces 500+ seeds rather than the 40 or so found in an ear of wheat or rye) – but corn is also more demanding of nitrogen so needs richer soil. When John Letts arrived in the UK over 35 years ago corn was grown primarily for silage to feed animals as it was difficult to ripen a crop for seed. Now, due to climate change and the release of short seasoned maize varieties better adapted to UK conditions, it is becoming more common to grow corn for seed – but modern ‘monoculture’ varieties are much less hardy than genetically diverse ‘populations’.

THE IAN HUNTER STORY – BOOK 3

 33 YEAR OLD 

  70cl | 49.9% ABV 

The third release of the Ian Hunter Series is a story of uncompromising guardianship; a battle between neighbours over every distillery’s essential lifeblood, its water source. This is also a celebration of a legacy, for the last of the Johnston family to own and manage the Laphroaig Distillery in the fight to protect the Kilbride Stream. The expression is set into a beautifully crafted book that documents this part of Ian Hunter’s rich legacy. Every year a new chapter is told, uncovering the extensive history behind Laphroaig and the characters that created it.

This is a collection unlike any other and one that is treasured by Laphroaig fans across the world. Distinctive in character, this third release is a 33 year old non-chill filtered Whisky, fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels, making this third book a truly unique peated Single Malt Whisky.

£949.95

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Laphroaig’s Whisky making tradition has been passed down by distillery managers since the first drop rolled off the still in 1815. Ian Hunter, Bessie Williamson, John MacDougal, Denise Nicole, Iain Henderson and the incumbent John Campbell were all protective custodians of the art of Laphroaig.

Each brought their own influence, of course, but all respected the unique elements that make Laphroaig the Whisky it is. The Kilbride Stream, hand-cut peat, floor malted barley, cold-smoking kilns, mash tuns, copper alchemy and the subtlety of oak aging are all essential elements. Each and every stage is crucial in producing the most richly flavoured of all Scotch Whiskies.

Highland Coast (HC700) Whisky Guide Paperback

The Highland Coast (HC 700) Whisky Route is more extensive than the NC 500 route in that the HC 700 includes visits to the Orkney Islands, Isle of Skye as well as the Great Glen and Loch Ness. The HC 700 visits some 11 distilleries in the Highlands of Scotland. The guide also describes each distillery as well as showing it on a map and how to navigate by road to the distillery. In addition, the HC 700 recommends the best Seafood and Highland cuisine restaurants, plus the more ” humble fish and chips ” but superb restaurants with stunning views and locations.

The HC 700 also recommends the most interesting Points of Interest ( POI ) along the route such as Dolphin spotting in the Moray Firth and boat cruises on mysterious Loch Ness. Other chapters include – How to taste and appreciate whisky, the unique art of making Scottish Whisky along with a photo competition, and your personal HC 700 Passport. It is an indispensable aid to planning your journey in the wild Highlands of Scotland. If you are a whisky fan, a lover of Malt whisky or simply wishing to become more intimate with this wonderful elixir – then look no further – this is your companion!

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