Jim Beam Kentucky Coolers Welcomes Fresh Wave of Flavor with Four New Varieties

Spring has sprung, offering the perfect opportunity to revel in the rich tapestry of tastes that tantalise our taste buds. Join us for an exhilarating exploration of the fundamentals of flavour, where we delve into the five taste qualities: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami, igniting a flavour journey like no other.

At the heart of our adventure lies whisky, the ultimate flavour magician, ready to dazzle your taste buds and leave you spellbound and thirsty for more! The diversity of flavours whisky can conjure is so extensive that we can pinpoint whiskies that perfectly encapsulate all the fundamental tastes.

If you’re thirsty for more knowledge, dive into our latest article by Kami Newton, where he uncovers the secrets of our senses, taking you on a journey beyond the glass.

Each dram goes much further than taste alone; it’s a complete experience for the palate, as Kami rightly says: “We see. We touch. We smell.” Taste is a grand place to embark on your flavour journey, but with flavours as intricate as these, it can only ever be a fraction of the story.

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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

Lochlea reveals the final chapter of Seasonal trilogy series:

Sowing Edition (Third Crop)

Lochlea Distillery in Ayrshire is revealing the third ‘Crop’ of its renowned and much celebrated Seasonals range of whiskies, kicking off with the third and final part of the trilogy series – Sowing Edition (Third Crop) at the end of April.

The multi-award winning grain-to-cask distillery celebrates the farming calendar with the four Seasonal releases during the year, each one showcasing a different side to Lochlea’s house style of spirit. The four whiskies in the First Crop were released from early 2022, followed by Second Crop kicking off last spring with Sowing, ending with Ploughing in March earlier this year.  Once the Third Crop has been released this year, there will be no more Seasonal releases from the distillery.

This latest and final release of Sowing has been matured exclusively in ex-Bourbon barrels, allowing floral, fruity notes to really shine through in the final dram. All the casks that have gone into the final recipe have been hand-picked by John Campbell, Lochlea’s Production Director, and his team at the distillery. With each new Crop, the whiskies in the Seasonals range are getting older, with this latest release being nearly the same age as the recently released and sold-out Lochlea 5 Year Old.

Sowing marks the point of the year that the new barley crop is sown around the distillery on the farm – the start of spring and new life appearing. This spring will be the 8^th year of barley grown on the farm at Lochlea.

John said: “Our third and final Crop of the Seasonal releases will offer whisky lovers the chance to taste our maturing limited-edition releases and even compare them with the past two Crops, so they can see how our whiskies are evolving.

“The Seasonal Editions have been a brilliant platform for us to showcase our whisky in different cask types and highlight the farming calendar.

One of the main differences between our last Sowing Edition (Second Crop) and our new Third Crop is when the spirit was distilled. Second Crop was distilled in warmer months, whereas the new release in colder months. Distillation during warmer periods results in more of a stewed fruit flavour, whereas in the colder months we see much more of a crisp, fresh fruit flavour – in the case of this spirit, delicious green apple and pear.”

In terms of what the distillery plans next, John continued: “We have a wealth of ideas at Lochlea within the team and our ability to explore and innovate easily without too many constraints means there will be many more exciting whiskies to emerge from Lochlea beyond our Seasonals.”

Lochlea Sowing Edition (Third Crop) will be available from 25th April onwards via Lochlea stockists whilst stocks last, RRP: £51.50. And for those looking to enjoy other whiskies within the trilogy, First and Second Crop whiskies can be sought out via Lochlea’s retail partners here. Those who want to then taste with John and the team can take part in a live, virtual vertical tasting the distillery is planning this spring – for further information sign up to Lochlea’s mailing list at www.lochleadistillery.com  or follow the distillery on Instagram @lochleawhisky

In addition to the seasonal limited edition releases, Lochlea has a core whisky expression available all year round – Our Barley. This unpeated single malt has been matured in a combination of three different casks: first fill ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry casks and STR barriques, all of which add depths of flavour to the spirit. Launched in July 2022, Our Barley has received much acclaim as a superb example of a young non-age statement (NAS) Lowlands whisky, made entirely from the distillery’s own home-grown barley.

Sowing Edition (Third Crop) tasting notes:

Nose: Almonds, rose petals

Palate: White pepper, a vibrant burst of apple blossom

Finish: Warm straw, fresh grass

46% ABV

Non-chill filtered

Natural colour 

About Lochlea Distillery:

Lochlea was originally a 222 acre livestock farm before being purchased by Neil and Jen McGeoch in 2006. After much consideration of the future of the farm and a successful trial to grow its own barley in 2015, the couple transformed the land and existing farm buildings into a fully-operational distillery in 2017 and started distilling the following year. The farming side has remained a unique part of Lochlea, with the move into barley production – paving the way for Lochlea to be one of the very few fully grain-to-cask distilleries in Scotland. It also has a rich Scottish heritage with strong links to Robbie Burns, with the bard having worked and lived on the farm a several years.

For a full list of Lochlea stockists, visit: Lochlea Distillery stockists

NEW RELEASE: 100% NY grain Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Bourbon completes the Brooklyn distillery’s core line up

Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton Distillery announces the addition of a bourbon made entirely from New York grain to its Single Barrel range. Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Bourbon is a classic bourbon made from 100% New York grain that’s sourced from the Hudson Valley.

Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Bourbon will join the company’s flagship Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Rye, which is also sourced from 100% New York grain from the Hudson Valley, to complete its core lineup of Kosher-certified, craft spirits.

The mash bill for Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Bourbon is 85% corn, 10% rye and 5% malted barley, which represents the highest corn content of any of the Fort Hamilton whiskey range to date.

Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Bourbon is a 4.5-year-old bourbon matured in 53 gallon Char 3 American oak. It’s a bourbon for the bourbon enthusiast that sings of New York and is bottled at 47.5% ABV unadulterated and non-chill filtered.

Alex Clark, who co-founded Fort Hamilton alongside his wife Amy Grindeland, comments: “This is a classic bourbon for bourbon lovers with a nod to our home of New York. As our Fort Hamilton Single Barrel NY Rye comes of age, with batch 14 released this year at 5 years old, it was time to extend our hospitality into bourbon with a Single Barrel Bourbon made from all NY grain. Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Bourbon is a spirit born of that same independent, revolutionary spirit and is built for the bourbon enthusiast and is true to our New York roots.”

Tech specs:

Product name:  Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Bourbon Batch #1

Age:                     4 ½ years

Cooperage:        53 gallon Char #3 American white oak

Mash bill:           85% NY Corn, 10% NY Rye, 5% NY Malted Barley

Bottled at:          95 proof / 47.5% ABV

Barreled at:        125 proof

Filtration:           Non-chill filtered, certified kosher

SSP:                      $54.99

Tech specs:

Product name:  Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Rye Batch #14

Age:                     5 years

Cooperage:        30 gallon Char #3 American white oak

Mash bill:           90% NY Rye, 10% NY Malted Barley

Bottled at:          90 proof / 45% ABV

Barreled at:        120 proof

Filtration:           Non-chill filtered, certified kosher

SSP:                      $54.99

Fort Hamilton Distillery & Tasting room:

Fort Hamilton Distillery is a great example of a New York founder-led business with a hustle mentality and sense of community. The husband-and-wife team of Alex Clark and Amy Grindeland have built this brand from the ground up. Alex’s background in bartending influences many of the decisions behind the brand and ensures the liquid always hits the spot, behind the bar and in the glass. Amy is no stranger behind the stick either. Hospitality is in her blood, from a career spent as a flight attendant coupled with an upbringing in the South. These days, Amy’s feet are mostly firmly on the ground as she oversees the Fort Hamilton Distillery Bar & Tasting Room – a destination for whiskey lovers in New York looking for a good time and a great drink!

The mission for the Fort Hamilton Distillery was to recreate the original whiskey style of America, New York Rye. Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Rye was the first bottling and was inspired by a pre-prohibition era traditional 90% rye, 10% malted barley mash bill. Along the way, Fort Hamilton has extended into bartender-friendly Double Barrel bottlings of rye and bourbon, as well as producing the revolutionary Fort Hamilton New World Gin that’s bursting with fresh watermelon, cucumber and citrus and is inspired by the watermelon patch where the Battle of Brooklyn commenced and a NY corn-based vodka called Fortress Vodka, alongside other innovative bottlings. Fort Hamilton Single Barrel Bourbon released in Spring 2024 completes the core line up.

MEETING FINN THOMSON

Recently we had the pleasure of traveling down to Grandtully to find out more about his family story and try some amazing drams.The Thomson family has an astonishing nine generations of (documented) whisky history, so we were in for a treat. We started our day at Loch of Grandtully, where 300 years ago, John “The Rogue” Thomson sank his illegal pot still to evade the excise men.

From there, we moved to the Grandtully Distillery site, which was taken over by Donald and James Thomson. Sadly, the distillery is no longer there, but we did get to see the beautiful setting and read about the distillery from the First Edition of Barnadard’s Whisky Distilleries, painting a picture of the place and distillation techniques.

We travelled to the Grandtully Hotel to taste a delicious cocktail. Finn found the recipe in his family archives. This 1900s creation featured whisky, plum wine, pineapple and vino de color.

We had a go at rummaging through the archives ourselves. Discovering the merchant life of the Thomson family was a truly fascinating journey through the history of blending, selling, and purchasing casks.Along with the hotel and the bridge built by Finn’s family in the village, we got to see the most unique house, perfectly showing the character of Duncan “The Grand Old Man” Thomson, who met with an architect and placed two bottles of whisky on the table, instructing the man to “fill the space between” the result being the Bandarroch house with two turrets at the front.

We finished our day by paying our respects to James Thomson and visiting St Mary’s church.

James “The Rogue” Thomson marks the very beginning of the whisky history of the Thomson family and was buried near his farm, only a hill over from where he sunk his still.

We did not come back empty handed! 

In fact, we brought back highly collectible single cask bottling from Port Ellen, which features the incredible painted ceiling from St Mary’s church on the label.

Port Ellen 40 Years Old 

Private Cask Collection

This incredible single malt was distilled at Port Ellen Distillery in 1983 and was one of the last casks to be filled prior to the distillery’s closure in 1987. It was aged for 40 years in a single refill sherry butt. It is an exquisitely balanced malt. The sea-breeze smokiness combines with delicate citric undertones and delicate peaches and cream flavours, balancing the peatiness with fruit.  It was bottled without chill-filtration or artificial colouring.  Only 9 bottles were produced.

£5,000.00

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J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery Celebrates National Pet Day with 

Two Whiskey Releases and On-Site Festival on April 13

Event Includes Limited Edition Whiskeys Adoptable Animals, Food Truck and More

FRANKFORT, KY (April 4, 2024) – J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, created by Jeff Mattingly, a descendant of distilling pioneer John Graves Mattingly, will celebrate National Pet Day on April 13^th with an on-site festival complete with animals available for adoption from the Anderson County Humane Society, Buddy Love’s Food Trailer, and two limited-edition whiskeys, RuhRoh Rye and CIB Bourbon.

Both whiskeys have a special tie to animals and are limited editions.  The RuhRoh Rye is a playful nod to the Scooby Doo cartoon and is a rye whiskey just under five years of age bottled at 113 proof.  RuhRoh Rye’s nose includes buttery caramel and orange peel with other candied fruit and baking spices.  It is very aromatic and expressive.  The palate provides a huge “jammy” orange and citrus entry with leathery oak and caramel.  The caramel continues to the finish and aromatic baking spices follow.  RuhRoh Rye retails for $120 for a 750 mL bottle.

The CIB Release is the latest bourbon release in J. Mattingly 1845’s CIB series, or Combat Infantry Badge.  Combat Infantry Badges are awarded to Army enlisted infantry or special forces officers in the grade of Colonel or below who were engaged in active ground combat.  Each year J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery donates a portion of the sales of the CIB bottles to a miliatry-related nonprofit.  This year’s recipient is Forgotten Coast K9, a nonprofit organization that helps provide service dogs to veterans and first responders with the mission to stop suicide in those communities by getting them the service dogs they need.

The 2024 CIB bourbon was aged for six and half years and bottled at 116 proof.  It has a smokey, brown sugar and banana nose with hints of sweet tobacco and baking spices.  On the palate, expect banana, oak and brown sugar forward, with leathery oak on the mid palate and a finish of sweet tobacco and baking spices.

J.Mattingly 1845 Distillery has not released a CIB bourbon since 2021, and historically the bottles have sold out fast.  The first initial 50 bottles of the 2024 release will be available when the doors open at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday the 13^th.  The remaining 450 bottles will be available for sale at a later date.  Suggested retail pricing for a 750 mL of CIB is $155, with $30 of each bottle sale going to Forgotten Coast K9.

Details for the National Pet Day Event are as follows:

Who: J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery

What: National Pet Day Festival

When: Saturday, April 13, 2024

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, located at 20 Reilly Road, Frankfort, KY

Why: To celebrate National Pet Day. Visit with animals for adoption from the Anderson County Humane Society, enjoy Buddy Love’s Food Trailer (Buddy is the name of the food truck owner’s dog, a brindle boxer), and two limited edition whiskeys from J. Mattingly, Ruh Roy Rey and CIB will be for sale.  Admission the festival is complimentary, and pets are allowed.

About J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery

The Mattingly family has been synonymous with distilling in Kentucky for more than two centuries, having a hand in the development of at least nine separate distilleries in the Commonwealth, and with connections to some of the most illustrious names in the distilling industry, including George Garvin Brown, the Willetts and the Samuels.

It all started in 1845, with John Graves Mattingly’s first distillery in Marion County, Kentucky, Registered Distillery #2.  Many historians today believe his distillery was the first registered distillery in Kentucky.

In 2010 Jeff Mattingly took up the family mantle and started his own craft bourbon business.  Today, Jeff’s son Cameron has joined the team as Vice President of Production, continuing the legacy into the latest generation for J. Mattingly Distillery 1845 in Frankfort, Kentucky. Together father and son offer their proprietary double staving process as well as a custom bourbon blending experience unparalleled in the spirits industry, available on-site in Frankfort or online at https://jmattingly1845.com/build-a-bottle/

For more information about J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery visit www.JMattingly1845.com.

Glen Garioch – Macbeth Act One – Thanes Series – Angus 31 year old Whisky

Heaven Hill Distillery Announces the Release of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 25^th Anniversary Edition

This edition is just the third release in the VVS (Very Very Special) line of the Decanter Series

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (April 2, 2024) – Today Heaven Hill announced the release of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 25^th Anniversary Edition commemorating the anniversary of Heaven Hill acquiring the historic Bernheim Distillery (DSP-KY-1) in Louisville, Ky and along with it the Old Fitzgerald brand. Comprised of 13-year-old barrels, this edition ushers in the latest release to the decanter series and adds to Heaven Hill Distillery’s bottled-in-bond legacy.

After the catastrophic fire at the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in November 1996, Heaven Hill acquired the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville in April 1999. The barrels used for this release were produced in September 1999, emptied in March 2013 and bottled in February 2024.  When these barrels were tested in 2013, it was decided that the taste profile at 13 years old was exceptional and the profile would be reserved for a special occasion, such as this 25^th Anniversary Edition. Thirteen is also a lucky number for Heaven Hill, as the company filled its first barrel ever on December 13, 1935.

 “The Bernheim Distillery became the lifeblood of Heaven Hill after the setback from the fire and has been ever since,” said Executive Chairman Max Shapira. “We are honored to have been able to continue the Old Fitzgerald legacy since that time and look forward to many more years of exceptional releases from Bernheim Distillery and from the Heaven Hill Springs Distillery set to open early next year.”

The Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series is comprised of three types of releases: Spring, Fall and VVS. This special edition is denoted by a maroon label. Since 2018, there have only ever been two other VVS releases, including VVS 2018 14-year-old and VVS 2020 16-year-old. The 2024 edition will be available in the 750ml size on an allocated basis as an exclusive Kentucky release to select retailers and the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Bardstown, Ky. It meets the strict requirements of a bottled-in-bond: the product of a single distillery from a single distilling season, aged a minimum of four years, and bottled at 100 proof or 50% alcohol by volume. This edition is available at the suggested retail price of $229.99.

The liquid within this release of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series bares a bright burnished copper color, with a rich and warm nose of cinnamon toast followed by nutmeg and allspice with sweet oak notes. On the palate rich honey and vanilla sweetness are balanced by notes of baking spices. The finish is soft and warm with hints of oak and a gentle peppery finale.

The legendary Old Fitzgerald line is well-known for its distilling pedigree and intriguing story behind its namesake, John E. Fitzgerald, whose legacy is also heralded by the Larceny Bourbon brand. Both brands use Heaven Hill’s wheated bourbon mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat and 12% malted barley.

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 two million barrels aging in more than 70 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, Parker’s Heritage Collection, and Old Fitzgerald along with its extensive Bottled-in-Bond label collection. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the title of 2024 and 2023 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year and 2023 World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon from the Icons of Whisky, as well as the 2022 Large Spirits Producer of the Year from the Ascot Awards. Heaven Hill Distillery held the title of 2020 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, the second Whisky of the Year for Heaven Hill Distillery in the past four years. In 2019 Heaven Hill Distillery was named 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, 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year. For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely.  Drink Wisely.”