Ross & Squibb Distillery releases Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof

Annual, limited-release straight rye whiskey, now featuring a 7-year age statement 

ST. LOUIS (April 12, 2022) – Lawrenceburg, Indiana-based Ross & Squibb Distillery announced the launch of Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof, its annual, limited-release straight-rye whiskey. Set to reach retail shelves across the country starting this month, this limited allocation of 3,000 six-pack cases was bottled at 117.2 proof (58.6% ABV) and has a suggested retail price of $69.99.

Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof features a medley of straight-rye mash bills, distilled by one of the largest producers of rye whiskey in America – Ross & Squibb Distillery. The flavor profile includes an aroma of rye spice, vanilla, caramel, oak, and slight chocolate; forward flavors of sweet caramel and vanilla, moving to baking spices and chocolate; and a lingering finish of rye and a hint of sweet mint.

There were 82 barrels selected for this year’s release, which is displayed on each bottle of Rossville Union Barrel Proof. And for the first time, every bottle prominently features a 7-year age statement.

“Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof is another example of the great rye-whiskey tradition we’ve carried on at Ross & Squibb Distillery and yet another reason Indiana is the rye capital of the world,” said Ian Stirsman, master distiller at Ross & Squibb distillery. “As the popularity of rye whiskey continues to grow, we’ve selected another exceptional medley of rye mash bills to satisfy even the most discriminating tastes among the ever-growing numbers of rye-whiskey drinkers.”

The award-winning Rossville Union Family of brands also includes a 94 Proof offering – Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey, which has a suggested retail price of $39.99. 

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; Ross & Squibb 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.

50% Off a Best-Selling Single Malt Stunner
2007 Benromach “Batch #1” Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $80) ($39.99)
“No matter how much you buy, it’s the kind of whisky you’ll forever wish you got more of while the getting was good.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

Simply put, this is one of the greatest deals in single-malt Scotch we’ve ever come across. The fabulous Benromach distillery is one of our absolute favorite, family-run operations in Scotland, a Speyside stalwart that consistently over-delivers. The “Batch #1” has been a staple on our shelves since its release to market in 2018. At its original $80 market price, it was always a stupendous value for the price, but now it’s just about rocketed off the QPR charts. After a change in distribution, we were able to secure a new parcel of this perennial best seller at a completely jaw-dropping price of half off the original going rate. You read that right. An 11-year-old, cask-strength, single malt Speysider at under $40. Made in a highly labor-intensive, super-traditional method, it’s “a whisky that has a human touch of excellence,” as buyer Andrew Whiteley describes it. The complexity is kaleidoscopic, even more so with a few drops of water. Many of our hardcore Scotch aficionados already know and love it, so those who have yet to discover the thrill of Benromach should get on the good foot. We’ll keep restocking it at this price for as long as we can, but we fully expect the response to be gangbusters, so there’s no telling how long the deal will last (hint: not long at all).

2007 Benromach “Batch 1” Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $80) ($39.99)

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: March 12, 2022

It would be hard to overstate how great a distillery Benromach is. Lovers of Springbank will appreciate the ethos—it’s an old fashioned place, owned by an independent family, not a giant corporation. They do things slowly and by hand, always focused on quality, not quantity. Holding true to an old style of Speyside malt that carries a bit of peat and always filling in first-fill sherry and bourbon casks, the whiskies produced here are simply sublime. The distillery, like many, has a long and complex history. The modern end of that history is the acquisition by the legendary bottler Gordon & MacPhail in 1993 and refurbishment of the distillery completed in 1998. The Urquhart family has long bottled the best casks in Scotland, but this purchase marked their first foray into distillation itself. Their history with and understanding of Scotch maturation informed their decision-making in how Benromach would be run. Since then, production has relied on the expertise of a very small team that makes their decisions all by sensory evaluation before storing in ultra-high-quality casks in traditional dunnage warehouses. The result is a whisky that has a human touch of excellence. In 2018, Batch #1 of Benromach’s first cask-strength whisky was released, a 2007 vintage that has long been a staple on our shelves. Today, thanks to the vagaries of modern distribution networks, we are able to offer this world-class spirit at a stunning price.

Let us taste. The color is striking gold at its core with a straw edge. The aromas are wildly complex for an 11-year-old spirit, in part thanks to the little bit of peat and in part thanks to the first-fill sherry and bourbon casks. Without water, cooked apples, fig, raisin, bread pudding, and the earthly delight of fresh peat shine. The palate is rich. Vanilla, dates, butterscotch, orange zest, tobacco, and honey abound. A few drops of water added and the essential oils come crashing out. The nose opens to reveal a more complex yet easy going smoke profile—fresh peat mingles with bonfire, burnt orange peel, fresh straw, and ripe stone fruits. Honey-drizzled cereals and milk chocolate stand in relief. Black tea emerges. The palate is softened from the spicy and gripping 58.2% ABV and becomes wonderfully soft, yet retaining its strength, like suede. The finish shows fresh green apple, cinnamon, sweet barley, and a touch of sage. It’s a beautiful whisky that was terrific at $80. Now, at half that price, no matter how much you buy, it’s the kind of whisky you’ll forever wish you got more of while the getting was good.

Released as part of Chivas’ Secret Speyside Collection these vintage expressions are an example of liquid from Glen Keith produced previous to the mothball in 1999.

Glen Keith 21 Year Old

A dramatic 21-year-old dram from the mysterious Glen Keith distillery! Released as part of Chivas’ Secret Speyside Collection, this expression is bursting with notes of orchard fruit and fresh herby hints. Simply delicious!

Nose: brown sugar, ripe plums, toffee.

Palate: pear, dried fruits, basil.

Finish: gentle, smoky, nutty.

£150.00
BUY NOW

Glen Keith 25 Year Old

A bold dram from the elusive Glen Keith distillery! Released as part of Chivas’ Secret Speyside Collection, this expression spent 25 years maturing in first-fill American oak barrels before being bottled at 43% abv. Sumptuously sweet, we are big fans of this Speyside dram!

Nose: toffee, ripe apples, citrus.

Palate: dried stone fruits, vanilla, cinnamon.

Finish: sweet and satisfying

£350.00
BUY NOW

Since its launch last May, The Single Malt Shop has quickly earned a great reputation for being a global leader as an online whisky store. Shipping to dozens of countries worldwide from their base in Dublin, they are proud to announce that they can also now deliver to the United Kingdom with UPS. And as a special UK launch offer, delivery costs are free there until the end of May.  This means that whisky & whiskey lovers from England, Scotland and Wales  can now enjoy some of the rarities on The Single Malt Shop’s portfolio and indeed, some of their prized exclusive bottlings. The exclusives they’ve had thus far include a Redbreast 22 Year Old and a Midleton Very Rare 24 Year Old.

Their latest comes all the way from Vermont and only 198 bottles were produced.

In the first of a collection of five single cask bottlings from the WhistlePig Distillery in Vermont, comes Volume 1 in “The Library Series.”  Produced to celebrate the ultimate in aged Rye whiskey, each annual edition comes in a leather bound Encyclopedia so that with every Volume, the collector will be building their own library. Volume 1 was aged for 11 years in virgin American Oak and was named “Rutland Barrel” in honour of a local Vermont township. Every other Volume will also carry that feature.

The entire project was initially commenced under the late Dave Pickerell’s stewardship. Known worldwide as the Founding Father of the American Craft Distilling Movement, Dave inglwas master distiller and blender in WhistlePig before he sadly passed away in 2018. Together with his colleague Pete Lynch who has become his successor, he decided that they needed to set aside some of their precious rye stocks and allow them additional ageing and care. After a meticulous cask selection, they settled on virgin American Oak with the sole aim of capturing the very essence of rye whiskey. As one of the final projects for Dave to have worked on, The Library Series stands out as one of the last opportunities to embrace his remarkable legacy. And with the whiskey itself bottled at the cask strength of 56.9% ABV, this is rye that is not just supremely crafted, but captured in its purest form. It is available exclusively from The Single Malt Shop.

ABOUT WHISTLEPIG DISTILLERY

In 2007, a group of people decided to buy a farm in the idyllic surroundings of Shoreham, Vermont. Inspired by the wonderful nature all around them, they started conjuring up plans of making a hyper local Vermont whiskey. Their dream was to grow their own rye, harvest oak from local forests to make unique barrels, source water from the estate well and to distill and age it all on site. In 2015, it all became a reality when Dave Pickerell ran their first distillation in a copper still he specifically made and customized for them. His WhistlePig mantra was soon born, “Our grain. Our water. Our wood. We call it the Triple Terroir.”

Such a groundbreaking approach, indicates the sheer strength of character of what makes WhistlePig stand out. Whether they’re working with older outside stock or their newer farm distilled spirit, their dedication to creating the finest rye whiskeys in the world is totally unrivalled. The results speak for themselves. WhistlePig’s portfolio is the most awarded home of rye whiskeys in the world.

ABOUT THE SINGLE MALT SHOP

The Single Malt Shop is based in Dublin and owned and operated by The Single Malt Fund, the world’s first publicly listed Alternative Investment Fund for whisky. Listed on the Nordic Growth Market in Sweden, The Single Malt Fund is fully regulated, offering investors a safe way to invest in the Water of Life. We invest in rare and limited edition whiskies from all over the world and make these available for sale via The Single Malt Shop.

The idea for The Single Malt Fund came about on a trip with friends to Islay, on a cold and wet January weekend. Over a dram or two, our founders thought it would be a good idea for whisky enthusiasts around the world to be able to invest in their favourite precious liquid. At the same time, they wanted to allow investors and the general public alike to purchase any stocks that we source, on an on-going basis. So, The Single Malt Fund and The Single Malt Shop were born. As whisky fans ourselves, we are delighted to be a new player in the industry and look forward to playing a small role in promoting the liquid that we all love.

WHISTLEPIG VOLUME 1 OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA SERIES, AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE SINGLE MALT SHOP

Age: 11 Years, All Rye

Cask: Single Cask, virgin American Oak

ABV: 56.9%

Price: £401.50 from The Single Malt Shop. Price includes free shipping to UK until the end of May.

Tasting Notes:

– NOSE

Caramel sweetness alongside fresh mint, pomegranate molasses and lemon sherbet.

– PALATE

Candied nectarine, caraway seed, nutmeg with a pink peppercorn heat.

– FINISH

Lingering spice, toffee apple with a prickly pear back note.

Availability: Shipping worldwide. Click here to see a list of countries

From the Traditional Distillery to the Brewstillery – with the Whisk(e)y Atlas through Europe

Hamburg, 6 April 2022: Whisk(e)y, which originates in Scotland and Ireland, is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Whisk(ey) is now being produced all over Europe, as the newly published Whisk(e)y Atlas Europe 2022 shows. It presents the 967 active distilleries in 31 European countries in the form of clearly laid out maps that invite you to discover them. Whisk(e)y lovers will not only find interesting facts about their favourite drink, but also numerous regional and tasty inspirations for journeys into the world of whisk(e)y.

Whether among tradition lovers or trend-conscious connoisseurs – whisk(e)y is a eternal favourite. Whisk(e)y is not only produced in the old-established distilleries in Scotland and Ireland. In recent years, new distilleries have sprung up all over Europe, making the whisk(e)y landscape more diverse and exciting. Preferences have shifted away from industrially produced mass spirits towards high-quality products with genuine origins. In addition to craftsmanship demands, there is also a growing interest in sustainable and environmentally friendly production.

In line with the saying „beer is an unfinished whisky“, numerous „brewstilleries“ have also developed in the recent past, a combination of brewery and distillery under one roof, which are also listed in the Whisk(e)y Atlas Europe 2022 alongside the classic distilleries. Often combined with a gastronomic offer, they are popular destinations for whisk(e)y lovers and make tasting on site an all-round experience.

The Roots of Whisk(e)y: Scotland and Ireland

Scotland and Ireland are still the most important and, measured by production volume, the largest whisk(e)y producers in Europe. Both countries are therefore the focus of the front section of the atlas.

Scotland currently has the largest number of whisk(e)y barrels in storage in the world (various sources estimate between 32 and 36 million casks in Scottish warehouses). All the sites of themaltings, cooperages, central warehouses (bond) and bottling plants in Scotland are listed in the Whisk(e)y Atlas. For even more detail knowledge, the atlas shows which Scottish distilleries still partly malt their own beer.

Regional Maps and Distillery Finder

35 regional maps, a map of Campbeltown (in the past the whisky capital of the world with over 30 local distilleries), six overview maps and two graphics help with orientation and make the success story of whisk(e)y throughout Europe visible.

In addition to the active distilleries, the atlas shows about 90 whisk(e)y distilleries that are planned or under construction as well as about 800 already closed establishments.

All entries are sorted alphabetically by country and region.

The „Distillery Finder“ at the end of the book is divided into seven regions and helps to find a specific distillery, a brand name or the distilleries of a group. For each distillery, the location, year of opening, year of closure, company name, internet address and the type of whisk(e)y produced there are listed.

Last year, the Whisk(e)y Atlas North America was already published by Alba-Collection Verlag.

Original title:              Whisk(e)y Atlas Europe 2022 Publisher:         Alba-Collection Verlag

Date of publication:   2nd April 2022 Edition:                       1st edition (04/2022)

Language:                  English

Pages:                        124

Format:                      Hardcover (30 x 21,5 cm)

ISBN:                       978-3-944148-77-9

Price:                          39 €

Available in whisky and bookshops or directly from the publisher (www.alba-collection.com/atlas-europa).

Arran TWB 15th Anniversary Exclusive

2022 marks the 15th Anniversary of TheWhiskyBarrel.com and what better way to celebrate than a year of single cask distillery exclusives! Opened in 1995 Arran distillery is located at Lochranza on the Isle of Arran just off the west coast of Scotland.

We simply could not pass on the opportunity to bottle a fresh sherry hogshead filled December 2009. This single cask #934 has yielded 245 bottles at cask strength 55.4%. In the interest of fairness, these bottles are limited to 2 bottles per customer.

Buy – Arran 12 Year Old Single Sherry Hogshead >>

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.

Fettercairn
46 Year Old

An exceptional malt matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and finished in tawny port pipes, this incredibly rare Highland dram was distilled on 8th May 1973. Bottled aged 46 years old at a strength of 42.5% abv, only 55 bottles have been produced! 

£8,500.00
BUY NOW

Fettercairn 46 Year Old Description

Badachro Distillery releases limited edition new port cask single malt whisky expression

A Highland distillery has unveiled its latest limited edition single malt – a smooth, velvety whisky finished in ruby port casks.

Badachro Distillery has released a run of Bad na h-Achlaise Port Cask, limited to just 1,200 hand-filled and numbered bottles.

The unpeated Highland single malt is the latest cask expression of the distillery’s popular Bad na h-Achlaise series. Aged in bourbon barrels and refill hogsheads for several years, it has been vatted and filled in handpicked ruby port casks and matured in the Badachro dunnage warehouse for a full year before bottling.

Managing director Gordon Quinn said: “Our new port cask expression reflects the tranquillity and peacefulness of our corner of the Scottish Highlands. We selected ruby port casks for their distinct dark chocolate and vibrant red fruit influence and, once all four finishing casks were married together, we knew we had created a unique single malt.

“Bad na h-Achlaise Port Cask is a smooth, unpeated whisky that we believe is the perfect dram to begin a tasting session with. And, if you’re anything like us, continue with too!”

Tasting notes:

• Nose: sweet with jams, blackberries, vanilla, fresh sawn oak and currants
• Mouth feel: sprightly with powerful black cherry and glazed red cherries, a hint of bitter chocolate and pink jelly baby or strawberry sherbets
• Finish: lively with dried fig then a long lasting stewed mix of red fruits and berries

Bad na h-Achlaise Port Cask is available from www.badachrodistillery.com and selected stockists.

46% ABV, 70cl, £56.95 – limited to 1,200 bottles.

Badachro Distillery in the western Scottish Highlands is home to a range of uniquely handcrafted whiskies, gins and vodkas that have gained a reputation for bold, complex flavours that leave you coming back for more. The distillery is a true family venture – founded by Gordon and Vanessa Quinn who met at the Badachro Inn and married just 12 weeks later. After travelling the world together, the pair returned to Badachro to follow their dream of setting up a craft distillery.

Find out more about Badachro Distillery at www.badachrodistillery.com, or follow the distillery on Instagram (@badachrodistillery), Twitter (@badachrospirits) or Facebook (/badachrodistillery).

There’s some GlenDronach Cask Strength left!

Yesterday we released The Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 10 to our W Club members who had Priority Access, and we have a very limited amount leftover which is now live on general sale – so be quick! Below (via link) is a round-up of some other interesting bottles that have landed recently too.

All new arrivals →

TWO NEW WHISKIES JOIN

GLENALLACHIE DISTILLERS’ PORTFOLIO

The distillers behind the World’s Best Single Malt 2021 add GlenAllachie 8-year-old

 and White Heather 15-year-old to growing core range offering

The GlenAllachie Distillers Company today reveals two new product innovations for its brands’ core ranges: The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky and White Heather 15-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky.

Both products are expertly created by industry stalwart Billy Walker, renowned for his exceptional wood management and blending skills, and who this year celebrates reaching his 50^th year in Scotch whisky.

The GlenAllachie 8-year-old (UK RRSP £42.50) marries together spirit aged in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons, along with virgin oak casks and red wine barriques, each specially selected by Walker.

The Speyside Single Malt offers up the brand’s classic heather honey character, leading to rich notes of stem ginger, mint chocolate and chewy raisins, achieving 92 points at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2022.

Looking to follow in the footsteps of highly successful younger releases, such as The GlenAllachie 10-year-old which was named World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2021, the 8-year-old will be an ongoing, accessibly priced offering within the brand’s core range.

White Heather 15-year-old (UK RRSP £59.99) is a premium Blended Scotch containing both peated and unpeated malts from Speyside, Islay and the Northern Highlands along with carefully selected grain whiskies.

The White Heather brand sees Walker return to his roots in the Scotch Whisky industry when he earned his stripes as a blender, developing world-leading products for the global market.

To create the new 15-year-old, the whisky underwent a complex dual maturation system, beginning its life in Sherry butts and American oak barrels, before being skilfully blended by Walker and re-racked into Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons as well as American virgin oak casks to spend an additional three years.

With a high malt content of 47 per cent, the amber toned liquid scooped Gold with 95 points at the IWSC 2022, being described as “outstanding” by the expert judging panel.

The new expression joins White Heather 21-year-old, first unveiled in March 2021, to form a core range for the premium Blended Scotch brand.

Both GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old are proudly presented at their natural colour, non chill filtered and at a high strength of 46% ABV for maximum flavour.

Commenting on the new products, Walker reveals:

“From the outset, it has been my aim to release quality whiskies at fair and accessible price points. This can be a significant challenge when you also choose to deploy an extensive and costly wood management policy, however, I believe The GlenAllachie 8-year-old fits the bill without any compromises or corner-cutting.

“In terms of White Heather, this has been a real passion project for me. It takes me back to my first forays in the industry and allows me to select and blend whiskies from across Scotland in order to achieve the intended flavour profile. I hold a strong belief that interest in the Premium Blend category is growing, and we very much want to be at the forefront of it with White Heather.”

Both The GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old are available on an ongoing basis through global specialist retailers, with UK RRSPs of £42.50 and £59.99 respectively.

ABOUT GLENALLACHIE:

One of Scotland’s few independently owned and managed distilleries, The GlenAllachie is led by industry veteran, Billy Walker, who boasts a 50-year tenure in whisky. With an emphasis on wood policy, The GlenAllachie’s cask budget for 2022 stands at an eye-watering £2m/$2.6m. With 16 on-site warehouses holding over 50,000 casks, we have complete control of the end-to-end maturation process.

The GlenAllachie focusses on quality over quantity, which is why we chose to reduce our production capacity from 4m to 500,000 Litres of Alcohol and increase our fermentation period to 160 hours for an ester rich, fruity spirit.

We believe age and integrity matter, which is why all our whiskies carry an age statement, and are bottled at a minimum of 46% ABV, natural colour and non-chill filtered for maximum flavour experience.

Our other brands are MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits – encompassing Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and White Heather Blended Scotch Whisky.

Further information on the distillery and company can be found at www.theglenallachie.com

Facebook – @TheGlenAllachie    |    Twitter – @TheGlenAllachie    |    Instagram – @theglenallachie_

TASTING NOTES

The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky – 46% ABV

• Colour: Sunset Bronze.
• Nose: Heather honey, butterscotch and cinnamon, followed by waves of ginger, toasted almonds and mocha.
• Taste: Lashings of treacle, dried sultanas and butterscotch, with cinnamon, peppermint and honeycomb.

White Heather 15-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky – 46% ABV

• Colour: Golden Bronze.
• Nose: Waves of heather honey and butterscotch, followed by orange peel, pineapple, mint and a hint of peat.
• Taste: Layers of treacle, heather honey and butterscotch, followed by orange peel, grapefruit and almonds, with mocha, ginger and a light whisp of peaty smoke on the finish.