ralfy review 936 Extras – £15 million for a cask ?

Clonakilty Distillery has announced future sustainability commitments

The distillery has outlined a number of pledges in an attempt to increase awareness of sustainability and will focus on reducing overall energy usage with the aim of eliminating the use of single-use plastic from their whiskey packaging by the end of the year.

The purpose behind these commitments is to increase biodiversity in Clonakilty by working with the local community to provide food and habitat for native birds, bees, and insects. The Distillery has outlined a number of commitments, including planting over 100 mature trees and 400 natural hedgerows and shrubs by 2023, as well as establishing a permanent wildflower meadow.

Michael Scully, Managing Director at Clonakilty Distillery said, “We take our environmental responsibilities seriously, prioritising sustainable actions where possible”.

He added that “We work closely with our colleagues and the local community in Clonakilty while constantly seeking improvements to implement best practice so that we at Clonakilty Distillery can make our own difference in helping to shape a better world”.

The distillery has already made a direct and significant impact on the economic and social well-being of the community by taking over a former bank building in a prime waterfront location in Clonakilty town.

Other sustainability commitments are as follows:

• By the end of 2022 the distillery will reduce average glass weight by 15%.
• By 2025, a minimum of 40% recycled glass will be included in the standard bottles, with the intention of increasing this even further as technology allows.
• By 2025, 100% of packaging materials will be reusable, recyclable and/or compostable.
• The Distillery has promised to continue assisting local charities and groups on a yearly basis, as well as creating and cultivating relationships with local sustainability community groups.  By 2023, 100 percent of production will take place in the local area and community. This will involve processes such as blending, bottling, and packaging.

To keep up to date with all things Clonakilty Distillery, check out Clonakilty Distillery on Twitter @clondistillery, on Facebook @clonakiltydistillery and on Instagram @clonakiltydistillery. For more information visit https://clonakiltydistillery.ie/

Kentucky Distillers’ Association Promotes Staff Members to Further Advance the Commonwealth’s Signature Bourbon and Spirits Industry

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association staff, from front left: Sara Barnes, Eric Gregory and Annie Franklin. In the back row from left: Allison Delande, Marielle McElmurray, Adam Johnson, Mandy Ryan, Colleen Thomas and Jack Mazurak.

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced several staff promotions to further position the historic non-profit trade group as the leading voice for Bourbon, America’s only native spirit and a thriving economic engine for the Bluegrass State.

“With more members than ever before, the KDA continues to expand and position its staff to lead our signature industry into the future, address core issues and challenges, and increase value to our distilleries and partners,” KDA President Eric Gregory said.

“We are fortunate and thankful to have a visionary Board of Directors and growing membership that works together and invests in the association as the industry flourishes,” Gregory said. “That spirit of camaraderie and collaboration is at the hallmark of everything we do.”

Staff changes include:

– Adam Johnson, 47, is the KDA’s first-ever Vice President of State Relations. He has led the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experiences since 2012. In his new role, Johnson will cultivate and strengthen the KDA’s relationships with other state distilling guilds and national groups like DISCUS, the American Craft Spirits Association, and similar organizations.

– Colleen Thomas, 47, is the KDA’s first-ever Vice President of Operations. She has been with the KDA since 2016 in a variety of roles, most recently as Senior Director of Marketing and Member Services. Thomas will now oversee KDA member services and support, responsibility and sustainability programs, research, workforce development, marketing, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tourism program.

– Mandy Ryan, 33, will oversee KDA’s tourism initiatives as the Director of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experiences. She joined the KDA full-time in 2013 as Executive Assistant and has spent the last two years leading promotional efforts as Director of Marketing, successfully growing the organization’s online presence and building the new Kentucky Bourbon campaign.

– Marielle McElmurray, 29, has been named Operations Manager and Executive Assistant. She joined the KDA as Special Projects Manager in 2021. She will continue to assist KDA staff in several areas, including governmental affairs, research and agricultural policy, while coordinating daily KDA operations at its headquarters in Frankfort. McElmurry also is Assistant Secretary-Treasurer to the KDA Board of Directors.

Other KDA staff include Sara Barnes, Director of Industry Responsibility & Sustainability; Jack Mazurak, Director of Governmental & Regulatory Affairs; Annie Franklin, Director of Member Services; and Allison Delande, Director of Special Projects.

Founded in 1880, the KDA is the voice for Bourbon and spirits issues. Its diverse membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from legendary, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are building the next generation of America’s only native spirit.

Bourbon is one of Kentucky’s most treasured industries, a booming $9 billion economic and tourism engine sustaining more than 22,500 jobs with an annual payroll topping $1.23 billion each year, over $285 million in local and state taxes and $1.8 billion in federal alcohol taxes.

A key export, the iconic industry is currently in the middle of a $5.2 billion building boom, from innovative new tourism experiences to expanded production facilities, bottling centers and aging warehouses, all to meet the growing global thirst for Kentucky Bourbon.

Bourbon production has skyrocketed more than 435% since the turn of the century.

Kentucky now boasts more than 10.3 million barrels of Bourbon aging in warehouses across the Bluegrass, the most in its revered distilling history. Distillers filled more than 2.4 million barrels in 2020 alone, the third year in a row that production topped the two million mark.

Attendance at the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® experiences continue their rapid rebound from COVID and closures, up 160% in total attendance from last year and just down slightly from the pre-pandemic record in 2019.

Visit www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com to learn more.

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that passionately unites, promotes, protects and elevates the Commonwealth’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. The KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving.

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL®, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR®,, KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR™, KBT®,, BOURBON TRAIL™, KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME®,, ORDER OF THE WRIT®,, KENTUCKY BOURBON TALES®,, KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL WELCOME CENTER®,, URBAN BOURBON TRAIL® and THE PROOF IS HERE®are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

Please enjoy Bourbon like a true Kentuckian – Responsibly.

Robbie Millar Appointed MD Scotch & Irish Brand House, Beam Suntory

Millar returns to the UK to lead a Brand House focused on sustainability and premiumization

CHICAGO, July 7th, 2022 – Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits, has named Robbie Millar Managing Director of the Scotch & Irish Brand House, overseeing a brand portfolio that includes Laphroaig®, Bowmore®, Auchentoshan® and Kilbeggan®.“Beam Suntory is building global brands that consumers love, and our Brand House Managing Directors play a critical role in that journey,” said Jessica Spence, President of Brands at Beam Suntory. “Robbie is an exceptional, commercially astute leader who will steer, alongside a superb team, our Scotch and Irish Brand House into an ever-stronger position. More sustainable and more premium and always, always with our consumers and customers at the heart of our plans.”

Millar is an experienced leader with a 20-year career in the premium spirits and beer industry and a track record for building global brands. He joins from Carlsberg, where he served as VP Global Marketing, managing the company’s two largest brands – Carlsberg and Tuborg.

Prior to Carlsberg, Millar served as Global Director, Category Development for SAB Miller, Senior Partner and Managing Director for Kantar Consulting, and Managing Director for Compass Box Whisky.

“The remit I have here at Beam Suntory in leading this amazing house is hugely exciting and I recognise the responsibility it comes with,” said Millar “I am a custodian of iconic Scotch & Irish whiskies and have a duty to build these brands for the benefit of all our people, consumers, customers and the local communities in which we operate. Underpinning all our work – fuelling our continued success – will be a deep belief in craft, quality and sustainability.”

Millar’s appointment further strengthens the company’s Brand House leadership, which includes end-to-end P&L management.  Earlier this month, Beam Suntory announced the appointment of company veteran Carlo Coppola to Managing Director of the James B. Beam Distilling Co. Brand House.

Millar, a native of Scotland, will be relocating to the United Kingdom for the role. He will spend the majority of his time directly in Scotland to be close to Beam Suntory’s brand heritage and build relationships with the wider whisky community and trade.

Millar will report to Spence.

About Beam Suntory
As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam® and Maker’s Mark® bourbon brands and Courvoisier® cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Basil Hayden®, Knob Creek®, and Legent™ bourbon; Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™ Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig® and Bowmore® Scotch whisky; Canadian Club® whisky; Hornitos® and Sauza® tequila; EFFEN®, Haku® and Pinnacle® vodka; Sipsmith® and Roku™ gin; and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good, which now includes its transformative sustainability strategy, Proof Positive. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

CHIVAS BROTHERS INVESTS IN DUMBARTON LEGACY WITH 130+ NEW ROLES AT WORLD-CLASS KILMALID BOTTLING SITE

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch Whisky business of Pernod Ricard, today announced it will be recruiting 136 permanent operators at its world class Kilmalid bottling site in Dumbarton from 6th July 2022.

Manufacturing is a vital element of Chivas Brothers’ business and with every single bottle making its way through the Dumbarton site, strengthening the team will help improve supply chains to meet the growing global demands for Scotch.

Liam Donegan, Manufacturing Director at Chivas Brothers commented: “Dumbarton is at the heart of our Chivas Brothers operations and I’m delighted to announce this significant investment in our site and our people. These permanent roles will really bolster our manufacturing capabilities and ensure that Kilmalid remains a world class bottling facility to support the future of Scotch.”

Individuals who are interested to apply can find out more here: https://www.chivasbrothers-ninetwentyrecruitment.com

The investment in the future of Dumbarton follows an £88 million expansion plan into Aberlour and Miltonduff, two of Chivas Brothers’ strategic single malt distilleries, which will go into upgrading sustainable distillation technologies at the Speyside distilleries along with significant production capacity expansions to support the future of Scotch.

BENROMACH LAUNCHES SECOND ANNUAL RELEASE OF

 40 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT FOLLOWING ‘BEST IN SHOW’ HONOUR 

Benromach Distillery in Speyside has announced it will be launching its second annual release of Benromach 40 Year Old on Tuesday 19 July, with just over 1,000 bottles of this rare, single malt available to whisky enthusiasts globally.

The launch follows a prestigious award win for Benromach 40 Year Old at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022, where it won ‘Best in Show’.

Bottled at a cask strength of 57.6% and natural colour, Benromach 40 Year Old, 2022 release, spent over four decades maturing in sherry casks. The result is an exquisite single malt and the distillery’s oldest annual release.

With hints of roasted hazelnuts, baked apple, dark chocolate and mature oak, this newly released Benromach 40 Year Old builds on the rich ginger and stewed fruit aromas displayed in its first annual batch release.

Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach, said: “This rare whisky truly is something special and reflects the nuance and character of the casks it has been matured in. Fragrant cinnamon and ginger spices complement flavours of Seville oranges, sweet Morello cherries, stewed berries and a hint of roasted hazelnut.  This is combined with baked apple, liquorice, subtle black pepper and rich dark chocolate notes, before finishing with forest fruits and mature oak.”

The single malt is displayed in a striking black stained solid oak wooden box with copper- coloured detailing and printed metal plaques. The dark amber single malt is presented in the bespoke Benromach bottle which features a heavily embossed and gold foiled label to complete the quality feel.

Benromach 40 Year Old 2022 is priced at £2,000. Prices in international markets may vary due to local taxes and import duties.

For more information, please visit: www.benromach.com/aged-40-years_2022

Tasting Notes: 

Benromach 40 Year Old 2022 is natural in colour, non-chill filtered and is bottled at cask strength – 57.6% ABV.

• • Colour: Dark Amber
  • Aromas: Fragrant cinnamon and ginger spices with Seville orange. Stewed red berries develop with a hint of roasted hazelnut.
  • Palate: Sweet Morello cherry flavours combine with baked apple and liquorice Rich dark chocolate notes leading to fruitcake and subtle black pepper.
  • Finish: Full with forest fruits and mature oak.
  • Maturation: Sherry Casks
  • RRP: £2,000

About Benromach Distillery

Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when the Urquhart family realised a lifelong dream to own a distillery in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH The Duke of Rothesay in 1998.

In reopening Benromach Distillery, the Urquhart family wanted to create a single malt whisky that has a classic Speyside character: beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.

Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A five-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world-famous Malt Whisky Trail.

For more information, visit: www.benromach.com

Landmark moment for The Cairn as first spirit produced

It was a landmark moment at the new distillery at Grantown-on-Spey as the first spirit flowed from the stills.

The Distillery and Executive Teams were joined by members of the Urquhart family, the owners of Gordon & MacPhail, for the first spirit run following completion of the commissioning phase of the distilling equipment.

Ewen Mackintosh, Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail said: “This was a very special moment – a moment to mark the efforts of all the people involved in the project over the last few years and a moment to signify the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Gordon & MacPhail as the company celebrates over 127 years of trading.”

“Later in the year, when the visitor experience is finished and the landscaping completed, we intend to invite all colleagues from Gordon & MacPhail, and the many other people who have helped us to this point to experience The Cairn Distillery for themselves ahead of opening to the public”, Ewen added.

Commenting on the new-make spirit, Mhairi Winters, Distillery Manager at The Cairn said: “Over the last weeks we have been conducting test distillations, tweaking the process to create the desired character.  The result is a complex, medium to full bodied new-make spirit, with a sweet, malty base and vibrant, fresh fruit top notes.

The spirit was then transported off site for the first filling of the casks. And the iconic Cask No 1 was signed by Mhairi Winters, The Cairn Distillery Manager, Operations Director Stuart Urquhart and Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach Distillery, Gordon & MacPhail’s first distillery.

But it will be a long wait for those who want to sample The Cairn for themselves as the first bottles will not be available to purchase until the mid-2030s.

Sitting on the banks of the River Spey at Craggan, just outside Grantown, The Cairn is a second distillery for renowned whisky experts Gordon & MacPhail, the Moray based family firm.

Planning permission for the distillery was granted in 2019 and work started on site once COVID restrictions on construction were lifted in July 2020.

Opening to the public later this year, The Cairn Distillery has a spectacular view, looking across the River Spey towards the Cairngorms.  It will offer a selection of immersive visitor experiences, whisky tastings, and carefully selected gifts.  Visitors will also be able to eat @ The Gathering and experience the finest produce sourced from across Scotland. It has been designed to sit within this world class setting with features including the recently installed “green” sedum roof.

Gordon & MacPhail has built strong relationships with its local communities in Forres and Elgin and is determined to continue that approach in Grantown on Spey. The distillery will become a major tourist destination on the outskirts of the town and act as a gateway to Speyside.

Notes

Gordon & MacPhail is a family-owned premium spirits company based in Elgin, Scotland. Owner of Scotch whisky distilleries, Benromach and The Cairn, Gordon & MacPhail is also a Scotch whisky maturation expert, the owner of Scottish Gin brand, Red Door and the operator of a wholesale business in the United Kingdom selling premium Scotch whiskies and spirits, along with a high-quality retail outlet.

The company owns Benromach Distillery located in Forres in Moray.  Benromach Single Malt Scotch Whisky is handcrafted using traditional methods by a small team of distillers using the finest Scottish barley and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. The multi award-winning portfolio of single malts is enjoyed by whisky drinkers worldwide.

The company launched Red Door in the summer of 2018. Created at Benromach Distillery, this award winning, small batch Scottish gin now forms a strategic part of the company’s product portfolio.

Work commenced in July 2020 on The Cairn, the company’s second distillery, overlooking the River Spey towards the Cairngorms.  The new site will add further distillation capacity and brand ownership to the company’s asset base and is a key part of the plans to continue building a long-term sustainable business.  A high-quality visitor experience offering tours and tastings will also attract visitors from around the world.

Since the founding of the business in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail has sent casks to Scotch whisky distilleries throughout Scotland to be filled with new-make spirit, before being left to mature for many years either at the distillery or in their bonded warehouses in Elgin.  The Gordon & MacPhail portfolio offers some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after Single Malt Scotch Whiskies to discerning whisky drinkers globally.

The company’s wholesale business serves customers throughout the United Kingdom selling Benromach Single Malt, Red Door gin and Gordon & MacPhail whiskies into the on and off trade. The business also exclusively represents a number of ‘distributor’ brands and stocks premium whiskies and spirits.

The retail shop in Elgin remains the ‘spiritual home’ of the business, 127 years after it was first established in 1895.  The shop is home to a large selection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies and is a destination for many whisky aficionados from around the world.

THE OXFORD ARTISAN DISTILLERY CELEBRATES SUMMER WITH EASY RYDER

 The Oxford Artisan Distillery announces its seventh batch of rye whisky.

Easy Ryder is a marriage of nine specially selected casks chosen by Master Distiller, Francisco Rosa, to achieve a smooth yet intricate ride through The Oxford Artisan Distillery’s distinct heritage grains and distilling practices.

As with all of the Oxford’s Rye releases, the distillery produced this whisky using heritage grains grown by the distillery’s regenerative and organic farming partners. These grains require no pesticides, fungicides or herbicides, supporting sustainability and biodiversity in their fields. Easy Ryder is a celebration of farmers letting nature work its magic in a healthy field, restoring the land and supporting biodiversity with every harvest.

Each cask selected for this expression has been through a different journey, from the starting point at the cooperage, to its size, the filling strength, its age and the warehouse in which it rested. After three to four years of maturation the new make flavours have diverged in to nine different spirits all with something in common. This blend of ryes showcases all these harmonies coming together, elevating the complexity and nuances of each cask.

From the American oak of varying toasts, chars and origins, to the Moscatel Roxo cask, together with the grain and distillery character as the backbone, the oak complexity merges with the sweet and fresh flavours from the Portuguese Moscatel fortified wine cask from Setúbal. (N.B Full list of cask information is given below.) The result is a whisky which is creamy with notes of pastry, chocolate, refreshing spice and a pronounced savoury character.

Francisco Rosa comments: “Our flavour keeps evolving and slowly showing heritage grains’ true character as we continue our journey through time and flavour, rooted in our Oxfordshire surroundings.” 

“When our grains evolve under fermentation with our in-house cultures, a lovely butter dimension comes to life which is then influenced by distillation and maturation, it deviates from custard or pastry to white chocolate, or bog butter as an earthy (field-like) expression of the grain. In this release, there is a pronounced savoury character as a result of the sandy soils from Oxford combined with the sandy soils by the sea in Setúbal.”

Bottled at 50% ABV, Easy Ryder is priced at £55 for 70cl and is the distillery’s largest run so far, with 2,782 bottles now available through the distillery’s website and specialist whisky retailers.

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 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 Heritage Grain:

The Oxford Artisan Distillery is the only distillery to use genetically diverse populations of heritage grains – revived from historical sources by a leading archaeo-botanist and grown sustainably on over 350 acres, known as land races, both close to Oxford and on prestigious estates such as Highgrove and Sandringham. The distillery’s grain contributes to biodiversity and soil health in the English countryside. The grains are the result of John Lett’s lifelong research on heritage grains: John has spent a large part of his life sourcing and growing heritage grains together, as polycultures. John takes 30-100 varieties of grain, mixes them up, and grows them together in the same field, at the same time. These sustainable fields are similar to what you would have seen in medieval times – the grains are grown specifically for the distillery, making The Oxford Artisan Distillery the only distillery in the world with a license to use John’s grains, grown exclusively for flavour and not yield.

Easy Ryder Cask Information:

American Oak (AO)

Grade 1 Char (G1C)

Heaven Hill Brands Elevates Third Generation of Family Leadership; CMO Kate Latts and COO Allan Latts Named Co-Presidents

Longstanding President Max Shapira to Serve as Executive Chairman

BARDSTOWN, KY, JUNE 27, 2022 — Heaven Hill, America’s largest independent, family-owned and led distilled spirits supplier, celebrates the succession of its third generation of family leadership with the appointment of Kate Latts and Allan Latts as co-Presidents, effective September 1. Current President Max L. Shapira will be assuming the new role of Executive Chairman.

Since joining the company in 2001, Kate and Allan have been transformational leaders driving Heaven Hill’s accelerated growth. In their new roles as co-presidents, they will continue to pursue Heaven Hill’s strategic growth plans and corporate vision working collaboratively on all key decisions.  Max will transition day to day operational oversight of the business to Kate and Allan.

“Over the past twenty years, I have been proud to watch Kate and Allan grow and develop into roles of leadership and increased responsibility,” said Max L. Shapira. “They have added immeasurably to the company’s successes and built a foundation for future generations. They bring the passion for this business that has been a hallmark of our company for 85 plus years. I am highly confident the best is yet to come.”

Max joined the family enterprise in 1970 after a stint on Wall Street. He had the opportunity to work alongside his father Ed Shapira, ultimately succeeding him in leadership of the company in 1986. Under Max’s leadership, Heaven Hill developed into a global company with an award-winning portfolio of brands across a broad range of product categories and is now one of the industry’s largest and most successful companies. In his new role of Executive Chairman, he will provide partnership and counsel on the strategic direction of the business as well as actively leverage his extensive relationships and industry experience in support of the company’s long-term growth goals.

Kate Latts, Max’s daughter, and her husband, Allan Latts, joined Heaven Hill in 2001. After completing their undergraduate and MBA degrees at Duke University, Kate and Allan then joined Procter & Gamble with careers in marketing and finance, respectively. Today, Kate leads the company’s marketing and brand management functions as Chief Marketing Officer.  Allan serves as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing operations, the company’s corporate functions, strategy and the newly acquired Samson & Surrey division.

“Allan and I are proud to assume the leadership of Heaven Hill with full knowledge of our generational responsibility. My dad, grandfather and his brothers built a company with an enduring legacy of family and independence that is increasingly unique in distilled spirits,” said Kate Latts. “With the support of our incredible team, we are as committed as ever to preserving those qualities and ensuring our success for generations to come.”

Heaven Hill will immediately begin its search to identify a new Chief Marketing Officer, while the Chief Operating Officer position will not be backfilled.

About Heaven Hill Brands

Founded in 1935, Bardstown, KY -based Heaven Hill Brands (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and led spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Rittenhouse Rye Whisky; Deep Eddy Vodka; Admiral Nelson’s Rum; Black Velvet Canadian Whisky; Lunazul Tequila; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur, plus the newly-acquired Samson & Surrey portfolio.

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

Scallywag Whisky Unveils 5^th Annual Chocolate Bottling

Douglas Laing today, in celebration of World Chocolate Day, unveil a new line extension within the Scallywag range: The Chocolate Edition, 100% Sherry Cask Matured Limited Edition Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky. This special release marks the 5^th annual chocolate bottling from the Scallywag brand.

The original Scallywag, a Small Batch bottling within Douglas Laing’s “Remarkable Regional Malts” range, launched in 2013. Created using only the finest Speyside Single Cask Single Malts, including – amongst others – Mortlach, Macallan and Glenrothes. The spirit is distinctive with its natural, burnt-sienna colour and delivers warmth and depth in abundance; with rich dark chocolate, sweet stewed fruits and spiced vanilla flavour notes. The new Chocolate Edition has been created to place a spotlight on Scallywag’s trademark cocoa-rich quality. The “dessert-like” recipe marries together a selection of Douglas Laing’s most chocolatey flavoured, 100% Sherry Matured Speyside Single Malts.

Premium metalised paper was selected for the label and gift tube, delivering luxurious impact via a swirled melted chocolate design with a shimmering finish. Packaging details are called out in gloss varnish and complemented by a gold foil effect.

Commenting on the new release, Chris Leggat, CEO said:

“It’s been great to watch the momentum and demand for Scallywag’s Chocolate bottling ramp up year after year, from our initial 300 bottle release back in 2018, to our now 3,600 bottle fifth annual release. As a company we strive for continual improvement and Scotch Whisky perfection – and I have to say this year’s Scallywag Chocolate expression, with its striking fully bespoke packaging and incredibly indulgent liquid quality – comes pretty close to our ambitious objective. We have great fun selecting the most cocoa-rich Single Cask Single Malts that Speyside has to offer and refining the recipe thereafter, demonstrating why blending is an extremely skilled art form in its own right.”

The new release is strictly limited to just 600 cases / 3,600 bottles globally. Scallywag The Chocolate Edition is bottled at 48% alcohol strength and is expected to retail at £57.50 / €67.50 in Europe, Americas and Asia Pacific. In line with the Douglas Laing family philosophy to offer Scotch Whisky “as natural as it gets”, this latest release is proudly offered without colouring or chill filtration.

About Scallywag

Facebook: /scallywagwhisky
Instagram: @scallywagwhisky

A marriage of Single Cask Single Malts, only from the Speyside region of Scotland, Scallywag is matured predominantly in Sherry casks, affording the spirit a rich, dark colour and a deliciously fruity, chocolatey flavour profile. The multi-award winning Scotch Whisky belongs to Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts – “the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions” – also encompassing The Epicurean Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky, Timorous Beastie (Highlands), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Island (from the Islands) and Big Peat (Islay).

About Douglas Laing:

www.douglaslaing.com
Facebook: @douglaslaingwhisky
Instagram: @dlaingwhisky

Douglas Laing & Co. is a leading independent Scotch Whisky distiller, blender and bottler specialising in the selection and release of Single Cask Single and Small Batch Malt Scotch Whiskies.

The company was founded by Fred Douglas Laing in 1948 and is still owned and run by the Laing family – Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara Laing.

The company philosophy is to bottle the way the distiller intended – at a high strength and without chill-filtration to preserve the robust and unique character of the Whisky. Douglas Laing’s industry reputation and many awards is testament to this ethos.

Douglas Laing’s Remarkable Regional Malts, the Ultimate Distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions, encompasses The Epicurean Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky, Timorous Beastie (Highlands), Scallywag (Speyside), The Gauldrons (Campbeltown), Rock Islands (Islands) and Big Peat (Islay). Beyond its Blended Malts expertise, the award-winning Douglas Laing portfolio also includes Provenance, Premier Barrel, Old Particular and Xtra Old Particular, collectively known as the firm’s “Exceptional Single Casks”.