A near Finish for Shetland Distillery

Shetland Reel launch their latest Blended Malt Scotch Whisky as their quest for whisky success steps up a gear.

Shetland Distillery, perhaps best known for its award-winning gins is proud to launch its latest offering a Finished in Shetland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.  The UK’s most northerly distillery has been distilling a range of gin October 2014 as well as producing a series of award winning blended expressions of malt whisky.  This new whisky will be the first whisky to have been partly matured on Shetland, spending 6 months of its life in sherry casks in the distillery in Unst.  It will build on the success of previous Batches, Batch 1 received a Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Batches 2 and 3 received excellent scores of 92 and 94 respectively, from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Stuart Nickerson one of the co-owners and Director, is a veteran of the Scottish whisky industry.  In his long and varied career, he has been distillery manager of Highland Park, Glenrothes, Glenfiddich, Balvenie and GIrvan, distilleries director for William Grant & Sons and brought back the Glenglassaugh distillery from mothballs after 22 years of lying silent.

The distillery Directors are focused on raising investment to install Shetland’s first malt whisky distillery, and the demand for the Shetland blended malt shows that whisky enthusiasts from around the world are waiting for this too.  Exports to date have included, South Africa, Germany, Belgium and Canada – with all 3 batches fully sold out.

Stuart Nickerson said

‘Each batch of our blended malt is prepared from a small number of carefully selected casks of single malt scotch whisky to create an exceptional whisky that is inspired by our distillery location in Unst, Shetland.  It is 100% malt whisky, and with HMRC permission to ‘finish’ at the distillery for up to 6 months, we decided not only to finish it on Shetland but to do so in ex-Oloroso sherry casks to give the whisky another added layer of complexity, flavour and sweetness.

The Finished in Shetland Blended Malt will be available to buy direct for the first time at the Shetland Arts and Crafts Fair on 8th November and on-line.

SCOTTISH ARTIST BRINGS PALETTE OF BENRIACH TO LIFE ON CANVAS

Single Malt Scotch Whisky BenRiach has teamed up with an award-winning Scottish artist to bring its sensory palette to life through a series of abstract paintings inspired by the Speyside distillery’s landscape, architecture and kaleidoscope of flavour.

Taking inspiration from the distillery’s extensive library of some of the world’s most eclectic casks housed in Warehouse 13, contemporary landscape artist Ellis O’Connor has been commissioned to create a trio of dramatic landscapes influenced by the 3 casks used to make up the BenRiach 10 Year Old. The deconstruction of this expression will create 3 pieces of art that fuse the flavour palette of BenRiach with Ellis’ signature painting style, the collection will be crafted at her studio on the outer Hebridean island of North Uist before being exhibited in Hackney’s underground bar, TT Liquor during Scotch Whisky Weekend in January 2020.

At the event, Ellis will appear in conversation with the BenRiach team discussing where she found inspiration for these commissions. Guests will get the chance to explore the palette of BenRiach for themselves through a ‘painting by tasting notes’ workshop where Ellis will guide them to explore the depths of BenRiach by harnessing their own creativity.

With a particular focus on the casks used to mature the BenRiach Aged 10 Years, O’Connor draws inspiration from the flavours drawn from the Oloroso sherry, bourbon and virgin oak casks which give a perfect balance of fruit, malt and oak. The bourbon cask gives vanilla and orchard fruits, Oloroso sherry gives the sweet creaminess of the malt and virgin oak gives a touch of toasted spice, all in sublime synchronicity. Following its three-cask maturation for over a decade it has been expertly combined by Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie to create a smooth, multi-layered flavour experience, thanks to its multiple eclectic casks from around the world.

Ellis, who originally hails from Dundee, studied fine art at Duncan of Jordanstone art school. Since then she has continued her studies, which has led her to travel to remote lands to partake in a number of artists’ residencies. BenRiach decided that Ellis was right for this partnership due to her unique approach to art, connection to an eclectic audience and love for whisky.

Artist Ellis O’Connor said: “Speyside is renowned for its big skies, fast flowing river and of course, whisky, so when the opportunity arose to bring this climatic corner of Scotland to life on canvas on behalf of its most creative distillery, I jumped at the chance.

BenRiach is packed full of innovation, experimental heritage and flavour and I wanted to depict that through the essence of its flagship whisky BenRiach Aged 10 Years and how it speaks to me through the colours and movement on the canvas. Each canvas will have a distinct colour that explores the flavour profile of the single malt and its cask journey.”

BenRiach Distillery Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie added:

“At BenRiach we are known for doing things a little differently, always exploring the creative possibilities of our Speyside malt. We have a creative approach to whisky distilling, cask maturation and blending, which Ellis has embraced in her approach to illustrating BenRiach’s eclectic mix of cask types and rich layers of BenRiach Aged 10 Years. Partnering with this talented young Scottish artist is such a wonderful way to bring BenRiach’s flavour journey to life and we can’t wait to see Ellis’ creations on canvas.”

ABOUT THE BENRIACH DISTILLERY:

Founded in 1898, Benriach Distillery has long been the home of an ingenious and artistic approach to whisky distilling and cask maturation. Today, our creative team of whisky makers continue to explore the flavour possibilities of our hand-crafted Speyside award winning Single Malts. BenRiach is an award winning liquid, including the 35 Year Old being named best Scotch Speyside Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2019. Additional prestigious awards include double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for a number of expressions and category winner at the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2019 for BenRiach Aged 35 Years winning Best Single Malt over 26 years old.

BENRIACH. EXPLORING FLAVOUR SINCE 1898. 

ABOUT ELLIS O’CONNOR:

Ellis O’Connor is a contemporary landscape artist from Dundee, Scotland living on the Outer Hebridean Island of North Uist working in the field of painting and drawing. The dynamic energy to be seen in the paintings are Ellis’ response to observed changes in the Scottish landscape. In order to immerse herself in the environment, Ellis makes much of the artwork on site where extreme weather and the elements find their way into the pieces of art. Ellis describes the process of working outdoors in wild weather as almost ‘performative’.

Some of her inspiration from site visits become the basis for larger works on canvas painted back in her studio. Here, Ellis usually works with oil paint, building up the surfaces using natural substances like sand and dried seaweed.

By producing the artwork she hopes it will give people a chance to connect with that landscape and respect nature that is so wild around us, to then cultivate a deeper understanding and inspire others to make a difference.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE BENRIACH DISTILLERY:      

Visit: www.benriachdistillery.co.uk

Instagram: @BenRiach

Twitter: @BenRiach

Facebook: /TheBenRiach

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON ELLIS O’CONNOR

Visit: ellisoconnor.com

Instagram: @ellisoconnor

Twitter: @ellisoconnor

Facebook: @ellisoconnor

THE STORIES BEHIND THE DRAM: THE RARE BALVENIE STORIES RANGE ARRIVES IN CANADA

The newest collection of rare whiskies from The Balvenie represent tales of character and craft, made by hand at The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.

Toronto, ON- The much anticipated Balvenie Stories collection arrives in select Canadian markets just in time for holiday and gift-giving season.

“The Balvenie Stories collection is about paying tribute to the craftmanship and the people behind the creation of this handcrafted whisky,” comments Jamie Johnson, Canadian Brand Ambassador, The Balvenie. “It is a celebration of the craft, tradition and technique behind each barrel, each bottle, each dram.”

Featuring three new expressions in The Balvenie Stories range, arrival of the new releases will be staggered in Canada. Just in time for the…

Read more

 A. SMITH BOWMAN BOURBON WIN GOLD MEDAL

 Bourbon Awarded Medal at New York World Wine & Spirits Competition 

FREDERICKSBURG, VA (Oct. 30, 2019) – Isaac Bowman Port Finished Virginia Straight Bourbon won a gold medal at the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC).

The NYWSC competition is committed to three principles, legacy, integrity and experience. Through these principles, the spirits are judged by the industry’s most trusted authorities.

 “Receiving a gold  edal at the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits competition is an honor,” Master Distiller Brian Prewitt said. “We are grateful for this recognition.”

Results from the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition can be found at https://www.nywscomp.com/results/

To find more information about A. Smith Bowman brands, please visit https://asmithbowman.com/

About A. Smith Bowman

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  The Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. As Virginia’s oldest and most award-winning distillery, its various brands have earned numerous prestigious awards over the years, including John J. Bowman Single Barrel, which received a gold medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com

1792 FULL PROOF WINS BEST SMALL BATCH BOURBON

Barton 1792 Distillery Bourbons Win Six Medals at 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition

BARDSTOWN, KY (Oct. 23, 2019) –  1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon won a Double Gold Best in Class medal at the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC) and was given the title Best Small Batch Bourbon – Up to 10 Years.

Five more Barton 1792 Distillery Bourbons received medals as well. The brands were awarded as follows:

• Very Old Barton 90 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Double Gold
• 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Silver
• Kentucky Tavern Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Silver
• Zackariah Harris Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Silver
• Very Old Barton 80 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Bronze

The NYWSC competition is committed to three principles, legacy, integrity and experience. Through these principles, the spirits are judged by the industry’s most trusted authorities.

 “It is always exciting to see our whiskies win awards, especially when one wins Best Small Batch Bourbon,” Master Distiller Danny Kahn said. “A lot of effort is put into creating these whiskies, and these awards are testament to that hard work.”

Results from the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition can be found at https://www.nywscomp.com/results/

To find more information about Barton 1792 brands, please visit https://www.1792distillery.com/

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 27 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery. This whiskey is named for the year Kentucky became a state and is the recent gold medal winner at the 2018 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. To learn more visit www.1792bourbon.com.

CREATE THE PERFECT DRINKS TROLLEY THIS FESTIVE SEASON WITH

WOODFORD RESERVE’S LIMITED EDITION WHISKEY GIFT RANGE 

Thursday 31 October 2019, London UK – Whether for you or a loved one, celebrate with WOODFORD RESERVE®’s unique holiday gift selection, from the Woodford Reserve Bourbon Gift Pack – for those partial to an Old Fashioned cocktail – to the Woodford Reserve Malt, the Scotch drinker’s whiskey of choice. Perfect for seasoned whiskey aficionados and cocktail enthusiasts alike, Woodford Reserve’s award-winning family of American Whiskeys offers a gift that will befit every celebratory occasion this winter. 

A WARM WELCOME FOR WHISKEY LOVERS; FROM RRP £32.00

Revered for its rich and full-bodied flavours brought out by the masterful artisanal process behind every bottle, Woodford Reserve Bourbon is one of the world’s most celebrated bourbons, with over 200 detectable flavour notes. So what better way to gift your loved ones during this year’s festivities than with a bourbon that has truly made its mark and a limited edition bottle. From bold grain and wood notes, to sweet aromatics, spice and fruit, Woodford Reserve Bourbon can be served as a digestif after dinner, on the rocks, or as the basis for a cocktail, thanks to its unique mashbill of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt.

The special limited edition bottle depicts a holiday landscape from the Woodford Reserve Distillery. For over 20 years, guests have visited the national historic landmark to enjoy Woodford Reserve Bourbon, take in the scenery and learn about its history. Painted by renowned Kentucky-based artist, Suzanne Enriquez Dougherty, the snowy scene showcases the stylistic approach to her work bringing the warmth of the holiday spirit at the distillery to life.

Unusual also for being triple distilled for extra smoothness, this iconic spirit is a versatile foundation for your favourite festive tipple. 700ml bottle available from Tesco for RRP £32.00, reduced to £25.00 from 29 October until 18 November. 

AN OLD FASHIONED HOLIDAY; FROM RRP £32.00

Roll out the drinks trolley this December and pour out the world’s number 1 classic cocktail*, the Old Fashioned, with Woodford Reserve’s Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup, created in collaboration with a selection of the world’s best bartenders. Made using bitters, sugars and botanical extracts, the syrup makes light work of the classic American cocktail and has been developed to carefully complement the signature taste of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, including rich fruits, caramel, spices and vanilla – the true taste of the festive season.

Creating an authentic Old Fashioned to pair with the indulgent delights of holiday gatherings couldn’t be easier with one of two distinct gift packs. Choose from either one, featuring both the 60ml Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup and the award-winning 700ml Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon (available from selected Waitrose and Amazon stores for £32), or the other that comes complete with Old Fashioned glassware and a 200ml bottle of Woodford Reserve (available from selected Sainsbury’s stores at £18).

RECIPE:

1. Pour 50ml of Woodford Reserve Bourbon into your favourite rocks glass
2. Add 10ml of Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup
3. Stir with a large block of ice for 10 seconds and garnish with an orange zest

THE SCOTCH DRINKER’S WHISKEY; FROM RRP £35.00

For those who enjoy a Scotch as they nestle down post-supper but are seeking a new experience, reach for Woodford Reserve Malt. With an emphasis on the nuttiness of grain and toasted oak of the barrel, Woodford Reserve Malt Whiskey gives a more buttery flavour than its bourbon counterpart, an ideal pairing for the rich flavours of any festive dessert.

Whilst most people associate malt whiskey with Scotland, Kentucky has a history of malt whiskey production pre-prohibition, which Woodford Reserve has drawn on for inspiration. Crafted from 51% malt and aged in new charred oak barrels the result is a whiskey that is flavourful with notes of dark chocolate, dried fruits, caramel coated nuts and a trace of toasted coconut.

700ml bottle available from Asda for RRP £35.00.

Sotheby’s First Single-Owner Whisky Collection

Smashes High Estimate – 100% Sold

‘The Ultimate Whisky Collection’ Achieves £7.6m / $10m

Highest Total for any Whisky Collection Offered at Auction

Highest Value Wine or Spirits Sale Ever Staged by Sotheby’s London

The Macallan Fine & Rare 60-Year-Old 1926

sets new auction record for any bottle of wine or spirit

Selling for £1.5 million / $1.9 million 

“There was an electric atmosphere in the room today for our first-ever single-owner spirits auction. This sale marks an historic moment for the spirits market, with new benchmark prices and a fresh approach to selling whisky. We are delighted that our Spirits specialist Jonny Fowle, can celebrate such a ground-breaking first sale and we look forward to growing our spirits business.”

Jamie Ritchie, Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine 

London, 24 October 2019 – A new auction record for a bottle of whisky was set at Sotheby’s today when The Macallan 60-Year-Old 1926 soared to £1,452,000 / $1,873,951, far surpassing its pre-sale estimate of £350,000-450,000. This “holy grail” of whiskies was the star of a sale of more than 460 bottles of Scotch whisky from the collection of a private American Connoisseur, put together over some 20 years. Buyers from across the world drove prices well above estimate, leaving not a single lot unsold. 

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, added: “This fantastic result is testament to the quality of the collection. It was remarkable to see so many iconic bottles break records – homage to the importance of distilleries such as Bowmore, Brora, Springbank and, of course, The Macallan. The electricity in the auction room was palpable. There were cheers when the hammer fell on the Macallan Fine and Rare 1926, in one has to be one of the most exciting moments in the history of whisky sales. The final hammer dropped just in time for our friends at RM Sotheby’s to start their sale of collectible motor cars. Our clients were delighted to share their enjoyment and passion for both cars and whisky in the same space.”

KEY STATISTICS AT A GLANCE:

• The Ultimate Whisky Collection totals £7,635,619 / $9,854,530 (pre-sale estimate: £3.3-4.6m / $4.3-5.9m)
• Sale is 100% sold
• 87% of lots achieve prices above pre-sale estimates
• Bidders from around the world, with pronounced interest from Asia
• The most comprehensive catalogue of whisky ever to be offered by a single owner in a single auction, spanning whiskies from each of Scotland’s key whisky-producing regions: Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown (more details here)
• Full results available here

THE MACALLAN REIGNS SUPREME:

• The record-breaking Macallan mentioned above was part of a 178 bottle-strong collection of the Fine and Rare series, spanning seven decades from 1926 through to 1991, which sold for a combined total of £5.1m / $6.6m – this is the most extensive collection of Macallan Fine and Rare ever to be seen at auction.
• Two complete Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection, offered in specially designed cabinets by James Laycock, doubled their low estimate to achieve £665,500 / $858,984 and £629,200 / $812,046 respectively.
• A bespoke, hand-crafted wooden display case containing 46 bottles from the Macallan Fine and Rare miniature collection, ranging from 1937 to 1991 sparked a flurry of bids, pushing the final price over six times above the high estimate to £338,800 / $437,255. These 46 bottles represent the complete collection of miniatures in the Fine and Rare series, as the series existed when the Ultimate Whisky Collector stopped collecting them in 2018.
• The four top lots of The Macallan sell for a combined total of £3m / $4m.

NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR SPRINGBANK 50 YEAR OLD 1919:

• Distilled in 1919, bottled in 1970, this Springbank is undoubtedly one of the rarest whiskies ever to be released, with only 24 bottles produced and once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold.
• The appearance on the market of one of these bottles caused a great deal of excitement, driving the final sale price to £266,200 / $343,558, almost double the pre-sale high estimate.
• Distilled a year after the end of the First World War, at a time when distilleries throughout Scotland had ceased operations, the bottle contains a snapshot of history. 

NEW AUCTION RECORD FOR BRORA LIMITED EDITION 40 YEAR OLD:

• Brora’s first release to exceed 40 years, one of only 160 bottles to have been produced reached new heights, selling for a record £54,450 / $70,273, in the year of the distillery’s 200^th anniversary, and just ahead of its reopening next year.
• The full set of Brora Annual Releases, sold as individual bottles, achieved for a combined total of £30,129 / $38,884. 

BOWMORE BECKONS BIDDERS:

• Bottle number 1 of Bowmore’s “Crashing Waves”, the oldest whisky to be released from the legendary distiller after 54 long years of maturation, swelled to £363,000 / $468,488. One of only 12 ever released in a hand-blown sculpted bottle depicting the crashing waves of the Atlantic against Islay’s shores, this is arguably the finest bottle of Islay whisky ever produced.
• Bottles from each of the Bowmore Black releases (First, Second, Final and Bowmore Black 50 Year Old) met with significant demand to sell for a combined total of £119,790 / $154,601.
• The Bowmore Trilogy series, all of which were distilled in 1964, achieved an overall total of £62,920 / $81,205. 

OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATION OF DALMORE BOTTLINGS

• Headlined by The Dalmore Eos 59 year old, which achieved £99,220 / $128,053. With a tiny release of just 20 bottles, this single malt was created from casks 1781 and 1782. 

FURTHER NOTABLE RESULTS:

• Nine casks of single malts were pursued by multiple bidders, selling for a combined total of £399,300 / $515,337. The Highland Park First Fill Oloroso Sherry Cask commanded the highest price, selling for £72,600 / $93,698.
• An entire vertical of Port Ellen’s Annual Releases (1^st to 17^th), sold as individual bottles, achieved a combined double-estimate total of £63,404 / $81,829. These bottlings are amongst the most sought after of all Scotland’s closed distilleries, with annual releases a must-own for collectors. In 2017 Diageo announced they would cease further Annual Releases, but that they planned to revive the distillery – which closed in 1983 – back to its former glory, with production due to recommence in the near future.
• A range of legendary Silvano Samaroli bottlings was led by Bowmore Bouquet Samaroli 18 Year Old, which sold for a record £72,600 / $93,698.

About Sotheby’s Wine

Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide sales reached an important new milestone in 2018, with sales significantly exceeding US$100 million in a single year – for further details, please click here.

Sotheby’s Wine auctions reached $65 million worldwide in the first half of 2019, up 23% over the same period in 2018 and the highest spring season total since Sotheby’s Wine auctions began in 1970.

In Spring 2019, Sotheby’s set a world record for any series of wine sales when a four-day series of auctions in Hong Kong brought a combined total of HK$273.1 million / US$34.8 million. A record for a private wine collection sold at auction was also set when the three-day sale of Tran-scend-ent Wines realised a total of HK$233.6 million / US$29.8 million. 

About Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby’s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s has a global network of 80 offices in 40 countries and presents auctions in 10 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris.  Sotheby’s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby’s Financial Services, the world’s only full-service art financing company, as well as the collection, artist, estate & foundation advisory services of its subsidiary, Art Agency, Partners. Sotheby’s also presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby’s Global Fine Art Division, and three retail businesses: Sotheby’s Wine, Sotheby’s Diamonds, and Sotheby’s Home, the online marketplace for interior design.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.

Amazon Prime TV trio The Three Drinkers release their own limited edition whisky

With part two of their global Amazon Prime series ‘The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky’ hitting our screens in early December, expert TV drinks trio The Three Drinkers, launch their own whisky inspired by all the locations in their show.

A Limited Edition

The Three Drinkers Scotch Whisky, Cask Selection No. 1 is a 17-year-old blended malt that’s non-chill filtered and non-coloured. This first bottling is a limited-edition release of just 300 bottles, each of which is individually numbered and personally signed by the show’s three presenters and co-producers, Aidy Smith, Helena Nicklin and Colin Hampden-White. Given its scarcity and the fact that it’s the first release, Cask Selection No. 1 is the perfect collector’s item or Christmas gift.

Tasting note

The Three Drinkers Cask Selection No. 1 is both fruity and spicy with notes of sweet fudge, dried apricots, Christmas cake and a touch of smoky oak on the finish. Whisky guru Charles MacLean describes it as “an attractive, easy drinking and very well-balanced blended malt.” The trio said “We wanted to create a dram that combined all the classic notes of Scotch that we’ve experienced on our travels, so this whisky combines the fruit and spiciness of the highlands with the subtle smokiness of Islay and Jura.”

One lucky ticket

One special bottle has a ticket attached, giving a lucky winner the chance to have a luxury whisky tasting in London with the three presenters and tap into their personal whisky stash.

Support from the trade

Cask Selection No.1 was created with the support of Cask Trade; a new, online whisky cask trading platform. It will be available exclusively through award-winning drinks retailer Master of Malt, who also feature in the new episodes of the Amazon series, going live in December.

Availability

The whisky will retail for £39.95 on masterofmalt.com and is available to order now, with product dispatched from 14th November. Buy the whisky here!

Photo credit Tamsin Cox @_tamsinc_

You can follow The Three Drinkers progress via their website and social media channels:

Instagram: @TheThreeDrinkers   |   Twitter: @The3Drinkers   |   thethreedrinkers.com

The Three Drinkers are a trio of expert drinks writers and presenters of ‘The Three Drinkers’ TV series on Amazon Prime. Through The Three Drinkers Productions, they offer a 360 degree approach to drinks content through the creation of short films, written features, social campaigns and strategic consumer events plus documentary series and branded content TV shows for streaming services. Authentic, credible and engaging, The Three Drinkers get liquid on lips and build new audiences for your brand through their informative, lifestyle approach to drinks.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES

1994 VINTAGE O.F.C. BOURBON WHISKEY

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Oct. 31, 2019) – Buffalo Trace is unveiling a new O.F.C. Vintage bourbon this fall. The bourbon whiskey in this release was distilled and rolled into the warehouse to rest in 1994, a year which saw box office hits like “Forrest Gump,” “The Lion King” and “Pulp Fiction,” and headlines documented Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as South African president and OJ Simpson’s infamous white Ford Bronco chase.

Now, 25 years later, this vintage collectable bourbon has been bottled and will begin reaching stores in late November, but will be very limited and extremely rare.

This is the fourth O.F.C. Vintage release, and like the previous releases, the 1994 Vintage will arrive in a wooden display box containing a provenance card.  Inside the wooden box lies a crystal bottle with real copper lettering in-laid in the bottle with a hand applied paper label. The label on the back of the bottle notes the milestones for the year 1994. The provenance card contains the same information found on the back label.

The O. F. C. vintage-dated bourbons have a name derived from this National Historic Landmark’s original moniker – the O.F.C. Distillery – renowned for producing top class whiskey during its tenure.

Tasting notes for this bourbon describe lots of cherry on the nose followed by butterscotch with hints of brown sugar and oak. Toasted caramel, cinnamon and oak greet the palate, followed by a long finish of coffee, herbs and oak.

Of the four O.F.C. Vintage releases this is the third offered for sale. In the fall of 2016 Buffalo Trace Distillery released three vintage-dated bourbons, exclusively to non-profit organizations at no charge to raise money for their causes. Those bottles, from 1980, 1982, and 1983 were auctioned at charity and raised nearly $1.2 million for a variety of causes such as cancer services, cystic fibrosis, leukemia and lymphoma, children’s rights, autism, military veterans, animal protection, arts foundations, and many more.

Last year Buffalo Trace released four O.F.C. bourbons to the public, including vintages from 1985, 1989 and 1990 in the spring, and a 1993 vintage in the fall.

Suggested retail pricing for this collectable and very limited 1994 O.F.C. Vintage Bourbon is $2,500.  More information about the O.F.C. line can be found at https://ofcvintages.com.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 21 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018” and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2^nd and 3^rd finest whiskeys in the world, respectively, in the “Jim Murray Whiskey Bible 2020.”  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 500 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

Heaven Hill Brands Closes Black Velvet Acquisition

Black Velvet, named for its velvety smooth taste, fills an important gap in Heaven Hill’s broad distilled spirits portfolio by substantially expanding sales activities in the Imported Whisky category and fits perfectly with its portfolio of high volume, quality brands like Evan Williams Bourbon, Burnett’s Vodka, Deep Eddy Vodka, Admiral Nelson’s Rums, and Christian Brothers Brandies.BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Today, Heaven Hill Brands, the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated distilled spirits supplier completed the acquisition of Black Velvet Canadian Whisky, the second-largest selling Canadian whisky in the world, and the historic Black Velvet Distilling facility in Lethbridge, Canada, from Constellation Brands Inc.

“Today we are proud to officially welcome this iconic brand and others into Heaven Hill’s historic portfolio,” said Max L. Shapira, President of Heaven Hill Brands. “The Heaven Hill family is proud to continue the culture of Black Velvet and nurture the unique heritage of this great Canadian Whisky that has built a solid foundation for growth.

Perella Weinberg Partners LP acted as exclusive financial advisor to Heaven Hill Brands with respect to the transaction. The historic Black Velvet Distilling facility is one of the eight traditional Canadian distilleries in operation. The acquisition includes all the distilling operations, aging and bottling facilities and the remaining portfolio of Canadian Whisky brands owned by Constellation, which includes Black Velvet, MacNaughton, McMasters, and the international business of the Schenley brands – Golden Wedding and OFC. Canadian Whisky made up 7.3% of total distilled spirits volume in 2018 according to Beverage Information Group, the largest segment of all total Imported Whiskey. The Canadian Whisky category is approximately 16.8 million cases, with Black Velvet volume representing almost two million cases in the U.S. in 2018.

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 operated 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 and Burnett’s Vodkas; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; Black Velvet Canadian Whisky; Lunazul Tequila; The Christian Brothers Brandies; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur.