CHARLES MACLEAN HANDPICKS COLLECTION OF 30 WHISKIES FOR EDINBURGH BAR

World-renowned whisky expert curates guest whisky list from his personal collection and auction for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s new Kaleidoscope bar

Whisky fans across the country may want to book a trip to Edinburgh as soon as possible with the news that international whisky doyen Charles MacLean has handpicked a guest whisky list of 30 old and rare bottles for the city’s new whisky bar, Kaleidoscope.

The Edinburgh-based whisky specialist and star of 2012’s whisky-inspired film ‘The Angel’s Share’ has curated a guest selection of 30 exceptional whiskies from his personal collection and auction for Kaleidoscope. The bar was recently opened by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society following a £300,000 makeover of its 28 Queen Street venue.

The selection includes 21 Scotch whiskies that MacLean sourced from a whisky auction, including a Dufftown-Glenlivet 12 year old distilled in the 1960s, The Balvenie Founder’s Reserve, distilled in the early 1970s, and a Mortlach ‘Flora & Fauna 16 year old.

A further nine whiskies are drawn from MacLean’s personal collection and around the world, including the Hakushu 18 year old Japanese Single Malt Whisky and the Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Cask from Taiwan, which was named ‘Best New World Single Malt’ in the 2012 World Whisky Awards.

This is the first time that The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, which bottles single cask single malt whisky, has offered non-Society whiskies alongside its own bottlings at its bar.

Charles MacLean, who has been writing about whisky for 35 years, said, “The Scotch Malt Whisky Society looks at whisky through the lens of flavour, and my idea for this guest selection is to encourage everyone to explore how whisky flavours have evolved over the past decades.

“All of these expressions are discontinued so there are very few places in the world you can taste them, making a visit to Kaleidoscope a unique experience for whisky fans. I recommend a visit soon before all of the drams are gone!”

Charles MacLean’s guest whisky selection is available at Kaleidoscope Whisky Bar, 28 Queen Street Edinburgh, EH2 1JX, 0131 220 2044  

www.smws.com/kaleidoscopebar  

Notes  

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club and bottler, which specialises in rare single cask single malt whisky.
• The Society releases a new batch of single cask single malt whiskies every month to provide an ever-changing selection of malts for its members.
• The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world.
• The Society bottles the finest single malt whisky from around 350 single casks every year and has bottled whisky from a range of more than 132 distilleries in its history. The very nature of the single cask means that each bottling offered by the Society is limited.
• Only the very best whiskies are selected and approved for bottling by the Society’s respected Tasting Panel.
• The Society offers three levels of membership; Membership Pioneer at £120; Member at £61.50 and a Sample Subscription, which is free. For more details, visit https://www.smws.com/society-membership

About Charles MacLean 

• Charles Maclean has been writing about whisky for 35 years and published 15 books on the subject
• He sits on several whisky judging panels including the International Wine & Spirits Competition
• He was a founding editor of Whisky Magazine
• In 2009, he was elected a Master of The Quaich, the whisky industry’s highest accolade

Taking the Arran Waters:

Second release in history-inspired Smugglers’ Series from the Isle of Arran Distillery 

Now in its 21^st year, the award-winning Isle of Arran Distillery continues to celebrate the whisky-making heritage of its island home with the highly-anticipated second release in its Smugglers’ Series.

The Smugglers Series’ honours the tradition of the illicit whisky trade that operated from Arran and up the Clyde to Glasgow. Each release is ‘smuggled’ in unique packaging reminiscent of the hiding places used in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Smugglers’ Series Vol. 2 ‘The High Seas’ is presented in packaging that mimics a beautiful hardbound book, complete with a cut-out compartment that conceals the bottle.

This dram is a powerful marriage of whisky matured in the finest rum casks with time-honoured peated spirit and a rich layer of first-fill Bourbon barrel adding sweetness and fruit.

The use of rum casks in the maturation process serves as recognition of Arran’s importance, in years gone by, in the trade of diverse, black market liquor. The resulting liquid is complex, full of character and a perfect tribute to these independent characters of Arran.

James MacTaggart, master distiller of the Isle of Arran Distillery said: “Smugglers’ Vol.1 ‘The Illicit Stills’ was a tremendous success, selling out within days.

“There is a real desire for whisky with a story, something the Smugglers’ Series has in abundance.

“As the first legal distillery on the island in over 160 years we draw a great deal of inspiration from Arrans whisky-making heritage and are delighted to be able to share it through this, the second bottling of the Smugglers’ Series.”

The iconic citrus notes of the Arran Malt are at the fore of ‘The High Seas’, mingling with scents evocative of the outdoors, a touch of seaweed and a hint of coastal character. Refreshing hints of sherbet and spearmint lift the warming flavours of Bramley apple and marmalade. A drop of water reveals a layer of sweet honey dew melon and pear drops.

With a subtle smokey finish, this non-chill filtered malt is an Arran dram of true unbridled character, reminiscent of the trade which gave rise to the illustrious reputation of ‘the Arran Waters’.

Bottled at Natural Cask Strength 55.4% abv, Smugglers’ Series Vol.2 ‘The High Seas’ is a limited edition release of 8,700 bottles worldwide.

It is available online at arranwhisky.com and at specialist whisky retailers.

UK RSP £86.99

Notes:

For more information visit http://www.arranwhisky.com/

* Accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007), Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007.) Distillery Visitor Experience of the Year (2014, 2015)

Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.) ‘Double Gold Award’ for Arran’s 14 Year Old Single Malt and ‘Gold Award’ for Arran’s 10 Year Old Single Malt at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2012). Double Gold in FiftyBest.com awards (2012). Double Gold Medal for the 12 year-old Cask Strength in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2013). Double Gold for both the 10 year-old and 12 year-old Cask Strength at the China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014.

101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die

Ian Buxton

Published by Headline in hardback on 24th November 2016, priced £13.99

Third edition, fully revised and updated. Witty, focused, practical guide to some of the world’s finest whiskies.

101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die is a whisky guide with a difference. It is not an awards list. It is not a list of the 101 ‘best’ whiskies in the world in the opinion of a self-appointed whisky guru. It is simply a guide to the 101 whiskies that enthusiasts must seek out and try in order to complete their whisky education.

Avoiding the deliberately obscure, the ridiculously limited and the absurdly expensive, whisky expert Ian Buxton recommends an eclectic selection of old favourites, stellar newcomers and mystifyingly unknown drams that simply have to be drunk.

The book decodes the marketing hype and gets straight to the point; whether from India, America, Sweden, Ireland, Japan or the hills, glens and islands of Scotland, here are the 101 whiskies that you really want. Try them before you die – Slainte!

Ian Buxton

Ian Buxton is a former Marketing Director of Glenmorangie and has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years. He now runs a successful consultancy business. He was elected a Keeper of the Quaich in 1991, the highest honour of the Scotch whisky industry, and is a member of the international tasting panel for the annual World Whisky Awards and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers.

Twitter: @101whiskies

Black Mountain launches new smoky whisky « BM Notes Fumées »

Black Mountain has revealed a new addition to its award-winning range (World Whisky Awards 2015, IWSC 2016). The expression comes in a stylish black painted bottle and sees the French brand go smoky. Well, delicately smoky.

According to Cédric Leprette, co-founder of Black Mountain, such an addition had been made natural and obvious since the very beginning of the adventure: « When we first met with our future consumers, a significant part, although not a majority, of fine whisky enthusiats showed a real interest for peaty/smoky whiskies. Committed to answer their needs in the best possible way, we then went on a quest to find the nectar that would suit their palate. »

The Black Mountain team still attached great importance in remaining true to themselves and stick to the house style, a style that has earned its whiskies many awards since its creation in 2013 : « The biggest challenge for us was not to shift away from our specific aromatic profile, mainly based on fruity and floral notes with a hint of spices. »

BM Notes Fumées appears quite light, floral and fruity with subtle herbal notes, a slightly medicinal profile and some aromas of toasted bread, dried fruits and vanilla. Despite its willingness to create a smokier expression, Cédric Leprette declares that « it wasn’t about offering a whisky meant to compete with the famous peaty beasts of Islay, renowned for this specific aromatic profile, but more creating a pleasant whisky with character, showing both a certain lightness and clear smoky notes that would appeal to smoky-whisky fans and novices alike. »

After some long months of researches and experiments, BM Notes Fumées is finally born from a savvy recipe: « We use our main whisky blend from Scotland, showing a 3-year-old age statement on the certificate but most likely aged for an average of 5/6 years. We then mature it for an extra 12 to 16 months in the heart of Occitania here in Southwestern France within very special casks that used to contain a famous local grape-based spirit (that we can’t tell the name by law). The next step for us is to add two different smoky whiskies in a proportion of 20% following a special allocation enabling us to achieve the desired aromatic profile. Finally, the whisky stays for several further weeks in a 3rd-fill or 4th-fill cask in order to let it blend together perfectly and thus create the most harmonious whisky possible ».

So, why deciding to go smoky instead of peaty ? The reason is pretty simple, with its Selection range, Black Mountain is willing to provide whisky enthusiasts with an idea of the future whiskies distilled in the soon-to-be distillery, still at pre-building stage, and « in France, unlike Scotland and Ireland, peat

bogs are rare and protected as they are fragile natural environments being home to sensitive flora and fauna. They also cannot regenerate. It is therefore completely impossible for us to use French peat and that’s why we chose to go smoky instead of peaty. »

A first release of this new expression will see 3000 bottles put onto the market by the end of the year 2016.

Black Mountain Compagnie

The story of Black Mountain begins in 2011, when 4 passionate friends came up with the idea to use the exceptional waters of a high altitude spring (1000m) located within a natural wonder, the national park of Haut Languedoc, which will be the location of the future distillery, meant to be built by 2018.

Before the distillery starts operating, and with the aim to demonstrate its know-how, the founding team at Black Mountain Compagnie has launched two blended whiskies, finished in the best French spirits casks and named “Black Mountain Selection”.

BM N°1 was named Best European Blended Whisky at the 2015 edition of The World Whiskies Awards.

BM N°2 Received a Silver Medal at the IWSC 2016.

To find out more, please visit www.blackmountain.fr

Victoria Caledonian Distillery: Inaugural Cask Offer

– custom design your own 30L single malt, single cask whisky –

From Graeme Macaloney, Victoria Caledonian Distillery

I am delighted to announce the Victoria Caledonian Distillery is now producing single malt new-make spirit and has a popular 30L custom-designed single malt, cask owners program.

Uniquely, we have great Scottish whisky makers in Dr. Jim Swan and Mike Nicolson, the best pot stills from Forsyths coppersmiths in Scotland, and finest ingredients (incl. oak wood from Spain, Portugal and Kentucky) underscoring the quality of our single malt cask offer. Dr. Swan, said when commissioning our distilling process that:

“your new-make is the best that I have seen in any distillery at this stage, super fruity”.

Truly a great compliment from the man behind the World Whisky Awards Best Single Malt Whisky of 2015. Thanks also to Mike Nicolson’s expertise as a 3rd generation master distiller having worked in 18 Scotch whisky distilleries, our new-make is super-fruity, surprisingly smooth, with a clean, mouth-watering malt base.

As you design your own cask(s) of whisky from our choice of 10 oak wood casks and 5 different new-make spirits (unpeated, light peated, medium peated, heavy peated single malt, and Irish-style pot still whisky), with input and support from Andrew Campbell Walls, our Scottish level III WSET whisky Sommelier, we are confident that the resulting whisky will be top quality. This is underscored by the fact that you are buying a 30L portion of a 200L – 500L cask, the remainder of which will be bottled and sold by our distillery as special expressions.

R to L: 3rd generation Scotch Master Distiller Mike Nicolson, world award winning Scottish wood maturation expert Dr. Jim Swan, and Founder/fermentation engineer, Scotsman Dr. Graeme Macaloney.

We have carefully designed the cask offering to be a fun, interactive experience all the way from designing your cask with Andrew from your choice 5 new-make spirits and 10 oak-wood options, to distillery visits to track your spirit’s progress, to bottling parties and ultimately a bottle / case swapping party where you might exchange your whisky with other cask owners you may have coordinated with!

We have carefully designed the cask offering to be a fun, interactive experience all the way from designing your cask with Andrew from your choice 5 new-make spirits and 10 oak-wood options, to distillery visits to track your spirit’s progress, to bottling parties and ultimately a bottle / case swapping party where you might exchange your whisky with other cask owners you may have coordinated with!

R to L: 3rd generation Scotch Master Distiller Mike Nicolson, world award winning Scottish wood maturation expert Dr. Jim Swan, and Founder/fermentation engineer, Scotsman Dr. Graeme Macaloney.

Caley Academy.

For those who purchase 4 casks, we have a special reward program such that you will be eligible to attend our 5 day exclusive Caledonian Academy at no extra cost (due to its exclusivity, the Caley Academy is restricted to one person per 4 casks). This academy carries a value of $1,500 and is not open to the public but reserved for distillery investors and cask owners, and select ‘trade’ people.

Curriculum:

* Theory 101 (mornings): malting, brewing, distilling, maturation;
* Practical hands-on (afternoons, depending on production schedule): Turning the malt floor, milling the grist, mashing for wort, extracting the hops, fermenting, cutting the spirit, filling casks;
* ‘Quality control tastings’: valinch cask sampling, tutored tastings (beers & whiskies), blending
* Graduation party: Caley Academy Diploma presentation.

Facebook: @VictoriaCaledonian; @TwaDogs; Twitter: @VCaledonian; @TwaDogsBeer

Wemyss Malts Launch New Batch Strength Limited Edition Blended Malts Series

Independent bottler Wemyss Malts is releasing three new blended malts to complement its award winning range. Wemyss Malts – Batch Strength is a new range of blended malts that have been blended from a selection of extraordinary casks of single malt whiskies from over 10 Scottish distilleries, each utilising signature malts to define their flavour and aroma as the whisky names suggests.

The first three Batch Strength blended malts have been assigned Batch no.001. The Hive Batch Strength 001 – 54.5%alc./vol., Spice King Batch Strength 001 – 56.0%alc./vol. and Peat Chimney Batch Strength 001 – 57.0%alc./vol. have each been bottled non chill-filtered and at the strength found to be ideal for the character of the individual batch. Each of the new blended malts delivers intensified aromas, mouthfeel and flavours due to the increased strength of alcohol by volume.

William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director at Wemyss Malts, commented: “Our new Batch Strength blended malts, consist of just 6000 bottles each, providing the whisky enthusiast and adventurous consumer with more variety in their choice of blended malts. Our Batch Strength range is intensely enjoyable neat, with ice and makes the perfect ingredient for quality, short whisky cocktails such as the Old Fashioned or Rob Roy.”

Wemyss Malts Batch Strength Blended Malts – Batch 001 will be available from mid-October from selected retailers in the UK, EU and key Asian markets with suggested retail prices ranging from £45 to £50. Future batches will be bottled in varying in quantities due to the amount of casks, volume of liquid and the final alcohol strength of each blended batches.

Notes:

 Edinburgh based Wemyss Malts is owned by the Wemyss family and their family seat in the brand logo is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.

 Wemyss Malts has an ongoing blended malt whisky range bottled at 46% comprising: The Spice King, The Peat Chimney and The Hive; single malt single cask bottlings and blended Scotch range, Lord Elcho.

 Wemyss blended malts have won prestigious World Whisky Awards four times: The Hive 12yo in 2012, Spice King 12yo in 2013, Velvet Fig in 2015 and Kiln Embers in 2016.

 The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include boutique gin Darnley’s View, together with the premium wine estate of Rimauresq Cru Classé in Cotes de Provence.

 The family has opened a single malt distillery at Kingsbarns, near St. Andrews in Fife www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

GLEN GRANT’S NEW AGED RANGE HAULS IN AWARDS

Glen Grant 18 Year Old wins multiple accolades by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2017, including top honour, Scotch Whisky of the Year

Glen Grant 10 Year Old wins Best Single Malt Scotch (10 Years and Younger) for the fifth year in a row

Glen Grant 12 Year Old wins Gold at the International Wine and Spirits Competition

UNITED KINGDOM, TUESDAY 18 OCTOBER 2016 – Glen Grant’s new range of aged single malt Scotch whiskies continues to turn heads as it takes home some of the whisky industry’s most prestigious awards. Launched only a few months ago, each expression has now been awarded with a major industry accolade.

Glen Grant 18 Year Old, the rarest variant in the range, was just named “Scotch Whisky of the Year” by influential whisky writer Jim Murray in the 2017 edition of his famous Whisky Bible. It finished a very close second to overall “Whisky of the Year” and is the first Scotch to make Jim’s top three since 2014. The Speyside malt blew away Jim as he tested 1,241 new samples for the latest edition of his influential guidebook. He says: “It’s the best new offering from the motherland in a few years; a sensational return to form.”

Glen Grant 18 Year Old also won “Single Malt of the Year” and “Best Single Malt 16-21 Years.” Other expressions in the range to take home top honors in the latest Whisky Bible include Glen Grant’s most awarded expression, the 10 Year Old, which for the fifth consecutive year won the coveted Single Malt of the Year 10 Years and Under (Multiple Casks) category.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible is the world’s biggest-selling and most influential annual whisky guide. Industry renowned, the compact guide contains roughly 4,500 detailed, professionally analysed and easy to understand tasting notes on the world’s leading and lesser-known whiskies. Each whisky is tasted by Murray himself and graded with an overall score out of 100.

Not to be outdone by the 10 and 18 Year Old variants, Glen Grant 12 Year Old recently won a Gold Medal at the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Competition. The competition is one of the most respected tasting competitions in the world and recognizes and awards only the very best products in wine and spirits industry.

Founded in 1840 by brothers John and James Grant in Rothes, in Speyside, Scotland, Glen Grant boasts a remarkable, double distillation process, which sets its award-winning Single Malts apart from the competition. Created using tall, slender stills and distinctive purifiers, introduced over a century ago by the ingenious James ‘The Major’ Grant and still used to this day, it captures only the finest vapors, producing the refined and seductively smooth taste for which Glen Grant is renowned.

Dennis Malcolm, Glen Grant’s Master Distiller, commented: “We are humbled by all of the incredible awards our new whiskies are receiving. To be named “Scotch Whisky of the Year” is the stuff dreams of whisky makers like myself are made of. There’s a lot of love, passion, and perhaps a wee bit of magic that goes into creating our unique golden liquid, and we’re so proud to see that the consistent quality of these beautiful products is being recognized the world over by such respected industry leaders.”

Glen Grant 10 Year Old: RRP £34 70cl (40%ABV) www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Glen Grant 12 Year Old: RRP £37.40 70cl (43%ABV) www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Glen Grant 18 Year Old: RRP £110 70cl (43%ABV) www.thewhiskyexchange.com/ (available from November)

Further information also at:

www.glengrant.com/

www.camparigroup.com/

About Glen Grant

Glen Grant’s story began in 1840, in Rothes, Speyside – Scotland’s premier region for whisky production; by brothers John and James Grant. Still produced in Rothes today, Glen grant holds a range of prestigious industry awards, and is world renowned for its consistent quality across its aged variants.

The elegant and seductively smooth taste for which Glen Grant is famous, is the result of the innovative tall slender stills and revolutionary purifiers that James ‘The Major’ Grant, son of founder James Grant, was one of the first to introduce over a century ago. Still used to this day, this lasting legacy continues to distinguish the brand.

Today, Dennis Malcolm, the multi-award winning Glen Grant Master Distiller, directs and presides over the amber liquid. Born in the grounds of Glen Grant in 1946, he has worked for Glen Grant for over five decades, with an uncommon passion and unrivalled knowledge of the industry. Dennis’ unmatched Scotch whisky experience ensures that every expression in the Glen Grant range makes the absolute best of the complex alchemy of spirit, wood and time

The complete Glen Grant range includes the refined The Major’s Reserve, 5 Year Old, 10 Year Old, 12 Year Old, 12 Year Old Non Chill-Filtered, 18 Year Old and a selection of limited edition bottles; each with their own distinct flavour and aroma that perfectly captures the spirit of Glen Grant’s heartland.

Glen Grant became part of the Gruppo Campari portfolio in 2006. The ABV of each Glen Grant single malt Scotch whisky differs between each expression and consumers are encouraged to always drink responsibly.

About Gruppo Campari

Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., together with its affiliates (‘Gruppo Campari’), is a major player in the global beverage sector, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. The Group’s portfolio, with over 50 brands, spans spirits, the core business, wines and soft drinks. Internationally-renowned brands include Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey and Grand Marnier. Headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, Campari owns 18plants and 4 wineries worldwide and has its own distribution network in 19 countries. The Group employs approximately 4,000 people. The shares of the parent company, Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. For more information: http://www.camparigroup.com   Please enjoy our brands responsibly

Lawrence Graham of Whisky Intelligence and the Victoria Whisky Festival has received a highly commended award in the annual Icons of Whisky Rest of World in the Scotch Whisky Brand Ambassador of the year category.

HIMSELF

In 2016 he was nominated in the category of “Rest of the World” World Whisky Ambassador of the Year in the Icons of Whisky and was subsequently shortlisted along with Candice Baker – Edrington Portfolio (South Africa), Ashok Chokalingam – Amrut Distilleries (India), Ian Chang – Kavalan Distillery (Taiwan), John Quinn – Tullamore D.E.W. (Ireland), Sayumi Oyama – Nikka Whisky Distilling (Japan) and Matt Jones – Beam Suntory (Canada) .

In 2014 he was made a Keeper of the Quaich in recognition for his passion for Scotch Whisky at as ceremony at Blair Castle. He is also a member of the Malt Maniacs and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

THE FAMOUS GROUSE BRINGS BACK THE BIRD THIS CHRISTMAS 

There’s already a sense of Christmas in the air but it will all become very real on Monday when The Famous Grouse is back on our screens with a brand new advert.

For over 20 years the famous bird has graced our TV screens, heralding the start of the festive season, and this year sees the brand’s icon return but in his natural habitat, in the Highlands of Scotland.

The UK’s No.1 whisky has created two new TV adverts communicating ‘perfectly balanced’ and ‘smooth’ – two key characteristics of The Famous Grouse – underpinning the quality of the nation’s favourite whisky.

The ‘Perfectly Balanced’ advert will air for the first time on 17 October on various channels and VOD with the second advert set to air in November.

“Our fans tell us they know Christmas is coming when they see our icon on TV” explained Johna Penman, Marketing Controller for The Famous Grouse. “This year he is back and can now be seen enjoying life in his natural habitat, whilst retaining his playful sense of humour.” 

Notes

About Maxxium UK

• Maxxium is the distributor of The Famous Grouse in the UK.
• The Famous Grouse portfolio includes: The Famous Grouse, The Famous Grouse Smoky Black, The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold, and The Naked Grouse.
• Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Suntory and Edrington.
• Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: Blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse, Teacher’s and Cutty Sark), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Auchentoshan, The Macallan, and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club, Red Stag) Japanese whiskey (Hibiki, Yamazaki, Hakashu), cognac (Courvoisier) vodka (Stolichnaya), rum (Brugal), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Midori, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, After Shock).

CLYDE MAY’S INTRODUCES NEW STRAIGHT BOURBON AND CASK STRENGTH WHISKEY 

New Products Deliver Premium Quality and Taste While Celebrating Alabama Iconoclast 

GARDEN CITY, NY, (September 20, 2016) — Clyde May’s Whiskey is pleased to introduce its newest premium spirits – a non-chill filtered, 92-proof STRAIGHT BOURBON and a 117-proof, 8-year CASK STRENGTH whiskey. Clyde May was a moonshiner by trade and a craftsman by heart, and in continued celebration of his legacy to craftsmanship, these smooth-tasting new products will debut on store shelves nationwide during September — Clyde’s birthday and National Bourbon Heritage Month. 

5-year, Non-Chill Filtered, 92-proof Straight Bourbon Paying homage to Clyde May himself – a moonshine icon who made the best whiskey Alabama ever tasted – and his dedication to his craft, this non-chill filtered straight bourbon is a classic 5-year-old, easy drinking spirit. Using simple and traditional ingredients, the bourbon mash is patiently aged in heavily “alligator” charred new American oak barrels to produce exceptional flavors that feature a soft, sweet nose of brown sugar, baked apricot, wild strawberry and nutmeg. Its soft palate delivers complex aromas of barrel spice, fruit and oiled leather, while the finishes are robust, long and delicious. 

Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon recently earned a Gold Medal in the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition and received a 93 rating in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. It is best enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in a carefully crafted cocktail. 

8-year, Cask Strength

This 8-year old whiskey is bottled at Cask Strength to release a full nose of citrus, peach and cedar. At 117 proof, the Cask Strength delivers layers of rich spice, apple and oak on the palate, and finishes with a lingering complexity of zesty orchard fruits and white pepper. A spirit this pure is best served with just one large piece of ice to help bring out its natural flavors without watering it down. 

Much like when Clyde May distilled his renowned original moonshine, he did it in small quantities, and given the level of craftsmanship involved in creating Clyde May’s Cask Strength, only 3,000 bottles of this unique spirit were produced. 

“Using a lot of great care and consideration, both the Straight Bourbon and the Cask Strength Whiskey stay true to Clyde May’s heritage and his craftsmanship,” said Ron Call, Clyde May’s Whiskey Master. “I’m delighted that these two carefully-crafted spirits deliver such great character and intensity, while being exceptionally smooth and appreciated by whiskey drinkers of all calibers.” 

Jay Liddell, Clyde May’s National Marketing Director, said, “These new products both reflect the same great craftsmanship and passion that made Clyde May’s the Official State Spirit of Alabama, but also represents the future and potential of this brand.” 

The Straight Bourbon began national distribution in early September with a suggested retail price of $39.99, while the Cask Strength will hit shelves on October 1 and will retail for around $89.99. These two line extensions follow the brand’s first-ever line extension in October 2015 – a Special Reserve Whiskey for $59.99. 

For more information about Clyde May’s – the whiskey and the man – and to get delicious cocktail recipes, visit the website at www.clydemays.com. 

About Clyde May’s Whiskey

Clyde May was an Alabama farmer, war hero, moonshiner by trade, but a craftsman by heart who set out to make the best whiskey Alabama ever tasted. Using copper stills, fresh Alabama spring water and the finest local grains, Clyde perfected his own unique finish – Alabama Style – by aging small batches in charred oak barrels, adding oven-dried apples to produce a hint of green apple that made his whiskey particularly smooth and set Clyde May’s Whiskey apart. Today, Clyde May’s Whiskey, www.clydemays.com, is an award-winning portfolio with four distinct product lines – 85-proof Whiskey, 110-proof Special Reserve, 92-proof Bourbon and 117-proof Cask Strength. Clyde May’s is owned by Conecuh Ridge Distillers, LLC, and was named the Official State Spirit of Alabama in 2004.