Sazerac Canadian Whiskies Win Silver Medals

at 2014 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition 

NEW ORLEANS, lA.  (Nov. 12, 2014) – Four whiskies from the Sazerac Company received very high marks at the 2014 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, each having received silver medals.

Those whiskies receiving silver medals include Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky, Legacy Small Batch Canadian Whisky, Rich and Rare Reserve Canadian Whisky and Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky.

“To have these four whiskies recognized with silver medals is a great honor,” Kevin Richards, marketing director of whiskeys and specialty brands, said. “We are humbled to be judged so highly among this year’s competitors.”

The New York World Wine & Spirits Competition is one of the largest competitions for the retail beverage industry and has attracted top professional judges from a broad spectrum of expertise. The competition is judged each year in New York City.

Complete results of the 2014 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition are available at www.nyworldwineandspiritscompetition.com

About The Sazerac Company

     Sazerac is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Lewiston, Maine; Londonderry, New Hampshire; and Montreal, Canada.  For more information, please visit www.sazerac.com.

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Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Toasts One-Year Anniversary with Special Events and Bourbon Bottle Release

LOUISVILLE, KY. – The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience® is celebrating its one-year anniversary Nov. 15 with a week of celebratory events and the release of a commemorative Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon.

The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience® is a multi-million dollar artisanal distillery, immersive tourism experience and retail store celebrating the legacy of Evan Williams, Kentucky’s first commercial distiller and namesake of Heaven Hill Distilleries’ flagship Bourbon brand. As Louisville’s first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience drew 70,000 visitors this year from around the globe.

“The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is an incredible pioneer in Louisville’s ever-expanding bourbon and spirits tourism presence,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “Thanks to Heaven Hill for blazing a trail and giving so many visitors a tremendous experience with our city’s native spirit, history and heritage.”

Anniversary festivities kick off 10:30-11:00 a.m., Mon., Nov. 10, when Mayor Fischer, company executives and other dignitaries will be on hand to unveil an official Evan Williams historical marker across the street from the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, 528 W. Main St. Max L. Shapira, president of Heaven Hill, America’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits company, will sign bottles from 3-5:30 p.m. and there will be a Downtown Neighborhood Celebration from 2:30-5 p.m. in the Retail Store.

A special 2005 Vintage Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon may be purchased exclusively at the Bourbon Experience starting Nov. 10 as well. There are only 420 bottles available, poured from two hand-selected barrels. The bourbon is 100 proof, as opposed to the standard 86.6 proof in other Evan Williams Single Barrel bottles. The bottles are dipped in copper wax and feature a unique “Evan Williams Bourbon Experience First Anniversary” label and sell for $99.99 each.

Throughout the week, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience will offer buy one, get $1 tours, a free, logoed nosing glass for every guest and door prizes each day. Tastings of rare Evan Williams 23-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey will be on tours Tues., Nov. 11, and Artisanal Distiller Charlie Downs will treat visitors to the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience’s ‘new make,’ fresh off the still on ‘White Dog Wednesday,’ Nov. 12.

On Thurs., Nov. 13, Heaven Hill Brand Ambassador Bernie Lubbers, fondly renowned as “the Whiskey Professor,” will lead tours in the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience’s Speakeasy, a 1920s inspired bar that transports guests back to the last days of Prohibition. On Friday, guests will enjoy refreshments, bourbon cupcakes and Heaven Hill Master Distiller Craig Beam and Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Artisanal Distiller Charlie Downs will sign bottles 4–6 p.m. Lastly, Downs will sign bottles noon-2 p.m., Sat., Nov. 15, as guests enjoy refreshments.

“We’re extremely proud of the experiences we’ve offered to our guests this year at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience,” said Heaven Hill President Max L. Shapira said. “Through the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, people from near and far have come to know just how integral our area has always been to the growth and development of the Bourbon industry. It all started here with real-life legends, like Evan Williams, Louisville’s first commercial distiller and wharf-master. We give guests a taste of that tradition and how it lives on today.”

The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience offers guests guided, immersive tours where they are brought back in time to see Evan Williams’ original distillery, Louisville wharf scenes and historic Whiskey Row. A dioramic video wall display allows guests to see how Heaven Hill’s modern Bernheim Distillery operates and how it differs from distilleries in Evan Williams’ era.

The building features a five-story-high Evan Williams Bourbon bottle façade and indoor Bourbon fountain installation as signature architectural features. Guests of legal drinking age may enjoy educational tastings of premium Bourbons in two themed tasting rooms and a large retail area offers a wide range of Evan Williams branded merchandise, specialty food products and a number of Heaven Hill premium Bourbons and American Whiskeys for sale.

About Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc: Founded in 1934, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (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 Bourbon; Larceny, Elijah Craig and Henry McKenna Bourbons, Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; The Christian Brothers Brandies; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur; Lunazul Tequila; Cinerator Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey and Rittenhouse Rye Whisky.

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

Wemyss Malts launches limited edition Velvet Fig whisky

Independent bottler Wemyss Malts is launching a luxurious new limited edition  to complement its award-winning blended malts range. The new ‘Velvet Fig’ comprises specially selected single malts matured wholly in ex Oloroso sherry casks, evoking rich autumn and winter fruits and spices.

Knowing their customers’ passion for whiskies matured in ex Sherry casks, Wemyss Malts has created this no-age statement expression to diversify their existing line-up and is its first blended malt to be non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46% abv. With a limited release of just 6000 bottles globally, it is presented in a gift carton and available in specialist spirits stores at around £40.

Like the rest of the Wemyss Malts blended malts selection, Velvet Fig is named after the whisky’s natural flavours and aromas.  The natural mahogany colour has a depth and richness that comes from the quality sherry casks selected. The generous nose is abundant with rich fruits bound with sweet mead and warm leather. The palate has luscious golden sultanas, soft fig and Medjool dates, spiced with nutmeg and ginger and yielding sweet chestnut and toasted walnuts in the finale.

William Wemyss, Managing Director of Wemyss Malts, commented: “We are thrilled with the new Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig blended malt as it will provide a unique, yet complementary addition to the Wemyss blended malt range.  Velvet Fig is sure to be a favourite with those who have a passion for sherry cask matured whiskies or are looking for the perfect festive whisky.”

Notes:

• Edinburgh based Wemyss Malts is owned by the Wemyss family and their family seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.
• Wemyss Malts has an ongoing blended malt whisky range comprising: The Spice King, The Peat Chimney and The Hive; single malt single cask bottlings and blended Scotch range, Lord Elcho.
• 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.
• Recent awards for The Hive 12 years old include: a Double Gold at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2014 and a World Whisky Award Gold Medal in 2012.
• The Spice King 12 years old won the Best of the Rest of whisky at the Whisky Shop Dufftown customer choice competition 2014 and a World Whisky Award Gold Medal in 2013.
• The family is building a single malt distillery at Kingsbarns, near St. Andrews in Fife, which will be open to visitors from 1st December 2014.

ROCK TOWN DISTILLERY WINS BIG

Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey named

“2015 AMERICAN MICRO WHISKY OF THE YEAR”

In the 2015 Whisky Bible by Jim Murray 

Little Rock, AR – (September 5, 2014) – Rock Town Distillery is pleased to announce its Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey has won the top micro-distillery award in the 2015 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Rock Town’s Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey garnered an incredible score of 96.5 placing it in the upper echelon of all the whiskies reviewed in the book and earning the title “2015 US Micro Whisky of the Year”. Mr. Murray said in the review, “Unquestionably one of the great micro distillery bourbons of all time; a bottling which will put Arkansas and Rock Town in particular on the world whisky map.”

“This is an unbelievable accomplishment,” said Phil Brandon, founder and head distiller at Rock Town Distillery. “We are truly honored to have our whisky judged by one of the world’s leading whisky experts, Jim Murray, as the best whisky of all the craft distilleries in the US in this edition.”

ABOUT ROCK TOWN DISTILLERY 

Rock Town Distillery produces the award winning Brandon’s Vodka, Brandon’s Gin, Arkansas Bourbon, Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, Arkansas Hickory Smoked Whiskey, Arkansas Rye Whiskey, Arkansas Lightning, and Rock Town Vodka which are distributed in Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, DC and Delaware and the United Kingdom.

Rock Town Distillery, Arkansas’ first legal distillery since prohibition, is located in downtown Little Rock at 1216 E 6^th Street, Little Rock, AR 72202.  The distillery is open for tours 7 days a week. To find out more please visit www.rocktowndistillery.com

ABOUT JIM MURRAY’S WHISKY BIBLE

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible is the world’s leading whisky guide. Each edition contains roughly 4,500 detailed, professionally analyzed and easy to understand tasting notes on the world’s leading and lesser known whiskies.  Visit www.whiskybible.com  for more information.

Hello to old friends and new,

Embarrassingly, it has been quite a while since we sent out an update from the distillery, my apologies.

It is a long story but the rather rapid growth in bourbon demand recently has had us all scrambling to keep up and left us no time to personally write these updates, which is our distinct preference!

Hopefully, we have things back on track now with regular updates planned, especially now that we have Kristie Wooldridge on board to help out. Kristie will be co-authoring the updates as well as being on hand to answer any questions you may have.

We have lots to tell you about but let us begin by wishing you all the best for a very happy upcoming holiday season!

Since our last update, some highlights include:

– Buffalo Trace Distillery has become a National Historic Landmark
– We have experienced the very sad loss of Elmer T. Lee, Ronnie Eddins and Jimmy Johnson
– We are in the midst of a bourbon shortage
– The Old Taylor and E. H. Taylor brands are now back at Trace after a mere 118 year absence
– The completion and opening of Warehouse X – our new experimental warehouse
– The Single Oak Project
– Lots more awards for our whiskies
– The fall releases of the Antique Collection and Van Winkle
– Some fun community events at the Trace
– Our first coffee table book

We have pasted a photo collage;

We plan to cover the above events in more detail in future updates but for this update………….

National Historic Landmark

We were very excited to announce last summer that Buffalo Trace Distillery was named a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior, becoming one of only 2,577 National Historic Landmarks in the United States, which represents 0.001 percent of total properties in the U.S. We could not be more proud of this fabulous recognition for the distillery and its 241 year history.

Very sad losses

It is with a very heavy heart that we share with you that our beloved Master Distiller Emeritus Elmer T. Lee, 93, passed away July 16, 2013 after a short illness. In the world of making really fine whiskey the role of Master Distiller is pivotal, but Elmer’s meaning to those he met, came to know, and worked with closely extended far beyond that of a Master Distiller. Elmer defined, in the simplest terms, what it means to be a great American – hard working, self-made, courageous, honest, kind, humble, and humorous.

We also mourned the passing of Ronnie Eddins on Oct. 13, 2010 Ronnie’s official title was Warehouse Manager, but he was actually so much more. He was an innovator, a creator, a perfectionist, sometimes even a barrel detective, and most of all, a friend. He joined our family in 1961 and was instrumental in our Experimental Whiskey Program.

In January of 2011 we lost our longtime friend Jimmy Johnson, who spent 42 years with us and retired as Warehouse Manager. Jimmy had the honor of rolling our every millionth barrel of bourbon this distillery has ever produced since Prohibition, even coming back in 2008 to roll out our 6 millionth barrel. Jimmy’s son Freddie carries on the family tradition and works with us here showing our visitors the delights of the Trace; Freddie will be familiar to many of you! Freddie is the third generation of the Johnson family to work at the Trace.

Bourbon Shortage

Last year we warned consumers that a shortage was looming, but many markets across the nation are just now feeling the full effects. Along with increased production, adding more bottling lines and hiring more people, we have also hired a full-time barrel allocation manager, just as we intended last year. Despite the increase in distillation over the past few years, bourbon demand still outpaces supply. Bourbon must be matured in new oak barrels and we age many of our barrels for eight to ten years, and some over two decades. That’s a long time to wait for a bottle of bourbon. Not to mention, with the amount of bourbon lost to evaporation over time, barrels are half empty after ten years. The increase in sales, coupled with the aging process and evaporation loss, leads to a shortage with no end in sight. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we try to catch up!

Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. brand is back

We are thrilled that a few years back we were able to bring E.H. Taylor back home to where it all began! In 2009 we purchased the Old Taylor Bourbon label and barrel inventory from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. and since then we have now developed six extensions including: E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Warehouse C Tornado Surviving.

Community events

We’ve had several very successful events this year. Our July 4th 5K Race was a record-breaker, with a record number of runners, and with both the men and women’s first place winners breaking previous record times. All proceeds for this race go to the local VFW 4075. This year we donated $14,265!

In August on what would have been Elmer T. Lee’s 95th birthday, we hosted a lunch for representatives from local VFW Post 4075 to present a $10,000 check to them from the proceeds for the Elmer T. Lee commemorative bottling. Elmer was a member of the Post 4075 and was active in it until his passing. Peggy (Lee) Comer and her husband Denny (Elmer’s daughter and son-in-law) attended the lunch.

Next up is the Lighting of the Trace on Dec. 4.

Fall releases

The fall release of our annual Antique Collection whiskies: Eagle Rare 17 Year Old, George T. Stagg, Sazerac Rye 18 year Old, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye and William Larue Weller, were released in limited quantities in late September.

Also this fall, around late October, we again released the Van Winkle bourbons. Please keep in mind that supply is very limited and bottles shall be hard to find in stores, bars and restaurants.

Future Updates

Call us old fashioned but we are not fans of mass produced, impersonal mailings that are so prevalent today, preferring to send hand written, personalized updates. Sorry it has taken a while to get ourselves reorganized in this area!

If we can be of any help at all with questions, needs, wants please just reply to this e-mail and it will be personally answered.

In closing, and on behalf of all the now 425 folks at the Trace, thank you for your support of our whiskeys, it is very much appreciated.

Cheers,

Mark and Kristie,
Mark Brown
The Buffalo Trace Distillery
Direct: (502) 696-5978
E-Mail: MBrown@BuffaloTrace.com
www.buffalotracedistillery.com
www.greatbourbon.com

Kristie Wooldridge
The Buffalo Trace Distillery
Direct: (502) 783-5652
E-Mail: kwooldridge@buffalotrace.com

News from the Distillery Team:

The winter season is always a busy one for James and the team at The Distillery.  When we wrote to you in the summer, building work was on hold for our new warehouse number 5 whilst the Golden Eagles welcomed their young.  We are pleased to announce that they are now the parents of two new eaglets and building work is back full steam ahead!  The plans for our VIP Tasting room are well on track and our order for two new stills has been placed.  We are looking forward to taking delivery of these in 2016 and increasing our capacity in line with the projected demand in the future.

Brand new warehouse 6 is serving us well and is now home to our short term cask storage and cask finish whiskies.  It has provided us with just the flexibility we needed in this area and we are delighted with the progress we have made this year. For the time being, the winter weather seems to be slowly creeping up on us and this is the time of year that our Distillery team work on distilling our peated Single Malt, The Machrie Moor, just before the closure in January for our maintenance and cleaning work.  The smell of fruity peated whisky in the air on a crispy winter morning is quite something!

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Chivas 18 and Pininfarina Announce Second Year of Partnership

Chivas Regal 18, one of the world’s leading ultra-premium Scotch whiskies, is delighted to announce that it is reuniting with Pininfarina, the prestigious Italian design company, to create the limited edition Chivas 18 by Pininfarina Chapter 2. Following a hugely successful year in 2013, Chivas 18 and Pininfarina, two iconic brands of style, are continuing their partnership to deliver luxurious experiences to their customers through innovative design.

Both Chivas Regal and Pininfarina are renowned for their rich heritage in crafting rewarding and stimulating experiences in luxury. Pininfarina has been a crusader in Italian design and engineering since 1930, and Chivas Regal is the original luxury whisky blend, established in 1909.

Unique in the world of whisky, the Chivas 18 by Pininfarina Ice Drop is an elegantly contoured shape that embodies the Pininfarina design philosophy, marrying form and function. The Ice Drop celebrates the meeting of air and liquid to create our partnership symbol The Drop – an exquisite experience to be enjoyed in the world’s most iconic bars, and at home.

The Chivas 18 by Pininfarina Chapter 2 Ice PressThe limited edition Ice Press has been developed to enhance the whisky serving ritual in premium bars around the world. This exclusive tool creates a seamless Ice Drop and will first be gifted to a selection of the world’s most prestigious bars.The Chivas 18 by Pininfarina Chapter 2 Ice Drop MouldA piece of precision engineering crafted from high grade silicon, the Ice Drop Mould delivers two flawless Ice Drops with ease. The unique limited edition pack, 1,500 pieces, contains brushed aluminum tongs and a pair of Pininfarina designed ‘Drop’ glasses, enabling whisky connoisseurs to replicate and enjoy the Ice Drop ritual in the luxury of their own home. The Ice Drop Mould will be available to purchase for US$399.

“Chivas 18 has a deep understanding of design and a proven history of working with iconic visionaries. Pininfarina is a brand that is revered globally for its expertise in the world of design, however this year we have moved the partnership even further. In creating the Chivas 18 by Pininfarina Chapter 2, we were careful to create a limited edition that is as usable as it is enjoyable. Chapter 2 epitomises Chivas Regal’s enduring commitment to excellence while marrying Pininfarina’s combination of innovative and seductive design; a celebration of form and function” explains Global Brand Director, Richard Black.Commenting on the launch of Chivas 18 by Pininfarina Chapter 2, Creative Director of Pininfarina, Paolo Trevisan said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Chivas 18. Both brands are united in our vision to create unique and unparalleled experiences. Over the past two years Chivas 18 has provided the team with fantastic support and we are very much looking forward to continuing this incredible journey and sharing what we believe is the perfect embodiment of our design philosophy combined with the unique heritage and ethos of Chivas 18.”

To mark the second year of the prestigious collaboration Chivas 18 by Pininfarina Chapter 2, Global Brand Ambassador Max Warner has fittingly crafted a series of cocktails, which not only combine influences from Scotland and Italy but also showcase how ice, the one ingredient universal to almost every cocktail, can be harnessed in an array of different ways.

Velvet Old Fashioned

50ml Chivas 1810ml Pedro Ximenez Sherry2 dashes Angostura bittersGarnish orange zestPour all ingredients into a mixing glass, stir and pour over the Ice Drop.The Pedro Ximenez sherry works to enhance the dried fruit and chocolate notes in the whisky

Midnight Dram

50ml Chivas 185ml sugar syrup 1:1 (sugar, water)3 dashes chocolate bittersPour all ingredients into a mixing glass, stir and pour over the Ice Drop. Chocolate bitters work in harmony with the dark chocolate flavour components in the whisky The 8550ml Chivas 1820ml soda waterGarnish with a metal stirrer and a lemon twist Pour whisky into glass, add Ice Drop and pour soda.The effervescence of the soda water helps to release the complex, multilayered flavours of the whisky

Chivas on The Drop

50ml Chivas 18Place Ice Drop in rocks glass and gently pour whisky over the drop into the glass, cooling the liquid as it falls.Chivas Regal 18 Year Old is a uniquely rich and multilayered blend that includes over twenty of Scotland’s rarest single malt Scotch whiskies, aged for a minimum of 18 years.

Notes

About Chivas Regal

Chivas Regal is a truly global brand, selling 4.9 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Americas. The Chivas Regal range is the epitome of style, substance and exclusivity and includes Chivas Regal 12, 18 and 25 Year Old. www.chivas.comAbout Chivas BrothersChivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport. www.chivasbrothers.com

About Pininfarina

Pininfarina Extra: With a history dating back to 1930, Pininfarina is based on values of creativity, experience and innovation without forgetting tradition. It combines avant-garde style and technical solutions aimed at functionality.If Pininfarina is known worldwide for car design, Pininfarina Extra (a Company specialized in product and interior design, architecture, nautics and aeronautics) expresses its design philosophy in all areas of life where beauty combines with elegance, essentiality and comfort. Founded in 1986 and led by Paolo Pininfarina, President and MD, Pininfarina Extra is located in Cambiano (Turin).Its partners include leading Companies such as Acer, Alenia Aeronautica, Coca-Cola, Jacuzzi, Juventus, Lavazza, Snaidero and Unilever. Its most recent projects include: the Keating Hotel by Pininfarina in San Diego, the interiors of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (Alenia Aeronautica), the Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks machine, the interiors of the Juventus Stadium, the Snaidero Ola 20 kitchen, the LED TV Acer AT58, and the Primatist B62’ yacht. www.pininfarina.com

Introducing The 1824 Masters Series

They say all good things come in threes, and today we’re rather excited to introduce not one, not two but three stunning new whiskies, Rare Cask, Reflexion and No.6. The three whiskies, together with The Macallan M, complete the incredible 1824 Masters Series.

Our whisky maker Bob Dalgarno has expertly crafted each of the whiskies to create the Series which truly honours the beautiful spectrum of natural colour in our unique single malt, bringing to life the interaction of our peerless spirit and exceptional oak casks. Sitting above the innovative 1824 Series, The 1824 Masters Series will take whisky lovers on a journey through increasingly dark and complex single malts beginning with Rare Cask followed by Reflexion then No.6 and finally to the pinnacle of the entire Series, M.

Reflexion and No.6 will be available worldwide, whilst Rare Cask will initially be available exclusively in the USA and China from specialist whisky retailers and selected bars. Explore the range at The Macallan.com