Evan Williams Bourbon Announces 2020 American-Made Heroes

Select class of veterans chosen to be featured on special edition labels and receive $5,000 donation from American-Made Heroes Foundation to charity of their choice

BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Evan Williams Bourbon today announced the veterans selected as the 2020 American-Made Heroes. Each veteran will receive a $5,000 donation to the charity of their choice through the recently launched American-Made Hero Foundation, as well as their picture and story on the side of the special-edition label.

As an American-made and American-owned brand, Evan Williams recognizes true American heroes through their exceptional stories of honor and bravery. This special edition label of Evan Williams Black Bourbon celebrates the heroic stories of military veterans, chosen for their selfless acts of service at home and abroad (bios included below). The 2020 Evan Williams American-Made Heroes were chosen from over 6,500 nominations and are featured on more than 360,000 bottles available nationwide.

The 2020 American Hero edition label features bold red and white stripes framing a blue background featuring subtle star imagery and “American Hero Edition” in bold red font on the face. Proudly displayed on the side of each bottle is one of the brand’s key taglines “American Owned, American Made, American Proud” signifying the brand’s American heritage as the second-largest selling Bourbon in the world. Each Evan Williams American-Made Hero is prominently featured on the side of the label with their picture, name, military title and distinguished story.

“We are proud to kick off the sixth year of the Evan Williams American-Made Hero program by lifting up these extraordinary veteran stories and support veteran-related causes through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund,” said Julie Cole, Evan Williams Bourbon Brand Manager. “We are honored to celebrate veterans who uphold the American spirit.”

Evan Williams is honored to broaden its support of veteran communities across the country through the launch of the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund, announced in April 2020. Due to the national impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund focused its inaugural efforts with the COVID-19 Veteran Relief Grant, which awards donations to nonprofit organizations that serve the veteran communities negatively impacted by the coronavirus.

Media and advertising support for the 2020 program include national digital and social media campaigns, a website, off-premise display pieces, and point of sale featuring the veteran stories and the new American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund.

The 2020 Evan Williams American-Made Heroes are:

• Robin Harder, Mico, TX, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (Ret.): As a Cryptologic Linguist, Robin’s 20-year career took her everywhere from Germany to Afghanistan. She is the founder of the Women Veterans of San Antonio: a non-profit group that serves, honors, and empowers women Veterans in her community. Robin has chosen to donate to ReGroup Foundation. To learn more about their mission, visit https://regroup4vets.com/
• John “JC” White, Martinsville, VA, U.S. Navy Master-at-Arms (Ret.): J.C. first served in the U.S. Navy during Operation Desert Storm and re-enlisted after 9/11. He went on to complete five more tours of duty. Over the years, he has volunteered as a Special Olympics coach, provided services to the homeless, and mentored at-risk youth. J.C. has chosen PAWS for Purple Hearts as his charity. To learn more about their mission, visit https://pawsforpurplehearts.org/.
• Jonathan Hiltz, Marion, IL, U.S. Marine Corps Corporal: Jonathan served as a Nuclear Biological & Chemical Defense Specialist in Iraq. Today, he serves other veterans as a Peer Support Specialist. He established two non-profits, the Arise Veteran Foundation and Love Goes, to help alleviate poverty and support the homeless. Jonathan has chosen Love Goes as his charity.
• Mary Tobin, Atlanta, GA, U.S. Army Captain (Ret.): Mary began her 10-year military career at West Point, deployed twice to Iraq, and was awarded the Combat Action Badge. As regional Executive Director of The Mission Continues, she helps veterans take charge of community service and revitalization projects across the U.S. To learn more about The Mission Continues, visit https://missioncontinues.org/.
• Eduardo “Eddie” Ramirez, Fairfield, CA, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant (Ret.): Always driven to serve, Eddie capped off his decorated, 22-year military career by going to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs. His experience led him to establish OneVet OneVoice: a veteran advocacy group focused on healthcare, education, housing, and employment. Eddie has chosen OneVet OneVoice as his charity. To learn more about their mission, visit https://onevetonevoice.org/.

The American Hero Edition bottle is available nationally for a suggested retail price of $24.99 for the 1.75L and $12.99 for the 750ml, and is bottled at 43 percent alcohol by volume (86 proof). To learn more about each of the 2020 American-Made Heroes and to apply for funding through the COVID-19 Veteran Relief Grant, visit https://american-madeheroes.com/.

ABOUT EVAN WILLIAMS: The flagship Bourbon of Heaven Hill Distillery, Evan Williams is among the leaders in the rapidly growing American Whiskey segment as the world’s second largest-selling Bourbon. Evan Williams is a proud sponsor of Major League Baseball and the World Series, first forming a partnership with the national pastime in 2016. As an American-made and American-owned brand, Evan Williams has recognized true American heroes through their exceptional stories of honor and bravery on special edition American-Made Hero labels for the past five years, now supported by the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (www.EvanWilliamsBourbonExperience.com) celebrates the legacy of Evan Williams through an immersive visitor’s center experience which brings to life the history and tradition of Kentucky’s native spirit as an official stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN-MADE HEROES FOUNDATION FUND: Evan Williams is honored to broaden its support of veteran communities across the country through the launch of the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund, announced in April 2020. The American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund was established to show Evan Williams’ pride in being American-made and owned, and to give back to those who served. Our purpose is: to provide a platform for sharing inspiring veteran stories; to raise public awareness for causes impacting the veteran community; and to support nonprofit organizations that help veterans and their families through a specialized grant program. Due to the national impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund will focus its inaugural efforts with the COVID-19 Veteran Relief Grant, which awards donations to nonprofit organizations that serve the veteran communities negatively impacted by the coronavirus.

Fund invests more into Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Howard Cai and his investment management has successfully deployed fund assets into a range of single-cask whisky casks produced in Scotland. Following a thorough examination of the industry fundamentals, long-term considerations and insights, the investment decisions take into account the persistent scarcity of high-grade single cask whiskies as well as changes in demand.

The Fund continues to seek out high potential casks from various distilleries and vintages to maximize investment returns. And even though production in Scotland is all but shut down, investors will be invited to the second round of funding late 2020 as we all wait for restrictions to be lifted.

About Howard Cai 

Established in 2009, Howard Cai Select is China’s first independent Single Malt Whisky bottler. A life member of The Keepers of the Quaich and renowned whisky expert, Howard has made it his mission to broaden people’s appreciation for fine Scotch Whisky in China. Howard successfully pairs these whiskies with Nouveau-Chinese cuisine in his exclusive fine-dining establishments. Each hand-picked cask is aged and bottled in Scotland at its original strength. Then detailed information of when the whisky was distilled and bottled is provided, guaranteeing provenance. Each batch is a truly unique experience.

For more information about Howard Cai Select Single Cask and the investment opportunity please contact: HowardCaiSelect@gmail.com

Every great whisky should tell a story all on its own. From the first nosing to the long finish, whisky can inspire a very personal journey. Yet there’s always the story of its creation too. And it was the combination of the two that our founder John Glaser explored during our first virtual tasting this past Sunday.

People from over 30 countries joined us via Zoom to hear about our award-winning whiskies The Peat Monster, The Spice Tree and The Story of the Spaniard. But for those who weren’t able to drop in, here are some highlights from the stories he told…

THE PEAT MONSTER

The surprising label for this whisky is typical of the work of Texas-based artist Marc Burckhardt. His fascination with fables, allegories and myths felt like the perfect match, and we’re proud to have collaborated with a painter who’s worked with Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and won a Grammy for Johnny Cash album artwork.

THE SPICE TREE

Our first batch released in 2005 caught the attention of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), who felt our creative process didn’t follow the rules on traditional techniques. So we stopped production and worked on a new method for incorporating French oak in the cask heads. The result was a very similar flavour to the original. It relaunched in 2009, and eventually received the SWA’s blessing.

THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD

John had yet to become a whiskymaker when he was enthralled by the stories of an elderly man in a tiny Spanish bar. The gent recounted the history of the local Sherry and made an indelible impression. Many years later, that chance encounter inspired this Sherry cask-aged whisky.

Saturday, July 11th, 5:30PM:

 Port Askaig & Single Malts of Scotland

Delve into the world of Scotch whisky at our our expert presented virtual tasting! This free tasting features ‘Single Malts of Scotland,’ an independently bottled collection of single casks & small batch scotch, plus peaty bottlings from award-winning Islay distillery ‘Port Askaig’.  Guests will learn about the different scotch whisky producing regions and get a behind-the-scenes look at independent bottling & single cask processes.

 Click Here to RSVP

Get 10% off all related whiskies

with coupon code ‘VIRTUAL’ at Checkout

Click here to purchase Port Askaig

Ardbeg

Blaaack

Ardbeg Day 2020 Release

£109.95

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The 2020 Ardbeg Day bottling is back in stock! Released to mark twenty years of the Ardbeg Committee, this superb expression celebrates Ardbeg’s status as the Black Sheep of the whisky world. Matured in Pinot Noir wine casks from New Zealand, Ardbeg Blaaack is bold, powerful, and full bodied. The characteristic smoke and oiliness of classic Ardbeg are complemented by rich, sweet flavours of ripe summer fruits – a perfect marriage of sweet and savoury that will keep you coming baaack for more!

Happy 4th of July to our friends in the United States of America!

Bimber partners with Selfridges to launch

González Byass Oloroso Sherry Finish

London’s Bimber Distillery today announced the upcoming release of an exclusive single malt whisky created in partnership with high-end department store Selfridges.

The Bimber González Byass Oloroso Sherry Finish was initially matured in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in an outstanding 2010 vintage oloroso sherry butt from renowned Spanish sherry producer González Byass.

936 bottles have been produced and will be available directly from Selfridges (both in all stores and online) from Monday 6^th July. Retailing at £79.99, the limited edition release is adorned with artwork inspired by the work of Dutch artist and sculptor Eelke van Willegen.

The expression was crafted to Bimber’s exacting standards. The spirit was produced from the distillery’s single farm barley and malted on a dedicated floor at Warminster Maltings, before being fermented for seven days in bespoke on-site constructed American oak washbacks. Distillation took place in Bimber’s customised stills which possess an increased copper surface area, resulting in a light, fruit-forward, layered new make spirit.

The spirit was initially matured in four 1^st fill American oak ex-bourbon casks. These casks were then expertly married and finished in a single oloroso sherry butt from González Byass – one of the most renowned and celebrated Spanish bodegas. The result is an adventure through richness and spice with layers of jammy red berries and plump raisins enlivened by delectable cinnamon and nutmeg spices.
Speaking of the release, Bimber Distillery spokesperson Matt McKay said “We’re extremely proud that our first retail partnership is with a brand of such high esteem. As a London-based distillery, we’re thrilled to be working with a retailer whose history has been inherently tied to our capital city for over a Century.

The Selfridges exclusive Bimber González Byass Oloroso Sherry Finish showcases our versatile fruit-forward single malt, whilst celebrating our shared London heritage.”

Notes

Bimber González Byass Oloroso Sherry Finish

Nose: Bright, jammy red berries sit with gingerbread and a slice of rich fruit cake, whilst stewed apples and pear juice are lifted by cinnamon and nutmeg spices

Taste: Velvety in texture with pineapple cubes and sliced bananas served alongside plump raisins, sultanas and fig rolls. Vanilla cream is enlivened by piquant pepperiness, stem ginger and cinnamon sticks with a perfect balance throughout

Finish: Enduringly rich with opulent fruitiness tempered by aromatic oak

936 bottles

70cl

51.5%

RRP £79.99

Available exclusives from Selfridges (in stores and online) from 6^th July 2020

About Bimber

Bimber Distillery produces world-class single malt whisky, handcrafted with passion in West London. As a leading distiller of English whisky, we combine generations of rich distilling heritage, with the finest quality ingredients to create the ultimate craft whisky experience.

Online whisky initiative Craft Whisky Club has created the ultimate whisky lovers subscription service, for those who not only want to discover a new world of craft, artisan and innovative whisky-making but get a chance to try them too.

From casks to pairings, locally-produced to the exotic, learning and exploring the world of whisky is a fundamental part of the whisky experience. Resident experts at the Craft Whisky Club handpick the finest small batch and artisan whiskies, carefully selecting exciting and innovative distillers from Scotland and beyond. Each box includes up to two full size bottles, as well as a specially selected food pairing to match with the whiskies, alongside plenty of information about the distillery and how the whiskies are matured, developed and brought to life.

Choose from either 1 bottle or 2 bottles of whisky every 2 months. Bottles come from award winning distilleries from all over the world such as American Whiskey, Rye and Bourbon producer High West from the Rockies, to independent bottler and blender extraordinaire, Douglas Laing who has just launched The Epicurean Edinburgh Edition, which pays homage to Scotland’s historic capital. From £29.95 per month. For further information on how the membership works and pricing please see here.

For those looking for something more unique, Caskshare allows whisky lovers to reserve ‘shares’ of whisky casks from their favourite distilleries, choosing between a wide variety of wood types and ages as the whisky matures. Single cask bottles will then be sent directly to buyers upon maturation, or even traded between them on this new leading-edge technology platform. This allows whisky-lovers the chance to experience different cask variations by lowering the financial barrier to cask-ownership. Customers pre-order cask ‘shares’ from their distillery of choice via the Caskshare online platform. Once the ageing process is complete, whisky allocations are bottled and distributed to ‘shareholders’.

NOTE: In accordance with local directives, our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have curbside pickup and low cost (often free) delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

2008 Glendronach 11 Year Old K&L Exclusive First Fill Single Oloroso Puncheon #2988 Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($99.99) After a nearly half decade hiatus, we’re back with a distillery-bottled exclusive single cask of ‘Dronanch. This delicious barrel was selected by our two spirits buyers, Andrew and David, way back in May of 2019. This Oloroso puncheon was filled September 17 of 2008 and bottled at the beginning of 2020 at cask strength without chill-filtration. Glendronach has become one of Scotland’s most well regarded and consistently delicious producers. The distillery was officially founded 1826, just outside the town of Huntley in a hidden valley in the rolling hills of the Eastern Highlands. The distillery was refurbished with two additional stills in the ’60s and was one of the last distilleries to stop using coal to fire the stills. The floor maltings continued to operate until 1996. GlenDronach had long been renowned for its use of sherry casks, but not until the BenRiach company purchased the distillery in 2008 did it become a serious contender in the eyes of whisky aficionados. This would have been one of the first whiskies distilled by the new owners. In 2016, Brown-Forman purchased Glendronach and its sister distilleries. Now, we finally have access to single casks from this special distillery once again. Holding nearly 100L more than a standard sherry butt, this first fill sherry puncheon has everything you’ve come to expect from this excellent distillery – bold, rich, and powerful. There are few better on the market than this special malt from the Valley of the Brambles.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 24, 2020I’ve always had a soft spot for this wonderful distillery. It was one of the first distillers to sell us single casks way back in 2011. Then they had significant old stocks at outrageously low prices. Part of what made Glendronach a household name was access to these stocks, a fact I try to impress on every distillery trying to make waves in today’s cutthroat Scotch market. There is in fact very little room for BS any longer in this category. Things that aren’t priced fairly or don’t have the provenance to garner high prices simply don’t sell. As Glendronach became more prominent and it’s older stocks dwindled, our access did as well. Now products that we once sold for $150, would cost us $3-400. So we took a step back. And when Glendronach sold in 2016 we were prepared to say good buy to the single cask program forever. Amazingly, the new owners have refreshed attitude toward this program and acknowledged immediately that continuing the line would be a crucial aspect of their marketing strategy. But, we were still seeing single casks in the over 18 year range priced well over $400 so we were skeptical that we’d find something that worked. So, when we dropped by the distillery in the Spring of 2019, we weren’t sure what would be on offer. Our only stipulation was that it be less than $100 on the shelf. I was prepared to taste through 5-6 year old stock, but our old friend Rachel Barrie instead offered us two choices, PX and Oloroso Puncheon just under 12 years old. These were some of the first stocks distilled after Billy Walker had taken over the distillery and a perfect example of the quality the new owners had brought to the old distillery. Both were excellent, but we were only allowed one. It wasn’t an easy choice, but we ended up going with the puncheon because it more than exemplified the “classic” ‘dronach flavor profile. And while this is a first fill it’s not one of the motor oil dark malts. Instead its full of nuance, depth and balance. Over a year after our original selection, this cask is finally here. Even with tariffs, Glendronach honored their commitment to keep the price under $100 and we couldn’t be more proud to be selling this gorgeous cask of this special malt. IT’s difficult to find a better OB in the shop right now and for $100 this a no brainer for any lower of high proof sherry. The color is deep copper. The nose is a heady mixture of medium roast coffee beans, fig jam, jamon, burnt orange peel and graphite pencil shavings. The palate is surprisingly sweet considering the strong oloroso influence – full of dried apricots, plums, old leather, dark chocolate, roasted almonds and fudge candy. Chewy and textured, the finish builds into a long spicy beast. I wouldn’t add more than a drop or two of water, but if you do you’ll find the dark roasty flavors take a back seat to the fruit, followed by more exotic wood and spice. I rarely perfer young cask strength whisky with out ANY water, but this one I think doesn’t benefit much from the addition. The sweetness on the palate totally hides the 60% abv, but the big spicy finish keeps you from forgetting what you’re drinking. It’s a lovely example of what’s going on at this special distillery in the modern era and a great sign for what is to come of the next decade. They’re still making some serious juice here and hopefully we’ll continue to be able to offer casks that deliver on the promise of value and quality that built the Glendronach name.

The John Walker has been a special part of the Johnnie Walker portfolio for over a decade. The special marrying cask for this exclusive whisky has now been retired, but not before yielding one final and exceptional whisky.

The final batch of The John Walker has been named The Last Cask, and is limited to just 330 bottles, presented in a stunning handmade Baccarat crystal decanter designed by Philip Lawson Johnston, Hand Engraver of Glass to Her Majesty the Queen.

BROWSE OUR FULL JOHNNIE WALKER RANGE HERE

Johnnie Walker
The John Walker – The Last Cask
70cl · 40% ABV
£2,450.00
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Inspired by the founder, The John Walker is an elegant, triple matured Scotch crafted using rare whiskies from nine ancient distilleries that existed during the lifetime of founder John Walker (1805-1857). This elegant and refined whisky expertly brings together rare expressions from the now silent “ghost” distilleries of Glen Albyn, Port Dundas and Cambus, along with six of Scotland’s most historic distilleries – Cameronbridge, Cardhu, Mortlach, Clynelish, Dailuaine and Talisker.