Yellowstone® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Launches Program Supporting America’s National Parks

Brand partners with National Parks Conservation Association 

LEBANON, KY (May 1, 2018) – Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has launched a cause marketing program that harkens back to its iconic roots, as the bourbon was originally named after Yellowstone National Park. The brand is partnering with National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). Since their founding in 1919 – and with their 1.3 million members and supporters – NPCA has been an independent, nonpartisan voice working to strengthen and protect America’s national parks.

“When Yellowstone Bourbon was first launched in 1872, it was given its name to honor Yellowstone National Park, the new national treasure at the time and our first national park,” says Steve Beam, head distiller at Limestone Branch Distillery. “We are thrilled to be able to able to help preserve our national parks one bottle at a time.”

Beginning on May 1, the brand will be donating a portion of its sales proceeds to National Parks Conservation Association, to help ensure the nation’s 417 national park sites are protected for their 330+ million annual guests.

“NPCA is proud to partner with Limestone Branch Distillery, whose history is so richly aligned with one of our most iconic national parks,” said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO for National Parks Conservation Association. “Partnerships like this one are so critical to our work, both in funding our park protection efforts and in introducing new people to national parks. We look forward to coming together with Limestone Branch Distillery to protect these places now – and for generations to come.”

In addition, the brand has also launched an online contest where consumers are encouraged to show their pioneer spirit for the chance to win a trip to Yellowstone National Park, as well as branded outdoor merchandise. The grand prize will allow five winners and guests to enjoy an all-expense paid to Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 2019. The contest runs from May until August of 2018. To enter, simply snap a photo enjoying the great outdoors and submit it at www.yellowstonebourboncontest.com.

About Limestone Branch Distillery

Steve Beam and his brother Paul Beam opened Limestone Branch Distillery in 2011, with the goal of crafting the finest whiskey in small batches, honoring their long family heritage. With a history of distilling on both sides of their family – Beam and Dant – the brothers are seventh-generation distillers. In 2015, by partnering with Luxco, they brought the Yellowstone brand back to the family, just in time to commemorate the brand’s 105^th anniversary. As one of the founding members of the Kentucky Craft Bourbon Trail, Limestone Branch Distillery is located in Lebanon, Ky., in the heart of bourbon country.  The distillery is well-known for its handcrafted products, including Yellowstone Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Yellowstone Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey.

For more information on Limestone Branch Distillery and Yellowstone Bourbon, please visit www.limestonebranch.com, www.yellowstonebourbon.com or www.facebook.com/limestone-branch-distillery.

About National Parks Conservation Association

Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its 1.3 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Boutique-y Tall Ship Quayside Tasting

This is a very special evening of tasting and fun with ‘Captain’ Dave Worthington and The Whisky Lounge team… Aside from an exclusive tasting, your surroundings will be very conducive too, among the sails and boons aboard the Tall Ship Irene! We welcome to the Irene, and to Islay for the first time, Mr. Dave Worthington, legendary ex-blogger of Whisky Discovery fame and now ploughing his furrow as erstwhile UK Brand Ambassador for That Boutique-y Whisky Company! Dave has assured us he is putting together a tasting par excellence, a tour de force – or just some damn fine drams to you and me!

Currently the whiskies you will be tasting are…

A Bowmore 15 Year Old

A Bunnahabhain 35 Year Old

A Caol Ila 6 Year Old

The Williamson 6 Year Old

An Octomore 6 Year Old

The Islay #2 25 Year Old

This is not only a great chance to try some fantastic whiskies, but also an un-missable opportunity to drill down into the inner workings of independent bottlers and find out what really makes this historic part of the whisky industry tick. We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 7pm sharp. You won’t need your sea legs for this one as we will be safely moored at the Port Ellen Ferry pier but you may want waterproofs (if it rains) and grippy shoes for the deck!

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Boutique-y Tall Ship Quayside Tasting

Mon, 28 May 2018 19:00 – 21:00 BST

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Sailing & Tasting

What’s that you say? You can’t drink cask strength whisky at 9am? Well we’re on Islay time people and during the Fèis Ìle, settling into a tasting of cask strength treasures in the morning is very much the norm – we wouldn’t have it any other way. However, this is slightly different in that the added incentive is that you will actually get to sail on the Tall Ship Irene! This is an incredile opportunity to sail the high seas (well around the south of Islay) whilst tasting some incredible whiskies. We haven’t been able to do this for a couple of years but we have secured just two sailings for this year, but for only 9 people so don’t hang about! The tasting itself will be of the latest and yet to be released whiskies from the Elements of Islay, Port Askaig and Single Malts of Scotland range, with the very man who puts them together, Mr Oliver Chilton – Whisky Creator for Speciality Drinks.

Currently, this is what you’ll be tasting.

Port Askaig 8 Year Old
Port Askaig 14 Year Old
Elements of Islay Lg8
Elements of Islay Ar10
Single Malts of Scotland Bowmore 1994 / 22 Year Old
Single Malts of Scotland Laphroaig 1998 / 17 Year Old

This is not only a great chance to try some fantastic pre-releases but also an un-missable opportunity to drill down into the inner workings of independent bottlers and find out what really makes this historic part of the whisky industry tick. We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 9am sharp. Bring your sea legs, waterproofs and anything else you think you’ll need for this voyage. Life jackets will be provided!

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Sailing & Tasting
Tue, 29 May 2018 09:00 – 12:00 BST

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Eddie Tall Ship Sailing & Tasting

A very special one-off event this year… Eddie Ludlow considers himself a friend of Islay. He has been coming to the island for many years and championing its cause and whiskies for many more. For this special event, Eddie has agreed to bring some of his personal stash and if you know him, this is a BIG deal! So prepare yourself for a chilled out tasting of epic proportions… In addition, this experience will be made that much more special by the fact that you will actually get to sail on the Tall Ship Irene! This is an incredile opportunity to sail the high seas (well around the south of Islay) whilst tasting some incredible whiskies. We haven’t been able to do this for a couple of years but we have secured just two sailings for this year, but for only 9 people so don’t hang about!
We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 2pm sharp. Bring your sea legs, waterproofs and anything else you think you’ll need for this voyage. Life jackets will be provided!

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Eddie Tall Ship Sailing & Tasting
Tue, 29 May 2018 14:00 – 17:00 BST

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Tasting

What’s that you say? You can’t drink cask strength whisky at 10am? Well we’re on Islay time people and during the Fèis Ìle 2018, settling into a tasting of cask strength treasures in the morning is very much the norm – we wouldn’t have it any other way. Aside from a very special tasting, your surroundings will be very conducive too, among the sails and boons aboard the Tall Ship Irene! The tasting itself will be of the latest and yet to be released whiskies from the Elements of Islay, Port Askaig and Single Malts of Scotland range, with the very man who puts them together, Mr Oliver Chilton– Whisky Creator for Speciality Drinks.

Currently, this is what you’ll be tasting.

Port Askaig 8 Year Old
Port Askaig 14 Year Old
Elements of Islay Lg8
Elements of Islay Ar10
Single Malts of Scotland Bowmore 1994 / 22 Year Old
Single Malts of Scotland Laphroaig 1998 / 17 Year Old

This is not only a great chance to try some fantastic pre-releases but also an un-misssbale opportunity to drill down into the inner workings of independent bottlers and find out what really makes this historic part of the whisky industry tick. We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 10am sharp. You won’t need your sea legs for this one as we will be safely moored at the Port Ellen Ferry pier but you may want waterproofs (if it rains) and grippy shoes for the deck! Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Tasting

Date: Wed May 30 2018
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Elements Tall Ship Tasting

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Boutique-y Tall Ship Quayside Tasting

This is a very special afternoon of tasting and fun with ‘Captain’ Dave Worthington and The Whisky Lounge team… Aside from an exclusive tasting, your surroundings will be very conducive too, among the sails and boons aboard the Tall Ship Irene! We welcome to the Irene, and to Islay for the first time, Mr. Dave Worthington, legendary ex-blogger of Whisky Discovery fame and now ploughing his furrow as erstwhile UK Brand Ambassador for That Boutique-y Whisky Company! Dave has assured us he is putting together a tasting par excellence, a tour de force – or just some damn fine drams to you and me!

Currently the whiskies you will be tasting are…

A Bowmore 15 Year Old
A Bunnahabhain 35 Year Old
A Caol Ila 6 Year Old
The Williamson 6 Year Old
An Octomore 6 Year Old
The Islay #2 25 Year Old

This is not only a great chance to try some fantastic whiskies, but also an un-missable opportunity to drill down into the inner workings of independent bottlers and find out what really makes this historic part of the whisky industry tick. We’ll be boarding the Irene at Port Ellen Pier at 7pm sharp. You won’t need your sea legs for this one as we will be safely moored at the Port Ellen Ferry pier but you may want waterproofs (if it rains) and grippy shoes for the deck!

Wed, 30 May 2018 15:00 – 17:00 BST

Fèis Ìle 2018 – Boutique-y Tall Ship Quayside Tasting

The Last of The GlenDronach Batch 16

Earlier this year, the 16th installment of The GlenDronach Single Cask Batch release arrived at Loch Fyne, but most of the bottles were snapped up in the blink of an eye! We’ve been able to get a hold of a few more bottles for you, so make sure you act fast to smuggle one of these beauties away for yourself.

Next day delivery available on UK orders
We ship all over the world!

1976 Cambus 40 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky (750ml)

$299.99 SKU #1331543 

There’s been a distillery in the little village of Cambus on the River Devon since the early 1800s. It became one of the Distillers Company’s workhorses and important in their wildly successful line of blended Scotch. Old Cambus is most notably the base for the famous Johnnie Blue and recently made an official release as a 40 year distillery bottling. That whisky sells for a solid $1000 and while it comes in a pretty box, it is by no means an improvement on this magical cask of grain whisky. We’ve had a number of delicious old grain whiskies over the years, but this stands out as one of the most decadent and full flavored. Only the Port Dundas 36 year from years ago holds a candle in terms of intensity and depth. Ultra rich and chewy, soft sweet grains and tangy citrus. Coffee cake, shortbread and touches of woodsy spice. It’s got fresh vanilla bean for days and a purity of fruit on the palate that requires a double take. We’re reaching for malty heights here! Some snobby Scotch guys like to poopoo the single grains but one whiff of this stuff will convert even the stodgiest devotee. A truly special and rare offering, sister casks of which sell in Europe for multiples with no trouble.

Friday, May 11th  5-7PM 

Local Whiskey: Do Good Distillery 

Located in Modesto, California, Do Good Distillery produces uniquely wonderful craft spirits, with an emphasis on whiskey. They strive to use local ingredients as much as possible, and give back to their local community in true “Do Good” fashion. Their whiskies have won numerous awards since their release, including Gold medal wins at the 2016 World Whisky Awards.

Click Here to RSVP

JAMESON LAUNCHES ITS FIRST EVER CASK STRENGTH WHISKEY

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength has been unveiled

The new cask strength Jameson finishes its maturation in Dublin’s only live Maturation House at Bow Street

Jameson Irish whiskey, which is produced by Irish Distillers in Midleton Distillery, has today announced the launch of Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength; the first cask strength Jameson to be available globally, which finishes its maturation in Dublin’s only live Maturation House in the Jameson Distillery Bow Street. A reinterpretation of the revered Jameson 18 Years, the new expression celebrates Jameson’s Dublin heritage by returning part of the production process to the brand’s original home in Smithfield for the first time since 1975.

Distilled and matured at the Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork, Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength is the new head of the Jameson family. After spending 18 years in a collection of bourbon and sherry casks, the blend of pot still and grain Irish whiskeys has been married together and re-casked in first-fill ex-bourbon American oak barrels for a final six to 12 months in the Maturation House at the Jameson Distillery Bow Street.

‘Marrying’ is a traditional method of re-casking batches of vatted whiskey and re-warehousing it to ensure infusion before bottling. The first batch is presented at 55.3% ABV without the use of chill filtration and will be available in 20 markets from July 2018 at the RRP of €240.

Billy Leighton, Master Blender at Midleton Distillery, commented: “I’ve long had the unique luxury of being able to taste Jameson straight from the barrel at cask strength. With this first ever global launch of a cask strength Jameson, I’m thrilled that Irish whiskey fans around the world can now experience the full intensity of our whiskey or add a few drops of water to enjoy it at their own preferred strength.

“As a tribute to John Jameson’s distilling legacy in Smithfield, we’ve introduced some methods that would have been employed in days past. The final maturation period in Bow Street is our nod to the traditional “marrying” method. We’ve put our own Jameson stamp on it by using first-fill bourbon barrels, whereas the traditional approach would be to use casks multiple times. I like to think of the whiskey getting engaged in Midleton and then “married” in Dublin!”

Simon Fay, International Marketing Director at Irish Distillers, added: “While Jameson’s approachability has been key to its success, we had an opportunity with Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength to reinforce the more serious whiskey side of the brand’s heritage. For years, Jameson fans have been asking for a permanent cask strength expression of Jameson 18 Years. Consumers are looking for increased choice in style and quality in Irish whiskey and Jameson, as the category leader, is committed to satisfying this appetite.

“On top of that, our research shows that consumers are increasingly looking for brand experiences. Now, for the first time ever, consumers will be able to experience the sounds, smells and aura of a functioning maturation room, in the heart of Dublin, at Jameson Distillery Bow St. Our doors are open and we look forward to welcoming whiskey fans to taste a piece of whiskey history.”

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength is presented in a premium bottle design that truly reflects the quality and rarity of the liquid within. The bottle features 18 facets, one for each year of maturation, and the wooden presentation box celebrates the traditional pot stills used during the production process. In addition, a unique copper coin located underneath Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength bottles provides Jameson fans with access to an exclusive online portal where they can delve deeper into the story of the whiskey which bears the Bow Street name.

Jameson 18 Years, presented at 40% ABV and first released 15 years ago, has become one of the world’s most respected and awarded Irish whiskeys and will remain in the Jameson family, maintaining a vital link to Jameson’s history and providing further choice to prestige whiskey enthusiasts.

NOTES

Tasting notes by Billy Leighton, Master Blender at the Midleton Distillery:

Nose: Rich wood-driven influence with deep toffee notes and spice.
Taste: Toffee and oak remain consistent with hints of leather and vanilla along with a subtle sherry nuttiness creating depth and complexity.
Finish: Long and full with the sweet toffee notes slowly fading while the toasted oak and spice linger throughout until the very end.

About Irish Distillers
Irish Distillers is producer of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s fastest-growing Irish whiskey, experiencing 28 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 6.5m cases in 2017. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 71 of those experiencing double- or triple-digit growth.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €250m to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 9, 010 million in 2016/17. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier- Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,500 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 86 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.
www.pernod-ricard.com

APRIL AUCTION RESULTS 2018

Last night’s auction kicked off with a couple of record results. Firstly for the Macallan 1948, which finished up at £15,100. It’s not a bottle we often see anymore so it wasn’t much of a surprise to see it climb to such heights. Similarly, the Bowmore 1955 40 year old is a stunning bottle which we haven’t seen at auction for a while. This bottle spent years hovering around the £4000 mark at auction and I remember speculating about when it would pick up the pace a little. With a record hammer price of £11,100, it seems that time is now. A legendary whisky which was under appreciated for many years.

Back to Macallan and it seems that being official is still what counts. The Speymalt 1945 Macallan finished up at £7600 and the 1955 at £4200. These seem comparatively cheap compared to many official bottlings. The 1945 in particular is a remarkable bottling, being not only the oldest Macallan ever bottled but one of the oldest whiskies ever bottled full stop.

The cask of 1993 Bruichladdich finished at £7100, not quite Macallan territory but natural market value for a mature, naturally low ABV bonded cask. If the strength had been higher I suspect the price for this one would have been quite different.

Some other strong results from Macallan with the Diamond Jubilee bottling hitting £3400, quite bizarre for what is essentially an NAS whisky, but this is the power of Macallan. The 1958 Anniversary Malt at £3500 looks like a good deal in comparison from a liquid quality perspective. It seems many old, official sherry bombs are doing well these days, as evidenced by the Glendronach 1968 25 year old single cask for ANA Nippon Airways which fetched £2600. These bottlings have long possessed a high reputation so it’s no surprise to see them climbing to these heights. I suspect they won’t stop here.

This sale featured a wonderful selection of old SMWS bottlings and it’s no surprise that many of them performed remarkably well. The last time a bottle of the 1966 Ardbeg 33.13 came to auction it was with us in 2016 when it fetched £1600. This time the price was £3100, almost double its previous best. Although, this is no great surprise considering how rare this bottle is. The fact that the 1974 Ardbeg 33.12 also hit £3000 is no great surprise either. These old Ardbegs from the 1970s and 60s are stunning, mythical whiskies, add to that the collectability of the old SMWS bottlings now and you have a recipe for serious value as evidenced here.

Other impressive SMWS results were the Brora 1977 61.3 at £1400, the Ardbeg 1977 33.15 for £1300 – a bottle that could be had for around £400-500 very recently – the Glen Garioch 1968 19.18 and the Clynelish 1976 26.25 for £975. The prices generally for all the SMWS bottlings in this sale were strong. Something which goes to show, if you have a big collection of SMWS rarities, it’s often better to sell them together in one auction and generate a kind of ‘feeding frenzy’ effect.

As we’ve noted in the previous two auctions, Macallan bottlings such as the Exceptional Casks series which were previously around the £300-500 price range have shot into the four figure stratosphere without warning. The same can be said of the Easter Elchies bottlings. Examples such as the 1990 15 year old Easter Elchies edition was still reasonably affordable up until quite recently. Last night the very same bottling fetched £2600, as did several other Easter Elchies bottlings. Once again, that name ‘Macallan’ only seems to be picking up more and more traction at auction.

Other notable examples were the Laphroaig 10 year old from the 1970s which fetched £2350. Even by these bottlings recent standards this is impressive and just goes to show the demand there is out there for this style of whisky which, for some ridiculous reason, no one makes any more. The same could be said of the Bowmore Sherriff’s ship label for £1850. And, while we’re on Laphroaig, it was nice to see the 1976 and 1977 official vintage bottlings back, they’re not seen very often these days and the price of £1550 apiece is understandable and well deserved.

In terms of bargains in this sale there were a few but not many – as is very much the norm these days. A litre of 12 year old Bowmore from the early 1980s was a snip at £235 and there were still some pretty tasty old examples in the First Cask series to be had for quite drinkable prices, key examples being 1970s Caol Ilas and Highland Parks. Although, even this series is starting, inevitably, to climb higher these days. It seems, as knowledge increasingly proliferates, there are fewer and fewer ‘gems’ to be discovered or snapped up for cheap. A sellers market indeed.

Even below the £200 mark there were some eye-popping prices. SMWS bottlings like the Springbank 1993 7 year old 27.45 for £180 or the Laphroaig 1990 8 year old 29.11 for £195 are in many ways even more illustrative of the power and collectability of SMWS whiskies these days. These seem crazy prices for what are good, but ultimately very young whiskies. A North Port 1981 and Tomatin 1976 can be had for the same price. These kinds of results demonstrate the polarisation of the secondary market for whisky and illustrate just how complex it is compared even to a few years ago. It’s not a bubble anymore, it’s bubbles within bubbles. How the market will continue to evolve over time remains to be seen. But, on the evidence of this auction, desire remains as strong as ever for all manner of whiskies and for all kinds of reasons. Healthy in other words.

Taiwanese Treasures  with Kavalan master blender Ian Chang

Here’s a link to this weeks episode of the show, featuring Carn Mor.

https://youtu.be/S1_y8w2WMvU

Regards

Chris

SEE OUR CURRENT AUCTION

Get bidding, and good luck!

The Whisky.Auction Team

KEEP IN TOUCH

info@whisky.auction           +44 (0)20 8838 9381              whisky.auction