Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 164: Eaglesburn 1 Year Old Aged Spirit ‘Xenna’

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries anther Dutch spirit… A new craft distillery in Holland – named Eaglesburn – is hard at work putting spirit to sleep for bottling as single malt, but it will not be ready until Christmas 2008. But in the meantime owner Bart Joosten produces gin and rum. However, you can get a taste of things to come with his 1 year old cask aged spirit which he dubbed Xenna. The spirit was distilled on 6^th April 2016, the very same day his niece Xenna was born. In honor of the little girl’s first birthday, he bottled some of this spirit on 6^th April 2017. It will be many more years before Xenna can enjoy the spirit that carries her name, but luckily we do not need to show that patience. Lo and behold! Despite the young age, this spirit already shows great potential and left Mark mightily impressed!

https://youtu.be/4UE5IbUUNns

Benromach scoops gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition

The Benromach Distillery Company Ltd is toasting success after winning gold in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) with one of its rarest expressions to date.

The Benromach 35 Years Old single malt received a gold award in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition after impressing forty-three spirit experts who judged a record-breaking 2,100 entries.

Handcrafted using the finest ingredients at the Forres distillery, Benromach 35 Years Old is an exceptional whisky with a strong heritage and an original tale or two, having been laid down to mature in the 1980s before the Urquhart family revived the distillery in 1998. Golden amber in colour, Benromach 35 Years Old (ABV 43%) is a most satisfying Speysider with cinnamon hints and beeswax polish, stewed pear and a delicate charred Oak edge.

Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager, said: “Receiving this award from some of the industry’s most influential experts is a great achievement and recognises the high quality of our handcrafted Speyside whiskies.

“We are very proud of our history at Benromach.  Many of the traditional working practices used to create Benromach 35 Years Old are embraced today at the distillery.  Indeed we handcraft our whisky using sight, sound, smell and touch, just as they would have at the distillery many years ago. To have this whisky and others in our portfolio rewarded with this global recognition is testament to the skill and quality we ensure goes into everything we produce.”

Launched in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition has become one of the most influential competitions in the spirits calendar due to the integrity and impartiality of the judging process. Scored by leading figures from across the industry, each sample is blind tested without producer or price point information being revealed.

Notes 

For more information, imagery or interview requests, please contact Katie Mackenzie on katie.mackenzie@mucklemedia.co.uk or gordonmacphail@mucklemedia.co.uk or via phone on 01463 214 965.

Benromach Distillery

Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when leading whisky specialists Gordon & MacPhail purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998.

In reopening Benromach Distillery, Gordon & MacPhail decided to create a classic Speyside single malt – a style that draws its influence from Speyside whiskies pre-1960s.

Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A four-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world-famous Malt Whisky Trail.

Milroys in Paris

You have been invited to a bar take over in Paris. Come and see Milroys own The Vault at a take over at Anouk in Paris from the 12th to the 18th of June. Contact management@amastanparis.com for bookings.

Milroy’s of Soho
3 Greek Street
London, England W1D 4NX
United Kingdom

Saturday, June 10th 12-3PM

Single Malt  AnCnoc, & Old Pulteney

Join us for a second tasting of AnCnoc and Old Pulteney whiskies. We’ll be sampling some rare drams as well as new and best selling releases from both distilleries. Distillery representatives and whisky experts will be present to answer all your whisky questions.

Pour list will be revealed as the event approaches – be sure to follow The Whisky Shop on facebook to stay up to date. 

Click Here to RSVP on Facebook

GLENFARCLAS 2017 EVENTS CALENDAR

• 12^th June……………………Master Distillers Tastings, Milroys of London
• 6^th – 7^th July…………….…Events in Bangkok, Thailand
• 9^th – 22^nd July………….…Events in Perth, Adelaide, Mebourne, Brisbane & Sydney, Australia
• 24^th – 25^th July……………Events in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 1^st – 2^nd September…… Berlin Whisky Show, Germany     www.whisky-herbst.de
• 30^th September – 1^st October..  Whisky Exchange Show, London     https://whiskyshow.com/
• 6^th – 8^th October ……..…Potstill Festival, Amersfoort, The Netherlands www.potstillfestival.com
• 20^th October………………Bar & Spirits Festival, Vienna, Austria
• 21^st October……………….Dramathon    http://www.thedramathon.com/  
• 4^th – 5^th November……Spirits in the Sky, Brussels, Belgium http://www.spiritsinthesky.be/
• 17^th – 19^th November……International Whisky Festival, Den hag, The Netherlands www.whiskyfestival.nl
• 30^th November – 3^rd December…..Whisky Ship, Zurich, Switzerland     www.whiskyschiffzuerich.ch

For more information about any of the above events, please contact info@glenfarclas.com

A. Smith Bowman Distillery Releases Sequential Series Bourbon 

Extremely Limited, Available Mostly in Virginia

Fredericksburg, VA. (May 25, 2017) – A. Smith Bowman Distillery announces the latest release in its Abraham Bowman line of experimental whiskey, the Abraham Bowman Sequential Series Bourbon.

This limited release explores how flavor profiles are affected when bourbon, first aged in new charred white oak barrels, is then finished in different kinds of used barrels for its final years, and also explores how the barrel entry proof affects the finish.

This release is comprised of two expressions, each finished in two different kinds of barrels. The first expression was aged for nine years in new charred white oak barrels before being transferred into barrels that had previously held bourbon for nine years. Half of those bourbon barrels were barreled at 125 proof and half were barreled at 115 proof, before finishing for three years and five months.

The second expression was aged for nine years in new charred white oak barrels before being transferred into barrels that had previously been used to age bourbon and port wine, and then were used to finish their Abraham Bowman Port Finish Bourbon, which went on to be named the 2016 World’s Best Bourbon by Whisky Magazine. Half of these fourth-use barrels were barreled at 125 proof and half were barreled at 115 proof before finishing for three years and five months.

For the bourbon from the second-use barrels Master Distiller, Brian Prewitt notes “vanilla, baked apples, and cherry, followed by sweet caramel that pleasantly dances in the nose,” and describes the taste as “smooth, sweet flavor reminiscent of brown sugar and toasted nuts with a light leathery tobacco note with brown spice lingering on the palate.”

For the fourth-use barrels, Prewitt notes “dried fruit and dark spices on the nose,” and describes a taste of “figs and vanilla followed by a medium mouthfeel that tops off with a slight peppery finish with subdued oak.”

The Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Sequential Series Bourbon is part of a series of limited edition whiskies, named after Abraham Bowman, the commander of the 8^th Virginia Regiment in the American Revolutionary War. Each edition of the Abraham line is a different expression and a new release is offered a few times a year.  This is the 16^th release in the Abraham line.  The Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Sequential Series Bourbon will be available for Virginia residents to purchase through the VA ABC Lottery, and will be available in the A. Smith Bowman Distillery Visitor Center starting Saturday, May 27. Quantities are very limited and most product will be available in Virginia, however limited amounts will be available in other states this summer. The Abraham Bowman series aims to release new and different expressions of innovative whiskey for each release, so it is unlikely this exact bourbon will be repeated. The total age of this bourbon is 12 years and five months and bottled at 100 proof. These 375ml bottles have a suggested retail price of $39.99.

About A. Smith Bowman

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

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. Its various brands have won more than 100 awards in the past five years, including “World’s Best Bourbon” in 2016 for its Abraham Bowman Port Finished Bourbon and again in 2017 for its John J. Bowman Single Barrel at the World Whisky Awards.  For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit http://www.asmithbowman.com/.

Wyoming Whiskey Pours into California

Kirby, WY (June 1, 2017) – America’s next great bourbon has landed on the West Coast. Wyoming Whiskey is now available in California through its boutique distributor, The Craft Spirits Cooperative. Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon, Outryder Straight American Whiskey, Private Stock Single Barrel Bourbon, and limited quantities of sherry-finished Double Cask are now available throughout the state.

“We tested the California waters in Los Angeles during a six month trial period.” Said co-founder David DeFazio. “During that time, the Cooperative proved that it is the right partner for our brand and we look forward to seeing them distribute our whiskies across the state.” Peter J. Scheufele, Director of The Craft Spirits Cooperative stated, “With our hybrid program, pairing brand building efforts with distribution, we are singularly focused on bringing exceptional products to remarkable accounts. Our salespeople practice an education-first selling style to let the unique stories and liquids produced by our suppliers shine, and the reaction to Wyoming Whiskey has been outstanding. We are excited to begin introducing these authentic products our accounts across the state.”

Wyoming Whiskey is a family-owned and operated craft distiller built on a simple (but not easy) concept: to create a traditional bourbon in an untraditional place. Using only Wyoming-sourced, non-GMO ingredients, and water from a mile-deep, limestone aquifer, Wyoming Whiskey respects the maxims of great bourbon, yet also reflects the feel and taste of the state where it is made. Wyoming Whiskey holds fast to its western heritage.

Californians can now experience these award-winning Wyoming spirits firsthand. National bourbon connoisseurs have testified that exceptional bourbon is being made on the Wyoming frontier. This year, Wyoming Whiskey’s limited release Barrel Strength Bourbon received a “Liquid Gold” award in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. The flagship Small Batch Bourbon received a score of 95 from WhiskyCast’s Mark Gillespie, stating it is “one of the best bourbons [he’s] ever tasted.” The Spirit Journal’s Paul Pacult also called Wyoming Whiskey “a whiskey distiller to watch” after sampling Small Batch and awarding it 4/5 stars.

The following Wyoming Whiskey offerings now available throughout California:

Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch ($39.99 / 44% ABV / 88 Proof): Wyoming Whiskey’s Small Batch Bourbon is medium amber in color with a nose of sweet corn, molasses, and clove. It is medium-bodied with a palate of vanilla, caramel, charred oak, and a hint of citrus. The finish is mild with lingering caramel and toast, and is very smooth. Mash bill: 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley. Age: 5 years.

Wyoming Whiskey Outryder ($54.99 / 50% ABV / 100 Proof): Launched in October 2016, Outryder Straight American Whiskey is Bottled in Bond and represents Wyoming Whiskey’s first use of rye, along with corn and malted barley, to craft a straight whiskey from two distinct mash bills. These two whiskies were laid down in November of 2011 at the behest of co-founder David DeFazio. The first mash bill contains 48% winter rye, 40% corn, and 12% malted barley and the second reflects a traditional bourbon mash bill of 68% corn, 20% winter rye, and 12% malted barley. Outryder has an initial nose of creamy browned butter with cinnamon, clove and allspice, along with freshly baked, dark-rye bread. Hints of orange blossom honey are on the palate. A long, spicy rye finish is coupled with hints of buttery toffee. Age: 4 years and 10 months.

Wyoming Whiskey Private Stock ($49.99 – $54.99/ 92-112 Proof): Wyoming Whiskey retailers have the option to hand-select one-of-a-kind Wyoming Whiskey bourbon barrels. Head distiller Sam Mead and industry consultant Nancy Fraley will choose the initial barrel samples based on their unique, and varied, flavor profiles. Through the Private Stock Barrel Program, retailers can select from five different 100ml Wyoming Whiskey barrel samples. Accounts will select their barrel, and proof, and it will become uniquely theirs as indicated on the custom label. Depending on the barrel, and proof, a 34 – 38 case yield should be expected. Stores will have the unique option to pick the proof of their chosen bourbon between 92 – cask strength of approximately 112 proof. This gives retailers the ability to further customize their barrel selection to suit the desires of their customers. Mash bill: 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley. Age: 5 years

Wyoming Whiskey Double Cask ($59.99 / 50% ABV / 100 Proof): Wyoming Whiskey Double Cask is the first sherry barrel-finished bourbon offered out of Wyoming. Pedro Ximenez barrels were chosen to compliment the flavor profile of specifically chosen barrels of fully-matured Wyoming Whiskey bourbon. Double Cask features dark, autumnal notes of dried apricot and fig, stewed prune, black currant and toasted nuts. There are hints of candied orange peel, vanilla butter cream, and molasses underneath. The finish is comprised of dark, dried fruit followed by warm, brown baking spices. Mash bill: 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley. Age: 5 years.

Wyoming Whiskey product character highlights:

• All water used to produce WW award-winning bourbon comes from a mile-deep, limestone aquifer in Manderson, Wyoming.

• Wyoming Whiskey’s wheat, corn, barley, and rye have been grown within 100 miles of the distillery in Kirby, Byron, Thermopolis, and Riverton, Wyoming.

• Wyoming Whiskey’s barley is malted in Great Falls, Montana, the nearest malting facility.

• Wyoming Whiskey’s grains are milled on-site daily with a two-stage roller mill guaranteeing freshness.

• All fermentation and distillation occurs on-site through the use of four 2,500 gallon fermentation tanks and a continuous distillation system comprised of a 38’ tall and 18” wide column still and a 42” by 40” pot still.

• Wyoming Whiskey bourbon is bottled on-site. No product, other than their own, makes it into the bottle.

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About Wyoming Whiskey
Wyoming Whiskey has a simple goal: to create America’s next great bourbon. Based in Kirby, Wyoming, the company and product is a collaboration between its partners and 97,818 square miles of Wyoming. The Mead family first came to Wyoming as ranchers in 1890 and the state defines them, and their whiskey. They use the finest corn, wheat, barley, and water from the Big Horn Basin and promote Wyoming’s natural and human resources. Every drop of this bourbon is 100% Wyoming. To learn more, visit wyomingwhiskey.com.

Buffalo Trace Masterclass

On June 10th, we will be joined by the famed Buffalo Trace for an evening of tasting that should not be missed. On the night we will be putting Rye against Wheat with an absolutely epic line up.

Buffalo Trace vs Eagle Rare 10

 George T Stagg vs. Weller 12,

William Laurue Weller vs Van Winkle 15.

*We are hoping to have the White Dogs of both Mashbills but this is currently unconfirmed.* Details are available on the Milroy’s Web Store.

Tickets

“Michter’s honour a historical legacy tracing back to the founding of America’s first whiskey company in 1753.”

‘Michter’s’ are one of Milroy’s favourite American Distilleries. A delectable range at a tasty price. The US-1 expressions, so named to honuor Michter’s heritage harkening back to America’s first whiskey company, consist of some of the finest single barrel and truly small batch whiskeys available. Distilled to Master Distiller Pamela Heilmann’s exacting specifications, no US-1 whiskey is ever released until Willie and the Michter’s tasting panel deems it ready..

Buy Michter’s on the Milroy’s Web Store

Ralfy mixes malt and rum with Ralfy Review 655 – Balvenie 14yo Caribbean Cask @ 43%vol