You can’t aim for or feign authenticity; it’s not something that you can just try on for size like a jacket. Authentic means doing your own thing, the very best way you know how, without worrying about what everybody else is doing. And that’s exactly what Jack Daniel’s has been doing for 150 years.

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey is a product not just of ingredients or process, but also of the Lynchburg, TN culture and time-honored traditions that created and preserved it for 150 years. That culture stands against superficiality, against half-truths, against losing sight of what’s important, and it stands strong. Authentic. And through a new series of films, Jack Daniel’s will honor their hometown and its people – the individuals dedicated to making the very best whiskey they can, every day.

Jack Daniel’s will kick off the series with the debut of “Our Town” – a 60-second anthem spot that shows people who they are and who they’ve always been. Created in partnership with Arnold Worldwide, “Our Town” and accompanying 60, 30 and 15-second films will highlight the people of Lynchburg – from its 5^th generation residents, to a man that can lift a 526-pound barrel of whiskey, to a woman named Hiawatha Kitty McGee. The stories were designed to reinforce an emotional connection with the Jack Daniel’s faithful and provide a launching point for the next 150 years.

This launch represents a continuation of the brand’s celebration of the 150th Anniversary milestone of the Jack Daniel Distillery – the oldest registered distillery in the U.S. Earlier this year, Jack Daniel’s and Arnold launched The Jack Daniel’s Barrel Hunt to unite Friends of Jack across the globe, with 150 authentic handcrafted whiskey barrels being hidden at historic and cultural sites in more than 55 countries over the course of 90 days. The global program kicked off in Lynchburg, TN on July 1 and is running through the end of the month, September 30.

The new :60 spot can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQEaEfaavYc.

2001 Bowmore 14 Year Old “Hepburn’s Choice” Single Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

($82.99)

While Bowmore seems to play second (or even fourth) fiddle to the Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig selections on our shelf, we’ve always been enamored with Islay’s most historic distillery. We’ve never let popular whisky culture or changes in the portfolio diminish the fact that Bowmore tastes pretty damn good in a number of iterations. While tasting through single-cask selections this year, we found a 14-year-old sherry butt that was so dark and so soft we couldn’t pass it up. The best part about this particular expression was the texture; it mirrored the most popular Bowmore edition we sell: the 15-year-old “Darkest,” albeit at full proof and from one concentrated cask (and despite the fact this was supposedly a “refill” barrel). The flavors are dark and rich, brooding and slow-moving over the palate. Dark chocolate accented by a beach bonfire oozes over the tongue, buoyed by toasted almonds and earthy peat. The nice part about sherry butts is that they hold more whisky! In the case of this 14-year-old Bowmore, we figured we were going to need every drop. We expect this to be one of the most popular K&L casks of the fall season; while it lasts, of course.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 21, 2016

With tons of vanilla and cinnamon on the nose and the lovely smoky phenolics of classic Bowmore this refill sherry cask is not to be missed. The deeper than expected sherry profile gives the sweet profile of candy coated nuts at a carnival. Its smooth and textural but still robust thanks to the cask strength bottling. Sweet earth like fresh black gold compost and a hint of salinity round out this steal. We probably should have priced this north of $100, but we love having great deals on our shelves as much as you do!

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 18, 2016

The color of this wonderful cask is a dark brown reflecting the sherry barrel aging. In the nose there are inviting light smoke aromas. In the mouth it is rich and round, showing the influence of the sherry.The sherry barrel did not make this Bowmore overly sweet but added complexity and helps make this single malt so good and easy to enjoy . There is a nice long finish.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 17, 2016

An absolutely delicious smoky whisky that should please any fan of the genre. This has everything: smoke, peat, sherry, campfire, earth, chocolate, toffee, and even a nuttiness that finishes with poise and presence. I’ll be recommending this to everyone looking for something beyond Lagavulin 16.

 BLOG POST

The Whisky Barrel – Your Online Whisky Shop

thewhiskybarrel.com | (01334) 657060 | Twitter @WhiskyBarrel, Instagram & Facebook

Whisky Magazine’s Online Retailer of the Year Award 2009-2016

International Wine & Spirits Competition Best Online Retailer 2015-2016

This weeks review for you, an exceptional Islay; Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength Review

BUSHMILLS® IRISH WHISKEY INTRODUCES PORT CASK RESERVE – A RARE AND UNIQUE CASK-MATURED VARIANT, AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY IN DUTY FREE

THE SECOND EDITION IN THE LIMITED RELEASE BUSHMILLS STEAMSHIP COLLECTION

Bushmills, Co. Antrim, 26 September 2016: Today, Bushmills® Irish Whiskey announced the launch of PORT CASK RESERVE – the second and latest edition in the Bushmills Steamship Collection – a rare and unique range of cask-matured Bushmills Irish Whiskeys inspired by the extraordinary voyages of the SS Bushmills steamship.

As a duty free exclusive, this new variant follows last year’s successful launch of Bushmills SHERRY CASK RESERVE, marking the 125th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the SS Bushmills.

In 1890, the SS Bushmills delivered Bushmills Irish Whiskey to new corners of the world and with it established knowledge and relationships from some of the world’s finest wine and spirit producers. With over 400 years of whiskey-making heritage and as experts in wood selection, it is these relationships that have served the Old Bushmills Distillery to this day, helping Bushmills master distillers explore the potential of maturing whiskey in exclusive and rare casks.

Helen Mulholland, Master Blender of Bushmills Irish Whiskey, said; “We pride ourselves on understanding the different nuances that different barrels impart on our whiskey. Up to 80% of the character of whiskey comes from the cask, so I make it my mission to travel to Portugal to meet with the craftsmen and estate owners from Douro Valley.

“As a region whose stony soil yields only low quantities of grapes which are of outstanding quality and perfect for making port, it is here where I personally select the best casks for PORT CASK RESERVE. After a seasoning period of at least three years they are emptied and shipped back to Bushmills to be filled with our whiskey – letting the residual flavours from the charred wood work their magic. The result is our trademark rich, complex and smooth triple-distilled single malt whiskey with subtle elegant notes of damson, black coffee and almonds.

“Bushmills PORT CASK RESERVE has a truly unique story to tell and we are thrilled to offer duty free shoppers a glimpse into the world of flavour exploration and experimentation from Ireland’s oldest distillery.”

Presented in a hand-crafted box featuring a 70cl bottle, Bushmills PORT CASK RESERVE has been fully matured in ruby port pipes which impart luscious and complex flavours of the port wine into this unique whiskey.

Priced at RSP £99 for 70cl, travellers can pick up a bottle of Bushmills PORT CASK RESERVE, alongside the SHERRY CASK RESERVE edition at selected global travel retail outlets, from November 2016.

Notes

• PORT CASK RESERVE is available in 70cl
• PORT CASK RESERVE has an RRP of GBP£99
• PORT CASK RESERVE has an ABV of 40%

Visit Bushmills® Irish Whiskey at Bay 16, Bay Village, on the Jose Cuervo Global Travel Retail stand at TFWA from 2 to 6 October, 2016 in Cannes.

MEDIA CONTACT

For more information please contact Smarts Communicate bushmills@smartscommunicate.com Claire Towe claire.towe@smartscommunicate.com

02890395552

About Bushmills® Irish Whiskey

Bushmills® Irish Whiskey is crafted in small batches at the Old Bushmills Distillery in the village of Bushmills, Country Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is Ireland’s oldest working distillery – making triple distilled malt whiskey and producing both blended and single malt whiskey of the same name. This is at the heart of all Bushmills® Irish Whiskeys and creates a unique combination of smoothness and richness.

A. Smith Bowman Distillery Releases Limited Edition Gingerbread Cocoa Finished Bourbon

Release is Extremely Limited, Available Mostly in Virginia

               Fredericksburg, VA. (Sept. 27, 2016) – A. Smith Bowman Distillery announces the latest release in its Abraham Bowman line of expressions, the Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Gingerbread Cocoa Finished Bourbon.

               Marrying two Virginia gems, this limited edition bourbon was aged in a special batch of barrels used by A. Smith Bowman Distillery and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Virginia.  The barrels originated at A. Smith Bowman in 2010, where they aged bourbon for four and a half years.  The barrels were emptied and sent to Hardywood Park Brewery to be filled with two special beers: six barrels aged Gingerbread Stout and four barrels aged Foolery Imperial Milk Stout.

               Both of the beers aged inside these barrels for eight months before being emptied again and sent back to A. Smith Bowman in December 2015. They were then finally filled for the last time with bourbon that had aged for nine years inside of new charred white oak barrels. This bourbon was distilled in December of 2006 and was allowed to finish for 17 months inside these special barrels. Master Distiller Brian Prewitt determined through periodic tasting evaluations that the rich caramel and oak flavors of the bourbon had intermingled with the spice notes of gingerbread and hints of cocoa in an extraordinary way.

               “This bourbon tastes of ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon topped off with notes of cocoa. The gingerbread spice aroma gives way to caramel and toasty oak and finishes with a smooth and pleasant finish,” states Prewitt.

The Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Gingerbread Cocoa Finished 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 15^th release in the Abraham line.  The Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Gingerbread Cocoa Finished Bourbon will be available for Virginia residents to purchase through the VA ABC Lottery on Thursday Sept. 29^th, and in the A. Smith Bowman Distillery Visitor Center starting Oct. 1^st. It will also be available in limited amounts in other states starting in mid-October. Quantities are very limited and most product will be available in Virginia. 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 age of this bourbon is 9 years and 8 months and it is 90 proof. It is available in a 375 ml only and suggested retail pricing is $39.99.

About A. Smith Bowman

1. 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 at the World Whisky Awards.  For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit http://www.asmithbowman.com/.

WOODFORD RESERVE PRESENTS THE WOODFORD ALLIANCE:

SIX BARS. THREE NIGHTS. ONE LOCATION. ONE BOURBON. 

Imagine a world where you didn’t have to travel hundreds of miles to experience the best New York cocktails, or most exciting Amsterdam serves. Woodford Reserve, the small batch craft bourbon, brings you ‘The Woodford Alliance’, a pop up experience designed to make this a reality. As part of London Cocktail Week 2016, The Woodford Alliance will take place in Shoreditch in early October, bringing six of the world’s best bars together over three epic nights.

Each evening Woodford Reserve will partner with two leading bars, one from London and one international, combining the best-loved elements of each bar in one venue. Compare the pencil portraits and modern cocktails of New York’s Suffolk Arms with the wooden panelling and punch at London’s award winning Punch Room at The London EDITION … And that’s just Wednesday evening.… Each night the dressing, experience, staff and bar menu will change, with the drinks list including two of each bar’s most iconic Woodford Reserve drinks. Light bites, based on the bars’ menus, will be served, whilst specially curated music playlists from the bars run through the evening.

On Tuesday consumers will be treated to a partnership between London’s epochal hidden away speakeasy, Nightjar and Stockholm’s New Orleans-inspired Little Quarter. Wednesday will host TimeOut’s ‘Bar of the Year’ 2016, The Punch Room, with New York’s Lower East Side cocktail bar, inspired by the typical British pub, The Suffolk Arms. Finally, Thursday will pair the quirky and experimental Peg + Patriot, with the rich history of Amsterdam’s finest offering, The Tailor.

Woodford Reserve will also run masterclasses at the event, demonstrating how to make their signature serve, The Old Fashioned. Masterclasses are priced at £15 and include two drinks on the night and a take away gift.

The events will take place at the White Rabbit Studios, 471-473, The Arches, Dereham Place, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3HJ on Tuesday 4^th, Wednesday 5^th and Thursday 6^th October from 5pm.

https://drinkup.london/events/10437/the-woodford-alliance/

About Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve is a super-premium, craft bourbon that is a product of the Woodford Reserve Distillery, one of America’s oldest and smallest distilleries, located in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. Woodford Reserve has quickly become a highly acclaimed, award-winning bourbon which is savoured by consumers worldwide. It is a bourbon of exceptional richness, depth and character with a smooth, well-rounded finish.

For more information, visit www.woodfordreserve.com/

About Peg + Patriot 

Peg + Patriot is located in London’s Bethnal Green, one of the most up and coming areas of the city for cocktails. Founder Matt Whiley is known for his quirky drinks and unique style.

For more information, visit www.talentedmrfox.com/

About Nightjar  

Nightjar is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar, described as ‘a hidden slice of old school glamour on the fringes of Shoreditch’. It has been an icon on the London scene since opening, and is famed for its live jazz and blues, as well as experimental drinks.

For more information, visit www.barnightjar.com/

About The Punch Room 

Set within The London EDITION, Punch Room is a fumed-oak panelled den inspired by 19^th Century London private clubs. All cocktails are served punch style, and it has quickly become one of the city’s hidden gems.

For more information, visit http://www.editionhotels.com/london/restaurants-and-bars/punch-room 

About Suffolk Arms

Suffolk Arms is a modern cocktail pub in New York City created by third generation bartender Giuseppe González. Originally inspired by a London pub, Giuseppe and his team’s approach to mixology has won them international recognition.

For more information, visit www.suffolkarms.com/#welcome

About Little Quarter

Little Quarter brings New Orleans’ cocktail scene to life in Stockholm, with a constantly rotating drinks menu blending the best of mixology with a playful rebellious attitude.

For more information, visit www.marielaveau.se/ 

About The Tailor

The Tailor, in Amsterdam, offers a rich history that began with a young tailor and entrepreneur in 1866 called A.W. Krasnapolsky. Together with award-winning mixologist Tess Posthumus, the bar creates tailor-made and bespoke cocktails.

For more information, visit www.barthetailor.com/ 

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select

43.2% ABV

Proof: 86.4

Appearance: Clean, brilliant honey amber.

Nose: Heavy with rich dried fruit, hints of mint, oranges and cocoa. Faint vanilla and tobacco spice.

Taste: Rich, rounded and smooth. Toffee and spice with a long warming finish.

Recommended serve: Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned

Glass: Rocks/Old Fashioned

Ice: Cubed

Method: Stir

Garnish: Orange Twist

Ingredients:

50ml Woodford Reserve

10ml sugar syrup

3 dashes of angostura bitters

Method: Add the sugar syrup to the glass with the bitters. Add roughly 1/3 of the Woodford Reserve with 3 ice cubes and stir. Keep repeating until the Woodford Reserve is finished. Garnish and serve 

Stockists: Waitrose, Ocado, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda

RRP: £31

Introducing The Whisky Barrel 3.0

How time flies! It’s been five years since our last major website upgrade and we felt it was time to freshen things up. You’ll find our new website easier to navigate (especially on mobile devices) and packed full of even more award winning whiskies and gins from Scotland, including our prised independent bottlers and distillers. We also accept more currency payments including Euros and PayPal Express Checkout. Please note – your old login details won’t work on the new website (sorry!). Please follow the simple checkout instructions to create a new account login.

Ralfy encounters a windy day outdoors with Whisky Review 600 – A Rosebank on a windy day.

TOMATIN DISTILLERY TOAST SCOTLAND’S FINEST WITH AWARD-WINNING CHEF JACQUELINE O’DONNELL

Tomatin Distillery has teamed up with award-winning Scottish chef Jacqueline O’Donnell for an evening of whisky and food pairings to celebrate Scotland’s finest produce following the recent Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight.

The star of ‘The Great British Menu’ and ‘Jak and Eddie’s Scottish Kitchen’, Jacqueline O’Donnell urged customers to swap the wine for whisky as the perfect accompaniment to a meal at the exclusive event on the 22^nd September at the chef’s ‘Sisters’ restaurant in Glasgow. During the evening Jacqueline and Tomatin Distillery Manager, Graham Eunson shared insights into the pairings and explored four expressions of Tomatin single malt.

Jacqueline commented ‘The complexity of our national drink means that often it can unlock more flavours than wine when paired with the right food from our natural Scotch larder. Great food and whisky have always been a perfect combination and the light, fruity characteristics of Tomatin lend well to pairings. As Scotland’s main export, we wanted to showcase the diversity of the spirit alongside a medley of local produce to offer a mouth-watering and authentic experience for our guests.’

Graham Eunson, Distillery Manager said:

‘The world of food and whisky is becoming increasingly more entwined as the vast range of flavours and styles of malt offer room for experimentation, and the growing number of chefs opting for whisky as a serious alternative to wine is really encouraging. Over the past year we’ve worked hard to reach different audiences with new look packaging and our recent cocktail range so we hope that this latest venture will continue to attract more customers to Scotch by revealing its versatility and affinity to food.’

Guests enjoyed a four course meal including cured Scottish Trout paired with Tomatin 12 year old, followed by a 5 spice Scotch lamb rump with spiced toasted hazelnut and Tomatin Cask Strength. Dessert comprised of Scotch raspberry with dark chocolate chilli tart and a Tomatin 14 year old, rounded off with Barwheys cheddar and homemade oatcakes coupled with a dram of Tomatin 18 year old.

For more information visit tomatin.com/food.