Jim Beam® Establishes Revolutionary Bourbon-Making Process with Release of Devil’s Cut™

Clermont, KY (May 25, 2011) – Continuing to push the envelope in the bourbon category, Jim Beam® debuts the latest innovation in its portfolio – Devil’s Cut™. The new, premium bourbon whiskey is created using a proprietary process that extracts the liquid trapped inside the wood of the bourbon barrels. The product is a robust premium bourbon with a deep color, aroma and character that showcases notes of wood, oak and vanilla derived from the barrel wood.

Devil’s Cut plays off the notion of “Angel’s Share” in the bourbon-making process. As bourbon ages, a portion of liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation – that’s the Angel’s Share. After aging, when the bourbon is dumped out of the barrel, a certain amount of whiskey is left trapped within the wood of every barrel—it’s that liquid, and the rich flavors from deep within the barrel wood it contains, that has been extracted and put back into extra-aged Jim Beam Bourbon to create Devil’s Cut.

“The barrel is the soul of any bourbon – it always has been,” said Fred Noe, seventh-generation Beam family distiller and great-grandson of Jim Beam. “With Devil’s Cut, we’re breaking new ground by unleashing that trapped bourbon from the barrel and giving people a chance to really experience that bold flavor in a way that they never have before.”

To create Devil’s Cut, Jim Beam distillers begin by emptying barrels of extra-aged, six-year Jim Beam Bourbon. The barrels are then agitated through a proprietary process to pull the trapped bourbon and flavors from the barrel wood. The liquid (with the extracted elements it now contains) is then held for an appropriate length of time in a proprietary process until it has developed the proper balance of bourbon notes. In the final step, this special liquid is carefully added back to extra-aged Jim Beam to create the finely-balanced, smooth 90 proof Devil’s Cut Bourbon.

“Devil’s Cut brings you even closer to the bourbon making process,” said Rob Mason, Director, U.S. Bourbons, Beam Global Spirits & Wine. “We think this is a product that both our long-time fans and curious newcomers will appreciate. It’s an opportunity to experience the charred oak barrel, which has always played a crucial part in making Bourbon.”

Devil’s Cut has already been well-received within the bourbon industry. Charles K. Cowdery, author of Bourbon, Straight, states: “I predict the enthusiast community will be enthusiastic about Jim Beam Devil’s Cut…In the course of about a year, Beam Global has [become] arguably the most innovative [spirits company], and their willingness to bet the flagship brand on these escapades makes it even more impressive.”

Jack Bettridge, Senior Features Editor at Cigar Aficionado describes Devil’s Cut as “a very full-flavored, tasty whiskey that manages to belie its origin and coloration by being smooth and approachable as well.”

Devil’s Cut will be available in select states (NH, PA, VA, WA, OH, NC, and OR) in May, and nationwide this summer for a suggested retail price of $23.99 for a 750ML bottle. For more information about Devil’s Cut, go to www.jimbeamdevilscut.com or visit us on Facebook® at www.facebook.com/JimBeam.  

Jim Beam is committed to social responsibility and advises legal purchase age consumers to drink smart®. Through drinksmart.com, Beam Global educates legal purchase age consumers about how to make responsible choices about alcohol.

About Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.:

Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. (“Beam Global”) is one of the world’s largest premium spirits companies, encompassing a portfolio of nearly 100 brands (including 10 of the world’s top-100 premium spirits brands), more than a dozen global operating and commercial facilities and 3,200 employees worldwide. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Sauza® Tequila, Canadian Club® Whisky, Courvoisier® Cognac, Teacher’s® Scotch Whisky, Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Cruzan® Rum, Hornitos ™ Tequila, EFFEN® Vodka, Larios® Gin, Whisky DYC®, DeKuyper® Cordials, Knob Creek® Bourbon and Skinnygirl® Cocktails. Growth through innovation is a key strategy at Beam Global, with Red Stag by Jim Beam® Bourbon, Cruzan® 9 Rum, Maker’s 46™ Bourbon and Courvoisier® 12 Cognac and Courvoisier® 21 Cognac all being launched as new products over the past two years. Beam Global is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company. For more information on Beam Global, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Dear Whisky Fans,

WoW hopes you’re having a great summer and enjoying some great drams during the warmer half of the year. We here at the WoW Expo office are planning an incredible 2012 Expo and look forward to impressing you with new and interesting whiskies as well as an exciting venue.

Nine months is a long time to wait for the Whiskies of the World® Expo 2012 and we don’t like to miss a chance to celebrate, nose, taste and compare expressions of uísque beatha or “the water of life”. Our latest occasion was the Memorial Day weekend when we sampled four different wood finished expressions of Glendronach released in 2010 including a 20yo Tawny Port finish. This particular whisky sold out very quickly so Glendronach released a second bottling in 2011. The new 15yo Tawny Port maintains the tradition of releasing non-sherry wood finishes of the highest quality and it is delicious.

Father’s Day marks another whisky rendezvous on the calendar. It takes fortitude to be a good father so this Father’s Day why not fortify your Dad with a good bottle of whisky?  We’ve done some research for you and can recommend several phenomenal expressions that will not leave any Dad disappointed.

Featured Whiskies:

For lovers of the best Scottish single malts we suggest Glenglassaugh 26 Years, a whisky rarely found in US stores.  This Highland malt is a marriage of the finest casks filled in 1983 from the Glenglassaugh distillery. Those who sampled it at the Expo gave rave reviews of this complex yet light whisky (46% alcohol) which still retains much of the youthful elements and light fruits of the original spirit. The price seems reasonable enough for an original distillery bottling, meaning this wonderful whisky wasn’t only produced but also bottled right at the distillery.

For the connoisseurs of everything single malt, not necessarily Scottish, Amrut whisky from India will be a perfect fit. Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured is uniquely different from the usual sherry finished or sherry matured whiskies. It is the first “intermediate sherry matured” whisky – with the malt aged in sherry casks between periods maturing in either bourbon or virgin casks at Amrut’s Bangalore distillery.

Blended whisky fans will definitely appreciate Johnnie Walker Swing. Named for contrasting malts in the blend from the northern Highlands and Islay that will swing on your tongue the distinctive convex shape of the bottle makes a visually striking presentation. This proprietary bottling is not easy to find and any Dad will appreciate having it in his collection.

On a very important note, we recommend a great a great place to purchase these whiskies, alongside hundreds and hundreds of other liquid delicacies—Whisky Shop in San Francisco. Please don’t worry if you’re not a San Franciscan, as you can order directly from their website at http://www.whiskyshopusa.com and enjoy the convenience of on-line shopping.

Bible For Dad

Another great Father’s Day gift is the new 2011 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. This comprehensive guide to whisky contains almost 4000 tasting notes of single malts, blends, vatted malts and grain whiskies from around the globe, many of which have been released since the publication of the previous edition. The tasting notes will not only help to understand the character of a whisky before buying it, but are by themselves a fascinating read for anybody interested in whisky.

The 2011 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible also contains copious tasting notes for Bourbon and American whiskey aficionados as well! Order now to have it delivered by Father’s Day!

Featured Father:

When we talk about great fathers we mean fathers whose children respectfully and gratefully follow in their footsteps. Sometimes it takes generations to revive family roots and bring back the traditions founded by a great patriarch. There are a number of examples of children following in their father’s footsteps in the whiskey business.  This Father’s Day Whiskies of the World would like to honor Augustus Bulleit who created the legendary recipe for Bulleit Bourbon and his great-great grandson Tom who recreated the legendary recipe of Bulleit Bourbon 150 years later.

The story of Bulleit Bourbon began in the early 1800s when Augustus emigrated from France to New Orleans and using his knowledge of brandy-making created small batches of Kentucky Bourbon. Popular among the pioneers migrating westward of the Mississippi River, business was booming for Augustus Bulleit until 1860. Augustus  and his legendary Bourbon died while transporting whiskey to New Orleans, at least until Tom Bulleit came along.

If you stopped at the Bulleit table at the last WoW Expo, you probably met an interesting couple and received a generous pour of bourbon from them. This would make you part of Tom Bulleit and his daughter Hollis’ family whiskey tradition that represents a continuity of both Bulleit family history and a lost American era.

Cheers,

Douglas Smith

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Welcome to summer and our Spring Whisky Week!

Tonight we are hosting our annual Spring Single Malt Festival which is another sell out. We have probably our best line-up of whiskies ever, with more than 120 on offer. Tonight we will be launching a number of new whiskies on to the market, like the Isle of Jura Prophecy one of our latest exclusives. We also have an advance bottle of the Shackleton Whisky—Mackinlay’s Old and Rare Highland Malt. This is a meticulous recreation of a whisky discovered under Shackleton’s hut in Antarctica. We will be the exclusive retailer of the Shackleton Whisky in Alberta, and are taking pre-orders for it. (I will include some pre-order info on the Shakleton Whisk in the next full Malt Messenger) There are also a slew of other new whiskies to showcase from Signatory, Edradour and a number of other producers which I will write in detail about in the next Malt Messenger.

As part of our whisky week I am hosting a special whisky dinner tomorrow night at Buchanan’s Chop House, I am calling it the Peat Monster Dinner. Participants will enjoy a three course meal and six heavily peated whiskies including three single cask single malts from Kilchoman Distillery. Last year three casks of Kilchoman were sold to North American Retailers, one to Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago, one to the Whisky Shop San Francisco and the other one too… you guessed it the Kensington Wine Market. I’ve acquired a bottle of each of the Whisky Shop and Binny’s bottlings, and we will sample these rare single malts next to the Kensington bottling. The dinner will also feature a whisky from Port Ellen and the Ardbeg Supernova 2010 and another unnamed single malt. The cost for the dinner is $120 + GST. It includes a three course dinner, six whiskies and gratuity!+

Finally, Father’s Day is nearly here. Happy Father’s Day to all you father’s and grandfather’s out there. Below you’ll find a copy of my Father’s Day gift guide. I hope it comes in handy!

FATHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE

Under $60

1.       Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011 – A dense tome of whisky musings, tasting notes and pointed personal opinions on whiskies from all over the world from one the industries foremost critics.- $21.99

2.       Malt Whisky Yearbook 2011 – A great resource on the Single Malt Scotch Whisky Industry with in-depth descriptions of all active distilleries and what happened in the industry over the last year! – $29.99

3.       Finlaggan Old Islay Reserve – A peated mystery malt from oops, Caol Ila Distillery. 94pts Jim Murray. Exclusive to KWM! – $50.99

4.       Arran 10 Year – The best unpeated malt available for less than $70 bucks! – $53.99

5.       Nikka From the Barrel – I’d call this whisky cute, but you might not take it seriously… this cask strength little Japanese whisky is sublime and comes in a handsome little square bottle. – $53.49

Under $100

1.       Auchentoshan 1998 – An excellent vintage just awarded best Lowland Whisky in the World Whisky Awards – $64.49

2.       Glenmorangie Sonnalta  PX – One of the most lovely noses you’ll ever sample, and a very soft complex palate. This KWM exclusive is currently our best selling whisky by a long shot! 96pts  Jim Murray. – $74.99

3.       Bowmore Tempest 1st Edition – Over the last year and a half this is our best selling single malt, and it was just awarded Best Islay Single Malt Whisky in the World Whisky Awards. – $81.99

4.       Arran KWM Bourbon and Sherry Casks – A couple of times a year the Kensington Wine Market selects a barrel to be bottled exclusively for our store. We review a selection of barrel samples and with the assistance of some select customers we choose one exceptional cask. This time things went a little bit sideways, we were unable to decide between one rich bourbon barrel and a superb sherry cask, SO we decided to do both! Our Bourbon and Sherry cask Arran bottling are each from a unique single barrel, bottled at natural cask strength, without chill filtering or added colouring. Like a proud father unable, nae unwilling to decide which child he prefers, you’ll have to decide for yourself which is the better whisky! – $84.99 / Each

5.       Duthies Ardbeg 16 Year – From a single cask bottled at 46% without added colouring or chill filtering; 1110 bottles. The whisky is a classic mature Ardbeg with soft oily peat, earthy spices and sweet vanilla! – $91.99

Under $150

1.       Glendronach 1995 KWM PX – Our Glendronach single cask PX Sherry Puncheon is one for the ages, sweet, chocolaty and soft with fruit and spice notes. It has yielded 682 individually numbered bottles at a cask strength of 52.2%, fewer than 125 left! – $114.99

2.       Kilchoman KWM Fresh Bourbon Cask – KWM is the first store in Canada and one of only 3 in North America to be given the privilege of bottling our own cask of Kilchoman, Islay’s newest and most exciting single malt. Less than 50 of the 260+ bottles left! – $114.99

3.       Tullibardine Gold Medal Marketing Cask 1987 – Bottled for the Alberta Importer this cask is sublime, rich with very soft sherry notes. Plus $5 from each bottle sold by Kensington Wine Market will go to the Children’s Hospital Aid Society. – $131.99

4.       Auchentoshan 21 Year – A classic, elegant, well priced single malt. 93pts Jim Murray’s Whisky Bibile. – $126.49

5.       Balvenie 17 Year Sherry Oak – Rich with big, dark sherry notes. This is one of my favourite Balvenies period! – $128.99

Under $250

1.       Signatory Glen Albyn 1981 – A very soft whisky from a little know closed distillery.  I have only seen one other bottle from this distillery come into the store over the last 9 years. – $173.99

2.       G&M Conn Choice Convalmore 1984 – Round full and oily, this is a whisky that really leaves an impression, but I dare not say what it makes me think of. – $182.99

3.       Glenmorangie Signet – This is one of the most interesting and unsual whiskies in the store. Made from chocolate malt and very old sherry cask whiskies. It is decadent! – $226.49

4.       G&M Conn Choice Glen Keith 1968 – A very reasonably priced whisky from a recently closed distillery. Lots of spice, and soft oak notes, hard to believe its 42 years of age. Exclusive to KWM! – $247.99

5.       Signatory Glen Mhor 1982 – This whisky from a long lost Inverness Distillery is intriguing with multiple layers and facets to it. Exclusive to KWM! – $234.99

Under $500

1.       Compass Box Hedonism Maximus – A Blended Grain Scotch whisky combining 41 year old Invergordon (70%) and 29 year old Carsebridge (30%). Only 1500 bottles ever made, exclusive in Canada to KWM. 93pts Jim Murray: “massive chewy oak”. – $233.99

2.       Pittyvaich 20 Year – Early reviewers have highlighted the whisky’s nose as being exceptional. The whisky is also exceptionally rare, this being only the second ever official bottling and the oldest. 6000 bottles worldwide. – $269,69

3.       Port Ellen 29 Year 8th Release – This 8th official release of Port Ellen is 29 years old and is already sold out in Europe. Distilled in 1978 only 6,678 numbered bottles were released World Wide of what is expected to be one of the final official releases. – $361.99

4.        Glenrothes Anniversary Cask 1979 – In 1979 Glenrothes celebrated its 100th anniversary, installed 2 new stills and laid down a couple of special casks distilled from the new stills. Cask # 13459, 492 bottles at 56.6%ABV. – $409.99

5.       Glenfarclas 40 Year – Only Glenfarclas could release an official 40 year old single malt for less than $500. Malt Advocate gave it 96pts and called it “Scotch Whisky of the Year”, Whisky Mag named it “Best Speyside Whisky!” – $499.99

Sky’s the Limit

1.       Signatory BenRiach 1966 – 42 Year – This one came as a huge surprise. Lovely soft malt and silky oak. A steal for its age, quality and price. – $777.99

2.       Signatory Bowmore 1970 – 40 Year – Two different 40 year old casks from the same vintage 1970! One of them is bottled at 43.2 and the other at 51.5%. – $1136.99 and 1137.99 respectively.

3.       Glenfiddich 40 Year – This retooled 40 year old comes in a beautiful box you can lock with a key, lest you should be tempted to dip into it at an inopportune time! – $2729.99

4.       Bowmore White 1964 – One of the three whiskies in the legendary trilogy. By far the softest and creamiest of the three but still retaining the trademark tropical fruit notes. – $4388.99

5.       Balvenie 40 Year – Only 150 bottles available worldwide, mostly from Duty Free. But a few bottles have made it to the retail level in Canada, and we have one! – $4633.99

Visit Kensington Wine Mart at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com  

www.ralfy.com presents …Whisky Review 206 – Spirit of Unity… enjoy!

The Clan MacLeod’s Annual Meeting ~ San Francisco.  This event is being held at The San Francisco Airport DoubleTree Hotel, 835 Airport Blvd., Burlingame, California 94010 Tel: 1-650-344-5500.

Here is the link: http://www.clanmacleodusa.org/2011%20San%20Francisco%20AGM%20Welcome%20page.htm

On Friday, June 17th Chris Uhde, the District Sales Manager for ImpEx Beverages will be conducting the tasting.  He is also the Scotch Expert for the United Scottish Society of Southern California.

The following are the malts we will be pouring:

Ian MacLeod’s Isle of Skye
Smokehead
Chieftain’s ~ Teaninich 28 yrs cask # 7704 cask strength
Chieftain’s ~ Mortlach 15 yrs cask # 7281 “Sherry” cask strength

In addition to the above Ian MacLeod malts, he will also be pouring Kilchoman Spring 2011 Release.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES
ONE-OF-A-KIND MILLENNIUM BARREL BOTTLING
Distillery Hopes to Raise $200,000 for Charity

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (June, 2011) – It was Dec. 31st, 1999, and the new century was dawning as the  employees at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY gathered around to watch the  last barrel of the twentieth century roll into Warehouse V, the world’s only bonded single barrel aging warehouse.

      Now nearly 12 years later, this Buffalo Trace Millennium Barrel bourbon has filled 174 beautifully handwritten and individually numbered bottles.  Each Millennium Barrel bottle has been packaged in a numbered hardwood showcase box that includes a piece of this historic barrel’s charred oak stave and a brochure explaining the significance of this collector’s edition.

      Endeavoring to do something special with this milestone barrel, the company will offer all 174 bottles to charitable organizations across the country free of charge to auction off and raise money for their worthwhile causes.

       This commemorative bottling of the Buffalo Trace Millennium Barrel will not be available in stores. Bottles will only available to non-profit organizations wishing to raise funds for their charity. To be considered, organizations must submit an official U.S. non-profit tax ID number and auction the bottle within the 2011 calendar year. Applications will be taken online only, at www.buffalotacemillennium.com. Recipients of these bottles shall be notified by email on August 1st. Bottles will be shipped free of charge in August and recipients will have until Dec. 31, 2011 to auction the bottle.

      “This was special barrel of barrel of whiskey and we want to do something with the bottles to help those in need,” said Kris Comstock, Buffalo Trace Brand Manager. “We really hope whiskey enthusiasts and collectors will help some deserving non-profit groups raise serious money. These 174 bottles are beautiful and the bourbon tastes amazing. Our goal is to raise $200,000 for charity!”

      Non-profit organizations can submit their request for a bottle online beginning today. The cutoff date to submit an online application is July 26th.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotrace.com.

The whisky festival is now over for another year and once again it was a roaring success. Despite the weather’s best efforts, everyone who attended had a wonderful time!

We’ve now updated the festival section of our website, where you can find all our video highlights and best bits. Those of you who made it along can relive your favourite moments, while those of you who couldn’t join us can enjoy the festival experience from the comfort of your own home.

As a Diurach you can enjoy exclusive access to our footage, where you’ll be taken on the same tasting journey with Willie T and I, that everyone else was able to experience on the day. The only thing you won’t experience will be the howling winds! Be sure to watch all the way to the end of the video to see what I mean! Click here to enjoy all the content (and remember to print your own tasting mat  here  and join in!)

We hope all of you enjoy experiencing the festival as much as we enjoyed hosting it!

Slainte

Willie Cochrane
Jura Distillery Manager

P.S. If you have friends or family who also share your passion for Jura whisky and might like to become Diurachs send them to www.isleofjura.com where they’ll discover more about our mystical isle.

This Tuesday (June 7, 2011 – apologies for the delay in publication -WI) the second edition of the popular Scotch single malt whisky app for the iPhone and iPod touch was released into Apple’s App Store. Since 2009, the iMalt app has been the whisky lovers’ preffered app for keeping track of whisky collections and tasting notes. This new version takes the iMalt app online.

With the all new iTasteNote Cloud Service for the iMalt app it is now possible to share your tasting notes and ratings with thousands of single malt enthusiasts. A long with the classification system this makes the iMalt app an even better tool for finding your whiskies.

By subscribing to the iTasteNote Cloud Service you will also receive regular updates in the form of regions, distilleries and single malt whiskies. The first update consists of 150 single malts from Knockando, Balvenie, Mackmyra, Royal Brackla, Brora, Loch Lemond, Rosebank, Port Ellen, Amrut and Glendullan. But that is only the beginning. The vision is to create the most complete database of single malt whiskies from all over the world.

The iTasteNote Cloud Service does also provide online backup and it enables synchronization of data between your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The iTasteNote Cloud Service is offered as an in-app-purchase and costs $9.99 / 7.99 € for 90 days. You do not need to subscribe to see the iTasteNote rating of each whisky.

You can find more information about the iMalt app on http://www.imaltwhiskyapp.com

AUCHENTOSHAN LAUNCHES VALINCH

For years, lovers of the triple distilled spirit asked Auchentoshan to create a non chill-filtered, cask strength edition of their acclaimed Auchentoshan Classic.  Valinch was born, the valinch being the name of the pipette used to draw whisky straight from the cask. An appropriate name for a whisky with all the depth of taste, flavour and texture associated with sampling whisky at source.

Official tasting notes

Color
Pale straw

Nose
Crème brûlée

Palate
Sweet and creamy, then invigorating
full bodied orange zest

Finish
Sweet, crisp and lingering

An unadulterated small batch release, bottled at 57,5% ABV, available now.

Mark Dermul
A Toshan Man
www.markdermul.be/toshanman

It’s a busy summer at Balblair Distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Not only are they making whisky, but the distillery is also a movie set this week, the site of a wedding next month, and two days after the wedding…construction starts on the distillery’s first-ever visitors center. Distillery manager John MacDonald tells us about his hectic summer in this week’s episode. In the news…plenty of new whiskies, including two charity bottlings, and dueling boycotts over the conflict in the Middle East.

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com