ralfy review 948 – Springbank 10yo @46%vol: (2019/2022)

Jack Daniel’s and Uncle Nearest Celebrate Byron Copeland’s Graduation from Leadership Acceleration Program

Copeland appointed to management position at the Jack Daniel Distillery following two-year apprenticeship as part of the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative 

Lynchburg, Tennessee (September 21, 2022) – The Jack Daniel Distillery and the Nearest Green Distillery celebrate Byron Copeland’s graduation from the Leadership Acceleration Program, a comprehensive whiskey industry apprenticeship program that’s part of the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative. Copeland has been named Manager of Leadership Acceleration and Maturation Innovation at the Jack Daniel Distillery.

Launched by the Jack Daniel Distillery and the Nearest Green Distillery in 2020, The Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative aims to advance diversity within the American whiskey industry with the Leadership Acceleration Program, Business Incubation Program, and partnership with Motlow State College. The Leadership Acceleration Program is designed to fast-track the development of candidates from under-represented communities for future master distillers, distillery managers, and other senior management positions within the American whiskey industry. Byron Copeland and Tracie Franklin are the first two participants completing the program.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience than being part of the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative. Learning so many aspects of the industry and working hands-on with the Jack Daniel’s and Brown-Forman teams was invaluable,” said Copeland. “It’s been a dream to work side-by-side with some of the best whiskey makers in the industry at the Jack Daniel Distillery over the last two years. Having the opportunity to help others just like me is something that I cherish, and I can’t wait to help others establish their careers in this industry.”

In his new management role, Copeland will oversee operations with a focus on ongoing improvements to the whiskey making process and site management, lead and mentor others in the Leadership Acceleration Program for Jack Daniel’s, and work closely with Master Distiller Chris Fletcher and Assistant Distiller Lexie Phillips to lead whiskey maturation innovation and development.

Prior to being selected to the Leadership Acceleration Program, Copeland served as Operations Team Leader at the Jack Daniel Cooperage. Byron joined Brown-Forman in 2015 after previous operations roles for Sabra Dipping Company, Target, and Atlanta Gas Light. He earned a BA from Morehouse College and an MBA from Columbia Southern University.

For more information on the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative, visit NearestandJack.com.

About Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey honors the world’s first-known African American master distiller, Nearest Green. The portfolio is the Most Awarded American Whiskey or Bourbon of 2019, 2020 and 2021, with over 380 awards and accolades since the brand’s 2017 launch, including 46 Best in Class honors. Uncle Nearest is currently available in all 50 states and 12 countries, and is sold in more than 25,000 stores, bars, hotels, restaurants, as well as at its 323-acre distillery in Shelbyville, Tenn. For more information, please visit the Uncle Nearest website, and follow on Instagram and Facebook @unclenearest.

About Jack Daniel’s

Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery is the first registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select and Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails. Today, Jack Daniel’s is a true global icon found in more than 170 countries around the world and is the most valuable spirits brand in the world as recognized by Interbrand.

Welcome to this week’s American episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at two new releases from Jack Daniels and some other assorted Bourbon’s.

https://youtu.be/eCAfgudA9YA

Titanic Distillers invests £7.6m in historic Pump-house conversion

Belfast drinks company to create 41 jobs at city’s first working distillery in almost 90 years

NORTHERN Ireland’s Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has announced that a £7.6million investment to develop a new whiskey distillery and visitor centre in the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter will create more than 40 new jobs in the city.

The investment by Belfast drinks company Titanic Distillers includes the conversion of the historic Titanic Pump-House into a working distillery and world class tourist attraction, both of which are due to open later this year.

Visiting the site, where work is nearing completion, the Minister said: “I’m pleased to see Titanic Distillers’ investment coming to life at this historic Pump-House today. Once the redevelopment is complete, the distillery will produce quality single malt Irish whiskey, contributing to the growth of Northern Ireland’s whiskey cluster.

“By making such a significant investment, this local start-up has already been able to increase its global sales and is now set to provide an exciting new tourism offering for Belfast and Northern Ireland.  This significant investment by Titanic Distillers will create 41 jobs by the end of 2024, with over £1million of additional annual salaries contributing to the local economy once in place,” added the Minister.

A listed building in the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, the Pump-House, and neighbouring Thompson Dry Dock, first opened in 1911 to service and accommodate the massive White Star transatlantic liners Olympic and Titanic.

The redevelopment of the Pump-House by Titanic Distillers will include the installation of three large stills on a mezzanine floor overlooking the original pumping engines which are situated deep in the pump-well.

All of the original pump equipment and associated internal historic features of the building will be retained and available to view as part of the associated visitor tour. Aside from restoration requirements, the exterior of the pump house will also remain largely untouched.

Richard Irwin, Director of Titanic Distillers, said: “There is a significant global market opportunity for Irish Whiskey and we’re already seeing great success for our Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Whiskey in retailers throughout Great Britain. With significant investment in a dedicated distillery, we’ll soon be able to produce and bottle our own products on this historic site and build on our success to date to grow in global markets, with an initial focus on the US.

“We’re very excited to embrace the history of our distillery’s location to create a unique product and visitor experience in a World Heritage Site, immersed in the spirit of Belfast’s industrial and maritime past and inspired by the people who worked in Belfast’s shipyard more than a century ago.”

Once completed, visitors to the Pump-House will ‘clock in’, as workers did a century ago, to view the workings of the distillery and hear the story of Belfast’s whiskey tradition, why it disappeared and how it has returned with the city’s first working whiskey distillery since the 1930s.  

“In the days before Prohibition, Belfast was once the largest producer of Irish Whiskey on the island of Ireland,” said Titanic Distillers Director Peter Lavery.  “Whiskey has played an important part in the history of our city but there hasn’t been a working distillery here for almost 90 years so we want to revive this great distilling tradition and bring Belfast back to the forefront of Irish Whiskey production, while at the same time telling the story of a glorious past when we led the way globally – not just in shipbuilding but across many areas of industry, manufacturing and innovation.”

Invest Northern Ireland has provided support towards the creation of the 41 jobs and property assistance towards the redevelopment of the Pump-House.

Mel Chittock, Invest NI interim CEO, also welcomed the company’s investment: “It’s great to see the ongoing growth of the Irish Whiskey sector in Northern Ireland, and for us to be able to support this.

“We’ve worked with Titanic Distillers since 2020, offering business advice, and our property team has offered support to help create this state-of-the-art distillery and visitor centre. We’re also helping it to create a strong local team to drive business development and exporting, helping it to find its place on the world whiskey map.”

Ten jobs are already in place and recruitment is underway with operations, distilling, hospitality and sales opportunities available.

Titanic Distillers has also availed of £2million of funding from Whiterock Finance through the Growth Finance Fund, part of Invest NI’s Access to Finance suite of funds, with finance provided by the British Business Bank, Invest NI and private investors, Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC).

The Titanic Pump-House is within walking distance of Titanic Belfast, the world’s biggest Titanic exhibition centre and Northern Ireland’s number one tourist attraction, clocking up more than 800,000 visitors per annum in the days before Covid-19.

Also resident in the Titanic Quarter is the SS Nomadic tender ship which ferried passengers to the ill-fated liner, and HMS Caroline, a decommissioned C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy that saw combat service in the First World War and served as an administrative centre in the Second World War.

Ross & Squibb Launches Ultra-Limited Release: Remus Gatsby Reserve

Latest Remus expression, made with 15-year-old reserves, honors F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic 1920s novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ and marks brand’s evolution towards the Roaring 20s experience.

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (Sept. 29, 2022) – Ross & Squibb Distillery announced the latest member of the Remus Bourbon family: Remus Gatsby Reserve. Released to celebrate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary novel, “The Great Gatsby”, a century ago – from its events in 1922 to its publication in 1925 – Remus Gatsby Reserve is bottled at 97.8 proof (48.9 ABV) and offered in ultra-limited quantities at a minimum suggested retail price of $199.99 per 750-ml bottle.

Crafted by master distiller Ian Stirsman and his team at Ross & Squibb Distillery, Remus Gatsby Reserve is made with the 175-year-old Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery’s finest 15-year-old reserves of straight bourbon whiskey and is offered at cask strength. Hitting shelves this October, Remus Gatsby Reserve leads with rich aromas of dried candied fruit, caramelized pecans, charred oak and tobacco, and the taste profile is characterized by flavors of candied fruit, syrup, leather, and cherry, while the finish lingers with notes of cinnamon, char, and oak.

“The Remus Bourbon brand has provided our team an opportunity to showcase the great bourbon whiskey produced at Ross & Squibb,” said Stirsman. “Like the Remus Repeal Reserve series, Remus Gatsby Reserve gave us a chance to showcase some of the best bourbons we have – in this case, some of the finest 15-year-old bourbons in our reserves. Remus Gatsby Reserve is certain to be a highly sought-after member of the Remus Bourbon family, particularly given its limited production.”

“The Remus Bourbon brand is inspired by the finest bourbon of the Prohibition era, and ‘The Great Gatsby’ offers arguably the most well-known depiction of those times,” said Shanae Randolph, brand manager for Remus Bourbon. “With its Art-Deco-inspired design, Remus Gatsby Reserve will serve as yet another authentic way for the Remus brand to transport bourbon fans back to the excitement of the Roaring 20s.”

Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the Remus Repeal Reserve series continue to achieve some of the highest recognition in the bourbon category, with both Remus Bourbon and Remus Repeal Reserve Series V earning Gold in the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as the 2022 ASCOT Awards. Additionally, Remus Repeal Reserve Series V earned a 98-point rating by Tasting Panel Magazine and was named among the best bourbon releases of the year by Men’s Journal, UPROXX, Fred Minnick and Paste Magazine. 

About Remus^® Bourbon

Remus Bourbon is crafted at Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a high-rye blend of Bourbon whiskies, aged five years, with a hint of vanilla, a maple aroma, and a sweet-yet-characteristic rye flavor (SRP: $39.99/750-ml). Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI is crafted from 2008, 2012and 2014 reserve Bourbons and is available in limited quantities (SRP: $99.99/750-ml bottle). Connect with us: GeorgeRemus.com, @GeorgeRemusBourbon (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) and @GeorgeRemus (Twitter). Ross & Squibb Distillery, Lawrenceburg, IN, 47% ALC/VOL & 50% ALC/VOL. Be Legendary. Sip Responsibly. 

About Luxco

Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux Family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Our mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Merged with MGP Ingredients, Inc. in 2021 (Nasdaq: MGPI), Luxco operates as MGP’s Brands Division and manages all MGP/Luxco brands. This extensive and award-winning spirits portfolio includes well-known brands from four distilleries: Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Ezra Brooks, Rebel, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Daviess County; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey and Bowling & Burch Gin; Jalisco, Mexico-based Destiladora González Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas, El Mayor, Exotico and Dos Primos; and Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where the Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey are produced. The innovative and high-quality brand portfolio also includes Everclear Grain Alcohol, Pearl Vodka, Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey, Green Hat Gin and other well-recognized brands. For more information about the company and its brands, visit luxco.com.

Big Peat Christmas 2022

This seasonal dram is seriously committed to soot! The palate delivers the ultimate distillation of Islay: Bonfire ashes and rich earthiness are balanced by a toasted marshmallow sweetness, and whilst these winter days may be short, the finish is satisfyingly long. Made from a shovelful of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskies including malts distilled at Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol ila and Port Ellen. Natural colour and non-chill filtered.

Only £57.00

Westward K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #277 Cask Strength Single Barrel American Single Malt Whiskey

(750ml) (Previously $100)

$70.00 View

Westward has long been producing some of the finest American single malts available due to a few intentional choices, plus their Scotland-like climate in Oregon. We’ve selected one of their oldest available casks and it’s a classic. Westward only uses Pacific Northwest-grown barley, and it’s all malted just ten miles from the distillery at Great Western Maltings. This two-row barley is malted to spec—high color pale malt—which would be something akin to a medium or medium+ coffee roast. This brings out an array of beautiful toasted flavors ranging from filberts, almonds, and coffee to chocolate nibs and cereals. Perhaps the biggest flavor differentiator is in the yeast choice. The vast majority of distillers use a highly efficient distiller’s yeast; not so here. Westward employs the Chico Strain ale yeast—the very same yeast that accounts for the flavor of Sierra Nevada’s famous Pale Ale. Combine that with a low and slow five day ferment and the tropical fruit esters in the whiskey are off the charts. Sweet mash leads to a little extra variation from barrel to barrel, making the selection that much more special. Our barrel was aged in brand new #2 char 100% American oak for over five years in Clackamas, Oregon. The predominantly cool and wet climate with a short hot summer isn’t all that different from Scotland, allowing for that ester development and barrel extraction combination that makes great single malt so special. Distilled 04/21/16. Bottled 06/10/21.

The Lakes
Whiskymaker’s Editions Infinity

The Lakes have brought out the third release in their Whiskymaker’s Editions series of drams! This one is titled Infinity and inspired by the interconnectedness of fragrance and flavour. Featuring a maturation in Palo Cortado sherry seasoned American oak casks and bottled at 52% abv, this is a stellar English malt.

£95.00
BUY NOW

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 466: Trip to Scotland Part 4 of 4

In September Mark took Dearly Beloved and his good friend Manny on a trip across the Scottish Highlands. In this final part of a four part series they visit the cozy Balblair distillery before standing in awe in front of the huge Glen Ord Maltings. Next door is the renovated Singleton distillery with an amazing visitor center. Lastly they enjoy a wee dram on their final night at Fort George near Inverness. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/pVNEJGnXvNU

#Ardbeg #Islay #Smoke #ArdbegHypernova #HN22

ARDBEG HERALDS HYPERNOVA – THE SMOKIEST ARDBEG EVER

— Ardbeg Hypernova is set to pull palates into a whole new dimension —

In October of this year, Ardbeg will unleash its smokiest whisky ever: Ardbeg Hypernova.

An evolution of the highly-popular Supernova series, the Islay Distillery’s newest expression takes Ardbeg’s signature smoke into a new dimension with a powerful explosion of peaty flavour.

With phenol levels in excess of 170 ppm, Ardbeg Hypernova possesses a malty magnitude never before seen in an Ardbeg. On the nose, pungent notes of creosote mingle with soot and tar. On the palate, a bold peppery mouthfeel leads into a most curious juxtaposition of flavours – sweet chocolate, cooling peppermint, peat smoke, bitter almonds, and then a hugely long, lingering burst of spices like aniseed and clove. The finish collapses in on itself with enormous, heavy smoke, before returning to earthy notes of roasted coffee and smoked heather.

Colin Gordon, Ardbeg’s Distillery Manager, said: “Hypernova turns on the afterburners and hauls our spirit into smoky new depths. Highly experimental, this whisky is peaty and intense, with a taste that’s totally surreal. This spirit is not just a slice of Ardbeg history, it’s a once in a lifetime event… not to be missed!”

Ardbeg’s Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, said: “This is without a doubt the smokiest Ardbeg ever. We wanted to really push the boundaries this time and boldly go where Ardbeg has never ventured before. A hypernova is a collapsing star explosion so powerful it threatens the fabric of the galaxy – while I don’t think this whisky will tear a hole in space and time, it’s certainly bursting with fantastically peaty flavour.”

Available exclusively to members of the Ardbeg Committee, Ardbeg Hypernova will be available online and in Embassies from October 2022. For those intrepid enough to venture to the Distillery, there will be a small number of bottles ready to buy in person. For more news on this series and all things Ardbeg, smoky malt whisky fans can join the Ardbeg Committee at Ardbeg.com/committee. Membership is free and all Ardbeg fans are welcome.

* parts per million

www.ardbeg.com

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Tasting notes

PUNGENT PEAT SMOKE & CURIOUSLY FRUITY NOTES

COLOUR: Pale Sulphur

NOSE: Powerful, pungent and almost brutal in its intensity, waves of tar, smoke, sea salt and an almost ‘barnyard’ aroma fill the void. Ethereal whispers of fruit, reminiscent of flowering blackcurrants, float into bold bursts of peppermint. Water releases a flurry of more rounded top notes, with a touch of lavender and a slightly chocolaty sensation, before finally arriving at curious hints of plasticine and burnt rubber.

TASTE: An explosive, peppery mouthfeel launches the palate into a most bizarre juxtaposition of flavours – sweet chocolate, cooling mint, pungent peat smoke, bitter almonds, and then an infinitely long, lingering burst of spices like aniseed and clove.

FINISH: Descend into a finish that collapses in on itself with enormous, heavy smoke. Before returning to earthy notes of roasted coffee and smoked heather.

ABV: 51%

Ardbeg:

Ardbeg prides itself on being The Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky. Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts. Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’. During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future, and it was not until the brand was purchased by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the Distillery was saved from extinction. Since then, the Distillery has risen like a phoenix and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following.

Ardbeg Committee:

The legacy of the whisky was safeguarded in 2000 by the formation of the Ardbeg Committee. The Committee is made up of thousands of Ardbeg followers worldwide who are keen to ensure that “the doors of Ardbeg never close again”. Today there are more than 165,000 members of the Ardbeg Committee in over 130 countries. Committee Members are regularly consulted on new bottlings and expressions and are offered exclusive Committee bottlings. Members also receive invitations to special gatherings, tastings and events. The Committee, chaired by Jackie Thomson, is free to join at Ardbeg.com.

Awards:

Ardbeg is the world’s most highly awarded smoky single malt whisky. Since 2008, Ardbeg has won more than 50 gold and double gold medals in key whisky competitions. Ardbeg has twice been awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards (2010, 2013). At the 2014 Global Icons of Whisky Awards, Mickey Heads was voted ‘Distillery Manager of the Year’. The following year, Ardbeg’s expressions took the top three spots in Whisky Advocate magazine’s review of the best single malt Scotch whiskies under US$100. Meanwhile, both Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigeadail have been awarded gold medals at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Ardbeg 10 Years Old also won the Best Single Malt Scotch 10 Year Old at the International Whisky Competition 2019, while the Ardbeg Distillery won the Distillery of the Year 2019. In 2020, the International Whisky Competition awarded Ardbeg Corryvreckan first place for Best Single Malt Scotch, Best Single Malt Scotch (No Age Statement), Best cask Strength (Over 57% ABV), Best Peated Scotch and Best Islay Single Malt. Ardbeg Wee Beastie also earned first place for Best Single Malt Scotch Under 10 Year Old and The Ardbeg Distillery achieved another Distillery of the Year award. In 2021, Dr Bill Lumsden was awarded Master Distiller of the Year for the fifth time, and Ardbeg Uigeadail won World Whisky of the Year in the International Whisky Competition. In 2022, at the International Whisky Competition, Ardbeg was awarded The Distillery of the Year Award, while Ardbeg Ardcore won first place in Best New Scotch Release, Best Peated Single Malt and Best Islay Single Malt.

The Glenmorangie Company:

The Company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers and marketers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Company produces Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt.

Responsible Drinking:Ardbeg and The Glenmorangie Company advocate responsible drinking and suggest that drinkers savour Ardbeg whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.