Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. Inbox features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Here is this week’s whisky news…
Benromach
The Speyside distillery of Benromach has released the latest bottling into its Contrast series – the Benromach Double Matured Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish.
The new whisky began life maturing in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred to ex-Bordeaux red wine casks for a five year secondary maturation. The final casks were selected by Keith Cruickshank, the Distillery Manager. The release is a limited edition, although the exact number of bottles was not revealed in the press release. The Benromach Double Matured Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish is bottled at 46% ABV and will be available globally. A bottle will cost £60.
Eagle Rare
The American bourbon brand of Eagle Rare has announced its oldest ever bottling, which is the first release in the new and experimental Warehouse P series.
The Eagle Rare 25 years old has been maturd in Warehouse P, one of two purpose built innovation warehouses at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Within this sit many experiments in maturation and ageing – these include barrel char and toast levels, temperature, humidity, light levels, airflow and barrel placement. This is overseen by Harlen Wheatley, the Master Distiller.
Eagle Rare 25 has been bottled after a quarter of a century of maturation and there are just 200 bottles. To signify this the whiskey has been packaged in a sterling silver adorned hand-blown decanter and custom built display casket. It is bottled at 50.5% ABV (101 Proof) and will be available in selected global whisky and luxury retailers. Each decanter will cost $US10,000.
Kilchoman
The Islay farm distillery of Kilchoman has released their oldest general release bottling to date – the Kilchoman 16 years old.
The new whisky is created from just 21 casks, most of which are ex-bourbon with a small percentage of ex-Oloroso sherry, some of which are some of the earliest casks produced at Kilchoman in 2006 and 2007.
The casks were selected by founder Anthony Wills and Robin Bignal, the distillery’s Production Manager. The Kilchoman 16 years old is available from selected whisky retailers worldwide and is bottled at 50% ABV. It is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The price was not revealed in the press release.
“This is a landmark release for the distillery, the oldest global bottling we have done to date at 16 years of age. I look forward to Kilchoman fans around the world tasting this outstanding whisky and experience the evolving character of our single malt.”
Anthony Wills
Leith Export Co.
Bottlers and distillers The Leith Export Co. have announced the release of two new bottlings into its whisky portfolio – the Perpetuity Batch #2 and Table Whisky.
Perpetuity is inspired by the infinity bottle concept, blending whiskies from across Scotland into a perpetual vat of liquid. Housed in its contemporary wine-inspired bottle, the label depicts the story of a 15th Century Leith cooper, Henry Douglas – nicknamed the ‘Cursed Cooper’. Perpetuity Batch #2 (pictured, above) consists of just 3,000 bottles and is released at 46% ABV. A bottle will cost £45.
Table Whisky (pictured, above) is the company’s first ever single grain release and is designed to be used in cocktails. There are just 3,000 bottles in the release and it is bottled at 43% ABV. Each bottle will cost £35 and are currently only available via the Leith Export Co. website or in the Port of Leith distillery shop.
