Well, I am back from a long vacation in India (which was FAB! if you’re wondering). during this time of silence there were quite a few whisky news I decided to aggregate into one post. So here is this months’ Whisky news Digest.
Old Particular Grain expressions released
Douglas Laing & Co., leading purveyor and creator of the finest Scotch Whiskies, announces the release of its Old Particular Single Cask Single Grain Whiskies.
The Old Particular range, a ‘particularly’ unique series of individually hand-selected aged Whiskies from all over Scotland, launched in 2013 to resounding success. Until now, the award-winning Old Particular range has exclusively held Single Malt Whiskies, but today marks the addition of the finest Grain Whiskies to the portfolio.
Old Particular Single Grain launches with Cameronbridge 25 Years Old, Girvan 25 Years Old, North British 21 Years Old and Strathclyde 27 Years Old; a proud portfolio of aged Whiskies that Fred Laing, Managing Director at the family firm, has been saving for a grainy day.
Bottled at high alcohol strength, ranging from 50.9% to 61.3%, each bottling is from only one cask and is without colouring or chill filtration, in line with the Douglas Laing philosophy of bottling Whisky “As Natural As It Gets”. Though this mantra goes somewhat “against the grain”, the firm believes that this allows the naturally present oils, fats and enzymes in the spirit to make their own special contribution to its nose, mouthfeel, palate and finish.
Kingsbarns bottles its new make spirit – now for sale at the Visitor Centre.
The Visitor Centre was opened on St Andrews Day 2014 by the Wemyss family owners and the founder, local man Douglas Clement. Distilling started in January 2015 and the Distillery Manager and his team are so delighted with the quality of the spirit being produced that it was decided to bottle the spirit for all to try.
Scotch Whisky has to mature for at least 3 years and a day in oak casks and so the launch of the new make spirit will give visitors and curious whisky drinkers a unique chance to sample the spirit before it is filled into casks to mature. The New Spirit Drink is bottled at 63.5%, the same strength at which the casks are filled and available for sale in 20cl bottles priced at £14.95.
Distillery Manager, Peter Holroyd, is delighted with the new bottling and commented: “It’s a great pleasure to share our new spirit with visitors. The spirit itself is an elegant, fruity and floral spirit and I can’t wait to see how it is going to develop into Scotch whisky over the coming years. I recommend that water is added to enjoy the fruity flavours at their best.”
Famous Grouse – Mellows down….
The UK’s number one selling Blended Scotch whisky, The Famous Grouse, has announced a new edition, The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold, will be added to the Famous Family this August.
The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold has been Blended for Smoothness and carefully crafted by Master Blender Gordon Motion. The master blender’s art is on full display, blending the finest scotch whiskies, matured in sherry and bourbon casks to deliver a smooth, well rounded whisky. Mellow Gold’s recipe has a higher proportion of sherry casks than The Famous Grouse to deliver a subtly sweeter, mellow flavour.
The introduction of this new expression follows the unveiling of The Famous Grouse’s new look packaging, which is set to be rolled out from August.
Gordon Motion, Master Blender described his new premium blend:
“In Mellow Gold we’ve carefully selected a particular combination of casks to create a rich and smooth whisky. As with all Famous Grouse expressions, we’ve used sherry and bourbon-seasoned casks – but for Mellow Gold we’ve used more first fill casks imparting a richer, sweeter flavour.
“The effect is added complexity with vanilla notes and subtly-sweet spice to create a gentle, velvety dram. Mellow Gold is a delicious achievement – and a subtle, smooth indulgence to be savoured.”
“On the nose, The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold has scents of orange peel and vanilla, perfumed with a hint of lychee. On tasting sweeter notes come to the fore, combining the delicious flavour of spiced crème brûlée with heady cedar notes, followed by a twist of lemon peel and lingering spiciness to finish.”
The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold is a great example of the nuances of the master blender’s art to create a fantastic, versatile liquid that tastes great neat or served long, over ice with lemonade and a wedge of orange.
The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold will be available in supermarkets and independent retailers across the UK from October 2015 priced at £22.
Johnnie Walker Introduces Select Casks Series with the Rye Cask Finish
For nearly 200 years the driving force behind the world’s leading Scotch whisky brand has been its pioneering and innovative spirit. The Johnnie Walker brand continually strives to create new blends of the highest quality. It is in this tradition that Johnnie Walker will introduce its newest Scotch whisky: Johnnie Walker Select Casks –Rye Cask Finish, in September 2015. This will be the first in a series of limited edition blends that will be released over the coming years. Each will feature a different wood finish crafted for today’s whisky explorer.
Johnnie Walker Select Casks – Rye Cask Finish is a Scotch whisky blend that showcases the best of Scottish distilling and blending traditions combined with the best of maturation in American Oak casks. Beginning with Cardhu Single Malt and a number of fine grain whiskies at the heart of the blend, this Scotch whisky is matured for 10 years in first-fill American Oak casks that have previously held Bourbon and then finished for six months in American Rye casks. This combination imparts rich layers of flavor with hints of spice and vanilla woven throughout.
“From the early days when John Walker first blended whiskies in 1820 to the unique blends created today, Johnnie Walker has always thrived on experimentation. I believe that whisky is ever evolving and experimental in nature and I am pleased to present the first Rye Cask finished Blended Scotch Whisky” said Master Blender Jim Beveridge. “Johnnie Walker Select Casks is a unique style of Scotch that blends the flavor characteristics of bourbon and rye with some of the classic signature notes and smoothness of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky”.
The Master Blender crafted this distinguished blend to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in classic cocktails like the Manhattan or Old Fashioned. It is bottled at 92 proof, a higher proof than the other marques in the Johnnie Walker portfolio, in order to provide a more distinctive character when used in craft cocktails, but is chill-filtered in order to maintain Johnnie Walker’s classic texture and mouth-feel.
The Master Blender crafted this innovative blend to be enjoyed responsibly among friends, colleagues and family for all of life’s occasions.
The suggested retail price of the limited edition Johnnie Walker Select Cask – Rye Cask Finish is $45 (750ml) and will be available from September 2015 in fine wine and spirit stores and bars across the US.