Friday, September 5, 2014

New Whiskey Labels: Jim Beam NAS, Heaven Hill, Compass Box and More


This week's most interesting new labels from the federal TTB database:

Is Jim Beam Black going no age statement?  Beam released a label for Jim Beam Black XA (Extra Aged), a no age statement bourbon.  Time will tell if this is going to join or replace the current 8 year old iteration of Beam Black. UPDATE: In the comments, Chuck Cowdery reports that he received official confirmation from Beam that this NAS label will replace the current 8 year old Beam Black.

Heaven Hill cleared a 2004 Evan Williams for the tenth anniversary of its Bourbon Heritage Center and a 15 year old cask strength William Heavenhill.  In the past, the William Heavenhill bottles have been limited to the distillery gift shop.

Diageo cleared some labels for what appear to be some of their 2014 special releases including Lagavulin 12 and Caol Ila 15 year old unpeated.

Compass Box cleared a label for the Glasgow Blend, a new expression in their Great King Street series of blended Scotch whiskey, which is described as having "smoke and sherry notes." 

Smooth Ambler, the West Virginia microdistillery, has previously released its own whiskeys under its own label as well as sourced whiskey from MGP of Indiana under its popular Old Scout label. Now they have cleared a label for Contradiction, a blend of MGP whiskey and their own distillate.

And here's an odd one.  Mosswood Distillers, a bottler in Berkeley, California cleared a label for Irish American Brand Whiskey, a blend that is 25% Irish Whisky from the Cooley Distillery and 75% seven year old light whiskey (whiskey distilled to a higher abv and aged in used or uncharred barrels) from MGP in Indiana married in sherry barrels.


Note:  The fact that a label appears on the TTB database does not necessarily mean it will be produced.  In addition, some details on the label, such as proof, can change in the final product.


7 comments:

Unknown said...

On the Smooth Ambler, how did you learn it's a blend of sourced & in-house bourbon? Deduction or info from SA? Label just mentions the use of 2 mashbills

do you know which of the mashbills is the MGP sourced product?


Anyway, that's just idle curiosity, seems like a very good idea for transitioning from sourcing towards more in-house distilling, and I have learned from drinking High West that a mix of older & younger whiskey can create some wonderful tastes

BMc said...

It's on the label: "...from whiskeys distilled in both West Virginia and Indiana."

Nice looking label!

sku said...

Mark, the back label states that the whiskey is "expertly blended from whiskeys distilled in both West Virginia and Indiana."

Smooth Ambler is based in West Virginia and makes wheated bourbon so presumably that is their distillate.

Indiana is the home to MGP, which Smooth Ambler regularly sources from, so presumably the rye recipe bourbon is from MGP. I don't know which mashbill they used.

Unknown said...

thanks, totally missed that language! state of origin FTW

Chuck Cowdery said...

I have official confirmation from Beam. Beam Black is going NAS.

kallaskander said...

Hi there,

nothing new over here.

"Aged to Perfection" (available only outside the US) is aged up to seven years - or until our distillers claim it to be just the right flavor. "

That was 4 years ago or so.

We have a triple aged black 6yo now and had a double aged black Beam for a short while - if I remember correctly.

Greetings
kallaskander

Unknown said...

And at one point there was a 5 6 and seven year old and a green label sold in Kentucky