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Friday, January 16, 2015

New Whiskey Lables: WhistlePig goes MGP and Gordon & MacPhail Goes Back to the '50s


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

Gordon & MacPhail reaches back to the '50s clearing labels for a 1951 Mortlach, a 1952 Glenlivet, a 1953 Linkwood and a 1957 Strathisla.

WhistlePig cleared a label for Old World, a 12 year old rye aged in Sauternes, Madeira and Port casks. There are a number of interesting things about this label, which is sort of a mess.  First, it states "distilled in Indiana," which almost certainly indicates MGP, while WhistlePig's previous releases had been sourced from Canada.  Second, it says it was "exclusively matured" in the wine casks.  If that's true, it shouldn't be labeled "rye whiskey" since rye whiskey must be aged in new, charred oak.  Rather, it should be "whiskey distilled from rye mash."  And why do they call it "double barrel" if it was aged in three different casks? Of course, this would all make more sense if it were finished in the wine casks, but that's not what the label says.

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.

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5 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 16, 2015 at 12:06 PM

    Great an even bigger stick to bludgeon WP with. When will they start paying attention to details and get it right. Is the MGP juice a sign that Suntory has cut off their supply of Canadian Rye?

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  2. tanstaafl2January 16, 2015 at 1:13 PM

    Bottled at an uninteresting 40% if the label is to be believed, which of course is one of the problems, and most likely a rye that has been finished in three different wine casks that presumably are then married together is the best I can piece together from the label. As much as I enjoy exploring finished whiskeys if it is priced the same way some recent finished ryes have been this is likely a big swing and miss for me.

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2015 at 6:36 AM

    So they saw Midwinter Nights Dram and XCF and decided to elbow their way in to the finished rye market? I think I can pass...

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  4. Randy PJanuary 20, 2015 at 12:48 PM

    On the application under Number 6 Brand Name there is Number 7 Fanciful Name for which "Lipstick on a Pig" seems appropriate.

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  5. Jason Q.January 21, 2015 at 9:45 PM

    Imma let you finish 'bout dat WhistlePig, but right now all's I can think of is a '51 Mortlach. Holy shit.

    ReplyDelete