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Friday, August 14, 2015

New Whiskey Labels: Lots of Scotch and More


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

Diageo cleared labels for this year's special releases.  They include Brora 37, Port Ellen 32, cask strength NAS Clynelish, Dalwhinnie 25, Caol Ila 17 unpeated,  Lagavulin 12, Pittyvaich 25, and The Cally, a 40 year old single grain from the Caledonian Distillery.

Glenmorangie cleared a label for Milsean, the seventh release in its private collection consisting of "single malt whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and then extra-matured in former wine casks, re-toasted for the purpose."

William Grant cleared a label for a 36 year old Glenfiddich distilled in 1978 and Ghosted Reserve, a 21 year old blended malt that includes malts from the shuttered Ladyburn and Inverleven distilleries.

The current Kentucky Tavern is a Sazerac label straight bourbon distilled at the Barton 1792 distillery. This week, Sazerac cleared a label for Kentucky Tavern Special Reserve, labeled "bourbon whiskey with natural flavors." I guess the natural flavors make it special.

Looks like K&L will be bringing in some more Scotch grain whiskeys, including a 50 year old Invergordon bottled by Sovereign.

A label cleared for a single malt from one of Scotland's newest distilleries: Wolfburn.

There are a lot of mystery malts out there, but you don't usually see them as old as this Ainsley Brae 49 year old Highland malt distilled in 1964.  It's bottled by Alexander Murray, so don't be surprised to see it at Costco or Trader Joe's as they are the bottler for these chains. 

I've seen whiskeys finished in maple wood and maple syrups aged in whiskey barrels, but I think this Roundstone Rye from Catoctin Creek is the first time I've seen a whiskey finished in a maple syrup barrel.

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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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 14, 2015 at 11:02 AM

    Hudson Tuthilltown does a bourbon finished in maple syrup barrels. It's good for young whiskey with no sweetness and just a hint of maple on the nose. They showed good restraint.

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  2. AnonymousAugust 14, 2015 at 11:03 AM

    Correction, its a rye.

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  3. tanstaafl2August 14, 2015 at 1:53 PM

    Interesting that the 2015 Diageo "Special Release" of the annual Caol Ila unpeated bottling has gone up 2 years from the excellent 15yo released in 2014. One I always try to look for despite the discouraging but persistent upsurge in price each year.

    In 2012 it was a 14yo so only a one year age jump over the two years from 2012 to 2014 (the NAS blended Stitchell's Reserve filled the void in 2013). Lots of unpeated Caol Ila casks most be floating around. That can only be a good thing in my opinion!

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  4. MarkAugust 14, 2015 at 2:58 PM

    LVMH appears to be out of ideas for Glenmorangie.

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  5. two-bit cowboyAugust 15, 2015 at 7:17 AM

    Most interesting to me were the five 18 to 20 yo Springbank single casks matured in fresh sherry or port or rum casks.

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  6. skuAugust 15, 2015 at 7:31 AM

    Yeah, those seem to be part of a series they first cleared in July.

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  7. two-bit cowboyAugust 15, 2015 at 7:41 AM

    Nice to see Springbank single casks coming back to the USA after such a long dry spell.

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  8. JakeAugust 16, 2015 at 11:41 PM

    the new trend of talking about toasting barrels in your bullshit cask-finished whatever is just exponentially increasing the comedy. if you retoasted the wine barrel, doesnt that mean you burnt off the bits that were coated in wine?

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