November, 2023 - BourbonSphere

Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection, Toasted

I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Yellowstone Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

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I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Yellowstone Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

I think that Yellowstone Bourbon is one of the coolest stories in the bourbon industry. The brand was initially launched right around the declaration of Yellowstone National Park. It was apparently good whiskey and the brand was extremely popular until it fell on hard times. When I first had a pour of a bourbon with the name Yellowstone on it, I was in Yellowstone National Park surrounded by family and drinking a very bad bourbon. This was 2015 at the tail end of the brand’s hard times. But this is where it gets cool.

The brand’s owner at the time was Luxco, now a part of the MGP family. Right about the time they were starting the Lux Row distillery, they also bought a stake in Limestone Branch distillery. Which, it just so happens, was owned by a pair of brothers who were decended from the family that initially launched the Yellowstone bourbon. At that point, the home of Yellowstone was moved to Limestone Branch and placed under the supervision of Steve Beam (the previously mentioned decendant) who has been doing wonderful things with the brand.

Someday, someone should do a short history of the rise, fall, and rehabilitation of Yellowstone Bourbon. It’s a cool story that I didn’t come close to doing justice to.

Tonight’s bourbon is a new extension of the Yellowstone Bourbon lineup. It starts with the standard Yellowstone Select. That is then “stave finished” with five different toasted staves they call high toast, American oak double-toast, vanilla, rick house and spice rack. Here’s what the press release has to say about the new bourbon.

“The Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection is a great way to honor more than 150 years of bourbon heritage while still keeping things fresh and exciting,” said Beam. “I began experimenting with toasted barrels in 2016, 2017, and 2018 with Yellowstone Limited Edition releases and again more recently with distillery-exclusive Yellowstone Toasted Single Barrel. My experience helped in crafting what stave flavors to use and at what percentage to get the right flavor profile for Yellowstone Toasted. I can’t wait for consumers to try this latest full-time member of the Yellowstone Bourbon family.”

So let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection, Toasted

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 50% ABV

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, spearmint, Juicy Fruit gum, baking spices, and oak.

Mouth: A nice peppery spiciness on the first sip. Beyond that are notes of cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla, caramel, and oak.

Finish: Sweet and spicy and of medium length. Notes of honey, vanilla, black pepper, black tea, cinnamon, and oak.

Thoughts: This is really good. So good that when I went back to check the price, I was shocked that it was "only" $50. I think it is worth every penny. I'm really enjoying the sweet and spicy notes. I love honey, so the honey note on the finish is right up my alley. This is a lovely upgrade from the standard Yellowstone Select Bourbon.

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SWI Opens New Whisky Facility

Renowned whisky investor, Scotch Whisky Investments (SWI), is celebrating the opening of a new whisky production facility in Glenrothes. The infrastructure is worth over £10 million and will serve as a whisky storage and warehousing facility. The company plans to offer storage, bottling, and casking services. According to a press release by the company, various […]

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According to a press release by the company, various services will be available from the new center. The £10m investment includes four whisky storage warehouses, a bottling and maintenance building, and offices. This section marks the first phase of the company’s long-term development plans on the site at Southfield Industrial Estate.

Whisky Investment Infrasture Will Ehance Sector Growth

Scotch Whisky Investments

Earlier this year, the company acquired 7.7 hectares of land at the Estate. This has been the largest industrial land transaction in Fife in the past several years. It will allow the company to build a large-scale whisky storage facility, bottling plant, cooperage, and office complex. The infrastructure will be critical to its future investment plans.

In addition, the company plans to expand to 27 warehouses, which will be able to hold 200,000 casks. At the same time, it is anticipated that this expansion will create 38 full-time jobs. The SWI has received some £850,000 in funding from Scottish Enterprise and Fife Council.

As part of its relocation plans, SWI will move its headquarters to Falkland in Fife. This will include the construction of a new corporate headquarters building with hospitality space, offices, retail stores, and cottages.

Keith Rennie, Managing Director for Scotch Whisky Investments, said, “We are delighted to open our new whisky storage facility here in Glenrothes and would welcome anyone requiring such facilities to come and speak with us.

“The facility, which will be our base in Scotland for many years to come, is a crucial part of our expansion plans globally, delivering a multi-million-pound package of investment in Fife and creating considerable employment opportunities.

“Our vision as a company is to showcase and educate people about single malt Scotch whisky and promote investment in the commodity. Our new state-of-the-art storage facility will help us achieve that goal.”

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New England Barrel Company Secures Investment From Diageo’s Pronghorn

New Hampshire-based whiskey producer New England Barrel Company has secured an investment from Pronghorn [Diageo’s incubator] to expand their portfolio of brands, which currently includes 20 brands. New England Barrel Company’s portfolio features a pair of bourbons along with several limited edition single barrel whiskies [all of which are bottled from distilleries sourced in the […]

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New England Barrel Company’s portfolio features a pair of bourbons along with several limited edition single barrel whiskies [all of which are bottled from distilleries sourced in the USA].

“New England Barrel Company, at its foundation, is about building community through a shared interest in great whiskey,” said founder James Saunders in a prepared statement. “Our mission each day is to craft and distribute outstanding batched and single barrel releases that are affordable and offer them to the public at reasonable prices.”

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Strike Dates Set Targeting Chivas Brothers

The two labor unions representing hundreds of Chivas Brothers distillery and bottling plant workers have given notice of their plans to strike between December 11… Read More

The two labor unions representing hundreds of Chivas Brothers distillery and bottling plant workers have given notice of their plans to strike between December 11 and 14 following a breakdown in contract talks. Unite and GMB Scotland are also banning their members from working overtime and short-notice shifts starting on December 11.

GMB Scotland plans a one-day strike December 12 targeting The Glenlivet distillery, along with Aberlour, Strathisla, and other distilleries and bottling plants. Unite plans a series of rolling strikes targeting various Chivas Brothers facilities during the three-day period, with a goal of disrupting whisky shipments during the holiday season.

Both unions rejected a proposed 6.4% wage hike after the Pernod Ricard division reported a 10-year high in sales during the 2023 fiscal year, with a 17% year-on-year gain. Unite spokesman Andrew Brown said in a statement “Unite has repeatedly warned Chivas Brothers that strike action is inevitable unless the current pay offer was improved. It has not listened to our members and now industrial action is a matter of weeks away. The company should be in no doubt that our members are determined to get their fair share of the hundreds of millions in profit Chivas Brothers is coining in.”

A Chivas Brothers spokesperson said the company remains committed to its pay offer, and hopes for “constructive dialogue” to resolve the labor dispute. The spokesperson said any strike will not affect year-end orders, since most have already been shipped globally.

438 – What is Over, Under, and Properly Rated?

We rate bourbons all the time. But we’ve never really rated things that surround the product and the bourbon culture. In this […]

The post 438 – What is Over, Under, and Properly Rated? appeared first on BOURBON PURSUIT.

We rate bourbons all the time. But we’ve never really rated things that surround the product and the bourbon culture. In this episode, Ryan, Fred, and myself look at a bunch of subjects and ask whether it’s under rated, over rated, or properly rated. From single barrel picks to bourbon-themed weddings, there’s a lot to cover. We’ll break down whether booker’s boxes and wax dipping are gimmicks or genuinely enhance the experience. And what about all those whiskey influencers on YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok – are they spreading valuable knowledge or just hype? We’ll also discuss whether tasting notes and bottled-in-bond really mean anything and if the Fred Minnick effect is real.

Show Notes:

Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about taters and hype around allocated products.
Under rated? Over Rated? Or Properly Rated?
Single Barrel picks
A single barrel bottle from a brand
Spirit awards
Booker’s boxes
Wax
Whiskey YouTube’rs
Instagram and TikTok
Bourbon tattoos
Distillery weddings
Bourbon barrel furniture
Cooking with bourbon
bottled in bond
Tasting notes
The Fred Minnick Effect
Support this podcast on Patreon

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Just two or three Littlemill

Littlemill 12 yo 1990/2002 (43%, Signatory Vintage, cask #2964, 436 bottles)Littlemill 23 yo 1992/2015 (57%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, for Charles Hofer Switzerland, cask #506)Littlemill 30 yo 1989/2023 (53.1%, La Maison du Whisky, Artist, Spirits Shop Selec…

Littlemill 12 yo 1990/2002 (43%, Signatory Vintage, cask #2964, 436 bottles)
Littlemill 23 yo 1992/2015 (57%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, for Charles Hofer Switzerland, cask #506)
Littlemill 30 yo 1989/2023 (53.1%, La Maison du Whisky, Artist, Spirits Shop Selection, New Vibrations, hogshead, cask #29, 238 bottles)

Old Forester Rarest Bourbon Ever Honors 150 Years Brown-Forman Decanter: We Were First To Taste it

Old Forester Bourbon Whiskey is releasing the rarest bottle it has ever produced, as we were the first to taste it a while back. Watch to see Bourbon expert Tom Fischer’s thoughts on this raare $2,500 release that honor the brand’s 150th anniversary filled with extraordinarily exquisite 12 ½ -year-old bourbon.

The post Old Forester Rarest Bourbon Ever Honors 150 Years Brown-Forman Decanter: We Were First To Taste it first appeared on BourbonBlog.

Old Forester tells BourbonBlog.com they are releasing the rarest bottle it has ever produced, as we were among the first to taste it a while back. Watch the video above to see Bourbon expert Tom Fischer’s thoughts on the decanter to honor the brand’s 150th anniversary filled with extraordinarily exquisite 12 ½ -year-old bourbon.

Five hundred (500) bottles were originally crafted for members of the Brown family, who own Brown-Forman, and key partners of the company. One hundred and fifty (150) were set aside for special tastings and events at the company.

But the global pandemic in 2020 shuttered those plans – and those 150 bottles remained in storage.

Now, Old Forester is offering them to the public.

About the Bourbon

The decanter, priced at $2,500, goes on sale today only at oldforester.com – no bottles will be sold at the distillery itself. People who purchase the bottle can only pick them up on December 5, the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition as part of an after-hours event. The bottle purchase includes a private VIP tour of the Old Forester distillery, along with cocktails and appetizers with members of the Brown family.

On April 18, 2008, Master Distiller Chris Morris hand-selected six barrels for this special decanter. It was bottled 150 months later ( 12.5 years), in 2020. These barrels were matured in Warehouse J, top floor 8, Rick 44, tier 1.

“Old Forester is the only bourbon to exist before, during, and after Prohibition – and what better way to celebrate that legacy than offering to the public this rare decanter,” said Old Forester Master Taster Meliss Rift.

The decanter is presented in a custom wooden handmade box – the wood was recovered from the fire at Old Forester on Whiskey Row in 2015. The fire nearly destroyed the Whiskey Row block.

The 150th decanter is a nod to the Old Forester historic holiday decanters in the 1950s and 1960s designed by Raymond Loewy, the celebrated father of industrial design.

Check out the special year-long exhibit at the Frazier Museum, which tells the story of those mid-century decanters. The Frazier, at 9th and Main, in downtown Louisville, is considered the start of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

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SMWS Adds Whisky Subscription Service

Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is one of the most popular membership organizations that bottles and sells single cask and single malt whiskies. The beverage club recently launched a whisky subscription service called Drop and Dram. The program will allow whisky enthusiasts to explore new and rare whiskies. The new subscription service aims to introduce […]

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The new subscription service aims to introduce whisky lovers in the UK to new flavors and help them develop their whisky passion. The initiative caresses the footsteps of popular beer subscriptions and wine subscriptions.

Drop and Dram Whisky Subscription Service

Drop and Dram Subscription Service

Notably. with more than 30 branches across the globe and close to 40,000 members, the SMWS is the world’s largest whisky club. Founded by a group of friends in Edinburgh in 1983, the Society celebrates its 40th anniversary this year

During the first month of Drop & Dram’s service, subscribers in the UK will receive three 50ml bottles of the Society’s cask strength single malt whisky. The package will be accompanied by tasting notes for each expression. In addition, links to videos by the Society’s ambassadors will provide further insight into the featured whiskies’ backgrounds and flavors.

Furthermore, subscribers will also become members of the Society for the Master of Whisky Studies. A process that allows them to purchase full-sized 70cl bottles of their favorite whiskies. All members may choose to attend Society events and participate in exclusive tastings.

Each month the SWMS will release a new pack that will explore unique themes with a limited number of packs available.

Julie Roberts who is the brand innovation manager for SMWS said: “We’re thrilled to introduce Drop & Dram to whisky enthusiasts across the UK. This subscription service is a gateway to the world of SMWS, offering an unparalleled whisky adventure for those who are as passionate about exploring whisky flavors as we are.

“With each carefully curated Drop & Dram pack, subscribers will embark on a journey of discovery, uncovering the remarkable stories and flavors that our unique single cask single malt whiskies have to offer. Beyond the whisky, they will also become members of the Society and join a like-minded community that shares their passion for whisky discovery and exploration.”

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Review | Jameson Remixed – Caribbean Beats 21 years old

This whiskey is the second addition to The Jameson Anthology series. The Jameson Anthology is designed to show new whiskeys down one of two tracks – Remastered will be old classic expressions reinvented, while Remixed will have a more innovative and e…

This whiskey is the second addition to The Jameson Anthology series. The Jameson Anthology is designed to show new whiskeys down one of two tracks - Remastered will be old classic expressions reinvented, while Remixed will have a more innovative and experimental edge. The first bottling, released in early 2022, sat within Remastered - the Jameson 15 years old Single Pot Still. This expression last in the Jameson's range in 2000.

Now the inaugural Remixed bottling has been launched to join it - the Jameson Caribbean Beats 21 years old. This unique expression of Jameson has been fully matured in ex-rum casks for 21 years - the first 18 years were in American oak ex-FourSquare rum barrels from Barbados, followed by a three year finishing period in ex-Havana Club Selección de Maestros rum casks from Cuba.

Jameson is owned by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard and is produced at the Midleton distillery in Co. Cork. This was built in 1975 to replace the old Bow Street distillery in Dublin, which is now the brand's visitor centre. This original distillery was built by founder John Jameson in 1780. Midleton produces both single grain and single pot still whiskeys with a combined capacity of 64 million litres per year. This goes towards Jameson and other Irish Distillers brands such as Green Spot, Paddy, Power's and Redbreast.

The Jameson Remixed - Caribbean Beats 21 years old is bottled at 46% ABV and has been created by Kevin O'Gorman, the Master Distiller for Jameson. The ex-rum casks have yielded just 2,900 bottles and these are available exclusively from the Caribbean Beats page on the Jameson website. Each 50cl bottle will cost €280.

Our Tasting Notes

The colour is a vibrant coppery gold and the nose is laced with sweet and fruity aromas. Coffee cake and fudge rise first and are quickly joined by red apple, fresh pineapple and dried mango. Underneath are further aromas of marzipan and milk chocolate, along with hints of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg spice.

On the palate this whiskey has a lovely and luscious mouthfeel. The juicy and ripe tropical fruits are again to the fore with peach, pineapple and mango all evident. Then comes some warming spice in the form of gingerbread, nutmeg and cinnamon bark. This seems to accentuate the juicy fruitiness. Further sweetness is added with evolving notes of honeycomb and golden syrup, which are backed up by toffee and marzipan. Some slightly bitter chocolate and cocoa powder also begin to come through and this adds further depth and complexity. A delicious note of bitter orange peel and something reminiscent of creme caramel also develop with time.

The finish is of decent length and sumptuous. The ripe tropical fruits and sweet confected characteristics slowly fade to reveal a herbal, almost vegetal sugar cane-like note that adds further interest. This cane-like quality and the warming spices lead the way towards a lightly peppery finale.

What's The Verdict?

This is a cracker from Jameson. The whisky world has been waiting to see what the first Remixed bottling would be and they have gone big from the beginning. Not many whiskies of any age have been fully matured in ex-rum barrels, let alone for 21 years. The result is exquisite and packed with confected sweet tropical fruitiness that is balanced by warming baking-type spices. The Jameson Remixed Caribbean Beats is an absolute beauty and we hope that you get to taste it before it has all sold out.

Ricky Gervais Collabs With Ellers Farm Distillery To Let The Spirits Out Of Dutch Barn

UK-based actor and comedian Ricky Gervais [“The Office”] has become the latest celebrity to collaborate with a distillery – this time, UK-based [North Yorkshire] Ellers Farm Distillery – to promote products that will include a single malt whisky. With his investment, Gervais becomes co-owner of the distillery. B Corp-certified Ellers Farm Distillery’s current main claim […]

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B Corp-certified Ellers Farm Distillery’s current main claim to fame is their Dutch Barn vodka.

Gervais had been searching to invest in a sustainable spirits business opportunity and B Corp-certified Ellers Farm Distillery fit that bill with the bonus virtue of operating with a profit-sharing plan that gives 20% of the company’s revenue back to their employees. British Virgin Islands-based investment company, AIG Holdings, has also invested in Ellers Farm Distillery as part of the deal.

“I’d been looking to invest in eco-friendly businesses for a while and as soon as I found Dutch Barn – I wanted in,” said Gervais in a press release. “I love the planet and I love a drink so it was the perfect combination. “On a serious note Dutch Barn really is a quality product. I love the fact that it’s done differently and I can’t wait to let everyone know about it.”

As part of the deal, Gervais has been given carte blanche to make Ellers Farm Distillery and the Dutch Barn brand a so-called “global brand”.

“The exciting part for me is that I’ve been promised that I can try to make it a global brand in my own way. Something I can’t help but think they will regret,” jokes Gervais.

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