Today Aspen, Colorado, is world renowned as the playground of millionaires and intellectuals with a population exceeding 7,000.A Swedish immigrant who arrived there in 1892 to run a local liquor business, Henry Beck would be delighted.The town, located in a remote area of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains, had blossomed in the 1880s as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom but in the 1890s entered a steep decline.Beck, hailed as one of the “progressive men of Western Colorado” was a stabilizing presence who helped rescue Aspen from becoming just another Colorado ghost town.
The son of Henry and Mary (Olson) Beck, Henry was born in 1861 in Filipstad, Sweden, a small lakeshore municipality in central Sweden.When he was only seven or eight years old, his father, a miner, uprooted Mary and their four children and emigrated to the United States.After a sojourn in Pennsylvania, the family in 1871 settled on the border of Lake Superior where the elder Beck found employment in the iron mines.
Terminating his formal education when he was only ten years old, Henry was obliged by family financial circumstances also to become a mine worker.At the age of eighteen, seeking better opportunities, he traveled west to Leadville, Colorado, to work in the silver mines.Apparently nagged by his lack of formal education, in 1885 the youth earned enough to pay his way back to Sweden and attend secondary school.He returned to Leadville in 1887 determined to stay out of the mines, instead becoming a shipping clerk for a wholesale liquor firm, owned by the Baer Brothers, Isaac and Adolph. Their store window is shown here. [See my post on the Baers, Oct. 22, 2017.]
After spending five years learning the business Beck was entrusted by the Baers with managing a liquor outlet they owned in the mountain town of Aspen, Colorado, shown above.When he moved there Beck immediately must have recognized the logistical problems the remote town presented.Aspen was miles from the nearest railroad hub — and still is.The distance from Leadville was only 44 miles but required traveling a road that led over Independence Pass, crossing the Continental divide at 12,095 feet above sea level. The pass is 32 miles long and so steep in places, as shown here, that even today by car it can take more than an hour to traverse.In Beck’s day, I surmise, supplies from Leadville had to come by mule caravan.
Moreover, in Aspen Beck found a mining town that had seen its peak days and was headed downward. The turn came when the panic of 1893 caused a collapse of the silver market.Moreover, the United States ceased to value its currency in silver and adopted the gold standard.For the next half-century, known locally as “the quiet period,” Aspen’s population steadily declined until it was under 1,000.
For the next two decades, Beck was a stabilizing force in the community.Symbolic of his faith in Aspen, in January 1896, he bought out the Baers’ stock and totally owned the business.With liquor brought over the mountains to him in barrels, he was repackaging it in ceramic jugs in quart to gallon sizes, as seen here.Eventually, finding it difficult to transport whiskey safely in jugs over the rugged mountains, Beck opened his own bottling plant, creating an opportunity for local employment.He also invested his money in area mining enterprises.
Quoting the “Progressive Men” on Beck:“He is a prominent and influential citizen, taking a deep and continuing interest in local public affairs, and standing well in the good will and regard of his fellow men.” The Aspen Democrat-Times put it more simply:“…With every man who knows Henry, his word is as good as his bond and both are good as gold.”
Beck was an influential figure in the social and political life of Aspen as a member of three fraternal organizations in town, the Elks, Odd Fellows, and Eagles, the last elected to a term as president.A Republican in a heavily Democratic county, Beck was rewarded for his civic contributions by becoming the only member of his party to be elected county commissioner.There he was said to have “served the people of Pitkin County, wisely and faithfully.” He also spent a term in the Colorado state legislature, again furthering the interests of Aspen.
In the midst of his business and civic activities, Beck also found time for romance, marriage and family.In January, 1890, he married Ida M. Echberg, like him an immigrant from Sweden.She was the daughter of a successful area farmer and with Beck, an active member of the Lutheran Church.The couple would have four children over the course of their marriage, daughters Edith and Ellen, and sons Verner and Carl.
While prohibitionary forces apparently were not a major issue, problems came from several directions.Although Beck provided many Aspen area saloons with whiskey, he faced competition from out-of-town distributors and moonshine distillers for which Leadville was notorious.While he seems to have surmounted those difficulties, certain unspecified health problems associated with the altitude were plaguing the family.The remedy seemingly was to move to a lower altitude.
About 1907, Beck thought he had closed a sale of his liquor house to a local named Kline only to have the deal fall through at the last moment.It took four more years to find a buyer.Aspen residentsE.M. Hawkins and Eugene Bascom stepped in and bought Beck’s business.Taking note of the sale one local newspaper wrote: “Henry Beck has been in Aspen nineteen years, during which time he has done no man wrong.”
With the sale completed, the Beck family moved almost immediately 105 miles to Denver where they purchased a large home at 1111 Steele Street, shown here.According to the 1910 census Henry initially worked in Denver as a liquor dealer.With the coming of National Prohibition he was forced to find other employment.The 1920 census found Beck, now 57, working as a shipping clerk for a farm implement company.With him in the home was wife Ida and three adult children all in their twenties.Edith, 27, was a piano teacher.The sons Verner, 26, and Carl, 22, were not employed.A short time later the boys moved to California.
About 1925, Beck began to experience troublesome health problems and retired.He died at his Denver home in February 1929.After a Lutheran Church ceremony he was buried in Fairmount Cemetery, Block 81.Ida would join him there in 1942.Beck’s death brought an extensive obituary in the Aspen Daily Times that remembered him even after some 18 years gone as “one of the leading citizens of this state.” It was a fitting tribute to a whiskey man who contributed so much to Aspen during dark days.
Note: This post was researched using a number of sources, the most important being the “The Progressive Men of Colorado,” A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905 and Beck’s obituary in the Aspen Daily Times of February 8, 1929.
Today Aspen, Colorado, is world renowned as the playground of millionaires and intellectuals with a population exceeding 7,000.A Swedish immigrant who arrived there in 1892 to run a local liquor business, Henry Beck would be delighted.The town, located in a remote area of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains, had blossomed in the 1880s as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom but in the 1890s entered a steep decline.Beck, hailed as one of the “progressive men of Western Colorado” was a stabilizing presence who helped rescue Aspen from becoming just another Colorado ghost town.
The son of Henry and Mary (Olson) Beck, Henry was born in 1861 in Filipstad, Sweden, a small lakeshore municipality in central Sweden.When he was only seven or eight years old, his father, a miner, uprooted Mary and their four children and emigrated to the United States.After a sojourn in Pennsylvania, the family in 1871 settled on the border of Lake Superior where the elder Beck found employment in the iron mines.
Terminating his formal education when he was only ten years old, Henry was obliged by family financial circumstances also to become a mine worker.At the age of eighteen, seeking better opportunities, he traveled west to Leadville, Colorado, to work in the silver mines.Apparently nagged by his lack of formal education, in 1885 the youth earned enough to pay his way back to Sweden and attend secondary school.He returned to Leadville in 1887 determined to stay out of the mines, instead becoming a shipping clerk for a wholesale liquor firm, owned by the Baer Brothers, Isaac and Adolph. Their store window is shown here. [See my post on the Baers, Oct. 22, 2017.]
After spending five years learning the business Beck was entrusted by the Baers with managing a liquor outlet they owned in the mountain town of Aspen, Colorado, shown above.When he moved there Beck immediately must have recognized the logistical problems the remote town presented.Aspen was miles from the nearest railroad hub — and still is.The distance from Leadville was only 44 miles but required traveling a road that led over Independence Pass, crossing the Continental divide at 12,095 feet above sea level. The pass is 32 miles long and so steep in places, as shown here, that even today by car it can take more than an hour to traverse.In Beck’s day, I surmise, supplies from Leadville had to come by mule caravan.
Moreover, in Aspen Beck found a mining town that had seen its peak days and was headed downward. The turn came when the panic of 1893 caused a collapse of the silver market.Moreover, the United States ceased to value its currency in silver and adopted the gold standard.For the next half-century, known locally as “the quiet period,” Aspen’s population steadily declined until it was under 1,000.
For the next two decades, Beck was a stabilizing force in the community.Symbolic of his faith in Aspen, in January 1896, he bought out the Baers' stock and totally owned the business.With liquor brought over the mountains to him in barrels, he was repackaging it in ceramic jugs in quart to gallon sizes, as seen here.Eventually, finding it difficult to transport whiskey safely in jugs over the rugged mountains, Beck opened his own bottling plant, creating an opportunity for local employment.He also invested his money in area mining enterprises.
Quoting the “Progressive Men” on Beck:“He is a prominent and influential citizen, taking a deep and continuing interest in local public affairs, and standing well in the good will and regard of his fellow men.” The Aspen Democrat-Times put it more simply:“…With every man who knows Henry, his word is as good as his bond and both are good as gold.”
Beck was an influential figure in the social and political life of Aspen as a member of three fraternal organizations in town, the Elks, Odd Fellows, and Eagles, the last elected to a term as president.A Republican in a heavily Democratic county, Beck was rewarded for his civic contributions by becoming the only member of his party to be elected county commissioner.There he was said to have “served the people of Pitkin County, wisely and faithfully.” He also spent a term in the Colorado state legislature, again furthering the interests of Aspen.
In the midst of his business and civic activities, Beck also found time for romance, marriage and family.In January, 1890, he married Ida M. Echberg, like him an immigrant from Sweden.She was the daughter of a successful area farmer and with Beck, an active member of the Lutheran Church.The couple would have four children over the course of their marriage, daughters Edith and Ellen, and sons Verner and Carl.
While prohibitionary forces apparently were not a major issue, problems came from several directions.Although Beck provided many Aspen area saloons with whiskey, he faced competition from out-of-town distributors and moonshine distillers for which Leadville was notorious.While he seems to have surmounted those difficulties, certain unspecified health problems associated with the altitude were plaguing the family.The remedy seemingly was to move to a lower altitude.
About 1907, Beck thought he had closed a sale of his liquor house to a local named Kline only to have the deal fall through at the last moment.It took four more years to find a buyer.Aspen residentsE.M. Hawkins and Eugene Bascom stepped in and bought Beck’s business.Taking note of the sale one local newspaper wrote: “Henry Beck has been in Aspen nineteen years, during which time he has done no man wrong.”
With the sale completed, the Beck family moved almost immediately 105 miles to Denver where they purchased a large home at 1111 Steele Street, shown here.According to the 1910 census Henry initially worked in Denver as a liquor dealer.With the coming of National Prohibition he was forced to find other employment.The 1920 census found Beck, now 57, working as a shipping clerk for a farm implement company.With him in the home was wife Ida and three adult children all in their twenties.Edith, 27, was a piano teacher.The sons Verner, 26, and Carl, 22, were not employed.A short time later the boys moved to California.
About 1925, Beck began to experience troublesome health problems and retired.He died at his Denver home in February 1929.After a Lutheran Church ceremony he was buried in Fairmount Cemetery, Block 81.Ida would join him there in 1942.Beck’s death brought an extensive obituary in the Aspen Daily Times that remembered him even after some 18 years gone as “one of the leading citizens of this state.” It was a fitting tribute to a whiskey man who contributed so much to Aspen during dark days.
Note: This post was researched using a number of sources, the most important being the “The Progressive Men of Colorado,” A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905 and Beck’s obituary in the Aspen Daily Times of February 8, 1929.
The Old McBrayer is another heritage brand revived by the McBrayer Family a few years ago. The family is proud of the fact that Judge McBrayer was reputed in the 19th century to make the best whiskey in Kentucky since… Continue Reading →
The Old McBrayer is another heritage brand revived by the McBrayer Family a few years ago. The family is proud of the fact that Judge McBrayer was reputed in the 19th century to make the best whiskey in Kentucky since... Continue Reading →
A limited run of 190 bottles of the rare malt Scottish whisky will go on sale globally via ballot for $4,250 under its Collective Series label. Members will have priority access to the bottles, which will be bottled in January 2024 and promptly dispatched to eager consumers in March 2024.
Caskshare, a leading Scottish-based whisky business dedicated to bringing the world of unique bottles and one-of-a-kind products within reach of rare malt enthusiasts, is thrilled to announce the launch of a highly anticipated ballot of a truly exceptional offering: a very rare Macallan distilled in 1991. As meticulous curators, discerning bottlers, and exclusive sellers of the most extraordinary and rare whiskies, Caskshare is expanding its horizons in the US market offering an unprecedented opportunity to savor this exceptional Scotch.
A limited run of 190 bottles of the rare malt Scottish whisky will go on sale globally via ballot for $4,250 under its Collective Series label. Members will have priority access to the bottles, which will be bottled in January 2024 and promptly dispatched to eager consumers in March 2024. Members enjoy priority access, and the remaining bottles will be selectively distributed/sold randomly.This exceptional whisky distilled at Macallan Distillery will be bottled at 32YOhaving undergone a unique aging process starting in a first-fill ex-bourbon cask and culminating in a PX Sherry cask finish, boasts an astonishingly high single-cask ABV of 49%.
The ballot will open globally on Thursday, December 7th, and close midday on Thursday, December 14th.
This announcement follows the remarkable sale of aMacallan 1926 bottle sold for $2.7 million on November 18th. The release featuring the art of Italian artist Valerio Adami made a new record for any bottle of spirit or wine sold at auction.
John Robertson, Managing Director of Caskshare, remarked, "We are honored to be able to bring you this very rare whisky from one of Scotland's best-known distilleries. We are passionate about sourcing the best whisky Scotland has to offer and this whisky distilled at The Macallan Distillery is no different. It's a rare and momentous occasion when a cask of such unparalleled rarity emerges. We’ve coupled this whisky with an exceptional piece of art and anticipate that it will be eagerly sought after by both discerning connoisseurs and fervent collectors alike."
The Collective Series has been curated to encompass a spectrum, from reasonably priced to opulent single-cask whiskies. Each bottle carries its own unique identity, and the artistic labels embody a profound connection to the product's story, provenance, and craftsmanship.
“The artistry on our bottles is a deliberate choice – just as we curate distinctive whiskies, we also curate collaborations with artists for the bottle design,” says John Robertson, Managing Director of Caskshare. “For this release, we teamed up with acclaimed American artist Tristan Eaton for the exclusive bottle design. Drawing inspiration from two of Eaton's evocative murals paying homage to Alexander Graham Bell –the Scottish-born inventor of the telephone and of the American Telecoms Company– we felt that this was the perfect partner to beautifully showcase the intricate interplay between Scottish innovation and American artistic ingenuity as we launch the Collective Series here in the US.
When Caskshare launched several years ago, it leaned into its single glass-to-cask concept but quickly realized they wanted to put a spin on these bottlings and created what they call their Collective Series. Through this Collective Series, Caskshare's vision is to have all of its special single casks become part of an ongoing series of collective bottlings, featuring special rarities and super high-end gems. Up until now, collectors and enthusiasts would order from the UK site and when the bottles were ready, would receive their special purchases. This applied to everyone, from the UK, the US and beyond. But since the US market has a large majority of high-end whisky buyers & collectors, the company launched its US site to provide greater access to unique bottles Caskshare endorsed and curated, all with the vision of eventually offering its own acquired single caskswith shipping directly from the US. --giving customers access to whisky you can't buy anywhere else with local shipping and duty rates.
This new limited-run release is the first to be available to consumers in US dollars and is the first step in bringing in the rest of the collection series to Caskshare US, finally fully launching the concept here in the US. Within the next few months, the Collective Series bottles which have been available via Caskshare.com will now be available to be shipped locally with no international shipping costs.
Founded in 2019, Caskshare is a pioneering whisky business dedicated to making the world of unique, one-of-a-kind whiskies accessible to all, bridging the gap between whisky aficionados and exceptional single malt experiences. With an extensive network of connoisseurs, Caskshare brings forth the most extraordinary offerings, connecting passionate whisky enthusiasts with limited-edition treasures.
I used to scoff at ready-to-drink cocktails. I like making cocktails, so I couldn’t understand why anyone would settle for a sub-par, overly sweet drink from the store when they could just make their own.
Yeah, I was kinda dumb.
Look, I get it. There are plenty of times I really want a cocktail, but I have zero ambition to make it. In such cases, I have three options. Drive to a place that makes cocktails, see if my oh-so-beautiful wife will make one for me, or just settle for a pour of bourbon in a glass. All three options come with their drawbacks.
The first one, obviously, means I need to leave the house, and I’m going to be honest with you here: if I can’t muster the ambition to go make a cocktail, do you think I’m actually up to putting on “real clothes” and leaving the house? Not a chance. The third one is what happens most of the time. I just pour a glass into a pretty cup and call it “good enough.” And it is, but sometimes I really want more than just a pour of bourbon. In such times, I turn to option two: ask my wife to do it for me.
Now, as I said at the beginning, I love making cocktails. My wife, however, does not. If I ask her to do it, I will most likely get an Old Fashioned. One bottle, a couple shakes of bitters, and one squirt of a sweetener such as honey or agave nectar. Which is great. Except sometimes I want something that isn’t an Old Fashioned. Something like a Negroni, for example. In the past, I’d just get up and do it myself. I’m not the kind of person who asks someone to do something for me when I’m feeling lazy and then critiques what they do for me.
Notice the “in the past” in that previous paragraph? Yeah, I found something online that intrigued me as I was trying to spend enough to get free shipping (spending more than shipping would cost in order to qualify for free shipping is totally logical, right?). I was buying a bottle of Wyoming Whiskey’s National Park No. 3 from Reserve Bar when I saw a 375 mL bottle of Campari Negroni, a ready-to-drink version of the Negroni cocktail. And last night, I put it through its paces…which is just a fancy way of saying I drank two cocktails. One ready-to-drink and one that I made fresh using Beefeater 24, Noilly Prat vermouth, and Campari. Here are my notes.
Campari Negroni, Ready-to-Drink Cocktail
Purchase Info: $26.49 for a 375 mL bottle from ReserveBar.com. It sells at Total Wine near me for $23.99 for a 375 mL.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.53
Details: 26% ABV
Nose: Chocolate and cherry
Mouth: Oxidized wine notes along with citrus and baking spice.
Finish: Short and deliciously bitter with notes of cherry, citrus, and chocolate.
Comparison to freshly made: The freshly made is brighter, but the bottled is more complex. Both benefit greatly from an expressed orange peel over the glass.
Thoughts: If I have the ingredients and I make the cocktail, I’ll prefer the freshly made version. It allows me to change the gin I'm using to whatever I'm in the mood for on that day. And with the Beefeter that I used, I prefer the brighter, less oxidized taste of the freshly made. That said, I very seldom have vermouth in the house, as a Negroni is the only cocktail I make where I don't swap the vermouth out for an amaro. So, I can totally see a place in my life for the bottled version. This way, I can have a Negroni on nights when I convince my oh-so-beautiful wife (whom I dearly love) to make cocktails, or there is no vermouth in the house. It’s close enough that I wouldn’t have noticed in a non-head-to-head matchup.
Did you enjoy this post? If you want to support the work going on here at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch (tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com.
Sagamore Spirit Distillery is a rye whiskey distillery located in Baltimore, Maryland. They produce rye whiskeys in the old Maryland style. The distillery was founded by Kevin Plank, who is also the CEO and founder of Under Armour. In September 2023, t…
Sagamore Spirit Distillery is a rye whiskey distillery located in Baltimore, Maryland. They produce rye whiskeys in the old Maryland style. The distillery was founded by Kevin Plank, who is also the CEO and founder of Under Armour. In September 2023, the Italian company, Illva Saronno Holding, acquired a majority share of Sagamore Spirit Distillery. Learn more in our Sagmore Spirit Distillery Tour review!
Cape Byron Distillery continues to create new, unique expressions and whiskies. This time around, brookies has created its latest whisky matured in Viognier casks. The limited edition whisky will produce only 1,100 bottles. The Brookies‘ third whisky release, aged in Viognier cask, is light golden in color with notes of butter croissant, mocha, papaya, and […]
Cape Byron Distillery continues to create new, unique expressions and whiskies. This time around, brookies has created its latest whisky matured in Viognier casks. The limited edition whisky will produce only 1,100 bottles.
The Brookies‘ third whisky release, aged in Viognier cask, is light golden in color with notes of butter croissant, mocha, papaya, and caramelized peaches. It is the result of blending whiskies matured over three years in Australian white wine casks and American oak ex-bourbon casks.
Notably, Viognier is one of the world’s most aromatic white wines and is often found in French wine blends. This whisky was aged in viognier casks from McLaren Vale winery. This winery is known for its aromatic and textural white wines.
Brookies Viognier Cask Whisky
In addition, a sophisticated style of Australian whisky is borne from the delicate characteristics of French oak casks. These create linger sensations similar to white peach, ginger, and bergamot. The expression distributes a crescendo of aromas on the palate
A limited number of bottles of this rare whisky are available for purchase online at capebyrondistillery.com. Retailers will also offer the product in selected stores. These include St Helena’s cellar door and premium independent liquor companies.
Just last month, the distillery launched a special on-premise gin in response to the government tax increases. Known as Excise Strength Gin, the bottle is being distributed only at the distillery headquarters.
Eddie Brook, Co-founder and distiller at Cape Byron Distillery said: “Our goal is for Excise Strength Gin to create momentum for change to our unsustainable and archaic excise system. Spirits are unfairly taxed compared to other alcohols in Australia, and the producers and venue owners in our industry feel the brunt of this discriminatory spirit tax.
“If we can inspire conversation in our industry and with government whilst sipping on a delicious Brookie’s G&T in hand, then we’d be pretty happy with that.”
The Fall 2023 edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bares a bright burnished copper color, with a nose of brown sugar and toasted bread in addition to cinnamon and nutmeg.
Heaven Hill Distillery has announced the release of the Fall 2023 edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey at 8 years old. Comprised of barrels produced in Fall 2015, the twelfth national release ushers in the latest edition to the decanter series which adds to the bottled-in-bond legacy.
Bottled in an ornate decanter, the Fall edition is denoted by a black label. As was the case for the past editions, this edition’s tax strip, which has always been a signature of transparency on bottled-in-bond products, will disclose when the liquid was produced and bottled. The Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Fall edition will be available in the 750ml size on an allocated basis. It meets the strict requirements of a bottled-in-bond: the product of a single distillery from a single distilling season, aged a minimum of four years, and bottled at 100 proof or 50% alcohol by volume. This edition is available at the suggested retail price of $109.99.
The Fall 2023 edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bares a bright burnished copper color, with a nose of brown sugar and toasted bread in addition to cinnamon and nutmeg. The taste is smooth on the palate beginning with notes of peaches and cream, followed by peppery spice and caramel sweetness. Spice notes linger in the finish along with peach and pear notes and a caramelized brown sugar finale.
“As a leader of the Bottled-in-Bond category, Heaven Hill is proud to offer a premium product within this special class which showcases the authenticity and quality of the American Whiskey portfolio,” said Conor O’ Driscoll, Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery. “The Fall 2023 8-year-old Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond has the best qualities of a classic Kentucky Bourbon with the unique sweetness and spice this beloved brand is known for.”
Acquired in 1999 by Heaven Hill, the legendary Old Fitzgerald line is well-known for its distilling pedigree and intriguing story behind its namesake, John E. Fitzgerald, whose legacy is also heralded by the Larceny Bourbon brand.
London-based spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd selected and released a 24-year-old whisky from Islay distillery Laphroaig to commemorate BB&R’s 325th anniversary. Along with the Islay characteristic peaty notes – here identified as bonfire ash, coal soot and, of course, peat smoke – the Laphroaig 24-Year-Old is also said to offer notes of mango, pineapple […]
London-based spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd selected and released a 24-year-old whisky from Islay distillery Laphroaig to commemorate BB&R’s 325th anniversary.
Along with the Islay characteristic peaty notes – here identified as bonfire ash, coal soot and, of course, peat smoke – the Laphroaig 24-Year-Old is also said to offer notes of mango, pineapple and vanilla.
Only 232 bottles of the Laphroaig 24-Year-Old are being made available via the official Berry Bros & Rudd website [www.bbr.com] $1010 per bottle.
The Ayrshire farm distillery of Lochlea has revealed its latest seasonal bottling – Lochlea Fallow Edition (Second Crop). The new whisky has been matured exclusively in ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. This is in the ratio of 45% and 55%…
The Ayrshire farm distillery of Lochlea has revealed its latest seasonal bottling - Lochlea Fallow Edition (Second Crop). The new whisky has been matured exclusively in ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. This is in the ratio of 45% and 55% respectively. The Fallow Edition pays homage to the period of the year where farmland naturally rejuvenates itself after crops have been harvested. The whisky has been created by John Campbell, the Director of Production at Lochlea.
Lochlea was founded in 2015 by Neil McGeoch, under the name Lochlea Distilling Co. It is located in rural Ayrshire to the south of Kilmarnock. He converted Lochlea Farm from beef production to growing barley for whisky making. The distillery is in the old piggery and a cattleshed has been turned into the maturation warehouse. The independent family-owned distillery has an annual production capacity of 200,000 litres. The range of whiskies is ever expanding since the Lochlea First Release was launched in early 2022.
The Lochlea Fallow Edition (Second Crop) is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is available via selected specialist whisky retailers in selected world markets. A bottle will cost £52.
"Fallow season within our farming calendar is a vital time of year for us to regenerate the land ready for our barley to grow well in the spring and summer. This release is important to us, as it gives a chance to tell the story of the farm and explain some of our sustainable practices."
Neil McGeoch / Co-founder of Lochlea.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is deep coppery amber and the nose is bold, rich and heavy with dried fruits. There are aromas of raisin and sultana to the fore, which are supported by darker notes of fig and date. Underneath are further aromas of crumbly brown sugar, toasted hazelnut and milk chocolate, plus baked apple and a hint of candied orange peel.
On the palate this whisky feels rich, bold and syrupy. Notes of brown sugar and juicy dark raisins lead the way and are quickly joined by Cognac-soaked prunes, sultanas and hints of dried figs and dates. Further hints of dark chocolate and black treacle also sit in the background. Underneath sits a distinct malted biscuit-like note, maybe a chocolate malted biscuit, and some soft green apple. This is similar to the baked apple note from the nose and adds lovely depth. Further complexity and structure is added by evolving notes of toasted hazelnut and a hint of almond marzipan, plus some drying woody spices - think of cinnamon bark, mace and a pinch of clove.
The finish is long and fruity with the sweet dried fruits leading the way. These begin to fade and allow the nutty elements and some orange oil to shine briefly. They also fade and this allows the malty and woody notes to drag out the finish. These is a peppery heat and lovely warming hit of savoury baking spices.
What's The Verdict?
This is another fine whisky from Lochlea. Their whiskies have been impressive from the very first release but this Fallow Season adds a different dimension. Most of the distillery's early releases have been on the lighter side and shown the distinctly fruity and malty character of Lochlea's spirit. But the use of 100% ex-sherry casks has lead this whisky in a much richer, sweeter and darker direction. It is absolutely delicious and well worth searching out as the price os pretty good too.
Today Aspen, Colorado, is world renowned as the playground of millionaires and intellectuals with a population exceeding 7,000. A Swedish immigrant who arrived there in 1892 to run a local liquor business, Henry Beck would be delighted. The town, located in a remote area of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains, had blossomed in the 1880s as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom but in the 1890s entered a steep decline. Beck, hailed as one of the “progressive men of Western Colorado” was a stabilizing presence who helped rescue Aspen from becoming just another Colorado ghost town.
Terminating his formal education when he was only ten years old, Henry was obliged by family financial circumstances also to become a mine worker. At the age of eighteen, seeking better opportunities, he traveled west to Leadville, Colorado, to work in the silver mines. Apparently nagged by his lack of formal education, in 1885 the youth earned enough to pay his way back to Sweden and attend secondary school. He returned to Leadville in 1887 determined to stay out of the mines, instead becoming a shipping clerk for a wholesale liquor firm, owned by the Baer Brothers, Isaac and Adolph. Their store window is shown here. [See my post on the Baers, Oct. 22, 2017.]
After spending five years learning the business Beck was entrusted by the Baers with managing a liquor outlet they owned in the mountain town of Aspen, Colorado, shown above. When he moved there Beck immediately must have recognized the logistical problems the remote town presented. Aspen was miles from the nearest railroad hub — and still is. The distance from Leadville was only 44 miles but required traveling a road that led over Independence Pass, crossing the Continental divide at 12,095 feet above sea level. The pass is 32 miles long and so steep in places, as shown here, that even today by car it can take more than an hour to traverse. In Beck’s day, I surmise, supplies from Leadville had to come by mule caravan.
For the next two decades, Beck was a stabilizing force in the community. Symbolic of his faith in Aspen, in January 1896, he bought out the Baers' stock and totally owned the business. With liquor brought over the mountains to him in barrels, he was repackaging it in ceramic jugs in quart to gallon sizes, as seen here. Eventually, finding it difficult to transport whiskey safely in jugs over the rugged mountains, Beck opened his own bottling plant, creating an opportunity for local employment. He also invested his money in area mining enterprises. 
With the sale completed, the Beck family moved almost immediately 105 miles to Denver where they purchased a large home at 1111 Steele Street, shown here. According to the 1910 census Henry initially worked in Denver as a liquor dealer. With the coming of National Prohibition he was forced to find other employment. The 1920 census found Beck, now 57, working as a shipping clerk for a farm implement company. With him in the home was wife Ida and three adult children all in their twenties. Edith, 27, was a piano teacher. The sons Verner, 26, and Carl, 22, were not employed. A short time later the boys moved to California.
