Friday, June 5, 2020

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (June 5, 2020)



Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.

In these unprecedented times, and for the foreseeable future, there may not be much brand news or many (if any) new releases. However, we will bring news whenever there is any and also be updating the blog regularly with reviews and tasting notes.

Most news continues to be dominated by whisky companies of all sizes supporting the bar trade with money or the health services with alcohol for sanitation products. Also brands continue to offer online tastings or experiences - there are too many to mention. Outside of that, there have been a few new releases this week ...

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Benromach


The traditional and family-owned Speyside distillery of Benromach has revealed a total overhaul and redesign of its single malt packaging. The new look has been inspired by the distillery's history, heritage and traditional hands on approach to whisky making. The whiskies remain the same as in the previous packaging.

The new design will be phased in to the UK market over the next couple of months and then out in to other world markets, starting with three core expressions - the 10 years old, 15 years old and Cask Strength 2009 Vintage.

"We took inspiration from the hand-painted sign that adorns the roof over the kiln, the distinctive red doors around the distillery and iconic red-brick chimney. The design aims to convey the genuine handcrafted care and that every drop of Benromach is made using just four ingredients - barley, water, yeast and the expertise of our distillers".
Andy Hannah - Head of Brand at Benromach.


Big Peat


The cult Islay blended malt brand of Big Peat, which is owned by independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co, has announced a special limited edition for the Summer - the Big Peat A846. The whisky is named after the A846, the main road on the island of Islay and the one that helps to transport whisky fans from one iconic distillery to another. As acknowlegement of this the whisky is bottled at 8 years of age and 46% ABV in strength.

As with all Big Peat releases, only Islay single malts have been used to create it. There will be just 3,000 bottles of this limited edition and these will be available from selected specialist retailers worldwide and via www.douglaslaing.com. Each bottle will cost £45/ $57 US.



English Whisky Co.
The English Whisky Company, who kicked off the single malt revolution in England in 2005, have announced the oldest English whisky that has been released by any distillery to date - The English 11 years old. The new whisky is limited to just 2,466 bottles. These are released at 46% ABV and are non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is also the first age statement single malt that the Norfolk-based distillery has released. The English 11 years old is retailing for £59.95 and is available while stocks last from www.englishwhisky.co.uk.

"After a decade and a half we are finally in a position to release an English single malt bearing an age statement. The English Whisky Co. was brought to life in 2005 by my father James Nelstrop. His aim was simple: to open a whisky distillery in England and make the very finest single malt whisky."
Andrew Nelstrop - Managing Director at The English Whisky Co.


Fettercairn
The east Highland distillery of Fettercairn has announced a new addition to their single malt core range - the Fettercairn 16 years old. The new whisky fills the large age gap between the 12 and 28 year olds. The whiskies used to create the 16 years old were made using rare chocolate malt and then matured in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks, before a finishing period of two years in ex-sherry and ex-Port casks. It will be joined by a 22 years old expression later in 2020 to further bridge the age gaps in the range. The Fettercairn 16 years old is bottled at 46.4% ABV and will be released to both domestic and travel retail markets, costing £69 for a 70cl bottle and £80 for a one litre bottle respectively.



Glasgow Distillery Co.
The Glasgow Distillery Company has announced its first foray in to the blended malt sector with the release of Malt Riot, a whisky that tells the story of the malt tax protests that began in Glasgow in 1725 and then spread across the UK. Malt Riot is a blend of single malts selected from across Scotland and features the Glasgow Distillery Co's 1770 single malt at its heart. It joins the range of three single malts from the distillery - the 1770 Original, Peated and Triple Distilled. The new blended malt is bottled at 40% ABV and is available now via www.glasgowdistillery.com, then from selected specialist whisky retailers. A bottle will cost £25/ $31.50 US.

"The story of the malt riots is a powerful one. It involved the people of Glasgow taking a stand for what they believed in and was a catalyst that helped forge the Scotch whisky industry as we know it today. The story has been forgotten and is an example of the fiery passion and determination that continues to thrive in our city today."
Liam Hughes - CEO and Co-Founder at The Glasgow Distillery Co.


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