Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (June 5, 2015)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. 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. Here is what has caught our attention this week ...

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Douglas Laing - Scallywag Strengthens
The independent bottling company of Douglas Laing & Co has announced a limited edition version of one of its blended malts - the Scallywag Cask Strength.  The original Scallywag, which features a fox terrier on the packaging, was launched in November 2013.  Just 6,000 bottles of the Cask Strength have been released at 53.6% ABV.  This contains the same combination of Speyside single malts as the original (including Glenrothes, Macallan and Mortlach).  The price is expected to be approximately £50.

Fred Laing, Douglas Laing’s Managing Director (and proud Fox Terrier owner), said: “This Cask Strength Scallywag bottling makes the wee dog’s eyes pop, his ears blow open and his monocle ping - but it will make your palate sing. The mellifluously fruity, spicy character and barley, mocha, vanilla and orange-y flavours make it a human treat worth begging for.” 

Green Spot - Wine finish arrives
The Irish pot still whiskey brand of Green Spot, which is owned by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, has announced a new whiskey for the range.  The new expression has been finished in ex-Bordeaux red wine casks from the Château Léoville Barton, a grand cru winery in the Saint Julien appellation in Bordeaux.  Château Léoville Barton is currently owned by Anthony and Lilian Barton, who have Irish ancestry dating back to the 1700s.

The whiskey has been matured in a mix of ex-Oloroso, ex-bourbon and new bourbon casks before being transferred for 18-24 months to the ex-red wine casks, and then bottled at 46% ABV.  It will be available in a limited number of markets including France, Ireland and the UK, and will retail for the recommended price of £43/€59.

Kevin O'Gorman, the Master of Maturation at the Midlton distillery where Green Spot is produced, said: “Maturing Green Spot in the Château Léoville Barton wine casks provided a fascinating assortment of floral and wood characteristics on the nose and palate, which give way to a long, spicy finish reminiscent of the terroir in France and Ireland. I hope whiskey fans enjoy this latest addition to our growing Single Pot Still family and join us in toasting this new whiskey resulting from of our shared Irish heritage.”