Inbox | The Week's Whisky News | November 1, 2024

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to the WFE email. We started Inbox several years ago 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 a round-up of this week's whisky news.

 

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The Islay blended malt brand of Big Peat, owned by independent bottlers Douglas Laing & Co, has announced a small batch cocktail extension to its range - the Big Peat Boulevardier. The new product is a smoky take on the classic cocktail which traditionally features whisky (normally bourbon or rye), red vermouth and bitter orange aperitif. 

 

After blending the three ingredients have been aged in an ex-Islay whisky cask to add additional smoky flavours. The Big Peat Boulevardier is bottled at 29.5% ABV and suggested to be served over ice. There are just 450 bottles in the initial small batch release. It will be available exclusively from www.douglaslaing.com with each bottling costing £28.

 

The Canadian whisky brand of Crown Royal has announced an evolution of its popular Reserve bottling, which will now carry an age statement. The Crown Royal Reserve 12 years old maintains a similar recipe to the previous no-age statement expression and uses casks hand-selected by Mark Balkenende, the brand's Master Blender. The new whisky forms part of the brand's 'commitment to excellence' and is bottled at 40% ABV. It will initially be available in Canada and the USA. A bottle will cost US$50.

 

Justerini & Brooks, the London-based prestigious wine and spirits retailer, has announced a limited edition single malt bottling to celebrate its 275th anniversary. The Knockando Cask of Distinction 32 years old is taken from a single European oak first-fill ex-sherry cask and was distilled and filled in 1992. It was selected from the company's extensive cask portfolio. 

 

Knockando is an important ingredient in the famous and highly-awarded J&B blend, a factor that was considered for the special bottling. The whisky is released at its natural cask strength of 50.7% ABV and there are just 453 bottles. Each will cost £1,210 and will be available via www.justerinis.com and selected retailers worldwide. The whisky forms part of a wider celebratory series that includes several 'once in a lifetime' vintage wines.