Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (June 4, 2021)

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. 

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (October 23, 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. Here is the news from this week ...

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (September 13, 2019) Part 1

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.

Review - Jim Beam Double Oak

The world's largest selling bourbon brand has announced the addition of a new bottling, which will be exclusive to the travel retail sector - the Jim Beam Double Oak. The new whiskey has been matured in new American white oak barrels for four years before being transferred to second charred oak barrels for a further short maturation, giving greater contact with the wood.  This added interaction gives the whiskey an extra boost of intensity.  The Double Oak is presented in the Beam range's new premium packaging that features embossed glass and textured labeling amongst other things.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (April 15, 2016)

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.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (January 29, 2016)

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.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (June 12, 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.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (February 13, 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.

Inbox - February 21, 2014

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.

Inbox - January 31, 2014

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.

Our Top 10 whiskies of 2012

2012 has been a productive year for new whisky releases.  Many companies are developing and releasing more products to meet or drive consumer demand, as the category continues to grow in both sales and consumption across the globe.  We have reviewed over 100 whiskies this year, with many being new releases.  It is impossible to sample every new release, but we have been lucky to try some of them through this blog.

Have just tried - Jim Beam Honey

Earlier this year, the world's best selling bourbon launched a new liqueur which mixes its four year old bourbon, used in their famous White Label, with honey.  The result was Jim Beam Honey.  We were invited to the UK launch, which saw a London square turned into a large beehive with bartenders serving cocktails while wearing beekeeping outfits.  Jim Beam Honey has captured the attention of non-whisky drinkers and seems to go from strength to strength with its recent launch in the European travel retail sector.

Inbox - April 20, 2012

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 that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we 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.  There is lots of activity this week, so here we go ...

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AnCnoc - Something RemARKabLE
No - we haven't hit the caps lock on the keyboard by mistake ... this is how the related press release was sent to us!  The up and coming single malt brand of AnCnoc, which is made at the Highland distillery of Knockdhu, have announced a new project in conjunction with renowned Scottish illustrator Peter Arkle (pictured, below).

Arkle has produced a series of images which will appear on limited editions of AnCnoc throughout 2012.  The first design features elements of the whisky making process - barley, water, heat, yeast, time and magic.  The whisky selected for this first release is also very special, as it is the first AnCnoc single malt to be released that has been wholly matured in ex-sherry casks.  There is also a short film on the AnCnoc website which charts the creation and progress of the designs.

Bowmore - Darkest Nights
The iconic distillery of Bowmore, the oldest on Islay dating back to 1779, has announced an interactive  consumer experience designed at bring their 15 year old Darkest expression to life. The Magic happens on the Darkest nights experience is being held in London on 25 and 26 April at 7.30pm, with a similar event taking place in New York in May.

The London venue, near Liverpool Street station, has been renovated to include a number of sensory rooms to unlock the secrets of Islay and the Bowmore Darkest whisky.  Fellow collaborators in the project include chocolatier Paul A. Young, astronomer Gary Fildes from the Kielder Forest Star Camp Observatory and Gideon Reeling, who specialises in bespoke interactive theatrical experiences.  It sounds great fun and tickets cost £15 from wegottickets.com. Here's a short video that they have released to whet your appetite ...

Black is back

Black Grouse - Alpha Edition

The Famous Grouse brand is adding a limited edition of its Black Grouse blended whisky to its range.  Named Black Grouse - Alpha Edition, the new whisky is a richer, smokier version of the award winning original Black Grouse.  It has been blended using a higher percentage of peaty single malt than the original.  The black glass bottle is adorned with a grouse feather and shows an alpha male grouse displaying his mating plumage.

The bottling is available exclusively from The Famous Grouse Experience shop at glenturret distillery in Crieff, or via The Famous Grouse website.  A bottle will cost £35.  It will also be available in selected travel retail/Duty Free markets, priced at €33.

It's party time

Chivas Regal -  The Art of Hosting

The popular whisky brand of Chivas Regal has teamed up with the founders of the Le Baron nightclubs to create a new limited pack.  The Chivas & Le Baron is designed around the increasing trend of drinking at home or hosting whisky tastings at home.  The pack contains a bottle of Chivas Regal 12 years old and a members card, allowing access to a new Chivas Art of Hosting website.  The site includes a series of videos by Le Baron's founders about how to throw the perfect party at home. 

The limited edition pack will be available shortly in off-trade retailers in 20 markets around the world and will cost around 10% more than the regular Chivas Regal 12 years old.

Cutty Sark - Celebration cocktails
The Cutty Sark whisky brand is celebrating the forthcoming re-opening of the boat from which it takes its name by mixing up two whisky cocktails.  The Cutty Sark, the world's oldest tea clipper, was devastated by fire in May 2007 and has undergone five years of restoration work.  The state of the art exhibit re-opens on 26 April.

The first cocktail is called Cutty Storm and is made with one shot of Cutty Sark whisky, half a shot of Bols Triple Sec liqueur, a wedge of lime and lemonade, served in a tall glass.  The other is the Cutty Fashion, which is made with two shots of Cutty Sark, two dashes of Angostura bitters, one teaspoon of gomme sugar syrup and a curl of orange peel.  To makes this, add the ingredients in a short glass with some ice and swirl for around a minute before decorating with the orange.

Creating a buzz?

Jim Beam Honey - UK launch
The bourbon based liqueur sees its launch in the UK next week and the brand is celebrating with two days of special events. Jim Beam Honey is made by infusing four year old Jim Beam bourbon with golden honey and is bottled at a strength of 35% ABV.  It will retail around the £23 mark.

The launch event for the brand see them take over Broadgate Circle in the heart of the City of London for a series of events, including the construction of a huge beehive!  Music and entertainment will also be provided, as well as the opportunity to try the new product for the first time.  The events take place on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 April between 6-9pm - entry is free and includes two complimentary drinks.

New release - Jim Beam Devil's Cut

The Devil's Cut is a new addition to the core range of the powerhouse American bourbon distillery and brand of Jim Beam.  It was first released in the USA last year and has been a huge success.  It is expected in to the UK and European markets in mid-2012.  The Devil's Cut is bottled at a strength of 90° proof (45% ABV) and six years of age.  It is currently retailing for between $25-30 in the USA.

The Beam family have a long whiskey heritage, with their first distillery dating back to 1795. This was founded in Washington County, Kentucky by a German immigrant called Jacob Boehm (his surname later became Americanised to Beam). The current distillery was founded in 1933 at the end of Prohibition in the USA and is located in the town of Clermont in the famous whiskey producing state of Kentucky.  It is currently run by the seventh generation of his family - the Master Distiller is Fred Noe, who is the great grandson of Colonel James B. Beam (or Jim Beam as he is famously known).

We were delighted to meet Fred Noe at an event in London earlier this week and he had managed to sneak a bottle of Devil's Cut in to the UK for it.  When talking to Fred, he was immensely proud of Devil's Cut as it is the first new product for the core range that he has personally developed since he became Master Distiller five years ago. The story behind the whiskey and the name as Fred tells it is as follows ...

When whiskey is maturing in a cask it is pulled in and out of the wood as time progresses.  When the cask is emptied for bottling, some of this whiskey remains in the wood and is potentially lost.  By using a technique called 'sweating', some of this whiskey can be removed from the wood - this involves putting about two gallons (7.5 litres) of water in to the empty cask and shaking the cask for around 30 minutes.  This pulls some of the whiskey out of the wood and this 'whiskey water' is then drained off and used to dilute the final product, instead of regular spring water.  The 'devil's cut' is the name given by Fred to the whiskey trapped inside the empty cask, as it is the opposite to the 'angel's share' which is evaporated alcohol that has escaped from the cask during maturation.

Our tasting notes
The colour of Devil's Cut is a rich golden yellow and the nose is packed with expressive aromas.  There is plenty of immediate vanilla, coconut and brown sugar.  There is also a scent of distinct malty cereals and some toasted oak, which are backed up by more subtle wood spices (think of nutmeg especially) and a hint of burnt orange.  It is very, very promising indeed.

On the palate, this is rich, velvety and pleasantly oily with plenty of initial sweetness.  The main notes here are vanilla, honey, butterscotch and caramel and this makes it feel very soft.  However, it is not long before other elements kick in and balance that intense opening sweetness.  Included here are some robust cereals (these are not as sweet and malty as on the nose, but more bittersweet), burnt orange, toasted almonds and plenty of lovely, tannic wood spice - imagine cinnamon, nutmeg and oak. The oaky note seems to increase as you let the whiskey sit in your mouth for longer. The balance and harmony of all of the combined elements is sublime and very good.  The strength suggests adding a few drops of water and with this, it becomes creamier and even softer with the vanilla coming to the fore and the woody spices being knocked back slightly.

The finish is very long with the woody spices and robust cereals lingering for what seems like forever.  Again, it begins sweetly but the spice/cereals take over quickly and leave your mouth watering and wanting more.  There is a delicious hint of the burnt orange which rounds everything off perfectly.

What's the verdict?
The Jim Beam Devil's Cut is an absolutely superb whiskey and one of the best in the bourbon category that we have ever tasted.  It excellently combines good sweetness with delicious, gripping woodiness and spiciness.  The Devil's Cut has won rave reviews in America and is taking that market by storm.  It should do the same when it hits its new markets later this year and it deserves to.

Hats off to Fred Noe, as he has produced a stunner of a whiskey.  If you are in the USA - lucky you, go out and buy a bottle now.  If you're not (like us) - make a mental note and keep your eyes open for when it get released. You won't be disappointed.

Inbox > September 19, 2011

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. Inbox was born as we sadly cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will 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 if you want to.

However, following our holiday to Cuba the Whisky For Everyone email was bursting at the seams upon our return - so we decided to split last week's Inbox in to two parts.  Sit back and enjoy this bonus edition, before we return to the normal format on Friday.

Arran > New 12 years old launched 

Cool, classy packaging

The award winning Isle of Arran Distillers have announced a new product – the first batch of a 12 years old Cask Strength. This release will be at the end of September and will consist of 12,000 bottles. The whisky has been constructed, using a combination of first-fill and second-fill ex-sherry casks, by Master Distiller James MacTaggart. The cask strength is 54.1% ABV. Euan Mitchell, Arran’s Managing Director says, “The influence of the sherry casks has resulted in a powerful, spicy and rich whisky with notes of dark chocolate, toasted oak and baked apples. Adding a splash of water brings further depth with subtle flavours of citrus fruits and cinnamon”.

Balblair > WIRED Magazine photo competition

Timed to perfection ...

The north Highland distillery of Balblair, owned by Inverhouse Distillers, has teamed up with popular magazine WIRED to create an exciting new photography competition.  The first prize is a VIP trip to the distillery and a bottle of Balblair 1965 Vintage - their oldest vintage released to date, worth £1,500.  The theme of the competition ties in with Balblair tag line - Timed to Perfection.  Entrants are asked to interpret that expression and submit photographs, which will be judged by Steve Peck, the WIRED Picture Editor, and Edmund Clark, the Editorial Photographer of the Year 2010.  The closing date is 14 October and the winning photo will be published in the January edition of WIRED.  For further details and to enter - click here.

Black Grouse > Team up with RSPB

Helping the RSPB

An award sponsorship scheme between the Black Grouse whisky brand, owned by the Edrington Group, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has been extended for a further three years. The scheme was originally started in 2008 and was created to raise awareness about the critical decline of the black grouse in the UK. This was prompted by a dramatic slump in numbers, which had fallen from 25,000 male birds in 1970 to only 5,000 in 2005. The scheme has already raised £300,000 and has seen numbers beginning to rise steadily, almost doubling in some locations. A further £150,000 will be given in the next three years to continue the good work. The extension was announced by Gerry O’Donnell, the Director of the Famous Grouse brand, and Stuart Housden, the Director of RSPB Scotland.

Glendronach > Tee off with a special whisky

Donald's favourite

The award winning independent distillery of Glendronach have announced that they will be supplying a limited edition whisky to celebrate the opening of Donald Trump's controversial new golf course near Aberdeen.  The tycoon invited a number of distilleries from the local area to submit samples and selected a Glendronach 25 years old single malt as the winner.  The whisky, which was selected by Managing Director of The Benriach Distillery Company Billy Walker, will come in 500 commemorative bottles and will be released to coincide with the grand opening of the £750 million golf complex next Summer.  No further details are available, but Billy Walker described the whisky as, "classic Glendronach - a silky and smooth fusion of sherry sweetness and concentrated fruit".

Jim Beam Red Stag > Try a new cocktail

Ahoy me hearties!

Believe it or not, today is ‘International Talk Like A Pirate Day’. Yes you read that correctly, but that is not the news here. To celebrate this day (question – is anyone really celebrating this?), the people behind Jim Beam Red Stag – the American bourbon infused with black cherries – have created a special cocktail. The Cherry Sour Sea Dog (pictured, left) can be made as follows - muddle four cherries in a dash of lemon juice in the bottom of a shaker glass, add 50mls of Jim Beam Red Stag and a drop of Angostura bitters and shake hard over cubed ice, then put all contents into a tumbler and garnish with a fresh cherry and lemon snap. Sounds delicious – try it out.

Whisky Socials @ the Athenaeum Hotel
Here's one for anyone in London - the Athenaeum Hotel, which is located on Piccadilly, has announced a series of whisky evenings where they will play host to some of the world's best known brands.  The Whisky Socials will incorporate a tutored whisky tasting with food matchings thanks to specially created menus for each event.  Each event will cost £39 per head and places can be booked by visiting www.athenaeumhotel.com or by calling 020-76403322.  The events are as follows ...
6 October 2011 - Aberfeldy & Dewar's with the legendary Roger Mallandine.
24 November 2011 - Balvenie with Dr. Andrew Forrester, the UK Brand Ambassador.
25 January 2012 - Burn's Night Special with The Macallan.
There is also a date in March 2012, yet to be confirmed, which will see Richard Paterson hosting a Dalmore evening.

New releases > Jim Beam Red Stag

Iconic American producer Jim Beam, the world's best selling bourbon, have launched a new product on to the UK market called Red Stag - a version of the famous Jim Beam White Label bourbon which has been slowly infused with natural black cherries. Bottled at 40% ABV, Red Stag will retail at £21.75 a bottle and is currently available from the Tesco and Asda supermarket chains. It is recommended to be consumed straight, chilled or as part of a cocktail. We were delighted to be invited to the UK launch party recently - footage of which can be seen in the video clip below.

Jim Beam is the biggest selling bourbon brand in the world and sits comfortably in the global top 10 for total spirit sales. The current distillery was built at the end of the Prohibition period in 1933 and is located in the town of Clermont, Kentucky. The state of Kentucky is the famous home to America's bourbon industry. The Beam family have a longer whisky heritage, with their first distillery dating back to 1795. This was founded in Washington County, Kentucky by a German immigrant called Jacob Boehm (his surname later became Americanised to Beam). The distillery is currently run by the sixth generation of his family. The Beam empire has grown massively and Beam Global are now one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, holding a vast array of worldwide brands in their portfolio including the famous Scottish whisky distillery of Laphroaig.

Our tasting notes
We have tasted Red Stag straight and at room temperature for these notes. The colour is a rich golden yellow and the nose is delicious and rich. It is packed with vanilla, oak, coconut and sweet cereal grain aromas from the bourbon, with the addition of ripe red cherries (think of a cocktail/maraschino cherries) . More sweet aromas come through in the form of honey, as does an interesting floral note (imagine honeysuckle or maybe orange blossom). On the palate, the vanilla and oakiness are immediately prominent before quickly being complimented by plenty of sweet, luscious and juicy black cherry flavours. The liquid feels rich, soft and warming in your mouth. The warmth is quite spicy with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg) and further mellow sweetness created by the cereal grains and honey notes. The finish is long with a combination of the cherry sweetness and the drier, oaky bourbon characteristics vying for attention. The warm spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) really come through as does a citrus note, reminiscent of candied orange peel, before one final blast of sugary cherry.

What's the verdict?
The Red Stag is certainly unique. Other American companies have produced similarly infused items - think of Evan Williams' Honey or the recently released Jack Daniel's Honey - but we have not tasted or come across a bourbon infused with fruit. Is it a gimmick? We don't think so and we both really enjoy it. We like the idea of new products that try and attract new drinkers, as long as they are of a good quality and well produced. Red Stag is good taken straight but is better chilled from the fridge and sipped from a shot glass or as part of a simple cocktail.



Cocktail idea?
We came up with an Old Fashioned type cocktail which seems to suit Red Stag well and tastes delicious - all you will need is a tumbler glass, some orange zest, ice cubes and Red Stag. Put the orange zest in the tumbler style glass, add three or four ice cubes and a good measure of Red Stag. Stir for a minute or so with the end of a spoon, repeat the ice cubes/Red Stag measure and stirring stage, before garnishing with a fresh red cherry (or a maraschino cherry if real cherries are out of season). Yum :)

Inbox > April 22, 2011

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has found its way in to our email inbox. Sadly, we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive, so Inbox was born! It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will 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 if you want to. There is not much this week, as marketing departments shut down for the double Easter/Royal Wedding public holidays. Here is this week's news ...
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Diageo > Visitor numbers increase
Whisky tourists are visiting Scottish distilleries in increasing numbers according to global drinks company Diageo. The company which owns 28 distilleries in Scotland, of which 12 have visitor centres have reported a 19% increase over the last two years. Just over 210,000 people visited the 12 distilleries in 2010 with Talisker on the Isle of Skye being the most popular. Over 50,000 visitors went there, despite its relatively remote location. Diageo say that the increase mirrors the rising interest in the subject of whisky, especially in the numbers of visitors from emerging whisky markets such as China, India and Russia. Steve Blake, General Manager of Diageo’s Visitor Centres said, "the growing popularity of Scotch whisky combined with the high quality of visitor experience offered at the distilleries are key factors in the increase. It is clear that people love the magic, the mystery and the history of our whisky industry."

Red Stag > Launches in the UK
Iconic American producer Jim Beam, the world's best selling bourbon, have launched a new product on to the UK market - Red Stag. This is a version of the famous Jim Beam White Label bourbon which has been slowly infused with natural black cherries. Bottled at 40% ABV, Red Stag will retail at £21.75 a bottle and is currently available from the Tesco and Asda supermarket chains. It is recommended to be consumed straight, chilled or as part of a cocktail. We were delighted to be invited to the UK launch party and will be reporting about it shortly, including tasting notes and further information. All we will say for now is that Red Stag is delicious stuff!

Have just tried ... Jim Beam White Label

Jim Beam is the biggest selling bourbon brand in the world and sits comfortably in the global top 10 for total spirit sales. The current distillery was built at the end of the Prohibition period in 1933. It is located in the town of Clermont, Kentucky. The state of Kentucky is the home to America's bourbon industry.

The Beam family have a longer whisky heritage, with their first distillery dating back to 1795. This was founded in Washington County, Kentucky by a German immigrant called Jacob Boehm (his surname later became Americanised to Beam). The distillery is currently run by the sixth generation of his family. The Beam empire has grown massively and Beam Global are now one of the biggest drinks companies in the world, holding a vast array of worldwide brands in their portfolio.

The current range of bourbons include this highly popular flagship White Label (approximately 3-4 years old and 40% ABV), the Black Label (8 years old and 43% ABV) and the Small Batch (a combination of just a few selected casks of differing ages). On our recent trip to Australia, we discovered that Jim Beam is extremely popular there and outsells all other whiskies by a huge margin. The range in Australia includes pre-mixed cans of Beam & Coke and some bars had this mix on tap and sold it in pints!

This White Label is golden in colour, with a nose packed with vanilla, oak and sweet cereal grains. More sweetness comes through later (imagine honey and caramel), as does an interesting floral note that is difficult to define (honeysuckle is possibly the nearest or maybe orange blossom). On the palate, the vanilla and oakiness are prominent and this feels light and warming in your mouth. The warmth is quite spicy (think of ginger and cinnamon or nutmeg), with a lovely mellow sweetness (those grains and honey again) and an interesting yeasty note (imagine rye bread). A distinct waxy note comes through - it sounds strange but it reminded me of beeswax or furniture polish. The finish is long with the sweetness becoming drier and very oaky. The warm spices really come through as does a citrus note (imagine candied orange peel).

White Label is a decent and enjoyable bourbon, that has a highly perfumed nose but is lighter on your palate than the nose suggests. This would make it ideal for mixing or putting in cocktails as some of its individual character will shine through. Saying that, its lightness on the palate makes it refreshing and it has enough interest to drink neat or with ice. For this reason, it would be a good bourbon for beginners to get them started in the world of bourbons. This is also widely available and should cost £15-20 for a bottle.

Have just tried ... Jim Beam 8 years old 'Black Label'

Jim Beam is the best selling bourbon in the world and sits comfortably within the global top 10 for all spirit sales. The current distillery was built at the end of the Prohibition period in 1933 in the town of Clermont, Kentucky and they also own another smaller distillery in Nelson County. The Beam family have a greater whisky heritage though, with their first distillery dating back to 1795. This was founded in Washington County, Kentucky by a German immigrant called Jacob Boehm (his surname later became Americanised to Beam). His grandson and great grandson also set up distilleries in different parts of Kentucky before they were all closed down due to Prohibition in 1920. The current range of bourbons include the highly popular flagship White Label (approximately 3-4 years old and 40% ABV), this Black Label (8 years old and 43% ABV) and the Small Batch (a combination of just a few selected casks of differing ages). On our recent trip to Australia, we discovered that Jim Beam is extremely popular there and outsells all other whiskies by a huge margin. The range in Australia includes pre-mixed cans of Beam & Coke and some bars even had this mix on tap!

This Black Label has a lovely dark golden colour and the nose is packed with oak, vanilla and sweet grains. There is also further sweetness present that comes through later (imagine honey and caramel). On the palate, the vanilla and oakiness are again prominent but more complexity evolves once you get beyond this. It feels creamy and warming in your mouth (think of warm spices like cinnamon or nutmeg), with a lovely mellow sweetness (those grains and that honey again) and an interesting yeasty note (imagine a sweet style of bread like sweet rye). The finish is reasonably long with the sweetness becoming drier and oakier. The warm spices really come through well also. This is a good bourbon that has depth and complexity that some of the cheaper American whiskies lack. A bottle should cost between £20-25.