French company Pernod Ricard, in collaboration with Rabbit Hole’s Kaveh Zamanian, has unveiled a new Bourbon brand, Mary Dowling. This builds on their partnership initiated in 2019 when Pernod Ricard acquired a stake in the Kentucky-based Rabbit Hole distillery.
The Mary Dowling Whiskey Company is launching with two bourbon expressions: a high-rye Bourbon aged in Tequila barrels and a Double Oak Cask Strength Bourbon. The brand pays homage to Mary Dowling, a notable female figure in the pre-Prohibition Bourbon world.
Kaveh Zamanian commented on the brand’s inspiration, emphasizing Dowling’s significant impact on the whiskey-making world and her challenging journey, which included relocating production to Mexico during Prohibition.
The Tequila Barrel variant is a Kentucky straight Bourbon matured in oloroso Sherry barrels and finished in reposado Tequila barrels. It blends fruity flavors with smoky undertones and a peppery finish, retailing between 46.7%-47.5% ABV. The Double Oak Barrel, with flavors of tobacco and cherry, is bottled at 53.5% ABV.
Available in select states, the Tequila Barrel is priced at US$75, while the Double Oak Barrel is at US$130.
Pernod Ricard continues to expand its American whiskey footprint, with investments like a new distillery for its Jefferson’s Bourbon brand.
Elijah Craig has unveiled its Limited-Edition Toasted Barrel Bourbon in celebration of the 2023 Ryder Cup. This special release uses European Toasted Oak Barrels inspired by those utilized in the Lazio wine growing region in Italy. The move follows Elijah Craig’s announcement earlier this year about their multi-year partnership, positioning the Bourbon as the “Official Bourbon” and a Worldwide Supplier for the biennial golf competition.
This limited edition bourbon originates from the matured Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, which undergoes an additional finishing process in new European Oak barrels. Lazio wines, which have roots in Rome, Italy, inspired the barrel’s toast profile. Interestingly, the 2023 Ryder Cup will be hosted at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome from September 29th to October 1st.
The European oak’s subtle flavor integration capabilities harmonize the spiciness of the Lazio-inspired toast profile with the pronounced fruity character of the matured Elijah Craig. Initial tasting notes suggest hints of caramel and crème brûlée, while subsequent sips highlight bright fruit notes following undertones of baking spices. The finish is moderately long with a prevailing spice taste. The bourbon attempts to encapsulate the essence of both the U.S. Team’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the iconic wine-growing region of the European Team.
Max Stefka, Group Product Director at Elijah Craig Bourbon, expressed his excitement over the release, emphasizing the unique fusion of toasted European Oak and the matured Kentucky Bourbon. He believes that the combination presents a tasting experience worthy of such a prestigious sports event.
Guy Kinnings, the Ryder Cup Director, anticipates that Elijah Craig’s bourbon will enhance the spectator experience in Rome. Additionally, Jeff Price, the Chief Commercial Officer of the PGA of America, praised the limited-edition release as an apt celebration of top-tier golf competition.
The commemorative bottle features multiple design elements related to the Ryder Cup, including a neck label with the trophy image, a gold coin cork with the Ryder Cup logo, and a face label signifying the “Official Bourbon” partnership. Packaged in a gift box, each bottle narrates the story behind this unique offering. Set for a national release in August, this limited edition will retail at an SRP of $99.99.
Elijah Craig continues its association with golf, being recognized as the Official Bourbon and Whiskey Supplier of various PGA events and partnering with key figures in the golf world, like PGA TOUR Professional Golfer Max Homa and sports broadcaster Amanda Balionis-Renner.
Douglas Laing & Co, an independent Scotch Whisky distiller, blender, and bottler, has introduced a new edition of their Island Malt called Rock Island Rum Cask Edition. This follows the Rock Island Mezcal Edition from 2022, which was finished in Mezcal casks.
The Rock Island Rum Cask Edition has been matured in Plantation Rum Casks from the Caribbean islands of Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad. The whisky is a blend of Single Cask Single Malts from the Scottish islands of Orkney, Arran, Jura, and Islay.
According to the company, the whisky has notes of ‘salted caramel, toasted oak, brown sugar, and a touch of smoke.’ It has been bottled at 46.8% ABV without coloring or chill-filtration, following Douglas Laing & Co’s usual practices.
The bottle features colorways of blues, reds, and greens, along with gold foil detailing, reflecting the islands involved in the process.
The collaboration with Plantation Rum is part of Douglas Laing & Co’s approach to whisky making. Emma Reid, Rock Island’s Brand Manager, commented on the combination of flavors from Scotland and the Caribbean.
Jonas Indesteege, Brand Manager at Plantation Rum, spoke about the partnership between Alexandre Gabriel, creator of Plantation Rum, and Douglas Laing & Co, emphasizing the shared production techniques, traditions, and innovations.
The Rock Island Rum Cask Edition is priced at £65 and will be available globally.
The Loch Lomond Distillery has secured the title of “most awarded distillery” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023, collecting multiple Double Gold and Gold Awards for its malt whisky brands.
Located near Scotland’s Loch Lomond, the distillery has a history that spans over 200 years. It produces three distinct whisky styles: Loch Lomond Whiskies, a Scotch single malt; Spearhead, a single grain whisky; and its recent product, Noble Rebel, a blended malt Scotch whisky.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023, these brands collectively received 21 awards, resulting in the distillery being named ‘Most Awarded Distillery of the Year’.
Over the past few years, Loch Lomond Distillery has seen an increase in market presence due to focused efforts and investment.
The distillery’s achievements at the competition have underscored its standing as a consistent and quality whisky producer. It earned a total of nine Double Gold Awards, seven Gold Awards, and five Silver Awards for various core range and limited-edition products. The Double Gold winners included the Open Course Collection and the Open Special Edition, two releases marking the partnership between Loch Lomond Whiskies and The Open Golf Championship.
Loch Lomond Distillery adopts a unique approach to whisky making and uses different engineering methods to create distinct flavor profiles.
All three brands—Loch Lomond Whiskies, Spearhead, and Noble Rebel—maintain their unique processes. Notably, the Loch Lomond Distillery uses both traditional Swan Neck Stills and unique Straight Neck stills in its whisky-making process. This use of Straight Neck Stills allows the Master Blender to alter the flavor during distillation, resulting in a lighter spirit with a distinct fruit flavor. The distillery is also one of only four in Scotland to have an onsite cooperage, allowing complete oversight over barrel repairs and charring.
Colin Matthews, Chief Executive of the Loch Lomond Group, stated that the distillery’s recent investment has facilitated the expansion of their whisky making capabilities and the development of new styles. The more than 20 individual awards received by their whiskies highlight the work done to define their ranges, a noteworthy development in their strategic plans.
Loch Lomond Whiskies, one of the top 25 fastest-growing single malt brands, is a Scotch whisky known for its unique blend of fruit, honey, and soft smoke notes. It has created several limited-edition golf-inspired single malts that were recognized at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Spearhead, a single grain whisky, is distilled from 100% malted barley in a copper Coffey still, and then finished in infrared toasted barrels.
The distillery’s latest offering, Noble Rebel, a blended malt Scotch whisky collection, was launched in February 2023 and has achieved noticeable market presence in the UK.
The awards received by Loch Lomond Distillery at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023 span its various brands and products, demonstrating its ability to deliver consistent and quality offerings.
Expanding upon their creative Contrasts range, Benromach Distillery from Speyside has unveiled two novel, limited-edition whiskies, both meticulously matured using innovative drying methods for the cask’s wooden staves.
The new additions, Contrasts Air Dried Oak and Contrasts Kiln Dried Oak, distilled in 2012 and bottled this year, are manifestations of Benromach’s exploration of the subtle variations in whisky flavor profiles through varying stave drying techniques.
Sporting an ABV of 46%, both whiskies continue the smoky signature style of Benromach, while each offers a unique twist. The Contrasts Air Dried Oak matures in oak air-dried for three years pre-toasting, imparting the whisky with luscious vanilla fudge notes accompanied by fresh peppermint and oak. Meanwhile, the Kiln Dried Oak variant offers a twist – after two years of air drying, the oak is placed in a kiln to expedite drying, enhancing the spirit-wood interaction. This results in a whisky with a sweeter, more malted biscuit nose, mixed tropical fruit flavors, and notes of lemon barley sugar.
Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach, expressed, “Our Contrasts range is our playground to experiment and discover new flavors. The release of these two new whiskies is a result of a deliberate experiment to explore the flavor impact of different wood drying methods. It’s fascinating to witness how small modifications can significantly influence taste – that’s the captivating essence of the air- and kiln-dried variants.”
While Benromach typically employs virgin oak casks for their Contrasts Organic whisky, this experimentation provided an exciting opportunity to observe how their traditional lightly peated spirit interacts with this cask type and varying stave preparation methods.
Cruickshank adds, “We’re eager to see how whisky aficionados interpret the unique character of each dram, their preferences, and their reasons why.”
