There are many different brandies produced throughout the world; however, there is only one “cognac”. This noble spirit originates from white wine grapes called Ugni Blanc. Produced only in the Cognac region of France, the wine is distilled twice in traditional Charentais copper pot stills. The finished product is clear and adopts its beautiful amber color […]
Spirits
GlenDronach launches 15 single cask malt whiskies
Highland distillery GlenDronach is releasing 15 Sherry and Port cask-matured single malt whiskies as part of Batch 16 of its annual cask release programme. Single casks: GlenDronach’s latest cask releases feature 14 Sherry-matured malts, plus one aged in a Port pipe The whiskies, distilled between 1989 and 2006, range from 11 to 28 years old […]
Four Pillars Announces New Barrel Aged Gins
You might have heard that we have a couple of new additions to the Four Pillars Gin family officially joining us this week. Not one, but two barrel aged gins, both with very distinct characteristics. So here they are – Four Pillar’s first ever Sherry Cask Gin and Solera No. 7 of the newly-christened Chardonnay Barrel Gin, both in new […]
Santa Teresa Rum Lands in Australia. Finally…
Bacardi-Martini Australia has revealed that it is launching family-owned Venezuelan rum, Santa Teresa, in Australia. Located in the Valley of Aragua, the hacienda Santa Teresa has a climate ranging from hot, humid days to cold, dry nights which help with the rum’s ageing process. Bacardi-Martini Regional Vice President, Denis Brown, was delighted to welcome the […]
Ryan Reynolds Buys Aviation Gin
Owned by craft spirits importer and marketer Davos Brands, Aviation is a small, growing player in an otherwise static gin market. The Portland, Oregon-produced alcohol shifted an estimated 15,000 cases in 2016, according to Beverage Marketing Corporation’s DrinkTell database. That is thought to have increased 20% to some 18,000 small batch cases last year. Compared to gin giants such […]
Suntory Chita Grain Whisky Lands in Australia
House of Suntory has released the first single grain whisky from its Chita distillery into the Australian market with a retail price of $90. Crafted on the Chita Peninsula in Japan’s seaside Aichi Prefecture, Chita Single Grain Whisky is marked by its superb smoothness and balance. It is this silkiness of flavour that saw Chita whiskies […]
Applewood Okar – The Australian Amaro
In December 2015 Applewood took the plunge and launched what nobody else had in Australia – two different examples of Amaro (Økar and Red Økar) – a type of of bitter/herbal aperitif that’s been popular for more than a century – famous for it’s use in the Negroni or Spritz. Very quickly – Applewood knew they were onto […]
Poltergeist Gin from Tasmania – True Spirit
When the excavations at the historical Shene Estate in Tasmania began, the conservators found hundreds of Dutch case gin bottles, literally lying where they had been cast off the balcony by the landed gentry back in the day. It was the beginning of a year’s long journey that would culminate in the continued survival of […]