Top 10 spirit launches in April 2014
Scotch, gin and a smattering of Bourbon brands are among the creative releases recognised in our list of the top 10 spirit launches in April 2014.
This is our list of the top 10 spirit launches in April 2014, where Scotch, Bourbon and gin grab the spotlightFrom innovation in aged gin production, to collectors’ item Bourbons and hotly anticipated Scotch releases, last month an array of exciting bottles launched onto the spirits scene.
While the top 10 spirit launches in March was dominated by whiskies across all sectors, April saw gin become the hot talking point among spirit connoisseurs.
The “world’s first” solera-aged gin was unveiled, along with a cask rested “Amber” version of Bombay Sapphire and a British gin made from grape spirit.
Meanwhile, The Glenlivet revealed the first edition in an exciting new range, Jack Daniel’s released a barrel-aged rye, and Bacardi unveiled its most expensive whisky to-date.
Click through the following pages to see our list of the top 10 spirit launches in April.
Beefeater London Garden gin
Chivas Brothers launched a limited edition bottling of its Beefeater gin brand to be sold exclusively in its new visitors’ centre, set to open in May this year.
Said to have taken inspiration from the London Chelsea Physic Garden, located near to the distillery, Beefeater London Garden gin combines lemon verbena and thyme with signature citrus notes from the original gin.
“I’ve often been drawn to these wonderful gardens for inspiration, and this exclusive edition is the outcome of a few indulgent taste experiments,” said Beefeater master distiller Desmond Payne.
For more information, click here.
The Glenlivet Nadurra range
Chivas brothers also announced in April that it would be expanding its The Glenlivet Nadurra Scotch whisky into a permanent range.
First in the collection is a no-age-statement Sherry cask-matured single malt, called The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso, in global travel retail.
The expression, bottled at 48% abv and non-chill filtered, has been aged solely in first-fill oloroso Sherry casks. It is described as having aromas of milk chocolate, dried fruits and caramel, with notes of cinnamon and liquorice on the palate.
For more information, click here.
Jack Daniel’s Rested Tennessee Rye
Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s made greater strides into the rye category with the release of its first barrel-aged rye.
Jack Daniel’s Rested Tennessee Rye follows the launch of its much anticipated Unaged Tennessee Rye in 2012.
Made from a mashbill of 70% rye, 18% corn and 12% malted barley, the expression has been rested for “two cycles of the Tennessee seasons” in new, lightly toasted and charred barrels.
For more information, click here.
Chilgrove Gin
Chilgrove Gin is distilled by London’s Thames Distillers using neutral grape spirit and is marketed as “a gin for all seasons”.
The gin is distilled with 11 botanicals, including juniper, coriander seed, sweet orange, savory, angelica root, lime, liquorice root, orris root, grains of paradise, bitter orange and water mint.
It recently featured on our list of the top 10 gin brands with unusual botanicals for its inclusion of “grains of paradise”.
For more information, click here.
Haig Club
It was announced in April this year that Diageo would be partnering with football icon David Beckham and music mogul Simon Fuller to launch single grain Scotch whisky brand Haig Club.
Created from grain whisky from Cameronbridge distillery, home of the low-volume Cameronbrig single grain whisky, Haig Club will launch as a 40% abv, no-age-statement product comprised of a variety of aged whisky from three types of cask: first-fill, rejuvenated and refill Bourbon barrels.
Beckham and Fuller will play a “fundamental role” in developing the brand, which Diageo hopes will drive interest in the emerging single grain whisky category.
Beckham faced criticism over the tie-up by a Alcohol Concern, who branded the deal “disappointing”.
For more information, click here.
Citadelle Gin Reserve 2013 Solera
The month also saw Cognac Ferrand unveil what it claimed was the “world’s first” Solera-aged gin.
Citadelle Gin Reserve 2013 Solera was created through solera-aging – a process usually used in brandy and Sherry production which involves maturing liquid for varied amounts of time in different barrels.
To make the expression, Cognac Ferrand’s original Citadelle Gin is placed in three different types of casks for between two and five months. Barrels used in the ageing process include an ex-Cognac cask, ex-Pineau des Charente and an American oak cask.
Once the liquid has been aged in these three barrels, it is poured into the “mother solera” where it is married and then bottled. The “mother solera” is only ever half emptied in order to maintain flavour consistency.
For more information, click here.
The Royal Brackla 35 Year Old
At US$15,000, The Royal Brackla 35 Year Old is the most expensive whisky ever released by Bacardi.
Just 100 individually-numbered bottles of the whisky have been launched in Singapore Changi Airport through duty free retailer DFS Group.
Described as “one of the most remarkable whisky launches in travel retail”, the new expression has been bottled to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Royal Brackla Highland distillery, which first opened in 1812.
For more information, click here.
Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon
At the start of the month, Buffalo Trace unveiled a limited edition single barrel Bourbon in memory of former master distiller Elmer T. Lee who passed away in 2013.
Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon is created from barrels “deemed worthy of Elmer and his legacy”.
Lee, who died aged 93, created the world’s very first single barrel Bourbon in 1984.
All profits from the sale of the commemorative edition Elmer T. Lee Bourbon, carries retails for US$34.99, will go to local VFW Post 4075, in which Elmer “was active until the end.”
For more information, click here.
Bowmore travel retail range
Islay distillery Bowmore’s new exclusive range of single malt Scotch whiskies includes three expressions: Black Rock, Gold Reef and White Sands 17 Year Old.
The “premium and highly giftable” range is targeted at “whisky connoisseurs and collectors” exclusively in global travel retail.
David Wilson, global sales and marketing director at Morrison Bowmore Distillers, said: “Matured in finest oak casks, these whiskies have been hand-selected for their unique character, allowing us to bring Islay to life for the discerning traveller around the world.”
For more information, click here.
Bombay Amber
Bacardi became one of the latest spirits companies to step into the aged gin category with the release of barrel-rested Bombay Amber.
The 47% abv London dry gin is vapour-infused with nutmeg, black cardamom and orange zest, before being rested in French vermouth barrels.
Launched as a travel retail exclusive in Singapore Changi airport, Bombay Amber is contained in a unique new chrome, wood and glass frosted bottle.
For more information, click here.
