Archives for May 2021

Jamaica’s Worthy Park Estate has emerged as a power player in the current Rum Renaissance, proving to be one of the most consistent and readily available producers in the ever-growing field of pure, high quality, pot-still rum. This is particularly impressive considering the distillery was completely out of commission from the early 1960s until 2005, when it underwent a complete overhaul and began distilling again, seemingly predicting the future rise of rum among spirits aficionados. Soon they were releasing traditional, overproof, unaged rum under their own Rum-Bar label, barreling rum for aged releases, and selling rum in bulk to the European market. We’ve seen some fantastic independent bottlings over the last few years, utilizing the European stock, generally just a few years old. We are excited to share some new and well-aged Worthy Park gems in the form of Myrtle Bank 10 Year (an independent bottling, aged in Europe), and Worthy Park Estate 2006 12 Year (Worthy Park’s own label, aged in Jamaica, distilled the year after operations recommenced.)

Both of these pot-still dynamos are completely unadulterated, bottled at cask strength, and show the estate’s rum at the height of it’s power, but in very different ways. Like all Jamaican distilleries, Worthy Park utilizes a number of different “rum marques”, recipes that produce varying levels of funkiness, or more officially, containing different amounts of esters, measured in grams per hectoliter (or g/hL AA). This is achieved through the use of different proprietary yeasts during fermentation, as well as varying the lengths of fermentation, from just a few days to several weeks. These two special bottles show two of the most important Worthy Park marques: Worthy Park Light with 60-119 g/hL AA in the Worthy Park 2006 release, and Worthy Park Extra with a whopping 360-800 g/hL AA in the Myrtle Bank 10 Year.

On top of the huge funk differential, the difference between continental and tropical aging create massively different end results. Worthy Park Estate’s 12 years of tropical aging lends it a deep, rich profile that could be compared with continental aged spirits nearly three times its age. That intense concentration of flavor along with the lighter ester count create a more spice and oak-driven rum than many have come to associate with Pot Still Jamaicans. Those big fruit flavors (especially banana) are still there in a way you’ll never see with column still or even blended rums, but they mingle with oak tannins, vanilla, and tingly spice in a surprisingly elegant way. Myrtle Bank 10 Year, on the other hand, is loud and proud, with explosive fruit hogo in the foreground. The aging has lent complexity, yet the wood is a backup singer to the familiar flavors of that beautiful WP distillate. This is the kind of rum whose pungent nose will turn heads upon being poured into a glass.

Either way, it seems we are only just now entering this glorious golden age of rum, and Worthy Park has emerged as one of the reigning noble houses of the era.

BUY MYRTLE BANK RUM ONLINE available in: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, PA, SC, TX, WA

OGDEN, Utah – Ogden’s Own Distillery, an award-winning leading distiller of craft spirits and the largest independently owned distillery in the state of Utah, has officially doubled the size of its recently-released canned cocktail line, with the debut of two new varietals – Porter’s Huckleberry Lemonade and Porter’s Peach Tea.

Both new canned cocktails are made with the distillery’s fan-favorite Porter’s Whiskey liqueur and blended with fresh-brewed, all-natural lemonade and iced tea for a refreshing, balanced sipping experience just in time for the warmer spring and summer months. These new expressions will join Ogden’s Own’s recently launched Five Wives Vodka canned cocktails in the lineup and are now officially available for sale at the Ogden’s Own Distillery Store at 615 W. Stockman Way.

Expanded distribution to Ogden’s Own Distillery customers nationwide via the brand’s retail and online partners is expected in the coming weeks. Ogden’s Own’s canned cocktails continue to push the boundaries of the burgeoning canned beverage market through introducing unique flavor innovations and combinations that are both charmingly familiar yet creative. Since its inception in 2009, Ogden’s Own has carved out a unique path by delivering unique, unexpected offerings to the market while also remaining nimble enough to respond directly to shifting consumer demands and trends. Porter’s Whiskeys have long been the gold standard to illustrate Ogden’s Own’s willingness to take risks through experimentation with bold, unconventional flavor profiles, with examples such as Porter’s Fire Cinnamon Whiskey, last year’s award-winning Porter’s Peanut Butter Whiskey, and the naturally flavored, sweet-but-not-sugary Porter’s Huckleberry and Peach. In a further nod to experimentation, the packaging of the new canned cocktails even feature a rejuvenated version of the namesake mascot of the Porter’s whiskey line, Orrin Porter Rockwell, who has been transformed from a fearsome enforcer of the Old West to a bearded, hat-donning hipster.

Porter’s Huckleberry Lemonade
A blend of Porter’s Huckleberry whiskey liqueur and lightly carbonated lemonade, expertly crafted to deliver a refreshing and flavorful sipping experience. The expression is carried by flavors of Northwest huckleberries which blend harmoniously with naturally brewed lemonade, delivering fruit-forward flavor that perfectly balances tartness and sweetness. 7% ABV for a 355ml can.

Porter’s Peach Tea
A blend of Porter’s Peach whiskey liqueur and unsweetened tea that offers a twist on a familiar, fan-favorite summertime sipper. The unsweetened tea reaches a perfect sweetness when blended with the ripe peach flavor of Porter’s, making for a warm weather treat that is balanced to perfection. 7% ABV for a 355ml can.

“When we first launched our canned cocktails line earlier this year with Five Wives Moscow Mule and Five Wives Vodka Soda, we knew they’d be a hit and always intended to expand the portfolio. We’re thrilled to be doing that now with the release of Porter’s Huckleberry Lemonade and Porter’s Peach Tea,” said Steve Conlin, CEO and co-founder of Ogden’s Own Distillery. “Porter’s Whiskeys have long been the vessel with which we can express our creativity when it comes to outside the box flavor experimentation. We know our fans better than anyone, and we’re certain that they’ll love these new additions to the family as the perfect complement to their upcoming outdoor sipping occasions and summertime enjoyment.”

The launch of Ogden’s Own’s canned cocktail line comes following a year of significant momentum for the distillery. In 2020, Ogden’s Own opened the doors on its brand-new, 32,000 square-foot multi-purpose facility in the Ogden Business Exchange, an area quickly transforming into an incubator for leading regional businesses. The first product released at the new Ogden’s Own distillery was Porter’s Peanut Butter Whiskey, which was met with widespread acclaim. Additionally, the brand played a leading role in the pandemic by donating direct funds to member of the local food & beverage community in Ogden and shifting operations to product thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer, which went to front-line workers, local businesses and schools, and high-risk communities such as the Navajo Nation. Ogden’s Own’s Porter’s canned cocktails are now officially available for purchase at the Ogden’s Own Distillery Store, 615 W. Stockman Way, Ogden, Utah 84401, for the price of $3.39 per 12 oz. can.

About Ogden’s Own
Ogden’s Own Distillery is based in Ogden, Utah and gained notoriety for its unique expressions and its often-satirical playfulness on stereotypes in its home state. Founded in 2009, Ogden’s Own’s first product was Underground Herbal Spirit, which was met with immediate acclaim, winning a Double Gold Medal from the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2012. The distillery then released Five Wives Vodka, which the brand is perhaps best known for today due to the national notoriety it received upon hitting the market. The name “Five Wives” was such a topic of controversy within the conservative-leaning Utah and surrounding states that Idaho refused to sell the product, prompting a national lawsuit where Ogden’s Own ultimately prevailed. Today, Ogden’s Own remains devoted to championing freedom of expression and offering its handcrafted, gluten-free products at an accessible, affordable price point. Their wide portfolio of expressions ensures that any customer can find a product that is suitable to his/her palate.

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URCELLVILLE, Virginia— Catoctin Creek Distilling Co., The Virginia Rye Whisky ?, WAS excited to partner with GWAR to release their infamous Ragnarök Rye this past February… but then the monster metal rock band drank it… all of it.

“We knew working with GWAR on this whisky would be troublesome, but we didn’t realize it would be this troublesome,” said Catoctin Creek founder and general manager, Scott Harris. “Usually, we have the production process under control, but this time the band members drank everything we distilled, and then demanded we create bottle toppers using rare metal ore sourced from the fillings of trolls,” continues Harris. “I knew our original schedule was shot. I mean, it’s really cool to have rare metal in our bottle design, but it was hard rounding up all those trolls.”

Aged in charred new white oak, then sugar maple and cherrywood, each bottle of Catoctin Creek’s 92-proof intergalactic rye whisky comes with a cast-metal collectable bottle topper featuring each of the five members of GWAR: Blóthar the Berserker; Balsac the Jaws of Death; Jizmak da Gusha; Beefcake the Mighty; and Pustulus Maximus.

Thrilled with the release, lead singer Blóthar the Berserker offered his enthusiastic endorsement, “If whisky is liquid sunshine, this rye is a scorching alien sun.”

Recently GWAR linked up with whiskey and spirits connoisseur Fred Minnick for an exclusive virtual tasting and review of the Ragnarök Rye. From the review, Minnick states, “Well done. This is a great edition to the rye whiskey scene. I think that this is one of the best tastes I’ve had from Catoctin Creek… it is very good.”

Up to 200 cases of Ragnarök Rye (92 proof/46% ABV) $99/750mL will be available throughout Catoctin Creek’s national distribution footprint beginning Friday, May 28, with more on the way soon. It will also be on sale in the distillery’s online store for curbside pickup or direct shipping in Virginia only. Pre-sale orders can be purchased through Seelbachs.com. Catoctin Creek Rye Society members may contact the distillery to obtain a bottle any time before the release date.

Catoctin Creek Distilling’s distribution footprint includes the following 29 markets in the United States: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming, and internationally in Finland, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Italy, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom.

About Catoctin Creek Distilling
Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, The Virginia Rye Whisky ?, was founded by Scott and Becky Harris in 2009. Inspired by the history and craft of Virginia, Catoctin Creek made a name for itself as the first legal distillery since Prohibition in Purcellville, Virginia’s Loudoun County. The craft distillery is home to Virginia’s most-awarded whisky, Roundstone Rye, which has been presented gold medals across the globe and stands out through its old-world production methods. Catoctin Creek prides itself on sourcing rye whisky, gin, and seasonal brandy from local grains and fruits, with spirits available in 29 states and 3 continents. The Harris’ intricate attention to detail results in high quality internationally acclaimed products, including seasonal releases and private cask offerings, that recognize the true craft of Virginia spirits.

About GWAR
The story of GWAR is carved across the history of this barren and hopeless planet, but GWAR themselves are not of this world. Their story begins in the deepest reaches of outer space. Long ago, the beings who would become the rock band GWAR were part of an elite fighting force, the Scumdogs of the Universe. For eons, they served as thralls to a supreme being known only as the Master. But one by one, each future member of the band earned a glaring reputation for being an intergalactic screw-up. And so, they were banished, sent away on a fool’s errand to conquer planet Earth. Once here, GWAR shaped the face of the globe, destroying and rebuilding the natural world, and giving rise to all human history.

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SHEFFIELD, Massachusetts – This month, as part of the Craft Brewers Whiskey Project, Berkshire Mountain Distillers (BMD) – the award-winning maker of a select line of premier craft spirits – is releasing three whiskies sourced from popular brewers featuring Samuel Adams, Jack’s Abby and Berkshire Brewing Company.

This five-year collaboration includes the distilling of a dozen different beers from a limited collection of Northeast craft brewers. Each addition is blended to 86 proof using BMD’s proprietary historic spring water and packaged in custom bottles with brewer-designed labels.

“We’ve dabbled in distilling beer before, originally with Samuel Adams, and received great feedback. The natural progression was to expand that project. Fortunately, there are a lot of amazing brewers in our region,” said Chris Weld, founder/proprietor of Berkshire Mountain Distillers. “There’s a wonderful amalgamation between the craft beer and craft spirits worlds – a lot of people who drink whiskey also love craft beer, so there’s a natural curiosity from those folks to see what a whiskey distilled from their favorite beer would taste like. We’re excited these whiskeys are finally ready to be enjoyed.”

Whiskies will be sold in the BMD tasting room and then released to select stores throughout 2021. Available now in the BMD tasting room, this whiskey release highlights Boston Lager from Samuel Adams, Berkshire Brewing Company’s Imperial Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale and Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers’ Smoke & Dagger Black Lager.

“Smoke & Dagger has long been a beer favorite of whiskey drinkers and it’s incredible to see it come full circle and become a Berkshire Mountain Distillers whiskey,” said Rob Day, Senior Director of Marketing at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers. “It’s been a long, patient wait, but you’ll certainly appreciate the reveal of this mystery.”

The first release of whiskies in this series were distilled from beers brewed by Massachusetts Bay Brewing Co., Spencer Brewery and Big Elm Brewing. Later releases will highlight celebrated Brewery Ommegang, Captain Lawrence Brewing, Smuttynose Brewing, Long Trail Brewing Company, Two Roads Brewing and Chatham Brewing.

The distillery, located at 356 South Main Street in Sheffield, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit craftbrewerswhiskeyproject.com and BMD 

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LORETTO, Kentucky –  This Earth Day 2021, the University of Kentucky is proud to announce the establishment of the world’s largest repository of American white oak as part of their groundbreaking effort with Maker’s Mark® to conserve, explore and secure the future of American white oak. The massive effort at Star Hill Farm, home to the iconic Maker’s Mark Distillery, represents the most comprehensive natural range of white oak to date anywhere in the world. The American white oak repository is part of a larger mission to transform the conservation of a species critical to many American industries, including Kentucky bourbon, and to prioritize the present and future of forests and rivers.

UK Department of Forestry and Natural Resources tree improvement specialist Laura DeWald is leading a project collecting more than 300 unique families of white oak from across the United States to plant at Star Hill Farm. The first planting took place on April 15, successive plantings over the next several years will result in the largest single white oak genetic repository in the United States. This repository will provide the foundation for research and tree improvement to address current and future threats to white oak trees and the millions of acres of forests they dominate. It will also support white oak-dependent industries that contribute billions of dollars to rural and urban economies across the region.

This American white oak repository is the second phase of an unparalleled collaboration between UK and Maker’s Mark, which also includes the world’s first comprehensive effort to map the white oak genome. Working with Maker’s Mark and the cooperage Independent Stave Company, the UK team is studying the genetics of the mother tree, called “MM1” at the Star Hill Farm, which is one of the oldest white oaks in Kentucky. It has been exposed to incredible climate variations and is estimated to be 300 to 500 years old. Data from this study will give UK, ISC and Maker’s Mark information about the longevity, disease resistance and vitality that American white oak can offer to the bourbon industry and beyond.

“We have lost or are fast losing some of our most valuable tree species in the U.S. such as ash, chestnut and elm due to disease and pests,” said Seth DeBolt, Beam Institute director. “This collaboration, the combination of the white oak genetic fingerprint and the germplasm planted solely at Star Hill Farm, will allow us to prepare for any future risk to this organism. In simple terms, if a risk arises, we can look for examples of natural variation within the germplasm that can tolerate new pests or even different climates. Maker’s Mark is absolutely leading the way in the bourbon industry when it comes to looking at the sustainable future of the natural resources used to make bourbon. If other threatened species had this level of support, we would have a huge leg up in protecting our ecosystems.”

Rob Samuels, eighth-generation whiskey producer at Maker’s Mark, said the distillery is committed to the partnership.

“We’re so honored to work with the experts from UK who share a common passion with our team for ensuring the sustainable future of the American white oak, and we’re excited for Star Hill Farm to be the new home of this essential repository and study, in addition to the home of Maker’s Mark Bourbon,” he said. “At Maker’s Mark we are fully committed to going beyond the practice of being good stewards of the environment, as we aim to be one of the most environmentally conscious and beneficial brands in the world.”

“To do something like this that talks about the sustainability of a tree species, it will take a long time for the work being done here to come to fruition, so it takes a vision and commitment,” said Jeff Stringer, UK Forestry and Natural Resources department chair. “Maker’s Mark understands that. They have seen that vision and understand it and are in it for the long haul. They are willing to put in the effort and resources to make this work. It may take 50, 70, 90 years for any barrels to come from this research and that’s a long-term vision that many companies don’t have these days. Maker’s Mark does.”

The partnership between UK and Maker’s Mark began nearly two years ago as one piece of the iconic bourbon brand’s vision to protect and sustain natural resources by not only supporting the white oak forest, but regenerating forest production with healthy, sustainable and superior trees. This unique collaboration highlights the unparalleled passion and emphasis that Maker’s Mark is pushing forward to protect the state’s natural resources, which will be vital to the future of bourbon, Kentucky’s signature beverage.

“The commitment of Maker’s Mark and Independent Stave Company will substantially improve the sustainability of this species, other forest species and this signature industry,” said Nancy Cox, UK vice president for land-grant engagement and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “We cannot thank them enough for their partnership, vision and sense of community.”

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