American Single Malt

Winter Park Whiskey Brand Celebrates New Product Release

November 23, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Eight months after opening their Winter Park blending house and tasting room, Forward/Slash Premium Blended Whiskey co-owners Tim Bradstreet and Michael Buffa are evolving the brand through new partnerships and a landmark product tie-in to the holiday season.

“We wanted to create a holiday whiskey, but also something no one has ever seen before,” Buffa told the32789 of the company’s new Krampus Rye: a limited-edition blended whiskey aged in a spiced rum barrel.

The idea came during a product sampling at Lugo’s Craft Distillery in Lakeland. “Spiced rum isn’t something that typically is aged, but it just so happens they were working on a project for someone,” Bradstreet explained. Once the aging process was complete, distillery owner Christian Lugo agreed to part with the empty barrel “and we immediately filled it with a blend of rye whiskeys to see what would happen.” The result is a rich color with an added spice and sweetness to the traditional rye whiskey flavor profile that Buffa calls “Christmas in a glass.”

Named after the mythical creature who punishes the naughty at Christmastime, the November 24 Krampus Rye release at Forward/Slash’s 650 S. Capen Ave. tasting room featured holiday decor, a heavy-metal Spotify soundtrack and looped showings of the 2015 fantasy/horror film “Krampus.”

The process may seem like a happy accident, but trial-and-error is what blending is all about. And the limited quantities that result from unique pairings are what make the Forward/Slash experience special.

Buffa and Bradstreet work with independent distilleries from across the country, choosing and combining the best products based on flavor characteristics. Forward/Slash bottles its own line of whiskeys and a blended vodka, but experiments can often result in small batches of unique flavors that are only served in the company tasting room. Tours provide a glimpse into the Forward/Slash process and include a lesson in blending distillates to achieve specific flavors.

The Krampus Rye label even comes courtesy of a business pairing with Orlando-based Leviathan Artworks.

“I had this Krampus shirt design already made,” said artist/owner Robert Fischer. “They saw it and asked about using it for the label.” Fischer also created an exclusive Forward/Slash t-shirt that features a skeleton carrying a bourbon barrel.

“We’ve known Robert for a while, he even had his wedding reception here at Forward/Slash,” said Buffa. “It’s cool when you can work with people who have that kind of appreciation and understanding about you do.”

The Forward/Slash staff is currently serving Krampus Rye pours and cocktails in the tasting room with a yet-to-be-determined number of bottle sales. “We have about 281 bottles,” said Buffa. “We want to have enough to serve in pours and cocktails through December, so we’ll see what we’ve got left after the event.”

As for 2024, Buffa and Bradstreet are working on additional partnerships and events. This year, they hosted car shows in partnership with Porsche Club of America, attended their first Cows ‘n Cabs on November 11 and were among the beverage providers at the 2023 Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival.

“We have lots of exciting plans for the new year, but we’re not releasing details on those items yet,” said Buffa. “It’s been a great first year for us and we can’t wait to expand upon the experiences we offer here.”

For more information please visit https://wpdistilling.com/

CT spirits retailers, distillery partner to launch whiskey fundraiser to build homes for veterans

November 23, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

NEW MILFORD — It was over a single barrel of bourbon whiskey that John NeJaime, owner of NeJaime’s Wine & Spirits and New Milford Spirit Shoppe, hatched the idea for a fundraiser to support a nonprofit that gifts homes to military veterans.

NeJaime said the inspiration for the fundraiser came after a visit to Litchfield Distillery in Litchfield with friends from “CT Bourbon Bastards,” a Facebook bourbon community with over 1,600 members.

After their visit to Litchfield Distillery, the “CT Bourbon Bastards” promoted a barrel of whiskey purchased from Litchfield Distillery on the group’s Facebook page and the barrel “sold out immediately,” according to NeJaime.

NeJaime was inspired to pick a special Litchfield Distillery single-barrel whiskey to sell at his business and donate all the proceeds to a nonprofit.

He partnered with “CT Bourbon Bastards” and Taylor Deegan from Worldwide Wine & Spirits in Southington to pick a single barrel of 5-year-old bourbon whiskey from Litchfield Distillery for the fundraiser.

A total of 150 bottles of the whiskey were released for sale at NeJaime’s Wine & Spirits and Worldwide Wine & Spirits on Friday. For $59.99, customers can purchase a bottle of whiskey that will go toward creating homes for veterans and their families. All proceeds will be donated to Building Homes for Heroes.

NeJaime’s choice of nonprofit for the fundraiser came from his connections to Building Homes for Heroes, a New York-based nonprofit that builds or modifies homes and gifts them mortgage-free to injured veterans and their families, according to the nonprofit’s website.

Building Homes for Heroes also provides family team-building and support services for veterans’ physical, emotional and financial wellbeing, said Tony Sigillito, a friend of NeJaime’s and founding board member and treasurer for the nonprofit.

“There’s a lot of needs out there, but Building Homes for Heroes relates to our product,” Baker said. “Our tagline is, ‘The spirit of hard work,’ and nobody works harder than the vets. And we think the values between that nonprofit and everybody involved seemed to link up to our values.”

Five different barrels of Litchfield Distillery’s whiskey were tasted before the group picked the 5-year-old bourbon whiskey for the fundraiser.

Baker said the selected bourbon whiskey is 122-proof and “one of our first releases of that proof in a five-year range.”

“I think it’ll go pretty quickly,” he said. “We expect it to sell out right away.”

That same evening, Baker presented Chloe Sigillito, Tony Sigillito’s daughter, with a $500 check to support Building Homes for Heroes, said Tony Vengrove, whose firm Miles Finch Innovation handles the branding and marketing for Litchfield Distillery.

An additional $275 was raised for Building Homes for Heroes in an auction for a limited six-year Litchfield Distillery bourbon whiskey.

For more information please visit https://litchfielddistillery.com/

Barrell Craft Spirits debuts first 100-proof bourbon

November 4, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Barrell Craft Spirits may have only opened its doors in 2013, but it’s already one of the most popular whiskey producers in the country. Located in Louisville, in the heart of bourbon country, the brand is well-known for its innovative blending techniques, hand-selected barrels, and unique finishing processes.

When it comes to spirits specifically, it’s known for its myriad numbered batches of bourbon, American whiskey, rye, and rum, as well as ongoing releases like Dovetail, Armida, Seagrass, and others. But where it shines is with its cask strength bourbon releases.

For those unaware, cask strength means that after the maturation process, the distillers didn’t add any water to proof the whiskey down. Instead of 80 or even 90-proof, the whiskeys will be more like 110-120-proof.

While the terms “sourcing” and “blending” seem like naughty words to some whiskey drinkers, they don’t bother the folks at Barrell Craft Spirits. Unlike some whiskey producers, Barrell Craft makes its name with blends. The Barrell bourbon brand is highly regarded for its blending prowess, melding sourced whiskeys from various distillery partners throughout the U.S. (and the world in some cases). That’s why it’s so exciting when the brand announces a new expression. Especially one that takes it a little off course: Its first non-cask strength bourbon. One created to be enjoyed on “all occasions.”

Its newest expression is called Barrel Foundation Bourbon, and its whiskeys come from all over the country. But this whiskey is more than a unique and interesting name. It’s a blend of eight-year-old Kentucky bourbon, five, six, and nine-year-old Indiana bourbons, eight-year-old Tennessee bourbon, as well as five and six-year-old Maryland bourbons. It carries a mash bill of 73% corn, 23% rye, and only 4% malted barley, making it a high-rye spicier bourbon yet remaining at a low ABV (as compared to its other offerings).

“Barrell Foundation is a delicious and easy-drinking bourbon whiskey with all the flavor of a cask strength bourbon whiskey at 100-proof,” Barrell Craft Spirits founder Joe Beatrice said in a press release. “We believe that a true art form in bourbon-making is the ability to produce bourbon whiskey that can be enjoyed by everyone, and we welcomed the challenge to show that we can produce great bourbon whiskey at a more approachable strength and price for all occasions.”

He added, “For 10 years, we’ve led the blending movement in the U.S. and now welcome this exciting opportunity to be a trailblazer of an entirely different style of bourbon whiskey.”

If you want to get your hands on a bottle of this mellow, easy-drinking bourbon, you can purchase one online on the Barrel Craft Spirits website or at select retailers in Arizona, California, DC, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Washington State. It was released in October for a suggested retail price of $59.99 for a 750ml bottle. If you don’t live in one of those states, it will roll out nationally in January of 2024.

For more information please visit https://www.barrellbourbon.com/

Frey Ranch Distillery Releases Their First American Single Malt Whiskey

November 4, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Frey Ranch Distillery just announced the release of their first American single malt whiskey, which was not just grown, harvested and distilled on their farm, but it was also smoked in-house using their own peat.

“Someone once told me that I’d never be able to make a smoked whiskey, and I said ‘Challenge accepted,’” says Colby Frey, who founded this Fallon, NV farm-to-glass, estate distillery with his wife Ashley on the Frey family 1,500 acre farm. “When someone throws down a gauntlet like that, my immediate response is I need to prove them wrong.”

Frey Ranch American Single Malt Smoked whiskey, which is sold online at here for $59.99 in 375 ml. bottles, is 110 proof and aged for six years and seven months. The whiskey is made using 100 percent of slow-grown barley on the farm.

Frey built his own smoker by reconstituting a smoker from an old grain silo and a fireplace. He also made his own peat from decomposed plant matter from the farm by pressing it into bread pans and dehydrating it to properly smoke the whiskey. “Like everything we do at the ranch, the team and I had some fun putting together our custom smoker, taking a few days to weld, cut, and wire it to our precise specifications,” Frey says. The smoker was built in 2016. “We built it around seven years ago, when we were contemplating different ways to showcase our grains through whiskey production,” Frey says. “As with all Frey Ranch whiskeys, we pride ourselves on overseeing all aspects of the production process – meaning nothing leaves our Nevada farm until its ready to be sold.”

“We didn’t want toy release our smoked single malt too soon, as we were really focused at the time on successfully introducing our signature whiskey, Frey Ranch Four Grain Bourbon, which put Frey Ranch and Nevada on the map as a serious whiskey producer,” Frey says.

But now, with its release, the timing couldn’t be better. “We’re happy to see our patience pay off, as American single malts are truly having a moment right now in the whiskey zeitgeist,” Frey says.

Frey Ranch American Single Malt Smoked is not only their first American Single Malt release, but it is the first in Frey Ranch’s “smoked series,” which will be followed with the release of Frey Ranch Rye & Smoked Oat Whiskey.

For more information please visit https://freyranch.com/

Rob Mcelhenny and Charlie Day’s ‘Four Walls Irish American Whiskey’

October 8, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Photo Credit: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney’s Four Walls Whiskey

NEW YORK — Four Walls, the Irish American whiskey brand founded by Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, and Charlie Day, is headed for bars everywhere and is now available to order online at FourWallsWhiskey.com.

Four Walls is a tribute to the four walls the gang calls home, the bar, and was initially sold as a limited edition release, raising money for the bartending community. “We wanted to create a brand celebrating the four walls that have held our good times in and kept our troubles out,” is how Glenn Howerton describes the gang’s initial inspiration.

Following the success of the limited drop, Glenn, Rob, and Charlie began exploring ways to make a new version of Irish American whiskey, distilled as much for Saturday night as Tuesday afternoon. The unique style of whiskey they envisioned would become a go-to in the type of rooms they cherish, where friends could raise a glass together and not be concerned about whatever is happening outside of that moment.

“After our higher-end releases, it was important for us to make a whiskey priced that all of our fans could try and that bartenders would want to use in everyday drinks,” adds Charlie Day. The 80-proof Irish American Whiskey blend is smooth enough for shots and is blended with an award-winning American Rye to hold up in cocktails – a true utility whiskey.

“The three of us have come up with some of our best ideas and had some of our most memorable nights out together in unassuming rooms where great bartenders made us feel like a million bucks when we probably didn’t have a hundred between us,” said Rob McElhenney, “That is the power of a great bar – when your favorite people are there, your favorite bartender is working, and a great song is playing. Nothing can beat that good time, and that’s what Four Walls is all about.”

As part of Howerton, McElhenney, and Day’s upcoming live podcast tour, Philadelphia was able to have a first taste of Four Walls at the gang’s recent performance at The Mann Center. The tour hits New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on October 12th and 13th, where Four Walls will also be poured.

About Rob, Charlie & Glenn

Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton have always had a knack for crafting fine things together. Like a fine whiskey, their collective work has only gotten richer and intensified its distinct flavor through the years. As writers, producers, and actors, they’ve collaborated on a number of projects, and as friends, they’ve collaborated on a number of great nights out. Four Walls Irish American Whiskey is their way of sharing some of those good times.

For more information please visit https://fourwallswhiskey.com/

A.M. Scott Distillery releases Founder’s Select Scotty’s Bourbon Whiskey

October 7, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

ROY — A.M. Scott Distillery, a locally-owned and operated craft distillery in Troy, Ohio, is proud to announce its third release of Founder’s Select Bourbon Whiskey, a 7-year barrel aged bourbon.

Founder’s Select Bourbon Whiskey is a limited edition release that will be available exclusively at the distillery’s bottle shop, Scotty’s Bottle Parlor, starting on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. Bottles can be reserved in advance at the distillery’s online store, scottdistillery.com, starting on Friday, October 6 8 p.m. Bottles will be limited to four per person.

Only 208 bottles of this premium bourbon have been produced, making it a rare and collectible item for whiskey enthusiasts and connoisseurs. A.M. Scott’s Founder’s Select Bourbon Whiskey has a rich and complex flavor profile, with notes of caramel, vanilla, dried fruit and slight spice. It has been aged in charred oak barrels for seven years, giving it a smooth and balanced finish. The bourbon has been bottled at 126.7 proof, preserving its full-bodied character and depth.

The distillery is located at 250 S. Mulberry St. in a historic building in downtown Troy, Ohio, where it blends, bottles and labels a variety of spirits, including bourbon, vodka and gin.

The full line of A.M. Scott Distillery spirits are sold out of Scotty’s Bottle Parlor at 214 South Mulberry Street and Provisions Co. at 11 West Main Street in Troy. Select A.M. Scott Distillery spirits can also be found at the following OHLQ retail locations, and at many restaurant and bar locations across the state of Ohio.

For more information please visit https://scottdistillery.com/

Jack Daniel’s releases rare new single malt.

September 25, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

After making whiskey for more than 150 years, Jack Daniel’s has distilled something new: an American single malt whiskey.

When a spirits lover hears the phrase “single malt,” they may think of single malt Scotch whiskys — often known for their grassy flavor because the malted barley may be dried with smoke from local peat moss. There are few American single malts currently being made but those that are mostly come from craft distillers.

The new Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Whiskey ($99.99, 90 proof, available in select-duty free retail locations worldwide) is different from its Scottish relatives — there’s no peat involved. It’s made with the same yeast used in its Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey. But, unlike whiskey, which is made with corn and rye, as well as malted barley, the only grain to be used in the single malt is malted barley.

For the single malt, Jack Daniel’s used a different kind of barley than used in its other whiskeys — but it’s still ground, fermented and distilled in Lynchburg, Tennessee — and the grain results in a nuttier or biscuit-like flavor, said its master distiller Chris Fletcher.

After aging in new, charred American oak barrels for about five years and finished in Oloroso Sherry casks, the whiskey has aromas of honey, malted chocolate and dark fruits. Flavors exuded include bread and dry cherry and “an interesting texture and viscosity that you get from the barley,” he said during an online tasting of the new whiskey this week.

“When we began experimenting with a 100% malt grain bill back in 2012, we knew it would be critical to put our own stamp on timeless Single Malt traditions and craft something that was uniquely Jack Daniel’s,” Fletcher said in a press release. “There was a lot of excitement surrounding our limited edition American Single Malt Special Release last year, and we are thrilled to now offer Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt to our friends around the world.”

For more information please visit https://www.jackdaniels.com/en-us

Glen Scotia Releases A Rare, 48 Year Old Single Malt

September 17, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

A rare, 48 Year Old single malt is hitting the market from Scotland’s Glen Scotia Distillery.

The limited-edition expression, which clocks in at 40.8% ABV and has a suggested price of £11,000, will offer its buyers a look into a past era of the historic Campbeltown distillery.

Officials at Glen Scotia explained that this whisky was drawn from their oldest reserves, and in all, the have only 250 individually-numbered bottles available worldwide.

The whisky spent 43 years in a combination of refill and first-fill bourbon barrels, then the whisky was finished in another cask, a first-fill Oloroso hogshead, for another five years. It spend an additional six months in one more cask, this a second-fill ex-Pedro Ximenez hogshead.

The whisky maker’s notes show that this rare expression features a floral and orange citrus profile.

Glen Scotia’s master blender, Michael Henry, discussed the distillery’s historical trade ties in Europe when Campbeltown was known as the “Victorian Whisky Capital of the World.” Its harbor linked it to Spain’s Sherry producing region … a source of mature casks for Glen Scotia and other vaunted whisky brands.

Henry and the Glen Scotia team poured through historical records of Campbeltown’s trade links to form a view of what fortified wines and spirits would have been obtainable over the distillery’s history.

This led to the selection of this Sherry finishing which brought out the aromas of sweet Seville orange, green herbal notes, and the spice of nutmeg and cinnamon alongside the Campbeltown briny, sea spray.

On the palate, Henry explained, is demerara sugar and treacle with hints of orange marmalade, red apple, raisin, and sultana, with a long finish of melted brown sugar enriched with stone fruit, apricot and peach.

The 48 Year Old Whisky comes in a handmade oak display case inspired by the Spanish ‘Azulejo’ tile designs found in the bodegas of Seville.

And Glen Scotia partnered with Glencairn to make a bottle that’s etched and infilled, with gold metal decoration to the body and shoulder. The presentation case comes accompanied by a plaque, with the individual bottle number, tasting notes, and story of this single malt whisky.

“The 48-Year-Old is an exceptional release with a remarkable heritage,” said Iain McAlister, master distiller and distillery manager at Glen Scotia. “It is so intriguing to me to think that different generations of distillery managers and their teams, who would have been testing their casks over time, opted to hold this particular liquid back time and time again, allowing it to continue its journey.”

“What we have inherited today is therefore a real journey through time and a celebration of Glen Scotia’s rich heritage and craftsmanship, which continues to thrive,” he added.

The 48 Year Old is available from the Glen Scotia website and at select specialist retailers in the UK, Europe, China, USA, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and South Africa markets.

For more information, check out www.glenscotia.com.

Actor Matthew Lillard Is Launching Quest’s End: Paladin

September 1, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Actor Matthew Lillard is best known for his roles in films like Scream and Scooby-Doo, but he also happens to be a fantasy-world-obsessed businessman who founded the table top gaming company Beadle & Grimm’s. And now he’s bringing that cosplay sensibility to the whiskey world with Find Familiar Spirits, a booze brand launching this fall with a series of whiskeys matched to specific fantasy characters.

Lillard had some help with this new venture—he was joined by his friend, actor and screenwriter Justin Ware, and Tim Sparapani, cofounder of breakout whiskey brand Blue Run Spirits (which was just recently acquired by Molson Coors). Kate Welch, a certified Dungeon Master and game designer on D&D 5th Edition, is helping out by writing a fantasy series that will be released in chapters along with each new whiskey expression, and D&D artist Tyler Jacobson will design the bottle labels. “I grew up a nerdy kid so I’ve always had a special appreciation for fandoms in general,” said Lillard in a statement. “They’re places where you feel like you belong, worlds that appreciate you and love you for who you are… I’ve learned that true fandom isn’t only about what you love, it’s about the community you build—and no community is more avid and devoted than the fantasy gamer.”

The first Find Familiar Spirits release is a bourbon called Quest’s End: Paladin, which will be released this October. The whiskey was sourced from Kentucky and Indiana (the latter most likely from MGP), and blended by a team led by Ale Ochoa, who formerly worked at TX Whiskey in Fort Worth. The next three releases will be called Rogue, Warlock, and Dragon, but aside from the fact that each will have a different flavor profile and represent a unique character there’s not much more information about these future expressions. However, Lillard recently told The Hollywood Reporter that Paladin has notes of vanilla and fruit on the palate, and there’s a map on the back of the bottle and hit points on the side that increase as the level of whiskey decreases. That’s some serious gamer talk.

Quest’s End: Paladin will be available to purchase starting October 6 and will ship to consumers in November. The next whiskey comes out in January, followed by the last two in quarterly releases.

For more information please visit https://questsendwhiskey.com/

WHISKEY DEL BAC’S LIMITED RELEASE ‘NORMANDIE’

August 23, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Recently, Whiskey Del Bac, the Tucson-based distillery known for its award-winning American single malts, announced the launch of its fall seasonal limited release, Normandie.

Normandie, which was named one of the “12 Best New Spirits of the Year” by Robb Report, offers Whiskey Del Bac’s Classic American Single Malt whiskey aged in charred, new American white oak barrels, then finished in ex-Calvados brandy barrels. This small-batch whiskey release is named after the coastal region of Normandie, France, which is known for its creamy cheeses, rich seafood, and an abundance of apples and pears.

Also, only 1,400 bottles were produced nationwide and Normandie is officially back in stock (for a limited time) in Whiskey Del Bac’s online store.

Recently, Whiskey Del Bac, the Tucson-based distillery known for its award-winning American single malts, announced the launch of its fall seasonal limited release, Normandie.

Also, only 1,400 bottles were produced nationwide and Normandie is officially back in stock (for a limited time) in Whiskey Del Bac’s online store.

“It’s an honor to be able to share our Global Cask Collection with our customers,” said Head Distiller Mark Vierthaler. “Normandie is an opportunity to showcase the ways flavors and spirit styles of different countries interact with our distinctly Sonoran single malts.”

The new spirit is part of Whiskey Del Bac’s Global Cask Collection, a collection of annual releases inspired by places around the world where oak barrels are used to age wines or spirits. The collection includes Spanish sherry-inspired Frontera, the heavily-smoked Isley-inspired Ode to Islay, and Normandie with its French-inspired Calvados brandy finish.

“It’s a journey to the coastal region of France, as the Calvados barrels impart flavors of green apple and citrus with hints of cherry and freshly-cut flowers that counterbalance the traditionally heavy notes of our unsmoked single malts,” said Vierthaler. “It’s the perfect blend for fall.”

Recently, Whiskey Del Bac, the Tucson-based distillery known for its award-winning American single malts, announced the launch of its fall seasonal limited release, Normandie.

Also, only 1,400 bottles were produced nationwide and Normandie is officially back in stock (for a limited time) in Whiskey Del Bac’s online store.

Tasting notes for this release are caramel-dipped apples, sour cherry, and dulce de leche. On the palate, bright citrus brings up the front, with peppery notes across the mid-palate, ending with short-but-sweet caramel and stone fruit. The recommended serving for Normandie American single malt is with one large ice cube.

Each has an ABV of 48.5% and is 97 proof.

For more information and to purchase a bottle online, visit whiskeydelbac.com.