Hine 1986 Grande Champagne Cognac Jarnac-matured & early landed

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Brand owner Thomas Hine & Co

RRP €600, £500, US$725

Markets Global

Contact Carolyn Meunier: cmeunier@hine.fr

In years of an exceptional harvest Hine sets aside a few casks of its finest Grande Champagne cognacs to mature in the 18th-century cellars beneath its offices in Jarnac, or to be shipped in cask to the UK to be matured as ‘early-landed’ cognac. Its vintage cognacs are released at a minimum age of 20 years and are available in very limited quantities.

Tasting notes:

1986 Jarnac-matured: Powerful bouquet with fruity notes of white peach and hints of spice, with much complexity and a long finish.

1986 Early-Landed: Richness and extensive floral aromas with vanilla notes, hints of cedar wood and mountain honey on palate, long finish.

Courvoisier Artisan Edition

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Brand owner Beam Suntory

RRP Courvoisier VS £33, US$48, €42 (1-litre)/Courvoisier VSOP £46.50, US$68, €60 (1-litre)/Courvoisier XO £110, US$160, €140 (70cl)

Markets Global Travel Retail

Contact BeamSuntoryGTR@ldrlondon.com

Beam Suntory has launched a GTR-exclusive range, the Artisan Edition, almost 127 years after it was served at the opening of the Eiffel Tower in 1889.

The focus is on the three types of oak casks used to create the expressions and the influence the wood has on the final spirit.

Newmarket 350th Anniversary Gin

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Brand owner Mike Keen

RRP £85

Markets UK

Contact info@thenewmarketgin.co.uk

The 350th anniversary of horse racing at Newmarket has been celebrated with a new artisan gin, distilled in Newmarket by English Spirit Distillery master distiller Dr John Walters. The gin is said to have been handcrafted from local botanicals, including juniper, coriander and Seville oranges, as well as locally sourced wild chives, Devil’s Dyke orchid petals and alfalfa that is fed to Newmarket’s thoroughbred racehorses. Walters said: “Taking the classic botanical juniper, we add a citrus surround to create a deliciously complex finish. Our greatest challenge was looking at the wonderful local offering and incorporating this to create a truly Newmarket gin.”

Masi Moxxé

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Brand owner Masi Agricola

RRP £13.50

Markets UK

Contact Emilian Marinig, Berkmann Wine Cellars

Masi Moxxé is claimed to be the first sparkling wine made ‘appassimento’ (rasinated: dry and shrivelled grapes) using the Charmat method.

From the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, it comprises a blend of Pinot Grigio (80%) and Verduzzo (20%) from the Stra’ del Milione vineyards. The Verduzzo undergoes a three-week appassimento to enhance its fruit-driven style.

Masi Agricola marketing director and head of the Masi Technical Group Raffaele Boscaini said: “The aim is to produce a sparkling wine at an accessible price point that reflects the fruitiness of classic Italian prosecco, but in a style that is less sweet with more structure. Moxxé sits within the Masi Campofiorin range of wines.” Each variety goes through separate harvest and vinification. The Pinot Grigio grapes are picked at the end of August and vinified immediately. The Verduzzo grapes are picked at the end of September and left to dry for three weeks in plateaux.

8O8 blended grain scotch whisky

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Brand owner 8O8 Drink

RRP €40, £32

Markets Europe

Contact ob@8o8drink.com

8O8 is described as a “versatile and smooth drink, set to recruit a new, younger generation of drinkers to the category”.

Made at the North British Distillery in Scotland, 8O8 (40% abv) is named after the Roland TR-808 Drum Machine. It is made from grains including maize and barley.

Adnams Ease Up IPA/Juniper Saison/Samba City

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Brand owner Adnams

RRP Ease Up IPA (8x50cl) £14.49/Juniper Saison (12x33cl, limited time in cask and keg in selected outlets) £18.99/Samba City – N/A

Markets UK

Contact callcentresales@adnams.co.uk

The new session-style Ease Up IPA has a lower abv (4.6%) than a full-strength US-style IPA and is said to be big on flavour, making it perfect for summertime. It is the latest addition to the Adnams ‘Jack Brand’ collection of craft beers. Following on, Juniper Saison (4.1% abv) is a pale golden, juniper-flavoured brew, made with lager malt and sorachi hops. It is said to feature aromas of spicy orange, infused with juniper spice, coriander, caraway and a hint of liquorice.

Samba City 2016 (4.2% abv) is a golden wheat beer brewed to celebrate the Rio 2016 Olympics, said to offer lively citrus aromas and hints of banana, finishing with creamy, spicy notes.

The Glenlivet Cipher

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Brand owner Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard

RRP US$120, £82, €106

Markets 25 countries, including UK, Taiwan, Canada

Contact Amber Organ, Chivas Brothers: +44 (0)208 250 1768

Coming in an opaque black bottle with no cask information The Glenlivet Cipher is described as a “scotch whisky shrouded in mystery that helps whisky lovers to push the boundaries of flavour exploration”. Master Distiller Alan Winchester said: “Through the launch of The Glenlivet Cipher, I am laying down a test for foodies and drinkers around the world looking to prove their tasting credentials. I am inviting people to join us on a journey of flavour discovery and I will be checking social media and the hashtag #TheGlenlivetCipher to see who manages to crack the code and unlock the tasting notes of this new enigmatic single malt.”

Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé

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Brand owner Veuve Clicquot

RRP £64.99, US$94, €82

Markets US, UK

Contact Elise Boroian, eboroian@moethennessy.com

Rich Rosé is made from 45% Pinot Noir, 40% Meunier and 15% Chardonnay. Aged for a minimum of three years, Rich Rosé includes 12% of red wine, continuing the tradition of the house. Veuve Clicquot’s signature Pinot Noir is said to be given a new versatility with a higher dosage (60g/l as opposed to 9g/l in its Rosé Brut).

A greater presence of Meunier is said to result in mouth-watering fresh fruit, citrus and floral flavours, balanced by the creamy finish that is so much a part of the Veuve style.

Penny Blue

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Brand owner Berry Bros & Rudd/Indian Ocean Company

RRP €35, 1,400 Mauritian Rupees

Markets Mauritius initially

Contact Master Distiller Jean-Francois Koenig, JeanFrancoisK@medine.com or +230 401 6000/bbr.com

Indian Ocean Company and Berry Bros & Rudd Spirits have unveiled a VSOP expression of Penny Blue Mauritian rum, marking the first VSOP release from the Medine distillery.

The VSOP (40% abv) is aged for a minimum of four years in a combination of ex-cognac, whisky and bourbon casks. It is said to be an authentic small-batch single-estate Mauritian rum, distilled from the molasses of home-grown sugar canes, matured in oak.

The Epicurean lowland malt scotch whisky

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Brand owner Douglas Laing

RRP £37

Markets Specialist whisky stores and DouglasLaing.com

Contact Jenny.rogerson@douglaslaing.com. T: +44 (0)141 333 9242

Douglas Laing & Co has announced the launch of The Epicurean blended malt scotch whisky, a vatted lowland whisky addition to its Remarkable Regional Malts Collection.

Described as “a marriage of some of the finest lowland malts, bringing together the best that the east and the west of Scotland”, it is said to be without colouring or chill-filtration, and bottled at 46.2% abv.

The Remarkable Regional Malts umbrella brand encompasses Timorous Beastie (Highlands), Scallywag (Speyside), Rock Oyster (Islands), and Big Peat from Islay, said to be collectively offering the consumer the “ultimate distillation of Scotland’s malt whisky regions”.