Bacardi Sunglasses

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Brand owner Bacardi International

RRP US$195

Markets Available from Casa Bacardí visitor centre store in Cataño, Puerto Rico

Contact www.visitcasabacardi.com

Following on from the Glenmorangie sunnies made from barrel staves that aged its flagship 10-year-old (DI April), now we have Bacardi sunglasses, also made from recycled oak rum barrels.

Apparently, craftsmen from Raw Eyewear manually perform the process of assembling, sanding and finishing the wooden frames to produce the sunglasses. There are four designs and each pair features a carved Bacardi bat logo at the temple, as well as Italian polarised lenses.

The Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 3

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Brand owner William Grant & Sons

RRP £260, US$345, €300

Markets Global

Contact natalie.smith@tinmancomms.com

Batch 3 is the latest batch of single malt scotch whisky from The Balvenie’s Tun 1509.

Tun 1509 is said to showcase the skills malt master David Stewart has acquired throughout his 54 years with William Grant. He has married 31 hand-selected casks from the distillery’s aged stocks. In total, 8,850 bottles will be available globally – of which 835 will be stocked in the UK.

Tasting notes: “Rich complexity with elegant oaky notes and dried fruits balanced by mellow cinnamon spices and ginger. To taste it is luxurious with layers of vanilla oak, rich woody spices, dark fruits and a definite sherry character interspersed with elegant honey.”

Gato Negro 9 Lives Reserve

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Brand owner Viña San Pedro (VSPT Wine Group)

RRP £8

Markets UK

Contact Off Piste Wines (importer): info@offpistewines.com

Gato Negro 9 Lives Reserve is said to play tribute to the cat that lives in the vineyards of Viña San Pedro in Chile’s Central valley.

Aimed specifically at UK drinkers, it is described as: “A high-quality, balanced, easy-to-drink, palatable reserve wine. One to be uncorked and enjoyed again and again.”

Angostura Reserva 5/7 year old/1999/1824

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Brand owner Angostura

RRP Reserva: £19.99, US$26, €24

5 Year Old: £25.99, US$35, €31

7 Year Old: £29.99, US$40, €36

1919: £40.99, US$55, €50

1824: £55, US$73, €66

Markets Global

Contact Jillian Kalloo:jkalloo@angostura.com

Caribbean rum producer Angostura has unveiled five expressions. Angostura Reserva is a blend of white rums aged for a minimum of three years; 5 Year Old is a blend of light gold rums distilled in Angostura’s still in Trinidad. The 7 Year Old is selected from light, medium and heavy rums. 1919 is a blend of rums aged in charred, used bourbon oak casks, while 1824 is a blend of gold rums aged for a minimum 12 years. It celebrates the birth of the House of Angostura in 1824.

Villa Massa Limoncello

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Brand owner Diego Zamora Group RRP €23, US$25.50

Markets Spain, Italy, Holland, US, Russia, Belgium, Portugal, global duty free

Contact Claire Harris, c.harris@lime-pr.co.uk

Diego Zamora Group, the premium wines and spirits producer, is introducing new packaging for Villa Massa which, it claims, is the world’s number one limoncello.

The company says Villa Massa is “just like mamma’s limoncello”, because it uses the peel from PGI Sorrento oval lemons, with no added flavouring or colouring.

The Blue Beetle London Dry Gin

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Brand owner Leomar

RRP €25, US$28

Markets Europe and US

Contact info@leomar.co.uk,

bluebeetlegin.com

The Blue Beetle (40% abv) is described as an “unconventional London Dry Gin inspired by the unusual blue beetle”. Apparently little is known about the beetle except that it turns bright red during mating season. Blue Beetle gin changes its colour when combined in cocktails.

Leomar says Blue Beetle is “an elegant and sophisticated gin made to a recipe of 18+1 selected botanicals” (the 19th is not revealed to keep the recipe secret). It is produced in small batches of 6,000 bottles.

Lagavulin 200th Anniversary Special Edition

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Brand owner Diageo

RRP £41.40/ US$88.65, €72

Markets Global travel retail/duty free

Contact Jodi.Doherty@smartscommunicate.com

2016 marks the 200th anniversary of Lagavulin, the well-known peaty single malt scotch from Islay.

Diageo has launched a special, limited-edition bottling of Lagavulin 8 Year Old in honour of Britain’s most famous Victorian whisky writer, Alfred Barnard.

Gibson’s gin ‘so jean’

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Brand owner La Martiniquaise

RRP €14, £12, US$16

Markets Worldwide (70cl & 1ltr)

Contact: William Ploquin-Maurell +33 (0)1 4353 8606, william.ploquin-maurell@la-martiniquaise.fr,

gin-gibsons.com

La Martiniquaise has released a limited-edition bottle of Gibson’s, its London Dry gin.

This year’s limited edition is said to be “adorned with denim”. The label has been designed to recreate the touch and texture of the denim fabric. A specific cap has been developed to increase the visibility and personality of the brand.

So Jean (37.5% abv) draws its inspiration from the punk rock movement of the 1980s and shows off its style with the red and blue iconic colours.

Les Jamelles Sauvignon Blanc Petillant

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Brand owner Badet Clement

RRP €7.50

Markets Germany, Belgium mainly and other European markets (Czech Republic), UK. The product is in a launching period.

Contact Mike Bentley, mike.bentley@jigsawdrinks.co.uk, +44 (0)781 800 4332

Les Jamelles Sauvignon Blanc Petillant is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc, carbonated sparkling wine.

It is described as a “festive, easy-drinking sparkling wine that is all about fruit and freshness, exuding elegance and sparkle”.

The grapes are sourced from several areas. Some of them come from Gascony for the tension and vivacity they lend to the blend. The rest of the grapes come from three areas of the Languedoc: the Haut Vallée de l’Aude for freshness and minerality; l’Etang de Marseillette for fruity notes; and the coastal region for tropical notes.

Sagamore Spirit Straight Rye Whiskey

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Brand owner Sagamore Spirit of Baltimore

RRP US$40

Markets Maryland, Washington, DC, Delaware. New York soon to follow

Contact: info@sagamorespirit.com

Sagamore Spirit Straight Rye Whiskey (41.5% abv) is a premium spirit bottled in Baltimore, Maryland. The distilling team blends two different mash bills, a high rye and a low rye, and then adds the Sagamore Farm spring-fed water to cut the whiskey to proof.

Packaging by Saxco International, Sagamore is aimed at 18 to 55-year-old men and women.

Sagamore Spirit president Brian Treacy said: “Maryland has a deep history and heritage with distilling rye whiskey that dates back to before Prohibition. Maryland was home to more than 40 distilleries and we honour that tradition by making a spirit worthy of our state’s distilling heritage.”

Ron Prohibido Gran Reserva Solera 15

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Brand owner Casa Corralejo

RRP US$30-$35, €30, £25

Markets Global

Contact Raffaele Berardi, r.berardi@fraternityspirits.com

The company describes this Mexican rum (40% abv) as an “exotic and premium artisan rum, produced in a 15-year solera system, acquired by combining rums of different ageing profiles and blending in used raisin wine barrels”.

It is aimed at: “Contemporary adults, sociable, self confident, determined, independent, authentic, sophisticated quality seekers. Although they like to experiment and are open to new options, freedom, challenges and little things in life bring them happiness. Willing to pay for something that assures them unique and special experiences.”