BUSHMILLS BOURBON #3 CHAR CASK RESERVE

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Brand owner Proximo

RRP £50, €56, US$67 (1 litre)

Markets Global Travel Retail

Contact bushmills@smartscommunicate.com

Bushmills Bourbon #3 Char Cask Reserve Irish whiskey (40% abv) is the third and latest edition in its Steamship Collection.

The Northern Irish whiskey is said to be the result of its long-standing relationship with master coopers from Louisville, Kentucky, who reserve only the finest American white oak, custom-charred bourbon casks to mature this whiskey.

As a global travel retail exclusive, this variant follows the launch of Bushmills Port and Sherry Cask Reserves, marking the 125th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the SS Bushmills.

In 1890, the ship set sail on her maiden voyage to America to deliver Bushmills Irish whiskey worldwide. She returned with a variety of seasoned casks.

Bushmills master blender Helen Mulholland said: “The seasoned casks are re-charred before being shipped to the Old Bushmills distillery where we fill them with triple-distilled Bushmills single malt.”

LAPHROAIG CAIRDEAS 15 YEAR OLD

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Brand owner Beam Suntory

RRP £80, €90, US$100

Markets Exclusively available at the Laphroaig distillery in Islay and online globally for Friends of Laphroaig

Contact Laura Hutchinson: Laura@ldrlondon.com

Laphroaig Cairdeas 15 Year Old single malt is this year’s annual limited edition, which was distilled throughout 2002. It was then poured into first-fill ex-bourbon casks to mature this whisky next to the Atlantic Ocean.

For 2017 that release is Cairdeas 15 Year Old, available online and at the distillery.

BAIN’S CAPE MOUNTAIN SINGLE GRAIN WHISKY

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Brand owner Distell

RRP £32, €34, US$40

Markets Global

Contact Bainswhisky.com

Distell’s Bain’s Cape Mountain Single Grain Whisky (40% abv) has gone global.

Made in Wellington, South Africa, at the James Sedgwick distillery, Bain’s Single Grain Whisky is a double-matured whisky produced from 100% South African yellow maize.

The whisky is aged for three years in first-fill bourbon casks and then for another two years in new first-fill bourbon casks.

It pays tribute to Andrew Geddes Bain, who built the Bainskloof Pass that connects the town of Wellington, where the distillery is located, to the interior of the country back in 1853.

It is described as a combination of toffee, floral and vanilla aromas on the nose; on the palate a hint of spice softened by undertones of oak; its finish warm and smooth.

CLÉMENT RHUM RARE CASK COLLECTION

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Brand owner GBH

RRP €120, US$142, £106

Markets Global

Contact Matthieu de Lassus, +33 (0)1 58 08 21 00

Martinique Rhum Clément has unveiled a limited-edition rhum agricole Rare Cask Collection. Only 10 casks were selected from the cellarmaster’s private collection, all above 15 years of age.

GBH says Robert Peronet, Rhum Clément cellarmaster for more than 30 years, has decided to bring some extra old barrels to the spotlight with the selection of the 10 casks, aged a minimum of 15 years in 200-litre oak barrels.

Having reached optimal maturity, these 10 barrels were bottled in September 2017 at Habitation Clément.

For this first series, partnerships were organised with Rhum Clément’s top clients to allow each of them to select their barrel. A few of these partners made their choice at Habitation Clément in Martinique during a private tasting alongside the cellarmaster.

Each bottle has been numbered and marked with the details of the specific barrel from which the rhum was taken.

CORTE VETUSTO MEZCAL 

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Brand owner David Shepherd

RRP Espadin: £59; Tobala: £99 and Ensamble: £99

Markets UK

Contact philippa@lucre.co.uk; David@vetustomezcal.com

Corte Vetusto (42% abv) is described as a range of single-origin, artisanal mezcals, hand-crafted in small batches from mature agave.

It is said to be made according to time-honoured traditions by fourth-generation ‘master mezcalero’, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Diaz.

MCGUIGAN CLASSIC RIESLING 2016

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Brand owner Australian Vintage

RRP £5.50

Market UK

Contact mcguigan@wcommunications.co.uk

McGuigan Wines has launched a 2016 Riesling in its Classic range. It is the latest in the range of essentially Australian single varietal wines.

Harvested from grapes in south eastern Australia, the Classic Riesling is said to offer a drier style than the grape’s German and Alsace counterparts.

LUSTAU VERMUT ROJO/BLANCO

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Brand owner Bodegas Lustau

RRP £18.95, €21, US$25,

Markets Global – key markets US, UK, Spain

Contact spirits@fmv.co.uk – distributed by Fields Morris & Verdin

A sweet red vermouth and a sweet white vermouth, made in Jerez from a sherry base.

The white vermouth is made with fino sherry and Moscatel wine, the fino adding flor nuances, yeast almond, and bread. The key botanicals are rosemary, chamomile, marjoram, gentian and wormwood.

The red vermouth is made with amontillado and PX. Amontillado is dry and nutty and adds the characteristic smoky background. Pedro Ximenez is sweet, intense and velvety which provides fig and raisin nuances. It is fortified with the addition of coriander seeds, sage, wormwood, gentian & orange peel.

Both are said to be great in cocktails but also good sipped over ice.

FINIST VODKA

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Brand owner Academy of Supreme Vodka Experts

RRP €35.99, £34.99, US37.99

Markets Russia, CIS markets, Europe, UK, US, South-East Asia, Travel Retail-Duty Free

Contact Academy of Supreme Vodka Experts: export@finist-vodka.moscow, finist-vodka.moscow

Finist (40% abv) is described as a super-premium vodka created by Russian vodka experts who are behind more than 30 successful spirits brands, including Green Mark, Talka and Zhuravli.

Some sell more than 1m 9-litre cases and have been regularly listed in the DI Millionaires’ Club.

Finist is made at the Alkon Distillery, Velikiy Novgorod in Russia. It is said to be distilled from limited batches without charcoal filtration and is additive free.

The different batches of raw materials used may mean they differ by content (rye, rye and wheat, rye and barley, etc).

The company says only the best ethanol from the Russian Heartland is used and selected by the batch master for each batch individually.

Finist is said to have a rich and lively taste with a tangible silky texture.

ECHO FALLS, FLAVOURED VODKA

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Brand owner Accolade Wines

RRP £16 (£13.50 on promotion)

Markets UK

Contact Edward.Pettifer@nexuspr.com

Echo Falls, Flavoured Vodka is a summer berries Flavoured Vodka (37.5% abv) made using wheat-based vodka and summer berries flavourings.

Accolade says it offers consumers a more affordable flavoured vodka, which typically hold a price premium over other vodkas – these consumers feel they are typically priced out of the flavoured vodka category. The strategy for the product is to grow the flavoured vodka market in a similar way to how Echo Falls developed the fruit wine sector.

HEDGEPIG WILD BULLACE & QUINCE AND RAMPANT RASPBERRY FRUIT GIN  LIQUEUR

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Brand owner Ginmeister

RRP £40 (50cl)

Markets UK

Contact Will Holt: T: +44 (0)1763 849 739, pinkstergin.com

The parent company of Pinkster has unveiled a range of premium, small batch, fruit gin liqueurs called Hedgepig.

The two expressions are: Wild Bullace & Quince (30% abv) and Rampant Raspberry (33% abv). They are available in 50cl bottles with more to follow in 2018.

Ginmeister’s managing director Stephen Marsh said: “While Pinkster will always be the flagship brand, Hedgepig allows us to indulge our passion for making gin with fresh fruit to create a range of unusual handcrafted liqueurs.

“The thinking behind the brand is limited seasonal bottlings and quirky, quality ingredients all packaged up with eye-catching design. We’ll go easy on sugar levels and the abvs will be on the higher side.”