by admin | Jun 30, 2025 | IN THE NEWS
Grand Prizewinner Will Win a 7-Day Trip to Barbados Including a Deluxe Pass to the Annual Barbados Rum Experience
Corona del Mar, CA (June 30, 2025) – Probitas, the award-winning multi-island white blended rum which has set a new gold standard for use in cocktails, has announced the six regional finalists of its “Home & Away” drink recipe contest. The competition challenged bartenders to create a unique Daiquiri-inspired cocktail, blending “Home” (local) and “Away” (distant) flavors into one unforgettable cocktail – just like Probitas Rum, a fusion of rums from Barbados and Jamaica. The winner receives a seven-day trip to Barbados, including a Deluxe Pass to the annual Barbados Rum Experience.
Participants submitted a daiquiri-inspired cocktail recipe which included Probitas White Blended Rum (or a non-alcohol alternative) and combined the contrasting themes and flavors derived from home (that is, a familiar place such as where participants live, grew up or consider a “home place”) and away (that is, somewhere new and different). Entries were judged on the following: persuasiveness and effectiveness of capturing the Competition theme; quality of instructions for preparation of cocktail; originality and creativity; and “balance” of flavors in the cocktail.
Six regional winners advance to the competition finals at a private event during “Tales of the Cocktail” in New Orleans on Monday, July 21, where they will mix up their signature cocktail in front of an esteemed panel of rum professionals. They include:
- Michael Nathan (CA)
- Establishments: Viridian/Dalida
- Cocktail: “Far from the Tree”
- Nathan Thurnau (MO)
- Establishment: Good Company Taps & Spirits
- Cocktail: “High Plains Ronin”
- Cesar Gustavo Perez II (IL)
- Establishment: The Victor Bar
- Cocktail: “Valley of Stones”
- Tomas Cantu (TX)
- Establishment: The Roosevelt Room
- Cocktail: “Ikigai Daiquiri”
- Jerry Lopez (FL)
- Establishment: The Neighbors
- Cocktail: “Apples & Alps”
- Gustav Hossain-Endl (NY)
- Establishment: Shore Leave
- Cocktail: “H&E Frozen Daiquiri”
For the official Probitas “Home & Away” recipe contest rules, please visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SrdbriH9qov9tz37X6k8CP8HABuiCkru/edit?tab=t.0
About Probitas White Blended Rum
Probitas comes from two of the most iconic distilleries in two of the most respected islands in the Caribbean for rum making – Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados and Hampden Estate in Jamaica. This is the first time that a White Blended Rum has been made entirely in the Caribbean, from multiple islands and producers, with components selected by the rum makers themselves.
Probitas is a blend of three distinct rums, blended by Master Distiller and Master Blender Richard Seale of Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados and marks the first time there has been a joint venture between Caribbean distilleries to produce a blended rum. The components include Unaged Pot Still Rum from Hampden Estate in Jamaica selected by Mr. Vivian Wisdom (Hampden’s Master Distiller at the time of blending), along with Unaged Coffey Still Rum and Two-year Aged Pot Still Rum from Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados, selected by Richard Seale.
Probitas White Blended Rum is distilled, matured, blended, and bottled in the Caribbean. No sugar, flavor, color, nor neutral/multi column spirit added. The expression was bottled at 47% ABV (94 proof) and is available throughout the U.S. and online for the suggested retail price of $29.99. For more information, please visit https://altamarbrands.com/brands/probitas-rum/ and Probitas on Instagram.
About Barbados Rum Experience
For more information, please visit https://barbadosrumexperience.com/
About Altamar Brands LLC
Founded in 2005 by W. L. Lyons Brown, III, Altamar Brands is a small, entrepreneurial outfit founded to develop and import esoteric, artisanal spirits brands that offer unique and distinctive production stories in their respective categories. They include High n’ Wicked Whiskeys, Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selections Rums, Probitas Rum, R.L. Seale’s 12-Year-Aged Barbados Rum, Elvelo Tequila, Kubler Absinthe, Right Gin and Lágrimas del Valle Tequila. For more information, please visit https://altamarbrands.com/
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by admin | Jun 24, 2025 | IN THE NEWS
Newest Batch Features a Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Ranging in Age from 8 to 15 Years Old
Louisville, KY (June 24, 2025) – Barrell Craft Spirits® (BCS), the original independent blender of unique aged, cask strength whiskey since 2013, today launched Barrell Bourbon Batch 037, which received a Gold Medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition earlier this year.
Barrell Bourbon batches are the hallmark of the team’s dedication to crafting innovative, high-quality bourbons. Each batch is a unique expression of the art of blending, showcasing a diverse range of ages and styles. The flavor profile evolves with each release, and every batch is distinctive and memorable.
The new expression incorporates straight bourbon whiskeys from Indiana (8, 11 & 12-year), Tennessee (13, 14 & 15-year), and Kentucky (10-year), which were expertly blended and bottled at 111.38 proof (55.69% ABV). The sophisticated bourbon highlights notes of dark chocolate, toffee, spiced orange, banana, cardamom and honey and features a derived mash bill of corn (78%), rye (18%), and malted barley (4%).
Barrell Bourbon Batch 037 is now available for purchase online via the BCS website at barrellbourbon.com and at select retailers for the suggested retail price of $84.99 per 750ml bottle. A limited number of bottles signed by one of BCS’ expert blending team of Joe Beatrice, Tripp Stimson, or Nic Christiansen, will be randomly included in Batch 037 cases.
Founded in 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky, BCS selects and blends products that explore different distillation methods, barrels, and aging environments. BCS’s extensive stocks of high-quality casks mean it can craft extraordinary blends that maximize the nuances of each ingredient. Creative finishes and a liberated approach to blending guides every product release.
The award-winning line of BCS releases are sold in 49 US states, Puerto Rico, the UK, South Korea, the Ukraine and Australia. Follow Barrell Craft Spirits on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or visit barrellbourbon.com.
Barrell Craft Spirits®
Louisville-based Barrell Craft Spirits® is the original, pre-eminent independent blender of unique, aged, cask strength whiskey and rum. Recognized for our blending expertise since 2013, we skillfully design, produce, and launch leading, unique products that surprise and delight whiskey aficionados and novices alike. Our cask-strength small-batch and single-barrel releases have quickly become an influencing force in American whiskey, winning awards from the world’s most prestigious distilled spirits publications and competitions.
Barrell Craft Spirits®, Barrell®, Barrell Bourbon® and Barrell Rye® are registered trademarks owned by Barrell Craft Spirits LLC.
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by admin | Jun 16, 2025 | IN THE NEWS
Crafted in Memphis and Aged a Minimum of Four Years New Expression Now Available Online and In-Store
Memphis, TN (June 16, 2025) – Blue Note Bourbon™, the award-winning whiskey portfolio which is artfully crafted to honor the rich blues music that is synonymous with Memphis, has launched its first Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey.
Born in Kentucky and crafted in Memphis, the new limited release features a classic mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, was aged a minimum of four years and then bottled between 116-124 proof, unfiltered.
Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey Tasting Notes
- Nose: beautifully soft and inviting – perfumed fruits, lots of warm honey sweetness, baked apples, and plenty of buttered toffee long lasting in the glass
- Palate: dense and tingly, initially offering up leather as well as deep, developed berry notes. Thick cherry cobbler begins to soak into the palate as even deeper herbal and spice notes begin to surface. All tied together with fudge covered graham notes and ginger
- Finish: long and trailing with slightly perfumed candied fruits, toasted honey, and Thin Mint cookies lasting well into the long finish.
Blue Note Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is now available for purchase online at BlueNoteBourbon.com and at select retailers in 20 U.S. states (listed below). The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle is $49.95.
Blue Note’s whiskey portfolio is distilled in partnership with Lofted Spirits (formerly Bardstown Bourbon Company and parent company of Green River Distilling) and then aged just north of downtown Memphis where the Mississippi and Wolf Rivers collide. The long summers filled with infamous Memphis heat and cooler evenings forces the whiskey deep into the oak, creating an unmistakably rich flavor that’s bold yet smooth.
The Blue Note portfolio features the brand’s award-winning flagship Juke Joint ($34.99), Crossroads ($44.99), Uncut ($49.99), and Straight Rye Whiskey ($34.99). At the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Juke Joint and Crossroads were awarded Platinum medals, a rare honor meaning that each expression has received Double Gold medals for three consecutive years. That same year, Blue Note Straight Rye Whiskey won a Double Platinum Medal at the 2024 ASCOT Awards.
Production Facility & Tasting Room
Blue Note’s 110,000 square foot production facilities, located on Royal Avenue just North of downtown Memphis, are open from Monday through Friday from 10am – 4:00pm CST and include a unique and intimate tasting room. Guided tours are available on Thursdays and Fridays for $10 plus tax & fees. Guests can add a Tasting Flight Experience for an additional $5. For more information and to book a guided, behind-the-scenes tour, visit www.bluenotebourbon.com. Please follow Blue Note on Facebook and Instagram.
About B.R. Distilling Company
Founded in 2014 in Memphis, TN, B.R. Distilling Company is the oldest licensed distillery in Memphis, TN, and producer of world-famous Blue Note Bourbon. Currently, the company produces four flagship expressions, along with regular limited releases, which are distributed across 20 U.S. states, including AL, AR, CO, CT, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MS, MO, NY, NJ, OK, RI, SC, TN, and TX, and online at BlueNoteBourbon.com via Bevstack, which can be shipped to: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VA, WA and WI. Take note. Sip responsibly.
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