by admin | Mar 11, 2024 | IN THE NEWS
Axiom Brands Named First Official Importer for the Award-Winning Blender of Unique, Aged, Cask Strength Whiskey Since 2013
Louisville, KY (March 11, 2024) – Barrell Craft Spirits® (BCS) today announced that it has officially launched its award-winning spirits portfolio in the United Kingdom (UK). The original independent blender known for its unique, aged, cask strength whiskey, has selected Axiom Brands as its brand-building distribution partner for both on- and off-trade.
“We’re excited to partner with Axiom Brands – an independent company like Barrell Craft Spirits, which is both passionate about and deeply immersed in the UK drinks market,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice. “We’re thrilled to have pioneered the movement to elevate the art of blending in the United States. The UK is a crucial distilled spirits market as we look to expand our distribution abroad.”
“We have a long-standing history in our team with the American Whiskey category,” said Ian Bayliss, Co-Founder Axiom Brands. “We are thrilled to welcome the most exciting new American whisky brand to come out of the US right now into the Axiom portfolio and begin the journey of establishing Barrell Craft Spirits on all the best back bars and retail shelves across the UK for consumers and trade to explore.”
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 BCS cask-strength small-batch and single-barrel releases have quickly become an influencing force in American whiskey, picking up more than 150 awards from the world’s most prestigious distilled spirits publications and competitions. They include the “Chairman’s Trophy” and top score (97/100) in the American whisk(e)y category at the 2020 Ultimate Spirits Challenge for Barrell Dovetail American Whiskey; and several top awards at the annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including Best Bourbon and Best Small Batch Bourbon – both overall and within the 6-10-year category – for Barrell Bourbon Batch 021 (2020), “Best Small Batch Bourbon over 11 years old” for Barrell Bourbon Batch 018 (2019), and “Best Bourbon” and “Best Small Batch Bourbon” for Barrell Bourbon Batch 11 and “Best Over Proof Rum” for Batch 001 (2017).
The award-winning line of BCS releases are now sold in 49 US states, Australia, Canada, and the UK.
Follow Barrell Craft Spirits on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram 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.
Axiom Brands
Since 2015, Axiom Brands has been transforming boutique luxury spirit brands into true UK market leaders. The company was founded by two entrepreneurs with a meticulous eye for world-class potential and knowledge of the UK drinks market. Today, a team of 15 in-house spirit experts are driven by developing tomorrow’s big players and a mission to serve world-class, ‘liquid first’ brands to the market, moulding the future of the industry, and defining the next consumer drinking trends. Axiom Brands is home to 15 luxury spirit brands, with three major acquisitions under its belt in just five years. Pushing the boundaries through innovative brand-building with its luxury network of the country’s most exclusive venues and retailers, Axiom Brands does more than move boxes, it builds brands.
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by admin | Feb 14, 2024 | IN THE NEWS
Approachable World-Class Whiskey Artfully Crafted to Honor Blues Music That was Birthed in the Streets of Memphis Tennessee
Memphis, TN (February 14, 2024) – Blue Note Bourbon, the award-winning whiskey portfolio which features big notes and a smooth structure, is making waves in the spirits industry. Founded in 2014, B.R. Distilling Company holds the oldest distillery license in the city of Memphis, Tennessee. Blue Note, launched in 2018, is artfully crafted to honor the rich blues music that was birthed in the streets of Memphis.
The Company’s whiskey portfolio is distilled in partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Company (parent company of Green River Distilling Company) and then aged in barrels just north of downtown Memphis along the Mississippi and Wolf Rivers. The Delta heat and humidity provided by the long, hot summers cook the barrels low and slow like proper Memphis BBQ. This forces the whiskey deep into the oak, creating an unmistakably rich flavor that’s bold yet smooth.
“The location of our warehouses with high humidity and higher average temperatures than Kentucky make it the perfect place to age our whiskey,” said Logan Welk, President and Chief Operating Officer, B.R. Distilling Company. “Our award-winning flagship Blue Note expressions prove that point, with both Juke Joint and Crossroads winning Double Gold at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition two years running and Blue Note Uncut being named #7 on Whisky Advocate’s list of top whiskeys in 2022.”
The Blue Note Bourbon portfolio includes:
- Blue Note Juke Joint ($34.99)
- Blue Note’s flagship Straight Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 93-proof, unfiltered
- Mash Bill: 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley
- Awards: 2022 and 2023 Double Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
- Blue Note Crossroads ($44.99)
- Finished with several types of toasted French oak staves and bottled at 100-proof, unfiltered
- Mash Bills: 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley and 78% corn, 13% rye, 9% malted barley
- Awards: 2022 and 2023 Double Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
- Blue Note Uncut ($49.99)
- Aged for a minimum of four years and bottled at variable proofs
- Mash Bill: 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley
- Awards: Whisky Advocate’s #7 top whiskeys of 2022 (92 pts)
- Blue Note Straight Rye Whiskey ($34.99)
- The most recent release is bottled at 93-proof, unfiltered
- Mash Bill: 95% rye and 5% malted barley
The brand has also introduced several highly awarded limited-release offerings, which include Premium Small Batch, Single Barrel Reserve, 17-year, and Special Reserve.
Blue Note’s packaging is unique and quintessentially Memphis. Metallic blue music notes accent the front label, which features a guitar-like illustration, further reinforcing the product’s connection to the Bluff City’s musical roots.
Production Facility & Tasting Room
The 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 and includes 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.
Availability
Blue Note’s whiskey portfolio is currently distributed in 17 U.S. states and online at BlueNote.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 17 U.S. states, including AL, AR, CO, CT, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, OK, MO, NJ, NY, SC, TN, and TX and online. Please sip responsibly.
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by admin | Feb 12, 2024 | IN THE NEWS
7th Singular Limited Release is Finished for Six Months in Ex-Foursquare Barbados Rum Casks
Corona del Mar, CA (February 12, 2024) – High n’ Wicked, the importer and specialty bottler of exceptional whiskeys, today launched its latest singular limited release: a collaboration with Foursquare Rum Distillery. The new expression, a Single Grain Irish Whiskey, originally distilled in County Cork, Ireland, features a mash bill of 95% French maize (corn) and 5% malted barley. The whiskey was first matured in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for six months in casks which previously held the award-winning “Mark X 2007” Barbados Rum from Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados.
This rare and distinctive expression was created by merging the skills of two of the most respected and admired producers of spirits in the world: Richard Seale of the legendary Foursquare Rum Distillery, and Noel Sweeney, former Master Distiller/Master Blender of Cooley who selected, finished, and blended this special whiskey.
“We got the Dream Team for this one,” said Lyons Brown, Founder and CEO of High n’ Wicked. “Foursquare has risen to the pinnacle of the rum world and is quickly becoming a global icon in spirits. We expect to work with Richard on additional releases in the future.”
Bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV), the new expression is available for purchase in select U.S. markets and online via highnwicked.com for the suggested retail price of $79.99 per 750ml bottle. It offers aromas of coconut, treacle, lemon peel, almond, nougat, fig, and vanilla, which give way to subtle tropical notes of clove and cinnamon followed by rich caramel and candied hazelnuts. The liquid lingers gently and finishes soft with a hint of custard.
“Foursquare’s ‘Mark X 2007’ was a highly expressive and complex Barbados rum and these casks married beautifully with the nuanced and subtle characters of this exquisite Single Grain Irish Whiskey,” said Richard Seale, Master Distiller/Master Blender, Foursquare Rums. “Seeing this collaboration come together from such a long-standing partner in our Exceptional Cask Selections importer, Altamar Brands, and through High n’ Wicked, has been a genuine pleasure.”
High n’ Wicked launches singular limited releases several times per year which are specialty bottlings of some of the finest domestic and global whiskeys. These “treasures” feature single barrels and expert double wood finishes that add layers of complexity to already superb distillates. To date, the brand has issued eight distinct American and Irish whiskey releases which include American Bourbon, Single Malt Irish whiskey, and Single Grain Irish Whiskey. High n’ Wicked also produces an award-winning flagship straight bourbon whiskey and straight rye whiskey which are regularly available.
High n’ Wicked is distributed by Altamar Brands in 41 U.S. states and Washington D.C. as well as online. For more information, visit www.highnwicked.com Please also follow High n’ Wicked on Instagram.
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: Elvelo Tequila, Foursquare Rum, High n’ Wicked Whiskeys, Kubler Absinthe, Lagrimas del Valle Tequila, Probitas Rum, Right Gin, and R.L. Seale’s Barbados Rum.
For more information, please visit https://altamarbrands.com/
With Cocktailing, Quality Bests Quantity.
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by admin | Feb 5, 2024 | IN THE NEWS
Strategic Partner Responsible for All Commercial-Facing Activities Including Wholesale and Retail Management
Louisville, KY (February 5, 2024) – Barrell Craft Spirits® (BCS), the original independent blender known for its unique, aged, cask strength whiskey, has enlisted Twenty20 Beverages for national sales and trade marketing support, effective March 1st. Twenty20 will be responsible for all commercial-facing activities including wholesale and retail management. As an extension of the BCS team, they will develop brand and commercial strategies and provide feet on the street sales teams across the U.S.
“Twenty20 Beverages specializes in developing ultra-premium craft spirits brands like ours,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice. “Their team will help to bridge the gaps between the consumer, distributor, and supplier on our behalf. We look forward to working with them as we continue to broaden the brand’s distribution within the U.S.”
“We look forward to our partnership with Barrell Craft Spirits in the United States,” says John Ormiston, Partner Twenty20 Beverages. “Our quality brand building approach will work very well with the BCS portfolio. We look forward to building a close working relationship with the BCS leadership team, furthering their legacy, and building upon the success that they have achieved.”
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 now sold in 49 US states, Australia, Canada, and the UK. Follow Barrell Craft Spirits on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram 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.
Twenty20 Beverages
Twenty20 Beverages was founded in 2015 with the vision of helping high potential spirit brands thrive in an environment dominated by huge multi-national beverage companies. We partner with some of the best independent spirit brands to deliver sales and marketing results in the US market. Our team prides itself on quality execution of our sales and marketing objectives. We develop personal relationships with our supplier partners, and we work closely with distributors and the trade to deliver results.
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by admin | Dec 7, 2023 | IN THE NEWS
Distributor Will Oversee Barrell Craft Spirits and Stellum Spirits Portfolios
Louisville, KY (December 7, 2023) – Barrell Craft Spirits® (BCS) announced that it will expand its current distribution agreement with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (Southern Glazer’s) within the following key control states: AL, IA, ID, ME, MI, MS, MT, NC, OH, PA, UT, VA, VT, WV, and WY. Effective immediately, Southern Glazer’s will become the broker of record for the original independent blender known for its unique aged cask strength whiskey since 2013 and its Barrell Craft Spirits and Stellum Spirits portfolios.
“This agreement with Southern Glazer’s allows us to expand our footprint within several important control states,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice. “We’re thrilled to partner with such an experienced wholesaler with long-standing relationships among priority accounts in these key markets.”
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.
Follow Barrell Craft Spirits on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram 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 mission is to remain the most innovative, progressive, and respected blenders in the nation, by making bold choices and pushing the creative envelope every day to showcase the world’s most exciting spirits.
Barrell Craft Spirits®, Barrell®, Barrell Bourbon® and Barrell Rye® are registered trademarks owned by Barrell Craft Spirits LLC.
About Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol, building brands for moments that matter. The multi-generational, family-owned Company has operations in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, as well as brokerage operations through its WEBB Banks division in the Caribbean, Central and South America. Southern Glazer’s urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit www.southernglazers.com. Follow Southern on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @sgwinespirits.
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by admin | Nov 28, 2023 | IN THE NEWS
First Blended American Whiskey Finished Using Honey Barrel Staves and Texas Sotol Barrel Staves Available Online and in Select Markets
Los Angeles, CA (November 28, 2023) – Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. known best for its innovative whiskey finishing techniques, has introduced Honey Smoke Reserva, which builds off its immensely popular Honey Smoke Rye released last year. This new offering features a Kentucky-distilled American Whiskey aged for six years, finished for five months using 50% Honey barrel staves and 50% Texas Sotol barrel staves, and bottled at 110-proof (55% ABV). The result is a whiskey with a deep, earthy, and smoky complexity.
“The response we received to last year’s Honey Smoke rye whiskey was incredible,” said Seth Benhaim, Founder of Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. “The older whiskey, higher proof, and longer finishing time for this year’s release promises to make it one of the most distinctive tasting spirits ever produced. We’re also making whiskey history as the first to finish this whiskey using a combination of honey and sotol barrel staves. This is a must buy!”
Tasting Notes
On the nose, the earth and terroir of the sotol steal the spotlight, while the sweetness of the honey waits patiently to be discovered. With the earthy complexity of barrel aged Texas sotol, a truly extraordinary elixir offers the senses aromas of honeycomb sweetness mixed with charcoal and woodiness. On the palate, a remarkable flavor unfolds with hints of vanilla and spice, harmonized with golden honey sweetness that balance the grain and oak. The smoke underpins the experience with a constant but never overwhelming presence that truly separates this whiskey. It is a fascinating union, creating a compounding unique flavor profile, departing from the 2022 release that had vegetal and floral notes. The finish leaves lasting impressions of sweet spice and warming smoky flavors.
Availability
Approximately 1,900 bottles of Broken Barrel Honey Smoke Reserva are now available online at BrokenBarrelWhiskey.com and Seelbachs.com, and in select retail stores in: CA, IN, KY, MN, OK, and SC. The expression features a mash bill of 99% corn and 1% malted barley and an Oak Bill (the combination of staves from different types of barrels used in each expression) of 50% Honey barrel staves and 50% Texas Sotol barrel staves. The limited-release expression has a suggested retail price of $79.
Finishing is Everything
Broken Barrel has become known for producing whiskeys (in partnership with Green River Distilling in Owensboro, Kentucky), which showcase the impact a non-traditional barrel finishing practice has on flavor. While most whiskey is aged in barrels and then bottled, Benhaim believed that there was a missed opportunity in traditional barrel finishing – namely the reliance on one type of barrel used to finish one type of whiskey. He created Broken Barrel to expand the barrel finishing concept, involving not only broken barrel staves (vs. intact barrels), but also the combination of multiple barrel types all finishing aged bourbon in tandem. Once Broken Barrel whiskey ages for a minimum of two years, barrels are carefully selected, dumped, and batched in a large tank. The broken barrel staves from multiple different kinds of casks are then added to further age and finish the whiskey.
Broken Barrel boasts an award-winning core whiskey portfolio including Americana (whiskey), Heresy (rye), Small Batch (bourbon), and Cask Strength (bourbon), the latter of which was named Best Kentucky Finished Bourbon at the 2023 World Whisky Awards. Additionally, in the spirit of experimentation, Broken Barrel regularly issues special releases which allows the team to further flex its creative muscles and incorporate barrel staves from various combinations of unique casks sourced from all over the world. To date, Benhaim has purchased whiskey barrels from over a dozen countries and has released nearly 30 unique whiskeys with varying Oak Bills. Past limited releases have incorporated various types of barrel staves including Barbadian Rum, French Oak, Cognac, Armagnac, Islay, Maple, Mizunara, and Amontillado.
Whiskey enthusiasts can follow Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. on Facebook and Instagram.
About Broken Barrel Whiskey Co.
Founded in 2017, Broken Barrel Whiskey is a portfolio of premium whiskeys sourced from Green River Distilling in Owensboro, Kentucky. The core expressions feature exclusively Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey, which are further aged and finished using various types and combinations of barrel staves. For more information, please visit www.brokenbarrelwhiskey.com
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