News Briefs for October 19, 2012
October 19, 2012•William Grant & Sons has debuted its latest Balvenie whisky in the Tun 1401 range, The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 6. The new offering (49.8% abv) is exclusive to the U.S. and will be available in most states nationwide beginning this month for a suggested retail price of $250. It has been matured in nine different casks—seven traditional whisky casks and two sherry butts—and finished in the Tun 1401 traditional oak marrying vessel. Billed as a blend of single malt whisky, barley sugar and vanilla, Batch 6 is sweet with hints of citrus and spices, according to the company. The limited edition Batch 6 is the second to be released exclusively to the U.S. market, following the release of Tun 1401 Batch 3.
•Beam Inc. is introducing a new blend for its Courvoisier VSOP to global markets. The new Courvoisier VSOP is a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne and Fins Bois grapes, a recipe created to increase opportunities for consumption. It will be featured in the same bottle as previously, but under a new name—Courvoisier VSOP Fine Cognac. It will be introduced to key global markets like the U.K. and Russia next month and will roll out internationally in 2013. Courvoisier struggled throughout the economic downturn, losing volume in the U.S. from 2007 to 2010. Last year, however, the brand staged a turnaround, rising nearly 10% to approximately 420,000 cases, according to Impact Databank.
•Beam Inc. is aiming to capitalize on growing global interest in the Irish whiskey category by touting its Kilbeggan Distillery as a top Irish whiskey tourism destination. Visitor numbers at Kilbeggan are up 40% so far in 2012, against Beam’s earlier projection of a 25% increase for this year. Beam has been investing in what it calls the Kilbeggan Distillery Experience, including restoring the distillery’s ancient waterwheel and plans to revamp its tasting bar and gift shop areas. A new website and digital marketing campaign are also being developed to help drive tourism and interest around Kilbeggan, for which Beam says it has increased marketing spend fivefold since acquiring parent company Cooley Distillery late last year.
•This year’s significantly smaller grape harvests are expected to contribute to a worldwide wine shortage equivalent to 1.3 billion bottles—or around 10 million hectoliters—in 2013, reports Bloomberg. The projected shortfall is blamed primarily on unfavorable weather conditions throughout the European Union, where wine output is predicted to drop from 160.5 million hectoliters in 2011 to 144.4 million hectoliters this year. This year’s Chilean and Argentine crops, which were characterized as “average,” will likely be unable to offset Europe’s shortage. Last year, global wine output fell to 265 million hectoliters, compared to 280 million in 2000, while global consumption rose to 244.3 million hectoliters, compared to 225.7 million.
•Sazerac’s Buffalo Trace Distillery is set to release Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey. The limited availability 100-proof Bourbon whiskey will be released in November at $39.99 per 750-ml. bottle. It’s the sixth under the E. H. Taylor, Jr. range of whiskies, following Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon, Barrel Proof Bourbon and Straight Rye Whiskey. The series was launched in early 2011 to honor former distillery owner E. H. Taylor, Jr.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.
Tagged : Beam Inc, Courvoisier, Sazerac, William Grant & Sons
