News Briefs for December 18, 2020

•Cask-Finished Bourbon from Barton 1792, Ragnarök Rye, and newcomers from Catoctin Creek and Boann are among the whiskies featured in Whisky Advocate’s latest weekly roundup. The magazine’s website has all the details.

•Compass Box has announced the February 2021 launch of Magic Cask, a new blended malt whisky. Bottled at 46% abv, Magic Cask’s creation was inspired by a particular cask of Sherry-matured Scotch, which was blended with whiskies from the shuttered Imperial Distillery. The 2021 iteration of Magic Cask is an extremely limited release, with only 1,800 bottles available across the U.S. at $175 a 750-ml.

•Nashville, Tennessee-based Brown Water Spirits is releasing O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Rye. It’s the second in the company’s River Aged Series and follows the October debut of O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Whiskey. Both expressions are aged in a floating rickhouse moored on the bank of the Mississippi River in Ballard County, Kentucky, creating constant motion during the aging process. River Aged Rye ($80) is at 49% abv and is currently available in Tennessee, with additional markets coming as inventory allows through R.S. Lipman and Vintage Point. Brown Water Spirits was founded in 2015.

•Drinks e-commerce marketplace Provi has rolled out two new offerings aimed at the distribution tier. Provi Storefronts give distributors their own dedicated space within the Provi marketplace, allowing them to feature new releases, seasonal selections, and announcements in a branded experience for their retailer customers, while retailers can browse and add products to their carts directly from the Storefront. Another component, Provi Sellsheets, allows distributor sales reps to create curated, click-to-order lists to showcase new and relevant products, and offers analytics about page views and purchase conversion, among other tools. Provi is active in 21 states and says it has tripled the number of retailers using its platform this year.

•Joe Glunz Jr. has been named CEO of Illinois-based importer and distributor Louis Glunz Wines. The 27-year company veteran was previously president and executive vice president of sales and marketing. Replacing Glunz as president is John Samaritano, who rejoins the company after most recently serving as regional manager of luxury wines at Constellation. Meanwhile, Stacy Dalton has replaced Chris Mack as general manager. She was previously a group vice president at Oracle.

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