News Briefs for September 20, 2023

•Glenglassaugh single malt Scotch whisky, part of the Brown-Forman portfolio, has relaunched its core range with three new coastal single malt whiskies—12 Year Old, Portsoy, and Sandend—along with a new bottle design for the full portfolio. Glenglassaugh 12 Years Old is matured in three different casks—Bourbon, Sherry, and Red Wine. It carries an abv of 45% and retails at $65 a bottle. Sandend is matured in Bourbon, Sherry, and Manzanilla casks and is bottled at 50.5% abv, with an SRP of $70. And Portsoy is matured in Sherry, Bourbon, and Port casks, retailing at $75 and bottled at 49.1% abv.

•Beam Suntory’s Basil Hayden has launched Malted Rye, the latest permanent expression in the brand’s portfolio. The whiskey, distilled in Clermont, Kentucky, is bottled at 40% abv and carries a suggested price of $60 a bottle. According to the company, the use of malted rye creates a softer, more approachable whiskey. Basil Hayden Malted Rye is now available across the U.S. Last year, Basil Hayden reached 530,000 cases in the U.S., up 11.5%, according to Impact Databank.

•Winebow Imports has appointed Brad Mayer as senior vice president, marketing. Mayer will lead the company’s marketing and global brands division (MGB), reporting to Ian Downey, executive vice president, Winebow Imports. Mayer previously spent nine years at Winebow, driving marketing strategy development for brands such as Catena Zapata, Clean Slate, and Root:1, as well as launching High Note Malbec. Since 2015, he’s held marketing leadership positions at Precept Wine and Union Wine Company.

•Blackened Whiskey has partnered with Pernod Ricard’s Rabbit Hole Distillery for Blackened’s 2023 “Masters of Whiskey” release. The whiskey, created by Blackened master distiller Rob Dietrich and Rabbit Hole founder Kaveh Zamanian, blends 13-year-old Tennessee Bourbon with Rabbit Hole’s Heigold High Rye Double Malt Bourbon before finishing in Calvados barrels. Bottled at 53.295% abv, Blackened x Rabbit Hole Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Distilled in Tennessee & Kentucky Finished in Calvados Casks is now available in limited quantities across the U.S. for a suggested price of $149 a bottle.

•Molson Coors has released Peace Hard Tea in the southeast U.S., the latest collaboration between Molson Coors and the Coca-Cola Company. The line is launching with three flavors—Freedom of Peach, Really Really Razzy, and More Peace More Lemon—all at 5% abv. The trio are now available in convenience stores in 24-ounce cans throughout the region with further expansion to come in the future.

Tagged : Basil Hayden, Beam Suntory, Blackened, Brown-Forman, Glenglassaugh, Molson Coors, Peace Hard Tea, Pernod Ricard, Rabbit Hole, Winebow

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