News Briefs for April 12, 2024
April 12, 2024•Lux Row Distillers has announced Ezra Brooks 99 Port Cask Finish. The new whiskey carries a suggested price of $35 a 750-ml. and will arrive on the market later this month. After the whiskey’s initial maturation, the Bourbon is finished for six months in Port casks before being bottled at 49.5% abv. Ezra Brooks 99 Port Cask Finish sits alongside the flagship 99 Bourbon, 99 Rye, and the brand’s 7-year-old Bourbon and rye. Lux Row Distillers is the branded arm of MGP Ingredients.
•Diageo has brought back Bulleit 12-Year-Old Straight Rye whiskey for the first time since 2019. The 46% abv whiskey is made from Bulleit’s normal mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley and blends barrels aged from 12- to 17-years-old. The whiskey is now available across the U.S. (except for Maine) for a suggested price of $55 a 750-ml. featuring a new all-green label. Last year, Bulleit (both Bourbon and rye) was up 4.5% to 1.8 million cases in the U.S., according to an estimate from Impact Databank.
•California’s 3 Badge Beverage Corporation has added a new expression to Kirk & Sweeney Dominican rum, Burning Mast. The 40% abv rum is first aged in a combination of American and French oak before it’s infused with hot peppers. The new rum is named for the St. Elmo’s Fire phenomenon, which causes ships’ masts to look like they’re on fire during thunderstorms. Burning Mast is rolling out now across the U.S. for a suggested price of $49 a 750-ml.
•Scheid Family Wines vice president of winemaking Dave Nagengast is retiring after 20 years with the Monterey-based wine company. Vincent Catalaa, who has been with Scheid for 17 years, has been promoted to director of winemaking and will lead the winemaking team going forward. Scheid Family noted that its volume grew from 2,500 cases to 900,000 cases in 10 years during Nagengast’s tenure. In addition to its Scheid Vineyards brand, the lineup includes better-for-you label Sunny with a Chance of Flowers, VDR (Very Dark Red), organic offering Grandeur, Fog & Light, Metz Road, District 7, Ryder Estate, and wine spritzer Hoxie.
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