News Briefs for September 19, 2023

•The House of Suntory has announced two centennial celebration bottles of Hibiki Japanese blended whisky to mark its 100th Anniversary: a centennial release of Hibiki 21-Year-Old and a limited-edition bottle design of Hibiki Japanese Harmony. Hibiki 21-Year-Old is bottled at 43% abv, and is available globally in select markets retailing at $5,000 a 700-ml. bottle. Hibiki Japanese Harmony is also bottled at 43% abv and is rolling out globally, retailing at $200 a 750-ml. The Hibiki releases follow a pair of Centennial Limited Edition Yamazaki 18-Year-Old and Hakushu 18-Year-Old whiskies, in addition to commemorative packaging for Suntory’s Yamazaki 12-Year-Old and Hakushu 12-Year-Old, both released in May.

•Diageo has announced Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami, the latest high-end limited release from the blended Scotch leader. The newcomer, bottled at 40% abv, is blended to highlight umami-forward whiskies among Johnnie Walker’s aging stocks, with the company noting that only 1-in-25,000 barrels matched the criteria established by master blender Emma Walker and her collaborator, Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi. The whisky carries a suggested price of $400 and is now available at Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh, Scotland ahead of the whisky’s global release on October 16. Last year, Johnnie Walker was at 2 million cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.

•Vineyard Brands has added France’s Hecht & Bannier to its import portfolio. Founded by Gregory Hecht and François Bannier, the winery is known for organic wines, with its offerings including H&B Provence A.O.C Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Hecht & Bannier Bandol A.O.C Rosé, Hecht & Bannier Bandol A.O.C Rouge, and Hecht & Bannier Piquepoul Blanc Chardonnay Blend. It joins a French portfolio at Vineyard Brands that includes over 25 growers of estate-bottled wines in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chablis, the Rhône, the Loire Valley, Alsace, and Southern France.

•Conecuh Brands has acquired the exclusive sales and marketing rights to the Van Gogh vodka portfolio, starting October 1. The new deal brings Van Gogh and its line of 15 flavored vodkas—plus an unflavored expression—into the Conecuh portfolio alongside Clyde May’s whiskey, Prospero Tequila, and McConnell’s Irish whiskey. The move marks Conecuh’s first expansion into the vodka market.

Tagged : Conecuh Brands, Diageo, Hecht & Bannier, Hibiki, House of Suntory, Johnnie Walker, Van Gogh, Vineyard Brands

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