News Briefs for May 8, 2024

•Scotland’s smoky Islay single malt producer Lagavulin, part of the Diageo portfolio, has unveiled its latest Offerman Edition, made in collaboration with comic actor and writer Nick Offerman.This one, the fourth in the series, is finished in Caribbean rum casks, and Offerman says it was inspired by his “sense of adventure” and a whimsical sail in the Caribbean. Lagavulin Offerman Edition: Caribbean Rum Cask Finish is aged over 11 years in Bourbon and Sherry casks and then given an eight-month finish in rum casks, all curated by blending master Stuart Morrison. It’s priced at $90 and is available nationwide in limited quantities. Whisky Advocate has more.

•Fallon, Nevada’s Frey Ranch Distillery has entered a national distribution agreement with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, expanding on the companies’ existing partnership that started with Nevada in 2019. Frey Ranch’s spirits are currently available in California, Texas, Ohio, Oregon, and Nevada, and, with the help of Southern Glazer’s, the company will enter Florida and Indiana this year.

•Infinium Spirits has launched Templeton Midnight Rye, the latest release in the Iowa whiskey brand’s portfolio. To make Midnight Rye, Templeton takes sourced rye whiskey made from a mash of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, and blends in a portion of Port wine, before bottling at 45% abv. The spirit is now available across the U.S. for a suggested price of $40 a 750-ml. This new rye follows Fortitude, Templeton’s first foray into Bourbon whiskey. Templeton is at roughly 50,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.

•Milestone Brands’ Empress 1908 gin has released a new brand extension, a gin made with cucumber and lemon. The 42.5% abv gin is made with eight botanicals including juniper berries, lemon, jasmine, star anise, cucumber, and lemon zest, among others. The new release carries a suggested price of $40 and is now available across the U.S. Milestone projects that the Empress portfolio will top 250,000 cases in North America in 2024. Last year, U.S. volume rose 45% to 133,000 cases, according to Impact Databank.

•In a matter of minutes on the evening of May 1, the 2024 vintage for Chablis was rewritten. A violent storm unleashed pelting hail on vineyards across the northern Burgundy appellation, known for its distinctive white wines made from Chardonnay. Vintners will not know how the vines will recover for several weeks, but the early damage reports are worrying. Wine Spectator has the full story.

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