Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/172332
whiskey. The 91-proof offering is said ent price points and product attributes. to have been created when a distillery Broadcast and digital and sponsorships crew member mistakenly combined the are growing, especially in bass fishing two liquids, 78% six-year-old bourbon and now bull riding, with more social and 22% four -year-old rye, currently media activity and the tag line rolling out in limited release. "Seriously good bourbon." Even Flush with success, most distillers though Evan Williams is second are preparing a steady stream of new largest selling bourbon in the country, expressions; Buffalo Trace just offered it's considered something people treat Stagg Jr. Bourbon, an uncut and unfilas an insider's bourbon, and we're lettered whiskey building on the limited ting people in on the secret." release George T. Stagg. Heaven Hill is spending more The first batch of Stagg Jr. is comthan $25 million this year to expand prised of barrels aged for eight and facilities and build a downtown nine years, bottled at 67.2% ABV. Like Louisville visitor's center. And they're Heaven Hill Distilleries has George T. Stagg, Stagg Jr. will be limworking on the image of another followed up on the success brand with new packaging for Henry of the ultra-premium sold-out ited, but several batches each year are planned. McKenna Bourbon and Henry Elijah Craig 20-Year-Old "Stagg Jr. is one we're pretty proud McKenna Bottled-In-Bond Single Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey about because it's an extension of the Barrel Bourbon. The bottles have with a new 21-Year-Old. Stagg antique collection. It's a very been given a "bolder and more mod- The company also debuted similar story to the Sazerac brand – we ern" look, with labels in a deep brown Cinerator, a 91.1 proof, keep getting great feed back and it color and subtle leather-like patterns cinnamon flavored whiskey. wins awards but we hate to see it put behind them, as well as cream and tan accents and type. The brand logo itself has been updat- into a cocktail. Stag Jr. is the same bourbon but a little bit younger, uncut, unfiltered, barrel strength, full flaed with a more contemporary typeface and graphics. vored and full bodied." Brown-Forman recently added its superBuffalo Trace continues the experiments that typify premium Woodford Reserve Double Barrel the new atmosphere in Kentucky – recently issuing the Bourbon tp its successful retail "by the barrel" program. tenth release in the Single Oak Project, this batch focusing on different proofs when the new made spirit enters And at the ultra-premium tier, they've barrels. Most significant perhaps is Buffalo Trace released a new limited edition Elijah Distillery is Warehouse X, the first new building at the Craig 21-Year-Old Single Barrel distillery in more than 60 years! The structure will have Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey to a capacity of only about 150 barrels, but will have four selected markets across the country on a independently operating chambers that will allow specifone-time basis. The new bottling fol- ic variables to be tested to determine their effect on aging lows up on the success of the sold-out barrels. The first four variables Buffalo Trace plans to experiment with are natural Elijah Craig 20-Year-Old Single Barrel. Among the newer whiskey brands issu- light, temperature, airflow, and humidity. It's that sort of brain storming that ing from the major distillers, Larceny made quite a splash two years ago. A wheated bourbon built on the has helped drive the straight whiskey Old Fitzgerald style, the brand, which launched in only growth pattern. As Floor of Wild Turkey about a dozen markets, sold so well that the company says, "The sky is literally the limit for won't be able to expand distribution for a couple of American Whiskies…I think the bourbon years, say Kass. "There's a big group at the top end of renaissance is still in its early stages and as the consumer tier who whop understand enough about consumer understanding of and appreciabourbon, how it's made and the differences between tion for the diverse world of American them to recognize a wheated bourbon. It's a leverageable Whiskey grows, so will the category." I marketing point now." Buffalo Trace just offered Stagg Jr. Also leveragebale are more experimental expressions Bourbon, an uncut and unfiltered – Wild Turkey has just released Forgiven, a limited edi- whiskey building on the limited release tion blend of small batch bourbon and high-proof rye George T. Stagg. Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • September/October 2013 • 29