StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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StateWays n www.stateways.com n March/April 2015 38 LATEST FROM THE LOWLANDS AND ISLANDS New from the Scottish Lowlands is Auchentoshan Amer- ican Oak Single Malt Whisky, the brand's fi rst expression matured exclusively in fi rst fi ll ex-Bourbon casks. The North American oak barrels used for oak maturation are fi rst sea- soned with Bourbon whiskey, which serves to remove the harsher bitter oak tannins and break down the oak to re- lease even more vanilla, coconut and silky maturation oils. "Auchentoshan prides itself on its unique tradition of triple distilling every single drop," notes Claire Richards, director of world whisky and Cognac at Beam Suntory. "This means that the spirit produced reaches 81.5% alcohol by volume, signifi cantly higher than most single malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. The lightness of the liquid enables it to more readily absorb every characteristic it is exposed to in the cask." Highland Park on the island of Orkney is the north- ernmost distillery in the world. Joining its esteemed range of single malts in 2014 was Highland Park Dark Origins. The new release was inspired by Highland Park's founder, Magnus Eunson, and is a permanent addition to Highland Park's core range. It's also the fi rst no-age statement expres- sion in the lineup. Dark Origins stands alone from the core range in that it uses twice as many fi rst fi ll Sherry casks as the classic High- land Park 12 year old. Notes Steph Ridgway, brand manager for Highland Park Whisky, "The result is a naturally darker malt with a richer, sherry/spice fl avor, and the signature sweet smoke that fans of our whisky have come to know and love. Dark Origins also has an ABV of 46.8%, the highest of any whisky in our core range and another bold facet of the liquid's personality." Last year Islay native Bruichladdich re-launched its fl agship single malt, The Classic Laddie. The unpeated whisky is made from 100% Scottish malt and matured by the shores of Loch Indaal in premium American white oak casks. It carries no age statement and is bottled at 50% ABV. Judd Zusel of Rémy Cointreau USA says that at 100 proof, the whisky retains more fl avors from distillation. "Being less diluted its viscosity is richer, the mouthfeel is more complex, and the fi nish showcases more barley notes, which are often dominated by oak at this age," NEW BLEND INTRODUCTIONS In the past two years, Johnnie Walker has launched two new whiskies in the U.S—18-Year-Old Johnnie Walker Plat- inum Label and Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, which bears no age statement. The venerable brand contends that foregoing an age statement on the Gold Label affords the master blender more creative latitude to combine fl avors from different ages and different casks. "We aspire to always innovate and push the boundaries to craft a high quality product and ensuring integrity above all else," Cox says. "Platinum Label is likely the most pre- cisely crafted blended Scotch whisky that Johnnie Walker has ever created. It delivers the depth and complexity ex- pected from a full-fl avored Johnnie Walker blend. Then we have Gold Label Reserve, which carries no age statement. It is a fl avor-driven whisky that celebrates the art of blending." Category leader Dewar's recently released the limited edition Dewar's 15-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky, one of only a few 15-year old blends in the U.S. Created by mas- NO AGE STATEMENTS HERE TO STAY R enowned malts like Auchentoshan Valinch, The Glenlivet Nàdurra and Bruichalddich's The Classic Laddie are at the forefront of a growing movement of Scotch brands going to market with "no age statement" (NAS) on their labels. The practice of stating the age of a whisky dates back to the turn of the last century and was intended to provide consumers with a means of distinguishing between various malts. However, how much time a whisky spends in wood is often an inaccurate gauge of quality. By law, Scottish whiskies carrying an age statement must estab- lish their age according to the youngest malt used in the blend. The legal proviso often imposes creative constraints on blenders who, for example, may want to add a small portion of a young malt to add lively, fruity notes to the blend. However, by doing so, it will dramati- cally lower the stated age of the fi nished whisky. "Non-aged declared single malt whiskies afford our master blenders with the freedom to combine fl avors from different ages and different casks. This adds a whole new dimension to the process of creating innovative single malts and blends," contends Brian Cox, director of Scotch whisky for Diageo North America. "It has been possible for us to explore this path as consumers are increasingly able to discern how important fl avor is when appreciating a great malt, whether or not an expression carries an age statement." Two of the Bruichladdich malts—The Classic Laddie and Port Charlotte Scottish Barley—have no age statements. Judd Zusel, vice president of marketing & innovation for Rémy Cointreau USA, believes that allowed Master Distiller Jim McEwan to deliver a consistent sig- nature fl avor profi le by using all the casks in the warehouse, instead of limiting him to a specifi c cask range based on age statements. "We believe Bruichladdich's uniqueness comes more from the ingredients used and its unique terroir than simply a number signifying an age statement," Zusel says. "Age is just a number, it doesn't neces- sary mean that the product is better because it is older." According to Raul Gonzalez, brand director for The Macallan and Highland Park, a growing number of producers are placing more em- phasis on factors like maturation techniques, desired color and fl avor profi le than actual time spent in wood. "With no statement whiskies, we're taking things a step forward and saying this isn't about the age, it's about what the consumer wants and the skills of the whisky maker," he says. "These whiskies give us a chance to showcase an- other side of the brand's character and let the liquid do the talking." "I wouldn't necessarily say age statements limit creativity, but I would say that non-age statement whiskies allow for greater creativity," says Amy Schwartz, brand activation manager for Distell USA. "I think foregoing an age statement affords master distillers a greater oppor- tunity to show what their whiskies can really do. There will always be the skeptics who'll think age equates to quality, but those aren't the consumers who suppliers should be targeting anyway. Non-age statements are an exciting development. They're like the rebels of the whisky world!"