WhiskyFest New York Draws Sold-Out Crowd To Taste The World’s Top Whiskies

The world’s most sought-after whiskies were poured at last night’s annual WhiskyFest New York, the tasting extravaganza held by Whisky Advocate magazine. More than 2,000 consumers and members of the trade attended the sold-out event at the Marriott Marquis, which featured a selection of more than 350 whiskies from around the world.

Labels from the world’s most prominent distillers—including Diageo, Pernod Ricard, William Grant & Sons, Brown-Forman, Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Edrington and a broad array of craft and boutique players—all were present at the show.

Diageo poured its top blended whiskies, led by Johnnie Walker, and a single malt Scotch range that included newly launched The Singleton as well as Lagavulin, Oban, Talisker and Dalwhinnie. At one of WhiskyFest’s numerous tasting seminars, Lagavulin program director Ewan Morgan and director of education Gregor Cattanach delved deep into the Lagavulin archives, pouring rare expressions from the distillery’s past. The packed event’s offerings included 12-year-old Lagavulin expressions from the 1970s and the 1980s; a 15-year-old Lagavulin from the 1980s; the brand’s 2013 Islay Festival bottling (aged 18 years in Oloroso Sherry casks) and the 25-year-old Lagavulin released this year in celebration of the distillery’s 200th anniversary.

Pernod Ricard was present with a full complement of Irish whiskies. While Jameson continues to achieve strong U.S. growth, Pernod is sharpening its focus on the high end—both with Jameson as well as the Redbreast, Green Spot, Yellow Spot, Powers and Midleton labels. Brown-Forman was on hand with its formidable portfolio of American whiskies, as well as new Scotch acquisition BenRiach, acquired in April for $416 million—and marking the company’s return to Scotch after an absence of a decade. William Grant & Sons, meanwhile, debuted its new The Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 3 at the event.

High West, one of the biggest names in craft spirits in recent years, was also pouring at WhiskyFest. Earlier this month, the Utah company was acquired by Constellation Brands for a sum SND estimates at $160 million.

Elsewhere, at their Highland Park seminar, Edrington USA was offering the new Highland Park Fire Edition ($300 a 750-ml.), which launches in the U.S. this month. The special bottling (2,800 bottles produced) is a companion label to the Highland Park Ice Edition, introduced earlier this year. And Rémy Cointreau USA revealed that it’s set to launch Bruichladdich The Three Tens, a special limited-edition series of three 10-year-old whiskies: Bruichladdich 10-year-old (The Laddie Ten), Port Charlotte 10-year-old and Octomore 10-year-old. Pricing has yet to be disclosed.

WhiskyFest also offered a window into the increasing presence of traditional wine marketers in the spirits category. Companies including Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Winebow, Palm Bay International and Terlato Distell Artisan Spirits all featured whiskies at the event.

Terlato Distell poured its Deanston 14-year-old Organic, launched on October 4th with an initial run of 1,200 cases for the U.S. market. The label will be a permanent part of the Deanston lineup, joining 12-year-old and Virgin Oak expressions. Terlato Distell also was offering Bunnahabhain 13-year-old Marsala Cask ($69.99), a limited-edition bottling for the U.S. market with only 100 nine-liter cases available.

News Briefs:

•Diageo has unveiled Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer, entering the fray in the fast-expanding hard seltzer category. Smirnoff’s new spiked seltzers, which are all 4.5% abv and 90 calories a 12-ounce can, come in Orange Mango, Cranberry Lime and Watermelon flavors, and are retail priced around $8.99 a six-pack. The new launch will compete against Boston Beer Co.’s Truly Spiked & Sparkling, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s SpikedSeltzer, Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw and Wachusett Brewing’s Nauti Seltzer. DM

•M.S. Walker is debuting three new limited-release Irish whiskies this fall under the West Cork Distillers brand. Newcomers include Sherry Cask, Rum Cask and Port Cask finished whiskies, all of which are 12 years old, 86 proof and retail at $66 a bottle. West Cork is launching 2,500 bottles of each new single malt in the U.S. The brand’s range also includes Bourbon Cask, 10-year-old Single Malt, Barrel Proof and Black Reserve.

•Mount Gay rum is introducing a limited-edition XO Cask Strength offering. Paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of independence for the island of Barbados, where the distillery is based, Mount Gay XO Cask Strength is a 63% abv rum retailing at $185 a bottle and packaged in a commemorative wooden box. The new entry is rolling out in the U.S., Barbados, the U.K., Belgium, France and Australia in a supply of 3,000 bottles. Mount Gay, which sells around 180,000 cases annually in the U.S., is part of the Rémy Cointreau portfolio.

Craft Brewing and Distilling News:

•Breakthru Beverage Group has completed its acquisition of Colorado craft beer distributor C.R. Goodman. Through the deal, originally announced September 20, Breakthru says it has become the leading craft beer distributor in the state, which is one of the epicenters of the craft movement. The wholesaler’s Colorado craft lineup now includes Left Hand, Upslope, Stone, Dogfish Head, Firestone Walker, Boulevard, Bristol, Victory, Funkwerks and Odd 13 among others.

•Boston Beer Co. has collaborated with Berkshire Mountain Distillers on a new launch, Two Lanterns American Whiskey. Retailing at $120 a bottle, Two Lanterns is named for the two lanterns in the Old North Church in Boston that signaled the arrival of the British during the Revolutionary War in 1775. The new entry was created by triple-distilling Sam Adams Boston Lager, and aging the resulting liquid in Bourbon barrels for four years. Two Lanterns is hitting select on- and off-premise accounts in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and Georgia.

•Stratford, Connecticut-based Two Roads Brewing is expanding with the addition of a $12 million brewery intended to boost its sour beer and barrel-aging programs. The 25,000-square-foot expansion sits on 2.5 acres of newly acquired land adjacent to Two Roads’ current facility. It will include a tasting room with capacity for 120 visitors, as well as a 50-barrel brewhouse and storage for 2,000 wood barrels, among other features. The move will allow the company to increase production of offerings such as Tropical Lambic Hexotic, Framboise Noir Black Raspberry Lambic, Urban Funk Wild Ale and Worker’s Stomp White Wine Barrel-Aged Saison. Two Roads plans to break ground on the second brewing facility in early 2017 and complete construction in about one year.

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