Limited edition Chivas Regal 18 Year Old by Christian Lacroix to debut in November

Chivas Brothers have collaborated with fashion designer Christian Lacroix once again for a luxury limited-edition version of their super-premium Scotch whisky Chivas Regal 18yo. The limited edition offering was 18 months in the making and is now finally ready for debut. The limited edition Chivas Regal 18 Year Old by Christian Lacroix features the signature Chivas label on the bottle which has been beautifully embroidered in jacquard. The bottle is itself a piece of art itself boasting of a “metallic” design that echoes of Lacroix’s previous work for the famed liquor brand. The beautiful bottle that houses the 18yo resides in an exquisite brocade presentation box which is made in French Jacquard and boasts of a mirrored interior.
Only 3,000 bottles of the Lacroix 18yo will be available, with around one-third allocated to the duty free market at a retail price of $495. The limited edition offering from Chivas Regal is all set for a November debut at Aelia’s stores in terminals 2C and 2E of Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport. After its Paris debut, the limited edition offering will be launched at various World Duty Free’s stores at key airports across the globe.

India's Amrut Readying Ultra-Premium Rum

Indian distiller Amrut, which caused a sensation in the West last year after having its single-malt whisky rated #3 in the world by The Whisky Bible, has its eye on extending its new-found brand cachet into premium or ultra-premium priced rum.

Amrut makes most of its revenue, in fact, from selling rum and brandy inside India--Old Port Rum and Silver Cup Brandy. The company's chairman says Amrut blenders have been working on a luxury-priced rum that would be a blend of Caribbean and Indian rums. No release date is set yet.

Amrut's whiskey for which it has become so well-known in the last year or so, is created from using Scottish malted barley and grain from Punjab. The whiskey is distilled and aged in India where climate requires that it only be aged 3.5-4 years, which is the same age as young Bourbon coming from U.S. places such as Kentucky and Tennessee.

Amrut's whiskies, however, taste much older. Amrut Fusion, for example, could be mistaken for whisky aged 18-25 years. In the Bangalore climate, Amrut sees about 10% loss a year from evaporation (the angel's share). More recently, the company has released two additional whisky expressions: Amrut Intermediate Sherry Single-Malt ($134.99) and Kadhambam single-malt, which is a limited edition distributed in Europe only so far.

Amrut expects to sell about 7,000 cases of its whiskey outside of India in the current fiscal year, but the distillery expects to double that output within two to three years.

Globally, single malts – whisky from a single distillery – constitute a small percentage of total whiskey sales which is dominated by blended whiskey. In India, retail sales of the niche whiskey category would be less than 5,000 cases dominated by brands such as Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet.

Mt. Vernon Adds Peach Brandy To Rye. Sells Rye for $25K at Auction

George Washington was not only the first President, "Father of our Country" and hero of the American Revolution, he was also a passionate distiller of rye whiskey and brandy.

At a reconstructed distillery [pictured] at Washington's estate, Mt. Vernon, now a National Park Service museum in Northern Va., there has been an effort to recreate both the rye and peach brandy that Washington made, sold, consumed, served and gifted to common folk as well as luminaries of his day.

Last summer, Mt. Vernon sold a limited edition of 470 bottles of the recreated rye whiskey. The bottles sold out in two hours at $85 each. And earlier this month, bottles #1 and #2 sold as a pair at auction for $25,000 to, ironically, an anonymous U.K. buyer.

But this month saw industry craftsman and leaders gather at Mt. Vernon to see if they could recreate a peach brandy that was as close to Washington's own recipe as they think possible. There is no written recipe for Washington's brandy, but the hope is that by distilling it in a still that is a close replica of the first President's and from juice from the local peaches Washington would have used, the "spirit" of the brandy will be close to what it was 240 years ago.
The crew at Mt. Vernon used the same process that would have been used in Washington's day: keeping fires going to heat the liquid and transferring it by buckets instead of modern pumps. They began with 300 gallons of peach juice on Tuesday Oct. 5 and finished the next day with about 60 gallons of peach brandy that they will age in oak barrels. Selling the relatively small amount of brandy is still uncertain, but some of it will likely hit the auction block to benefit the museum.

The year Washington died, in 1799, his estate produced some 11,000 gallons of Rye. The plantation account book also shows that, earlier the same year, he had 60 gallons of peach brandy and 67 gallons of apple brandy sent to his main house from the distillery.

Ballantine's Christmas Reserve

Hunting a gift for a whisky lover never presents the challenge it does for any other recipient, and the holiday season makes for a great time to bring your friends and family a bottle of the good stuff. Ballantine's, however, is taking it a step further with its new Christmas Reserve.

The special blend packs yuletide aromas such as sweet wood, dried fruit and cinnamon, and comes in a special bottle and white box with a snowflake motif. Ballantine's Christmas Reserve hits European markets this month, and is slated to become a seasonal offering for years to come.

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection - Maple Wood Finish

Woodford Reserve has announced the release of Maple Wood Finish, the latest entry in its exclusive Masters Collection put together by Master Distiller Chris Morris. The new expression (as previewed on Luxist) is one of the most unique Master's Collection offerings to date as it is the industry's first bourbon to be finish aged in barrels made from sugar maple wood.

Though it was thought that whiskey barrels could not be crafted from sugar maple wood, the Brown-Forman Cooperage accomplished the feat, creating a toasted instead of charred barrel. The result is a smooth, elegant whiskey enhanced with hints of maple, honey and cinnamon.

Maple Wood Finish is the fifth in the Woodford Reserve Master's Collection series following the Four Grain, Sonoma-Cutrer Finish, Sweet Mash and Seasoned Oak offerings. Released periodically at the master distiller's discretion, the Master's Collection whiskeys are extremely limited in quantity and bottled only once in a proprietary package inspired by the copper pot stills of The Woodford Reserve Distillery.

The inspiration for the Master's Collection is rooted in the distillery's rich history and tradition. In the mid-1800s distillery owner Oscar Pepper and Master Distiller James Crow studied and recommended use of key processes like sour mashing and charred barrel maturation at Kentucky's historic Woodford County distillery.

These practices are still maintained in the bourbon industry and, today, the distillery receives more than 100,000 visitors annually and is the only one in America to triple-distill bourbon in copper pot stills. The Maple Wood Finish will go on sale throughout the United States on Nov. 1 in limited quantities with a suggested retail price of $89.99.

Highland Park Announces the World's Oldest Island Single Malt

Just what we needed: another reason to love Highland Park, and another way to spend our children's college funds on the much-lauded Orcadian single malt. This time Scotland's most northerly distillery has released what is being billed as the oldest island single malt ever produced. And at 50 years old, we have no reason to doubt it.

Distilled in 1960, Highland Park 50 is vatted from five refill oak casks and bottled at 44.8% ABV. The result is a rich mahogany color, with a tobacco nose and a rich and spicy flavor. The distillery contracted Scottish jeweler Maeve Gillies to design the bottle, which features an Orkney sandstone amulet set into the intricate sterling silver laid out in a design evocative of the famous rose window of the St Magnus Cathedral.

Sadly only 275 bottles will be produced, available initially exclusively at Harrods department store in London, after which it will be offered through other retailers. But don't go looking for a bottle at your local retailer, as the £10,000 MSRP is sure to keep out the riff-raff.

The New Black Grouse Whisky from Famous Grouse

Just in time for the fall season, The Famous Grouse is coming out with a great new blended Scotch whisky with plenty of peat smoke in it, a welcome antidote to those weedy, watery blends we're usually beset with.

Deriving its name from the rare bird, Black Grouse is meant to be "the darker side of The Famous Grouse," the well-loved whisky that holds a Royal Warrant from the Queen of England.

The new bottling is a blend of Famous Grouse, which contains Macallan and Highland Park, married with some peaty, smoky Islay malts in oak casks, making for a rich, smooth spirit with plenty of character.

To celebrate the launch, Tinika Green and Andrew Duncan of New York's gourmet barbecue joint Blue Smoke have created a special cocktail dubbed the Black and Blue, which has been added to the eatery's drink menu for the season.

"The Black Grouse's flavor profile pairs well with the hints of sweetness in different barbecue rubs and sauces," notes Jason Krantz, Blue Smoke's Chef de Cuisine. "As we head into the fall, the smoky flavor combination of The Black Grouse and succulent barbecue will really warm the soul."

Check out the drink recipe and image after the jump, but be sure to try the whisky, which is priced at $28.99 for a 750ml bottle, with just a little ice or water as well for the full effect.

The Black and Blue - courtesy Blue Smoke, NYC

2 oz. The Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky
½ oz. calvados (apple brandy)
½ oz. amaretto
¼ oz. hazelnut liqueur

Combine all ingredients with ice and stir. Rinse cocktail glass with hazelnut liqueur. Strain cocktail into rinsed cocktail glass and garnish with orange twist.

Knob Creek Warms Up for the Holidays

Knob Creek, the super premium small batch bourbon that's aged for nine years in charred American white oak barrels and bottled at a robust 100 proof, is gearing up for the cooler weather with some recipes for giving both food and drink a Kentucky-style kick in the pants this holiday season. Knob Creek, with its smooth, sweet and rich flavor and signature maple sugar aroma, makes a great accompaniment to many festivities on its own but also works well as an ingredient in everything from hors d'oeuvres to Thanksgiving turkey. Read on for some key recipes:

Knob Creek Bourbon Egg Nog

½ cup Knob Creek Bourbon
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
2 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Beat egg yolks and sugar in medium saucepan. Slowly beat in 2 cups of milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring
frequently, until thermometer registers 150°F or mixture coats the back of the metal spoon. Remove from heat.
Strain into pitcher. Stir in remaining milk, Knob Creek Bourbon, vanilla and nutmeg. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
Sprinkle with additional nutmeg.
Makes 6-8 servings.

Knob Creek Holiday Punch

3 parts Knob Creek Bourbon
3 parts cranberry juice
4 parts lemon-lime soda
1 part fresh lemon or lime juice
dash bitters
6 parts champagne
ice block
orange and lemon slices

Pre-chill ingredients. Pour into a punch bowl over a large piece of ice, adding champagne last.
Decorate with slices of lemon and orange. [continued]

Knob Creek Bourbon Egg Nog

½ cup Knob Creek Bourbon
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
2 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Beat egg yolks and sugar in medium saucepan. Slowly beat in 2 cups of milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring
frequently, until thermometer registers 150°F or mixture coats the back of the metal spoon. Remove from heat.
Strain into pitcher. Stir in remaining milk, Knob Creek Bourbon, vanilla and nutmeg. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
Sprinkle with additional nutmeg.
Makes 6-8 servings.

Knob Creek Holiday Punch

3 parts Knob Creek Bourbon
3 parts cranberry juice
4 parts lemon-lime soda
1 part fresh lemon or lime juice
dash bitters
6 parts champagne
ice block
orange and lemon slices

Pre-chill ingredients. Pour into a punch bowl over a large piece of ice, adding champagne last.
Decorate with slices of lemon and orange.

Knob Creek Cocktail Sausage

2 ½ ounces Knob Creek Bourbon
3 pounds cocktail sausages
2 pounds sliced bacon
2 ½ pounds brown sugar
Toothpicks
Wrap cocktail sausages with a small piece of bacon and skewer with a toothpick. Place them in a slow cooker and
cover with brown sugar. Cook on low setting for four hours until sugar melts. Add bourbon and continue to simmer
for one or two more hours.
Serve warm from the slow cooker or from a casserole dish on a warming tray.

Knob Creek Bourbon Brine

1 ½ cups Knob Creek Bourbon
14 ounces salt
2 pounds brown sugar
1 gallon ice water
¼ cup cloves
¼ cup black peppercorns
Mix together brine ingredients and marinate turkey or chicken overnight in a covered container.
Marinate in the refrigerator.