Green Spot Irish Whiskey

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Wild Geese Irish Whiskey Wins Landmark Australian Trade Mark Action

DUBLIN, July 18, 2016 The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey has welcomed the unanimous decision of the Federal Court of Australia that will enable the independent global Irish whiskey brand to enter the Australian market. The victory marks the decision by five Australian Federal Court Judges to find in favour of an appeal by the Wild Geese Irish Whiskey concerning the non-use of trade marks by Wild Turkey.

The appeal relates to the last attempt by Pernod Ricard, then owners of Wild Turkey, to prevent the Wild Geese Irish Whiskey from market entry into the Irish Whiskey Category. Overall this activity comprised several geographies and over 50 actions over 14 years, following the refusal by The Wild Geese to comply with Pernod Ricard's demands that it be granted the right of veto where The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey could be sold in competition with Jameson

Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Irish Whiskey - Single Malt

This particular action, initiated by Pernod Ricard in 2002 and then taken up by Campari when Wild Turkey was sold, sought to secure the 'Wild Geese' trademark in Australia and thus prevent the Wild Geese Irish Whiskey from trading in an important Irish Whiskey market.

In an attempt to limit the reach of The Wild Geese Irilsh Whiskey, Wild Turkey took assignment of the 'Wild Geese' trademark from Wild Geese Wines in Australia in 2007. This latest action has subsequently found that while the 'Wild Geese' trademark had been used by Wild Turkey between 2007 and 2010 it was done so incorrectly.   

Such was the strength of the appeal that the five presiding judges unanimously found for The Wild Geese and awarded indemnity costs.

Commenting on the decision, Ándre Levy Co-Founder and Chairman, The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey stated: "This is an important day for us and the Irish Whiskey industry as a whole. The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey has been involved in a 14 year legal battle with Pernod Ricard involving over 50 separate actions around the world, all of which we have successfully defended. This includes theUSA where The Wild Geese is sold as The Wild Geese Soldiers & Heroes.

These actions sought to limit the market access of the Wild Geese Irish Whiskey and other smaller independent brands of which we are a representative. Despite the supposed renaissance of Irish Whiskey, the reality is that the industry is still dominated by large organisations such as Pernod Ricard¹.

We continue to fight for our right to contribute to the Irish Whiskey Category which we have been a part of since 1999. Therefore, to ensure our continued growth and success, we have been forced to buy Irish whiskey at a premium from third parties who have been able to access whiskey that we are unable to purchase directly from large producers.

Big company tactics are designed to remove competition. We epitomise the spirit of The Wild Geese; it's not just an abstract - something that big company may wish to reflect upon."

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JustMalt Features Toast Vodka With Coconut Water

At JustMalt we get to taste a lot of spirits and unique cocktails, and I’m always amazed at the creativity, thought and craftsmanship that go into their creation….bu just when we though we’d seen it all, along comes Toast Vodka With Coconut Water.

Created in Miami, FL by Dieuveny “DJ” Louis, Toast Vodka With Coconut Water attempts to focus on the craftsmanship of the distilling and the unique and carefully selected ingredients.  After a four year process DJ focused in on a corn-based recipe that is distilled 6-times before being blended with unsweetened coconut water.  Toast is non-GMO and gluten free and if you’re thinking this is simply “flavored” vodka, you’re thinking wrong.  The coconut water is unsweetened and natural so it retains all the benefits of coconut waterm while enhancing the flavor of the vodka.

We should first mention how great the packaging looks.  Toast Vodka With Coconut Water comes in a slender white bottle with simple black text.  Of course each bottle of Toast Vodka With Coconut Water comes with an actual toast on the nect and cap (see photo at right).

Because Toast Vodka With Coconut Water was designed to taste on it’s own, we decided to chill the bottle and try it out.  The coconut water was very subtle, perhaps more so because of the cold temperature, but it was still present, especially in the early flavors.  I really liked the flavor contributed by the coconut water and while I’m no vodka expert, I really thought the mouthfeel and flavors of the vodka felt and tasted better that others I’ve tried.  We also allowed one sample or Toast Vodka to come up to room temperature, and the coconut flavors were even more prominent and pleasant.  This really is a good sipping and really unique vodka.

We felt obligated to try Toast Vodka With Coconut Water in a cocktail, and while it was still very good, we felt the flavors and character of Toast Vodka With Coconut Water are so good that it stands better straight up and slightly chilled.  Use your other vodka for cocktails and save Toast Vodka With Coconut Water to sip and savor.

Toast Vodka was named the official vodka of The America’s Cup so it will be served at all Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series events in 2016 as well as the America’s Cup events in Bermuda in May & June of 2017.  For more details or to purchase Toast Vodka you can check out there website.

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Manhattan Moonshine - A First Sampling

I love sampling new Whiskey……so if you’ve never heard of Manhattan Moonshine, stay tuned…and if you’ve never tasted Manhattan Moonshine you’ll soon want to.

Manhattan Moonshine is a “Super-premium Prohibition-style Northern Moonshine” and if that’s not interesting enough, Manhattan Moonshine has been created to be the world’s “first luxury Un-Aged Whiskey.”  So if you’re thinking the same thing I was when I read “moonshine",” you’re in for a really pleasant surprise.

Right from the start, the art-deco style label and bottle harken back to the days of prohibition and really add to the experience of the prohibition era.  The bottle is beautiful….and don’t let the color fool you.  Because it is not barrel-aged, Manhattan Moonshine pours clear and elegant. 

This Prohibition-style Whiskey uses four noble grains from New York state in a recipe created by Will Kehler & Ian Smiley (author of Making Pure Corn Whiskey: A Professional Guide For Amateur And Micro Distillers)  so the style is a perfect fit.  Add in a unique yeast and over a year spent developing the grain bill and you literally have the recipe for Whiskey success.  Unlike other Moonshines on the market, Manhattan Moonshine does NOT use corn.  Instead they use Oats & Rye and a production method specifically developed to get consistent flavors from the grains.  You can find more details on the process here, but now I’m anxious to sample Manhattan Moonshine.

We always make it a practice to sample our spirits straight up first and then in a cocktail.  Manhattan Moonshine is flavorful and complex with lots of subtle earthy aromas that again belie the color.  If you’re expecting harsh, you will NOT find it.  Manhattan Moonshine does have the heat of 47.5% alcohol, but there is an underlying sweetness that I really liked.  Manhattan Moonshine is very complex and and very drinkable even straight up.

From there we decided to make the signature Manhattan Moonshine Bix Bismark Cocktail.  We had Aperol on hand so this cocktail was just calling out to us.  The balance of Manhattan Moonshine, cranberry and lime really worked nicely together and this is a cocktail I’m sure we’ll revisit.

If that’s not enough, Manhattan Moonshine has a page of signature cocktails for you to try, and I’m sure we’ll do the same.  Thank you to everyone at Manhattan Moonshine for the opportunity to try this Prohibition-style Whiskey.  You can purchase Manhattan Moonshine here and find more info here.

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Yellow Spot 12 Year

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Neversink Spirite - Bourbon Whiskey

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Jim Beam Black - 2016 Holiday Edition

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George Dickel 17-Year Tennessee Whiskey

Designed by David Cole Creative

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Justmalt.com Features Three Meadows Spirits - Peony Vodka

We always love sampling exciting new spirits on Justmalt.com, and today we have one I know you’ll want to try.

Coming to us from Dutchess County, New York, todays featured spirit was created by Three Meadows Spirits; and it’s called Peony Vodka.  This vodka is 5-times distilled and infused with an array of botanicals…and no it’s not a simple flavored vodka.  Three Meadows Spirits founder Leslie Farhangi spent a year experimenting before she settled in on the recipe for this vodka.  Peony Vodka uses Geranium, vanilla, Jasmine, white pepper, Gardenia, Peony and other botanicals, and I think you’ll find the combination really works.

First off I should mention how great the packaging looks.  The bottle is elegant and simple and the packaging really catches your eye.  The front of the bottle features a simple Peony flower, but what’s really cool is if you look through the vodka, the back of the main label features one of three artistic works from the Hudson Valley (see photo below).  The neck label features “words to live by” like “Go barefoot often” and “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”


As always we decided to try Peony Vodka chilled and straight up and we found the flavors to be unique and complex.  Peony Vodka is loaded with floral and herbal notes with an almost gin-like feeling and aroma (minus the Juniper berries).  There’s a soft slightly sweet vanilla essence with a dry peppery floral finish that we really liked as well.

We tried Peony Vodka on the rocks and we also really enjoyed how the complexity and floral flavors cut through the ice and made for another unique drinking experience.

For fun we tried one of the Peony Vodka signature cocktails; First  Down, Peony.  It was a little tricky to make with a dried chile, but worth the effort.  This cocktail has a nice balance of sweet honey, acidic lemon juice, spicy pepper and an effervescent punch from the pilsner beer we mixed in.  Believe it or not the herbal character of Peony Vodka does shine through and overall it’s a really nice combination.  Be sure to check out all of the Peony Vodka “Delightful Options” signature cocktails and let us know which one you like (we can’t wait to make a simple Bloody Mary.).

Whether you choose to drink it straight up, on the rocks or in a cocktail, you’ll find Peony Vodka a unique and interesting spirit.  The floral and botanical notes make it really unique, and the complexity of the vodka makes it really enjoyable to drink.  Peony Vodka is 70-proof (35%-AbV) and it is packaged in 750ml bottles.

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Short on Whiskey, Michter's Cancels Its September 2016 Toasted Barrel Bourbon Release and Announces Distillery Expansion

LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 28, 2016

   Forced to allocate all its whiskey offerings due to growing demand, Michter's Distillery will not be releasing its Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Bourbon during 2016. "The incredible popularity of our Toasted Barrel Bourbon release during the past two years made this a very tough decision," said Michter's Distillery President Joseph J. Magliocco. "The problem is every drop of our Toasted Barrel Bourbon that we release this year is one less drop of our Michter's US*1 Bourbon that we have to allocate to our distributors and importers."

As part of its plan to bring supply into better balance with demand for its ryes, bourbons, and whiskeys, Michter's has been taking steps that will double its M2 distillery's capacity.  Located in the Shively section of Louisville, Michter's M2 Distillery is currently operating at its maximum distillation capacity of 500,000 proof gallons per year. The American distillers' standard measurement of alcohol production, a proof gallon is one liquid gallon at 100 proof at 60 degrees fahrenheit. When Michter's M2 Distillery resumes distillation in August after a month shutdown for yearly maintenance, the distillery's new distillation capacity will be 1,000,000 proof gallons per year.

Michter's 46 foot high copper column still and copper pot still doubler, built by Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, KY

Formerly Distillery Manager at Booker Noe Distillery, the largest bourbon distillery in the world at that time, Michter's Vice President-Production & Distiller Pamela Heilmann stated, "By adding four more 16,000 gallon fermenters with a total capacity of 64,000 gallons and going to a second shift, we can make twice as much of the same great whiskey as we do now. Once again I was given carte blanche to put in the very best equipment." The new equipment installed for the expansion was custom built for Michter's by legendary Louisville-based still maker Vendome.

Master Distiller Willie Pratt, nicknamed "Dr. No" for his refusal to approve whiskey releases until he feels they are just right, said, "It's really great for us to be able to offer more of our whiskeys to people at home and abroad, but Michter's will never sacrifice quality to do so."

Michter's Distillery is located in the Shively section of Louisville,Kentucky, the heart of the American whiskey industry.  It makes highly acclaimed, limited production whiskeys.  Michter's is renowned for its single barrel rye, small batch bourbon, single barrel bourbon, and small batch American whiskey.  In 2015, Michter's was named the seventh Heritage Member of the Kentucky Distillers Association, thereby becoming the first distiller in 33 years to achieve that status.  For more information, please go to www.michters.com.

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Breckenridge - Hot Box Mountain Shot Cinnamon Whiskey

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The Agronomist New York State Corn Whiskey

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