Californian luxury whiskey brand Wolves Whiskey is back with its third limited-edition, online-only release titled “Spring Run.”

Created by James Bond (Undefeated), Jon Buscemi (Buscemi, Truff, Oliver Peoples), and their partners, the new expression follow their initial releases which were sold out in days.

Spring Run was available first to those on the Allocation List before being released to the general public today. This will be the last “Run” for a while, as Wolves gears up for a special collaboration with Willett Family Estate.

Like prior Runs, Wolves Spring Run contains (1) whiskey distilled from craft Stout beer, aged in French Oak for 10 years, (2) whiskey distilled from craft Pilsner beer, aged in New American Oak for 6 years, (3) a Rye selected for its spice, and (4) a single malt whiskey aged for 9 years in used French Oak.

The flavours hint strongly at Wolves’ critically acclaimed First Run, exuding the hoppiness, chocolate, and citrus notes that its forerunner became known for.  The nose is slightly sweet, delivering honeysuckle, hops, and warm vanilla.  After another year in the barrel, Spring Run brings grapefruit, dark chocolate, hops, and nutmeg to the pallet.

The Pilsner, Stout, and Single Malt whiskeys were distilled by 13th generation Master Distiller Marko Karakasevic in Sonoma County using a rare, copper brandy still imported from Cognac in the early 80’s. The brandy still is slow, but it creates considerable body.  And because the Stout and Pilsner whiskies are distilled from finished craft beer, the hoppy notes are pronounced and the nose is slightly sweet. The team landed at 105 proof for this edition.

“When we re-released First Run from the Founders Reserve in December, and it sold out in seconds, we knew we wanted to do another Run to get some more on the market,” noted Wolves founder Jon Buscemi.  “Marko is a generational artisan working with a tried-and-true still, and we’re honoured to work with him again on this.  The custom dyed Robin’s Egg sheepskin on the glass is a beautiful addition to my bar, and I’m excited for my friends and family to get a crack at this.”

Each bottle of Spring Run is wrapped by hand in a Robin’s Egg Blue sheepskin leather, which is laser cut, embossed, printed with UV light, and laid flush to the glass by hand.  The bottle is heavy and French-cut, while the cork top is made of Maple wood. Each bottle is numbered by hand before being placed in Wolves’ canvas sleeve.

Wolves produced 1100 bottles of Spring Run, a portion of which will be available to the Allocation List on May 19, 2021, on a first-come, first-served basis. The whiskey is priced at $200 with free shipping for Allocation List Members.

For more information, go to wolveswhiskeyca.com

Global tequila brand Casamigos has teamed up with Iconic supermodel and entrepreneur Cindy Crawford to release its latest expression, Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila.

Crawford’s drink of choice inspired Casamigos Tequila founders George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman to create the jalapeño tequila that is naturally flavoured with jalapeños to create a spicy yet balanced liquid with just the right level of heat.

“As much as I love Casamigos, my go-to drink for a fun night is a skinny, spicy Casamigos margarita,” says Cindy. Casamigas Jalapeño makes it that much easier. It’s Casamigos with a kick!”

For both Cindy and Gerber, this new launch is personal. “Cindy has obviously been part of the Casamigos journey since day one, and I’m excited that she now gets to put her special touches on Casamigas,” he said. “It’s been over six years in the making.”

Made from 100% blue Weber agave from the rich clay soil of Jalisco, Casamigas is naturally flavoured with jalapeños to create a spicy yet balanced tequila, perfect for a spicy margarita or chilled shot.

In addition to the clean-tasting notes of spicy jalapeños, the expression offers hints of citrus, offering, and sweet agave, a pleasant kick that is balanced with a smooth citrus finish.

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The label, also designed by Rande, has Cindy playfully disrupting the traditional label with a fresh and fun design. Flames of fire, a jalapeño and Cindy’s trademark lips and beauty mark are sketched on the label, along with a red “A” crossing out the “O” in Casamigos.

The Casamigos’ founders’ initials are also playfully crossed out with “CC,” and Cindy Crawford’s signature is added in between George Clooney and Rande Gerber’s, finishing the design.

For more information, go to casamigos.com

Taiwanese Whiskey brand Kavalan is releasing its award-winning Triple Sherry Cask expression to the American market.

The brand has aged Kavalan’s velvety texture and signature sweetness in a rare combination of Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Moscatel-aged casks.

The 43% ABV expression produces notes of cinnamon, candied smoked plum, and citrus layered with berry, tropical fruit, and longan aromas, with a dash of honey, chocolate, and toffee.

“We believe Triple Sherry will win the hearts of U.S. drinkers. It’s the only whisky out there that combines three different sherry casks. The Sherry flavours explode with taste and aromas of dried fruits, rich caramel, sweet maltose and tropical fruits,” said King Car Group CEO Mr YT Lee.

After fully maturing Kavalan’s new make spirit in the three individual sherry casks, Triple Sherry Cask reflects a three-stage balancing act of marrying vats. The process allows the three whiskies, once fully matured in the three respective sherry casks, to rest and meld together in perfect fusion, locking in optimal smoothness.

“During this process, the flavours harmonize through a myriad combination of the three sherry cask whiskies, creating up to nine distinct sherry dimensions,” says Senior Blender Zerose Yang.

“With the dried fruits of the Oloroso cask as its main character, Triple Sherry is embellished with the sweetness of PX and Moscatel casks,” Yang continued.

The packaging design features fluid painting intertwined with white, gold, and red colours, which symbolise the multilayered and smooth taste of triple sherry cask whisky. Underscored on the tin capsule is a double silver line, symbolising the Central Mountain and Snow Mountain ranges surrounding Kavalan Distillery.

For more information, go to kavalanwhisky.com

RTD brand The Finnish Long Drink has announced the return of its Peach flavour, the first new flavour to be added to the brand’s permanent expressions in four years.

Originally launched last year as a limited edition, the flavour soon became a fan favourite due to its bright, fresh, and fruity notes of peach.

“We’re beyond ecstatic to make Peach a permanent product in our lineup,” says Sakari Manninen, Co-Founder of The Finnish Long Drink. When we first rolled out the drink as part of our Midsummer pack, we didn’t have any plans on keeping it around past the summer, but the pack performed exceptionally well.

“We’ve waited a long time to introduce a new flavour to the market,” continued Manninen. “However, throughout this time, we have been experimenting and investing time to ensure that any new flavour we develop is truly an authentic long drink. Peach achieved just that and was just too delicious not to share with the world.”

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Honouring the traditional Finnish drink, The Finnish Long Drink was created to bring the “national drink of Finland” to America. Born out of a need to cater to guests of the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, long drinks are now the best-selling category of liquor in the country.

Texas distillery Blackland unveils Texpresso Whiskey, a new coffee-inspired expression, which features brown sugar and pecan flavour notes.

The release which is scheduled for March 23rd – the date of the distillery’s 5th anniversary – will see this 35% AVB expression join the distillery’s other popular flavored whiskey release, the Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon.

This new Texpresso Whiskey has flavours of coffee, brown sugar, and pecans, and can be enjoyed neat or with a shot of espresso for “the ultimate, two-ingredient espresso martini”.

“After witnessing the nationwide popularity of Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon, we decided it was time to introduce a bold, new flavor profile that combines the smooth kick of whiskey with the familiar, local flavors of coffee, pecans and brown sugar,” exlained Owner and founder Markus Kypreos.

“We anticipate Texpresso will energize palates and become a staple in every whiskey-lovers’ collection,” he continued.

The new expression is available now for presale exclusively at Blackland’s award-winning tasting room in Fort Worth and through the website. The expressions general release will start from April 1st

Woman-owned brand Freeland Spirits has launched a limited edition Old Tom Gin that is finished in Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey barrels.

The brand’s Juniper-forward, core Dry Gin spent six months in the Whiskey barrels for a result that is balanced, yet slightly herbaceous with added notes of oak, orange, and sweet caramel.

Launched in celebration of Women’s History Month, the 57% ABV expression created by Freeland’s master distiller, Molly Troupe, who is one of the youngest female master distillers in the world.

“This launch is a celebration of the incredible women who have shaped the spirits industry and the world at large,” said Jill Kuehler, founder and CEO of Freeland Spirits.

In the spirit of giving back, the brand will donate $5 from each sale going to Regarding Her, a non-profit organisation that accelerates female entrepreneurs in food and beverage.

For more information, go to freelandspirits.com