Whisky Advocate’s Post

Peat isn't just for Scottish whisky anymore. Distillers worldwide are experimenting with local peat sources and creating uniquely flavored whiskies that reflect their regional terroir. Macaloney’s Island Distillery in Canada, for example, smokes barley with Washington State peat, resulting in balanced, heather-bonfire notes. Australia’s Limeburners infuses peat smoke through malted grains using Denmark, Australia-sourced peat, yielding floral and subtly smoky flavors. Meanwhile, Mackmyra in Sweden blends local peat with juniper branches for a herbal, campfire-like smoke. These innovative approaches showcase how distillers globally are crafting distinctive peated whiskies, offering a diverse palette of smoky flavors. https://lnkd.in/ezwbJMPz Mackmyra Svensk Whisky #whisky #whiskyadvocate #peatedwhiskies

Region: New Zealand Distillery: Pōkeno Age: NAS ABV: 55.8 % Size: 700 ml Pōkeno Distillery is nestled in a warm, misty, humid valley surrounded by volcanic hills from which pure natural spring water is sourced. The Distillery uses some of the finest barley sourced from three family-owned farms in New Zealand's richly fertile South Island. This is what makes Pokeno Whisky so special in addition to a slow fermentation and distillation followed by a careful maturation process in first fill casks. The result is an incredibly rich whisky with notes of citrus combining beautifully with the deep flavours from the PX cask. There is dark chocolate, dried fruit and black forest gateaus with a deep long finish. This is in fact a double wood or a vatting of Single Malt Whiskies fully matured in first fill bourbon barrels and PX Sherry Hogsheads which have then been laid into a PX hogshead for a marrying period of several months to integrate the flavours. Bottled exclusively for Mizunara. https://lnkd.in/gCbBkK89

Ladies, gentlemen, and whiskey enthusiasts, let’s raise our glasses to the whiskey of the hour –  New York Distilling Company, LLC’s Jaywalk Bonded Rye Whiskey. Reviewed by Tony Sachs for Forbes, New York Distilling Company’s new rye whiskey, Jaywalk Bonded Rye, has been named “whiskey of the week.” How does it stand out from the rest? By using a locally grown, non-GMO varietal called Field Race Rye. “My favorite of the three [expressions] is Jaywalk Bonded Rye, a 7 year old bottled-in-bond expression. The Horton grain really does make a difference — this is a spectacular rye, sweet and rich with notes of chocolate, brown sugar, baking spices, a touch of honey, and a hint of tropical fruit, like concentrated cantaloupe.” Learn more about this standout whiskey by clicking the link below.

Zooming in on the Distillerie Poisson, started in 1860, the smallest of 5 located on the island of Marie Galante: Distillerie Poisson (Poisson = "fish" in French) makes the brand Pere Labat. The distillery was purchased in 2007 by J.C. Brot, who was born and raised in a family with a long history in Guadeloupe and Marie Galante proper. Culturally, on these islands, making rum is seen as a high achievement and JC always dreamed of being a rhum maker. The distillery employs 17 people and manages about 250 hectares of land, some of which is cultivated with cane that feeds the distillery, while much of the cane is bought from small planters to maintain good relationships with the local Planteurs. Being a French territory, working hours are highly regulated (35hr/week, 5 weeks off per year). The teams is working from 7am to 1pm Mondays to Fridays and 7am to noon on Saturdays. Distillation occurs from Feb to July. The facility is not large or glamorous; it's rusty, it's beat-up, it experiences a lot of daily operational challenges which causes frequent repairs and maintenance issues. Despite these conditions, the distillery continues to produce super high-quality booze, experimenting with aging in various types of casks, including ground cru white Burgundy and Mouton etc... The fermentation process lasts 72 hours and is inoculated. The 2 "Creoles" columns, one from 1955 the other from 1977 are all copper and consist of 15 plates - 11 stripping plates and four concentrating plates. White rhum flows out of the stills at 70.7% alcohol by volume and eventually entering casks at around 63%. The distillery makes about 1,500 liters of booze per day and sells about 40K cases a year (3/4 to the French market, the rest sold internationally). The distillery's operation is deeply intertwined with the local community; some planteurs have scheduled appointments to deliver their cane, other randomly show up. The unpredictable supply of sugar cane from the small local planteurs reflects the totally artisanal nature of its production. The island's hot (temp typically varies between 74 and 95 F) and humid conditions contribute to about 7+% annual evaporation in casks, more than twice the evaporation typical in the Cognac or Armagnac regions of mainland France.

I am glad to see more and more articles in the trade press about environmental considerations in #wine production and consumption.

From whiskeys whose grains they can trace to specific Alberta fields to a wine program that feeds ports, brandies, and grappa, Bridgeland Distillery’s DIY flywheel is gaining momentum. https://lnkd.in/gacDXmx4

CARBON CAPTURE Fermenting wines create carbon dioxide. It is an inconvenient truth. It is alos one of the most dangerous things in the winery. Given a chance it will creep up and kill the unwary. Most wineries focus on dissipating it. Perhaps that is about to change. In France, CO₂ captured from fermenting wines can be sold for €80 to €100 per tonne on the ‘CO₂ Bio’ platform. Isn't that great! When you think that 1 hectolitre of fermenting red wine creates 8kg of CO₂ that’s a lot of wine and a lot of gas. It means for every hectolitre of red wine the winery can get €0.64 to €0.80. It all adds up. Of course equipment is needed in the winery to capture, analyse and purify the gas to food quality, before compressing it for storage as dry ice. The capital cost is  €60,000 to €120,000 for a buffer stock of between 400 kg to 2 tons of CO2. Then there's the cost of specialised carriers to transport it to the network. Nevertheless, it is out of the winery and into the wallet. That's not to be sneered at. Obviously winemakers use CO₂  themselves: to make their tanks inert, to optimise punching down or pumping over, or even to save water while rinsing their equipment. However, CO₂ has wider applications outside wineries: tomato producers use it to accelerate growth, organic spirulina producers use it to regulate the pH of water, fruit producers keep fruit chilled with it and it even ends up in fire extinguishers. More importantly is where it doesn't end up. It doesn’t end up being fanned into the atmosphere – which is a good thing for the planet. I can’t wait until ‘CO₂ Bio’ or something similar sets up in the UK. Well done France!

Laphroaig continues its exploration of novel distillation techniques with Elements 2.0, a single malt whisky that promises a fruitier character than sibling whiskeys, thanks to an extended fermentation technique, while retaining the peaty profile that distinguishes this Islay distillery.... https://lnkd.in/eHEduCy2

"Bridgeland is a young distillery, but that ethos could be a model for others looking to make distinctive spirits that belong to their place, made from raw materials that can be traced back to their sources" Don Tse, Author, Spirits & Distilling Click below to read how Don Tse described the ingenuity going on at Bridgeland Distillery!

🍇🍻In 2015, the #craftbeer landscape witnessed the introduction of a novel subcategory known as #ItalianGrapeAle (#IGA). This style, recognized by the Beer Judge Certification Program (#BJCP), represents an exciting fusion of beer and enology, allowing the incorporation of #grape and its products into the #brewingprocess. 🍇According to the BJCP, the contribution of grape content can make up to 40% of the total #grist—an impressive integration that elevates flavor profiles and diversifies offerings. 🍺What's fascinating? Grape berries or must can be brought into play at various stages of brewing, predominantly during primary or secondary #fermentation. Importantly, the grape matrix is expected not to be fermented (or only partially) to ensure there is no residual alcohol, allowing the beer to retain its essence while capturing the unique characteristics of the grape. As this innovative style continues to evolve, it challenges traditional perceptions and showcases the creativity that drives the craft beer industry forward. Stay tuned & enjoy LOBIT!!🍻 #CraftBeer #Innovation #ItalianGrapeAle #Brewing #BeerCulture CREA Ricerca Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali Associazione Unionbirrai Università degli studi di Parma