William Grant & Sons has unveiled two new offerings in its Rare Cask Reserves series of limited edition Scotch whiskies. The first, Ghosted Reserve 26-year-old, is a blended malt containing whisky from “ghosted” distilleries Interleven (operated from 1938-1991) and Ladyburn (operated from 1963-1975). To create the blend, William Grant & Sons master blender Brian Kinsman married whiskies from Interleven and Ladyburn in handpicked oak casks, resulting in a 42% abv. bottling that retails at $400. 2,000 bottles of Ghosted Reserve 26-year-old are launching in the U.S., out of a global run of 4,100 bottles. Rare Cask Reserves’ second release is The Annasach 25-year-old, which will appear in four different expressions: one each to be sold exclusively by Binny’s, Total Wine & More, BevMo! and Spec’s Liquors, respectively. Whisky specialists from each of the retailers above selected whiskies from stocks assembled by Kinsman to create their own unique limited-edition Annasach blend, all of which are at 40% abv and retail at $299 a bottle.

Campari America is extending its X-Rated Fusion Liqueur brand with a new Peach Blush flavor. A fusion of ultra-premium vodka and peaches mixed with citrus and honey, X-Rated Peach Blush is 34 proof and seeks to capitalize on the current popularity of peach-flavored offerings across the consumer products market. It’s launching now in 750-ml. ($24.99) and 1-liter sizes ($35.99), and joins X-Rated’s Original (mango, blood orange and passion fruit) and Tropix (pineapple and coconut) expressions in the brand portfolio.

A. Hardy USA Ltd. has launched Brown Jug Bourbon Maple Cream liqueur nationwide in the U.S. Featuring a blend of Bourbon, maple syrup, cream and vanilla, Brown Jug is packaged in an retro-style brown glass bottle and priced at $21.99 a 750-ml. According to A. Hardy USA president Mark J. Levinson, the new 17%-abv entry is being positioned as a summer cocktail offering, intended to be blended with ice to make what the brand calls a Bourbon Maple Cream Milkshake.

Heaven Hill Brands has launched upscale American whiskey label Pikesville Straight Rye, which retails at around $50 a bottle. A six-year-old, 110-proof whiskey, Pikesville is distilled at Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Distillery in Louisville and aged in its rickhouses in Bardstown, Kentucky. The super-premium entry takes its name from a historic Maryland brand dating back to 1895, and features a mashbill of at least 51% rye, as well as corn and malted barley.

Intent on raising the profile of its Japanese whisky brands Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu, Beam Suntory is debuting a new “introductory” offering under its luxury Hibiki label. The new product, Hibiki Japanese Harmony, is rolling out in the next few weeks, retailing at around $65 a bottle, making it easily the most accessible offering in Beam Suntory’s Japanese whisky stable.  Japanese Harmony is a blend of 10 different malt and grain whiskies aged in five different types of casks. Beam Suntory calls it the foundation of the Hibiki range, which also includes a 17-year-old at $150 a bottle and a 21-year-old at around $250.

All information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

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