BRANDS
Glen ddich unveils 23yo Grand Cru whisky
events to encourage more donations. Check the company website at PortlandCider.com for complete listing of events. This marks the fourth year of Portland Cider Co.’s apple recycling community cider program, and the rst year the company has selected Hunger-Free Oregon as the bene ciary. Hunger-Free Oregon is committed to actively working to end hunger by connecting people to food and nutrition programs, raising awareness about hunger, and advocating for systemic changes. “We’re pleased to report that hunger in Oregon has been decreasing for the past three years, but we know that one in nine Oregonians who face hunger is still too high of a number,” said Annie Kirschner, Executive Director of Hunger-Free Oregon. “We are so grateful to Portland Cider Company for raising funds and awareness for this issue. Together, we can end hunger in Oregon.”
Glen ddich has released a unique new expression, Grand Cru; an exclusive Scottish Single Malt matured for 23 years and nished in rare French cuvée casks, with identity and packaging design by London-based studio Here Design. Following the recent rebrand of the core Glen ddich range – including new packag- ing design for its 12- and 15-year-old liquids – Here Design took the brand’s maverick spirit to new levels with Grand Cru, creating a new ‘celebratory’ drinking moment for Glen ddich and the wider whisky category. An entirely new variant to the Glen ddich
4 Pines’ AIBA champion beer released nationally
range, Grand Cru is the rst of the Grand range embodying the brand’s maverick spirit, pushing the boundaries of the whisky category by pairing with a de nitive luxury world. The liquid is nished in cuvée casks, culminating in a myriad of aromas from sweet brioche to sandalwood and pear sorbet. “As a maverick whisky we are interested in rede ning what single malt can be – for us this means continuing to assert the brand’s unquestionable status within the single malt category as well as pushing the boundaries,” says Tess Wicksteed, Strategy Partner, Here Design. “Glen ddich has the vision, determination and desire to do things differently. It is a whisky that forges its own path on its own terms. “In Grand Cru, the brand’s non-conformist spirit, embodied by the proud stag, takes us from Scotland to another prestig- ious realm, marrying the tradition and purity of Scottish single malt with a distinguished world of luxury. It is a liquid designed to be shared and celebrated.” Each bottle of Glen ddich Grand Cru bears the brand’s golden stag emblem – the iconic reference to the ‘Valley of the Deer’ where the liquid originates from and a contemporary expression of Glen ddich’s unique heritage. This stag sits proudly on a black glass bottle nished with the chiselled ‘V’ shape synonymous with the Glen ddich brand, an ornate golden closure and opulent black presenta- tion furniture featuring a sparkling golden rework design, emanating the spirit of celebration and luxury contained within.
Australia’s 2019 AIBA Champion Beer, 4 Pines Brewing Company’s Schwarzbier, has been released nationally as a Keller Door Small Batch Limited Release. Awarded the honour at this year’s Australian International Beer Awards (AIBAs), the Schwarzbier was originally brewed as part of the Keller Door Black Box release in 2016 but has never been available as an individual release, prior to now.
The brewers have respected this traditional German style with careful attention to ingredient selection. The malts are a balanced combination of German-produced speciality malts – Munich Type 2 and Carafa Special – and high-quality Australian Pale base malt. The key hops, Hallertau Hersbrucker, are a famous ‘noble’ variety grown in Central Germany and the famous W-34/70 lager yeast strain originated from the Weihenstephan brewery in Bavaria. The original 2016 recipe has been re ned annually, resulting in the 2019 version which the AIBA judges described as ‘an excellent iteration of the style, looks sensational, great foam and retention, drinks well, lovely roast aroma’. According to the brew team, the lack of harsh roast characters normally associated with dark beers and the distinctive presence of noble lager qualities provide the Schwarzbier with a avour pro le that drinks lighter than its black hue suggests. Expect a smooth lager, matured slow and cold for crispness, yet full of avour. The Schwarzbier is a great traditional German style. Prost!
november 2019 I BREWER AND DISTILLER INTERNATIONAL ● 25
i bd.org.uk
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker