All posts by Jewmalt

SuperJew, Husband, Father, Scotch aficionado, Musician, Whisky Society President

Jewish Whisky Company Announces Significant Changes in 2019 for Single Cask Nation and Whisky Jewbilee – Whisky News

Jewish Whisky Company Announces Significant Changes in 2019 for Single Cask Nation and Whisky Jewbilee

Building off 2017’s successful expansion of Single Cask Nation from a membership-only model to offering additional single cask bottlings of malt whisky, grain whisky via retail stores, Jewish Whisky Company plans a further expansion of their Single Cask Nation line of independently bottled whiskies into UK, European and Canadian markets in 2019.

“We constantly see great demand for our whiskies from many non-US markets,” said Jason Johnstone-Yellin, the company’s COO, “and as a result, we are keen to break into these markets while mirroring how we currently operate in the US.”

Jewish Whisky Company offers two separate outlets for Single Cask Nation sales: online, referred to internally and amongst their membership as ‘Special Projects Division,’ and retail. Single Cask Nation retail bottlings are currently available in the following US states: CA, CT, IL, LA, MA, NJ, NY, RI, WI, and IN with additional states being added as part of a national rollout in 2019.

“We’re proud of the fact that we bottled 28 casks in 2018 across both online and retail platforms,” said Joshua Hatton, the company’s CEO, “but we have every intention of tripling that number in 2019.”

With grand plans in place for 2019 and beyond the company has decided to mothball their globally regarded Whisky Jewbilee whisky festival to allow the needed time and focus to successfully realize their 2019 Single Cask Nation aspirations.

Whisky Jewbilee was built as a whisky geek’s whisky festival and, in the minds of Hatton and Johnstone-Yellin, must continue to evolve and innovate, challenging those very same whisky geeks who helped reinforce the reputation of the events across the United States. With an aggressive expansion plan in place for Single Cask Nation in 2019 there is no longer adequate time or focus to keep the Whisky Jewbilee held in high regard. Accordingly, the decision has been made to mothball the Whisky Jewbilee while tickets remain in high demand. All thirteen events have sold out and online publications like the Spirits Business and ScotchWhisky.com have named Whisky Jewbilee among the world’s top whisky festivals.

“We never want to phone-in any Jewbilee event,” said Hatton, ”The support Whisky Jewbilee has received in New York City since its inception in 2012, combined with the support it has garnered since it first started moving west to include Chicago in 2015 and Seattle in 2016, has been unbelievable and very much appreciated. Whisky Jewbilee attendees have a reputation unsurpassed on the whisky festival circuit. We’ll miss seeing so many familiar faces at future Jewbilee events but we’ll still visit these wonderful markets to share new Single Cask Nation releases.”

While both Hatton and Johnstone-Yellin lament the need to mothball Whisky Jewbilee, Johnstone-Yellin said “when we launched our company in 2011 it was with the intention of being an independent bottler first. While operating a whisky festival has been fun it’s time to refocus on our number one priority and, as such, mothballing the event is necessary to ensure that our UK, European, and Canadian expansion starting in 2019 is as successful as we can make it.”

About Jewish Whisky Company:

Established in 2011 , Jewish Whisky Company is the first and only US-based independent bottler of scotch, bourbon, rye, rum, and other world spirits. Owned and operated by Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin, the company is home to Single Cask Nation, Whisky Jewbilee, WhiskyGeek Tours, and One Nation Under Whisky podcast. For more information, visit www.jewishwhiskycompany.com or contact Joshua & Jason at INFO at JEWISHWHISKYCOMPANY dot COM.

“One Nation Under Whisky” is my fancy new podcast. I hope you’ll listen!

 

Observant readers of Jewmalt Whisky Reviews will note that the number of blog posts I do has now shrunken to nearly none per month and only a few per year. Such is the life of a blogger turned Independent Bottler, Whisky Festival coordinator, and Tour Operator.

On the upside, I’ve found a new medium to reach out to y’all — One Nation Under Whisky podcast!

One Nation Under Whisky is actually a podcast that I run with my friend and business partner, Jason Johnstone-Yellin.

What is the podcast all about?,” you might ask (and I’m glad you did).

Well, our website states: “One Nation Under Whisky Podcast is your audio source for all things related to Single Cask Nation, Whisky Jewbilee, and WhiskyGeek Tours. Also, dick jokes.”

So, One Nation Under Whisky is an whisk(e)y industry insider podcast where we get into the nitty-gritty of independent bottling, what it’s like to run and plan a festival and a tour company. But wait, there’s more! We also interview industry insiders, as well as company and brand owners, too! On top of this, Jason and I tend to crack one another up and do a lot of laughing that I hope you’ll join in on.

Want to listen in and subscribe? Follow THIS LINK RIGHT HERE.

As of the date of this blog post we’ve posted interviews with:

  • David Stirk (Creative Whisky Company)
  • Bryan Davis (Lost Spirits Distillery)
  • Mark Watt (Cadenhead’s)
  • Matt Hofmann (Westland Distillery)
  • Jessica Lomas (Scotch Whisky Auctions)
  • Jeff Kanof (Copperworks Distilling Company)
  • Eddie Russell (Wild Turkey)
  • Richard Urquhart (Gordon & MacPhail/Benromach Distillery)
  • Lukasz Dynowiak (anCnoc, Old Pulteney, Balblair, Speyburn)
  • Denny Potter (Haven Hill Distillery)
  • Ajay Bhoja (Paul John, John Distilleries)
  • Raj Sabharwal (US importer for Amrut, Blackadder, Five Lions, English Whisky Co)
  • and more…

So, as you can see, I’ve been keeping myself busy. I hope you’ll come and join me on this new podcast (ad)venture!

See you in podcast land!

#Winning – this hashtag is so 2011 but this award is so 2017

 

Imagine my surprise when the good people at FeedSpot told me I was in their top 40 whisky blogs of the world list!

I remember when it felt like there was only 20 whisky blogs and I was one of 12 Knights of the Whisky Round Table (ah, the good ‘ol days).

Given that there are literally hundreds of whisky blogs on the webosphere nowadays, I’ll take top 40. Thanks FeedBlog folk!

 

To see the other 39 people on this list that are likely more qualified than me, check it out HERE.

A Westland Distillery Two’fer – Winter and Peat Week, 2016 style

 

Lets face it. 2016 was a punch in the face for everyone in some way, shape, or form. However, it was a good year for good whisky.

Today’s good whisky will be televised (or, youtube’vised – see below).

Westland is, in my opinion, one of the world’s best producers of single malt and, heck, they’re only 5 or 6 years old! Imagine what’ll happen in 5, 10, 15 years?

Today, instead of writing a review, I thought it’d be good to record my review of two lovely Westland whiskies:

  • Westland Winter 2016 – special limited edition
  • Westland Peat Week 2016- special limited edition

I hope you enjoy!

Happy Christmukwanzikkah, everyone!

Getting out of my comfort zone and into something so insanely magnificent, I had to write about it – Bodegas Valdespino’s Cardenal VORS Palo Cortado Sherry

 

Region – Spain – ABV – 22%

Cardenal Palo Cortado VORS (Valdespino)Guys. Gals. I’m headed in a fast and downward spiral into the world of sherry.

I’m in the rabbit hole.

I really hope others will join me. It’s an amazing world of flavors for us all to explore.

I’ve enjoyed my fair share of sherries (say that 3 times real fast) over the past 10 years or so but, as of late, I now find myself craving the Spanish fortified wine.

Cardenal Palo Cortado VORS (Valdespino)Normally, when one starts writing reviews for this or that product, they’ll start at the Chevy or Ford of that respective product.

I decided to begin with the Volvo P1800 of sherry.

This sherry I’m about to review is bad ass and one can spend forever and a day enveloped in its loveliness.

I could go into the details of various sherry types, how it’s made, etc… but I am no expert. If you want to know more, please be sure to visit sherrynotes.com

Bodegas Valdespino’s Cardenal VORS Palo Cortado Sherry:

On the nose — Absolutely amazing smelling. It noses a bit like a heavily sherried whisky.

Bodegas Valdespino’s Cardenal VORS Palo Cortado SherryGood oaky backbone with hints of menthol floating above notes of buckwheat syrup, crushed black peppercorns, toasted almond and coconut, damp autumn leaves, burnt pie crusts, toasted raw grain sprouted bread.

Magnificent. A perfect nose.

Bodegas Valdespino’s Cardenal VORS Palo Cortado SherryIn the mouth — Dry on the palate and intensely rich front to mid palate with lightening fast tones of fresh black grapes, oak chests you’ve inherited from your great-great grand father, coconut milk, treacle, licorice nibs and a mere hint of coal dust.

Bodegas Valdespino’s Cardenal VORS Palo Cortado SherryThe mouthfeel is lightly oiled. Kaffir (lime) leaves are noted on the 2nd sip and now I’m discovering just how salty this sherry is.

Building umami, chocolate covered raisins.

Finish — Rich and salty with lasting notes of menthol and mixed, roasted nuts.

In sum — As mentioned above, I’ve been dabbling in sherries for the past 10 years or more and this is easily the best sherry of it’s style I’ve ever had. Worth seeking out and shelling out a few shekels.