Top 10 spirits launches in November
From a vodka designed to make a perfect Dirty Martini to a rum from The Rolling Stones, November saw plenty of new spirits launches.
It was a varied time for releases, with a celebrity-backed rum, non-alcoholic cocktail bitters and an Australian single malt whisky all making their debut. November saw a commemorative Year of the Dragon Cognac launch, as well as a trio of Mr Lyan cocktails in canned format. Here are our top 10 spirits launches from November.Courvoisier Year of the Dragon Blend
Cognac brand Courvoisier partnered with Chinese painter Jiannan Huang to create a collection that celebrates the Year of the Dragon. The three-bottle range includes Courvoisier’s Year of the Dragon Blend, L’Essence and XO, with the first expression limited to only eight bottles and exclusive to China. It comprises eaux de vie from previous Dragon Years, with the oldest dating back to the last century.58 and Co Olive Oil Vodka
London-based distillery 58 and Co kicked off a new series by partnering with an olive oil brand on a vodka.
The new expression ‘celebrates the fresh and flavourful aromatics’ of Citizens of Soil’s olive oil, and is ‘herbaceous’ on the nose and ‘rich’ and ‘spiced’ on the palate. A 10ml bottle of olive oil is included with every purchase.
Starward Single Malt Australian Whisky Finished in ex-Lagavulin Barrels
For this expression, Starward’s new make spirit was first matured in red wine barrels before being transferred into peated Scotch barrels from the Lagavulin Distillery in Scotland.
In November, Dutch distributor Salud Spirits brought the limited edition whisky to the Netherlands, with only 90 bottles available via pre-order.
Crossfire Hurricane rum
English rock band The Rolling Stones were hoping to provide some Satisfaction after launching their new rum, Crossfire Hurricane, in November.
The expression, which is a partnership between The Rolling Stones, Universal Music Group and Socio Ventures, is a blend that includes a rum aged for up to five years in charred oak barrels. The band say their interest in rum was first sparked in the 1970s, when they recorded an album in Kingston, Jamaica.
Seasn non-alcoholic bitters
Ben Branson, the founder of zero-ABV ‘spirit’ brand Seedlip, has created a non-alcoholic venture studio called Pollen Projects.
The brand’s first launch is Seasn, a duo of 0% ABV cocktail bitters. Seasn Light and Seasn Dark can be used in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Seasn is described as ‘salt and pepper’ for drinks.
Bruichladdich Octomore 14.4
Bruichladdich Distillery’s concluded its 14th edition of heavily peated whiskies with Octomore 14.4. The five-year-old expression is malted to 106ppm before being bottled at 59.2% ABV, with just 3,540 bottles available. It is the Islay distillery’s first expression matured exclusively in Colombian virgin oak casks.
Jägermeister 9556 Nights of Exploration
Herbal liqueur Jägermeister has created a limited edition expression that has been matured for more than 25 years in an oak barrel. The liqueur comes in a clear glass bottle with a cap featuring an NFT code, and has an ABV of 40% ABV, higher than the core Jägermeister.
Ardbeg The Rollercoaster
Islay distillery Ardbeg this month released a duo of limited edition whiskies, taken from important moments in the brand’s history.
One was distilled in March 1981, when the distillery closed, and the other in October 1989, when it was reopened under new ownership – with the pairing designed to highlight the highs and lows of the distillery’s past.
Only 143 sets are available, with an RRP of €100,000 (US$107,167).
Mr Lyan x Whitebox
Ready-to-drink brand Whitebox Cocktails has teamed up with bar owner Ryan Chetiyawardana to release three of his serves in cans. The release marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of Chetiyawardana's first bar.
The limited edition collection features a Beeswax Old Fashioned, Stonewashed Cosmo and Bulletproof Espresso Martini – three cocktails that reflect the ‘inventive’ style of Chetiyawardana, also known as Mr Lyan, and his team.
Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon
Brown-Forman's Old Forester brand released 150 decanters of a 12.5-year-old Bourbon, crafted to commemorate its 150th anniversary in 2020. The decanters sold out within 14 minutes, with those lucky enough to get one able to collect their orders while enjoying a VIP tour of the Kentucky distillery.
