Craft Whiskey Distillers Work To Establish American Single Malt Category

Although still a small segment of the U.S. whiskey category, American single malts are gaining prominence, thanks in part to the market’s continued interest in both brown and craft spirits. Category pioneers like Colorado-based Stranahan’s, part of the Proximo portfolio, are seeing rising demand as they endeavor to raise American single malts’ profile.

Stranahan’s produces a core small-batch American single malt whiskey ($55-$59 a 750-ml.), as well as upscale label Diamond Peak (around $70), which features whiskey selected from the distillery’s best casks. Stranahan’s is also known for its limited-edition Snowflake release (around $100), made using different barrels from around the world and available for purchase for just one day in December at the Stranahan’s distillery. According to master distiller Rob Dietrich, the Stranahan’s range is technically classified as straight whiskey, but the lack of a more specific categorization has created challenges, particularly on-premise.

“At restaurants, people don’t know where to list this whiskey. They’ve put it under the rye category, just because it’s different, and I’ve seen it under Bourbon a lot,” Dietrich explains. “In order to fine tune and focus, we need to establish American single malt as a category, as Scotch has done.”

Along with Stranahan’s, other rising American single malt players include Alameda, California-based St. George Spirits, which produces an eponymous American single malt (around $70), as well as Seattle-based Westland Distillery, known for its flagship single malt as well as Peated and Sherry Wood extensions (all $70).

St. George and Westland have been active on the innovation front, each releasing new single malts this year. In April, St. George unveiled Baller single malt whiskey ($65), made with 100% American barley and aged three to four years in Bourbon and French oak wine barrels before being finished in ex-umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur) casks. Meanwhile, in mid-July, Westland debuted its Garryana American single malt whiskey ($125), matured in Quercus garryana wood (a rare species of white oak found in the Pacific Northwest) and marking the inaugural whiskey in the distiller’s limited edition Native Oak Series.

Excelsior Wines Revamps Chile’s Frontera To Target Millennials

Excelsior Wines, a partnership between Concha y Toro and Banfi Vintners, has overhauled its Frontera wine brand in a bid to capture the attention of the 21-34-year-old demographic. This fall, Excelsior is reintroducing Frontera’s 750-ml. series as “Frontera After Dark,” and will debut new “Night Harvest” blends made from grapes harvested at night in cooler temperatures.

New wines will include a semi-sweet Moonlight White Moscato blend and After Midnight Red, a Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah mix with a touch of Merlot (both $6 a 750-ml.). The Frontera After Dark labels feature a black background and depiction of the Andes Mountains. Additionally, Frontera After Dark white varietals and Pinot Noir bottles will move to a twist-off closure, while other reds will remain under cork.

Frontera’s 1.5-liter range ($12) is also getting a makeover, which will launch next summer. According to Impact Databank, the Concha y Toro-owned Frontera brand slipped 3.6% in the U.S. last year to 2.3 million cases.

News Briefs:

•Solid growth for its core brands propelled Ste. Michelle to a 7.1% sales increase to $316 million in the first half of 2016, the Washington winemaker’s parent company—Altria Corp.—reported earlier today. Ste. Michelle’s wine shipments grew by 5.5% to nearly 4 million cases in the six-month period, although growth slowed in the second quarter, when shipments were up by 3.4%. Each of the three brands that comprise the vast majority of Ste. Michelle’s sales—Chateau Ste. Michelle (+7.2%), 14 Hands (+11.2%) and Columbia Crest (+1.9%) achieved depletions growth in 2015, according to Impact Databank.

•Denis Dubourdieu, a Bordeaux vigneron and one of the region’s most prominent academics and winemaking consultants of the last 40 years, died this week following a protracted battle with brain cancer. He was 67. Wine Spectator looks back at Dubourdieu’s life and work.

•New Jersey-based Niche Import Co. has added a pair of Irish whiskey labels from Redcross, County Wicklow-based distiller Barr an Uisce to its portfolio. Barr an Uisce’s signature blend, Wicklow Rare ($50), is aged in first-fill Bourbon barrels and finished in Oloroso casks for six months, while portfoliomate 1803 ($80) is a 10-year-old single malt Irish whiskey also matured in first-fill Bourbon casks. Barr an Uisce’s Wicklow Rare and 1803 join Niche Import’s existing whisk(e)y lineup, which includes the Old St. Andrews Scotch brand.

•Rutherford Wine Co. has launched a new red blend, Two Range Red, retailing at $25 a bottle. The Napa Valley-sourced Two Range is a blend of Petite Sirah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Rutherford Wine Co.’s portfolio also includes Rutherford Ranch Winery, Scott Family Estate, Predator Wines, Lander-Jenkins, Rhiannon, Silver Buckle, Round Hill and private label offerings.

•Cheryl Henry has been named president and COO of Ruth’s Hospitality Group Inc. Henry, who was previously chief branding officer and SVP, will continue to work closely with company chairman and CEO Michael O’Donnell. Winter Park, Florida-based Ruth’s Hospitality has 145 company-owned or franchised Ruth’s Chris Steak House locations worldwide.

Craft Brewing and Distilling News:

•Comstock, Michigan-based Bell’s Brewery is bringing back its Octoberfest fall seasonal next month for the first time in five years. The session lager (5.5% abv) will be available in six- and 12-packs of 12-ounce bottles and on draft throughout Bell’s distribution footprint of 29 states and Washington D.C. Bell’s is the seventh-largest craft brewer nationwide, according to the Brewers Association.

•Craft and import specialist United States Beverage (USB) has appointed Dan Deluca to the newly-created role of vice president of sales execution. Deluca joins USB from Innis & Gunn USA, where he was managing director (Innis & Gunn’s brews are imported by USB). Additionally, Robin Richardson has been named west region director of sales, returning to USB after a 10-year stint with Heineken USA. Lastly, USB has created a new regional and national chain accounts team, to be overseen by COO and national accounts manager Fred Gambke. In addition to Innis & Gunn, USB handles the Murphy’s, Moosehead, Tiger, Estrella Dam and Czechvar brands among others.

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