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Sazerac, one of the world’s largest spirits companies, has announced the acquisition of the Kentucky based Garrard County Distilling Company, marking the latest step in the company’s continued growth and long-term investment in production. The Garrard County Distilling Company site joins Sazerac’s broader distilling network in the state, which includes Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown and The Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro. The acquisition represents an important addition to Sazerac’s production capabilities, providing additional capacity to support continued growth across the company’s portfolio of spirits brands. Garrard County Distilling Company, which opened in 2024, sits on approximately 210 acres and includes two column stills and two 20,000-square-foot barrel warehouses. Sazerac will utilise the facility’s existing infrastructure and capabilities to support its broader production needs. The company expects to hire additional team members initially, with the workforce set to grow over time as operations at the facility develop. Commenting on the news, Jake Wenz, President and CEO of Sazerac, said: “Kentucky has been an important part of Sazerac’s story for many years, and we’re proud to continue investing and growing here. Today, nearly 3,000 team members are part of Sazerac’s Kentucky operations, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue growing that team. Even with all the investments we have made to expand, we need more supply to keep up with demand, and the addition of the Lancaster facility gives us valuable distilling capabilities to support that growth. We’re excited to become part of the Garrard County community.” Over the past five years, Sazerac has invested approximately $50 million at Barton 1792 Distillery, including a new boiler house, additional fermenters, expanded bottling operations and three new ageing warehouses, increasing barrel storage capacity by 25%, alongside upgrades to existing equipment and facilities. In January 2025, the company completed a ten-year, $1.2 billion expansion project at Buffalo Trace Distillery. The project included a new still house, boiler house and bottling operation, an expanded visitor centre, 20 additional fermenters and 19 new ageing warehouses. Sazerac said it will continue to make significant long-term investments in its Kentucky distilleries, strengthening production capabilities, modernising facilities and supporting the future of bourbon production in the state. Leave a comment

After an 11-year absence, Hibiki 12 Years Old is returning to airport shelves as a new Global Travel Retail whisky exclusive. Duty-free is increasingly becoming a happy hunting ground for limited editions and hard-to-find whisky releases. A new entry on our wants-list is this Hibiki 12 Years Old, particularly notable as the expression has been absent for more than a decade. The celebrated Japanese blend is back as part of a new Hibiki 12 Years Old Travel Exclusive Series. Reimagined by fifth-generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo, the release combines whiskies from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. Drawing on whiskies matured in American oak, Spanish oak and Mizunara oak, new release is presented in Hibiki’s familiar 24-faceted bottle, a design that represents Japan’s 24 microseasons. For this travel retail edition, the packaging has been reworked around the Japanese concept of Kacho-Fugetsu, celebrating flowers, birds, wind and moon, alongside flowing water and the changing seasons. The design also incorporates the traditional Marumado motif. The circular architectural window is used in Japanese buildings to frame the natural world as though it were a living picture. Duty-free is increasingly becoming a happy hunting ground for limited editions… Hibiki 12 Travel Exclusive tasting notes Bottled at 43% ABV, the liquid is described as golden amber in colour. The nose offers persimmon and jasmine, alongside cardamom, a hint of orange and sandalwood. The palate moves towards spiced orange peel, toasted cinnamon and butterscotch. The finish is rich and long, with a lingering, gently spiced character. The House of Suntory suggests enjoying Hibiki 12 Years Old over a Marugori hand-carved ice ball, allowing the blend to open gradually as the ice melts. Masaki Morimoto, President of The House of Suntory, said Hibiki 12 Years Old continued to hold a special place within the company’s portfolio. “Hibiki 12 Years Old has always held a special place within The House of Suntory portfolio, and we’ve seen continued appreciation for this expression from whisky enthusiasts around the world,” he said. “Reintroducing Hibiki 12 as a newly reimagined blend exclusively in travel retail allows us to bring it back in a way that is both intentional and globally accessible, while honouring the craftsmanship and harmony that define the brand.” Hibiki 12 Years Old Travel Exclusive is priced at $188. Availability includes major international airports in London, Singapore, New York, Incheon, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Delhi, Mumbai, Paris, Doha, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Sydney, Melbourne, Taipei, Amsterdam, Bangkok, São Paulo, Bangalore, Panama City, San Francisco and Hainan. Daytime TV brought big riffs, catchy choruses and a healthy disregard for mortality to an intimate London basement show this week. There’s nothing like contemplating your own death in a Soho record shop on a warm summer evening. Daytime TV, the fast-rising alternative rock quartet, managed to make it sound like a great night out.… German luxury technology brand Loewe has opened a new concept store at Harrods, placing its TVs, audio products and coffee machines inside one of London’s most prestigious retail destinations. The landgrab marks another step in the German brand’s international expansion, and its wider ambition to establish itself as a global luxury lifestyle technology business. Located… The Dalmore has returned to its dunnage warehouses for a limited 14 Year Old single malt whisky finished in Semisecco Marsala casks. It’s the latest expression in the Distillery Select Series, a collection of limited-edition whiskies drawn from small parcels of stock at the distillery. First launched in 2024, each release in the Series is… After an 11-year absence, Hibiki 12 Years Old is returning to airport shelves as a new Global Travel Retail whisky exclusive. Duty-free is increasingly becoming a happy hunting ground for limited editions and hard-to-find whisky releases. A new entry on our wants-list is this Hibiki 12 Years Old, particularly notable as the expression has been absent for more than a decade. The celebrated Japanese blend is back as part of a new Hibiki 12 Years Old Travel Exclusive Series. Reimagined by fifth-generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo, the release combines whiskies from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. Drawing on whiskies matured in American oak, Spanish oak and Mizunara oak, new release is presented in Hibiki’s familiar 24-faceted bottle, a design that represents Japan’s 24 microseasons. For this travel retail edition, the packaging has been reworked around the Japanese concept of Kacho-Fugetsu, celebrating flowers, birds, wind and moon, alongside flowing water and the changing seasons. The design also incorporates the traditional Marumado motif. The circular architectural window is used in Japanese buildings to frame the natural world as though it were a living picture. Hibiki 12 Travel Exclusive tasting notes Bottled at 43% ABV, the liquid is described as golden amber in colour. The nose offers persimmon and jasmine, alongside cardamom, a hint of orange and sandalwood. The palate moves towards spiced orange peel, toasted cinnamon and butterscotch. The finish is rich and long, with a lingering, gently spiced character. The House of Suntory suggests enjoying Hibiki 12 Years Old over a Marugori hand-carved ice ball, allowing the blend to open gradually as the ice melts. Masaki Morimoto, President of The House of Suntory, said Hibiki 12 Years Old continued to hold a special place within the company’s portfolio. “Hibiki 12 Years Old has always held a special place within The House of Suntory portfolio, and we’ve seen continued appreciation for this expression from whisky enthusiasts around the world,” he said. “Reintroducing Hibiki 12 as a newly reimagined blend exclusively in travel retail allows us to bring it back in a way that is both intentional and globally accessible, while honouring the craftsmanship and harmony that define the brand.” Hibiki 12 Years Old Travel Exclusive is priced at $188. Availability includes major international airports in London, Singapore, New York, Incheon, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Delhi, Mumbai, Paris, Doha, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Sydney, Melbourne, Taipei, Amsterdam, Bangkok, São Paulo, Bangalore, Panama City, San Francisco and Hainan. Not flying any time soon? Check out Hibiki’s other expressions at The Whisky Exchange here. Alt-rockers Daytime TV rise and shine at Soho record shop basement surprise gig Daytime TV brought big riffs, catchy choruses and a healthy disregard for mortality to an intimate London basement show this week. There’s nothing like contemplating your own death in a Soho record shop on a warm summer evening. Daytime TV, the fast-rising alternative rock quartet, managed to make it sound like a great night out.… Loewe opens luxury concept store at Harrods for premium TVs, high-end audio and lifestyle tech German luxury technology brand Loewe has opened a new concept store at Harrods, placing its TVs, audio products and coffee machines inside one of London’s most prestigious retail destinations. The landgrab marks another step in the German brand’s international expansion, and its wider ambition to establish itself as a global luxury lifestyle technology business. Located… The Dalmore Distillery Select series returns with a 14 Year Old Marsala-finished single malt whisky The Dalmore has returned to its dunnage warehouses for a limited 14 Year Old single malt whisky finished in Semisecco Marsala casks. It’s the latest expression in the Distillery Select Series, a collection of limited-edition whiskies drawn from small parcels of stock at the distillery. First launched in 2024, each release in the Series is… Share this:

Canadian spirits are the latest products to be added to the US’s tariffs list, after negotiations between the neighbouring countries ended unsuccessfully on Friday (21 August). Exports of spirits from Canada into the US will be impacted by a 50% tariff, countering a boycott of American spirits that has been running in some Canadian provinces since March last year. While the move had been flagged by US authorities a month ago, the progression to implementation was confirmed following the collapse of the talks last week. Responding to the development, US trade association the Distilled Spirits Council of the US laid the blame for the US tariff at the feet of the Canadian boycott. “We appreciate the administration’s recognition that American distillers have been unfairly targeted by these Canadian provincial sales bans,” said CEO Chris Swonger. “This discriminatory treatment of US spirits products has persisted for more than a year and a half, causing significant economic harm to our industry. “It is unfortunate that the Canadian provinces’ continued refusal to return US spirits products to store shelves has led to this outcome.” Speaking to Bloomberg over the weekend, the CEO of the American Whiskey Association, Michael Bilello, encouraged both sides to “return to the negotiating table”. “For American whiskey producers, this remains unfinished business,” he said. “For a year and a half now, American whiskey has been shut out from most of the provinces in Canada. We were really looking forward to reconnecting with our Canadian consumer, but obviously that’s not happening. “We received good indications yesterday there was progress being made, so to learn about this late last night … was really unfortunate.” Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only provinces that have since lifted their bans on American spirits.

Whiskey-soaked ‘Succession:’ Jack Daniel’s heirs in bitter family feud as $15B hostile bid looms See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on GoogleThe billionaire heirs to the Jack Daniel’s fortune are reportedly embroiled in a bitter family feud — with a pair of rebel brothers blasting their relatives and company brass as a $15 billion hostile takeover bid looms over the storied whiskey maker. More than 130 members of the Brown clan received a seven-page broadside from W.L. Lyons Brown III and his brother Stuart Brown accusing the board of Brown-Forman, which owns Jack Daniel’s, of “rewarding failure” as the company’s shares have lost roughly 60% of their value in recent years. “The numbers are stark and undeniable,” the bourbon bros wrote in the July 10 missive, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Brown-Forman’s stock price has fallen from the mid-$70s per share to the mid-$20s per share over the past three years, eliminating billions of dollars of generational wealth for the Brown family and all other shareholders.” The family revolt has erupted as Louisville-based Brown-Forman — the 156-year-old company behind Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve — fends off an unsolicited $15 billion cash offer from crosstown rival Sazerac, the family-owned maker of Buffalo Trace bourbon. CEO Lawson Whiting is also headed for the exits as sales have stalled and the Brown clan — whose collective fortune Forbes has put at $11 billion — squabbles over the future of the family empire. At the center of the drama is Lyons Brown, 66, a colorful fifth-generation heir who was pressured to leave Brown-Forman in 2002 following a clash with his uncle, then-CEO Owsley Brown II, according to the Journal. Lyons Brown once reportedly ruffled feathers by flipping an organizational chart upside down at a sales meeting and urging employees to challenge conventional wisdom. Lyons Brown later started his own booze business, competing against the family company, and co-founded a now-defunct honey venture that touted “low-disturbance” beekeeping. “The letter speaks for itself,” Lyons Brown told the Journal. Now he and his brother are targeting the relatives who wield power over Brown-Forman. Their broadside accused the board and other family members of keeping shareholders in the dark about failed merger talks with French liquor giant Pernod Ricard and questioned why the company entertained that deal while rebuffing Sazerac. “If the Pernod Ricard transaction was Plan A, what is Plan B? The Company is in crisis,” the brothers fumed in their missive. They also skewered the strategy for Jack Daniel’s, comparing the iconic Tennessee whiskey to Baskin-Robbins because it is sold in so many flavors. The descendants of founder George Garvin Brown still control the publicly traded company through more than 70% of its voting Class A shares. Wolf Pen Branch, a family investment vehicle formed to unify the sprawling clan’s voting power, controls about 60% of the shares by itself — effectively giving it the power to block a sale. Lyons and Stuart Brown never joined Wolf Pen, leaving the dissident brothers with limited sway unless they can persuade other relatives to join their revolt. Wolf Pen has already rejected Sazerac’s takeover proposal, saying it did not align with its members’ vision for Brown-Forman’s future. The company’s board subsequently said the offer wasn’t “actionable.” But Sazerac appealed directly to Brown family shareholders on July 24, saying its offer represented a 40% premium to Brown-Forman’s recent trading price. “Our offer remains open and our conviction is only enhanced,” Sazerac wrote. Three days after the Brown brothers circulated their letter, Whiting told the board he would step down once a successor is found. The turmoil comes as Brown-Forman battles weakening demand. The company reported $3.9 billion in sales for its latest fiscal year while net income fell 18%, according to the Journal. The company also laid off 12% of its roughly 5,400 employees last year, and closed its Louisville cooperage. Trying to keep the clan together is chairman Marshall Farrer, 55, a fifth-generation descendant and the 10th Brown family member to hold the title. The family once printed a “Family Constitution” on bottles of Old Forester pledging “long-term growth and independence through the family’s control” and “trust, respect and diplomatic candor” among relatives. That pledge is now getting jolted as jarringly as a couple shots of Jack’s without a chaser. “Sometimes you think of the Southern company that’s very nice and generous with each other,” Farrer told shareholders in July. “There’s a lot more toughness going on.”

WASHINGTON — Last week, ahead of the 50% tariffs he planned to impose on a wide range of Canadian products, President Donald Trump announced a three-day pause to finalize a deal. “We had a very good conversation with the prime minister last night, and we’ve come to a deal with Canada,” Trump said Wednesday. American whiskey producers had hoped an agreement would spur Canadian provinces to put U.S.-made spirits back on the shelves of government liquor stores. All but two provinces stopped selling American alcohol last year, in retaliation for Trump’s tariffs on Canadian products including steel and aluminum. But over the weekend, trade talks between the U.S. and Canada collapsed and the president’s 50% tariffs went into effect. “They asked too much and they offered too little,” said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday. “Canada will match Washington's new tariffs, dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses.” Trump posted on social media Monday: “On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with. They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!” The Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition, representing distillers, hospitality workers and others, said in a statement: “We recognize the Trump administration's efforts to encourage the Canadian provinces to return American spirits and wine products to store shelves and understand that these retaliatory tariffs are intended to restore market access for U.S. producers. However, a 50% tariff on Canadian spirits, wine and glass bottles will also have consequences for U.S. hospitality businesses.” Todd Belt, a professor and director of political management at The George Washington University, said tariffs are not spread uniformly across the country. “Donald Trump is looking at our trade balances and imbalances, punishing certain countries, but one of the things I don't think he really realizes is that there are certain states, and certain localities that really bear the brunt of some of these decisions he makes, and for Kentucky, the whiskey industry, they export a lot, and this can really hurt them,” said Belt. After Canadian provinces pulled American alcohol from shelves, U.S. liquor exports to Canada dropped 70% year-over-year from March through December of last year, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. The council, the American Whiskey Association and the Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition are all pushing for the U.S. and Canada to reach a resolution restoring market access for American liquor.

Forget Jack Daniel's — Some Of The World's Best-Selling Whiskeys Come From India Brands like Jack Daniel's or Johnnie Walker are so ubiquitous, it can make it seem like we live in a world divided into kingdoms of American or Scotch whisky, (with a few Irish and Japanese strongholds). That's not true. The best-selling whiskies in the world are Indian, and by a staggering amount. For several years, the Spirits Business Brand Champion's Report has illuminated how dominant Indian whisky sales are in the global market in terms of volume, and this year's is no different. Of the top 10 whisky/whiskey brands, 60% were from India. These whiskies took the first four spots, with the top drop being Royal Stag, followed by McDowell's No.1, Officer's Choice, and Imperial Blue respectively. Number five is Johnnie Walker, the world's best selling scotch. Jack Daniel's only ranks seventh, recording less than half the amount of whiskey sold compared to Royal Stag. There are few factors that help Indian whiskies achieve such high volume. The country's comparatively large population of over 1.4 billion people creates a massive market for domestic sales. This market is also insulated by high tariffs on imported spirits, 75% for scotch (recently dropped from 150%), and duties of between 100% and 150% for American-made whiskeys. That means the very affordable and locally relevant Indian brands are more accessible for "everyday" drinking that fuels volume sales. Royal Stag can cost the equivalent of around $7 USD per bottle domestically. Meanwhile, India also exports its whisky to global markets, growing volume sales overseas. The rankings are somewhat controversial There is no shortage of controversy in Indian whisky's status as the best-selling in the word, with dispute about whether these spirits actually count as whisky, due to the majority of them including neutral molasses-derived spirits, rather than grain alone. This isn't permitted in most definitions of whisky or whiskey around the world, but it's long been a unique aspect of making the spirit in India. However, Royal Stag, now the world's top selling whisky by a considerable margin, first made a name for itself by blending imported scotch with Indian grain spirits rather than molasses, which aligns it more closely to traditional definitions. India consumes nearly half the world's whisky, and while spirit sales in America shrunk by 2.2% in 2025, the Indian whisky market is projected to grow by around 7% every year until 2034, per IMARC GROUP. Royal Stag stole the top spot from the other Indian whisky leader, United Spirits-owned McDowell's No.1, which held the position for six years. Royal Stag was launched in 1995 by Seagrams, which was purchased by Pernod Rocard in 2001. Those who've tried it rate Royal Stag's flagship whisky as smooth and medium-bodied with malt notes, as well as classic vanilla, dried fruit,oak, and light smoke. McDowell's No.1 Original also delivers confectionary notes of vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, and fruity and citrus notes. Both are described as being sweet, and while drinkable on their own, shine more in refreshing formats; on rocks or in mixers or cocktails.