Liquid assets: the latest drinks launches for September

Highland Park’s new peaty number

Highland Park has added a new whisky to its Cask Strength series. Cask Strength Release No.3 uses whisky made with a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt making it smokier compared to the other single malts in the series. It has been matured predominantly in first-fill sherry seasoned American and European oak casks and a small quantity of refill casks, resulting in a spirit that is said to have flavours of charred oak, tropical fruits, aniseed, heather honey, vanilla cream, aromatic violet, sponge cake and peat smoke. It is available from 1 September priced at £65 a bottle.

St John’s ‘ode to the bounties of overproduction’

St John has expanded its own-label wine portfolio with a Crémant de Limoux in magnum format and a 2018 Pauillac. The former is already a big seller in its standard-sized bottle iteration while the latter marks the iconic restaurant group’s first move into fine wine. Available in a limited supply of 2,400 bottles, St John Déclassifié Pauillac 2018 is priced at £42 and is billed as ‘an ode to the bounties of overproduction’ and ‘a chance opportunity to sample one of France’s greatest wines from the Pauillac region at a fair price’. Expect dark, elegant black fruits on the nose, with a balanced acidity and ‘deep, stylish tannin’. As with the rest of the group’s own label output the wines are sold in its restaurants, online and to the trade. 

Innis & Gunn create limited edition Pedro Ximénez cask-aged beer 

Cask-matured beer specialist Innis & Gunn has released a limited-edition variant of its flagship beer The Original that’s finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Priced at £7 per 330ml bottle, The Original: PX is a 7.4% Scottish Golden Beer ‘inspired by the long-standing love Scots have for sherry’ which dates back to the 1600s, when casks containing the Spanish fortified wine arrived at the Port of Leith in Edinburgh, Innis & Gunn’s hometown. The beer spends three months in the casks with the result described as ‘incredibly smooth and rich in flavour’ with aromas of caramel and vanilla with hints of fig and jam. 

Cider for people that don’t like cider

South African cider brand Sxollie has launched in the UK with a range of drinks made from pressed eating apples that challenge the ‘dreary perceptions of cider’. Pronounced sko-llie, the cider is fermented with Champagne yeasts in stainless steel tanks to preserve the ‘bright apple varieties’ and is billed as a 100% natural product with no concentrate or added sugar. The range consists of three different ‘xiders’ that Sxollie says pair well with food: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Cripps Pink. 

BrewDog Distilling Co teams up with Candy Kittens

BrewDog has teamed up with gourmet sweets brand Candy Kittens for a second time to produce a 40% Raspberry and Guava-flavoured vodka. The collaboration follows the success of Brewdog’s Candy Kittens New England IPA, which was also flavoured with raspberry and guava. Using a ‘grain to glass approach’, BrewDog Distilling Co uses triple bubble distillation for four days before infusing with British raspberries and guava that combine with top notes of strawberry and pear for a ‘delicious sipper’. The suggested serve is the Candy Kittens Cosmo, made with Cointreau, lime juice, cranberry juice and guava juice. 

Signature Brew keeps things summery

Craft beer brand Signature Brew is helping prolong the summer vibe with a new fruity sour. Called Summer in the City, the 4.8% abv beer is a strawberry, raspberry and watermelon sour that is described as being the beer equivalent of a fruit punch. The London-based brewer has also released vegan and gluten-free beer Rewind. The India pale lager has an abv of 4.7% and has a flavour profile that includes hints of pine and citrus.

The perks of being a Wallflower

Lanchester Wines has launched a new range in 187ml cans that comprises easy drinking red, white and rose wines. All sourced from Spain, the red is a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, the white is Airen and Macabeo while the rose is a Garnacha Rosado. “Cans are an uncomplicated packaging solution which are lightweight, easy to stack and infinitely recyclable,” says Lanchester Wines director of sales Mark Roberts. “They can be chilled quickly and are hermetically sealed to ensure the wine stays fresher for longer.” All Wallflower wines are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The Wallflower cans were filled at Greencroft Bottling’s wine canning line, which was the first wine canning line in the UK.