Pluto Vodka takes home the top prize at the 2024 Singapore World Spirits Competition.

The Singapore World Spirits Competition has just compiled its annual list of top tipples across all major categories of adult beverage. And we’ve landed the exclusive results before anyone else. Last week we revealed what bottle of bourbon the prestigious panel of judges selected as the best on the planet. Now it’s time to see what the “Lion City” had to say about the ultimate vodka.

But first a little refresh on the contest itself. Founded in 2019 by the Tasting Alliance, the Singapore World Spirits Competition initially focused on booze produced and consumed in the Asia Pacific region. In the subsequent years it has expanded to envelop a more global perspective. Though virtually all of its judges—and a large percentage of the thousands of entries they sip through—do hail from this general corner of the globe. Nowadays, it’s counted among the top spirit tastings therein.

Which brings us to the Best In Show Vodka, as ordained by the 2024 Singapore panelists. While they didn’t opt for an expression from Asia, the winner does come from Oceania. It’s Pluto Vodka, from the scenic Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. The 80-proof liquid is crafted by its eponymous distiller out of 100% organic Australian sugarcane. That unique ingredient is also cool-fermented, allowing for a more expressive type of liquid after a 10x distillation process.

What pours from the bottle holds a subtle sweetness, as you might suspect. But an equally alluring component of the sip is a rich body that almost evokes coconut cream. It noses with more of the same. These characteristics undoubtedly curried favor with the judges in Singapore. And they’re not the only ones to be wooed accordingly. Just last year alone, Pluto Spirits collected a Master Medal at the Global. Vodka Masters to go along with a Best Vodka accolade at the Tasting Australia Spirit Awards 2023.

Pluto batch distills its vodka with zero additives and sells it for around $68 AUD (about $46 USD). For $10 more, they’ll ship it anywhere across Australia. The only hitch is that they’re not distributing in the United States—yet. Given the brand’s recent run of success, you might soon see Pluto products gracing American shelves. In addition to the vodka, the distillery also makes a gin and a pair of tasty rums. So keep an eye out for all of that.

In the meantime, we’ll be back in the days ahead with a few more newly-crowned champions out of Singapore. Keep it parked here to be the first to know.

Seagulls, Victor Harbor, Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, Australia.

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The Mistake is a whiskey that was accidentally created.

The folks at Natterjack Irish Whiskey made a mistake, but they decided to roll with it. They also decided that, since it was made in error, to call it The Mistake.

A serendipitous production mishap, the new whiskey is the result of taking their regular whiskey, which marries both Irish and American aging techniques, and accidentally leaving it in 46 of the producer’s Virgin American oak casks for an additional year.

Natterjack traditionally finishes its Irish Whiskey for just one year. Featured in three different bottle label designs, The Mistake will be available at select Total Wine & More stores and other fine wine & spirit retailers. A limited number will also be available for purchase online at shop.natterjack.com. The Mistake has 46 percent alcohol by volume, and the suggested retail price is $58.99. Like other Natterjack whiskeys, The Mistake is distributed in 14 states including New York, Florida, Illinois, Texas, California and more.

“This was a very happy accident,” said Aidan Mehigan, founder and CEO of Natterjack Irish Whiskey. “After discovering the barrels, we opened one of them and there was this burst of hickory barbecue and toasted walnut aromas.”

“At first taste, we could tell right away there was double the flavor and extract, and powerful oak,” he says. “That’s when we knew we had something special.”

The Mistake is aged first in former bourbon barrels for three and a half years. The liquid is then finished in a Virgin American oak cask for two years using a char level of 4.

Mehigan’s whiskeys marry both Irish and American whiskey making heritage. “I absolutely love bourbon so to me the thought of producing a whiskey using both Irish and American techniques just made sense,” Mehigan says, explaining that his whiskeys are aged first in barrels were used to make bourbon before being finished in virgin American oak casks.

On the nose, The Mistake releases those aromas of hickory barbecue and toasted walnut, followed by singed cinnamon and seared orange zest. Sweet almond then gives way to leather and grain, or saddle and feed. Upon the first sip, there is vanilla bean on the front palate giving way to a blast of anise or licorice. Notes of powerful oak come with warm molasses, toffee and a touch of Granny Smith apple, with a long hug of a finish.

The three different labels for it all feature a special toad, the natterjack, which is the only toad found in Ireland. Mehigan suggests enjoying The Mistake in booze-forward cocktails like the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, or the Mint Julep. Two recipes featured for The Mistake are the Natterjack Irish Coffee Martini, which is made with 1.4 ounces The Mistake, 1 oz. coffee liqueur, 1 ounce espresso and one quarter ounce simple syrup, and One for the Toad, which is made with equal parts The Mistake and pineapple juice.

The Mistake is Mehigan’s third release. Natterjack debuted with Natterjack Irish Whiskey, which retails for $39.99 and has a 40 percent ABV, and Natterjack Cask Strength, which retails for $89.99 and has a 63 percent ABV.

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News News | Jul 26, 2024

ateres-martinez@postindependent.com

“This here’s how mountain folks deal with drought, wildfires, burn scars and floods during a global pandemic … we jam.” 

This is how Americana jamb band Whiskey Stomp introduced themselves in their 2022 demo video, describing the sentiment that has embedded itself into Garfield County’s music scene in recent years.

Whiskey Stromp is made up of six members all born and raised in the Western Slope. They perform a mix of original and cover music from a wide variety of artists.

“We’re kind of running the gamut from classic rock to what I like to call ‘white boy reggae,’” Jeff Rice laughed.

The band showcases Clint Thompson on drums and vocals, Jake Lincoln on percussion and vocals, Kendall Spyker on guitar and vocals, Jeff Rice on guitar and vocals, Dan Werner on bass, and John Paul Riger on keyboard.

“I think with us we all bring a bunch of different flavors to the band,” Thompson said. “We’re all over the place, really.”

The band began playing music around 2015, though it had not yet adopted the name Whiskey Stomp, or all of its members.

It started off with open mic nights at Rivers Restaurant in Glenwood Springs, where Rice met Spyker for the first time. Lincoln worked as a bartender there, though he and Rice knew each other from way back.

“Jake also went to school with my kids, and so I’ve known Jake since he was little. Since 9 or 10 years old,” Rice said.

Thompson joined the group soon after meeting Lincoln (who had not officially joined) and he began performing with Rice at open mics at the Black Dog Saloon in New Castle, where they convinced Spyker to officially join the group. Still without its iconic name, the band saw several temporary members come and go over three years before becoming the lineup people know and love.

“So the lineup you see now, the six of us, started about six years ago. And a little over two years ago, this six-member piece solidified, and it’s been this way now for over two years,” Rice said. 

Their ever-evolving group was a perfect match for their ever-evolving name.

“We had some funny names,” Rice said. “I drove a Volvo XC70, and everybody said, ‘Oh, that’s a luxury wagon you’re driving,’ so we literally had these funny names for a little short period of time, like Luxury Wagon.”

“One day we just thought, ‘Let’s get a real name,’” Rice continued. “And I think it all started when (we) were having a whiskey … and we’re coming up with all these names, and everybody’s like, ‘No, Jeff. No, Jeff.’ And we all took a shot of whiskey and we put it down and somebody said ‘Whiskey Stomp,’ and it just stuck.” 

The members’ ages range from early 30s to late 60s, though the age difference is long forgotten by the time the stage lights turn on and the band belts out its opening line.

The band described Garfield County’s music scene as “vibrant,” though not without its challenges.

“It is varied and it is packed. If you go looking, you can find live music everywhere,” Rice said. “So it’s very vibrant, from solo acoustic players to full-blown blowing-the-back-windows-out rock bands.”

He explained that one of the best parts of being a musician in the valley is just that: other musicians. Many are happy to collaborate with other bands or jump in when a member is absent from a performance.

“Not only that, but the quality of musicians in this valley are top notch,” Thompson added. “It’s easy to call each other.”

In a place where it can sometimes be difficult to find the right gigs, there’s no gatekeeping between “competing” artists — a term rarely used to describe other musicians in the valley.

“These people are calling each other (and saying), ‘Hey, I got a gig over here’ or, ‘Hey, my drummer can’t make it. Can you do this?’” Thompson said.

In fact, Rice said he’s heard other local bands perform covers of their original music.

“There’s a lot of ‘I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine’ kind of thing,” Lincoln said.

One of the reasons this collaboration is so meaningful to Whiskey Stromp is due to one of the biggest challenges faced by musicians in the valley: limited opportunities.

“There’s a lot of great musicians here, but not as many places to play,” Thompson said.

They’ve especially seen this problem in Glenwood Springs following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is no (almost) music, it kind of died,” Lincoln said. “Just in terms of the venues hosting local musicians … There were plenty of bars and venues that would host music, and it’s whittled down to maybe two.”

Seasonal venues like Bethel Plaza and Two Rivers Park keep live music alive and well during the city’s summer concert series, though some have cut their runtime from months to weeks.

“That used to be literally like a 12-week run in the summer. It’s whittled down to six weeks now,” Rice said.

Rice and Lincoln acknowledged the city has been doing a better job at incorporating music into farmer’s markets and other special events, though the winter brings its own challenges.

“We’ve lost venues where we could go and play music in a bar,” Rice said. “Eagles Club is long gone. Rivers (Restaurant) is long gone. There were (more) back in the day.”

Whiskey Stomp has found much better luck playing in nearby towns like Rifle, Carbondale and Aspen, where dinner and bar scenes and local performance venues are gaining popularity.

“Brew Zone is one of the up-and-coming ones that are really trying to go out and support local live music,” Thompson said of the Rifle establishment. “For me, what matters most is, is the venue trying to support the artists that are playing?”

Ultimately, however, the members of Whiskey Stomp agreed the challenges were worth the reward of living and performing in the valley.

“I’ve never played in a more beautiful place than this area,” Thompson said. “I’ll be driving … and I’m like, ‘I cannot believe I live in Colorado and get to play with this kick-ass band.” 

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Significant insider control over Rumble implies vested interests in company growth

A total of 4 investors have a majority stake in the company with 52% ownership

Insiders have been selling lately

A look at the shareholders of Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ:RUM) can tell us which group is most powerful. We can see that individual insiders own the lion’s share in the company with 53% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Despite selling some shares recently, insiders control a good portion of the company’s stock. As a result, the group bore the brunt of last week’s US$171m market cap loss.

Let’s delve deeper into each type of owner of Rumble, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for Rumble

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

Rumble already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It’s therefore worth looking at Rumble’s earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Rumble is not owned by hedge funds. The company’s CEO Christopher Pavlovski is the largest shareholder with 37% of shares outstanding. Daniel Bongino is the second largest shareholder owning 5.8% of common stock, and Robert Arsov holds about 5.3% of the company stock. Interestingly, the third-largest shareholder, Robert Arsov is also a Lead Director, again, indicating strong insider ownership amongst the company’s top shareholders.

On looking further, we found that 52% of the shares are owned by the top 4 shareholders. In other words, these shareholders have a meaningful say in the decisions of the company.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understanding of a stock’s expected performance. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage.

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions, it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our information suggests that insiders own more than half of Rumble Inc.. This gives them effective control of the company. That means insiders have a very meaningful US$1.0b stake in this US$1.9b business. Most would argue this is a positive, showing strong alignment with shareholders. You can click here to see if they have been selling down their stake.

With a 38% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising individual investors, have some degree of sway over Rumble. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we’ve discovered 2 warning signs for Rumble that you should be aware of before investing here.

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

Of all the major Kentucky whiskey producers, Wild Turkey has perhaps had the most unconventional attitude toward rye over the course of its existence. Long associated with bourbon, the company has actually produced rye whiskey almost as long … but in its earlier days, Wild Turkey sold sourced, mature rye it was picking up from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Even after the company’s production was centralized in Kentucky in the 1970s, rye whiskey was just never really an integral part of the Wild Turkey identity–certainly part in least to the fact that Master Distiller Jimmy Russell was never much of a rye whiskey fan. It was just a minor part of the Wild Turkey story, which is what makes the evolution to the newly released Master’s Keep Triumph Rye Whiskey such an interesting one.

Ultimately, it was the incoming influence of the second and third generation of Russells that built Wild Turkey into a legitimate rye whiskey producer. In the 2000s, Jimmy’s son and current co-Master Distiller Eddie Russell first went to bat for rye by putting his name on Russell’s Reserve 6-Year-Old Rye in 2007, followed by Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye in 2015. This evolved into the first limited edition rye release in the form of 2019’s Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye, which coincidentally enough was also around the time that Wild Turkey limited release began to be hunted by bourbon collectors with the same intensity as bottles from the likes of Buffalo Trace. The interest in rye has only grown stronger due to the newer influence of Eddie’s son Bruce Russell, who is reportedly even more passionate about rye whiskey than his father. And given that Bruce Russell is now clearly on the road to being the next Master Distiller, as evidenced by last year’s Wild Turkey Generations release, his preferences loom large as a potential preview of how the company will continue to treat the rye demographic in the future.

Master’s Keep Triumph has an easy selling point for whiskey geeks: It’s the oldest age-stated rye released by Wild Turkey to date, at 10 years. It’s easier to find comparable age stated ryes these days on package store shelves than it once was, but anything with a double digit age statement is still a relative rarity from Wild Turkey–particularly in the form of rye whiskey. Note that as always, the “10 years” denotes the youngest whiskey in the blend, as portions of this release are reported to be up to 12 years of age. It weighs in at 52% ABV (104 proof), with a high MSRP of $275, unfortunately indicative of the modern era of the Campari-owned distillery’s very expensive limited edition releases.

So with that said, let’s get to tasting this Wild Turkey rye as it ventures out into uncharted waters.

On the nose, I’m immediately enjoying the interplay here between fruity, herbal and vanilla-type notes. There’s plenty of herbaceous, slightly grassy, rye, joined by a lighter floral vanilla, charred oak and pepper grinder, but also a fruitiness that puts me in mind of fresh figs and a little dried fruit as well. As it sits in the glass, I find the overtly charred woodiness softens and transitions into something more evocative of coffee roast and toastier oak impressions, with more baking spice coming to the front. Overall, it’s a lovely combination of sweet and spice.

On the palate, the same holds true. I expect that some whiskey geeks will tag this as having a definite “bourye” feel to it, as the sweetness and oak character are certainly evocative of a bourbon/rye blend. I’m getting plenty of fruit and baking spice here, with lots of dark fruitiness, slightly vinous currant and red licorice up front immediately, along with dark honey sweetness, espresso roast and a big charge of spicy oak. It has a complex spiciness that starts out more on the herbal end, with greener rye spice, fennel and pepper, and then transitions to sweeter, toasty baking spice notes of cardamom, cola and brown sugar. The oak brings both char and mild roasty astringency, and also savory notes of maturity with flashes of tobacco.

My immediate impression here: This is really interesting stuff, appreciably complex and layered in its flavors. It’s easily the most mature-tasting modern rye release I’ve sampled from Wild Turkey to date, and a great indication of how the distillery’s treatment of rye whiskey has been quietly maturing over the last decade under the watchful eye of Eddie and Bruce Russell. It’s a great indicator that Wild Turkey has a promising future ahead of it as a standout producer of Kentucky straight rye whiskey. Fans of rye whiskey and the distillery will both want to go out of their way to add it to their collections, even though the price point will likely sting.

Distillery: Wild Turkey (Campari)

City: Lawrenceburg, KY

Style: Kentucky straight rye whiskey

ABV: 52% (104 proof)

Availability: Limited, 750 ml bottles, $275 MSRP

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident beer and liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.

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