The Sazerac Company recently announced it’s bringing a second edition of “Mister Sam” blended whiskey to market, and the expression will be made with some of Sazerac’s prime American and Canadian whiskeys.
Created to honor Sam Bronfman, or “Mister Sam” as he was affectionately known, this blend was created by Sazerac’s Master Blender Drew Mayville, whose career included 22 years at Seagram’s where he was the fourth and final master blender under the Seagram banner.
As he was developing Mister Sam, Mayville is said to have had a plethora of Sazerac’s finest American and Canadian whiskey stocks at his disposal.
This project holds a special place in Mayville’s heart, said the native Canadian now living in Kentucky.
“Creating Mister Sam has been one of the highlights of my career,” he explained in a prepared statement. “The second release is very evocative of the first, with the same bold and complex flavors, but I believe this blend to be even closer to perfect. We’ve blended it with whiskies that slightly softened the explosive finish to allow a greater enjoyment of the essence of the whiskey.”
Montreal served as the headquarters of the famed Seagram Company and its patriarch Sam Bronfman. The ties between Sam Bronfman’s Seagram’s Company and The Sazerac Company span nearly 80 years, when Sazerac’s owners became one of the first distributors of Seagram brands in the United States. This forged what’s described as a long-lasting relationship between the two companies.
Today, Sazerac owns 15 former Seagram’s brands including Seagram’s V.O., Seagram’s Five Star, and Seagram’s ’83, along with its own distillery in Montreal.
Despite what’s said to be Bronfman’s humble origins as an immigrant to Canada from Imperial Russia in the late 1800s, he would go on to propel Seagram’s into the then largest distilled spirits company in the world.
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It was “Mister Sam” that created what’s described as some of the world’s most iconic spirit brands while at the helm of the Seagram’s empire until his death in 1971.
The first release of Mister Sam blended whiskey in 2019 earned a Gold Medal at the 2020 and 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a Gold Medal (96 points) at the 2020 International Wine and Spirits Competition, and Best Blended Whiskey in the 2021 World Whiskies Award.
Bottled at Sazerac’s Old Montreal Distillery in Montreal, Quebec, this release of “Mister Sam” is 122.6 proof and will be available only in the United States and Canada. Suggested Retail Price is $249.99.
Bottles of “Mister Sam” are presented in a bespoke wooden box with a copy of the “From Little Acorns” book which Sam Bronfman penned in 1970 detailing the history of the Seagram’s company.
The Old Montreal Distillery, located adjacent to the Port and Old Montreal, dates back to 1929. Sazerac purchased the Distillery in 2011 and brought distilling back to Old Montreal for the first time in decades when it installed a still and began producing whisky in early 2018. The distillery recently added a visitor center which pays tribute to Mister Sam, as well as a gift shop. Public tours will be offered soon.
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