Latest news with #StoliGroup
Pink Villa
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Is Brad Pitt Planning on Marrying Ines de Ramon? Source Reveals How 'Serious' Actor is Amid Angelina Jolie Divorce
Brad Pitt's personal life has often made headlines in the past years, and now, too, his romance with Ines de Ramon is in the news. The actor stepped in at the NYC premiere of F1 with his girlfriend, and the duo looked very much in love as they posed for the cameras. Following their big moment in the public domain, the source close to the couple revealed that they are quite 'serious' about each other. However, Pitt, who has found love again after two failed marriages, is said to not be planning a wedding with de Ramon yet. Brad Pitt is in a good place with Ines de Ramon Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon reportedly got together in 2022, following the actor's separation from his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie. The duo sparked romance rumors after making an appearance at the Wolfs movie premiere together. Amid the couple's relationship making headlines, an insider revealed to the media portal that while the duo is 'serious' and committed, Pitt said 'he won't marry again.' The source also went on to reveal, 'Generally, he's in a pretty good place. He's happy and everything is going super well with Ines. She's been really great for him. She's very cool, very relaxed.' Meanwhile, the new reports about Pitt and Ines come amid the actor preparing to face Jolie in court. The Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-stars, who were married for five years, will have a legal showdown over their winery, Chateau Miraval. Brad Pitt to face Angelina Jolie in court Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie owned the shares in the property together while they were married. Following the split, the exes still hold their shares in the winery. In 2021, however, the Maria actress wrote to her ex-husband that she wanted out of it. Despite trying to buy out Jolie initially, Pitt filed a lawsuit claiming that the actress did not keep her promise. The former partners were in an agreement that none of the duo would sell their shares without informing the other. The actor mentioned in his filing that Jolie sold her stake to the Stoli Group without consulting him. According to the media reports, the trial date has not been decided upon yet, but it is confirmed to go on for two weeks.
Forbes
20-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Whiskey Of The Week: Kentucky Owl Batch #13 Bourbon
Kentucky Owl has a weird, possibly unique story in the annals of whiskey history. The brand's history dates back to 1879, when it was founded by Charles M. Dedman and awarded license DSP-16 to produce distilled spirits. By all accounts the distillery was a successful one, lasting until Prohibition fever started sweeping the nation in the second decade of the 20th century. According to lore, Kentucky Owl ceased production in 1916 (three years before Prohibition became law in Kentucky and four years before it went into effect nationwide) and several thousand barrels of whiskey were put into a federally controlled warehouse. Shortly thereafter, a suspicious fire either destroyed the whiskey or liberated it for use in the nascent bootlegging industry, depending on who you ask. Fast forward almost a century, to 2014, when Dedman's great-great grandson, Dixon Dedman, decided to revive the Kentucky Owl name. Using sourced whiskeys this time, he created a blended bourbon in a classy bottle that sold for eye-popping prices — $170 for a blend sourced from unnamed distilleries was a lot less common a decade ago than it is today. And it was an immediate hit, with each batch selling out almost instantly. In 2017, Dedman released the first Kentucky Owl rye, and the same year sold the brand to Stoli Group. Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer John Rhea rides off into the sunset with a terrific, if expensive, blend. Photo courtesy Stoli Group The plan was for Dedman to stay on as blender and frontman, but business differences soon reared their ugly head. By 2021 he was out; nowadays he's back blending his 2XO brand. At the same time, Stoli Group was stumbling, eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2024. Kentucky Owl, loosed from its historical connection to its founder, endures, though it's been a mixed bag in the Stoli era, with excellent additions to the permanent range like Confiscated bourbon constrasted with head-scratchers like the St. Patrick's Edition. It also spawned The Wiseman, an inexpensive, relatively satisfying spinoff brand. Longtime Four Roses distillery COO and Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee John Rhea took the blending reins from Dedman in 2021, and the Batch series of limited edition blends continued to draw rave reviews on his watch, even as the suggested retail price rose to $400 (bottles can be found for less — and more — if you search online). If it's any consolation to your wallet, the new Kentucky Owl Batch #13 Bourbon may at least wind up being a collector's item, because it's John Rhea's final blend before retiring after almost half a century in the whiskey biz. He can ride off into the sunset knowing he's going out on a high note — it's been a while since I tried one of the Batches, but Lucky 13 is as good as any I've tasted. Batch #13 is a blend of high-rye and wheated bourbons sourced, as always, from unnamed distilleries — mostly 8-9 years old, along with some 4, 5, and 6 in the mix. Bottled at a cask strength of 56.8% ABV, it's rich and intense on the palate, with desserty chocolate and caramel notes overlaid with candied orange peel. Oak and peppery tannins show up midpalate and linger on the finish along with gooey, fudgy chocolate. It's a sophisticated, well-balanced sipper that also appeals to my sweet tooth. As with all the Kentucky Owl Batches, #13 is a limited edition, though just how limited isn't known. As of this writing it's available through ReserveBar and soon to arrive on Flaviar, with bottles going to select brick-and-mortar retailers throughout the U.S. as well. Based on the continued availability of some earlier Batches, I wouldn't necessarily recommend sprinting with a fistful of bills to your local liquor emporium this very instant. But should a bottle cross your path, it'd be wise to make room on the shelf for it.
