To Infinity and Beyond

Infinity was created to showcase the great length of palate associated with Bruichladdich. This bottling, the third in the series, makes the ideal digestif.
Jim McEwan, Bruichladdich’s head distiller, started his whisky career 45 years ago as a cooper rising to be master of that trade; he knows all there is to know about casks.

That knowledge, together with his renown distilling experience, has led to the creation of Infinity 3, from casks specifically chosen out of over 35,000 maturing in our warehouses.

Quercus Alba, better known as American oak, is the standard for Bourbon production then whisky aging.  But unusually, in this case, the association is not US but entirely with Spain.

Only Spanish grown Quercus Alba – refill Sherry and Ribero (tempranillo) casks – were used for this multi-vintage Bruichladdich, drawn from several ages, styles and peat levels.

The peatiness has been upped slightly over the two original bottlings, stocks of which are now exhausted. This is a general release, stocks are expected to last until 2011/12.

The brief for this decidedly personal cuvée was to produce a complex, multi-layered malt with a provocatively infinite finish: the ideal digestif dram – mellow, rich, spice and fruit.

Notes for Editors

High Resolution Images & Info: http://web.me.com/markreynier/Infinity/Intro.html

UK distribution: Blavod, 202 Fulham Road, London SW10 9PJ  – contact: rambler@blavodextreme.com 
To Order: Phyllis Taylor 0207 3522096 
Exports: Andrew Gray andrew@bruichladdich.com

http://www.bruichladdich.com/

Available worldwide – bottled at 50% alc.vol

Replaces Infinity 1 & 2.  Stocks expected to last until 2011/2012

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted a new item, ‘Ballechin 4 Oloroso’

Ballechin 4 Oloroso (Peaty Edradour)
46% abv
£57.90 inc vat
£50.35 ex vat

 (and a truly extraordinary tasting note from LFW!)
You may view the latest post at
https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/08/24/ballechin-4-oloroso/

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Governor Steve Beshear’s Communications Office
Governor Beshear declares September “Bourbon Heritage Month”
Press Release Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Contact Information: Jay Blanton
Jill Midkiff
502-564-2611

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear today honored Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry for its tremendous economic and tourism impact by declaring September “Bourbon Heritage Month” in the Commonwealth.

“From jobs to investment to tourism, bourbon is a vital part of the Bluegrass economy that benefits all of Kentucky’s citizens,” Gov. Beshear said. “It’s also a key export and a proud symbol of our heritage that’s known and acknowledged around the world.

“It’s a privilege to proclaim September ‘Bourbon Heritage Month’ in recognition of our historic distilling industry. My administration is committed to working with our distillers to help this essential part of our economy grow and thrive.”

Beshear also congratulated the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. “Visitors from all 50 states and around the globe are flocking to Kentucky in record numbers to enjoy the bourbon experience,” Gov. Beshear said.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® links eight of the state’s historic distilleries: Brown Forman’s Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Tom Moore and Wild Turkey.

“Thanks to bourbon, more and more visitors are staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants and pumping much-needed revenue into local economies,” Gov. Beshear said. “And it can only happen in Kentucky, the birthplace of bourbon.”

Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world’s supply of bourbon, with nearly 5 million barrels currently aging in the Commonwealth, said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

That’s the biggest total inventory since 1983, Gregory said, with a tax-assessed value of $1.6 billion – an increase of $324 million from 2008. Bourbon production has increased more than 75 percent since 1999, he said.

The distilling industry’s economic benefits to Kentucky include:

$3 billion in gross state product;
More than 3,200 direct jobs with an annual payroll exceeding $326 million;
$115 million in state and local taxes every year;
More than $100 million in planned capital investment; and
More than 1.5 million visits to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® in the last five years alone.
September also marks the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which runs Sept. 15 through Sept. 20 this year. It has grown to more than 55,000 visitors from 40 states and 14 countries, said Milt Spalding, the festival’s executive director.

“We appreciate the support and commitment of Gov. Beshear in growing this unique and integral part of the Bluegrass economy,” Gregory said. “Bourbon has a rich history in Kentucky dating back 200 years, and we’re confident that the best is yet to come.”

###

http://kentucky.gov/Pages/home.aspx

Dear All,

Highland Park places all went in an hour yesterday, so we’re moving on to the next options:-

In addition to this, we’ve also got the services of Mr Phil Huckle from Chivas Regal on the evening of Monday 21st September. For those of you that assume that blend is inferior to single malt and that the word conjures up some fairly horrific memories of a bottle of Glen Bagpipe ‘Finest’ (sic) Blended Whisky that some benevolent soul picked you up from Tesbury’sdasons for Xmas (which you’ve subsequently used for removing sticky-tape residue), we’d say that you’ll definitely be missing out on a treat. Longmorn and Strathisla are two of our favourite whiskies and they, along with some 18yo grain whisky, form the heart of Chivas Regal’s 18yo Blend and we’re never slow to recommend a bottle of that to anyone who’s looking for a great blend.

This is a rare chance to experience how the ‘ingredients’ of a blend come together and you can judge for yourself if the sum is greater than the parts. At the moment we’re likely to limit this event to a maximum of 30 places and tickets for this will be £25 each which will go on sale from 3pm on Thursday 27th August.

All that remains is for us to wish you the best of luck with the redial button and we hope to see as many of you as possible over the course of September, even if you only call round to see the Ardbeg Beastie-Mobile on Saturday 19th….

Kind regards

The Team

The Whisky Exchange

Vinopolis

1 Bank End

London

SE1 9BU

Tel:-  +44 (0) 207 403 8688

Fax:- +44 (0) 207 403 8788

e-mail:-   vinopolis@thewhiskyexchange.com

website:- www.thewhiskyexchange.com

CONTACT: Angela H. Traver
Public Relation Manager
PH: 502-696-5957
atraver@buffalotrace.com
For Immediate Release

BUFFALO TRACE RELEASES MORE EXPERIMENTAL WHISKEY
A Collection of very limited and “one of a kind” whiskeys

FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY— What’s next? After more than twenty years of experimentation, Buffalo Trace Distillery is rolling out the latest release of the prized Experimental Collection. This round of tinkering was conducted to find out how barrels with different wood grains affect bourbon aging. In particular, what impact do barrels made from fast-growth oak trees with coarse grain patterns have on bourbon aging, versus barrels made with slow-growth trees with fine grain?

Here are some answers to that question:
1. FINE GRAIN OAK: These barrels were filled July13, 1994 and bottled May 7, 2009. Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2 was used and the product entered the barrel at 125 proof. After more than 14 years of aging, the slow-growth of fine grain wood concentrated the sugars and imparted extra doses of caramel and vanilla.  The bourbon is rich and exceedingly sweet with an almost syrupy character.  It also has a nice balance of flavors and complexity.

2. COARSE GRAIN OAK: The filling and aging time on these barrels is the same as with the fine grain. After nearly 15 years in the barrel, this whiskey is dry with a balance of smokiness and wood with herbal qualities. The finish is quick and woody and it is slightly heavy with a powerful complexity.
“We continue to learn new and interesting information from these experiments. We never know how they are going to turn out,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “It’s also great to see the excitement that surrounds these releases. The customer feedback is great.”

There are more than 1,500 experimental barrels of whiskey now aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace. Each of the barrels has unique characteristics making it different from all others. Some examples of these experiments include unique mash bills, types of wood and barrel toasts.  In order to further increase the scope, flexibility and range of the experimental program an entire micro distillery complete with cookers, fermenting tanks and a state of the art micro still has been constructed within the Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Experimental Collection will be packaged in 375ml bottles. Each label will include all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskies will be released in late May of 2009 and retail for approximately $46.35 each. Each experiment is rare and very limited. For more information on the Experimental Collection or the other products of Buffalo Trace Distillery, please contact Kris Comstock at kcomstock@buffalotrace.com.

About Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and has included such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Trace has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Buffalo Trace has also garnered more than 170 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. The distillery is part of the Sazerac family of companies, which has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Franklin County, Bardstown and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland.

Visit Buffalo Trace Distillery at http://www.buffalotrace.com/

SCOTCH TASTING
Friday, September 4, 6:00-8:30pm

Taste over 40 of the worlds finest Single Malt and Blended Scotch Whiskeys! It is recommended you eat prior to the tasting, bring a designated driver or be picked up after this event. Our Gourmet Grocery will provide crackers, bread and cheese. $25 W/Binny’s Card / $30 non-members.

Call 630-717-0100 or email naperville@binnys.com for reservations.
Naperville 790 Royal St. George | Naperville | 630-717-0100

 http://www.binnys.com/

Ballechin / Oloroso Sherry Cask Matured
70cl / 46% / Distillery Bottling
Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
This is the fourth release of Ballechin, the heavily-peated malt from Edradour. The interesting thing here is that while previous releases have been matured in unusual casks like Burgundy and Madeira, this is a straightforward full-term Sherry maturation – and Oloroso sherry at that.
£54.99 inc. VAT (£47.82 ex. VAT )  
     
Hankey Bannister 40 Year old
70cl / 43.3%
Blended Scotch Whisky
Produced to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Hankey Bannister company, this 40yo went on to scoop the title of Best Blended Whisky in the World at the World Whiskies Awards. A true one-off, containing whisky from long-extinct distilleries including Glen Flagler, Killyloch and Garnheath.
£360.00 inc. VAT (£313.04 ex. VAT )  
      
Longmorn 1969 / 39 Year old / Cask# 5295
70cl / 50%
Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Specially bottled by G&M for MdW, this Longmorn 1969 is a single cask bottled in 2008 at the higher-than-normal strength of 50%. Lovely colour on this.
£165.00 inc. VAT (£143.48 ex. VAT )  
      
Speyside / 40 Year old / Sherry Cask
70cl / 55.1% / Douglas Laing
Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Another fascinating bottling for Douglas Laing’s 60th Anniversary celebrations – this time it’s a 40yo from a sherry butt of what could in all honesty be Glenfarclas. Yummy.
£199.00 inc. VAT (£173.04 ex. VAT )  
      
Edradour 1996 / 13 Year old / Natural Cask / OB
70cl / 57.3% / Distillery Bottling
Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
An Edradour 1996 bottled from a single cask at full strength. Judging by the colour, that must have been a pretty active cask to impart so much in just 13 years…
£50.99 inc. VAT (£44.34 ex. VAT )  
      
Macallan 1979 / 30 Year old / DLP
70cl / 45.1% / Douglas Laing
Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Another rarity from the peerless Douglas Laing – an old cask-strength Macallan ‘without the sherry maturation’. We take this to mean that this 1979 vintage 30yo has been matured in ex-bourbon casks.
£178.00 inc. VAT (£154.78 ex. VAT )  
     
Port Charlotte PC8 / Ar Duthchas
70cl / 60.5% / Distillery Bottling
Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
The new Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich is here, arriving the same week that it was named Best Whisky at the 2009 Whisky Fringe in Edinburgh. Last year’s PC7 was regarded as a return to form, it looks like this is another improvement.
£63.99 inc. VAT (£55.64 ex. VAT )  
      
A handful of treasures hitting our online virtual cyber-shelves today.  We have the latest in the highly successful heavily-peated Ballechin series from Edradour (who also chip in with a full strength single cask), this time matured in a ‘normal’ Oloroso sherry cask. 

We also have a very special old Longmorn, Douglas Laing’s latest G1£nf*rcl&s and a 30yo Macallan from a single non-sherry cask. 

And finally, we have the world-conquering Hankey Bannister 40yo.  Which is nice.

*STOP PRESS*  Just in time for the weekend, we have none other than Port Charlotte PC8!
 
Ardmore 25 Year old / 51.4%
70cl / 51.4% / Distillery Bottling
Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
The most recent extension of the revamped Ardmore brand (sister distillery to Laphroaig in the Jim Beam portfolio)is a cask-strength 25 year-old expression. Full and rich, with more than a hint of peat.
£297.56 inc. VAT (£258.75 ex. VAT )  
     
Woodford Reserve Masters / 1838 Sweet Mash
75cl / 43.2%
Another experiment in the Woodford Reserve Masters Collection, this 1838 Sweet Mash expression is made with entirely fresh ingredients – eschewing the addition of ‘Sour’ mash from the previous fermentation (as is standard practice across the industry).
£108.00 inc. VAT (£93.91 ex. VAT )  
    
Speyside 1967 / 41 Year old / Sherry Cask
70cl / 50% / Douglas Laing
Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Bottled in May 2009, this is another cracker from Douglas Laing’s stash of superb sherried malts from a distillery that may or may not be Glenfarclas.
£102.99 inc. VAT (£89.56 ex. VAT )  
      
Amrut Indian Peated Malt
70cl / 46%
Single Malt Indian Whisky
The new 46% Amruts are a very different proposition to the pleasant but unexciting original release. At the higher strength this 24ppm peated effort fairly fizzes along the tastebuds. This is excellent – hugely improved stuff from a distillery coming along in leaps and bounds.
£34.99 inc. VAT (£30.43 ex. VAT )  
      
Amrut Fusion
70cl / 50%
Single Malt Indian Whisky
This high-strength Amrut Fusion gets its name from the fact that it uses two barleys: Indian and Scottish – with the latter being peated for good measure. A really excellent mouthfeel and palate combining oak, smoke, dark fruit, mocha and high-cocoa dark chocolate. Delicious stuff.
£33.99 inc. VAT (£29.56 ex. VAT )  
     
Amrut Two Continents
70cl / 46%
Single Malt Indian Whisky
We were staggered by the quality of this new Amrut, matured first in India before spending its final three years of maturation in Europe. Robust and complex, with deliciously elegant compensating sweetness, this perfectly-balanced dram is a revelatory malt that could herald the breakthrough for Indian whisky.
£44.99 inc. VAT (£39.12 ex. VAT )  
     
Laphroaig 21 Year old / Sherry Finish
70cl / 52.1% / Douglas Laing
Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
A single cask sherried Laphroaig 21yo bottled as part of Douglas Laing’s 60th Anniversary celebrations – 1 bottle per customer.
SOLD OUT
      
Laphroaig Triple Wood
100cl / 48% / Distillery Bottling
Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
A litre bottle of Laphroaig Triple Wood, originally released only in Duty free. This is akin to a Quarter Cask finished in sherrywood.
£64.99 inc. VAT (£56.51 ex. VAT )  
     
Rosebank 1991 / 17 Year old / Cask #2206
70cl / 46% / Speciality Drinks Ltd
Single Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky
Bottled in April 2009, this is yet another smasher of a Rosebank from our now-legendary stash of 1991 casks. Bottled at 46% for your easy-drinking pleasure.
£54.99 inc. VAT (£47.82 ex. VAT )  
     
Douglas Laing Double Barrel
70cl / 46%
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
An intriguing combination of single casks of Laphroaig and Macallan, vatted together by Douglas Laing for a bit of a laugh. The Laphroaig, as you might expect, has come out on top in the ensuing flavour tussle.
£41.99 inc. VAT (£36.51 ex. VAT ) 
 
Visit the Whisky Exchange at  http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Whisky tasting tonight (Monday) at 37 Lower High Street, Stourbridge £25, still some places left – 730 kick off phone Dave on 01384 394518.

For further details on Nikolls and Perks please visit them at http://www.nickollsandperks.co.uk/

What is a limited edition? Well, at Highland Park it is an unusual or interesting whisky, differentiated by its packaging, numbered usually in hundreds rather than thousands and offered to whisky enthusiasts around the world.

For example, The Ambassador’s Cask was a series of five single cask bottlings at natural strength which ran from 2005 to 2008, beginning with 270 bottles of cask #43. The fifth and last Ambassador’s Cask was released in December 2008 and comprised 228 bottles of cask #8845, a refill sherry hogshead, distilled in 1974. The entire series is sold out bar the last few bottles of the final bottling.

Also, in 2008, to commemorate the first 180 years of The Spectator magazine, a limited edition of 180 bottles of Highland Park 30 year old was created. Highland Park was established 30 years before The Spectator so it made sense that the anniversary bottling should be a 30 year old, the age of the distillery when the magazine was launched. This limited edition has now sold out. Even I haven’t got one…

Then, earlier this year, we released the 1977 Repatriation bottling. The existence of a forgotten cache of 694 bottles of the Bicentenary 1977 Vintage came to light in Japan and it was decided to ‘repatriate’ the whisky, to celebrate its extended Japanese sabbatical. The Repatriation bottling was packaged as a coming together of Japanese and Orcadian culture: it is presented in a bespoke oak box the embellishment of which follows classic Japanese graphic form; the front of the box features an outline of Japan as well as 1977 depicted in Japanese characters; the use of red as an extra colour is typically Japanese. It is selling quickly but there are still some bottles of this highly regarded whisky available, but you know it will be gone soon.

Finally, we recently released a new natural strength 12 year old whisky called Hjarta, named after the old Norse word for ‘heart’. Limited to approximately 3,900 bottles, Hjarta is only available at the distillery, in our on-line shop and in Scandinavia this Autumn.

For more information about the Best Spirit in the World, or to buy one of these great limited editions, visit www.highlandpark.co.uk
 
 

Gerry
Head of Brand Education, Highland Park

Find me on Facebook at Highland Park Whisky or follow me on Twitter; www.twitter.com/bestspirit

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted 5 new items;

‘Glendronach Single Casks’

 Glendronach Cask 483 1971 38yo
 49.4% abv
 £285.00 inc vat
 £247.83 ex vat

Glendronach Cask 523 1993 16yo
 60.4% abv
 £59.90 inc vat
 £52.09 ex vat

 Glendronach Cask 1140 1992 16yo
 57.2% abv
 £59.90 inc vat
 £52.09 ex vat

Glendronach Cask 719 1972 37yo
 54.8% abv
 £269.00 inc vat
 £233.91 ex vat

Glendronach Cask 483 1971 38yo
 49.4% abv
 £285.00 inc vat
 £247.83 ex vat

All Five Casks may be viewed via  http://tinyurl.com/lmvy8w

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at https://www.lfw.co.uk/