Diageo launches first ever complete collection of single-cask malt whiskies

03 September 2009

Diageo has announced the launch of its first single-cask collection of single malt Scotch whiskies.

This is the first time that Scotland’s biggest estate of single malt distilleries has issued a comprehensive series of single-cask bottlings.

Labelled The Managers’ Choice, the rare limited-edition series is aimed at collectors and connoisseurs who will enjoy owning and exploring an unusual expression of their favourite single malt or even a whole anthology of highly individual single malts, chosen to represent each of 27 distilleries’ distinctive but authentic whisky signature.

The releases are being staged in batches over the next year. September 2009 sees the first release of six malts:

Cardhu™ distilled 1997  –  252 bottles

Glen Elgin™ distilled 1998  –  534 bottles

Linkwood™ distilled 1996  –  480 bottles

Mortlach™ distilled 1997  –  240 bottles

Oban™ distilled 2000 –  534 bottles

Teaninich™ distilled 1996  – 246 bottles

Full press release available for download along with pack shots and images capturing aspects of the selection process. Full press release also has price details along with quote from spokesman Nick Morgan.

Each distillery is represented in The Managers’ Choice by a bottling of its single malt whisky drawn from one single cask, selected after a careful examination of distillery stocks. The cask was nosed, tasted, discussed and finally chosen as the most distinctive expression of that distillery’s single malts by a judging panel of acknowledged experts, including leading maturation experts and the distillery managers themselves.

The single cask challenge

Diageo whisky specialist Craig Wallace explained the challenge of selecting a single cask for a bottling that will be made available to a discerning and knowledgeable consumer audience:

“When you’re selecting casks for a bigger bottling, you can work with a wider variation of maturity, distillery character and wood influence because you can even it out and aim for consistency. But when you are bottling a single cask, you can’t do that: you have to get the balance totally right when selecting the cask. And it’s highly unlikely, whatever single cask you choose this time, that you’d ever be able to replicate that precise flavour profile the next time you look for one. So finding a single cask with just the right balance is actually very challenging.”

Full details, including tasting notes, are displayed on the Classic Malts Selection website. The new website content (available from 4 September) includes the story of The Managers’ Choice and the selection process, a “Meet the Managers” page where they talk about The Managers Choice collection & questions related to the world of whisky, whisky tasting notes & audio, Q&A with a Sensory Expert, and details of where to buy the whiskies.

Whisky enthusiasts registered as Friends of the Classic Malts™ have been given advance notice of the launch.

http://www.malts.com/fr-be/home/home.htm

Images available for download here. Hires images and other information from Cognis Public Relations: cognis.pr@zen.co.uk or +44 (0)7774 424 410. See also www.malts.com.

Finlaggan is very much the SECRET Islay, as the name of the distillery from which it comes is a closely guarded secret and known to only a select few. So says the Vintage Malt Whisky Company website. The nose is of peat smoke and brown sugar of the Demerara variety, warm honey, some very mild orange aromas and malt dust and woody oak notes. After a few minutes there is also some mild coal smoke and some hints of cereal grains (not breakfast cereal) and very mild pine resin and further spicy oaky wood notes. A nice Kildalton nose and over all very pleasant although one shouldn’t be misled by the image of the castle ruins on the box. The taste is heavily peated and strong with a good background of …peat smoke, wood notes, bung cloth, coal smoke, dessert wine, apricots, iodine and some very nice maritime notes. The finish is very much of cereals and peat smoke with some later stages of green with a really good delivery of bitter cocoa right at the end. Very dry and peated.  After a short while there is a mild oiliness that is not entirely pleasant however it is very brief and is followed by the dry peat smoke. After 10 minutes there is some really good dry malt and peated. The finish is very long and may cross time zones.
 
Score 83

C$110

http://www.vintagemaltwhisky.com/product-finlaggan.html

A new range of single malt whiskies and packaging from Glen Garioch.

‘Leading with the 1797 Founders Reserve at the heart of the range, Glen Garioch will periodically release hand select individual casks. Launched as ‘Single Batch Releases’, this year will see Glen Garioch 1990 Vintage and the Glen Garioch 1978 Vintage will join the 1797 Founders Reserve.’

Visit Glen Garioch Distillery at http://www.glengarioch.co.uk/

Visit Binny’s at http://www.binnys.com/

For Immediate Release

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY ROLLS OUT  THE 2009 ANTIQUE COLLECTION

FRANKLIN COUNTY – The wait is over! Fall is here and so is the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The 2009 Collection will once again feature five limited-release whiskeys of various ages, recipes and proofs. Here is what whiskey lovers can expect:

Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old
Two time winner of the “American Whiskey of the Year” award, the 2009 release is comprised of whiskey that has been aged on the first floor of Warehouse K. The first floor enables the barrels to age slowly and gracefully. This vintage has a rye spice aroma with oak, leather and molasses notes.

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old
These barrels were distilled in the spring of 1992 and have been aging on the third floor of Warehouse K. With 17 years of aging under its belt it brings to the table notes of molasses, leather, vanilla and toffee.

George T. Stagg
The 2009 George T. Stagg was found on first and third floors of Warehouses I and K. This bourbon was distilled back in the winter of 1992 and weighs in at 141.4 proof—some strong stuff! This whiskey tastes of toffee, molasses, vanilla and coffee.

William Larue Weller
William Larue Weller is the Antique Collection’s uncut, unfiltered, wheat recipe bourbon. It was distilled in the fall of 1998 and aged on the fifth floor of Warehouses N and O. This William Larue Weller release registers in at 134.8 proof. It tastes of caramel, toffee and a bit of cinnamon.

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac
Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye is an uncut and unfiltered straight rye whiskey. This year’s Handy was distilled in the spring of 2002 and aged on the third floor of Warehouse K. It is 129 proof.  The flavor is intense with hints of allspice and dried fruit.

The Antique Collection was introduced nearly a decade ago and continues to grow in popularity. Since 2000 these whiskeys have garnered numerous awards from such notable publications as Malt Advocate Magazine and Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible.

“I look forward to the selection of these products each year,” said Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley. “Carrying on the Buffalo Trace tradition of producing premium whiskeys is an honor. And these are some of best we have to offer.”

The Antique Collection will be available in late October. For more information visit www.greatbourbon.com or contact Kris Comstock at kcomstock@buffalotrace.com or (502) 696-5936.

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 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies.

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Liquor World of Bardstown will be hosting a Woodford Reserve bourbon tasting and bottle signing with Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris on Friday Sept 18th, 2009 from 3:30 to 5:30 PM during the 2009 KY Bourbon Festival. The Woodford Reserve Tasting will be immediately followed by a Tasting of Woodstone Creek Bourbon from 5 PM to 7 PM with distiller / Woodstone Creek owner Don Outterson. Don will also be signing bottles. Woodstone Creek recently awarded Liquor World of Bardstown with sole distributorship of Woodstone Creek Barrel #1 (which was previously only sold at the distillery.) Both signings are free to attend and sample the unique bourbons. Mingling with other bourbon enthusiasts is encouraged. Must be 21 or older. The store is located at 93 N. Salem Dr, Bardstown, KY 40004. For more information, please call (502) 349 7560. Hope to see you there!

You can see the logo’s of all participants (ro date)  for 2009 at http://www.maltmaniacs.org/2009-whisky-awards.html.

The results will be published on December 1st, 2009

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted a new item, ‘The Manufacture of Whisky and Plain Spirit’

My own copy of Nettleton!! At last!

The Manufacture of Whisky and Plain Spirit (Nettleton 1913)
£100.00

‘…belongs next you your copy of Barnard in the library of essential whisky books…’

https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/09/02/the-manufacture-of-whisky-and-plain-spirit/

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Whiskysamples.eu provides unique and rare whiskies to be tasted by 3cl samples bottles. A unique opportunity to buy and try a truly exceptional whisky.

Visit Whiskysamples at http://www.whiskysamples.eu

and Whiskysamples contact via Email: order@whiskysamples.eu

Sat 5 September 2009 Greville Street, 19 Greville Street, London EC1N 8SQ 6.30 – 8.30 Saturday afternoon sampling any five whiskies from the new list just published. Our expert Society staff will be at hand to offer advice.

Sun 6 September 2009 The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ 12.30-2.30 Simply wonderful. Just pop in on Sunday around 12, choose five drams from the new Outturn and enjoy a delectably lazy Sunday of Society whisky, our famous carvery lunch, good company and the Sunday papers.

Tue 8 September 2009 Greville Street, 19 Greville Street, London EC1N 8SQ 6.30 – 8.30 If you missed out on our Saturday tasting join us to sample any five whiskies from the new list just published. Our expert Society staff will be at hand to offer advice.

Tue 8 September 2009 Queen Street, 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JX 6.30 – 10.00pm  Cooking with luxury. In our series of Cookery Schools, this time we delve into the world of expensive ingredients. We show you first hand what to do with truffle, caviar and lobster and a few more ingredients you would not normally use in the kitchen. As

Wed 2 September 2009 Queen Street, 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JX  6.30-9.30pm With a new list available every First Friday of the month, this tasting gives you the added benefit of tasting them before anyone else. Try five drams before the list hits the shelves in the bar. Tasting includes a scrumpteous supper.

Fri 11 September 2009 The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ 7 – 9.30pm This is one for the ‘lads’ – and lassies, of course! Let us serve you Aberdeen Angus steak with hand-cut Maris Piper chips, while you enjoy five selected drams from the latest Outturn. There will be a Society expert on hand to take you through your drams.

Mon 14 September 2009 Greville Street, 19 Greville Street, London EC1N 8SQ 6.30 – 8.30 but we caught them and brought them back! These bottles escaped to the members around the globe, but we’ve managed to gather 5 together and in usual society fashion they are amazing! 

Fri 18 September 2009 Queen Street, 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JX 6.30-9.30pm This night we give you a match made in heaven, Curry and Whisky. We serve selection of three different Indian dishes and match them with Society single cask drams. To ensure that you don’t overheat we will add a few beers and plenty of water. 

Tue 22 September 2009 Greville Street, 19 Greville Street, London EC1N 8SQ 6.30 – 9pm Allow us to help you start your membership adventure and indulge you in all things Society! Try five specially selected drams from a variety of regions, casks and ages.

Fri 25 September 2009 The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ 7 – 9.30pm Unusual presentations and unusual styles – ‘Whisky flavoured condoms & skunk road kill’, ‘Striptease whisky’, ‘Grips the cheeks’, ‘Black Magic in a ladies drawer'(s)! Plus one other unmentionable dram. This could be a shocking evening… for those who want.

Fri 25 Sept 2009 Glasgow Preview Tastings Hotel du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens G12 0UX Get not one but five ahead of fellow members with an exclusive first taste of highlighted malts from the upcoming Outturn, only due for release the following Friday (‘First Friday’). And as far as food goes the superb new tastings supper, served in relaxed surroundings.

Fri 25 Sept 2009 Melrose Preview Tastings The Town House Hotel, Market Square TD6 9PQ Get not one but five ahead of fellow members with an exclusive first taste of highlighted malts from the upcoming Outturn, only due for release the following Friday (‘First Friday’). And as far as food goes the superb new tastings supper, served in relaxed surroundings.

Visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at http://www.smws.com/ or http://www.smws.co.uk/ for full details on the Society and how to join.