Item Spirits Reg. Sale
109720 Famous Grouse Scotch 1.75 $36.99 $23.99
106770 Crown Royal 1.75 $48.99 $31.99
164982 Bulleit Bourbon 1.75 $38.99 $26.99
Hi-Time 250 Ogle Street Costa Mesa CA 92627 1(800) 331-300
Still Life
Islayʼs Bruichladdich distillery have re-installed Scotlandʼs oldest pot still.
Commissioned in 1880 for the Harvey Brothersʼ purpose-built Islay distillery it is, according to experts, likely to be the oldest pot still in use in Scotland at 130 years old.
The life expectancy of most pot stills is only around forty years. After which, having eroded over the years with constant boiling, the copper becomes too thin and liable to collapse.
But this venerable pot still, riveted in the Victorian way, was made with an exceptionally thick copper bottom to endure the intensity of a coal fire underneath it.
The wash still has been renovated and tested by Forsyths of Rothes, one of only two remaining Scottish coppersmiths, and passed with flying colours for continued use.
Duncan MacGillivray, manager and chief engineer said: “We are told at 130 years old this is most likely to be the oldest whisky still in the world. They donʼt make them like this any more – thereʼs plenty of life left in her and we intend to keep her going for a wee while yet.”
Bruichladdichʼs stills, designed most likely by John Harvey, the middle of the three Harvey brothers, are unusually tall and narrow-necked. The Harveys sought a unique shape to obtain a spirit of elegance in contrast to the heavier spirits produced from small, more compact stills on the island at that time.
Visit Bruichladdich Distillery at http://www.bruichladdich.com/
Choosing a single malt Scotch to drink or share with friends can be an intimidating task – there are numerous choices but very little clear and concise information on the unique characteristics of whiskies such as flavor profiles, age statements, and regions of origin. Now The Classic Malts Selection, the world’s finest portfolio of Scotch representing all of the major whisky flavor profiles including Oban, Lagavulin, and The Singleton of Glendullan, helps to simplify the decision-making process with Malt Matcher. This new tool was designed to dispel confusion and aid in choosing whiskies that suit your palate. Whether you’re a whisky connoisseur or a single malt novice, Malt Matcher can assist in your Scotch selection.
Malt Matcher allows you to easily find single malts that cater to your individual tastes, meaning you can choose the right single malt with far greater confidence and attain an end result of palatable satisfaction. Now available for download from the Apple Store http://www.apple.com/iphone or on MaltMatcher.com, the free Malt Matcher iPhone app is designed to help you find the ideal single malt through three simple methods that aim to educate you in the world of whisky. If you already prefer a certain single malt but are ready to branch out and try something a little different, you can find whiskies that offer similar flavor profiles to your Scotch of choice. Perhaps you are familiar with the region from which your favorite whisky hails (for example, Island whiskies like Talisker are generally sweet and peaty in character) – Malt Matcher can help you find Scotches that will have similar favorable qualities. While many people are familiar with wine pairings, most may be surprised to know that whisky can also be a great accompaniment to food. If you want a whisky that pairs well with your favorite dishes such as pork sausages or sushi, or even a decadent dessert such as crème brulee, you can use Malt Matcher to identify those single malts whose unique flavors will be enhanced by your favorite foods. A Malt Matcher-inspired dinner is sure to create an unforgettable evening for you and your friends, but the hearty pairings will allow you to enjoy the whisky in a responsible manner. When you share a special evening with friends remember to drink responsibly and have a designated driver present.
Whatever the single malt you’re looking for, Malt Matcher is a simple way to find a Scotch whisky that best meets your personal taste. “Since the Classic Malts Selection is one of the most comprehensive whisky portfolios in the world, we felt it was important to aid single malt fans in their quest to explore the world of whisky with a tool that speaks to today’s technologically advanced society,” says Dan Kleinman, Marketing Director for Diageo’s Scotch brands. Having the Malt Matcher app or accompanying Web site http://www.maltmatcher.com (actually not- this is a dead link, WI) at the ready – whether to use as a cheat sheet for important business dinners, when sharing drinks with friends or to select inventive gifts – will certainly impress those with whom you choose to share a dram.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information on Malt Matcher iPhone application or The Classic Malts Selection.
1st February 2010
Dear Customers,
To kick off 2010 we have ten (10) new PROVENANCE bottlings this month, which we hope will be attractive to you.
The PROVENANCE Tasting Notes follow:
PRV 0594 Glentauchers 9 Year Old Sherry Finished
Opens fresh then dry smoke and charred wood appear on the nose. The palate is remarkably smoked, spicy, then charred wood returns reminiscent of an open fire carrying a sweet toffee’d character. The finish is long and sweet, more smoke with orange bitters lingering. (J)
PRV 0607 Knockando 9 Year Old Sherry Matured
Distinctly toffee’d on the nose with caramel butter cream and develops a milk chocolate character. The palate is round and rich with a balance of caramel and spices. The finish is medium long, still attractively spiced and carries a sweet orange tang. (J)
PRV 0600 Glengoyne 10 Year Old
The nose opens fresh with macerated oranges and barley sugar and develops to a freshly baked cookie quality. The palate is elegant with a creamy vanilla sweetness. The finish is light and pleasant and runs to a drier character. (J)
PRV 0602 Blair Athol 10 Year Old Sherry
The nose opens fresh with an orange pith character and develops to a nutty style with barley sugar and poached, spicy peaches. The palate is rich and mouth coating and carries to a caramel and honey quality. The long finish is fresh with a lingering spiciness. (J)
PRV 0598 Highland Park 11 Year Old
Fresh and clean on the nose, it carries to an attractively spiced, sweet stewed fruit character. A spicy style continues on the palate with a peppery, ginger quality and then a light smokiness appears. The finish is long with dark chocolate and gentle smoke. (J)
PRV 0610 Glenrothes 11 Year Old
On the nose detect the whisky warehouse smell of grist, dry oak and even some maple syrup. Palatewise – sweet toffee opens with liquorice lingering, then some honey. The finish is warmingly spiced with a clove and camphor, Fishermans Friend type warmth. (F)
PRV 0606 Balmenach 11 Year Old
On the nose flowers and fresh fruit appear and run to sweet and delicate spices, in a fruit tea style. The palate remains sweet with macerated white fruit, stewed apples and carries to an aniseed character. The finish is light with a fresh orange tang. (J)
PRV 0608 Macallan 12 Year Old
The nose is light and fresh with the sweet scent of fermenting fruit. The palate is attractively sweet and spicy and carries to an exotic fruit character (ripe mango) character. Still sweet on the finish it runs to caramelized nuts and dark chocolate. (J)
PRV 0596 Caol Ila 12 Year Old
The nose is initially sweet in style and develops to a seaside, harbor quality with ash and creosote. The palate is massively peated runs to sweet ashes, soft tar and liquorice. The finish is long and carries to damp ashes, cloves with sweet smoke lingering (J)
PRV 0599 Port Ellen 26 Year Old Sherry Matured
The nose opens with leather, runs to caramelised peanuts on a coal fire and develops to a burnt chestnut quality. The palate opens with a spicy sweet sherry influence from the cask but quickly transforms to rich warming peat smoke. The finish is long, still spicy and carries to sweet tar and bonfire ashes. (J)
We hope you will enjoy these Malts, as much as we have enjoyed tasting them.
All best wishes for 2010!
Yours faithfully
Fred Laing
Visit Douglas Laing & Co at http://www.douglaslaingwhisky.com/
Nick White of A. Dewar Rattray reports some exciting news;
We are finalising Dewar Rattray Cask Collection #22 single casks for release in two weeks time:
Glen Grant 1985
Pulteney 1982
Glencadam 1990 (sherry hogshead re-racked)
Glenrothes 1990
Ben Nevis 1997 butt
Laphroaig 1998 butt (extremely rare)
And, following very many requests, we are introducing the new 46%abv Single Cask Range with:
Bowmore 1996
Cragganmore 1997
More details and new labels to follow when available to markets.
And we are relaunching Stronachie 12yr old and a new Stronachie 18yr old with the distillery disclosed…..more news on that with new labels to follow when press release is issued.
Keep an eye on A. Dewar Rattray at http://www.adrattray.com/
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has published their “unfiltered” newletter/magazine for January 2010 which is available to their membership.
Visit www.smws.co.uk to join the Society.
Internationally acclaimed whisky writer and author Jim Murray has today announced that he is looking for an apprentice to assist him in the production of his best selling whisky book Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
Working with Jim Murray at his UK HQ, the appointee will play an active role in sourcing newly released whiskies from all over the world, preparing tasting sessions, and assisting in the production of his world famous title. He/she will also play an important role in the growth of Dram Good Books, Murray’s in-house publishing company.
In offering this unique opportunity Jim Murray said “as the Bible has grown, so have the demands made upon me to produce it. That means that our research department has become a much more important part of our overall set up. This is particularly true as the international aspect of the Bible has grown driven mainly by the increase in distilleries opening up around the world.
“Our previous researcher, David Rankin, did a fantastic job but has moved on and since his departure we have taken the opportunity to assess and reposition this important function. It will be demanding, but it will also be fun and unique. For someone wishing to get into the whisky industry – and perhaps hone their writing skills – I cannot think of a better way doing so”.
The person will also play a role in developing the company’s web presence, the organization of Murray’s whisky tastings and media appearances around the world.
Given the international and truly unique nature of the role, this is not a nine to five appointment and will require some early morning or late evening work, talking with the whisky industry in far off locations.
Interested parties should contact Jim’s office manager at edna@whiskybible.com in the first instance.
~Ends~
For more information please contact:
Mark Hunt
Director of Communications
Dram Good Books Ltd
Email: mark@whiskybible.com
Tel: 07768 145583
Blended Scotch
“Isle of Skye, this 8 year old offering from Ian Macleod is one of the most complex, masterful blended whiskies ever produced. Hints of smoke wafting through a Chinese tea house delight the palate before settling in for a surprisingly long finish for a blended scotch whisky. An absolutely delightful dram, well suited for special occasions but modestly priced to allow you to enjoy regularly.”
http://cocktails.about.com/od/scotchwhiskyreviews/a/scotch2010_picks.htm
Also visit Ian Macleod Distillers at http://www.ianmacleod.com/
Back home after a visit to Alberta and BC, taking in the Edmonton and Victoria Whisky Festivals. The former being its inaugural and was a great success with the evening public session packed with knowledgeable whisky enthusiasts.
The Victoria Whisky Festival is of course well established and provided us with a great platform to showcase our products and discuss their merits with a very appreciative audience. In addition to the public session I had a master-class in the afternoon and on the previous evening had made a “guest” appearance at the Dewar Rattray session which was featuring a Glenglassaugh independent bottle.
The distillery has not re-started production yet which is planned for this week and we will then work through until the end of June with a small break around Easter.
With no production we have taken the opportunity to start re-decorating one of the cottages on site with a view to providing accommodation for visitors. We are planning to start whisky schools which we know have proved popular at other distilleries and with access to Graham Eunson and myself as well as the rest of the team we feel that they may prove popular here too.
Plenty of other interesting things happening at the moment and which I will be able to provide more detail in due course. Firstly we are planning to convert our old office block into a small visitor centre and to introduce more frequent tours, especially during the summer months but much of this will depend on the length of time the application takes to proceed through the planning process with the local authority.
On the subject of local authority applications we have at long last had our off-sales licence granted and can now sell all of our products over the internet as well as at the distillery to visitors. There are some changes being made to our web site over the new few weeks and so the new on-line shop is not yet available however we can now accept telephone orders.
We hope to have some announcements over the next few weeks of confirmed new markets where our products will be available and also some additional events where either Graham or myself will be attending in the next few months.
Since returning home the weather has become milder in Scotland and although still cold and small falls of snow occurring it is not at the levels seen in previous weeks. So from a wintery but sunny Portsoy, cheers for now.
As always any and all questions and comments are welcome.
In deep discussion at the Victoria master class
Just a wee reminder about our first tasting this year!
Glencadam Tasting – 3rd February
Tickets (£3) on sale from Chaplaincy Office
Location: Chalpaincy, High Street, Old Aberdeen
Time and Date: Wednesday 3rd February 2010
What to Bring: Ticket + Membership Card + money for raffle
(there may be a few tickets available on the door)
Also if you read this before 2pm come and see us at the Re-Freshers Fayre in Elphinstone Hall!
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NEXT WEEK
Glenlivet Tasting – 10th February
Tickets on (£3) sale tomorrow!
Location: Chalpaincy, High Street, Old Aberdeen
Time and Date: Wednesday 10th February 2010
What to Bring: Membership Card + money for raffle
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Coming soon….
Benromach
Ardbeg
Glenmorangie
Laphroaig
It is defintely going to be a very good year….!
Contact the Aberdeen University Malt Whisky Society at aberdeenwhisky@googlemail.com
