Bunnahabhain NAS ‘Mòine’ (58.4%, OB, Brown Label,  642 Bts., Feis Ile 2009)

This limited Mòine edition by Master Distiller Ian MacMillan, has endeavored to replicate that peated essence, using single malt spirit that’s not left the island for a second between distillation in 2003 and bottling in 2009.

This limited edition is finished in Oloroso Sherry butts for three short months in sea-facing warehouse no.7, bringing this intriguing voyage of discovery to an end. The result is a side of Bunnahabhain not often revealed, but one that does justice to a past worthy of exploration.

Mòine meaning ‘peat’ in Scots Gaelic is a dram for reflection – a gentle, eminent taste from another age. (From the blurb)

The nose reveals green notes (think cut grass and pea pods) and jam, not strawberry but something thicker and sweeter. After a few seconds of innocently nosing in quiet contemplation the peat smoke comes lancing out of the glass. It’s deep and thick, like coal smoke along with some iodine, hints of seaweed and some honey. This is nice. There are also very slight hints of either cocoa or mocha however it’s more likely mocha. There’s malt in there also. After some time in the glass it simply improves. The taste is peated and sherried with a really good back bone of clean malt and then the freight train of the peat come roaring through; obviously an express. After a moment or two it becomes slightly creamy. With water the peat increases in stature and depth and become much more coal like. The diluted taste is very, very good, don’t add too much. Mars Bars, cocoa, fruit, sherry, malt, it’s all in there and it’s quite excellent. The finish is peated, sweet and long. After a short while some oak spice arrives and the finish is very active and the long long is confirmed.

A very different Bunnahabhain and a very good one. Well done! It’s better with a little water and stretches the bottle too…vibrant, loads of character and a cracking dram.

£78 here and there but not much left but find one in any case. Comes with a wee ships wheel key chain though which is fun; not critical but fun.

Score 88 points

On Friday (April 9th), all eyes were on four brave, adrenalin-fuelled adventurers at the official launch of the Talisker Bounty Boat expedition in Sydney, Australia.  The four-man international crew, bound for remote Tonga, where the voyage begins, bad farewell to family and friends as they prepared to set sail on the first ever authentic recreation of one of the greatest open boat voyages ever undertaken.

The Captain of the Talisker Bounty Boat is veteran adventurer and Australian Don McIntyre who has carefully selected his crew from countries around the world to embark on one of the most extraordinary stories of survival and sheer determination: Captain William Bligh’s 4,000 mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage.

The courageous crew includes young Brit Chris Wilde who won a global competition to search for a successor following the unexpected withdrawal of Mike Perham. With less than a week’s notice, Chris has left his friends, family and creature comforts to undertake an almighty yet exciting challenge on the open seas.

The re-enactment of one of the most iconic expeditions in nautical history, following the journey across the Pacific from Tonga to Timor, will start on the same day (April 28th), at the same time and in the same location 221 years after the original mutiny journey. The crew left Sydney on Friday to travel to the starting point to begin the Expedition.

The seven week Expedition aboard the Talisker Bounty Boat – a 25ft long, 7ft wide, open wooden vessel – will see the crew facing the same deprivations as the original crew that were cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific, including: no navigation charts; only two weeks of water; hardly any food; and a lack of everyday luxuries such as a torch or even toilet paper.

Alongside Don McIntyre and Chris Wilde the international crew also includes Australian Dave Pryce and experienced English sailor, David Wilkinson. 

Not content with just taking on this huge challenge, McIntyre and the crew are also attempting to raise over $250,000 for The Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease (SIF), which is building the world’s first research Institute into Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. 

McIntyre does not underestimate the challenge ahead: “We’re incredibly excited to launch the Expedition today, leaving the city and our loved ones bound for the starting point. We will be getting close to the experience of Captain Bligh and his crew; however everyone aboard the Talisker Bounty Boat will be pushed to the limit of endurance and survival, forever hungry and unsure of everything, except their own desire to fight through this.”

The voyage is sponsored by Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the only single malt whisky from the Isle of Skye which is also the origin of Don McIntyre’s ancestry. His grandparents emigrated to Australia from Skye shortly after their marriage in 1901. 

To follow the expedition and donate to this cause, visit http://www.taliskerbountyboat.com/.

Woodford Reserve® Bourbon Unveils World’s Most Exclusive Mint Julep Cup

Proceeds from 73 collectible Tiffany & Co. silver cups to benefit Barnstable-Brown Kentucky Diabetes & Obesity Center

Louisville, Ky., April 12, 2010 – Woodford Reserve bourbon will celebrate the glamour and glitz of the Kentucky Derby® with the Ultimate Kentucky Derby Luxury:  the world’s most exclusive mint julep cup. The Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup Experience will feature a collection of 73 silver cups designed by Tiffany & Co. exclusively for Woodford Reserve. Proceeds from the cups will benefit The Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes & Obesity Center.

“We are so delighted to have the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes & Obesity Center be the beneficiary of this year’s Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup sales,” said Tricia Barnstable Brown. “This wonderful partnership will further help the cause of diabetes research, education and care for years to come.”

Owners of the Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup will enjoy a mint julep featuring a unique set of ingredients from around the globe: raw-cane sugar made from 100 percent organic sugar cane grown in Brazil; Kentucky Colonel Mint from Louisville, KY which was grown in a used Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel; ice made of water from a 10,000-year-old glacier in the far northern region of the Pacific Ocean near the Gulf of Alaska; and a small batch of the Master Distiller’s personal selection of Woodford Reserve super-premium bourbon. The 73 silver cups will be presented on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs® in The Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep Cup Experience located near the clubhouse escalator inside Gate 10.

“Woodford Reserve is proud to partner with Tiffany & Co. to bring horse racing fans the most well-crafted mint julep cup ever to be sold,” said Wayne Rose, Woodford Reserve brand director.  “Through the sale of these julep cups, we look forward to assisting The Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Center.”

“Tiffany’s great heritage of sterling silver craftsmanship was established in the late 19th century with the trophies our silversmiths created for the great horse races of the period,” said Diane Brown, vice president of Tiffany & Co. “We are gratified to continue that heritage with the creation of these silver cups for Woodford Reserve bourbon for presentation at this year’s Kentucky Derby and for the benefit of the Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Center.”

Fans will also be able to follow Woodford Reserve online from exciting Derby events and activities via Twitter at @derbyinsider. Visit www.twitter.com/derbyinsider for all the details.

How to Purchase a Cup

Starting April 12, 2010 at noon, (EDT) consumers age 21 years and older can log on to www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com to purchase one of the 73 cups. Presented on one day, at one place only, all cups purchased must be picked up by the buyer or the buyer’s proxy on May 1, 2010, Kentucky Derby Day at historic Churchill Downs.

The Exclusive Cup

73 Cups are being sold online for $1,000 on a first come, first buy basis. This will be the 73rd year that the Mint Julep has been recognized as the traditional beverage of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Each individually numbered cup is presented with a sterling silver sipping straw and features the Woodford Reserve logo along with a unique horse racing design.  The handmade silver cups have been designed by Tiffany & Co. and come with a sterling silver sipping straw. Each cup will be presented in a unique Tiffany & Co. “blue box” and will be set in a Woodford Reserve casing made from the same wood as Woodford Reserve barrels are made. The cups will be on sale from April 12-28 at www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com for $1,000 on a “first come, first buy” basis. Any unsold cups will be available for purchase at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

The Mint Julep Cup’s Exotic Ingredients

The $1,000 Mint Julep will be made with the most exotic ingredients in the world

Organic Turbinado raw-cane sugar made from 100 percent organic sugar cane grown in Brazil. This sugar provides a smooth, mellow and rounded flavor, perfect for the world’s most exotic Mint Julep.
A special Kentucky Colonel Mint from Louisville, KY which was grown in a used Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrel.
Ice made of water from a 10,000-year-old glacier in the far northern region of the Pacific Ocean near the Gulf of Alaska. This iceberg is by far the rarest and purest type of water on earth, pre-dating man and pollution.
A small batch of the Master Distiller’s personal selection of Woodford Reserve super-premium bourbon, selected specifically for the $1,000 Mint Julep.
 

About Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve, the “Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby”, is crafted at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky – the heart of thoroughbred country. Woodford Reserve is one of the fine spirits produced and marketed by the Brown-Forman Corporation. For 140 years, Brown-Forman has enriched the experience of life by responsibly building fine quality beverage alcohol brands.  The company’s brands are supported by nearly 4,000 employees and sold in approximately 135 countries worldwide.  For more information about the company, please visit http://www.brown-forman.com, and for more information on Woodford Reserve visit www.woodfordreserve.com. Please enjoy your bourbon responsibly.

About Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. operates jewelry and specialty retail stores and manufactures products through its subsidiary corporations. Its principal subsidiary is Tiffany and Company. The Company operates TIFFANY & CO. retail stores and boutiques in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and engages in direct selling through Internet, catalog and business gift operations. For additional information, please visit tiffany.com or call the shareholder information line at 800-TIF-0110.

About the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes & Obesity Center

The goal of the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes and Obesity Center is to organize and integrate clinical and scientific approaches to enhance diabetes and obesity research and clinical practice at the University of Kentucky. Since 2008, all proceeds from the annual Barnstable Brown Gala go to develop this large-scale center that brings together the University’s breadth and depth of researchers, educators and clinicians focused on diabetes and organizes them to attack the problem collaboratively.

About Churchill Downs®:

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2010 and the Kentucky Oaks on April 30, 2010. The track will conduct its 2010 Spring Meet from Saturday, April 24, through Sunday, July 4.  Churchill Downs is scheduled to host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record seventh time on Nov. 5 and 6, 2010. Churchill Downs tickets are available at Tickets.ChurchillDowns.com or by calling (502) 636-4400. Additional information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.ChurchillDowns.com.

Churchill Downs®, Kentucky Derby® and the Twin Spires design are registered trademarks of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 45.2% Alc. by Vol., The Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, KY ©2010.

April 15th Thursday: World Whiskies

£21.50/18.50

India- Amrut Fusion single malt 50%

Japan- Super Nikka blend 43%

Australia- Lark single malt 43%

Canada- Lot No. 40 40%

USA- (The USA sample seems to have been cancelled)

Europe- Freise Hynder, Holland

Future dates:-

29th April, 13th May Highland Park, 27th May, Sunday 2.30pm 30th May £38/35, 10th June Anonymous Islay malts 43% The Ileach 12yo single malt, The Pibroch 12yo single malt, Smokehead single malt, Six Isles plus a special guest (Brora or Port Ellen), 24th June and 8th & 22nd August

Future tastings:-

peaty blends 40% : date,drams & price tbc
Islay Mist
Islay Hallmark 8yo
Black Bottle 10yo
Black Grouse
Black Bottle
plus a special guest (Brora or Port Ellen

All very exciting really. And busy.

Visit the Jolly Toper himself at http://www.jollytopertastings.co.uk/

Scotch Tasting at The Naked Grape Sewickley, PA by Jeffrey Topping

Come join me in Sewickley, PA at The Naked Grape for an evening of Scotch and food.

We will be sampling:

Wild Scotsman 15yr Vatted Scotch Malt- PA Code: 5779
Wild Scotsman 12yr Royal Lochnagar -PA Code: 55294
John McDougall’s 15yr Bladnoch -PA Code: 5778

Location:
The Naked Grape
515 Broad Street
Sewickley, PA 15143

Time: 1900/hrs
Date: April 14, 2010
Reservations: 412.741.6420

http://wildscotsman.com/whisky/

Federal Wine & Spirits 
April 13, 2010  
 
Scotch Tasting & Sale
Thursday April 15, 2010
5:00 P.M. & 6:00 P.M.

We’ve got too much of some very good malts!

Limited to stock instore- When they’re gone, they’re gone

Will This be the best tasting of the year? You tell me!!!!

Reg Sale

Bladnoch 15 Y.O. 53.5% $124.99 – $104.99 U.S. Distillery Approved selection.

Hedonism Grain Whisky $99.99 – $89.99

Bruichladdich 1989 57.1% $95.99 – $84.99

Blackadder Peat Reek 46% $76.99 – $68.99

Wild Scotsman 15 Y.O. 46% $85.99 – 74.99

plus one or two of my favorites in addition

Please pass this on to any friends who are scotch enthusiasts.

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits

——————————————————————————–

Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: 617-367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

Glen Moray 12yo (40%, OB, +/-2009)

Recently sold (2008) by Glenmorangie and Company to La Martiniquaise. Many feel that Glen Moray is a much under rated single malt. It seems that a large proportion of its output goes to France hidden in blends…

The nose honeyed, malty and nicely spiced along with some really nice fruit. Additionally there is some light cocoa, light oranges; the whole effect is a collection of very pleasant light aromas. Sometimes you want something a little lighter; this is nice. After some time in the glass more malt comes out. Again, the nose is very pleasant. The taste is also light at first with malt, fruit and then some really good fruit wood spice and some cocoa and dryness. After a while it is very dry. Which is good. The fruit, malt and wood spice tumble around and quite honestly, they are very well balanced. The finish is wood notes, fruit and then malt followed by the honey and the dryness. It is surprisingly long for a whisky that possesses such a collection of ‘light’ descriptors. Again, it’s very nice.

The Whisky Exchange blog comments that Glen Moray is a “criminally under-rated distillery” and this seems accurate. Oh LVMH/Glenmorangie, you should not have sold this distillery and La Martiniquaise don’t ruin it.

US$25 (what a steal)

84 points.

Visit Glen Moray at http://www.glenmoray.com/index-2.html

If you travel around the world, hosting whisky tastings and attending events, you’ll know the most important thing you need – other than The Best Sprit in the World and a winning smile – is a decent pair of shoes.

This goes some way to explaining why I held an exclusive nosing and tasting recently for customers of Lodger, a bespoke shoemaker in London…

Twenty gentlemen enjoyed learning at first-hand the whisky-making process as well as an overview of the history and geography of Orkney, the correct glassware to employ and how to taste whisky. This was followed by a range-tasting of our hand-crafted whiskies for those who appreciate the finer things in life, such as handmade shoes.

In return, those nice people at Lodger are happy to offer 15% off for anyone who mentions Highland Park when placing an order. If you can get to London, drop by the shop at 15c Clifford Street, W1, for a glass of Highland Park and a chat about your footwear requirements.

Otherwise, simply visit their excellent website.

Spoil yourself with some country brogue boots for your next trip to Orkney.

Read about the Highland Park tasting in Gentleman’s Corner; www.gentlemanscorner.com

To find out more about Lodger visit www.lodgerfootwear.com

For more information on the Best Spirit in the World visit www.highlandpark.co.uk
 

Gerry
Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2010

… whisky reviews #125 Tyrconnell 15yo single cask and #126 conemarra scheduled for this week , and these two Vlogs conclude a month-long run of Irish related whiskies.

Visit Ralfy at www.ralfy.com

WHISKEY ROADSHOW

Thursday, April 15, 6:00-8:00pm

If you have a passion for scotch, bourbon and other specialty spirits, Binny’s “Whiskey Hotline” should be on your speed dial. It’s headed up by Brett Pontoni — our resident expert and Duke of Distilled Spirits. Brett’s job is to talk whiskey, sample whiskey, buy whiskey, write about whiskey, and hand select exclusive barrels of whiskey. Winner of countless industry awards, Brett and his world famous Whiskey Hotline are hitting the road. Meet Brett Pontoni during one of his upcoming store appearances. He’ll be pouring his personal favorites during a special series of open house tastings.
Call 773-935-9400 or email lakeview@binnys.com for reservations.

Chicago – Lakeview

Binny’s Ivanhoe Castle & Catacombs Tasting Room | Chicago | 773-935-9400