From Richard Paterson “The Master Blender”

Fancy winning a rare whisky that’s not ever going into the shops?
 
Last week (Sunday) I was telling you about the whiskies I made for the F1 Force India team. Now, they’re very rare and won’t be on sale in the shops, but here’s a chance to win them by answering one simple question. Just head over to this link and enter before July 17. Good luck!

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/872490/IN-recognition-of-Whyte-amp-Mackayrsquos-sponsorship-of-the-Force-India-team-Master-Blender-Richard-Paterson-has-created-three-very-special-whisky-blends-that-represent-the-character-and-personalities-of-drivers-Sutil-Liuzzi-and-Di-Resta.html

EPISODE 269

Tommy Smith worked at Strathisla Distillery in Speyside for 27 years before taking “early retirement.” He’s put in another eight years since then guiding visitors around the distillery and telling tales of the days when coal fired the stills, men ran the stills instead of computers, and “dramming” was part of the job. He’ll share some of his stories with us in this episode. In the news, new releases from Ardbeg, Six Isles, Four Roses, charity events, and competitions, along with your e-mails and ways to keep cool in the summer’s heat .

Visit WhiskyCast at http://www.whiskycast.com/

Whiskyfest 2011

As the Malt Whisky Association of Finland celebrates it’s 12th   year, we are now pushing the envelope: Working together with   Thomas Aschan, the owner of an independent pub called Gallows  Bird situated in Espoo, http://www.gallowsbird.fi/english/index.htm  as well as all the major local importers  (Interbrands, Moet Hennessy Finland, Pernod-Ricard Finland,  Maxxium Finland, Wennerco, Vinoble, Tampereen Viinitukku, Heino Beverages to name a few) plus local Whisky makers (most notably  Beer Hunter’s in the city of Pori) we are now organizing the  first-ever Whisky Happening in the history of Finland.
 
In the past, Whisky may have been present at festivals such as  Helsinki Beer Festival, but whisky has always played second   fiddle, and the settings have been rather small. This event will   be all about Whisky / Whiskey.
 
 Arrangements
 
At the moment we are looking at 3 days in early February for   this event, 9th – 11th of February. [Mind you, this may still   shrink to a 2-day event.]   As this is the very first event of its kind here, we start  relatively small and humble in comparison to major international   whisky fests: Gallows bird pub has a customer capacity of aboout
 280 persons simultaneously, and the importers will exhibit about   5 – 6 “more standard” bottlings, along with 1 – 2 more “rare”   bottlings. We are hoping to attract a host of international   guest speakers to give master classes and presentations to the   participants. Finnish law does not allow sale of bottles in the   event, only tasting samples. Despite of this we hope that Alko would be selling a special bottling or two at the same time in  its stores, to commemorate the event.  
 
 There will be no admission fee as such, since the venue is a  pub, but participation to the event will require a purchase of a  Glencairn glass and a few drink tickets. The Malt Whisky  Association of Finland will be selecting “Whisky of the Year”  and most likely winners in different geographic subcategories as  well. Much of the details are still in the planning phase  (arranged transport to the event from central Helsinki, hotel  packages etc). 
 
 I will gladly update you on further details as the planning  progresses.
 
 Sincerely,
 
 Mika R. Jansson
 Chairman, MSP Whisky Society (sub-division of Malt Whisky
 Association of Finland)
 Board Member, Malt Whisky Association of Finland

 Email mika.jansson@nsn.com

Hello everyone,

We have a fantastic event scheduled for Tuesday July 27th at Central Bistro  http://www.centralbistro.com/ on Denman Street!  A delicious  five  course meal prepared by Chef  Rob , will be accompanied by some great  whiskies.  We are going to experience some whiskies from around the world! Seating is VERY limited so please reserve today to insure a seat!

Whisky’s to be tasted:

Tantallan Scottish Single Malt
Penderyn Welsh Whisky
Kuchh Nai Blended whisky
Bushmill’s 10 year old Irish Whiskey
Crown Royal Special Reserve Canadian Whisky
 
Date:  July 27th,  Central Bistro 1072 Denman Street, Vancouver

Reservations:  (Marcus) mava@telus.net,  doug@centralbistro.com, or (604) 689-4527
 
Cost: Members – $55 

Non Members – $65

Time: 6: 30   LAUNCH OF MY NEW BC VODKA……XFOUR ( four times distilled, corn and rye, glacier water, made in the Okanagan)

7p.m. Dinner

Special thanks to Diageo, Bar Global Distribution, VonAlbrecht & Associates and the staff of Central Bistro!

See you there

Slainte!

Marcus

Aberlour ‘Spiorad na Feis’ Limited Edition available now!
 
Greetings!

Do not miss out on this exclusive bottling commission to celebrate the forthcoming Hebridean Celtic Festival.

Read on for more details.
 
Aberlour Limited Edition Bottling
Scotland’s whisky sales are expected to take an unexpected boost with the launch of a special malt by one of the UK’s top music festivals.

The Hebridean Celtic Festival in Stornoway (14th-17th July) is now in its 15th year and attracts visitors from around the world, including countries such as Germany, Australia, Canada and the USA. To mark the special anniversary milestone it has joined with Duncan Taylor, the 2009 Independent Bottler of the Year, to present its festival whisky.

Called ‘Spiorad na Fèis’ (Spirit of the Festival), the single malt whisky is distilled by Aberlour and will be on sale from £44 per 70cl bottle. A limited edition minature version will also be exclusively available from the festival shop in Stornoway at £4.85.

The new whisky has also been supported by leading Scottish group Runrig, one of the festival’s first Hall of Fame members. Calum Macdonald helped a local tasting panel select the malt from a choice of three.

Festival Director, Caroline MacLennan, said: “We wanted to provide something for our many visitors to enjoy, a special memento of our 15th anniversary. We know that it will go down well with those who enjoy a good whisky. With its Gaelic name and excellent taste, those who buy it will be getting a unique reminder of the fun times to be had at the festival.

“We are grateful to Duncan Taylor for their advice and guidance in putting ‘Spiorad na Fèis’ on the shelves.”

Euan Shand, Managing Director for Duncan Taylor Co Ltd: “We are delighted to be associated with the success of the 15th HebCelt festival. The aroma, flavour and full body of this unique bottling will evoke great memories with every dram, long after the festival is over. The impressive line up is on the back label, so this whisky is the perfect souvenir to reminisce with in months to come.”

The Aberlour was specially selected for the bottling and will be left completely natural. Bottled at 46% abv, it is a full bodied Speyside, offering a honeyed sweetness and rich fruits on the nose and palate, typical of this distillery. All the colour is from the cask during its 15 year maturation. This is a unique bottling, limited to the celebration of the HebCelt anniversary.

Aberlour 15 Year Old ‘Spoirad na Feis’ 46%
Limited edition bottling for the Hebridean Celtic Festival
£44.00

Visit http://www.singlemaltsdirect.com/magento/aberlour-15-year-old-hebcelt-festival-malt.html to purchase.
 
Contact Information
phone: 0845 6066145
email: info@singlemaltsdirect.com

This from the American Distilling Institute Newsletter

The Virgilina Distilling Company

by Sharon Whitt Burkholder

During the great migration to America in the 17th and 18th centuries,
settlers brought their meager belongings and diverse cultures with them. 

These migrants settled the American Frontier and they began to grow crops.  Money was scarce and these new settlers depended on trading for their survival.  They began to make value-added products from their crops. 

Distilled spirits were easily made from corn, fruits, and other grains and then exchanged for supplies and goods.  Thus, the great American spirits industry was born.

The Whitt family settled in the Virgilina area in the early 1700’s  when
Southern Virginia was a frontier.  Supporting this new nation, they fought in the Revolutionary War.  Some of the Whitts moved west, and many remained here.  They farmed, raised families, and were productive.

Copper and gold were discovered in the Virgilina area in the 1800s, and companies from Boston to England began to invest in this area’s mining industry.  Virgilina was a frontier town, a wild-west town that thrived from this industry. Located both in Virginia and North Carolina , irgilina’s rapid growth was due primarily to mining followed by the alcohol there. 

Being a wet town in a dry area,Virgilina’s distilling industry grew right
along with the town.  Our great-grandfather, General Lee Whitt, used to ride his horse to Virgilina to visit the saloons.

The railroad came to Virgilina in the 1880’s, providing a means to transport copper, gold, and alcohol. The town grew, and according to local lore, Virgilina was once the home to over 8,000 miners.  When minerals were found in the American West, the companies began to invest there, and they left along with their miners. The town began to decline, even though mining in Virgilina continued on a small scale until the 1950’s.  Prohibition effectively shut down the distilleries in Virgilina, further contributing to the town’ss decline.  With prohibition came the increase in moonshining and bootlegging in the area.

Our grandfather, LeeRoy Whitt, was a farmer and there were not many opportunities for a boy with a 9th grade education.  With a sense of sheer determination and a will to succeed, he made his living off the natural resources of the area.  In addition to farming, he was a bootlegger, and is quite a legend with the old-timers around these parts.

His largest moonshining operation was in the Virgilina area, on what we know as the Christie farm.  The natural springs, locally known by the old moonshiners as High Plains Northwest Blue, and were known to produce the best spirits in the area.  He was an expert driver, and his bootlegging cars were fast.  He used to tell us that his mechanic was Lee Petty,  the father of Richard Petty of NASCAR fame, and that he would race on the dirt tracks behind the Petty house back in the day.

Granddaddy quit bootlegging around 1960. The Feds arrested him during a sting in Person County , NC . During the chase, he was clocked going faster backwards than forward.  He used to tell us that he would have “outrun ’em” had he not ran over a railroad track which knocked his car out of gear.  He invested his money in over 800 acres of Southern Virginia land, and left it to us.

What the heck are we girls going to do with it?
_______________________________________________________

Legacy Artisan Distillers, Inc. DBA Virgilina Distilling Company is owned by four Whitt Sisters.  We are planning to distill corn liquor, and infuse with fruit, as well and brandies, etc.

We are making progress. We are working with Kothe, and are moving ahead!

Visit the American Distilling Institute at www.distilling.com
 

The Port Charlotte Hotel

 

A note from Martine Nouet;

As a whisky enthusiast and a resident on Islay who likes helping local charity, I am giving a hand to Grahame Allison from the Port Charlotte who is raising money for the Gaelic Choir by organizing a very special dinner on 21st August. A great opportunity for you to enjoy very special whiskies and to discover (or come back to) beautiful Islay.

Thanks for your help

All the best
 
Martine

Islay Junior Gaelic Choir – Appeal Dinner & Auction

Islay hotelier and choir supporter Grahame Allison, of the island’s Port Charlotte Hotel, is holding a dinner on Saturday 21 August to raise funds for the Islay Junior Gaelic Choir to take part in this year’s Mod in October. The Mod is Scotland’s annual festival of Gaelic culture with international groups and individuals competing for medals in musical and literary categories. This year’s event is being held in Caithness in the far north of Scotland.

At the dinner there will also be an auction of older and rarer bottles of whisky from the island’s distilleries. This will be run by Andy Bell, whisky specialist at McTear’s Auctioneers and Scotland’s leading whisky auction house.

Price of the 4 course dinner is £95 per person, excluding wine but it does include a tasting of some rare whiskies afterwards. These include the Laphroaig Cairdeas, bottled especially for the 2008 whisky festival and a rare Port Ellen with a Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain both over 30 years old to be confirmed. A great way to spend part of a weekend or longer stay on Islay and help the island’s young people in the Choir achieve their ambition to compete. It promises to be an exciting menu created by head chef Ranga.  The hotel still has some rooms left for that period but there is other good accommodation nearby. You can either contact the hotel on ++ 44 (0) 1496 850360 or on info@portcharlottehotel.co.uk . Alternatively, for help with transport and accommodation contact Caroline Dewar of Whisky with Confidence on info@whisky-tours.com . The restaurant holds only 40 people so don’t delay.

For those who cannot come to Islay but would like to make a donation to help the Choir, please contact the hotel on isabelle@portcharlottehotel.co.uk for information on how to donate funds before 21 August. Every little helps and is much appreciated.

Win a Free Trip to Cooley distillery in Ireland with Master of Malt

The lucky winner and a friend will be flown to Dublin and put up at a luxurious hotel for two nights.  They will be wined and dined each night and treated to an exclusive private tour of the legendary Cooley distillery. At the end of the tour they will even receive a personalised bottle of Tyrconnell malt whiskey as well as a bottle of the newly released Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve to take home.

There is no limit to the number of entries per person, with one free entry being given out with every single full-sized (70cl) bottle of Cooley Whiskey bought from www.masterofmalt.com. Don’t hang around though, because there are only 250 chances to enter.

The limited number of entries (just 250) means that anyone who enters will have an unusually high chance of winning and, unlike most competitions, even if more people enter, that chance doesn’t reduce. Because of this, the draw is likely to be fully subscribed long before the closing date.

Master of Malt are an award-winning Online Retailer and Independent Bottler of Whisky and other fine spirits.  The Cooley whiskey competition forms part of Master of Malt’s 25th birthday celebrations and it will feature an exclusive private tour of Ireland’s only independent, Irish-owned whiskey distillery. The tour will culminate in a whiskey tasting and the winner will even receive a very special personalised bottle of Tyrconnell whiskey and a bottle of the newly released Kilbeggan whiskey – two malts which are held in high esteem amongst Irish whiskey connoisseurs.

The Cooley whiskey distillery has become well-known for its production of a number of Ireland’s most critically-acclaimed whiskeys; malts from the Tyrconnell range regularly score upwards of 94 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible (Jim describes whiskeys in this bracket as being “Superstar whiskies that give us all reason to live”!)  In 2010, the Cooley distillery was even declared “Distillery of the Year” by Malt Advocate’s John Hansell who commented on the quality and variety of whiskeys made at the distillery, “In an era where hundreds of small distilleries are starting up across the globe, Cooley can be an inspiration to them all”.

To enter the Cooley competition, all participants must do is buy any full-sized (70cl) bottle of Cooley whiskey from Master of Malt before 6pm the 1st of August 2010 arrives or the 250 chances to win run out.  The lucky winner will be named on of before the 7th August 2010.

The entire Cooley range is available to try before you buy through Master of Malt’s new Whiskey sample service, Drinks by the Dram.

Read more about the competition on the Master of Malt Whisky Blog or browse the full range of Cooley Whiskeys on www.masterofmalt.com.

You can browse through the range of Cooley whiskeys here: www.cooleywhiskey.com/

About Master of Malt
 – Established in 1985
 – One of the UK’s leading online whisky and spirits retailers
 – A highly rated independent bottler, all of whose single cask whiskies scored over 90 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible 2009.
Follow Master of Malt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/masterofmalt

Arran OB 15th Anniversary 54.6%alc.

Distilled 1999

Bottled 2010

Finished in Amontillado Sherry Casks

A limited edition of 5640 bottles to mark the 15th anniversary of Isle of Arran Distillery.

Arran 1999 15th Anniversary
Barcode: 5060044481987

Price excluding VAT: £42.47
£49.90 Including VAT at 17.5%

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

WHISKY LIVE PARIS 2010
September 25th, 26th et 27th
Palais de Tokyo

WHISKY LIVE
Spanning the planet from London to Tokyo, Paris to Glasgow and New York to Cape Town, Whisky Live is now a major event in more than twenty different cities every year.

Since 2003, Whisky Live Paris has brought together thousands of whisky lovers during the month of September for this special event. Whisky Live Paris will assemble some of the most prestigious distilleries, from all the whisky-producing countries: Scotland, Ireland, the United States and Japan but also from Wales, India, Sweden, Australia and France.

WHISKY LIVE PARIS 2010

For the first time, Whisky Live will open its doors to welcome other fine spirits. Cognac and rum will be the guests of honour will be taking the stage in dedicated areas all throughout this 7th edition. These will not be the only spirits attending, however. Numerous eaux-de-vie both aged and non-aged will find themselves at home in this latest edition of Whisky Live: Calvados, tequila, vodka, gin and liqueurs… All of these fine alcoholic beverages will enrich the creative and ever-changing universe of mixology, its experts and fans

THE SEVENTH EDITION

In a space of over 3,000 m2, Whisky Live Paris 2010 offers an olfactive and gustative journey, both human and sensory, through the universe of fine spirits.
Following the “Total Experience” in 2008, and “Multi Media” in 2009, Whisky Live Paris 2010 will adopt “Gourmet Mind & Fine Spirits” as its 2010 theme.
The theme will be expressed in the following way:

Tasting : New releases, established classics and collector’s pieces, not only in whisky but also in Cognac and rum will all be available in dedicated areas.

Pairings and experiences: The Classic Malts and Food Experience, teas, chocolate and spices… plus an entire area given over to cocktails and other spirits (tequila, cachaca, gin, vodka, liqueurs etc.).

Encounters, pause for thought and exchange: on different stands and through a programme of tasting-conferences, the greatest experts, pioneers and tasters from the universe of spirits and gastronomy will infuse this edition of Whisky Live with a spirit of exchange and open discussion on manufacturing techniques, history, flavours and smells.

The finest and most curious of palates will be both surprised and flattered by the exceptional richness of this Whisky Live, comparing different whiskies with each other and then with some of the other greatest aged spirits such as rum and Cognac. These can be tasted as they are, on their own, or in pairings with food, without of course forgetting expertly made cocktails.

As a responsible event, Whisky Live Paris wishes to remind the public that excessive alcohol consumption is hazardous to your health. Whisky Live encourages responsible drinking.

Practical Information

Date:   September 25th, 26th & 27th
Location:  Palais de Tokyo – 13 Avenue du Président Wilson – Paris 16ème 
Opening times: Saturday September 25th 2.00pm to 9.00pm
Sunday September 26th  noon to 7.00pm
Monday September 27th 10.00am to 5.00pm (by invitation only)
Standard rate:  40 euros per day – 70 euros for the WE (Palais de Tokyo)
VIP package:  60 euros per day – 100 euros for the WE (Palais de Tokyo & Tokyo Art Club)
Tickets:  www.whisky.fr, wine & spirit shops, La Maison du Whisky (0820 160 180)
   www.francebillet.com, France Billet network (Carrefour, Fnac, Géant)

Information & bookings: www.whiskylive.fr
Philippe Jugé: Tel. +33 1 47 30 71 93 – Fax +33 1 47 30 71 91 – contact@whiskylive.fr
 
PRESS RELEASE
JUNE 2010
WHISKY LIVE PARIS 2010
September 25th, 26th & 27th
Palais de Tokyo – 13 avenue du Président Wilson – Paris 16ème
Private customers : Saturday & Sunday (with ticket)
Trade customers : Monday (by invitation only)

THE ORGANIZERS

WHISKY MAGAZINE

Whisky Magazine, the leading magazine dedicated to whisky, covers all facets of the world of whisky: history, producing countries, distilleries, brands, economy, production, personalities, destinations, gastronomy and culture. There are 4 different editions: international, French, Japanese and Spanish.
www.whiskymag.com Whisky Magazine (French edition) is released every two months since 2004.
www.whiskymag.fr

LA MAISON DU WHISKY & FINE SPIRITS BY LMDW

Since 1956, La Maison du Whisky has selected and distributed over 1,000 whisky references (600 as exclusive dealer) in its boutiques (Singapore, Paris, Reunion Island), on www.whisky.sg and via a network of stockists, wine merchants and gastronomic restaurants.

This selection includes all the major whisky-producing countries—Scotland, Japan, Ireland and the United States—as well as those just emerging: India, France, Wales, Australia etc.

Already well-versed in the products of all these countries and others also, La Maison du Whisky continues to put together a portfolio of spirits with the very same degree of passion, exigency and originality. The fruit of encounters with the producers themselves, this selection represents not only all the major categories of serious spirits (rum, tequila, Calvados, Cognac etc.) but also a large number of un-aged alcohols highly favoured in the world of the bar and mixology.

THE VENUE

PALAIS DU TOKYO
Opened in 2002, the Palais de Tokyo exists to present contemporary art to as many people as possible. Since its beginning, the Palais has been host to 191 exhibitions and over 500 artists. In 2009, 200,000 visitors were welcomed, of whom more than 35% were foreigners.

The Palais de Tokyo, normally dedicated to modern art, is certainly the space which most eloquently symbolises the new era which has begun for whisky and all other fine spirits.

Whisky Live 2010 aims to be a true forum for discussion, a space in which fine spirits and personalities from that universe can truly express themselves.

“Masterpieces of taste” will be on presentation in different areas and in different forms, associated with different concepts and different personalities.

Information & bookings: www.whiskylive.fr
Philippe Jugé: Tel. +33 1 47 30 71 93 – Fax +33 1 47 30 71 91 – contact@whiskylive.fr