W Hoboken Hotel will host an exclusive evening of Whisky and Music, as Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky presents special guest Heather Greene and her musical sounds of Argon 40 on December 1st in the hotel’s event space The Living Room.    

The event invites guests to an unforgettable experience, as the signature flavor of Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded Single Malt Scotch whisky, is paired with the sultry musical sounds of Argon 40, a unique musical collaboration between the multi-talented musician Heather Greene and platinum recording artist Adam Williams.  The release, “Fair Lawn,” is set to drop in January 2011.

 In addition to being an internationally acclaimed singer with two records under her belt, Greene is one of the world’s only female Whisky experts and an internationally recognized Icon of Whisky.  As comfortable on stage as she is behind a bar, Greene will also be leading a Glenfiddich tasting for guests, unlocking the distinct notes and flavors of this range of whiskies.

 “This listening party, the first in a nationwide tour, combines my loves for whisky and music and allows me to present my music in totally new way,” Greene said.  “My project Argon 40 sets a backdrop to chill, offering an unexpected, new and compelling tasting experience as well.”  

Guests at this event may rub shoulders with an array of local television and sports personalities and will also enjoy an assortment of luxury cigars and fine passed hors d’oeuvres.  The event will take place on Wednesday, December 1st from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  Press invitations are available at rsvp@thehipevent.com. Admission is free, contact rsvp@thehipevent.com to RSVP.

W Hotels Worldwide

W Hotels is an innovative, contemporary, design-led lifestyle brand and the hotel category buster with 36 hotels and retreats in the most vibrant cities and exotic destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access to a world of “Wow.” Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around fashion, music and entertainment. W Hotels offers a holistic lifestyle experience that is integrated into the brand’s sensibility through contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experiences, stylish retail concepts and signature spas. With more than 10 years of proven success, W Hotels is on track to more than double its footprint by 2011. W Hotels and W Retreats have been announced for London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Bali, Vieques Island, Koh Samui, and Verbier, among other international destinations. For more information, visit www.whotels.com.

Hello Fellow Scotch Lovers –

Each Wednesday from now until the end of the year we’ll let you know about exciting opportunities to acquire a special limited production collectible whisky. These whiskies will be reasonably priced, so you can give one as a gift in addition to keeping one for yourself.

Our first whisky is Compass Box Flaming Heart Malt Scotch Whisky Ltd Ed 10th Anniversary Bottling, one of the fiinest and most-difficult-to-get-your-hands-on expressions created by John Glaser and the folks at Compass Box.

John Hansell of The Malt Advocate said in his What Does John Know blog “I like this version (the third Flaming Heart release and second one brought to the U.S.) better than the last one imported here. I love the balance on this one, all the way through to the finish…” and then gave the whisky a Malt Advocate magazine rating of 95 points.

The ForScotchLovers retail price is $84.50, which includes a FREE acrylic presentation box to store your prized whisky (see below).

If you want a bottle, please purchase it ASAP (limit: 2-bottles per member). http://tinyurl.com/3x5hmdh With less than 2,000 bottles allocated to the US market, we have a limited number of bottles available to us. 

Enjoy!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForScotchLovers.com

To celebrate their 10th Anniversary, John Glaser and the folks at Compass Box have released the third limited edition of Flaming Heart, with a new label illustrated by Alex Machin The bottle comes with a clear storage/ presentation case. 
 
Compass Box Flaming Heart

Flaming Heart combines Highland, Islay and Island single malts, aged in a both American and French oak casks, to create a smokysweet flavor profile like no other Scottish malt whisky.

Availability: One-off, limited release of 4,186 bottles bottled in September 2010. Less than half of that production making it to the US.

Flavor Descriptors: A complex and smoky malt whisky with a rich, sweet, spice-laden fruitiness and long, lingering finish.

Distillery Sourcing: Single malt whiskies from six distilleries located in the northern Highlands and Islands. Primarily whiskies from distilleries located in the villages of Brora (Highlands), Port Askaig (Islay) and the
Isle of Mull (Islands).

Wood: 40% refill American oak, 31% first-fill American oak, 29% new French oak.

Bottling Details: Bottled at 48.9%. Not chill filtered. Natural colour.

www.ralfy.com has a fresh Vlog for your nosing and tasting.

whisky review 165 – Sazerac 18yo Rye (bottled Fall 2009)

New on www.canadianwhisky.org:

Still Waters Distillery.  Barry Bernstein and Barry Stein are making Canadian single malt whisky in their Concord, Ontario distillery and have plans to begin distilling high-rye Canadian whisky in January.

http://www.canadianwhisky.org/news-views/still-waters-distillery.html

And an old favourite:

Crown Royal Black is selling so well in the U.S. that plans are in the offing for a Canadian release.  Black is a rich, robust take on the signature Crown Royal house style.

http://www.canadianwhisky.org/reviews/crown-royal-black-45-alc-vol-90-proof.html

Glengoyne Still Going SLOW!

We are keen to stress our SLOW credentials. Our distillation speed is slower than any other Scotch Whisky. We attribute our high quality, smooth tasting malt to this slow distillation, which is about one third the normal rate.

Slowly distilling our spirit allows more contact with the copper stills, removing unwanted sulphur which can result in bitterness and encouraging the formation of esters creating Glengoyne’s distinctive apple fruitiness.

We’ve always done it this way but have just taken 177 years to tell you. That’s SLOW for you!

Food Festival Returning

We are delighted to announce that the Glengoyne Christmas Food Festival is back this winter. It is taking place on Saturday 4th December and we hope that you can all make it along. Our last food festival in 2008 was a huge success but this year’s event promises to be even bigger, bolder and better. Some of the old favourites will be back such as cookery demos by Tom Lewis, Santa’s grotto at the foot of the waterfall and stalls with unique gift ideas for Christmas but there will also be lots and lots more to keep all the family entertained!

Picture Perfect Christmas

Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has launched the first in a new range of special collectible tins, just in time for Christmas.

Available now, the collectable ‘Art of Glengoyne’ tin features a stunning watercolour of ‘Scotland’s Most Beautiful Distillery’ by accomplished Edinburgh based artist and illustrator Dave Brogan

The Glengoyne website is changing

The Glengoyne website has been with us in its current form since 2003! We are in the process of developing a new website at the moment and would love to hear from you about the type of things you would like to see on the website in general and also in the new members only section that we are adding to the website.

We will be randomly selecting an entry from each survey that will win a bottle of multiple gold award winning Glengoyne 17 YO!

Glengoyne Launches Two New Limited Editions

 
Glengoyne is expanding its award-winning whisky portfolio with the launch of two new Limited Edition Single Cask Malts.

The new 13 Years Old and 23 Years Old Glengoyne Highland Single Malts were handpicked by a team of experts at Glengoyne before being personally approved and signed by Distillery Manager, Robbie Hughes.

Please note: The 13 Year Old Limited Edition Single Cask has now sold out.

Glengoyne Launch New Port Cask Finish Addition to Core Range

 
For the first time in its 175 year history Glengoyne will have a special cask finish as a permanent addition to their multi-award winning core range, with a different limited edition finish always on offer to the consumer.

The first of the new cask finishes to be launched is a limited edition 13 Years Old Port Cask Finish. Only 2,817 bottles of the 13 Years Old Port Cask are available and will be replaced by a different cask finish when sold out.

The Christmas Cask

Cask 790 Distilled 2002, 1st Bottling – December 2010

An unusually slow Single Cask release, selected by the Glengoyne Tasting Panel.

Welcome to the first in a series of five releases from Cask 790. Every December, until 2014, you can trace the flavour evolution in this remarkable, yet typical Glengoyne Sherry Butt. Rich with hints of rosehip syrup, cocoa beans, oak and spice, Cask 790 still clings to the last of it’s spirited youth, but delivers plenty and promises much more.

This new bottling CAN ONLY be purchased by visiting the distillery. The inaugural release of this bottling will be on the 4th of December at our Christmas Food Festival.

Visit the Glengoyne Distillery at www.glengoyne.com

IT’S GAME ON FOR THE NATION’S BAR GAMES STARS AS WHYTE & MACKAY ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR LOCAL CHAMPIONS

Does your pub darts team dream of making it to the regional finals but can’t quite afford the membership fees?  Are you the fastest speed pool player in your pub, but your local needs a new pool table for you to practise on?  Or is your local pub footie team climbing the league table but needs a new kit to look sharp on the pitch?

If you’re part of a bar games team – or play a bar game solo – and are struggling to fork out for a revamp, renovation, kit or equipment, then Whyte & Mackay, today (Monday, 8th November) announces a competition that may have the answer to all your financial woes.

As part of their recently launched Bar Games campaign , which heralds the return of traditional pub games, Whyte & Mackay are offering teams and individual players of bar games the chance to win a share of £3,000 to help get them to the top of their game.

Individuals and teams simply need to visit Whyte & Mackay’s Facebook page and upload their story with any photos or videos detailing why they deserve the cash.   Alternatively, they can e-mail info@whyteandmackay.com and say why they need a little help to boost them up their league.  The top prize winner will scoop £2,000, while three runners up will receive £500 and 2x £250.

Top TV psychologist Professor Geoff Beattie is a supporter of Whyte & Mackay’s Bar Games campaign as bar games are a great way of socialising.  He comments: “The psychological benefits of bar games are that they provide a joint focus of attention when people are out socialising.  They draw people together in joint activity where the emphasis is on fun and friendly competition.  People may take the competition seriously but they should not take it too seriously, as in many other types of sport, because that would defeat the essential object of the activity. 

“The core aspect of bar games is that the inherent competition must always be both friendly and enjoyable.  The reason therefore why bar games are inherently important, from a psychological perspective, is that they allow human beings to display their competitive side without any negative impact on the social relationship between the individuals concerned.  Competitive sport may often produce rifts between people, bar games should not.”

Richard Paterson, Master Blender at Whyte & Mackay said: “I’ve been disappointed as I’ve seen the demise of traditional pubs through the years. It’s a sad truth that many pubs have sacrificed space used for traditional games to make way for ipod docks, mixologists and wasabi peas. Whyte & Mackay have listened to their fans and are making a stance to bring games back to Britain’s pubs.”

Go to www.facebook.com/whyteandmackay or www.whyteandmackay.com for more info or to enter the competition which runs until Monday, 6th December.

Notes

Winners will be chosen by Whyte & Mackay and notified within 28 days of entry. The winning entry will recive £2,000, one runner up will receive £500, and another two runners up will receive £250 each.

About Whyte & Mackay
Whyte & Mackay was founded on the docks of Glasgow in 1844 by James Whyte and Charles Mackay. For over 160 years, the whisky has remained true itself and the pioneering spirit, and is a top choice for Scots who appreciate its rich, smooth flavour, achieved by maintaining the time-honoured double marriage blending process; a process  that all Scotch whisky distillers used to carry out but have since abandoned.

Whyte & Mackay expressions are the Special, the Thirteen, the Old Luxury (19 years old), the Supreme (22 years old), the 30 years old and the 40 years old.

November 2010

Dear Customer

This month we have a number of new bottlings, being twelve (12) from the OLD MALT CASK,four (4) PREMIER BARREL ceramics, one (1) OLD & RARE, two (2) DOUBLE BARRELs, three (3) CLAN DENNY Grains and five (5) in the 20cl range.

The Tasting Notes for OLD MALT CASK follow:

OMC1928 LAPHROAIG 12 YEAR OLD
Nose: Opens to old style hairdressing – warms sweet ‘n’ peaty.
Palate: Distinctly phenolic, tarry, creosoted – still sweet.
Finish: Ashy, rather sooty – as above, still sweetly phenolic. (F)

OMC1936 MANNOCHMORE 13 YEAR OLD
Nose: Fresh, carries a green fruit quality + a boiled sweeties character
Palate: Sweet + peaches on syrup – runs to a sweet cough drop style
Finish: Long, still sweet, now spicier – develops to toffee and orange (J)

OMC1934 MORTLACH 13 YEAR OLD
Nose: Macerated ripe fruit – runs to spicy biscuits + polished wood
Palate: Mellow & round, spicy & sweet – vanilla tablet + ginger
Finish: Medium long – balance of rich spices & toffee character (J)

OMC1931 CAOL ILA 14 YEAR OLD
Nose: Charred meat on the BBQ + beach bonfire style – SMOKY!
Palate: Opens sweetly – runs to a light spice, smoky and soft tar quality
Finish: Long and smoky – bonfire ashes and a grilled meat style (J)

OMC1932 CRAGGANMORE 19 YEAR OLD
Nose: Carries sugary, grassy, gristy and sweet elements.
Palate: Initially drier – then spiced fruit/barley/oak all evident.
Finish: Gristy, warmingly spiced, now dry, lightly smoked. (F)

OMC 1959 SCAPA 17 YEAR OLD
Nose: Fresh/fruity/vanilla’d – a custard, fruit, and jelly tartlet style
Palate: Still fruity and sweetly – barley sugared with honey & sweet spices
Finish: Long, still fresh – runs to warming spices, smoke and orange pith (J)

OMC1901 BRAES OF GLENLIVET 20 YEAR OLD
Nose: Opens fresh, dryly spiced – warms to barley sugar and Malt
Palate: Still dry initially – warms sweetly, honied and spiced.
Finish: Warmingly spiced – cough drop style. (F)

OMC1935 GLEN ORD 21 YEAR OLD
Nose: Fresh & citrusy with a gristy sweet quality – lemon meringue pie
Palate: Tangy & crisp – a lemon curd character – runs to banana + orange
Finish: More citrus lingering on the medium long finish – now lemon pith (J)

OMC 1955 PORT ELLEN 27 YEAR OLD
Nose: Opens fresh running to a green malt sweetness being peat kilned
Palate: Initially sweet, developing to camphor + a charred wood style.
Finish: Smoke + ashes + dark chocolate & liqueur quality, run and run… (J)

OMC1923 CAPERDONICH 28 YEAR OLD
Nose: Initially malty, then runs to a sweet, mixed dried fruit quality
Palate: Macerated summer fruits, fudge & barley, tends to oak & walnuts
Finish: Long & spicy, more dried fruit, with a Christmas pudding style (J)

OMC 1948 DALMORE RUM FINISHED 33 YEAR OLD
Nose: Initial spicy sweetness runs to macerated ripe fruit + melted chocolate (Rum style)
Palate: “Rum and Raisin” now + concentrated vanilla carrying a lingering oak quality
Finish: Long – still carrying an oak tang + a liquorice wood character (J)

OMC 1949 TOMINTOUL 40 YEAR OLD
Nose: Fresh and fructiferous – with some cedary/spiced tones
Palate: Beyond its light body that same fruity gristiness endures
Finish: Vanilla custard/fruit dessert, more (Chinese?) spices + light smoke (F)

OLD & RARE Tasting Note:

OAR 0110 LAPHROAIG SHERRY MATURED 21 YEAR OLD
On the nose it carries soft summer tar initially – then as it warms – it softens to sweet spices, tobacco, barley, smoke and
liquorice. The big palate is “dark” distinctly peated, ashy, still sweet, spiced, peppery with late gentle oak (lightly toasted) –
going onto a finish which is drier – yet largely replicates those flavours of the palate. (F)

The PREMIER BARRELs taste something like this!:

PBR0082 BLAIR ATHOL SHERRY 13 YEAR OLD
A buxom, balanced, buoyant beacon of Blair Athol. Saliently and surely – salubriously spiced …. supremely satisfyingly,
superbly and scyntillatingly citric! Tango with this B.A. of the North! (F)

PBR0083 BOWMORE 13 YEAR OLD
A bundantly (sic) bodacious Bowmore – briny, beachy and braw! A sure-fire sea-shanty of salty sails, stylish smokiness,
sea-weed and saline swash buckling…. AAHRR …..to be sure, Jim lad! (F)

PBR0084 HIGHLAND PARK 12 YEAR OLD
A high powered – high spirited – HIGHland Park! Fundamentally and factually a feast of fetching fermented phenolic
flamboyance – with a titanically titillating toast of a taste – tantamount to toffee! (F)

PBR0085 AULTMORE SHERRY 12 YEAR OLD
This authoritive Aultmore arrays an aromatic and masterful miscellany of Malt mash – a substantial sugary swirl of syrup,
plus a forté of fresh, fragrant fruitiferousness! (F)

Tasting Notes for the CLAN DENNY Grains:

DEN0032 NORTH OF SCOTLAND 37 YEAR OLD
Carrying a dried fruit overload, it warms further to light tobacco and old wardrobe smells. Very sweet throughout the
palate – detect hard candy boilings and vanilla caramel – running to a lightly smoked and spiced finish, with a treat of a
toffee’d tail. (F)

DEN0052 GARNHEATH 43 YEAR OLD
The nose is sweetly spiced then heads citric with a subtle hint of new wooden flooring, freshly polished. Palatewise,
overripe pineapple, plus ginger, vanilla and mocha flavours all appear leading to a drier, lightly smoked and oaky – even
mentholated – finish. (F)

DEN0053 CARSEBRIDGE 29 YEAR OLD
Americana in style on the nose – detect its Bourbon cask history (even on the empty glass). Massively sweet on the palate
– it is full of hard candy fruity boiling plus vanilla pods. The finish carries a hint of smoke – plus soft, sugary, flambéed
banana. (F)

The DOUBLE BARREL releases are:

DBS00018 Macallan/Laphroaig
DBS0021 Highland Park/Bowmore

And lastly the five (5) 20cl Advance Samples are:

SMC0378 ARDMORE 7
SMC0379 BLAIR ATHOL 11 SHERRY
SMC0381 BOWMORE 13
SMC0380 LAPHROAIG 11
SMC0377 BEN NEVIS 12

We hope you will find that there are some really interesting new Malts offered in this selection .

With all best wishes, I remain

Yours faithfully

Fred H Laing
Managing Director

Visit Douglas Laing & Company at www.douglaslaing.com

It’s not too late to book your memorable Christmas celebration at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

‘…delectable food and drink served in three unique settings…’
With acknowledgments from The Michelin Guide and The Scotsman, the Society executive chefs create delicious food on par with the quality of our world-famous single cask whisky.

So whether it’s period luxury or authentically Scottish, you can impress this Christmas with a choice of three distinct venues and seasonal menus.

Make your own choice this Christmas.

28 Queen Street, Edinburgh
Luxuriate in our beautifully restored Georgian townhouse with its high ceilings, classical details and stunning views over the exclusive Queen Street Gardens.
Christmas at 28 Queen Street

The Vaults, Leith
If you’re dreaming of an authentic Scottish White Christmas look no further than the spiritual home of the Society – The Vaults. Our Members’ Room lounge can now also be exclusively hired from Mon to Wed.
Christmas at The Vaults

19 Greville Street, London
For a secluded Christmas feast indulge in the perfect private whisky tasting and dinner, in partnership with the award-winning Bleeding Heart Restaurant.
Christmas at 19 Greville Street

With exquisite private dining and receptions starting from £30, book your memorable Christmas celebration now.

Call the team on 0131 555 2266 or email events@smws.com

Friday 19th November

Gregg and Chris from Compass Box will have some of their fabulous range of whiskies open to taste. Telephone the Whisky Exchange to book your tickets.

A message from the Master Blender Richard Paterson;

Become a custodian of The Dalmore

Dear Connoisseur,

1263 is a highly significant year in the history of The Dalmore. And now so too is 2010. For it marks the launch of our new website www.thedalmore.com where you can view the entire Dalmore collection, read an irresistible insider’s guide to The Dalmore and learn many of the secrets of this magnificent malt.

But it is the opportunity to become a Custodian of The Dalmore that will surely lure you to its pages. As a Custodian you will gain unfettered access to exclusive bottlings, new expressions and Custodian only events. And should you be one of the first 1263 to join this very select group of connoisseurs, you will be granted access to a highly limited expression, bottled from casks laid down moments after the start of the new millennium.

No other whisky excites aficionados and collectors the world over quite like The Dalmore. And no other whisky website will either. To whet your appetite, just click here; http://www.thedalmore.com/

Yours sincerely,

Richard Paterson
Master Distiller