Scottish & Irish Whisky Tour Specialists

DALRIADA GROUP who have in their portfolio; MCLEANSCOTLAND, DALRIADA TRAVEL and DALEY IRISH TOURS, are away to Ireland very soon to chat with tourist board directors for the setting up of official Irish whiskey tour packages. Whiskey tours in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Any wishing to take one of their tours, contact Sean at whiskey@daleyirishtours.com

MCLEANSCOTLAND are recognised as one of the best (if not the best) whisky tour companies in Scotland. With vast experience and untold knowledge of the whisky industry, they design whisky tours to suit the client and then add a wee bit more fun into the blend; special tastings, educational trips, whisky dinners and distillery tours, a blend of golf & whisky, sightseeing, historical sites, not only that, allow them to look after all your needs!

http://www.mcleanscotland.co.uk/

World-Famous Treasure Hunt Resurrected

Canadians and Americans invited to join international search for missing case of Canadian Club® Whisky and vie for $100,000 in prize money

The 40-year-old international treasure hunt that motivated adventure-seekers from around the world to search for hidden Canadian Club Whisky cases in remote locales – from the North Pole to Mt. Kilimanjaro to the Great Barrier Reef – is back on, with a big new twist. The campaign will give four brave Canadians (and four Americans) the opportunity to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime in search of the lost Canadian Club treasure and compete for the chance to bring home US$100,000 in prize money.

“At least two dozen cases of Canadian Club Whisky were hidden around the world as part of the brand’s hugely popular Hide A Case Adventure, starting in 1967,” says Dorene Wharton, Marketing Director, Beam Global Canada Inc. “Not all of the cases have been found…and we’re thrilled to reactivate this exciting campaign by inviting those with a penchant for adventure to join the hunt for one of the undiscovered cases – and the chance to win $100,000.”

Well-known Canadian and international adventurer Kevin Brauch, popular the world over for his roles as TV’s Thirsty Traveler and floor reporter on Iron Chef America, has been chosen as lead adventurer for the new program. In his latest role, Brauch unveiled details of the 2010 Hide A Case Adventure at news conferences in Toronto and New York City and, in April 2011, he will lead eight lucky Canadian and American participants to a secret, exotic location where they will hunt for one of the missing cases.

“The CC Hide A Case Adventure grabbed international headlines and captured the imagination of people from around the world – all before the advent of the internet and reality style television,” says Brauch. “We expect the scope of the 2010 edition to generate plenty of buzz and participation…and even some friendly rivalry between Canadians and Americans.”

Adventurous types can register online now at www.hideacase.com to vie for one of the coveted eight spots on the expedition. Starting today, the web site will feature the first of six weekly challenges in which participants will use their creativity, brain power and speed to win points and discern clues as they try to advance through Round One. Those who receive 50 or more points will move into Round Two where they will be asked to post an online video to illustrate why they should get a chance to join the CC Hide A Case expedition. In July, the top 30 videos will be put before a panel of judges and an online vote to help narrow the playing field down to four Canadians and four Americans. In April 2011, these eight participants will join Brauch and head off to parts unknown – they will compete against each other in a series of Amazing Race-style challenges designed uncover the hidden location of the elusive hidden case of Canadian Club Whisky.*

From 1967 through 1991, the Canadian Club Hide A Case Adventure saw 25 cases of Canada’s famous whisky hidden in extraordinary locations across the United States and all over the world, including: Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; Angel Falls in Venezuela; the Swiss Alps; the reputed site of the lost Dutchman mine in Arizona; the Arctic Circle; California’s Death Valley; and even atop a skyscraper in Manhattan. To date, 16 of the hidden cases have been discovered – many of them found with the help of clues revealed in a series of Canadian Club print advertisements published in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

The original Canadian Club Hide A Case campaign goes down as one of most memorable adventures of all time and one of the longest-running promotional campaigns in history. Hide A Case made Canadian Club a household name all over the world and cemented its position as a brand revered by adventure-seekers everywhere. The 2010 edition takes the campaign to a penultimate level where the adventure is larger than life and the potential payoff is larger still.

“Whether your idea of adventure is an exotic international journey to track down hidden treasure, or just a night out with the guys, CC’s Hide A Case Adventure won’t disappoint,” says Brauch. “We’ll see you at the Finish Line!”

*No purchase necessary, must be 21 years of age or older to enter, void where prohibited, subject to complete rules available at hideacase.com.

Notes

About Beam Global Spirits & Wine

Inspiring conversations around the world, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. is building brands people want to talk about. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Sauza® Tequila, Canadian Club® Whisky, Courvoisier® Cognac, Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Cruzan® Rum, EFFEN® Vodka, Teacher’s® Scotch Whisky, and Knob Creek® Bourbon and distributor of Russian Standard vodka in Canada. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company. For more information on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com

Canadian Club® Blended Canadian Whisky, 40% alc./vol. ©2010 Canadian Club Whisky Company, Walkerville, Ontario, Canada.

You may not know that the nice folk at Whisky Magazine also publish Scotland Magazine, a lovely publication about God’s own country. In a forthcoming issue the magazine will explore Orkney and they are inviting you to join them.

Each issue of Scotland Magazine delves into the history of Scotland; from the mysterious clans to the great political leaders, from the creative individuals to the history of Scotland’s greatest castles and houses. Published six times a year Scotland Magazine captures the spirit of this great nation, explores its heritage and recommends great places to visit.

You are entitled to claim your complimentary trial copy of Scotland Magazine and have them send a second copy as a gift to a person of your choice.

Visit www.scotlandmag.com/free/highlandpark to complete a form and the next issue with the Orkney coverage will be sent direct to your door. You will also receive an offer for a further six copies at just £20.95 (a 30% discount on the regular subscription price of £29.70). Obviously you have no obligation to take up the subscription offer and can just keep your complimentary copy.

Allow up to eight weeks for delivery; this offer closes at midnight on Sunday 27th June 2010.

We would never share your details with anyone else and the only way that Scotland Magazine can send you a complimentary copy is if you complete the form and opt in to their offer.

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

Gerry
Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2010

The small print – One copy per household. Offer ends at midnight on Sunday 27th June 2010. Offer subject to availability. You will receive the next available edition of Scotland Magazine, which will be mailed by regular post.

Loch Fyne Whiskies has stocked a new item, ‘Johnnie Walker Black Label Centenary Edition’

Johnnie Walker OB Black Label 12yo Centenary Edition 40%alc.

Celebrating 100 years of Black Label (1909-2009).

The undisputed king of whiskies and my favourite of all listed on this web site.

The orchestration and depth of this whisky defies every competitor, if Talisker is like ‘Won’t get fooled again, this is Who’s Next, the entire album! Ace.

Price excluding VAT: £21.19
£24.90 Including VAT at 17.5%

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

There were three in the bed and the little one said roll over, roll over…

May Outturn: PICKY Pairs

Every First Friday we put together our selection of Society recommendations for you to taste and explore (which you all love).  But have you spotted your own coalition for your drinks cabinet this May Outturn?

Pick your own pairing and we’ll give you a £10 saving – just use promotional code PICKY at the online checkout.  Here’s how:

1) Log onto our website
2) Pick the two bottles that have caught your eye
3) When you come to pay enter code PICKY
4) We’ll take £10 off your total order

You can use the code as many times as you like (buy four bottles and save £20, six bottles and save £30, and so on and so on…)

SMWS May Outturn Recommendations
Here’s a quick reminder but be toot sweet, these dapper drams sell-out fast

Smoky Sherried Pair: Buy 10.71 & 93.38 for £85 (save £10.40)

Best Buy Pair: Buy 95.11 & 35.38 for £88.50 (save £11)

Case Offer: Buy all SIX for £287.70 (save £35)
10.71 Onions Spring Enternal                                 
9.49 It’s in the bag                                                           
35.38 “Fire in the hole!”                                               
125.35 Amontillado and Aubergine                 
39.75 Cuban Memories                                               
G1.7 Flamed Christmas Pudding                          

SMWS Whisky Tasting & Events
Cafe Spice Nameste – Cafe Spice London, Tue 18 May
Cardiff Preview Tasting – Novotel Cardiff Centre, Fri 21 May
Islay and Island Tasting – 28 Queen Street, Sat 22 May
Cafe Fish & Dram Tasting – The Vaults, Mon 24 May
All things Japanese Night – The Vaults, Thu 27 May
Liverpool Preview Tasting -Malmaison, Thu 27 May
Champagne Tasting – 28 Queen Street, Thu 27 May
Aberdeen Preview Tasting – Caledonian Thistle Hotel, Fri 28 May
Bristol Preview Tasting – Hotel Du Vin, Fri 28 May
Pan-Asian Curry Experience – London, Sat 29 May
Whisky & Gems with Nicholas James – London, Wed 9 Jun
Whisky & Gems with Eric Emms – London, Thu 10 Jun

Visit the Society at www.smws.com

Chris and Gregg from Compass Box will be in on June 5th and 19th with some more magnificent blends/blended malts for Father’s Day (or just for you!).

And on top of this the Whisky Exchange Team will have the pleasurable company of Malcolm Waring, Distillery Manager at Old Pulteney around the end of June, so do keep a look out for further information on Whisky Intelligence.

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/Vinopolis

EXCLUSIVE SINGLE MALT WHISKY BOTTLING SERIES CONCLUDES
Diageo completes single-cask bottling of all its malt whiskies

Following earlier batches launched in September, January and April, Diageo are now launching the fourth and final set of their highly exclusive single-cask collection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.

Among the seven expressions that feature in this fourth release are some single malts familiar to many malt whisky drinkers  – notably Clynelish™, Knockando™,  and the iconic award-winning Islay malt,  Lagavulin™
But Auchroisk™, Benrinnes™, Blair Athol™ and Linkwood™ normally enjoy only very limited availability.

Each of the whiskies is drawn from one individual oak cask, picked after a careful examination of distillery stocks, and bottled at its natural cask strength.

So now for the first time ever, this ambitious collection encompasses all 27 of Diageo’s Single Malt Scotch Whiskies  –  never before has Scotland’s biggest estate of Single Malt distilleries issued a comprehensive series of single-cask bottlings. Labelled The Managers’ Choice because of the way the whiskies were selected, each distillery is represented by a special bottling of its Single Malt Whisky.

The rare limited-edition series is aimed at collectors and connoisseurs who 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 a unique take on each of the 27 distilleries’ distinctive distillery character.

The releases have been staged in four batches over several months, starting in September 2009 and concluding with this final release in May 2010.
For each Single Malt, the cask was nosed, tasted, discussed and finally chosen as a highly distinctive expression of that distillery’s Single Malt by a judging panel of acknowledged experts, including leading maturation experts and the distillery managers themselves.

In many cases, unusual cask woods will have had their influence on the final result. Perfect maturation and spirit quality have been the criteria, resulting in a bottling that delights with original and sometimes unexpected flavours whilst allowing the distillery character to still shine through.

Depending on the size of the cask and the rate of evaporation over the years since it was filled, the volume of bottles obtained from the chosen casks can vary between approximately 640 and as little as 200. These are, consequently, extremely rare and distinctive whiskies.

Classic Malts Selection™ spokesperson Nick Morgan said: “ This unique series of bottlings has provoked a great deal of interest and favourable comment. This last selection of whiskies has been much anticipated because it includes a cask from the renowned Lagavulin distillery on Islay. But as before, each of the bottlings offers unexpected insights into the character of each distillery.

“Taken as a whole they offer an unrepeatable opportunity to explore some of Scotland’s finest whiskies, all of which intrigue and delight, and some of which are simply outstanding.”

Full details, including tasting notes, are displayed on the Classic Malts Selection™ website www.malts.com. The updated website content 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 early notice of the launch.

Bottling Details

Auchroisk  Cask 11323 Speyside 8th October 1999 622 @ 61.0%
 Bodega sherry European oak Butter scotch nose, with sweet, deep burnt flavours.

Benrinnes  Cask 8994 Speyside 26th August 1996 328 @ 59.7% Refill American oak Light Speyside flavours with a sweet, delicate yet fresh taste.

Clynelish Cask 4341 Northern Highland 10th April 1997 232 @ 58.8% First fill bourbon American oak Oily, nutty with a hint of vanilla.

Glendullan  Cask 12718 Speyside 13th December 1995 635 @ 59.2% European oak Rich and sweet with a gentle almond butter finish.

Glenlossie  Cask 14098 Speyside   15th December 1999 207 @59.3% abv First fill bourbon American oak Light and fresh with a lemon zest.

Knockando  Cask 800790 Speyside 11th July 1996 599 @ 58.6% Spanish sherry European oak Gentle and smooth  with honeyed fruit.

Lagavulin  Cask 4447 Islay 25th October 1993 597 @ 54.7% Bodega sherry European oak Smooth rich fruit aroma. Smoky with a gentle warm finish.

Prices The UK RRP are as follows:

Lagavulin £300
Clynelish  £250
Knockando £250
Auchroisk £200
Benrinnes £200
Glenlossie £200
Glendullan £200

Website

See www.malts.com for full details of the release, including interviews with many of those involved in the selection process.

Previous releases

September 2009 saw the first release of six malts: Cardhu™ (1997), Glen Elgin™ (1998), Linkwood™ (1996), Mortlach™ (1997), Oban™ (2000) and Teaninich™ (1996).

The second release in January 2010 comprised Blair Athol™ (1995), Cragganmore™ (1997), Dalwhinnie™ (1992), Dufftown™ (1997), Glen Spey™ (1996), Strathmill™ (1996), and Talisker™ (1994).

The third release in April 2010 comprised Caol Ila™ (1997), Dailuaine™ (1997), Glen Ord™ (1997), Glenkinchie™ (1992), Inchgower™ (1993), Mannochmore™ (1998) and Royal Lochnagar™ (1994).

Diageo’s distilleries

Diageo has 28 operational single malt whisky distilleries, but spirit distilled at Diageo’s new distillery at Roseisle is not available yet.

Craig Wallace

Full interview with Craig Wallace, and other details of the first Managers’ Choice releases, can be read and downloaded from: ResponseSource: http://tinyurl.com/lawdxf

Distribution

The Managers’ Choice bottlings are available from specialist retailers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Benelux only.

About Diageo

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

The Classic Malts, The Classic Malts Selection, Auchroisk, Benrinnes, Blair Athol, Caol Ila, Cardhu, Clynelish, Cragganmore, Dailuaine, Dalwhinnie, Dufftown, Glen Elgin, Glen Ord, Glen Spey, Glendullan, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie, Inchgower, Knockando, Lagavulin, Linkwood, Mannochmore, Mortlach, Oban, Royal Lochnagar, Strathmill, Talisker and Teaninich words and associated logos are trade marks. © 2010

The Peat Monster Wins Again!  
 
Our friends at Malt Advocate Magazine last month awarded The Peat Monster ‘Best Blended Whisky of the Year’, a category that included both blended Scotch whiskies (made of malt & grain whiskies) and vatted malt whiskies (that is, 100% malt whiskies) which is, of course, what The Peat Monster is.

What John Hansell, Malt Advocate publisher, said underscores our premise for carefully blending whiskies from different distilleries and different cask types:

“This whisky demonstrates the layered complexity that can be achieved by marrying whisky from different distilleries… . I particularly enjoy the rich maltiness and oily texture that provide firm bedding and flavor contrast to the classic Islay notes—tar, boat docks, brine, smoked olive, seaweed, and kiln ash. More subtle cracked peppercorn, mustard seed, and citrus fruit add complexity, leading to a long, warming finish.” 

You can find The Peat Monster at your local specialist Scotch whisky retailer or via our online shop in the UK:

http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/

Glen Elgin 16yo (58.5%, OB, 9000 Bts, +/-2008)

A bit of a rarity; an official bottling from Glen Elgin and also at a higher strength of 58.5%.  The undiluted nose is sharp at first but then shows mild citrus, honey, bees wax, hints of pine resin, some slight hints of malt and oak spice. It’s pleasant. As it spends more time in the glass it opens up further. With water the nose changes considerably and becomes meaty with hints of Bovril followed by some fruit (Lychee) but the Bovril/maltiness remains in the back ground. The undiluted taste is strong, resin-y, fruity with a solid firm back ground plus some good sweetness and then the Bovril which upsets the apple cart some what. Some honey saves the day however. The diluted taste is meaty, sweet and fruity. Very much unlike the undiluted sample. Hints of the Bovril in the back ground. It unclear if the Bovril is helping or hindering. The finish shows malt and a creaminess that is quite pleasant, long and warming at first but then some unhappy bitter notes creep into the picture.

All in all mildly confused; some good, some challenging moments.

£55 at the Whisky Exchange London http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Score 80 points

NEW: THE BALVENIE FORTY

Malt Master David Stewart has revealed that 2010 will see the debut of a new expression, the first 40 year-old ‘marriage’ from The Balvenie. Produced in a small batch of 150 bottles, The Balvenie Forty will be available in selected Duty Free outlets from July.

http://www.thebalvenie.com/