Ok, time is short, so I’ll keep this brief! Here is your last chance to win a Winter White trip to Edinburgh.

We have teamed up with VisitScotland as part of their Winter White Campaign, created to showcase the many wonderful Winter White things to see and do in Scotland. Enter now to discover Scotland’s enchanting capital with a two-night stay for two at the 5-star boutique hotel, The Glasshouse. Then perhaps relax with a glass of Highland Park in the luxurious surroundings of an award-winning suite and take in the view of the bright white lights of this captivating city.

You can indulge your whisky enthusiasm by studying the world’s largest collection of Scotch whiskies, visiting The Scotch Whisky Experience (with a dram of 21-year-old whisky), enjoying a barrel ride through whisky production and you’ll receive a gift-boxed whisky glass and miniature. The prize includes £250 spending money so you can go shopping for a Highland Park 30 year old and an 18 year old.

The lucky winner will also receive two Winter White Explorer Passes which offer discounts on some of the country’s top attractions. Explore the white sights of the capital, including the magnificent snow-dusted Edinburgh Castle, which houses the Crown Jewels and The Stone of Destiny.

Round-off your trip at Edinburgh’s most stylish restaurant, The Living Room on George Street, where you can linger over a glass of sparkling-white champagne before a delightful three-course meal.

Enter now at: www.visitscotland.com/whitehighlandpark

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

 
Gerry
Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2010

Duncan Taylor

                                   Rarest of the Rare Port Ellen                                      
                                   26 YO Cask 674                                     
           £149.99 inc. VAT £127.65 ex. VAT    

Glen Moray 1988
21 Year old Cask 6978
£69.99 inc. VAT £59.57 ex. VAT             

Glen Moray 1975   
35 Year Old Cask 63
£99.99 inc. VAT £85.10 ex. VAT

Visit Single Malts Direct at www.singlemaltsdirect.com

Highland Park 10yo 1999/2009 (57.3%, SMWS of America, 1st Fill Ex Bourbon, 4.135, 109 Bts.)

The nose reveals some initial sweetness followed by some spicy wood notes along with some really good fruit (think of tree fruit rather than citrus or berries).  There is also a growing rich sweetness that is very pleasant. After a few minutes in the glass it starts to open up and there is the slightest hint of green in the back ground which turns to very light juniper the more time it spends in the glass. Best solve this right away before this gets out of hand and have a sip…the taste is sweet, strong and slightly coffee’d as well as some light leather. There is also some malt and some heft to the mouth feel. Very nice. The finish is malty and green and then there is a mild blast of smoke that quick dissipates (like one of those really small purse dogs that are all the rage these days –  lots of noise at first but soon skulks back into the purse, tail between its legs).  After a minute or so the malt takes over and there is really no sign of the sweetness however the malt carries on for quite a while. After quite a while potato chips make an appearance…unsalted and simply plain.

With water the nose is much the same as without but is slightly more pleasant. The taste most definitely improves and its much rounder and smoother but don’t over do the water, it looses some of the vibrancy. It’s meatier however with water.

US$90

Score 82 points

Visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America at http://www.smwsa.com/

The first review of three Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings this week…..

Binny’s  Goes Ninja!

Enjoy FREE Asian Food and Spirit Samplings!

Dewar’s White Label 1.75L  $27.99 

Johnnie Walker  Black Label $24.99

Canadian LTD 1.75L $10.99
Cutty Sark Scotch 1.75L $19.99
Famous Grouse Scotch 1.75L $25.99
House of Stuart Scotch 1.75L $14.99
Jack Daniels Black 1.75L $34.99
Jim Beam Bourbon 1.75L $21.99
Macallan 12 Year Old Single Malt $39.99
Seagram’s VO Canadian 1.75L $18.99
Seagram’s Crown Royal 1.75L $37.99

Visit Binny’s at http://www.binnys.com/

Adelphi
      

            
                                     Adelphi Caol Ila 1982                                       
                                        27 YO 57.5% C688                                        
                 £89.99 inc. VAT £76.59 ex. VAT  

Caperdonich 1970 38 YO
Adelphi C4378 47.1%   
£154.99 inc. VAT £131.91 ex. VAT  

Mortlach 1991 17 YO
Adelphi Cask 4235 57%
£62.99 inc. VAT £53.61 ex. VAT   

Visit Single Malts Direct at www.singlemaltsdirect.com

THE GREATEST WHISKY TASTING EVENT
Saturday, March 27, 2010 San Francisco
For the 11th year, the city will be the backdrop to  Whiskies of the World® Expo, a celebration of whiskies from near and far as well as other artisanal distilled spirits.

At WoW, you will have the opportunity to sample a wide range of Whiskies: from the biggest brand names to expressions from the world’s greatest independent bottlers to some of the rarest bottles in the world.  Whiskies from the US, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Japan.  Maybe even a few that will surprise the most savvy connoisseur.

And WoW doesn’t stop with Whiskies.  American craft distilling is a growing luxury segment of the spirits industry. These artisans will offer samples of their handcrafted vodkas, gins, liqueurs and other varieties of distilled spirits.

The Hotel Nikko, well noted for its cuisine, will again provide guests with a bountiful assortment of food from hors d’ouerves to carving boards.

Join us at Whiskies of the World Expo and celebrate the “water of life”.

WOW Masterclass/Speaker Schedule

(The complete schedule will be uploaded soon)

Confirmed Speakers:

David Mays, Simon Brooking ( The Great Whiskey Debate: Knob Creek vs Laphroaig)

Simon Brooking (Laphroaig)

Joe Michalek (Piedmont Distillers)

Stephen Beal (Classic Malts, Johnnie Walker)

Richard Paterson (The Dalmore)

Rick Edwards (The Glenlivet)

http://www.whiskiesoftheworld.com/wow/

TRY THE NEW AND IMPROVED WHISKY SHELF

Whilst the snow has kept us all indoors here in the UK, we’ve been busy behind the doors of Warehouse 24 improving the Whisky Shelf. We have made significant improvements to how well it works, while making sure to keep the essence of what made the original so popular.

EASIER AND QUICKER TO USE

It’s now much easier to add malts, rate malts and apply your own notes and comments. You should also find it easier to search for malts and see what others have said about them.

If you’re just in for a quick visit you can now add a number of malts to your shelf at one time without needing to rate them immediately. When you do come to appraise them for your records, we have made the Sensory Evaluation section easier and quicker to use – so you can now enjoy fuller details on your malts and learn a bit about nosing and tasting too.

Remember you can also create a wish list of malts you want to try, and share it with your friends by email… very handy as your birthday approaches 😉

MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN

Among the new features is the ability to create some on-screen profile text about yourself and upload a picture to represent you. To do this, login to Warehouse 24 and click on My Details: remember to click UPDATE PROFILE in the bottom right-hand corner when you’re finished.

The Whisky Shelf is a great companion for your malt whisky journey, and it just got even better… why not try it now?

Slainte

David Mair
The Balvenie Ambassador

The Maniacs Monitor is in the final stages of the most recent update and now features 40,000+ scores for 13,000+ whiskies. Expect the final version to be released this coming Sunday.

Visit the Malt Maniacs at http://www.maltmaniacs.org/

Japanese Whiskies
                
            
Hanyu 1991 Cask # 370           
                                           1 of 361 bottles                                                    
                               £105.99 inc. VAT £90.20 ex. VAT                                    

Karuizawa 1985 cask # 7017        
24 Year Old   
£88.99 inc. VAT £75.74 ex. VAT    

Ichiros Malt Eight of Hearts 
1991 17 Year Old
£108.99 inc. VAT £92.76 ex. VAT

Visit Single Malts Direct at www.singlemaltsdirect.com

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JIM MURRAY EXCLUSIVE TO FRIENDS OF THE EMPRESS
Sunday, March 7-3:00pm – 6:00pm – Palm Court

Whisky ‘Guru’ and author of ‘The Whisky Bible’ Jim Murray hosts an afternoon of Whisky at The Fairmont Empress. This prestigious event includes tastings of 12 whiskies where Jim Murray will take you through the path of the production, the distilleries and how each flavour develops. Mr. Murray has selected the top rated, premium whiskies in the world for your pleasure, only to be revealed at the event. Cost is $150 per person, and includes dinner buffet in The Bengal Lounge or an entrée in The Empress Room following the event.

Himself