Announcing Whyte & Mackay Whisky Auction Fundraisers for Haiti

(This from Richard Paterson);

Everyone has been touched by what’s happened in Haiti and here at Whyte & Mackay we’d like to do our bit to try and help. To that end, we’ve teamed up with Oxfam to offer a couple of auctions that you can access via ebay.

The first is for a full week’s stay on the Jura Lodge on the isle of Jura, where up to eight people can stay for a week, enjoying the scenery and sounds of the beautiful island. They will also receive gift bottles of whisky and a tour of the distillery, learning more about the various Jura expressions including Superstition and Prophecy.

On top of the stay, Whyte & Mackay whisky will provide the transport (or the costs of) for the eight people to get to Jura.

Click this link for the auction for the Jura Lodge. http://tinyurl.com/yg57h8b

The second is for a chance to win me – not for keeping – but for me to come to an event you are putting on – or your home – and put on a whisky presentation, letting you try various expressions, learn more about whisky and generally have a good time. Again, there will be no cost to you. Whyte & Mackay will pick up all the travel and associated costs for me. Your only cost is the auction.

Click this link for the auction for the master blender tasting session. http://tinyurl.com/y8uahvw

Both of these are available to anyone who stays in the UK. That doesn’t stop people from outwith the UK bidding, it just means that in the case of the Jura auction, you have to get to the UK before we transport you to Jura and in the second auction that you have to have a UK venue or location we can meet at.

Let’s hope we can raise a lot of funds here for something which has devastated a lot of lives. As you would expect we’ll be using our social media connections – my twitter feed, Jura’s twitter feed, the Whyte & Mackay twitter feed, the Jura Pictures page, The Diurachs Facebook page and other sites – to promote this.

The auctions will be running for 10 days. Please spread details of these far and wide so we can raise as much as possible.

The 16th annual Malt Advocate Whisky Awards will be presented in the Spring 2010 issue of  magazine, due out March 1st. However, for the first time ever, we will be announcing the award winners on the Malt Advocate blog, “What Does John Know?” beginning February 1st.

The award will then automatically be published on Malt Advocate Publisher John Hansell’s Facebook and Twitter (@JohnHansell) accounts.
 
The advantage of publishing the awards on the Malt Advocate blog is two-fold:

The awards can be announced quicker on social media than in print media and will reach a larger audience.

Announcing the awards in a blog platform allows for further discussion and interaction between whisky enthusiasts, press, and trade.

“We are always trying to be as progressive as possible,” notes Hansell. “We look forward to using social media more in the future to provide Malt Advocate readers with the best whisky experience possible — one that is complementary to Malt Advocate magazine.”

The dates the category winners will be announced are:

February 1st:  Best Buy Whisk(e)y of the Year

February 2nd:  Artisan Whiskey of the Year

February 3rd:  American Whiskey of the Year

February 4th:  Canadian Whisky of the Year

February 5th:  Irish Whiskey of the Year

February 6th:  Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year

February 7th:  Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year

February 8th:  Pioneer of the Year

February 9th:  Industry Leader of the Year

February 10th:  Distillery of the Year

February 11th:  Lifetime Achievement Award

On February 11th, we will also be announcing our “Top Ten New Whiskies for 2009.”

Be sure to tune in to What Does John Know? beginning February 1st. http://www.whatdoesjohnknow.com/

All whisky tastings take place on Thursday nights from 7:30pm until approximately 10pm at the Tollbooth Tavern, 167 Canongate, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotchland

February 4th Thursday: Mortlach £27/24*- Sold Out

Cadenheads 1992-March 2009 16yo Bourbon hogshead 57.2% 263 bottles

Golden Cask 1994 55.1%

Signatory 5.8.91-10.3.9 17yo sherry butt 46%

Flora & Fauna 16yo 43%

Gordon & MacPhail 1954-2008 40%

February 11th Thursday: Rum £18/15*-

February 18th Thursday: Springbank £18 ALL PROCEEDS TO WATERAID (No member’e discount)-
Springbank 18yo 46%

Springbank 12yo Claret wood expression cask strength

Springbank CV 46%

Springbank 12yo cask strength

Longrow

March 4th Thursday: old/sherried/peaty/rare/unusual/mystery £20/17*-

Springbank private bottling 1996-2009 13yo frsh sherry hogshead 56%

Birnie Moss ‘intensely peated’ from Benriach distillery 48%

Dewars 12yo 43%

Caol Ila unpeated 10yo bottled 2009 65.8%

Ardmore 25yo 51.4%

+ a mystery dram

March 18th Thursday: 5 anonymous Islay/peaty malts at 40% No.2 £16/13*-

Glenkeir Treasures (2 malts vatted The Whisky Shop)

Pride of Islay 12yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail

Islay Storm single malt

The Ileach single malt

special guest Brora 1982-2008 43% refill sherry butts Gordon & MacPhail

April 1st Thursday: old/sherried/peaty/rare/unusual/mystery £20/17

April 15th Thursday: World Whiskies £tbc-

India- Amrut Fusion single malt 50%

Japan- Super Nikka blend 43%

Australia- Lark single malt 43%

Canada- Lot No. 40 40%

USA- tbc

Europe- tbc

Future dates:-

29th April, 13th May Highland Park, 27th May, 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)

(Maybe it’s time to move to Edinburgh! – WI)

Visit the Jolly Toper at www.jollytopertastings.co.uk

Glencadam Tasting – 3rd February

Tickets (£3) on sale now!
Location: Chalpaincy, High Street, Old Aberdeen
Time and Date: Wednesday 3rd February 2010
What to Bring: Membership Card + money for raffle

Glenlivet Tasting – 10th February

Tickets on (£3) sale the following Wednesday
Location: Chalpaincy, High Street, Old Aberdeen
Time and Date: Wednesday 10th February 2010
What to Bring: Membership Card + money for raffle

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Coming soon….

Benromach
Ardbeg
Glenmorangie
Laphroaig

It is defintely going to be a very good year….!

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Please Note:
Unfortunately due to exams we have decided not to have a Burns night event.

University of Aberdeen Malt Whisky Society
The Chaplaincy
High Street
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire AB24 3TT
aberdeenwhisky@googlemail.com

The catalogue for the McTears Winter Whisky Auction auction is up and available:

www.catalogue-host.co.uk/mctears/2010-02-03 

 
The SMWS bottlings are top rate and the guide price suggests they’ll go for a song. Ditto some of the other Independent Bottlings – real gems in there.

The SMWS Glenmorangie 125.1, 125.2 and 125.3 which are being sold without fanfare but are stellar and sold out on the morning of their release.

Many of the lots are from the Nick Brown Collection

The Johnson’s Whisky Tot from Bottega del Vino Crystal becomes the Official Whisky Tasting Glass of the 2010 International Whisky Competition

January 15, 2010 (WI is catching up…slowly)
Official Whisky Tasting Glass will shine at the International Whisky Competition

CHICAGO; Jan. 15, 2010 – In a joint press release, the International Whisky Competition (IWC) and Bottega del Vino today announced that the Johnson’s Whisky Tot is becoming the Official Whisky Tasting Glass of this year’s edition of the IWC.

This noble single malt glass will be used by the master whisky experts judging at the whisky competition. Benefiting from a unique design by noted Scotch Whisky authority, David Johnson, the Johnson’s Whisky Tot is designed to be a tasting glass, as compared to a nosing glass.
“If the whisky matters, so does glass – it’s that simple” said Robert J. Hall, Chief Whisky Officer at Bottega del Vino. “Several fine nosing glasses are available in the world today,” he went on, “and a couple of them are even made by friends of ours. We’re proud to have been recognized by the International Whisky Competition for our focus on tasting glasses and look forward to participating in this wonderful event” added Robert.
 
The International Whisky Competition will take place at the Hotel 71 in Chicago, IL USA from April 8th to 10th 2010 and will be hosted live on the web by a panel of whisky experts acting as competition judges.
 
About International Whisky Competition
International Whisky Competition is a young and creative company organizing a world-class whisky competition.  The International Whisky Competition is the first whisky-only international competition in the world. Our goal is to bring as many whiskies from around the world to be tasted and rated by a panel of judges. The annual International Whisky Competition attracts whisky lovers from across the world via the web and these can vote on whiskies participating in the competition.  The company was founded in Canada by a group of three whisky connoisseurs in 2009.  Its home page is www.whiskycompetition.com.

About Bottega del Vino Crystal
If the wine matters, so does the glass™ – it’s that simple. Tasting after tasting, test after test, time after time, wine enthusiasts are amazed by the difference the glass makes. Inspired by a life in wine and created by Severino Barzan, Bottega del Vino Crystal wine glasses are first and foremost, wine-driven in design and creation. Each piece is painstakingly mouth blown and hand finished to the highest world standards for balance, weight, shape and the tactile pleasure of holding the stem and drinking from it. Each piece features a superbly crafted bowl with single pull stem for the best possible feel in hand and mouth. Our crystal is unique in the world because it is not fragile, yet it offers the finest presentation available for your wines both in appearance and taste. It homepage is www.bottegadelvinocrystal.com

The Dalmore distillery is soon to release Candela, an outstanding 50 year old single malt. Selected from the oldest maturing stocks of any Highland distillery and with spirit dating from the last 140 years, Candela is set to become one of the most sought after expressions the world has ever seen.

Just 77 incomparable Candela decanters are available worldwide. Each decanter, and accompanying hand-crafted crystal case, provides a fitting complement to the precious liquid it carries.

Find out more about The Dalmore Candela. To secure your own decanter, contact candela@thedalmore.com

 

 Bruichladdich S 1988 21yo

Distilled: 11 February 1988

Bottled: 11 December 2009

Matured in Hogsheads

Limited to 525 bottles from casks 58 and 59

By chove! Here’s a genuine Bruichladdich and for a super-fair price!

Everything is in place, nice cereal notes about the aroma, with a little whiff of smoke about the schnoz. Fruity, spicy and immensely satisfying, original style Bruichladdich, I love this stuff and most definitely an ace!

On the Flavour map I have this in square E6:
Complex

A Signatory unchilfiltered bottling.

See ‘label explanations’ above for more information.

Price excluding VAT: £38.21
£44.90 Including VAT at 17.5%
46% abv

 …’ I love this stuff and most definitely an ace!’

It’s time for the second edition of Whisky-Meet in Bergen next month.
Have you heard of this festival???
With visitors from Japan, Scotland, New Zealand, USA, Denmark and Norway, and 16 masterclasses to choose from, I’m confident that this will be a great weekend of whisky for everyone.

Time and place:
Hotel Grand Terminus Bergen – Norway
February 12th and 13th

See http://www.whiskymeet.no for more information.
Or send me a email on frode@ght.no

Happy new year
and Slainte
Frode Harring

Federal Wine & Spirits  
 
Glenmorangie Tasting
Release of Sonnalta PX
Dr. Bill Lumsden
Thurs Jan 28
Pourings at 5:00 P.M. & 6:00P.M.

 
Dr. Bill Lumsden at work

I’m very pleased to welcome to Federal Dr. Bill Lumsden, Head of Distilling and Head of Whisky Creation for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. Dr. Bill is one of the best and most respected throughout the industry. This down to earth guy is not only a scientist, he is a magician, too.

He’s done a little magic for us, He waved his pipette and the Glenmorangie prices melted down. We will have the best pricing in years for this tasting and for you at home, too.

Great Whisky – Great Pricing. I hope Bill’s competitors take notice that without people buying, they won’t be working.

This tasting will center on the release of Sonnalta PX which Glenmorangie feels is the BEST sherried casked whisky in the world.

So come by and try the Best with the Best. We will take orders for signed bottles if you want one for a gift or yourself. They make a great conversation piece when friends come over to taste.

This tasting will be remembered for a long time. Bring a friend or a coworker. No reservation necessary, but please try to come right at 5:00 or 6:00 .

The Malts

Glenmorangie Pricing OLD NEW Tasting

Original $52.99 $41.99 $34.99

LaSanta (Sherry) $67.99 $53.99 $49.99

Nectar D’ Or (Sauternes) $73.99 $67.99 $64.99

Quinta Rubin (Port) $67.99 $53.99 $49.99

Sonnalta PX 46% $84.99 $76.99

Extremely Rare 18 Y.O. $154.99 $89.99 $87.99

Astar 57.1% $83.99 $75.99 $74.99

Signet $214.99 $199.99 $189.99

Tasting Prces are good for advance orders through the tasting day only

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

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits

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