Gordon & MacPhail scoop prestigious SCDI award

Family-owned whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail has won the prestigious SCDI Brodies Award for International Achievement in Innovation, in recognition of its success in growing international markets. In addition the company was also shortlisted for The Clydesdale Bank Award for Best International Business.

The Elgin-based whisky wholesaler, bottler and retailer, which also owns the Benromach Distillery, was presented with the award last night (Friday 19 November) at a ceremony in Glasgow.  Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City was the Principal Guest at the event and delivered the Keynote Address.

The award recognises the company or organisation which can best demonstrate significant innovation in its products, business processes or customer services which has transformed the way it does business and has made a significant impact on its commercial performance. In addition, the company was also shortlisted for The Clydesdale Bank Award for Best International Business.

Joint Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, Michael Urquhart, said:

“For over a century, we’ve been building up an unrivalled collection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies from our base in the heart of Speyside.

“Scotland’s whisky expertise is recognised all over the world, and demand for our products in international markets has never been higher: in the first eight months to the end of October 2010 we have increased export sales by 55%.

“We’re delighted to have been presented with this award which recognises the efforts of our dedicated and enthusiastic staff and the support of our customers and suppliers globally.”

Gordon & MacPhail’s latest results showed a 20 per cent increase in turnover in the face of the worst recession for more than half a century. The company last year won a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, following a 94 per cent increase in exports over five years. 

Gavin Hewitt, Chief Executive of  The Scotch Whisky Association, said: “Scotch Whisky is a cornerstone of our economy.  With the industry as a whole playing an important role in driving economic recovery and building overseas markets, I’m delighted to see the great efforts of the team at Gordon & MacPhail recognised with this award.”

The firm employs 130 people in Elgin and Forres. It stocks around 300 different expressions of single malt whisky and cares for some of Scotland’s oldest and rarest casks in its warehouses. In 2010, Gordon & MacPhail launched the world’s oldest whisky, Mortlach 70 Years Old.

Benromach Distillery, which was brought back to life by Gordon & MacPhail in 1998, produces Benromach Organic .

www.gordonandmacphail.com 

Currently available are barrels of;

10 yo Caol Ila, distilled 3/11/2000, £2200 (ready for bottling)
4 yo Tomatin, distilled 10/2/2006, £1000,
5 yo Linkwood, distilled 20/7/2005, £1100
7 yo Craigellachie, distilled 27/6/2003, £1100,
4 yo Balmenach, distilled 2/8/2006, £1000
4 yo Miltonduff, distilled 6/3/2006, £1000

All of the above casks are refill bourbon barrels, and warehoused at Bladnoch Distillery (1 year’s warehousing included in price). All prices are Under Bond – Duty & Tax payable before they are removed from the warehouse.
 
Also available are some casks of older whiskies.
 
I intend to bottle one of the barrels of 10yo Caol Ila which will be available in approximately 2 weeks time on www.whiskybroker.co.uk . Price per 70cl bottle at 54% is likely to be £25, plus postage.
 
Many thanks,
 
Martin Armstrong
www.whiskybroker.co.uk

Whisky truly is the “water of life”, and as many as 60,000 people will benefit from the sale of one very special bottle of whisky this past week. The Macallan in Lalique Cire Perdue Decanter is the largest and heaviest Lalique decanter ever made, and holds the oldest Macallan whisky ever bottled. It sold Monday night at Sotheby’s in New York for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of whisky: $460,000. There’s complete coverage of the auction in this week’s episode, along with news from the Bonhams whisky auction in Edinburgh, several whisky competitions, and the Holiday Gift Guide has a Vegas flair.

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

The Travels of Whisky Intelligence

One hour and twenty minutes after arriving at Seattle Tacoma airport, having already checked into the hotel, we were seated at the bar in TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/ Now that’s not a moment wasted.

Why must a moment not be wasted? Well, we were the guests of the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza which was commencing in a few short hours http://www.singlemaltextravaganza.com/ and hosted by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America http://www.smwsa.com/. So no dawdling please.

But first we had a 2:20PM reservation to see the exhibit of “Master pieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris” October 8th, 2010 to January 17th 2011 featuring a 150 selected works of the legendary artist. (If you go, buy your tickets on-line and print them at home because there is always a line to buy tickets at the SAM).

We had missed visiting the Musée in Paris during our 2004 visit (which nicely coincided with Whisky Live Paris) due to ‘renovations’ but this time we benefited from yet another ‘renovation’ at the Paris Museum and thus the exhibit was at the Seattle Art Museum.  

So with lunch ordered the eye naturally wandered over the very good selection of whiskies and fell upon a Hibiki 12 year old which duly arrived in a large copita style glass with a heavy base. The pour was VERY large. Thanks Tiffany! The burger and fries went very well with the Hibiki and the 2nd Hibiki went even better with the first.

"What's this wire for?"

Next stop was the Picasso exhibit and there were a large number of people wandering around with confused looks on their faces. To be fair many others seemed to being enjoying the exhibit greatly muttering approving comments to themselves with furrowed brows. After 20 minutes defeat was admitted and refuge was sought on the 2nd floor to view scenes from American history like “Mount Rainier, Bay of Tacoma” – (Puget Sound, 1875) by Sanford Robinson Gifford; calming and not jarring, paintings of intact people, not like they had been a wee bit to close to an IED.

Mount Rainier, Bay of Tacoma” - (Puget Sound, 1875) by Sanford Robinson Gifford

Fast forward to 6:30PM…The Extravaganza

The Rainier Club

The Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza is held in the Rainier Club http://www.therainierclub.com/ located in the down town area and it’s a brilliant venue for the Extravaganza. The ambiance is old world London club (with some really good art sprinkled about the place). Check in started at 6:30PM in the lobby with the event commencing at 7PM, due to the club dress code jacket and ties were the order of the day.

The second floor of the club is set aside for the whisky portion of the event and on the third floor there was the Grand Dinner Buffet in the Heritage Room with a good assortment of hot foods (roast turkey, roast pork, roasted potatoes & vegetables and pasta with beef) salads, assorted cheese and bread/crackers followed by dessert; the food was very good. Enough is good as a feast as they say. The Club staff was very attentive and kept the buffet full and the dishes cleared with efficiency so there was no wasted time; back to the drams!

The second floor main event was featured in three rooms with Macallan, Highland Park, Famous Grouse (Blend & malt with age statement), Yamazaki (with Neyah White, Yamazaki Ambassador) and Glenrothes in the Cutter Room.

Ardmore & Laphroaig (with Simon Brookings, Laphroaig Ambassador), Douglas Laing (Big Peat, OMC & Premier Barrel), Loch Chaim, Highland Stag, the SMWS bottlings of 25.51, 123.5, 39.75, 93.37 and 33.83 (with Aron Silverman, Gabby Shayne and Alan Shayne of the Society), The Classic Cask, Glenmorangie & Ardbeg (with Dr. Bill Lumsden, Head of Whisky Distillation & Whisky Creation and David Blackmore, Master Brand Ambassador), The Glenlivet (with Ricky Crawford, The Glenlivet Ambassador), Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa & Chivas in the Cascade Room. The Cascade Room was the largest of the three rooms in use.

The Rainier Room featured Isle of Jura, Balvenie and Glenfiddich (with Mitch Bechard, Ambassador), a cigar/token exchange/collection point in front of GIANT fireplace (with a big copper top which was reminiscent of the Bowmore mash tun) and then The Classic Malts along with Clynelish and the Singleton of Glendullan which was newly introduced into the Washington market.

The Extravaganza holds a two curiosities; the first is that in attendance are a contingent that make use of unusually large ‘brandy snifters’ in place of the Extravaganza glasses that are supplied as part of the entrance fee. Large is defined as flower vase large. Do NOT ask them about their glasses. Now don’t go off on the wrong track here; they are very nice people and will talk to you all night long; just don’t ask about their choice of glass ware. One poor chap talked about the ‘higher notes’ escaping the the inside of the glass and clinging, spiderman like, to the outside of the glass. C’mon dude, that’s your after shave.  They have some funny beliefs about the magical effects of their flower vases and describe the magical properties with gleaming eyes and an intensity usually sported by….well, enough said. (Some wore black jacket & tie; they may be some form of leadership cadre).

The second curiosity is that some time ago the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza was told that they were not allowed to advertise the event by the authorities who govern such things in Washington State. Whisky Intelligence is pretty certain that both freedom of association and freedom of speech are being impugned in some fashion. Not to mention common sense being thrown out in the trash with the day old banana skins. However that is the situation and despite this the Extravaganza sells out every time, it seems word of mouth plays a big part in it’s success with many Rainier Club members and local scotch club members buying blocks of tickets (perhaps this is how the flower vase people infiltrated the event).

While the Extravaganza is smaller than some other events it certainly doesn’t lack for quality, it’s an entertaining evening with a good number of drams available in a comfortable venue with excellent food and attentive service. There is always something new to try and the brand ambassadors make sure that there are interesting rarities on hand. Mitch Bechard of William Grant & Sons (Glenfiddich & Balvenie) saved an older Glenfiddich and the Balvenie Peated Cask for late in the evening and worked the crowd into a high state of anticipation; both bottles were poured at light speed however Whisky Intelligence managed to try both!

Whisky Intelligence heartily recommends the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza and plans to attend in the future. Simply must solve the puzzle of those flower vases…

Tickets may be purchased at http://www.singlemaltextravaganza.com/ and the fall & spring tour schedule includes CHICAGO, BOSTON, WASHINGTON, DC, PHILADELPHIA, SEATTLE, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, and FORT LAUDERDALE. You’ll need to telephone the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America to book your tickets for Seattle.

BALLANTINE’S LEAVES AN IMPRESSION AS CENTENARY YEAR COMES TO A CLOSE
 
Reflecting the global reach of Ballantine’s, almost 100 international guests, from countries such as Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine, gathered in Scotland this month for a two day event to celebrate the centenary year for Europe’s No 1 Scotch whisky brand, Ballantine’s Finest.
 
Taking place in Edinburgh, the historical home of Ballantine’s, the group which included media from around the world, enjoyed a visit to Dundas Castle and a formal Scottish dinner with a special address to the Haggis by International Brand Ambassador Ken Lindsay.
 
Pictured at the dinner, from left to right, are Ballantine’s Global Brand Director Peter Moore; International Brand Ambassador, Ken Lindsay and Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, who cut the Ballantine’s Finest birthday cake together to commemorate the brand’s landmark year.
 
Speaking at the event, Peter Moore said: “This is a historic occasion for Ballantine’s and we are delighted to be celebrating it with so many of our market guests. Their attendance not only demonstrates their loyalty to the brand but their determination to continue to support it around the world. This event has concluded what has been a year of celebration across all our key markets and we hope it will inspire even greater future success for the brand.”

 
Notes

About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s, is the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe, No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific and sells over 70 million bottles a year. The brand has won over 80 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most comprehensive and innovative in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of master blenders that dates back to 1827.
 
About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
 
In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.
 
For further information please visit: www.chivasbrothers.com

Hello Fellow ScotchLovers –

They say “size matters”…and we couldn’t agree more.  This weeks Whisky Wednesday offering is all about size…as in size small.

I am thrilled to be able to offer you a bottle of Edradour 1999 Non-Chill Filtered 10 Year Old Whisky.  Produced by Edradour, the smallest distillery in Scotland,
this is a very small production whisky, with only 907 bottles released.

Whisky For Everyone described Edradour 10 YO as “… dull gold and the nose is pungent, with a combination of dried fruits (think of sultanas), some sweetness (imagine slightly burnt caramel) and nuts (especially almonds)… On the palate, this feels thick and oily (almost syrupy) with some interesting elements coming together. There is a sort of malty, grainy yeastiness that gives a creamy flavour and feel, with the dried fruits, nuttiness and sweetness from the nose (a bit more like honey this time) battling with a pronounced smokiness…Edradour 10 years old is a very interesting whisky. It has a slightly odd mixture of characteristics that suggest maturation in both bourbon and sherry casks…”

The ForScotchLovers retail price is $74.95. If you want a bottle, please purchase it ASAP. We have a limited number of bottles available to us, and once they’re gone, they are gone.

Enjoy!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForScotchLovers.com

 
A 1999 vintage of Edradour, bottled by Signatory. This is a single cask bottling from cask number 118. Which was bottled in August of 2009. Part of a release of 907 bottles.

Edradour Distillery

Edradour is the smallest whisky distillery in Scotland; possibly the smallest legal distillery of any kind in the world. John Reid and his two assistants hand-craft Edradour without automation, using skills handed down through generations…

It takes the man-power of just three men to produce Edradour – three men whose expertise and attention to detail produces the most unique malt whisky in the world.

Using skills handed down over the generations, the men of Edradour distillery follow the standards of those who have gone before. John Reid, David Ramsbottom and James Kennedy continue to produce the finest single malt whisky available.
Signatory Bottlers

The company was founded in 1988. It is a family owned and managed company, being one of only three true independent bottlers. They always like to draw a distinction between the independent companies who bottle their own products, and the independent companies whose products are bottled under contract. The other fully independent bottlers are: Gordon & MacPhail and Wm. Cadenhead.

The name of Signatory derived from the fact that their initial intention was to find someone famous to sign the labels for bottles produced from one single cask. The first cask we purchased was a cask of 1968 Glenlivet, which was sold long before we could find a famous person. Until April 1992, when they moved to their current premises in Newhaven (Edinburgh), they operated from a bonded warehouse in Leith. Leith was once a well known port for importing wine from France. As this industry declined, many of the whisky companies began to occupy the old warehouses for cask storage purposes. In recent years, this has also declined, with the larger companies moving to the west of Edinburgh, where transport links are better.

In April 1992, as the company began to grow, they moved to much larger premises. Here, they were granted a licence to bottle their own products on site. They set-up a small line bottling system, primarily geared towards the bottling of single casks. Although the actual bottling of whisky is semi-automated, the emphasis is very much a hands-on operation, with hand labeling and packing of products. To add to the exclusivity of their bottlings, they often declare the cask number, date of distillation,and date of bottling on our labels. In addition,each bottle is individually hand numbered.

It is their aim, as an independent bottler to offer a range of whiskies, some of which are not bottled by the proprietor of a particular distillery, and some at different ages/strengths to those offered as distillery bottlings. The majority of their bottlings are the product of single casks, with the malt whisky enthusiast being given the opportunity to sample the subtle differences which occur with each different cask.

Signatory owns the smallest distillery from Scotland, Edradour since 22 july 2002. (Now what would Kilchoman or Draftmill say about that? – WI)

www.forscotchlovers.com

Scottish Field, the premier lifestyle magazine in Scotland, is back with its 10th edition of the annual Scottish Field Whisky Challenge, the prestigious award for the world’s greatest whiskies.

For the past decade, we at Scottish Field have taken enormous pride in the success our yearly “blind tasting” challenge of the finest drams in the world. The impact of the awards has far outstripped our expectations, becoming somewhat of an institution for the whisky industry, fanatics and occasional drammers.

Every December issue of our magazine includes the renowned Scotch Whisky Challenge, defining the very best whisky in the world by the verdicts of our fabulous panel of world-renowned experts. This year, we have decided to share our Whisky Challenge on the world wide web, so that whisky lovers from around the world are able to enjoy the stellar awards with us, rather than just our magazine’s readers!

We would like to involve you in our annual challenge, by visiting our Whisky Challenge 2010 page, ( http://www.scottishfield.co.uk/statistic/w/ ) where you can find out everything you need to know, from a background of the judges to how the challenge works.

Also, be sure to check out our whisky news section.( http://www.scottishfield.co.uk/article/category/120-Whisky_News/ )

For our whisky reviews, click here. ( http://www.scottishfield.co.uk/review/3-Whisky/ )

A message from Duncan Ralph;

Last week the 10th anniversary Scottish Field Whisky Challenge awards was held in Edinburgh. This event is eagerly awaited by both the whisky industry and occasional drinkers looking for fresh experiences and new expressions to try. Scotland’s leading whisky experts blind tasted a huge selection of the best whiskies currently available on the market. I was part of the judging panel this year, a difficult and dirty job I know but someone has to do it!!!! Single Malts Direct are proud to offer the winners of the three categories: Under £30, £30 – £75 and over £75.00

Under £30

Gold Monkey Shoulder £24.99
Silver Talisker 10yo £29.49
Bronze Glen Elgin 12yo £29.99

£30 – £75

Gold Glengoyne 21yo £74.99
Silver Big Peat £31.98
Bronze Strathisla 30yo £74.99

OVER £75

Gold Miltonduff 1969 £127.99
Silver Ben Nevis 25yo £88.49
Bronze Longmorn 30yo £79.99

A complimentary copy of the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge supplement will be sent with every order. Please visit www.singlemaltsdirect.com to see the full list of available whiskies.

M C L E A N S C O T L A N D
W H I S K Y   T O U R S   T O   R E M E M B E R

MCLEANSCOTLAND are just home from whisky live at Leiden, Holland. Says Paul McLean “We had such a great time there, met so many new contacts in the trade and numerous people wanting to take tours of Scottish distilleries with us.  Overall it was a very worthwhile trip, one we will do again.”

“So many people were also really interested in our new whisky club concept, www.angelswhiskyclub.com the main attraction being our plans for a global whisky tasting, whereby we taste certain whiskies in Scotland, our worldwide members also taste the whisky the same day, sending in their thoughts so we can all compare.  It is a very novel and unique idea, one that we seem to have had praises “heaped” upon us!”

Liz from mcleanscotland with happy drammers!

MCLEANSCOTLAND offer Scottish and Irish whisky tours all year round, for individuals and groups, after Leiden, anyone wishing to book a tour for 2011 better hurry up, they will be BUSY!

www.mcleanscotland.com
www.angelswhiskyclub.com

PIONEERING WHISKY BORN FROM 2010’s “GREAT WAREHOUSE COLLAPSE”

Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky, today announced the launch of Snow Phoenix – a unique whisky born of chance and adversity which commemorates a moment of drama in Glenfiddich’s long history.

In January 2010, after weeks of heavy snow and record low temperatures, four feet of densely compacted snow covered the Glenfiddich distillery roofs, which housed hundreds of casks of fine aged whisky, gently maturing in semi-darkness.

On the evening of 7th January, in the most remote part of the distillery estate, a number of warehouse roofs dramatically collapsed under the weight, leaving the maturing oak casks exposed to the night sky.  In wintery conditions and temperatures of -19˚C, distillery staff swung into action, working round the clock to clear the snow.

Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, commented: “Standing amongst the wreckage and exposed casks, we were working out our next steps and assessing the situation.  I was thinking about how the casks, some of which were very old, contained some beautiful whisky and it occurred to me that they would create a fantastic non-aged single malt. A limited edition bottling from the whiskies in the damaged warehouses would be an appropriate way of celebrating the pioneering spirit of the distillery team at this moment in Glenfiddich’s history. “

“A photographer was shooting the scene and rather fittingly, when we looked at the pictures, the light shining through the warehouse roofs looked like a phoenix rising above us. I suppose this was the moment of conception of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix.”

Snow Phoenix was created by marrying together natural strength and non-chill filtered casks of different ages and finishes, including American oak and Oloroso sherry.  The result is a single malt, gold in colour with bright copper highlights.  Its nose is creamy vanilla mingling with vibrant notes of apple and pear complemented by the scent of fresh blossom. The taste is reminiscent of apples roasted in the embers of a campfire, sweetened with heather honey and accompanied by a piece of chocolate, rich and complex with a whiff of burned sugar, coffee and woodsmoke.  It has an exceptionally long finish – austere sherry notes mellow into a satisfying sweetness. The distinctive monochrome packaging and amazing photography pays dramatic homage to this exceptional whisky and details this exceptional story.

Shifting snow around the clock gave the Glenfiddich distillery team a deep admiration for those who work in extreme conditions. Glenfiddich has therefore dedicated Snow Phoenix to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT), who battle harsh environments to save lives in the heart of Speyside, and has made a special contribution to their funds.

To celebrate this partnership, Brian Kinsman invited a group of CMRT volunteers to a unique mid-mountain tasting where they developed the Snow Phoenix tasting notes. By conducting the tasting notes at a high altitude, Glenfiddich’s Malt Master was able to explore the difference temperature has on the taste of whisky. 

Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix is a one of a kind, limited edition single malt Scotch whisky which has been bottled in 2010. One thousand bottles will be made available exclusively to members of the online club, Glenfiddich Explorers, www.glenfiddich.com/explorers, with the remainder available in selected markets* from mid-November, ABV 47.6%, priced £49.99 RRP for a 70cl bottle**.

*Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix will be available in UK, Portugal, Netherlands, South Africa, Russia, USA, Taiwan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Spain, Andorra, Canary Islands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, China, India, South Korea and selected airports around the world.

** Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix 75cl is also available priced $89.99 USD

Notes
 
Tasting Notes

Colour: Gold with bright copper highlights.
Nose: Creamy vanilla aromas mingle with vibrant notes of apple and pear – the whole complemented by the scent of fresh blossom.
Taste: This is Glenfiddich in the wild – apples roasted in the embers of a campfire, sweetened with heather honey and accompanied by a piece of chocolate, rich and complex with a whiff of burned sugar, coffee and woodsmoke.
Finish: An exceptionally long finish – austere sherry notes mellow into a satisfying sweetness.

William Grant & Sons Ltd:

William Grant & Sons is an independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still controlled by the fifth generation of his family.  The Company distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single malt Glenfiddich®, the handcrafted range of The Balvenie® single malts and one of the world’s best loved blended Scotches, Grant’s®, as well as selected other spirits, including Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry® Spiced Rum and Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey®

Click on www.williamgrant.com for more information on the Company and its brands.