145th SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GATHERING & GAMES

WHAT:    145th Scottish Highland Gathering & Games
WHEN:    Saturday & Sunday, September 4 & 5 (Labor Day Weekend)
WHERE:    Pleasanton, CA – Alameda County Fairgrounds
HOURS:    9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
PRODUCER:    Caledonian Club of San Francisco
WEBSITE: www.TheScottishGames.com

“A Taste of Whisky at the Games” Whisky Tastings & Master Seminars

Join us at the Whisky Seminars and sample and learn about some of the finest whiskies…..

Tasting: Advance $17.00 – At Games $20.00.
Includes 6 tastings, tasting brochure and souvenir tasting glass.

HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERIES ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL EDITION OF “PARKER’S HERITAGE COLLECTION” AMERICAN WHISKEY SERIES

Cask strength, wheated 10-year-old Bourbon promises to be worthy next entrant in highly decorated whiskey series

BARDSTOWN, KY—Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the country’s largest independent family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer, announces the September release of the fourth edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection, a limited annual series of rare, aged American Whiskeys that pays tribute to 6th Generation Master Distiller Parker Beam.  The fourth release is a cask-strength, non-chill filtered wheated Bourbon, meaning it uses soft winter wheat instead of rye as the “small grain” to produce a less spicy, rounder Bourbon.

This year’s release of Parker’s Heritage Collection follows last year’s “Golden Anniversary” Bourbon edition, which captured the “American Whiskey of the Year” award from Malt Advocate Magazine, in addition to being named “World’s Best New Release” in Whisky Magazine’s annual 2010 World Whiskey Awards. The 2009 release, a 27-year-old Bourbon, was the first American Whiskey to ever win “Best of Show, Brown Spirits” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The new release marks the first in the Parker’s Heritage Collection to depart from the traditional Heaven Hill rye-based Bourbon mashbill.  Instead of the more commonly used corn/malted barley/rye recipe, the newest edition uses corn, malted barley and Kentucky winter wheat.  This recipe was first used at Heaven Hill in the spring of 1999, after the company acquired the wheated Old Fitzgerald line of Bourbons.  This new bottling of Parker’s Heritage Collection will mark the first release of Heaven Hill made, extra-aged wheated Bourbon.  And it will delight whiskey connoisseurs because not only is it non-chill filtered, but it also is being released in two very small batch dumps at barrel proof.  And like the previous three editions, it is being released in very limited quantities—only 52 barrels, kept in high storage in open rick warehouses, were dumped for this edition, yielding approximately 4,800 bottles for the United States and limited international distribution.

And in what will be welcome news in still-unsettled economic times, the fourth release, at $79.99, is priced considerably lower than previous releases, which carried an average national retail price of $150 for last year’s “Golden Anniversary” bottling and$200 for the 27-year-old Bourbon released two years ago.  Whiskey aficionados will also appreciate that the natural esters and fatty acids, which are by-products of whiskey distillation and aging, are not stripped away from the Bourbon in a process known as chill filtering, but are left in the whiskey to provide a fuller taste profile and richer mouthfeel.

Packaged in the same upscale 750ml bottle as the previous three editions, the Parker’s Heritage Collection Wheated Bourbon is available in a three bottle case that should start hitting retail shelves during September, nationally recognized as the start of the Bourbon season.

“I am genuinely excited to introduce a nicely aged, cask-strength wheated Bourbon for this next version of my Parker’s Heritage Collection,” noted Heaven Hill’s Parker Beam.  “At this age and barrel-proof, is how a wheated Bourbon shows best…it has the caramel and smoke notes that only ten years in the top floors of our rickhouses can produce.  And it has the long, smooth finish that I always look for in a Bourbon, with that softness that wheat brings to the recipe. I am very pleased that we now have wheated Bourbon that I feel has aged long enough to wear my name on the label.”

Only Heaven Hill Distilleries, with the world’s second largest inventory of aging Bourbon and over 50% of the world’s supply of Bourbon barrels over 8 years old, could bring such rare and aged whiskeys to market.  Parker Beam, along with his son Craig, oversees one of the world’s most highly esteemed distilling operations, where renowned brands such as Elijah Craig, Old Fitzgerald, and Evan Williams, the world’s second largest selling Bourbon, are produced according to Parker and Craig’s seven-generation-old family recipe and yeast strain.

Founded in 1934, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes The Christian Brothers Brandies; Evan Williams and Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys; Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Hpnotiq Liqueur; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Lunazul and Two Fingers Tequilas, and Dubonnet Aperitif.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”

Single Malt Scotch Whisky Tastings: Second Saturday Scotch Sipping at Six At The Two Bit Cowboy Saloon In The Miner’s Delight Inn, Wyoming.

2nd Saturday    every month    6 – 9 p.m.    no reservation required

Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres to cleanse your palate between 5 half-ounce samples of single malt Scotch whisky: $20. (Cash bar for non-whisky drinkers).

 ►  Enjoy 3 featured single malts, including a Malt of the Month *

 ►  Roll a die and choose a single malt from one of the six Scotch regions

 ►  Pick your connoisseur’s choice from our single malt Scotch whisky menu

Featured Malts:

* 10% off bottles of the Malt of the Month

August 14, 2010

Glenkinchie 12 yo *

Highland Park 12 yo

Glenrothes Alba Reserve

September 11, 2010

Glenrothes Select Reserve *

Dalmore 12 yo

Isle of Jura Prophecy

October 9, 2010

Benromach 10 yo *

Speyburn 10 yo

Edradour Caledonia 12 yo

November 9, 2010

Old Pulteney 12 yo *

Ardmore Traditional Cask

GlenDronach 12 yo

December 11, 2010

New Beginnings:

This tasting will include three young, limited release whiskies from privately held distilleries: One’s a new distillery, one’s a newly reopened distillery that sat silent for more than a century, and  one’s a reopened distillery that had been mothballed for the better part of a decade.

Visit the Miner’s Delight Inn at http://www.minersdelightinn.com

Precious Cargo fills a wooden 12-pack case we found in an antique store in Miltonvale,    Kansas, in May 2010. The store owner guessed the case was from the 1930s. Thanks to Laphroaig’s medicinal nose, the US government imported Laphroaig single malt Scotch whisky through prohibition and doctors issued prescriptions for “strictly medicinal” use.

Weekly Liquor Specials

Canadian Club 1.75L…$16.99
Dewar’s White Label 1.75L…$28.99
Johnnie Walker Black…$25.99
Johnnie Walker Red 1.75L…$26.99
Seagram’s 7 Crown 1.75L…$16.99
Seagram’s Crown Royal…$19.99
Seagram’s Crown Royal 1.75L…$36.99
Jack Daniles Black 1.75L $34.99

*Prices valid w/Binny’s Card August 11 through August 17, 2010. Not responsible for misprints or typographical errors. Sizes 750ml unless otherwise stated. Advertised items limited to quantities on hand.

Visit Binny’s at www.binnys.com

Whisky and the Silver Screen

The movies and whisky go hand in hand; Richard Burton, Humphrey Bogart and Sam Peckinpah were all dedicated drinkers of Scotch. They were also all men’s men – hard boiled and charismatic rather than foppish thespians.

Whisky is an essential part of this alluring image and this goes some way to explain its appearance, more often than not, in the hands of many of the silver screen’s most legendary heroes and notorious villains.

This month we explore whisky’s role in cinema,  both on and off screen and we want to hear about your favourite whisky-related celluloid moments too.

Visit the Glenlivet Whisky & the Silver Screen at  http://tinyurl.com/369fg63

EDRINGTON MALT PORTFOLIO CELEBRATES IWSC SUCCESS

The Edrington Group, producers of The Macallan and Highland Park, are celebrating an impressive haul of four Gold Best in Class awards for its premium single malt brands, at this year’s International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Highland Park picked up three Gold Best in Class awards for its 18 year old, 25 year old and Earl Magnus 15 year old expressions whilst The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 year old brought the top honours at the world renowned competition to four.

Both brands achieved further recognition across their product ranges with three Gold awards for the travel retail exclusives Highland Park 1994 and 1990 Vintages plus The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old. 

Ken Grier, Director of Malts at Edrington said: “Once again we have made a real mark at the IWSC with an impressive 15 gold and silver medals.  This demonstrates that our single malt whiskies continue to be world class and showcases the commitment of our people to strive for the very best within our premium authentic portfolio.  This is a highly competitive and rigorous competition and I’m delighted that we’ve maintained strong results and presence in 2010.”

A panel of judges from consumer and trade organisations sampled a large range of Scotch whisky products. The whiskies, like all of the spirits and wines in the event, were blind tasted in groups divided by variety, region and vintage and awarded points accordingly.

Judges credited the Highland Park 18 year old with a ‘rich, deep flavoured mouth where creamy caramel and toffee work well with the peat and sweet malt’, whilst their praise for the Highland Park 25 year was expressed as, ‘the nose has just about everything! Excellent structure, beautiful whisky. An absolute class act’.  The 15 year old Earl Magnus was described as ‘rich and full in the mouth with layers of flavour and hints of caramel, smoke and peat joining all the nose had to offer.’

The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 year old captured the judges’ imagination and palate, describing it as; ‘a very complex and satisfying dram, a complete joy.’

Full results:

Gold Best in Class

Highland Park 18 year old

Highland Park 25 year old

Highland Park Earl Magnus 15 year old

The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 year old

Gold

Highland Park 1994 Vintage

Highland Park 1990 Vintage

The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old

Silver Best in Class

Highland Park Hjarta 12 year old

Silver

Highland Park 1998 Vintage

Highland Park 12 year old

The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 year old

The Macallan Fine Oak 10 year old

The Macallan Fine Oak 21 year old

The Macallan 1824 Collection Select Oak

The Macallan 1824 Collection Whisky Maker’s Edition

Please enjoy our brands responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk

NOTES

HIGHLAND PARK:

Highland Park distillery was established on Orkney in 1798.  With its windswept moors, craggy outcrops and ancient religious sites, Orkney is a land full of mystery.  At the heart of the single malt is its remote island location and exposure to the elements, with additional influences from barley malting at the distillery and the use of peat, which combine to create a highly distinctive taste.

For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection and produce a single malt range that is consistently lauded by connoisseurs and experts. 

THE MACALLAN:

Easter Elchies House proudly watches over The Macallan distillery in Speyside, Scotland. Built in 1700, this Jacobean manor house is The Macallan’s spiritual home.  The secrets to The Macallan’s precious spirit comes from the curiously small and uniquely shaped copper stills which help to concentrate the flavour of the ‘new make’ spirit.  The Macallan takes one of the finest ‘cuts’ of any distillery in Scotland, typically just 16% goes forward to fill our casks and mature into The Macallan. 

An unfaltering obsession with selecting exceptional oak casks brings an unsurpassed, timeless quality to The Macallan.  In addition, natural colour is something we insist on. It is the interaction of spirit and wood alone, which delivers the rich variety of colour.

The Family Casks Release V

This summer sees the launch of the fifth release of The Family Casks, and a revision to the packaging, with the oak gift box replaced with a gift carton. Since 2007 The Family Casks have caught the imagination of whisky drinkers around the world. Many have enjoyed exploring the subtle nuances between casks, or celebrated an anniversary or birthday with whisky distilled during their special year.

It is our intention to continue to offer as wide a range of consecutive dated bottlings as possible under The Family Casks banner. Release V of The Family Casks includes casks from 1965, 1967,1981, 1982, 1990, 1993 and 1994.  Please visit our website to read George Grant’s tasting notes.  http://www.glenfarclas.co.uk/en/familycasks/

Inevitably at some point stocks of suitable casks for a given year will be depleted. Indeed whilst bottles of 1952 are still available from specialist retailers, we no longer have stocks of suitable casks from 1952 available to bottle.

The new simpler gift carton gives The Family Casks a more modern presentation, is easier to open, more practical for the bar trade, and, as it is lighter and easier to recycle, is more environmentally friendly. We hope you like it.

Ralfy reports… a rare, cask-conditioned, exclusive (for everyone) never-to-be-repeated !!!   two part guided tour of Glasgow’s leading Ale? Whisky Bar the Bon Accord in Charing Cross with Paul the Proprietor. http://www.bonaccordweb.co.uk/

Presented at  www.ralfy.com “whisky reviews” by Ralfy

Prepare to be dazlled by the badge collection !

Port Charlotte An Turas Mor

New multi-vintage bottling of Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte spirit peated at 40ppm and matured in 100% American oak casks.

£34.99 (£29.78 ex VAT)

Octomore 3/152

Limited edition 2010 release of the most heavily peated malt whisky in the World – now certified 152ppm. Matured in American oak barrels.

£83.99 (£71.48 ex VAT)

Visit the Whisky Barrel at www.thewhiskybarrel.com