Hello Fellow Scotch Lovers – 

I’m confident you’d agree our Whisky Wednesday emails have a track record of bringing you exciting whiskies from innovative distillieries. 

This week we do it again: Bruichladdich The Organic.

A new addition to the Bruichladdich portfolio, The Organic is a follow on from the 2003 edition. With only a couple of current production single malts certified as “organic”, this whisky is made with organic Scottish barley which is certified by the UK’s Biodynamic Agriculture Association. It is a lightly peated Bruichladdich, matured in American oak casks which contained bourbon.  

And you don’t have to own a pair of Birkenstocks to enjoy it.

A bottle of Bruichladdich The Organic is $56.95, and good luck trying to find it elsewhere.  I’m thrilled to say ForScotchLovers is one of the first retailers in the United States to offer this exquisite whisky.  Buy yours now, and be the first amongst your drinking buddies to own a bottle. 

I also want to remind you that ForScotchLovers will have a booth at this years Whiskies of the World Expo on March 26th in San Francisco.  This is a terrific show, and I’m thrilled we’ll be a part of it.  And because we are participating in the show, I’m able to offer you a great discount on tickets (see below).

I hope you will take advantage of both of these offers. And if you do attend the Whiskies of the World Expo, ya better stop by our booth and say hello.

I hope to see you all there,    

Doug Stone

Founder

www.ForScotchLovers.com

BRUICHLADDICH THE ORGANIC ISLAY SINGLE MALT WHISKY

A REVOLUTIONARY OLD IDEA

In Victorian times when Bruichladdich distillery was built, all Scottish barley was organically grown, and the relationship of farmer with his soil and the seasons, and distiller with farmer were intimate and enduring. These natural rhythms and ties were lost as industrialised farming cut the ancient synergy of man, soil, crop, life. An age of super-efficient blandness was born; The cost – a loss of soul, identity and definition.

With this whisky, in partnership with our organic farmers, Sir William Roberts of Mains of Tullibardine, William Rose at Mid Coul and Neil Scobie at Coulmore, we are reconnecting, rediscovering that soul. Once again land and dram united.

Supreme quality barley combined with a slow trickle-distillation to do it justice, and some new oak has resulted in the creamiest spirit we’ve ever seen. This is how it used to be in a more innocent age before the commercial pressures of computerised distilling and industrial conformity.

TASTING NOTES – JIM MCEWAN/ BRUICHLADDICH MASTER DISTILLER: 

Colour: Late Summer Barley 

Body: The texture is sensational, the spirit gliding over the palate like warm syrup. The taste buds love the purity and the sensational clarity of flavours being presented. It’s an elegant, composed and stylish young spirit that showcases the absolute finesse of organically grown barely.

Nose/Palate: It opens on a light almond note with a twist of candied lemon that is delightfully piquant. Then it is the magical aromatics of toasted barley, floral and fruit notes with a hint of lemon honey intermingling beautifully. The toffee sweetness imparted from the American Oak casks providing a stage on which they can perform, as the spirit opens with time little drifts of succulent papaya, melon and kiwi can be detected by the over excited taste buds.

For a young spirit it offers a fantastic array of aromatics and flavours all beautifully held in a cradle of sweet mellow oak. This is due entirely to our trickle distillation style whereby we run our middle cut really slowly which creates this amazing flavour profile, it’s so pure, fresh and zesty that you imagine you are standing on one of our west coast beaches. There is a real sweetness on the front palate, barley sugar, honey almonds, green jelly beans, pear drops all splashed with fresh lemons and balanced by the crispness of the malted barley.

Finish: It’s an incredibly fresh spirit giving an unforgettable palate experience that leaves the taste buds tingling.

 PROGRESSIVE HEBRIDEAN DISTILLERS PRODUCT NOTES

– THE ONLY ORGANIC ISLAY SINGLE MALT

– 100% ORGANIC CERTIFIED BY THE BIODYNAMIC ASSOCIATION.

– 100%SCOTTISH-GROWN ORGANIC BARLEY.

– SINGLE VARIETY BARLEY: CHALICE.

– THE FIRST MAIN STREAM ISLAY ORGANIC BOTTLING.

– BRUICHLADDICH’S “CREAMIEST SPIRIT EVER”.

– MULTI VINTAGE BASED ON 2003 HARVEST.

– 7 SCOTTISH TERROIRS FOR ULTIMATE COMPLEXITY, PROVENANCE &TRACEABILITY.

– TIN DESIGN FEATURING BRIGHDE, GAELIC GODDESS OF FERTILITY AND HARVEST.

– MATURED IN AMERICAN OAK CASKS-NEW AND USED (BOURBON).

– TRICKLE-DISTILLED,MATURED AND BOTTLED ON ISLAY AT 46% ABV.

– NONCHILL-FILTERED, COLORING-FREE, BOTTLED WITH ISLAY SPRING WATER.

DirectRooms.com – Scottish festival presents the finest whiskies from Speyside

DirectRooms.com announces that people with an appreciation for fine whisky should head to Speyside in late April to take part in the region’s annual festival that offers six days of whisky filled activities.

For over ten years The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has been educating visitors in the art of whisky drinking and explaining the complex processes that go into developing the best quality drams. In depth tours of local distilleries will take place each day and there’ll be plenty of drinks to sample along the way to make sure visitors are not left feeling thirsty.

The festival looks to educate people into the finer points of what to expect from different malts and as well as the liquor, events will also offer dinners and tasting courses where visitors can sample local foods such as freshly caught Scottish salmon. Live music and dance is set to feature on many of the nightly entertainment evenings where there’s sure to be a few renditions on the bagpipes and songs from local bands.

People using Aberdeen hotels can also sign up for classes in woodcarving, whisky and chocolate tasting as well as arts and crafts exhibitions. The festival takes place from 28th April to 2nd May 2011 and activities run on each day and most evenings.

Lek Boonlert, marketing head at DirectRooms.com commented: “The festival is well known and attracts many whisky enthusiasts even those from overseas.
Hotels in the area will be close to full occupancy so prebookings are highly advised for anyone attending.”

About DirectRooms

DirectRooms is an independent discount hotel reservations company based in Asia. Established and online since 2000 with over 55,000 hotels worldwide.

For further information please contact Lek Boonlert:

Email: lek@directrooms.com
Tel: + 66 (0)76 241 145

Reminders:

Whisky Pairing on Thursday 3/24 : City Club of SF 6:30 pm

Distillery Manager, Stuart Nickerson of Glenglassaugh distillery will lead us through a gourmet Whisky Pairing. The evening will start with a Cocktail reception and Cold Cuts Buffet.  Gourmet appetizers will be paired with Stuart’s fine whiskies as we move on with the evening’s delicious program. $45 (all inclusive) Dram Club Members: $35 (all inclusive) (email WoW for discount code)

Purchase Tickets;

http://www.whiskiesoftheworld.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=121

Best Dram Club Party: Friday 3/25

We have an exciting Dram Club Party planned for this year.  Enjoy a relaxed evening with several brand ambassadors and distillers at The Swig, an incredible Whisky Bar with an immense selection. The party starts at 6:30 and we dram on til 9pm.  We will be sampling new releases from Glenmorangie along with expressions of Ardbeg, Glenglassaugh, Amrut, High West, Balcones, Michters, Chieftains, Kilchoman, Wasmunds and more!!! …

Amrut Distilleries takes World title at Icons of Whisky

AMRUT DISTILLERIES’ success on the global stage continues. It was named a Distiller of the Year in the Icons of Whisky 2011 on 3 March in London. Amrut was crowned in the Rest of the World category by the independent judges of the prestigious awards, which are organised by Whisky Magazine. The award was made to Amrut “for raising the profile of Indian whisky across the globe and its innovations in the production process”. The Rest of the World title meant the Bangalore distillery was also one of the four contenders for the Icons of Whisky Distiller of the Year title.

The Icons are designed to celebrate the people and places behind the great whiskies of the world. Chairman of the judges, Whisky Mag editor, Rob Allanson, added: “This year, in some cases we have seen smaller companies punching well above their weight to top their bigger rivals in the polls. The results also reflect the global nature of the whisky world.”

Amrut’s International Sales Manager, Ashok Chokalingam, was presented the award at a glittering dinner at the Waldorf Hotel in London. “This is an honour indeed. Amrut Distilleries has achieved a great deal in terms in the past few years and it is really satisfying to be recognised on the world stage. We hope we will continue to delight whisky drinkers the world over with our malts. We also hope we will continue to excite malt drinkers with our innovative approach to distilling and maturation.”

This latest recognition for Amrut Distilleries comes hard on the heels of Amrut Fusion being named World Whisky of the Year at the Malt Advocate Whisky Awards in February 2011. In a new category created to recognise “the wonderful whiskies” being produced in countries like Japan, India, Sweden, England, outside the major distilling nations, John Hansell, editor of Malt Advocate magazine, explained the choice of winner. “India’s Amrut distillery changed the way many think of Indian whisky. … Amrut is making whisky, and it’s very good.”

Hansell continued: “Amrut finally began exporting their whisky to the US in 2010. We’ve tasted our way through the various expressions (peated, sherried, cask strength, etc.) and we enjoyed them all, but the one that really impressed us was Amrut Fusion. Fusion shows balance, complexity, and surprising maturity for its age – these are the defining characteristics for what is the best Indian whisky we have ever tasted. Combining Indian malt and peated Scottish malt, this whisky shows a sweet side, but is never cloying, with rich caramel, vanilla custard, and fruit cocktail in light syrup, balanced by vibrant – almost floral – dried peat smoke, delicate white pepper, and a hint of tropical fruit. We look forward to more great whiskies from Amrut.”

Amrut Fusion has been won many fans across the world and was named third best whisky of the year in the 2010 edition of Jim Murray’s The Whisky Bible. Fusion and Amrut’s other innovative malts like Intermediate Sherry Matured and Kadhambam have won many other awards, including several from the Malt Maniacs.

Amrut Distilleries Ltd, The Grainger Suite, Dobson House, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 3PF, UK. Tel + 44 (0) 7838 229914 or + 44 (0) 191 233 6316. Email ashok@amrutdistilleries.com

February’s visit to Linköping’s Whiskyexpo in Sweden was excellent. Jane and I met a lot of really friendly people and everybody present seemed to have a great time.

This month’s purchases continued my aim of building up a varied stock of whisky at a wide range of stages of maturation. I’ll be collecting three hogsheads of 27 year old Caol Ila next Friday afternoon, with three hogsheads of 17 year old Glen Grant the following week. About two weeks ago I collected three hogsheads of Cragganmore from 1989 and 1991.

Preparations are well under way for my first bottlings, which are likely to be a 27year old Caol Ila, a 20 year old Cragganmore, a 20 year old North British Grain and a 17 year old Glen Grant. The labels are currently being designed and should be finished by the end of this week. I’m keen to release a few bottlings at once, as this should reduce postage costs for anybody interested in more than one bottle.

I will endeavour to give a discount to any person who has already purchased a cask and has an interest in any of the casks below, or who contacts me upon recommendation of someone who has already purchased a cask (some of the casks may not be able to be discounted as they are so cheap already!). Tell your friends of the good value to be found here!

CASKS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

The price per bottle has been worked out using a spreadsheet, posted on my website, with the link below. The .pdf version cannot be edited but the .xlsx (Microsoft Excel) version can be edited by entering the price, litres of alcohol and strength which you wish to bottle at, in order to calculate a total price per bottle if the Excise Duty is paid in various different countries. The exchange rate can also be edited as it changes but should be correct as of the 8th March.

PDF version:

http://www.whiskybroker.co.uk/fileuploads/bottlecostsvariouscountries/bottlecosts.pdf

Excel version:

http://www.whiskybroker.co.uk/fileuploads/bottlecostsvariouscountries/bottlecosts.xlsx

This may appear slightly complicated at first, but if you have any difficulty understanding it, send me an email and I’ll be happy to explain.

Please write a comment on the guestbook of my website, especially if you have purchased a cask. Finally, if you have any website related suggestions, don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Martin Armstrong

www.whiskybroker.co.uk

info@whiskybroker.co.uk

First of all we’d like to thank everyone who managed to make it to last month’s Compass Box tasting. We certainly enjoyed John’s fantastic tutelage, and it was brilliant to see so many new faces at one of our events.
 
With St. Patrick’s Day looming, and following the huge success of our tasting with Cooley in March last year, we have decided to celebrate in style with a whiskey tasting evening hosted by Ed McAvoy from Irish Distillers Limited (the wonderful people responsible for such Irish classics as Redbreast, Jameson and Midleton).

 
Irish Distillers Tasting at The Whisky Exchange, Vinopolis
Monday 21st March, 7:00pm
 
For this tasting evening, Ed will be taking us through the history of Irish Whiskey with half a dozen expressions from the IDL range, hopefully clearing up many of the common misconceptions surrounding one of the world’s most popular whisk(e)y-producing countries. For those of you who are relatively new to whisky, Irish styles tend to be a little bit softer in character than their Scottish counterparts, and are typically distilled three times for a lighter spirit character.
 
Due to room constraints we were not able to host this tasting on St. Patrick’s Day itself, so we’ve rescheduled it for Monday 21st March at TWE Vinopolis, meeting at 6.45pm. Tickets are priced at £25.00 per person, and as always are limited to 2 places per booking. They will be available from 3:00pm on Monday 14th March by calling us on +44 (0)207 403 8688 with payment details. The tasting itself should last no more than 2 hours. 
 

World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky

Hi everyone,

As many of you already know, I was in London last week judging this year’s World Whiskies Awards and what a great day it turned out to be!

The venue for the event was London’s Honourable Artillery Club, where a number of panellists and 21 whiskies met for a final round of nosing and tasting.

We…(click on the link below to read the rest of the post).…

http://blog.grantswhisky.com/2011/03/world-whiskies-awards-and-icons-of-whisky/

Kind regards,
Ludo

Expo Update

Countdown to WoW … only 3 weeks to go!!!!

With the days flying by we want to bring you up to date on some of the amazing spirits and features you will find at the 12th annual WOW Expo in San Francisco, Saturday night March 26, 2011 on board the docked San Francisco Belle. Three ballroom sized decks of whiskies and features, music and food with an open air top deck looking out over the Bay.

PURCHASE TICKETS http://www.whiskiesoftheworld.com/store/index.php

Since you KNOW we’ll be following up with a list of whiskies that will make your mouth water, we’ll tease you a bit and talk first about some of the great fun at the show other than what you will sample and nose….

Let’s begin with the outrageously educational and FUN Masterclasses presented by the stars of the whisky world. How better to begin the evening than to sign up NOW on line at the website for one of these space limited experiences? You’ll get up close and personal with Master Distillers and Blenders of some of the world’s most remarkable spirits as well as having an opportunity to see and hear a debate panel of experts. All the Masterclasses are very space limited and should be signed up for in advance.  Click through and check out your incredible options…this isn’t fair! It’s too hard to choose!!!

In case you can’t wait for Expo night itself, remember that the Expo has pre show evenings for you to enjoy starting on Thursday March 24th. Details on the site…but here’s an example: Join the man that so many acknowledge as the world’s greatest nose, Richard Paterson of The Dalmore. Richard will be at The Whisky Shop, 360 Sutter Street for bottle and book signings from 4-5:30 pm, Friday March 25th. And…if you can’t get enough of Richard, sign up for his Expo masterclass and sample a range of some of the most extraordinary whiskies you’ll ever experience under the tutelage of a grand master!

Onto the whiskies and some wonderful palate pleasers of the culinary type as well…

Tired of being told that blends are inferior to single malts?  Check out Hankey Bannister’s range of hand blended Scotch whisky. From 12 all the way to 40 year old bottlings, these blends will turn your head and change your mind!

Curious about the micro-distilling explosion in the USA? Meet and talk with one of the most intrepid gents in the industry. Rick Wasmund’s is the classic tale of a man who threw away the corporate life to chase his dream, build a single malt distillery (in Virginia of all places!!) and make a name for himself and his spirits…as well as his unique aging process. Wasmund’s Single Malt from Copper Fox Distillery will be an adventure on the palate for any whisky lover. And Rick will talk to you all night , if you like, about his passion for distilling and life on the US whisky trail!  Be sure to ask him about his whisky-van…a distillery away from a distillery on the road!

Are you one of the many cigar lovers at the Expo? If so, don’t miss the Sip/Smoke/Savor booth where whisky, chocolate and cigars come together in the ultimate blending of taste experiences.

So many whiskies, so little time…but be certain to join Wild Geese for yet another great Irish whiskey experience new to the US market. Remember when Irish whiskey was just Irish whiskey? Nowadays the variation and quality are profound and one could spend an entire Expo night just exploring the gems of the Emerald Isle. From the early submission it looks like Wild Geese alone will be pouring at least six variations on their bottlings!  That’s not it for the Irish… Satiate your taste buds also with Bushmills, Michael Collins, Mickey Finn, …

Tasty snacks for Whisk(e)y pairing

Back again with the most delicious condiment this side of  Loch Lommond…MacQuade’s Celtic Chutneys compliment spirits, as well as cheeses brought to us by Fiscalini and the unusual all natural Krave Jerky that you’ll find at the Expo. Don’t miss any of these taste delights!

California does it again

…bringing us yet another micro distilled whiskey wonder; straight from Petaluma you must try Wylie Howell’s Corn Whiskey. Another opportunity to meet an adventurous small batch distiller marching to his own drummer! The Expo has gained a reputation for bringing you the new and unusual…and here we go again!   Wait, another one… A brand new Rye, Kuchan Dark Rye Whiskey from Old World Spirits of Belmont. Listen to Davorin Kuchan as he is interviewed by Gene Burns. (March 19. KGO talkradio AM810 10:am – 1:pm Dining Around with Gene Burns)

Comparison Tasting with Independent Bottlers

For the 12th Annual WoW Expo we bring you an in depth look at Independent Bottling with the ever lovable and brilliant Ed Kohl. Ed brings us a Masterclass filled with everything you could possibly want to learn about the process of cask selection, barrel knowledge and expertise including just how indie bottlers source and choose their cask, and more. And of course…Ed will take you through a heavenly comparison tasting! Remember… SIGN UP IN ADVANCE. http://www.whiskiesoftheworld.com/wow_apps/

We’ll leave you here to dream of Expo eve and hope you’ll be bringing friends and co workers who have never before experienced this greatest of whisky events!
Slainte!

Speaker Classes: Sign-up on-line

Once again we are offering you the opportunity to attend some unforgettable Masterclasses with the stars of the spirits world! *****Please note that the first round of classes starts at 6:00 which  is the same time as general admission opens. If you sign up for a 6:00 class, you can bypass the general admission queue and go straight to the class.

Sign up on-line to guarantee a spot. Please be at class 5 minutes early to guarantee your seat.

6:00 pm Simon Brooking (Laphroaig) “Where Whisky Meets the Cask”.
6:00 pm Steven Beal(Classic Malts) “Walking through the Regions of Scotland”.
7:15 pm Richard Patterson(The Dalmore) “Learn from the Nose”
7:15 pm Ed Kohl (Impex Beverages) “Independent Bottlers-Who Are They?”
8:30 pm Chip Tate(Balcones), Rick Wasmund (Wasmund’s), Andrew Webber (Corsair Artisan), Bryan Schultz (Rough Stock)  “Wonders of Craft Distilling”
8:30 pm Tim Wong (Rocky Patel), Surprise Guest, “Cigars and Whisky –A Perfect Combination”
Details and sign-ups http://www.whiskiesoftheworld.com/wow_apps/index.php

The WoW Team

Glenfarclas Single-Malt Scotch Tasting with George Grant
Monday, March 14th 4:30 & 6:00 PM

Glenfarclas Distillery

Joe writes,

Given the speed with which our Dinner/Masterclass sold out, we’ve decided to add two in-store tastings with George Grant, at no charge. He’ll join us in tasting through the range of single-malts offered by this venerable distillery. Glenfarclas is one of the last family-owned distilleries in Scotland, going strong for six generations, and we’re honored to have a member of the family celebrate their 175th anniversary here with us. What a country! Those attending will have to opportunity to purchase bottles to be signed by Mr. Grant, and will likely hear some great stories. This opportunity is not to be missed, as I’m sure stories of this event will be told for many years to come. Stocks of some bottles may be limited at the time of the event, so we will be taking pre-orders if you would like a bottle to be signed by Mr. Grant.

We’ll taste the following whiskies:

Glenfarclas NAS “105” 60% Regularly: $87.99 Sale: $78.99

Glenfarclas 12 Y.O. 43% Regularly: $55.99 Sale: $49.99

Glenfarclas 17 Y.O. 43% Regularly: $104.99 Sale: $94.99

Glenfarclas 21 Y.O. 43% Regularly: $127.99 Sale: $114.99

Glenfarclas 25 Y.O 43% Regularly: $179.99 Sale: $159.99

…and we may get a wee taste of a whisky we feel is so special, we would award it Single-Malt Scotch Whisky of the Year, if we gave such an award; and we have a feeling we’re not alone.

Also available for sale at the tasting will be the Glenfarclas 40 Y.0. 46% Unchill-filtered which was just awarded Single Malt Scotch-Whisky of the Year by Malt Advocate Magazine. Regularly: $549.99 Sale: $474.99

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits

——————————————————————————–

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

The Final Manager’s Legacy and Sherry Octaves

Manager’s Legacy

The final release in this popular series of single cask bottling is now available. The idea behind the series was to celebrate the contribution of the managers who had created the spirit that we are now bottling, which I believe is something that is often overlooked when new products are developed. It is much easier just to use the present day incumbent even though he will have had no contribution to the original spirit.

During my time with Highland Distilleries in the 1980’s I had had the privilege of knowing and working with three of these managers and so wanted to do something that meant their story lived on and the most fitting way of doing this was to chose one cask from each of their respective periods of being in charge and then bottle the whisky.

The first two releases in the series “Dod Cameron” and “Jim Cryle” are now both sold out, while the third one “Bert Forsyth” was released in January. I did not know Bert previously but  met him during the research for the project and he still lives in Rothes, in the heart of Speyside and continues his interest in Glenglassaugh. I instantly liked him and found his story fascinating and I think that the whisky which is fruity and complex is a fitting tribute to him.

Walter Grant  is the man who as Production Director of Highland, employed me in my first distillery management role when he took a chance on a 28 year old to become the manager of Highland Park in 1984. He is no longer with us but I believe that the 43 year old whisky which was chosen from a 1968 cask with its sherry influence and elegant qualities sums up his character and I am sure that he would have enjoyed it.

Walter Grant Retirement 1986

Jim Cryle (2nd Left Middle Row), Dod Cameron (with glasses, 4th Left Middle Row),Stuart Nickerson (with beard beside Dod), Walter Grant (seated front row with decanter).

101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die

A great little book that has taken on an almost cult status as many people are working their way through all of the whiskies in the book. We feature 3 times in the book with the 26 Year Old and “The Spirit Drink That Dare Not Speak Its Name” in the main list while Ian also states in the forward that he would have liked to include the Glenglassaugh 40 Year Old (original single cask bottling which won the IWSR Best 40 Year Old Trophy in 2009) but the price of the product was above that which he wanted for products in the list.

I am very pleased that the book has done so well because I also found it very easy to read and very enjoyable and because I like Ian and he deserves the success.

An Opportunity to Purchase Special Octaves.

Following a number of requests, we can now offer ex-Sherry Octaves for filling. These will be priced at £100.00 more than the existing Octaves which means £600.00 for non-peated spirit and £700.00 for peated spirit.

They are being delivered direct from Spain and consequently there is a long delivery time with the casks only arriving around 4 months after we place the order.

If you are interested in one of these Octaves then please let us know by the end of March, at which time we will place a bulk order. We have modified the order form and it is now available for download from the website.

Slange

Stuart

Visi Glenglassaugh Distillery and Stuart’s blog at http://www.glenglassaugh.com/News/Blog/?p=417