Kilchoman Launches Spring 2011 Release

Kilchoman, Islay’s Farm Distillery, has launched its sixth single malt.

This release is a vatting of 70% 3 year old and 30% 4 year old matured in fresh bourbon barrels.   The 4 year old has been finished in 20 year old oloroso sherry butts for 5 weeks prior to bottling.

The whisky was vatted and reduced to bottling strength on Islay using Kilchoman’s exclusive spring water and then shipped in transit tanks to the mainland for bottling.

Colour : Medium Straw
Nose:  Strong peaty aromas with a soft complex blend of mixed fruits
Palate: Hints of butterscotch and rich tropical fruits with an intense sweetness
Finish: A true classic Islay malt…peaty, fresh and clean

Kilchoman Spring 2011 is available from twenty four specialist whisky retailers in the UK at a retail price of £40 per bottle and twenty six markets worldwide.   This price represents an approximate discount of 15% from previous releases.   For more information visit our website at www.kilchomandistillery.com

In June 2011 we will launch our ‘100% Islay’ single malt from barley grown, malted, distilled, matured and bottled on Islay and in November our first 5 year old will be bottled.

Anthony Wills, Managing Director, commented ‘2011 is a very exciting year for everyone involved with Kilchoman as we launch some wonderful new expressions’

Kilchoman Spring Release 2011

Following the previous releases we expect this one to move fast so we are giving you the opportunity to pre-order now to avoid missing out on one.
Despatch date is mid April.
 
£40.00 inc VAT

Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix

Back in Stock

The Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix whisky creation was inspired by the collapse of several Glenfiddich distillery roofs in January 2010, following weeks of heavy snow and record low temperatures. Weighed down by four feet of densely compacted snow, the roofs collapsed and exposed hundreds of maturing oak casks 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 Snow Phoenix Scottish whiskey is made from many different ages ranging from 13 year old to 30 year old single malt and, unusually, from a number of different cask finishes. This is a limited edition Scotch and won’t be available for long, the Snow Phoenix is a unique and interesting Scottish whisky and a credit to Glenfiddich. We think Scottish single malt whiskey fans will be secretly hoping the roofs collapse every year now!

£59.99 inc VAT

Visit Single Malts Direct at www.singlemaltsdirect.com

Belgium is known for its outstanding beers, but the country has three languages, three different cultures, and one sub-culture that unites them…a whisky culture! Belgian whisky writer Fernand Dacquin explains in this week’s episode, which also includes highlights from Whisky Live New York. In the news, Scottish distillers team up to help Japan, Tomatin’s Douglas Campbell celebrates 50 years of distilling, and Jim Beam gives the Devil his due.

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

The Travels of Whisky Intelligence.

The Nth Show Las Vegas March 18th & 19th, 2011

The first we heard about the Nth Show Las Vegas was while standing in line for the Ardbeg tasting the night before Whisky Fest San Francisco where we had the good fortune to meet Nina and Mahesh Patel who were at that time planning the Las Vegas based show. https://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2010/10/whisky-fest-san-francisco-october-8th-2010-scotch-whisky-news/  There was some speculation, mutterings, musings and promises on our part about attending the Nth the following March on the night of the Ardbeg tasting at the Barber Lounge but frankly, it was a done deal. There was no way that Whisky Intelligence was going to miss the Nth. 

In due course tickets were available to book on-line and this was done with ease followed by simply printing them off the office computer, this is really a trouble free method of securing tickets. The Wynn Encore had a special festival room rate and even the air line had a sale; all was looking good for the Nth. Once again it was time to wait, damn it.

——- > South…

Due to the timings of flights etcetera we arrived in Las Vegas the early evening prior to the Nth show so we took the opportunity to dine at Switch, the steak house in the Encore (it’s named ‘Switch’ due to the walls and ceiling moving position to change the appearance of the room about every 15 minutes; very Vegas.).  A glass of red with dinner and a dram or two of Chivas 18 along the way rounded out the meal nicely. Both the steaks and the rest of the meal were very good and the service was excellent.

After dinner if was a quick commute across the casino floor to meet up with some friends in the hotel lobby bar and much to our delight the bar stocked Laphroaig 15 for a reasonable price. Travel is always tiring so it was with some relief when we made our way to our very large room, all the rooms in the Wynn Encore are quite sumptuous, about 750 square feet and very well appointed so they were an extra value considering the very reasonable Festival room rate.

Friday was a quiet day and we had the good fortune to meet up for lunch with whisky enthusiast Noel Buckley from Vancouver who was also in Vegas for the Nth show. Finally, after what seemed the longest day ever it was time to register for the show where we received our wrist bands and goodies bags which included our crystal Glencairn glasses engraved with the Nth logo. A nice & classy touch. While registration was quick and efficient the short time spent in the line was an opportunity to re-connect with old friends like Ed Patrick, president of the Companions of the Quaich and to meet some new ones including William C Myers who is one of the authors that updated Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion (6th Edition). Everybody was naturally quite excited about the show….

After registration a group of us made a bee line to the special event room (one of six special events held on Friday evening) that would soon be hosting the Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet 70yo ‘Generations’ tasting led by Michael Urquhart. By rearranging the furniture in the hall way we managed to barricade & separate ourselves from any late comers thus protecting our spots in line. (Just kidding…. mostly). But wait in line we did and in due course Michael let us in a little early to wait until the 6:15 start. In front of each seat was one glass and after a short talk on Gordon & MacPhail and the history of the Glenlivet 70yo Michael asked if we thought it was time for a dram; 25 heads nodded in unison. He asked Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Mart in Calgary to pour everybody a sample and the appreciative nosing started.  Tasting this aged dram was only improved the experience by the whisky being so good. (As of tomorrow, April 11th,  2011, Andrew has been inducted into the illustrious Keepers of the Quaich)

After the Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet tasting we, the lucky few,  happily trooped upstairs to the ballroom for the main show and the continuation of the evening. The main ballroom was not cavernous but it was roomy enough to accomodate the estimated 250 people in attendance and the 35 stands representing a myriad of brands and at least 230 whiskies. (Duncan Taylor, GlenDronach & BenRiach, Springbank, Hirsch Anchor Distilling,  Dewar’s & Aberfeldy, Laphroaig, Inver House, The Glenlivet & Royal Salute, Four Roses, Amrut & Glenglassaugh, Highland Park, Macallan, Glenfarclas, Burn Stewart, Sirius (a new independent bottling brand launched at the Nth), Gordon & MacPhail, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, High West, Dalmore, Jura, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Morrison Bowmore, Glenrothes, Suntory, Glencairn, Casa Fuente, wine and champagne tables for the non whisky drinking guests. Yes! They thought of that too!

If you couldn’t have had fun in that room, you’re doomed. Doomed. Additionally there was a superb buffet meal in the downstairs ballroom featuring meat pasta, salads, roast turkey, roast beef and vegetables. Which we took advantage of at some point in the evening, it was nice to have a break and the food was thoughtfully prepared so as not to interfere with your palate; yet another small touch that added to the whole show.

To add to the experience were “super pours” every attendee received a token good for one super pour along with a second token for a Glenfarclas 1966 dispensed by Brett Pontini of Binny’s. The extensive list of super pour drams featured were Dalmore Astrum, Highland Park 40yo*, Glenglassaugh 40yo*, Glenrothes John Ramsay*, Dalmore Aurora, Laphroaig 21yo*, Ardbeg 1974, Glenfarclas 50yo*, Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask #1.124 39yo*, Speyside (very rare bottling, BenRiach 40yo*, Glenfiddich 40yo, Yamazaki 1984*, Gold Bowmore, Balvenie 40yo, The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1964*, Gordon & MacPhail Strathisla 1963*, Macallan 1950, Duncan Taylor Kinclaith 1941 41yo* and Glenmorangie Quarter Century 25yo*. However many stands didn’t feel the need to collect a super pour token, especially as the evening progressed. (Hence * = tried it). Of course this was only the super pour list; every stand had a complete selection of their brands ranging from standard bottlings to premium bottlings such as Dewar’s Signature which quite frankly should have been on the ‘super pour’ list, it’s that good.

Also in attendance was Tim Puett of the Ardbeg Project who seemed to loiter around the Ardbeg table for most of the evening!

Due to the schedule of the Nth, the masterclasses followed the Friday show so it’s was best to keep your wits about you since the masterclasses started at a seemingly unreasonable early 11:30 Saturday morning. However a large number of attendees couldn’t resist the pull of the Las Vegas strip and the walking wounded poured into the hotel pretty much until Saturday morning.  A few were never seen again.

There were a grand selection of 19 masterclasses featuring The Glenlivet, Macallan, Glenglassaugh, Four Roses, Glenfiddich, Morrison Bowmore, Glenmorangie, Amrut, Dalmore, Glendronach BenRiach, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Suntory, Glenfarclas, Balvenie, Glenrothes, Benromach, Highland Park, Ardbeg and High West.

We attended The Glenlivet with Ricky Crawford and the list of whiskies included a French Oak finish, two expressions of Nadurra and two aged Cellar Collection (a 37yo and a 40yo if memory serves). Ricky also explained at how he became an ambassador, the personal recollection added to the experience, it was a very good masterclass. It was made even better by the fact that the attendee to the left was hung over something fierce and passed along both Cellar Collections samples. Thanks! That’s the way to start your masterclass experience!

The Morrison Bowmore class was different altogether with a selection of whiskies from Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan with ambassador Jamie Mackenzie and Morrison Bowmore Senior Blender Iain McCallum. Iain’s presentation style is much like a broad side from a warship of old; however  it was both informative and enjoyable.

The BenRiach and GlenDronach masterclass with Alistair Walker was also a first rate affair and featured a generous selection; GlenDronach 1995 cask # 2045 (Preiss exclusive single cask), 31yr (Grandeur), 1972 Single Cask Bottling and BenRiach 25yr plus 21yr (Authenticus – peated).

The Glenfarclas masterclass with George Grant featured four 40yo; Millennium 40yr, Family cask 40yr, 105 40yr, and the New 40 yr. George was fresh as a daisy so he must have gone straight to bed after the show the previous night. Ahem.

And finally we were invited to sample two whiskies from the newly launched Sirius label (by Nth Show CEO Mahesh Patel); a 1965 Carsebridge 45yo and a 1967 Dalmore which may or not be a 43yo, by this point in the day the palate and memory were begging for a break. The Carsebridge was sublime and the Dalmore an aged gentleman.

And thus the Nth 2011 came to a close. A new standard has been set for whisky events in the United States, well done Mahesh, Nina and Mit Patel. Whisky Intelligence heartily recommends the convivial Nth Show in Las Vegas and plans on returning in 2012.

< ——— North…

Sunday early, Las Vegas McCarran airport in the departure lounge staring across the tarmac at the “Janet” airlines white with red cheat lines 737-600’s that transport people daily to and from the Nevada Test Site (area 51) and northern California on secret defense related work. Ah, it’s Richard Paterson; he’s on the same flight and a chance for a chat…

The 2012 Nth Show is scheduled for March 2nd and 3rd at the Wynn Encore and details will appear in due course at http://universalwhiskyexperience.com/

International Artists Leave an Impression with ‘Art of Beyond’ Bar

Revealed at the Nettie Horn Art Gallery on Vyner Street in the heart of London’s contemporary art district, the installation is a unique project involving six international, contemporary artists who have collaborated to create a premium and stylish bar that offers a whisky drinking experience beyond the ordinary.

The artists, working together for the first time, were invited to create the individual elements for a bespoke Ballantine’s 12 Year Old bar that embodied the spirit of looking beyond the ordinary. From across Europe, the artists included Oskar Zieta (Polish designer and architect), Lee Broom (British interior and product designer), Creatmosphere (French light artists), Rolf Sachs (Swiss furniture designer), Luis Galliussi (Argentinian interior designer) and Jovo Bozhinovski (Bulgarian architect and designer).

Working across a range of disciplines, each artist was chosen for their award-winning creativity in their respective fields. Whilst the process behind the ‘Art of BEYOND’ has been open and collaborative (with designers sharing their ideas and concepts with each other over a three month period) the works themselves hide secrets that bring to life the brand’s creative platform of ‘Takes you BEYOND’. The ‘Ballantine’s 12 Art of BEYOND Bar’ was designed to leave an impression by creating a layered whisky drinking experience with more to discover

Peter Moore, Global Brand Director for Ballantine’s said, “Art and design is the perfect platform to bring to life the concept of BEYOND whilst maintaining the stylish sophistication that embodies Ballantine’s 12 Year Old. We are extremely proud to have commissioned this unique collaboration; working with six very different but hugely talented artists who bring the values of authenticity and flair to their work. The ‘Art of BEYOND Bar’ is an extraordinary whisky-drinking experience that really does take you beyond.”

To celebrate the ‘Ballantine’s 12 Art of BEYOND Bar’, Ballantine’s has engaged Brand Ambassador Fredrik Olsson to design a series of bespoke Ballantine’s 12 Year Old cocktails created and inspired by the work of the six designers. The collection of six limited edition cocktails will be the signature drinks of the ‘Ballantine’s 12 Art of BEYOND’ project – a dedication to the artists and their works. .

Notes:

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific and the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe, selling more than 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 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 extensive 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 with a portfolio that includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

Spring is in the air and the island is alive with the sound of birdsong, bleating lambs and hammer action drills! More on the drills later.

Firstly, apologies for not writing sooner, but as you’re about to find out, we’ve been very busy here on Jura. It’s really nice to finally be able to sit down in front of the computer with a dram of Jura and spend some time catching up with my fellow Diurachs.

Time is flying by and as the nights get gradually longer, the season draws ever closer. And what a season it’s shaping up to be. Planning for this years whisky festival is now complete but spaces are limited so if you’re planning to visit and haven’t booked yet please call us on +44 1496 820 385. Don’t worry if you can’t join us in person as we’ll put all the best bits online, exclusively for all fellow Diurachs to enjoy after the event.

We’re also in the middle of refurbishing our visitor centre and shop, so I’m writing this very loudly to be heard above the din! I’m sure that those of you coming to the festival will be delighted with what you find though, which will make all the effort worthwhile. For those of you who won’t be here in person, we’ll make sure that you can see all the changes on our blog, I’ll be posting regular updates while the work is underway to allow you all to enjoy our transformation.

In the meantime we hope you’re all enjoying planning the summer months ahead and hope that you’ll make a visit to Jura and a free dram on the island part of your plans.

Slainte

Willie Cochrane
Jura Distillery Manager

P.S. If you have friends or family who also share your passion for Jura whisky and might like to become Diurachs send them to www.isleofjura.com where they’ll discover more about our mystical isle.

Whisky Intelligence will publish a review tomorrow of the Nth Universal Whisky Experience that was held March 18th & 19th, 2011 at the Wynn Encore Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Please take a moment to visit Whisky Intelligence tomorrow to read the review of this excellent event.

Dear Customer

Running into April we are pleased to offer you a selection of five (5) additions to OLD MALT CASK (with 5 new 20 cl bottlings in the new livery), (2) two OLD & RARE bottlings plus two (2) new CLAN DENNY GRAINS and one addition to the DOUBLE BARREL selection.

OLD MALT CASK Tasting Notes:

OMC2005 GLEN SPEY 14 YEAR OLD

Nose: Clean, fresh and malty + an autumnal fruit basket style.
Palate: Still clean – now citric + honey and sweet spices.
Finish: Still spiced with more honey and even some late vanilla. (F)

OMC2004 HIGHLAND PARK 14 YEAR OLD

Nose: A distinct peat quality prefaces a clean ozone freshness
Palate: Barley sweet – with a lighter peat and spiced content
Finish: Hints at cough drops – now malty – nicely warming. (F)

OMC2021 ARDMORE 15 YEAR OLD

Nose: Opens big and spiced – warms to mellow peated barley tones.
Palate: Distinctly peated and sweet – rather ashy and cindery.
Finish: Big/round/smoked + crunched white sugar and soot. (F)

OMC2020 AUCHROISK 21 YEAR OLD

Nose: Fresh & clean with sweet grist & fruity spices + a liquorice style
Palate: Crushed sugar & candied oranges + a fresh barley sugar quality
Finish: Remains sweet, carrying a spiced poached pear/peach character (J)

OMC1982 GLENALLACHIE SHERRY 38 YEAR OLD

Nose: Opens sweet & honeyed + polished oak & bees wax
Palate: Complex – sweet (treacle) + a richly spiced + a strong tea style
Finish: Long & rich carrying a dry & slightly oaky/tannic style (J)

OLD & RARE Tasting Notes:

OAR0128 SPEYSIDE’S FINEST SHERRY MATURED 45 YEAR OLD

Big and spicy – immediately appealing on the nose, with burnt oranges, light oak and stewed dark fruit in abundance. The palate is initally dry – warming to more spices, soft wood tones and it warms to a late toffee and cough drop suggestion. The finish is slightly mentholated, now drier than anticipated – and runs to a long yet soft course of fruit, oak and spice. (F)

OAR0121 GLEN GRANT WINE FINISH 25 YEAR OLD

On the nose detect a big round perfumed and spiced quality carrying, dark fruit dowsed and soaked in Manuka honey. Then the palate displays sweet malt, light smoke, camphor and vanilla, still with an attractive spiciness throughout – and all this leads to a finish which is sweet and Bourbon in style carrying molasses, vanilla caramel, more of those spices – carried now within a red fruit Macedonia. (F)

Tasting Notes for CLAN DENNY GRAINS:

DEN0060 DUMBARTON 45 YEAR OLD

Opens sweetly on the nose, carrying a spicy vanilla, light oak & toffee quality. The palate is smooth and mellow, richly spiced with a fruity acidity that runs to caramel and dark chocolate. The medium long finish remains sweet and vanilla’d with a spiced fruit/hard candy quality returning. (J)

DEN0067 CAMBUS 47 YEAR OLD

Wonderfully spiced with a sweet citric backdrop and barley sugar with candyfloss all apparent on the nose. Palatewise detect these same spices – now with a real soft chewy vanilla caramel flavour – plus mocha. The finish is surprisingly long for a Single Grain Whisky and carries an attractive oak quality with an orange tang. (F&J)

The DOUBLE BARREL 3RD release is

DBS0024 CAOL ILA/BRAEVAL

And lastly the five (5) 20cl Advance Samples are:

SMC0386 LAPHROAIG 10

SMC0390 BRAEVAL 11 SHERRY

SMC0391 CRAIGELLACHIE 11 SHERRY

SMC0389 HIGHLAND PARK 12

SMC0388 MACALLAN 12

We hope some of these will hit the right tone to be considered by you after your review.

Warmest best regards

Yours sincerely

Fred H Laing
Managing Director

Visit Douglas Laing & Co. Ltd. at www.douglaslaing.com

What’s New This Spring?

All the latest news from the Isle of Arran Distillery 

Arran Distillery News
The new season on Arran is now underway and James, Faye and the team have been busy welcoming visitors from all over the world to our stunning corner of Scotland. We are all very excited about our second Open Day, which will be held on Sunday 29th May and looks set to be another fantastic day! There will be an exclusive Distillery Bottling available for sale on the day (200 bottles only!), VIP masterclasses pairing local food with our Single Malt, and ceilidh band Callanish will be playing a short set in the afternoon before the main evening ceilidh starts at 7pm. Tickets are now available on our web site – come and join us for plenty of fun and memorable drams.

Our Distillery and Visitor Centre nestled in the hills of Lochranza is
one of the most picturesque in Scotland.  

Exciting new drams!
We have been very busy preparing some fantastic new drams for you over the winter months. The 3rd in our ‘Icons of Arran’ series is newly bottled and waiting to tickle your tastebuds! ‘The Westie’ is a bottling of 22 1998 Sherry casks and you can read all about it here (apologies, the link is dead). This is definitely a ‘drink one, keep one’ whisky….we still receive regular enquiries about the first icon (The Peacock) but alas it is very hard to find now!

 
 
Also new is our Premium Single Cask range – a collection of truly stunning Single Sherry and Bourbon Casks from 1996 and 1997 especially selected for their oustanding quality, all presented in luxurious new packaging.  They will be available for sale on our web site in April, so just in time for a special Fathers Day gift!  If you’re a Single Cask afficionado, this is the ultimate treat for you with each expression beautifully showcasing the interaction of each individual cask with the unique character of our Single Malt. 
 
This month will also see the production of a very special whisky which is being created in partnership with some good friends of ours. “Spirit of Unity” is a unique Blended Malt Scotch Whisky which has been produced by Arran, BenRiach, Bladnoch, GlenDronach, Mitchell’s Glengyle, Kilchoman and Springbank in support of small charities involved in the disaster relief effort in Japan. Click here to read more about this project and to see where you can purchase a bottle of this once-in-a-lifetime Single Malt.  Later this month, we will also release ‘The Sleeping Warrior” which we are working on with The National Trust of Scotland. Keep your eyes peeled to our web site, Facebook and Twitter pages to for the latest news on these editions. You will not want to miss them..
 
Why not browse our web shop for all the latest bottlings and special offers? Click  here to lead yourself into temptation! 
 
Finally, the Machrie Moor has really been on the rampage since its release in December last year.  It has received quite a lot of attention from whisky blogs and press both at home and abroad and it is close to selling out altogether now!  This whisky is only bottled once a year, so you’d better be quick if you still want to get your hands on the first edition!  

We love our readers….
As a thank you to our loyal friends, we have come up with an exclusive web offer that we thought you would like! As of today, a discount code is available to you to use in our web shop.  Once you’ve chosen the chosen the dram of your dreams, simply enter the code FRIENDS1 at the checkout stage and you will receive 10% off any 70cl bottle purchases. This code is valid until 31st May.  What’s more, with every purchase of Arran Gold and Arran 10 Year Old, you will a free gift courtesy of Arran Aromatics (while stocks last!) Life is far too short to deny yourself the odd wee treat in our opinion….
 
Best wishes to all from everyone here in Lochranza,
 
Isle of Arran Distillers
 
Find us on Facebook (Arran Malt Distillery) and Twitter (@arranwhisky)

What a Great Time,  What Great Whiskies

Thanks for Being Part of the 12th Annual WoW!

Dear Whisky Friends:
 
We want to thank everyone who attended for making this year’s WoW Expo such a great night and grand success! Thanks to you for joining us on-board the Hornblower for another remarkable WoW Expo.
 
Going back to the Hornblower as our venue opened up so much space for all the evening’s activities and the addition of the boat ‘next door’ classrooms allowed so many of you to experience the Masterclasses offered by our experts and world famed distillers and blenders. With two full decks of tasting booths we’re sure you had your fill! Wasn’t the Mixology booth from Beam Global a blast? A different complex cocktail every hour!!! That’s the sort of new feature we love adding to the show for you!
 
So many thanks go to our amazing exhibitors from brands large and small! We LOVE introducing you to new distilleries and spirits as well as offering a huge range of spirits that extend across the wide reaching category of ‘whisky/whiskey’. We hope you experimented with new palate experiences as well as enjoying your old favorites. Who indulged with the Oban Distiller’s Edition from the Classic Malts or Bushmills Crystal Malt?

Thanks also for supporting our charity.  Thanks to all the brands who donated gifts and thanks to our Whisky Enthusiast guests, the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund raised $1600.
 
Since the first year the Expo opened new whisky show territory by holding the event on the Hornblower yacht, we’ve enjoyed the distinction of having a venue that allowed us to give you a cigar experience along with your spirits! Many thanks to Sip Smoke Savor for the wonderful whisky/chocolate/cigar adventures.  Thanks to Serious Cigars  www.seriouscigar.com for providing the evenings generous supply of cigars and to Tim Wong of Rock Patel for sharing his expertise with us. And….What a treat it was to have Richard Paterson of The Dalmore as our cigar class surprise speaker.
 
For those of you with a hankering to fill your spirits shelves at home with the extraordinary drinks you sampled at the Expo, be sure to pay a visit in person or on-line to our supporting retailers:
 
The Whisky Shop: retailer for specialty Scotch and Irish Whiskies. Offering Discounts on all Expo pours: Price list www.whiskyshopusa.com
 
John Walker & Co. : offering discounts for American and Irish Whiskies from Wow: Price List www.JohnWalker.com
 
Ledgers Liquors: 15% Discount on all whiskies with printed coupon.  www.ledgersliquors.com
 
As in years past, we ask you to take a moment and send us your comments about this year’s show as well as your suggestions for the future. Each year we make an effort to tailor the event  to meet as many of your requests as possible. Don’t be shy! Let us know what you think! Just send us an email at cs@whiskiesoftheworld.com
 
And for those of you who want to relive the night from time to time until the time comes for the 2012 WoW Expo…here are some links to lots and lots of photos and some wonderful reviews of the evening:
 
Drink Me Magazine http://drinkmemag.com/2011/03/all-aboard-whiskies-of-the-world/
Bay Guardian Newspaper http://www.sfbg.com/category/author/virginia-miller
Whisky Wall blog http://whiskywall.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/whiskies-of-the-world-expo/
The Cask blog http://thecasks.com/2011/03/28/2011-whiskies-of-the-world-expo-recap/
Bunrab.com blog http://www.bunrab.com/dailyfeed/2011March/dailyfeed_march-11_p3.html#mar2611
Drink Hacker http://www.drinkhacker.com/2011/04/02/tasting-report-whiskies-of-the-world-expo-san-francisco-2011/
SFWeekly.com http://www.sfweekly.com/slideshow/whiskies-of-the-world-expo-2378705/
Pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/bestofdoug/WoW2011?feat=email

After a short rest we’ll be diving right back in to begin the work on the 12th Annual WoW Expo. We’ll be in touch to let you know next year’s date and location just as soon as possible.
 
Have a wonderful spring and again…thanks for making this year’s show so much fun for everyone involved!
 
Cheers,

Douglas Smith