www.Ralfy.com Whisky Review 209 (6/7) – Whisky Masterclass (extras) roll up malt-mates and read all about it !

Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix

Made using the finest casks rescued from the snow damaged warehouses of Glenfiddich.

A must have for Whisky fans worldwide.

Tasting notes:

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 wood smoke. Bottled at 47.6% volume

click here to buy

The Whisky Shop
www.whiskyshop.com

Cameron House Launches ‘Manly’ Glengoyne Whisky Afternoon Tea

Cameron House on Loch Lomond has partnered with nearby Glengoyne Distillery to offer a new Whisky Afternoon Tea. Created by new Head Chef Ryan Neill, the afternoon tea is designed to appeal to men, with a selection of savoury, carnivorous Scottish favourites served with Glengoyne whisky and a mug of tea on a slate spread.

This is a more masculine alternative to the traditional Champagne afternoon tea, which typically includes light, dainty sandwiches and sweeter treats arranged on a tiered stand with tea served in delicate bone china.

Dating back to 1840, afternoon tea has long been considered the preserve of women. Now men too can enjoy this tradition with a fine menu of Rare Roast Beef and Arran Mustard Sandwiches, Haggis Sausage Roll, John Ross Smoked Salmon roll, Mini Aberdeen Angus Burger, Black Pudding Scotch Egg, Glengoyne Whisky Fruit Cake and a 10 Years Old Glengoyne Whisky Miniature.

Served in the refined setting of the hotel’s Whisky Bar, the Glengoyne Whisky Afternoon Tea is available daily from 2-5pm for £26 per person.

Glengoyne is one of the world’s leading malt whiskies, distilled more slowly than any other Scotch and matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks. Its 10 Years Old, made with air-dried barley, is warming with a nutty aroma. The clean taste of grass and green apple with a hint of sweet liquorice gives way to linseed oil and almond, with a sweet and malty finish.

Cameron House is an ideal base for a visit to Glengoyne Distillery, which opened in 1833 – the same decade that afternoon tea was made fashionable by the Duchess of Bedford, and offers a wide range of tasting tours and masterclasses. The distillery is situated in a wooded valley with a picturesque waterfall that flows into Loch Lomond.

Cameron House is a five-star resort located on the bonnie banks of one of Scotland’s most famous natural attractions, with mountain views across the loch to the breathtaking Ben Lomond.

Just 30 minutes from Glasgow but a world away from the buzz of the city with Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park unfurling on its doorstep, the resort offers luxury, friendly Scottish service and a variety of ways to enjoy a visit, including The Carrick on Loch Lomond, a 71-par championship course with nine holes in the lowlands and nine in the highlands.

The stylish interior combines contemporary design and quirky details with classic touches from Scotland’s baronial past.

To book a Glengoyne Whisky Afternoon Tea, please telephone the Whisky Bar at Cameron House on 01389 722 581.

For further information on Cameron House on Loch Lomond, please visit www.cameronhouse.co.uk

www.glengoyne.com

Purple Valley Imports Increases Distribution

Purple Valley Imports USA, the US importers of Amrut Single Malt Whiskies from India, Glenglassaugh Highland Single Malt, Blackadder Whiskies, Still Waters Single Malt Vodka from Canada, is pleased to announce the appointment of the following new distributors.

New York – Opici Wine Company of New York
New Jersey – American BD
Connecticut – Opici Wine Company of Connecticut
Maryland – Prestige Beverage Group
Delaware – Prestige Beverage Group
Minnesota – Vinocopia
Nevada – Pemberton Distribution Company
Texas – Rainwater Beverages
Washington DC – Ledroit Brands

Purple Valley Imports began importing into the US in April, 2010 with one brand – Amrut and distribution in 3 states. They now are the exclusive importers of 6 brands with distribution in 18 States. Purple Valley Imports USA is focused on identifying and bringing to market world class spirits.

Raj Sabharwal, Managing Director Purple Valley Imports USA, commented: “Our growth is largely driven by the interest American consumers have in world class spirits. Consumers today have a real desire to experience new products and appreciate that traditional old world spirits are being produced to world class standards in new world countries.”

“We are proud of the direct relationships we have with the distilleries we represent, this is reflected in the distributors we appoint and the relationship they in turn have with their accounts. For us it is important to understand, appreciate and believe in the brands that we import,” added Raj Sabharwal.

Please join us July 29th, 2011 for a unique and special pairing at The City Club of San Francisco!

Time: 6:00PM – 9:00PM
Where: 155 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104

Register today at: http://bourbonbbq.eventbrite.com/  

Kentucky Bourbon Distillery and D&M Wine & Liquors will be presenting a variety of premium Bourbon and Rye Whiskies, while Chef Michael Munoz will be pairing down-home barbecue in his own unique style. We start the evening off with a cocktail featuring Old Bardstown Estate Bourbon and a light hors d’oeuvres reception.

Old Bardstown is a 100% genuine Old Fine Sour Mash Kentucky Bourbon. It is a Bourbon of distinctive flavor which contains the true characteristics found only among the very best Kentucky Bourbons. Old Bardstown was given the very highest honors by being recognized as “Outstanding,” the highest award category among forty of the top=rated North American whiskies in the International Competition held in London in 1996. Worthy of the most discerning connoisseurs of fine Bourbon. After a delightful reception, guests will be seated in rounds, and will be treated to these fine Bourbons, paired with Chef’s menu (TBA).

The Bourbon tasting will include: Willett Pot Still Reserve, Willett Family Estate 3 year Rye, Willett Family Estate Reserve Single Cask.

Please join us for this casual tasting with an inside look at this distillery, which was founded in 1935 and has been producing quality Bourbons since then!

Don’t miss out – Register Today!  

Whisky enthusiasts are being given a one off opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit as part of a special auction which includes a bottle of 10 year old Jura signed by (the actor who portrayed) Jesus Christ.

The heavenly bottle of Jura bears the signature of actor Robert Powell, who took on the role of Christ as part of the hit 70’s TV show Jesus of Nazareth.

The holy water will be auctioned off as part of a special collection of whisky signed by well known celebrities, including Rory McGrath, Maureen Lipman, Larry Lamb and Tom Conti, who attended the Borders Book Festival last month.

The proceeds of the auction will be shared by Book Aid International and the Borders Children’s Charity, the two charities supported by the hugely popular literary festival.

The auction will run from 18 – 22 July. In order to gain access to the open auction entrants must:

1. Register as an honorary Diurach at www.isleofjura.com

2. Place a bid in the comments section of the blog where the auction is being hosted –

http://bit.ly/whisky-jesus

3. Honour their bid

To find out more about Jura whisky go to www.isleofjura.com

About Jura

Off the west coast of Scotland lies one of nature’s best kept secrets, the Isle of Jura.  Populated by a community of less than 200, known as Diurachs (the Gaelic name for the people of Jura), it is a place of myth, legend and intrigue – and an award-winning range of single malt whiskies, which hold the promise of good fortune for all those that believe.

There are four classic bottlings in the Jura Collection: Origin 10, Superstition, Diurach’s Own and Prophecy. Many of the Jura whiskies have their own distinctive drinking rituals, but one cuts across the range.  Islanders believe that it brings good fortune to knock on wood before they drink a dram.

WHISKY’S ANSWER TO THE WORLD CUP COMES TO A GLORIOUS CLOSE!

NEW YORK, July 2011 – The World Cup of the whisky world – also known as The Glenrothes Whisky Maker contest – reached its thrilling conclusion in June, with amateur whisky aficionados from Taiwan, England and the USA coming together in Speyside, Scotland, to tough it out in a series of challenges and tastings that would have tested the nerves of famed Scottish outlaw Rob Roy, let alone a malt expert.

The Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky, one of the world’s top single malts and the pre-eminent vintage-distilled single malt, launched its quest to bring together top whisky enthusiasts from around the world 12 months ago. Following entries in the thousands, from as far afield as Albania to Zimbabwe, four finalists from Taiwan, England (where two hailed from) and Ohio, USA, were selected to go head to head, and nose to nose, in the glens of Speyside, the home of The Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Finalists faced off in everything from gauging the purity of the water source at the distillery’s two springs to milling the malt to achieve the golden proportions of husk, grits and flour to making casks at the cooperage and rolling them into the warehouse. The contest culminated in a blind tasting, and individual blending and bottling, in the distillery’s fabled Inner Sanctum, where Eliott Edelstein, the American representative, remembers “sniffing and blending [our] way through three casks that had never been used for bottling before. We then took on the holy grail of taste-tests: every vintage whisky ever put out from The Glenrothes, from Vintage 1975 through to the new 1995; it was truly a religious moment.”

At the close of Whisky Maker, Ronnie Cox, The Glenrothes’ Global Brand Heritage Director and comedic star of the accompanying You Tube video reel on the contest, declared all the entrants winners, meaning this dual ended in more of a draw than an all out thrashing. “The Glenrothes is a whisky unrivalled in terms of heritage and uniqueness, from its distinctive vintage offering through to its commitment to unearthing the next generation of would-be master blenders, via programs such as Whisky Maker. Not only does something like Whisky Maker unite the passion felt globally by people for The Glenrothes, it ultimately invests in the quality of the dram in the bottle, to be enjoyed by enthusiasts of The Glenrothes for years to come.”

Find video recap of The Glenrothes Whisky Maker, featuring Ronnie Cox, as well as the four finalists on their Speyside odyssey. For more video logs from Whisky Maker, search “The Glenrothes Whisky Maker” on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3K4mgjSN4Q or www.theglenrothes.com

Notes:

1. The Glenrothes was founded in 1879
2. Little more than 2% of the distillery capacity is bottled as Single Malt to ensure exceptional quality
3. Of the 16 Vintages released to date, 12 have entirely sold out
4. The whisky is matured in a combination of Spanish and American oak casks – the best of both worlds
5. The Glenrothes Select Reserve was voted Best in Class at the World Whiskies Awards 2008 and won two Double Golds at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007
6. The Glenrothes 1972 was awarded a Trophy at the 2005 International Spirits Challenge
7. The Glenrothes 1978 was voted Best Speyside Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2008
8. The Glenrothes 1975 won a Double Gold award at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008
9. The Glenrothes 1991 won a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
10. The Glenrothes 1994 won a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
11. The Glenrothes Alba Reserve won a Double Gold at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010
12. “I have always felt that Glenrothes deserved to be more widely appreciated. Beautifully rounded…sophisticated after-dinner malt.” Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion
13. Jim Murray, in his Whisky Bible, refers to The Glenrothes Select Reserve; “One of the softest deliveries on Speyside, the silky barley and citrus caress the tastebuds with rare tenderness” and scores it 24 out of 25

Turkish coffee in a barber shop

Cask No. 30.63
Highlands, Speyside (Rothes)

This split the panel, though the majority definitely approved; the nose had roasted smoked ham, chutney, crème brûlée, Christmas cake, toffee, marmalade and coffee creams; also a light sulphury note which one panellist called ‘old barber shops’. Water brought out raisiny sticky buns, wood polish and oily rags. The palate was dry, even drawing, and spicy at natural strength, with Turkish coffee, concentrated Tia Maria, Fernet Branca, walnuts and salted cashews. In reduction it had lots of pleasant sweetness but also dry, burnt and salty characteristics, not unlike dry roasted peanuts. The distillery sits between a castle and a graveyard.

Drinking tip: After dinner with coffee (better with water)

Colour: Late autumn trees
Cask: Refill sherry butt
Age: 20 years
Date distilled: May 1990
Alcohol: 55.8%

$145

Cornish pastie and plaster-board

Cask No. 31.20
Highlands, Jura

After a brief coir matting opening, the aroma reminded us of a new house – wet plaster and plaster-board – with a light grape-seed oil note, peppercorns and mixed spice emerging after a while. The taste, unreduced, is fresh, sweet and peppery, with a thread of smoke. Water moves the nose towards cooking scents: roasting tin (with lamb shanks), fatty Cornish pasty, Scotch broth with barley… and one found nasturtiums. The taste is now soft and sweet and lightly nutty: brown rice with Gouda cheese and a flick of soy sauce. The distillery was designed by Delme Evans and built in the early 1960s, overlooking Craighouse Bay.

Drinking tip: Lunch on-site in the new-build home

Colour: Pale gold
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 21 years
Date distilled: September 1988
Alcohol: 53.4%

$145

‘Hot, juicy and intense’

Cask No. 53.147
Islay, North Shore

Aromas of witch hazel, coal, pork crackling (with a dry mustard rub), charred scallops, dune grass, tar, black seaweed in rock pools and really good barbecue sauce (think Blumenthal), were mirrored on the taste; but there was an intense spicy, juicy lemon character that made us wanting more; one Panellist insisted he tasted Crème Egg. Water brought out pine sap (Christmas trees), sea salt, lint bandages, more dune grass, oh and smoke, glorious sweet perfumed smoke. To taste it was, sweet, salty, smoky and chilli hot, with dark bitter chocolate, sweet cured ham, and warm tarmac. From Islay’s largest distillery.

Drinking tip: An ideal dram for a lazy summer’s day while having a barbecue on the beach

Colour: Shiny lemon yellow gold
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 10 years
Date distilled: November 1999
Alcohol: 66.6%

$95

Vanilla malt shake

Cask No. 76.81
Highlands, Speyside (Dufftown)

The Panel found earthy, oily and floral notes as well as wet dog, tomato vines, malted barley, grist, worts & new make (not surprising considering the age) but also aromas of spearmint, raspberry cream and cherry Tunes. To taste it was hot, fizzy, sweet and malty– baked apples and pears in Calvados. The addition of water only lightened it more – vanilla, lemon, sweetened Alpen, Weetabix (still in the box), cheap milk chocolate and lime cordial or Tic-Tacs; while on the palate it was light, malty, easy drinking with plenty of creamy vanilla. From the first distillery to have a license.

Drinking tip: Perfect for sharing during summer picnics

Colour: Flaccid yellow
Cask: First-fill barrel
Age: 8 years
Date distilled: April 2002
Alcohol: 60.1%

$85

A Baker’s Delight

Cask No. 121.42
Highlands, Arran

The lively nose brought lemon hard boiled sweets, peach flan and barley sugar. Then, a multitude of layers unfolded with fudge, strawberry tarts and banana bread. There was a freshness too with clean linen and lavender scent. The neat palate was hot and spicy, reminiscent of a Bakewell tart with spices. Grapefruit, lemon peel and almonds brought more delights to the bakery. The reduced nose revealed strawberries and cream (double thick Jersey cream), with a squeeze of lemon. Pastry notes followed with icing sugar and cream tarts. The reduced palate became paradoxically thicker with water – chewy lemon meringue pie with whipped cream. This distillery, on the most southerly Scottish island, celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2010.

Drinking tip: With exceedingly good cakes

Colour: Sandstone
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 14 years
Date distilled: December 1995
Alcohol: 52.8%

$115

You may join the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America at www.smwsa.com

Stourbridge Town Hall                                                                   www.whiskyfest.co.uk

Tickets for the Dalmore Ultimate Masterclass are on sale now!

Tickets for the Dalmore Ultimate Masterclass are on sale now on paypal priced at just £10. This superb event is likely to sell out fast due to high demand. Tickets will be limited so please hurry.

For Tickets and full details of the event please visit http://www.whiskyfest.co.uk/?page_id=28

The Scottish town of Oban celebrated its 200th anniversary this week, and the folks at Oban Distillery fired up a Time Machine to celebrate. They went back to 1823 and found a cousin of the distillery’s founders to explain life as Oban was being settled. “Alan Stevenson” explains some of the history, along with Joanne McCutcher of the Diageo Archives and Oban visitors center manager Carol Bennett. We’ll also hear from Glenmorangie/Ardbeg’s David Blackmore and Knob Creek Whisky Professor Bernie Lubbers, and there’s breaking news on plans to export Nikka whiskies to the U.S.!

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com