We have a traditionally great Malt here, down on it’s luck unfortunately! Whisky Review #213 – Ben Nevis 10yo by Ralfy

See for yourself at www.ralfy.com

Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey Launches Online Football Contests

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (August, 2011) – Buffalo Trace Bourbon wants to invite fans of football and whiskey to come together and compete in the 2011 Fantasy Football League and Football Pick’em challenge. Both are virtual contests that challenge contestants to compete with other football fans to see who has the best football knowledge.

“Smash mouth football and great bourbon whiskey are both great American traditions,” said Buffalo Trace Brand Manager Kris Comstock. “Both contests will allow our fans to compete with other bourbon lovers while enjoying the upcoming football season.”

Buffalo Trace, the flagship brand of America’s oldest continuously operating distillery, will give a grand prize for each contest. Winners will earn a free trip to the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, which includes hotel, airfare and much more. Weekly prizes are also awarded throughout the season. To compete, just go online to www.buffalotracefootball.com …

“We like our contests to challenge our fans,” continued Comstock. “These football contests take dedication and skill to be the best, just like making damn good whiskey.”

The contest is live and will continue through the end of the pro football season. For further details visit www.buffalotracefootball.com

There is no charge to enter these contests. You must be 21 years old to play. Please drink responsibly.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotrace.com.

Bluffer’s Guide to Whisky
The Britons Protection, Manchester
Friday August 26th 2011, 7.30pm

The Britons Protection

£10.00 / ticket at The Whisky Lounge

For those who ‘always wanted to know about whisky, but were afraid to ask’…

We recognize that not everyone knows their Peat from their Pot Stills or their Glenlivet from their Glenmorangie, so this series has been put together with these poor, misguided individuals in mind! Six whiskies from the various whisky-making regions of Scotland in a tasting designed to get the learning juices flowing.

Want to impress your Dad/Grandad? Want to know your blends from your malts? Want to know more and taste more? Then this is the event for you! Eddie Ludlow, founder and Whisky Evangelist of The Whisky Lounge guides you along the start of your journey towards Whisky Valhalla. Life will never be the same again. Ever.

If you would like to purchase tickets for this event as a gift, please email us at info@thewhiskylounge.com upon completion of your order. We can then email you a PDF with a gift voucher for you to print and pop into a card of your choice!

You will not be sent a ticket through the post. Your details will be added to the event register and all you need to do is print the payment confirmation page and bring it with you to the event.

Bardstown prepares to party
20th anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival September 13-18, 2011

BARDSTOWN, KY – AUGUST 2011 – The Kentucky Bourbon Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, September 13 to 18, in historic Bardstown – the Bourbon Capital of the World – and invites you to come celebrate the Spirit of Kentucky. Thirty-nine events are planned, including two new ones: “Half Pint of Whiskey History with a Shot of Humor,” hosted by noted historian Dixie Hibbs at Wickland Home of Three Governors; and “Any Way She Likes It,” a private bourbon tasting just for the girls (although significant others are welcome), hosted by former Master Bourbon Taster Peggy Noe Stevens and the Bourbon Women.

“With the rapid growth of the new Bourbon Women’s association, it seemed like a natural fit,” says Noe Stevens. “I plan to have great fun teaching women about bourbon and taking them on a deep sensory dive into distinguishing flavors.”

Don’t miss events
With signature Kentucky warmth and hospitality, the five-day festival celebrates “America’s Official Native Spirit.” Highlights include the Kentucky Bourbon All-Star Sampler™ with an opportunity to meet the master distillers of the bourbon industry; Mixed Drink  Challenge™ competition to create the next world-class bourbon cocktail; Boots and Bourbon™ country event; the Culinary Arts, Bourbon Style Cooking School™; Bourbon, Cigars and Jazz™;
and the black-tie Great Kentucky Bourbon Tasting and Gala™.

Roll out the barrels
Family-friendly fun includes the Balloon Glow, which kicks off the festival on Tues., Sept. 13 and, on Fri., Sept. 16, the Whiskey City Cruisers Car Show, touring the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History, including displays featuring Abraham Lincoln, and the World Championship Barrel Relay. On Sun., Sept. 18, enjoy hands-on activities at the Family Fun Area and the music of the Bourbon Idle contest on the lawn of Spalding Hall.

Rounding out festival fun: music by the Kentucky Headhunters (Saturday), The Spirit Garden™, Let’s Talk Bourbon™, a golf tournament and a poker run and a Kentucky Bourbon Breakfast at Spalding Hall on Sunday.

PHOTO
Barrel racing is one of 39 events that will take place during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival’s 20th anniversary celebration. Photo: Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist & Convention Commission.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival 20th Anniversary
Festival website: www.KyBourbonFestival.com

Date Tues., Aug. 13-Sun., Aug. 18. Opens 7:30 p.m., Tues. with Balloon Glow. Concludes Sun., 5 p.m.

Place  Bardstown, various locations, including Spalding Hall

Cost  Varies by event.

Note  Kentucky Bourbon Festival offers a “Safe Ride Home” program Wed.-Sun.

ABOUT Bardstown │ With its quintessential Southern small town sensibility, nearly 200 National Register of Historic Place buildings and charming circular Courthouse Square, Bardstown seems more like a yesteryear village than a bustling town in central Kentucky. But bustle it does: The “Bourbon Capital of the World” is a spirited community that is home to the Barton 1792 Distillery, plus three of the six distilleries on the famed Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam. Bardstown has one of the four most important Civil War museums in the country, the Civil War Museum of the Western Theatre, as well as the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History and The Kentucky Railway Museum. It is the backdrop for “The Stephen Foster Story,” Kentucky’s official outdoor drama, and for a vibrant restaurant landscape that includes numerous historic dining venues and plenty of locally owned eateries, many of them situated – along with a lively collection of shops, boutiques and galleries – in the historic downtown district. Additionally, Bardstown has four 18-hole golf courses, three self-guided tours (Historic Downtown Walking, Architectural and African-American), two wineries and numerous religious attractions.

Fore- KBF GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Kentucky Bourbon Festival will host a Four Person Golf Scramble at Bardstown Country Club at Maywood on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 8AM.

Complimentary refreshments will be served on the course. All entrants will receive lunch, gift bag and golf shirts. Prizes will be awarded for each division along with door prizes. There will be two divisions: distillery and open. Entries will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis and are limited to the first 144.

$125 per person entry fee. Mulligans are $5 each with a limit of 2 per person. Must be 21 to participate. For more information or to enter please call 800-638-4877 # 4 or 502-348-3623 # 4 or stop by the Kentucky Bourbon Festival office at One Court Square, Bardstown, Kentucky. Entry forms are also available online at www.kybourbonfestival.com.

The Kentucky Bourbon Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Jura Launches Caskaway Promotion for £10,000 Cask of Whisky

Jura has today (August 17th)  launched ‘Caskaway’, an online promotion providing fans of the single malt with a unique opportunity to own their very own cask from the Jura distillery, worth £10,000, at a fraction of the cost.

About Caskaway

The islanders of Jura believe that knocking on wood before drinking a dram brings good fortune. So over a period of 8 weeks, whisky lovers all over the world will have the chance to ‘knock’ on a cask of whisky worth £10,000 and try and earn some good fortune for themselves. For every knock on the whisky cask, the price will drop down by £1. At the end of the 8 weeks, one lucky participant will be chosen at random and given the opportunity to own the cask at its new price. So if there are 10,000 knocks, the price will be £0!

Whisky connoisseurs will only have one chance to knock on the cask, but they can also invite friends and family to knock and bring the price down as low as possible. Those who share the good fortune with three friends or family members will be automatically entered into a weekly prize draw to win a bottle of Jura 16 year old.

About the cask

The whisky itself started life maturing in American white oak, before being transferred to an Oloroso sherry cask where it will be left to mature over the years. The sherry wood acts as a silk coat wrapped around this elegant spirit, bringing citrus fruits and crushed almonds with whispers of parma violets and walnuts.

Although the special cask will remain on the island, the lucky owner will receive a handful of cases each year. In fact, providing the angels don’t take too big a share, the owner can look forward to receiving a total of 100 bottles from this unique cask. Each year’s release will taste different as the whisky matures longer in the sherry cask.

To find out more and take part in the promotion, visit www.isleofjura.com

Distillery Manager, Willie Cochrane said:

“This is a once in a lifetime chance for real whisky lovers to own a truly unique single malt from the Isle of Jura. Having tried a drop of it myself, I can vouch for certain that the lucky owner will not be disappointed. And the best thing about it is that every year the whisky will mature and change in flavour, due to its longer maturation in the Oloroso sherry butt. So bring some good fortune into your lives and get knocking!”

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.

Hi all,

Hope you are all well and enjoying the ‘summer’.

Massive apologies to those who have been waiting to hear about classes in the upcoming Whisky Festivals in Brighton, Liverpool, York, Stratford Upon Avon and Manchester. I have been working hard to get these sorted and I think I underestimated the work required for six events worth of masterclasses!

There are also three ‘Bluffer’s Guide’ tastings at only £10 at the end of August in London (22nd), Manchester (26th) and Newcastle (27th) for those who would like to brush up or get their non-whisky-drinking friends involved. Go to the events page of the website for further details before it’s too late as they are selling well…

Anyway, back to the festivals – we have some great classes to look forward to so here we go then… Oh, if you can’t be on with reading through all of this here and now, the Facebook page has been updated with all of this info. You can find it here.

2nd Brighton Whisky Festival
Saturday 3rd September
Hilton Brighton Metropole
Kings Street
11am-4pm £20 per ticket

Masterclasses;

11.30-12.30pm Whisky, what’s it all about?, TWL – Eddie Ludlow £5.00

Join Eddie, founder of The Whisky Lounge, on a compact yet informative and fun tasting to help prepare you for the day to come…

12.00-1.15pm Auchentoshan – Zoran Peric £7.50

Once, along with Campbeltown, the hot-bed of whisky production, the Lowlands are now limited to only a handful of distilleries. Of these only Auchentoshen still employs the Lowland tradition of triple-distillation making it unique in the industry. Come and find out and taste more at this fascinating class hosted by their UK Ambassador…

2.00-3.15pm The Balvenie – Sam Simmons £7.50

We are indeed honoured with the presence of the Global Brand Ambassador for The Balvenie and all round whisky good-guy Sam Simmons. In a twist on last years class, Sam will present a ‘de-construction’ of their Signature bottling before…you get the chance to do it yourself. Your palate will be put to the test as you construct your own bottling from the cask samples Sam will provide. Interactive and unmissable!

1st Liverpool Whisky Festival
Saturday 10th September
The Adelphi Hotel
Ranelagh Place
12pm-5pm £20 per ticket

Masterclasses;

12.30-1.30pm Whisky, what’s it all about?, TWL – Eddie Ludlow £5.00

Join Eddie, founder of The Whisky Lounge, on a compact yet informative and fun tasting to help prepare you for the day to come…

1.15-2.45pm Distillers Editions, Diageo – Colin Dunn £7.50

A ‘taste the difference’ tasting with a difference! A chance to sample special, ‘double-matured’ versions of some of Diageo’s finest. If you like sherry, port or any other wine finish then this is the one for you, although Colin would say this one is for anyone who like whisky full-stop!

Colin Dunn is one of the fore-most UK Brand Ambassadors in the UK and is a one-man whisky entertainment system. Don’t miss his first visit to Liverpool!

3.15-4.45pm Isle of Jura – Willie Tate, Distillery Manager £10.00

The island that housed George Orwell as he wrote ‘1984’ is home to one distillery – the aptly named ‘Jura’! Lying to the west of Scotland opposite its more famous neighbour of Islay, Jura goes about its business quietly. Here you have the chance to not only taste some trinkets from the vaults, but to rub shoulders (so to speak) with the man responsible for the production of the very whisky you’ll be tasting! What an opportunity!

8th York Whisky Festival
Saturday 17th September
The Park Inn
North Street
12pm-5pm £20 per ticket

Masterclasses;

12.30-1.30pm Whisky, what’s it all about? TWL – Eddie Ludlow £5.00

Join Eddie, founder of The Whisky Lounge, on a compact yet informative and fun tasting to help prepare you for the day to come…

1.00-2.15pm Six of the Best, Diageo – Colin Dunn £10.00

Crowd favourite Colin returns to York with a bang! Aware that he is under pressure to provide something special to the regular York stalwarts as well as the newbies, he is putting on something a bit special for you. Quite simple – six of Colin’s favourite whiskies from the current Diageo range, from Mortlach to Linkwood, and Caol Ila Moch to Talisker 57 North. Should be a real cracker…

Colin Dunn is one of the fore-most UK Brand Ambassadors in the UK and is a one-man whisky entertainment system.

3.00-4.15pm Tales from the Solera, Glenfiddich – Jamie Milne £7.50

The 15 Year Old ‘Solera Reserve’ version of this iconic Speyside distillery is often cited as many conoisseuer’s favourite. This tasting is a rare opportunity to see how it ‘ticks’. Join Jamie Milne as he guides you through samples from the three different types of casks used in the Solera Process to create Glenfiddich 15 years old as well as tasting a natural-strength version of the 15yo itself, taken straight from the Solera Vat in Warehouse 8 at Glenfiddich Distillery.

4.00-5.15pm IWSC – Gold Medal Winners – Eddie Ludlow £15.00

The International Wine & Spirits Competition is the most prestigious drinks competition in the world. Eddie Ludlow, founder of the The Whisky Lounge, has proudly sat on the spirits panel for the last three years and would now like to share his experience with you. In this special class he presents six of this years gold medal winners and takes you through the process of judging whilst keeping you entertained with his usual sledgehammer wit and manner. Not to be missed.

1st Stratford upon Avon Whisky Festival
Saturday 1st October
The Park Inn
Henley Street
12pm-5pm £20 per ticket

Masterclasses;

12.30-1.30pm Whisky, what’s it all about?, TWL – Eddie Ludlow £5.00

Join Eddie, founder of The Whisky Lounge, on a compact yet informative and fun tasting to help prepare you for the day to come…

1.15-2.45pm Six of the Best, Diageo – Colin Dunn £10.00

Crowd favourite Colin comes ‘home’! Having started his whisky industry career in Leamington Spa, Colin is now one of the fore-most UK Brand Ambassadors in the UK and is a one-man whisky entertainment system.

This tasting should provide something for everyone – six of Colin’s favourite whiskies from the current Diageo range, from Mortlach to Linkwood, and Caol Ila Moch to Talisker 57 North. Should be a real cracker…

3.00-4.15pm IWSC – Gold Medal Winners – Eddie Ludlow £15.00

The International Wine & Spirits Competition is the most prestigious drinks competition in the world. Eddie Ludlow, founder of the The Whisky Lounge, has proudly sat on the spirits panel for the last three years and would now like to share his experience with you. In this special class he presents six of this years gold medal winners and takes you through the process of judging whilst keeping you entertained with his usual sledgehammer wit and manner. Not to be missed.

3.15-4.45pm Arran – Island of Discovery – John Whatmough £7.50

One of the ‘new generation’ of distilleries having only started distilling in 1995, Arran has very quickly built a fantastic reputation amongst whisky-lovers. With a sweet, pure distillate and an interesting and innovative approach to maturation, Arran is a fascinating subject. John Whatmough will take you through a range of their whiskies including some recent special editions.

If you want to book onto any of these, please first of all buy your general entry tickets and then email with your masterclass requirements. As always we expect these to sell very quickly so I would recommend you let me know asap!

Keep well and see you soon!

Slainte
Eddie

Eddie Ludlow
Whisky Evangelist

thewhiskylounge
www.thewhiskylounge.com
eddie@thewhiskylounge.com
01904 410841
07515 854210

IWSC Spirit Panel Judge 2009-present

Music at the TWE Whisky Show – Tim Hain

We’re happy to announce that we not only have fantastic drinks and food lined up for the TWE Whisky Show but we now also have musical accompaniment thanks to the excellent Tim Hain. You can find more information, as we work out the schedule, over on the TWE Whisky Show website, but for now we’ll […please click on the link to read the remainder of the article…]

THE LINK

LAST STOCKS OF KARUIZAWA ACQUIRED

The entire remaining inventory of Mercian’s Karuizawa Distillery has been acquired on behalf of Number One Drinks by an Asian-based company. International importer and distributor of Japanese malt whisky, Number One Drinks Company, has handled worldwide sales of Karuizawa single casks since 2006 and has helped raise the profile of Japanese single malts internationally, especially with the help of distributors in the key markets of Taiwan, France, UK and Sweden.

Of the 12 Gold Medals awarded by the Malt Maniacs in 2010, four were for whiskies sourced by Number One Drinks (including three Karuizawas) and the Best Japanese Whisky in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011 was a 1967 single cask from Karuizawa.

Tokyo-based David Croll, Managing Director (Asia) of Number One Drinks, states: “The sherry-matured, rich and complex single malt of Karuizawa was an undiscovered jewel. We have taken great pleasure in introducing the whisky to enthusiasts throughout the world. This acquisition will give greater flexibility in terms of what we release when and the possibility of launching a private cask scheme.”

As well as bottling the iconic Vintage Series at Karuizawa Distillery, the acquisition will see Number One Drinks working more closely with Ichiro Akuto as casks will be moved to a new warehouse at Chichibu Distillery. Number One Drinks is planning a global launch of the eagerly-awaited Chichibu three year old in September of this year, with attendance at Whisky Live Taipei, Whisky Live Paris, the Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival and London’s Whisky Show (The Whisky Exchange).

Marcin Miller, Managing Director (Europe) of Number One Drinks, observes: “As well as the release of Chichibu ‘The First’ and the on-going bottling of the Vintage Series single casks from Karuizawa, we are looking to release an 11-year-old single malt at 46% from Karuizawa. These are exciting times for fans of Japanese single malt whisky.”

www.one-drinks.com

Nagano Outdoor Whisky Festival 2011

Fill your favourite backpack with all your preferred goodies and head for the hills, the hills of Nagano prefecture to be precise. September 17, which falls on a Saturday, makes way for one pleasant outdoor event that should not be missed. In the town of Nagawa lies an alluring mountain, which transforms into the Blanche Takayama Ski Resort through out the winter. However, during the summer the lush green pastures make way for events such as the Outdoor Whisky Festival 2011. This event, the first of its kind in Japan, provides the perfect opportunity to get in touch with nature while contemplating the smorgasbord of 150 domestic and international whiskies with an all-you-can-drink policy, slightly hard to believe but clearly stated. This policy excludes rare bottlings I’m lead to believe but they are available to purchase by the dram. Information suggests that this is not only an event for the enthusiast but one for the whole family. Under blanketing blue skies throughout the day an array of entertainment can be enjoyed including local food stalls, music, shows, exhibitions, and workshops, while during the cool evening campfires and BBQ’s are on offer for the whole family to experience.

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