It’s that special time of the year when the Jura Music Festival takes over the island. The festival showcases some of the best professional and amateur musicians currently on the Scottish folk scene. This year’s event takes place between the 23rd and 25th of September and the line up is particularly impressive, with some very well known artists including the legendary Dougie MacLean and Deaf Shepherd. Many local artists will be offering their very vocal – and instrumental – support as well!

To be honest, it’s probably amongst the islands best-kept secrets and is usually only attended by people who are in the know. But because you’re an honorary islander your name is, of course, included on the guest list. This year, to help you experience the Jura music festival, we’re offering two lucky Diurachs an all expenses paid trip to the island! This includes a stay at the luxury Jura lodge, set right in the heart of all the fun and festivities, where you will experience island life during one of the island’s biggest annual events. Enjoy an authentic island experience, mixing with the locals and toe tapping alongside some of the Jura distillery staff!

To enter, click here and you can invite your chosen companion to become an honorary Diurach and be in with a chance of winning this great experience.

Don’t worry if you’re not a lucky winner, we’ll still be bringing all the highlights from this years festival to you on our website.

Good luck and we’ll hopefully be seeing you on the island very soon!

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.

Sept Outturn Update: TOP FIVE
Bottles from our September Outturn are literally flying out the door – here are the Top Five selling bottles so far…

1) 30.66 Muscovado, Macadamia and Manuka
2) 125.46 Bright and vivacious
3) 9.61 A hot summer’s day among the gorse
4) 76.81 Vanilla malt shake
5) 35.53 Old Jazz Bar

EXPLORE our September Recommendations:
PAIR OFFER: Buy 23.69 & 7.67 for only £91.30 (save £10)
23.69 Dusty muesli and green bananas
7.67 Breakfast dram

TRIO OFFER: Buy 125.46, 9.61 & 30.66 for £148.70 (save £15)
125.46 Bright and vivacious
9.61 A hot summer’s day among the gorse
30.66 Muscovado, Macadamia and Manuka

CASE: Take the Sept PAIR, TRIO and ADD 76.81 for £271.50 (save £30) 76.81 Vanilla malt shake

Browse all bottlings (45 single casks online)

Society Tastings & Events (57 Society tastings online)
All about smoke – Queen Street, Tue 20 Sept
Colin Dunn’s Society Choice – London, Thu 22 Sept
Steak & Chips Tasting – The Vaults, Sat 24 Sept
From Leith to Bavaria – The Vaults, from Mon 26 Sept
New Outturn for the Cheese Lover – Queen Street, Tue 27 Sept
New Outturn for the Meat Lover – Queen Street, Wed 28 Sept
All things Bavarian – The Vaults, Wed 28 Sept

October Outturn Preview Tastings: taste and explore October’s Outturn (FIVE drams!) with a spot of supper

Guildford – Manor House Hotel, Thu 29 Sept
Dunfermline – Garvock House Hotel, Thu 29 Sept
Brighton – Hotel du Vin, Fri 30 Sept
Manchester – Malmaison, Fri 30 Sept
More Society tastings

The Society Scoops Top Title at the 2012 Independent Bottlers’ Challenge
We’re very pleased to announce that 10 Society single casks won awards at this year’s Whisky Mag Independent Bottlers’ Challenge, netting us the prestegious Icon of Whisky Title ‘Independent Bottler of the Year’

We would like to thank our loyal members for your support – you can be very smug at the thought that you are the only folk able to buy our precious whisky.

Only 125.43 is available via Mail Order but the other award winning casks can be sampled at our three Members’ Rooms. Award Details

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ
Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm).

Visit the Society at http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF THE KENTUCKY BOURBON FESTIVAL WITH HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERIES

Exclusive tour, tasting and rare single barrel bottling offered only during Kentucky Bourbon Festival

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of The Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Heaven Hill Distilleries is offering an exciting half-day tour package featuring an exclusive 20-year-old Single Barrel bottling of Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The tour will be offered Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th at the Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center, 1311 Gilkey Run Road, Bardstown, Kentucky. The Bourbon Heritage Center was named “International Visitors Attraction of the Year 2009” and “Visitors Attraction of the Year 2008” Awards at Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Worldwide Presentation.

The tour package offers guests the opportunity to spend the morning tasting two newly-launched Bourbons in one of Heaven Hill’s new aging warehouses, “WW”, hosted by Heaven Hill American Whiskey Brand Ambassador, Rob Hutchins. Following the tasting, guests will enjoy a “Spirit of Bourbon” Tour through downtown Bardstown where they will visit Distillers’ Row and hear the tales of Bardstown during prohibition and beyond on the comfortable Heaven Hill Trolley.

Following the morning activities, guests will enjoy a lovely Bourbon-themed lunch at the historic Chapeze House, featuring Elijah Craig marinated beef tenderloin, and other culinary Bourbon delights. Following your lunch you will be treated to a tasting flight of a few more of Heaven Hill’s unique and rare Kentucky Bourbons: Evan Williams 23 Year old, Parkers Heritage Collection Wheated Mash Bill Bourbon, Henry McKenna Bottled-in-Bond, William Heaven Hill 225 Birthday Limited Edition. Bourbon connoisseurs will jump at the opportunity to taste these unique, extra-aged, specialty Bourbons from Heaven Hill Distilleries.

Return to Heaven Hill’s Bourbon Heritage Center to collect your Bourbon Bounty Bag ($50.00 value) and your limited-edition, personalized, collector’s bottle of Elijah Craig 20-year-old Single Barrel Bourbon, produced especially for the 20th anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

This unique Bourbon- flavored day is available for only $275.00 per person. For reservations, please contact Lynne Grant at the Bourbon Heritage Center, 502-337-9592. Space is limited.

Founded in 1934, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams Bourbon; Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; HPNOTIQ and HPNOTIQ Harmonie Liqueurs; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; The Christian Brothers Brandies; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Lunazul Tequila and Rittenhouse Rye Whisky.

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

Mr. Erwin Hennefarth and his wife celebrate becoming the 1 Millionth Visitor to the Kilbeggan Distillery with the Chairman John Teeling and the Distillery Tour staff

Oldest Licensed Distillery in the World Reaches Tourism Milestone

The Kilbeggan Distillery welcomed its 1 millionth visitor through its 254 year old gates today, September 8th 2011.

To celebrate this milestone, a cask was filled with Kilbeggan Malt with the 1 Millionth visitor, Mr. Erwin Hennefarth from Germany today. It was then laid down in the warehouse and after three years when the spirit has matured into fine Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, Cooley will bottle the cask for Mr. Hennefarth.

To mark the occasion, the Kilbeggan Distillery is hosting a family open day on Saturday 10th September between 12 noon-6pm. The open day will include free tours of the Distillery, whiskey master classes, artisan food, live music from the Whiskey River Band as well as face painting and balloon sculptors for the kids.

The Kilbeggan Distillery which has been located on the same spot in Kilbeggan town since 1757 is fast becoming one of the top tourist destinations in the Midlands. Investment in the distillery tour in recent years by Cooley Distillery has brought the Kilbeggan Distillery Experience to life.

Jack Teeling, Managing Director of Cooley Distillery, said, “Kilbeggan Distillery is a special place full of history dating back over 250 years. Reaching the 1 million visitor mark is a fantastic achievement for the Kilbeggan Distillery Experience. A lot of hard work has been done locally to produce a memorable and educational experience and all those efforts are now paying dividends.”

The Kilbeggan Distillery Experience sends visitors back in time mapping the methods and techniques of whiskey making from the 1700s right through to the 21st century. Visitors can witness the fully restored piston engine which once fired the giant copper stills, roar into life and learn how whiskey barrels are constructed from the two full-time on-site coopers.

The tour also includes an expert step by step guide to modern whiskey distillation. Each step of the process can be experienced on site during this entertaining and educational walking tour.

Mr. Erwin Hennefarth and his wife fill their very own cask of Kilbeggan Malt, as they are celebrated as the 1 Millionth Visitor to Kilbeggan Distillery, along with the chairman John Teeling (left) and the Distillery Manager Brian Quinn (right)

Kilbeggan Distillery Welcomes its 1 Millionth Visitor

Ballantines Finest (40%, OB, +/-2010)

The nose is off bees wax, alfalfa, grapefruit, pizza dough all inter mixed with some slight peat smoke, a little saw dust (perhaps saw mill notes?), walnut shells, nutmeg, some really good notes from the oak side of the house. The grain whisky is certainly present and is a welcome addition to the aromas. A little time in the glass and some hand warming opens up the aromas. The taste is rich and sweet with malt, some really good oak spice and some rich creamy notes all backed by some delicate peat smoke (which is very nice). Actually quite a bit of toffee. The finish is vibrant and shows some of the pizza dough but this soon vanishes to reveal more of the toffee and some nice honey tinged with the peat smoke. A very long finish and good all the way.

A dram not to be rushed and it is fine just the way it is, no need to drown it with ice! Very moreish. Give it a try some time of you have the chance.

$27

Score 87 points 

Part one of three this week looking at three very distinctive blended Scotch whiskies.

Diageo Special Releases 2011

Diageo have announced their Special Releases for 2011:

Brora 32 Year Old ABV 54.7%
Only 1,404 bottles worldwide
UK RRSP £300 per bottle.

Caol Ila Unpeated 12 Year Old 1999 ABV 64%
Fewer than 6,000 bottles worldwide.
UK RRSP £55 per bottle.

Glenury Royal 40 Year Old 1970 ABV Cask%
Only 1,404 bottles worldwide.
UK RRSP £525 per bottle.

Knockando 25 Year Old 1985 ABV 43.0%
Fewer than 4,500 bottles worldwide.
UK RRSP £135.

Lagavulin 12 Year Old ABV 57.5%
Available in limited quantities worldwide.
UK RRSP £63 per bottle.

Port Dundas 20 year old 1990 ABV 57.4%
100% Single Grain Whisky
Just 1,920 bottles worldwide.
UK RRSP £110.

Port Ellen 32 Year Old 1978 ABV 53.9%
Just 2,988 bottles world-wide.
UK RRSP £300 per bottle.

Rosebank 21 Year Old 1990 ABV 53.8%
Only 5,604 numbered bottles worldwide.
UK RRSP £160 per bottle.

NB these will be on strict allocation and some such as Port Ellen are not expected to be available for general sale. Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at www.lfw.co.uk

(Please visit Whisky Intelligence on Sunday 18th September for further information on the 2011 Special Release…)

Our Whiskies of Scotland range continues to impress, picking up several awards in the Whisky Magazine Independent Bottlers Challenge 2011. Each whisky is tasted blind by the judging panel of experts and in each category a gold, silver and bronze medal is awarded for the top scoring whiskies. Check out our award winning malts below!

A FREE Whiskies of Scotland Glass with any of our bottles.

VIEW ALL WHISKIES OF SCOTLAND BOTTLES

Straight from the Still

Greetings from Templeton,

I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. There are several exciting things going on at Templeton Rye including the much anticipated return of Volunteer Bottling, a Boardwalk Empire viewing party at the Science Center and our very own entry for the new Cy-Hawk trophy. You can read about all of these items in the newsletter.

I wanted to take a minute and update you all on some strategic issues so you have updated (and correct) information. First, we are planning to greatly increase our monthly allocation to the State of Iowa in October, November and December, so you should have an easier time finding a bottle of The Good Stuff for the holidays. Speaking of Iowa, we are on pace to increase the amount of product sold in Iowa in 2011 by 210% over 2010 (22,000 cases vs. 7,100 cases). We are very happy that we have been able to increase this figure and are working hard to continue to do so in the future. We are still far from reaching demand in our home state but are certainly trending the right way.

A lot of people are surprised to hear this but Templeton Rye is still only sold in four markets: Iowa, Illinois, San Francisco and New York. Illinois continues to be a great market for us led by our most famous customer AZ-85’s old stomping grounds of Chicago. We entered New York City and San Francisco last December with the goal of initially establishing Templeton Rye at a select group of high-end bars and restaurants. We have been very successful in achieving this with our distribution partners and are now adding new accounts and focusing on building consumer awareness of Templeton Rye. (So if you live there and have a good idea for an event, please let us know).

I am sharing all of this because we recently had a strategy meeting and, despite a significant increase in product upcoming, we are not planning to enter any additional markets until 2014. We apologize to all of the states on our short list but we are committed to continuing to grow our supply to Iowa and maintaining adequate supply to support our partners in Chicago, San Francisco and New York. The bartender community in each of these markets has really embraced our product and we want to establish Templeton Rye as the rye whiskey of choice in these markets prior to moving on.

Thank you all for your continued support and all the best to you and yours.

Cheers,
Scott Bush, President, Templeton Rye

Visit Templeton Rye at www.templetonrye.com

Boardwalk Empire Premiere Party at Star Theater in Science Center of Iowa

We still do not know if Templeton Rye will have a bit part or a featured role in the show this season but we are throwing a great party for the premiere and watching it in the 50′ Star Theater. Please join the Templeton team for this very unique event on Sunday, September 25th. Only 60 tickets will be sold and all proceeds will benefit the Science Center of Iowa.

More information is available here.

Templeton Rye Cy-Hawk Trophy

During a lapse of focus in a recent meeting at the distillery, our team got into a discussion about the Cy-Hawk Trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game. The Templeton team includes two Hawkeyes, two Cyclones and a BV Beaver, by the way. Fairly quickly we were convinced that Templeton Rye should be a part of the trophy as both Hawkeyes and Cyclones enjoy The Good Stuff. We called over our friend Alex Schoeppner from Schoeppner Designs (an Iowa State grad) and began brainstorming ideas.

Alex ended up designing the Templeton Rye / Schoeppner Design Cy-Hawk trophy, which premiered last Sunday night on WHO-TV’s SOUND-Off. You may view the video here.

We have also set up a poll on our Facebook Page asking which city (Iowa City or Ames?) will claim the inaugural Templeton Rye / Schoeppner Design Cy-Hawk trophy this weekend. To vote, head over to our Facebook Page and root for your team. By participating, you’ll also be able to enter for a chance to win a Templeton Rye merch prize pack!

Volunteer bottling returns!

Based on the success we experienced last year and the huge amount of inquiries on our website, we have decided to do another round of volunteer bottling this year. We will be holding two weeks of volunteer bottling: October 24-28 during the five-year anniversary of our first bottling and November 14-18 as we start to bottle Batch 5. The work is easy and you get to meet some really nice and interesting people. Templeton Rye supplies pizza each day and everyone gets a free t-shirt and of course a sample of The Good Stuff.

To reserve your spot for this year, please review dates and sign up here. Please make a point to only sign up for a spot if you will be able to make it, to help us manage on our end.

Mark your calendars: Upcoming Templeton Rye events

Sept 10th – Iowa vs Iowa State gamewatch @ Merkle’s in Chicago

Sept 16th – Templeton Rye Gatsby Gala at the Salisbury House – Des Moines, IA. Tickets are available here: http://salisburyhouse.org/event.php?event_id=127_0

Sept 24th – Rock N Roll Pig Roast at Ethyl’s beer and wine dive – 324 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL. Doors at 1pm, music at 3pm. http://www.rockandrollpigroast.com

Sept 25th – Boardwalk Empire Premiere Party at SCI

Sept 28th – 6:30 pm – Chicago Indy Spirits Festival @ The Bottom Lounge

Oct 7th – Whiskeyfest San Francisco

Oct 8th – Iowa vs. Penn State gamewatch in San Francisco TBD

Oct 9th – Bangers & Lace 1st Anniversary party pig roast – 1670 W. Division, Chicago, IL. http://bangersandlacechicago.com/events

Oct 24-28 – Volunteer Bottling in Templeton, IA

Nov 1 – Whiskeyfest NY

Nov 14-18 – Volunteer Bottling in Templeton, IA

HISTORIC AND RARE WHISKY FROM 1883 TAKES PRIDE OF PLACE AT BONHAMS, EDINBURGH

An exceptionally rare bottle of The Glenlivet, distilled in 1883 and bottled in 1931 by George & John Gordon Smith, is to be auctioned by Bonhams at their whisky sale in Edinburgh on 12 October. It has a pre-sale estimate of £15,000-20,000.

The bottle has an impeccable pedigree. It was originally owned by Captain William Smith Grant, the great grandson of Colonel George Smith founder of The Glenlivet Distillery and has been in the family ever since.

Bonhams whisky specialist, Martin Green, said, “It is very rare for a whisky of this age with such an excellent provenance to come up at auction. It will still be perfectly drinkable though at several hundred pounds a dram it is perhaps more likely to remain in the bottle.”

Also for sale is a bottle of The Macallan-50 year old, distilled in 1928 and bottled in 1983. Number 50 of 500, the bottle has an estimate of £10,000-12,000.

For further sale information please go to www.bonhams.com/whisky

Notes

Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals through two major salerooms in London – New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge – and a further four throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto in Canada; and in Switzerland, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com (September 2011).

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

As per our previous email earlier this month, we have not one but three great tastings events lined up to tease your tastebuds this month. We kicked things off with a superb tasting with Woodford Reserve (thanks to Nidal and all the Woodford crew for such a great night) and now have two more for you to consider (one is non whisky related and has not been posted here). Just to keep you all on your toes, tickets for BOTH of the following events will be available as of 3:00pm today (Tuesday 6th September):

Glendronach Tasting at The Whisky Exchange, Vinopolis
with Alistair Walker
Monday 19th September, 7:00pm. Tickets £30

We have the great pleasure of welcoming Alistair Walker, son of the legendary Billy Walker, from the BenRiach and Glendronach Distillery Company Ltd . to take us through a fine selection of drams from the Glendronach stable. Established in 1826 the Glendronach distillery is one of the oldest in Scotland and has become famous for using high-quality ex-Sherry casks for maturation, leading to a deep, rich and robust style of malt. With the rising cost of obtaining good sherry casks from Spain many distillers have begun to shy away from using them, preferring more economical American oak barrels, but not Glendronach. Since relaunching the range in 2009 they have won a stack of awards at various competitions, and the distillery has quickly developed a cult following.

We’ll be sampling the new 15yo Tawny Port Finish, the highly-anticipated 21yo Parliament, a couple of Single Casks, one of which is a UK-Exclusive, and a few other expressions bringing us to 7 samples in total. This is sure to be a very entertaining and educational evening, and a great opportunity to see good use of ex-Sherry casks in action.

We’re expecting places for this tasting to disappear pretty quickly, so early booking is recommended. Tickets are priced at £30 and available by calling us on +44 (0)207 403 8688 with payment details. As always, they are limited to 2 per booking and available on a first-come, first-served basis.