18 year old business man, Sam Coley launches a new Islay whisky retailing business, Peaty Malts. Sam wanted to launch an online malt retail shop where it is easy to choose and buy a wide range of Islay malt whisky. Inspired by a visit to Islay and particularly the Kilchoman Distillery, Sam is dedicated to grow the business to help newcomers to find the great taste of Malt whiskies and no doubt will expand into other regions. Peaty Malts offers a unique way to choose the taste of your Islay malt as well a traditional search facility. Sam is not a heavy drinker by any stretch of the imagination and strongly supports responsible drinking; he believes education and experience of fine malts will encourage people to enjoy a drink responsibly. Peaty Malts is based in Dunoon, Argyll serving customers UK wide. www.peatymalts.com  

BENRIACH AND GLENDRONACH RELEASE NEW BATCHES OF SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS

AS SUMMER slips away, the thought of long autumn and winter nights becomes slightly more bearable thanks to BenRiach and GlenDronach issuing new batches of limited release single cask bottlings.

As with previous batches, each vintage is hand-numbered and bottled at cask strength, at natural colour and non-chill-filtered.

The new BenRiach batch boasts twelve special bottlings ranging from 18 to 40 year-old – including a monster 1976 Classic Speyside at 57.8% proof which on the nose offers “a wave of stewed plums, damsons and sweet sultanas interwoven with fine leather and well-toasted oak”!

Meanwhile, over at GlenDronach, the six bottlings range from 17 to 40 year-old, and they include a superlative 1994 from an Oloroso Butt at 60.1% proof which on the palate gives “liquorice, aniseed and toasted hazelnuts developing around a foundation of chocolate orange sauce and rich old Oloroso sherry”.

Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “BenRiach’s uniqueness is found in the diversity of our whiskies. Our warehouses boast a stunning array of ages and styles, and when we select the casks to be bottled as single casks, not only are we looking for excellent quality but also to offer the consumers some variety. Batch 8 alone covers the Classic Speyside style, various finishes (including less traditional finishes such as Sauternes, Barolo and virgin American oak), and of course a couple of peated, smoky BenRiachs.”

The twelve BenRiach bottlings are:

1971, July 2011, 40YO, cask 1947, Hogshead, Classic Speyside
1972, July 2011, 39YO, cask 802, Hogshead, Classic Speyside
1976, July 2011, 34YO, cask 6942, Butt, Classic Speyside
1977, July 2011, 34YO, cask 1034, Pedro Ximinez Hogshead, PX Sherry Finish
1978, July 2011, 32YO, cask 4387, Virgin Oak Hogshead, Virgin American Oak Finish
1979, July 2011, 31YO, cask 11195, Bourbon Barrel, Peated
1980, July 2011, 31YO, cask 2531, Virgin Oak Barrel, Virgin American Oak Finish
1984, July 2011, 26YO, cask 7193, Virgin Oak Hogshead, Peated / Virgin American Oak Finish
1989, July 2011, 22YO, cask 4813, Sauternes Hogshead, Sauternes Finish
1989, July 2011, 22YO, cask 5620, Virgin Oak Hogshead, Virgin American Oak Finish
1992, July 2011, 19YO, cask 972, Tawny Port Hogshead, Tawny Port Finish
1993, July 2011, 18YO, cask 7415, Barolo Hogshead, Barolo Finish

The GlenDronach Distillery is famous for producing richly sherried single malts. The range of fruit flavours in this latest bottling is exceptional – from brambles and raspberries, citrus notes of mandarins and clementines to nuts, chocolate and dried Mediterranean fruits such as figs, dates and sweet raisins.

Alistair picked out the 1972 which exemplifies the classic GlenDronach taste.

“From an Oloroso butt, it’s a big and full-bodied 39YO. As you would expect from such a mature malt, it’s incredibly concentrated and packed with sweet, fruity flavours. Delicious, and the perfect antidote to cold winter nights.”

The six GlenDronach bottlings are:

1971, July 2011, 40YO, cask 1436, Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon
1972, July 2011, 39YO, cask 712, Oloroso Sherry Butt
1989, July 2011, 21YO, cask 2917, Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon
1990, July 2011, 20YO, cask 1032, Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon
1992, July 2011, 19YO, cask 161, Oloroso Sherry Butt
1994, July 2011, 17YO, cask 97, Oloroso Sherry Butt

BenRiach, and more recently GlenDronach, have become known for their annual ‘batch release’ of single cask whiskies, and these bottlings have gathered quite a following around the world. Alistair commented:

“We have a cult following for our single casks, and these releases sell out very quickly. It’s an important part of what we do, and being a relatively small independent enables us to engage with these small production runs.”

The eighteen releases follow hard on the heels of the company’s success at last month’s IWSC awards. The BenRiach 12 year-old sherry-matured won the Single Malt Scotch whisky (15 years and under) Trophy, the Single Malt Scotch whisky (Special Edition) Trophy and the Gold Medal / Best in Class (category – Scotch whisky, Single Malt, Speyside, Cask Finish, 12 – 13YO)

In total, BenRiach collected an impressive nine IWSC awards this year.

A trip to Knockdhu

[This is Part 4 of Billy’s trip around the Inver House distilleries. If you haven’t already, you should check out his scribblings from Balblair, Pulteney and Speyburn] After leaving Speyburn we hacked back over to Elgin to find our hotel, not knowing what to expect – the usual hotel that the International Beverages folk use […please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article…]

THE LINK

We have a veritable plethora of exciting tasting events lined up for you all this coming September, so apologies in advance for the slight increase in the number of emails you’re about to receive from us. It’s all in the name of education though, and this month we’re confident we’ve got something lined up that will get you salivating, whatever your poison!

Here’s a quick overview of what we have planned for the month:

Monday 5th September

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Tasting

Monday 19th September

Glendronach Tasting

TICKETS for the Woodford Reserve Tasting are on sale immediately and tickets for the Glendronach Tasting will be available from 3:00pm, Wednesday 7th September.

A National Historic Landmark, the Woodford Reserve Distillery is based in the scenic, horse-rearing bluegrass lands of Versailles, Kentucky. The standard expression from the distillery, Woodford Reserve, has long been a TWE favourite. It works well in all manner of whiskey-based cocktails, but also serves as a great “sipping whiskey”, as our North American cousins say, to be enjoyed with friends, after a meal, or even over a good ol’ game of Texas Hold ‘em.

To host this tasting evening, we have the great pleasure of Nidal Ramini – Woodford Reserve’s main man in the UK – to take us through their Master’s Collection. This is a series of very special releases that are highly praised amongst Bourbon aficionados for their ground-breaking and experimental innovations, and the evening will include:

Sonoma-Cutrer Finish

1838 Sweet Mash

Maple Wood Finish

Seasoned Oak Finish

Most of the above have passed into the realms of whiskey lore, and are highly sought after by collectors, so it is a great privilege to be able to taste them all together. Of course, we will also be sampling Woodford Reserve, as well as their “White Dog”, which is what the Kentuckians call new-make spirit, plus an exclusive 2 year-old cask sample.

And as if that wasn’t enough, we’ll also be kicking off the festivities with one of Kentucky’s most iconic cocktails, the Mint Julep – as well as a short demonstration from an expert mixologist showing how to make it yourself. After this, Nidal will take us through the Masters Collection, before finishing off with another cocktail and some truly delicious American-style canapés, which will be very kindly and carefully prepared for us by Borough Market’s famous Roast restaurant.

Tickets for this rare tasting opportunity are priced at £25 and are available as of now by calling us on +44 (0)207 403 8688 with payment details. As always, they are limited to 2 per booking on a first-come, first-served basis.

A message from Mike at Soho Whisky Bar;

Building works progressing, not as fast as we would like, with a little bit of luck we will be opening late October. Our website www.sohowhiskybar.com will soon have full details of bar opening and membership. Thank you for your patience, it should be worth the wait.

EVAN WILLIAMS BOURBON LAUNCHES FALL “GRILL WITH THE GREATS SWEEPSTAKES” PROGRAM

America’s 2nd Largest Selling Bourbon Teams with Big Green Egg® and Chef Grady Spears for Major Retail Promotion

BARDSTOWN, KY – Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the second largest selling Bourbon in the US and the world, announces a Fall promotion sure to fire up Bourbon fans and grilling aficionados—the Evan Williams and Big Green Egg “Grill With the Greats” Sweepstakes. Offering a grand prize of an all expenses paid trip to the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, Kentucky, a private dinner with celebrity chef Grady Spears and Heaven Hill Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam, and a large Big Green Egg cooker, the “Grill With The Greats” promotion hits all the hot buttons for Bourbon consumers and retailers looking to create compelling merchandising displays.

Evan Williams, the fastest growing premium Bourbon in the country according to A.C. Neilsen, has created a fully integrated marketing program designed to draw in and motivate the Bourbon-buying demographic. Using large and impactful mass retail display point of sale, on-the bottle neckers, as well as print advertising in key national consumer magazines and web and social media, Evan Williams will motivate Bourbon drinkers to enter a Fall sweepstakes to win an ultimate “mancation” getaway—a trip for two to “The Bourbon Capital of the World®”, Bardstown, Kentucky, to visit the Heaven Hill Distilleries, producers of Evan Williams Bourbon. The lucky winner will enjoy a private dinner grilled by celebrity chef Grady Spears, known as “The Cowboy in the Kitchen”, along with the 6th and 7th generation Master Distillers at Heaven Hill Distilleries, Parker and Craig Beam. And the winner will also take home a large size Big Green Egg cooker, the ultra popular ceramic cooker that is a smoker, a grill and an oven all rolled into one.

For retailers, the “Grill With the Greats” promotion means that highly motivated Bourbon consumers will be drawn in by the football-themed floor displays or the on-the-bottle neck hangers (available on 750ml and 1.75l bottles, where legal), and will continue to make Evan Williams the hottest brand among top Bourbons. In addition, compelling print ads and sweepstakes information will appear in top national men’s publications like Maxim, Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone, as well as on the Evan Williams website and Facebook page and the Big Green Egg website and Facebook page.

“We know that grilling, Bourbon and football are complementary Fall passions for a lot of our Evan Williams consumers, and competitive Bourbon consumers as well,” noted Susan Wahl, Evan Williams brand manager at Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. “The ‘Grill With the Greats’ promotion brings these together for our consumers, along with iconic brands and names such as Big Green Egg and chef Grady Spears, and presents a great merchandising opportunity for Evan Williams retailers.”

The “Grill With the Greats” promotion will be available nationally (where legal), and will run through mid October, when the drawing for the Grand Prize package will be held. Consumers can learn more through the Evan Williams website (www.evanwilliams.com), the Big Green Egg website (www.biggreenegg.com), bottle neckers on select 750ml and 1.75 liter size bottles, and Evan Williams print advertisements in select national consumer magazines.

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 The Christian Brothers Brandies; Evan Williams and Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys; Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Hpnotiq Liqueur; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Lunazul and Two Fingers Tequilas, and Dubonnet Aperitif.

JOCK WISHART AND CREW MAKE HISTORY AS WORLD’S FIRST OARSMEN TO ROW TO MAGNETIC NORTH POLE*

British ‘Old Pulteney Row to the Pole’ expedition successfully navigates hazardous 450 mile Arctic route

British Arctic explorer and adventurer Jock Wishart today (26th August 2011) claimed a momentous world first as he and his six-man crew completed their ambitious ‘Old Pulteney Row to the Pole’, reaching the magnetic north pole (recognized and certified in 1996) at 12.30am GMT.

The momentous expedition, which is sponsored by Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky, set out from Resolute Bay on Friday 29th July to conquer some of the harshest conditions on earth. The voyage, which was four years in the planning, was rowing through waters which are only open water for a matter of just weeks each year due to the recent increase in seasonal ice melt in the Arctic.

The voyage has been the challenge of a lifetime for Jock and his crew of adventurous rowers, as they steered the small ‘Old Pulteney’ ice boat through ice-strewn seas. The open water is still frequently filled with ice bergs and floating ice. They have had several incidents of collisions and have had to wait and watch the weather and ice blocking their way as Arctic ice closed in, threatening to put the expedition in jeopardy.

Throughout the journey, the crew has worked with scientific research partners to deliver fresh environmental data into the impact of arctic deterioration on the polar landscape. They have also used the opportunity to study wildlife, having had close encounters with some of the Arctic’s most impressive species, including beluga whales, walrus and polar bears.

The intrepid team has lived for almost a month on the compact, specially designed ice-boat the ‘Old Pulteney’, sleeping in shifts between grueling rowing stints and surviving on 7000 calorie-per day dry rations. The detail and drama of their 4-week adventure has been captured by a BBC cameraman for a documentary on the expedition.

For most of the voyage the crew has rowed through open water, taking advantage of favourable weather to make good headway, however the real challenge lay in the second and most significant part of the expedition – rowing all the way across to Ellef Ringnes Island. In the last few weeks of summer this area was the last to melt and break up, so the crew was confronted with both solid and floating sea ice which they painstakingly picked their way through – with the last part of their journey being a race against time as the ice closed in.

Today a triumphant Jock Wishart commented: ‘The final leg of our journey started on Wednesday night when a possible route through the disintegrating ice began to open up. We’d been pinned down for days by ice and heavy winds. But the conditions suddenly changed and we were able to pick our way through. The last three miles proved to be the hardest of all when we had to take the boat out the water and then haul it over the ice.

We’re all absolutely exhausted, but elated. No one’s ever even tried to do this. In fact most people did think it was impossible. But we’ve done it!”

Said Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke: ‘Huge congratulations to Jock and his team from everyone here at Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky. We’ve tracked their progress with excitement and bated breath over the past month and we’re thrilled their efforts have been rewarded. Old Pulteney’s partnership with Jock and this expedition stems from the brand’s age old heritage of supporting maritime adventure, so it’s a proud day for us to be part of this momentous achievement’.

L-R David Mans, Billy Gammon, Mark Delstanche, Rod Sleep, Jock Wishart

Notes:

*The Magnetic North Pole’s certified position was established in 1996. The position is 78°35.7N 104°11.9W / 78.595°N 104.1983°W.

Since then, this 1996 certified position has become an established expedition objective for Arctic expeditions and adventures. The biennial Polar Race takes place between Resolute Bay in northern Canada and the 1996-certified location of the North Magnetic Pole.

Old Pulteney Row to the Pole

Jock Wishart
Jock is established as one of the UK’s leading adventurers and explorers, with a successful background in polar exploration, rowing and extreme navigational feats. He led the team which established fifteen new world speed records for powered circumnavigation and captained the team that broke the London to Paris rowing record in 1999. He has a lifetime interest in polar exploration and in 1992 journey he was part of the first team to walk unsupported to the Geomagnetic North Pole.

Old Pulteney
Old Pulteney Single Malt Whisky, is diligently crafted at Pulteney Distillery in Wick. It is the most northerly distillery on the UK Mainland and was founded in 1826 by James Henderson at the height of Wick’s herring boom. The distillery lies in the heart of ‘Pulteneytown’, which was created for all the fishermen at the time, and is embedded in the deep rooting history of this coastal town, which used to be one of the most important and biggest herring fishing ports in Europe.

Wick became known around the world for its precious barrels of silver and gold – silver being the herring and gold being the fine whisky – which left the port in vast numbers.

Old Pulteney Single Malt whisky has a long standing association with the sea and is also known as the ‘Genuine Maritime Malt’. Its carefully crafted taste carries the windswept and rugged character of the North, the salty and fresh air of the North Sea and the distillery’s rich maritime heritage runs through every drop of this fine malt.

As a strong supporter of Wick’s community, Old Pulteney is delighted to be continuously supporting the Wick RNLI Station, the Wick Pipe Band, Wick Football Club and Hockey Team and furthermore as the ‘Genuine Maritime Malt’, Old Pulteney is also involved with some of the most prestigious sailing events in the country including the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta, the Round the Island Race at the Isle of Wight and the Old Pulteney IRC Scottish Championship.

www.rowtothepole.com

• The biggest edition ever – now 300 pages
• The Distillery Section completely revised with all the latest news
• The chapter on Foreign Distilleries now biggerthan ever
• New exciting articles by distinguished writers such as Charles MacLean, Ian Buxton, Gavin D Smith, Dominic Roskrow, Neil Ridley, Iorwerth Griffiths and Colin Dunn
• Completely new Japanese chapter by Chris Bunting
• More than 250 tasting notes, including Japanese malts, independent bottlings & vatted malts
• A detailed chapter on Whisky Production
• Expanded section on Independent Bottlers
• Last year´s success, Meet the Manager, continueswith ten new interviews
• The Whisky Year That Was – the most comprehensive summary you´ll find of the news and trends in the industry
• All the latest info on bottlings, web sites, whisky shops, books as well as the latest statistics & figures
• More than 500 colour photos

All in all – the most updated whisky book on the market! Publication date; 1 October 2011  Number of pages; 300 ISBN 978-0-9552607-8-0 Recommended retail price in UK; £13.95

Contact; ingvar.ronde@magdig.com
www.maltwhiskyyearbook.com

CLICK HERE FOR ALL BOTTLES

NEW Octomore Edition 4

The world’d peatiest whisky just got peatier. This fourth annual relase is certified to an extraordinary 167 PPM.

Now in only it’s fourth annual release, this controversial spirit has already become legend. An intrinsic distillation from barley to bottle, the new cult islay whisky brings a whole new dimension to peated whisky: all the heady, pure peat smoke aromas – yet free from iodine & medicinal flavours. A uniquely slow, trickle distillation gives a soft textured spirit that believes its youthful age.

£86.99 inc VAT – £72.49 exc VAT

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

The Arran Malt

Sleeping Warrior LTD Edition

The Arran Malt Sleeping Warrior is a limited edition of only 6,000 bottles worldwide, and is uniquely collaborated with the National Trust for Scotland. This single malt was bottle at natural casks strength of 54.9% and was combined in ex-sherry casks, bourbon and red wine casks. This malt was also non chill-filtered and has no artificial colouring.

“The stunning profile of the summits and ridges on the north-end of the Isle of Arran is referred to as theSleeping Warrior due to its resemblance to a resting human figure. These mountains attract thousands of visitors each year which loads to the erosion of the landscape. A donation from every bottle sold of the Sleeping Warrior will be made to the National Trust for Scotland to help maintain the footpaths on Goatfell, Arran’s highest peak, for the enjoyment of all.

This limited edition of the Arran malt from 2000 vintage is bottled at natural cask strength from a combination of our finest ex-European and American oak casks selected by Master Distiller James MacTaggart.”

£56.99 inc VAT – £47.49 exc VAT

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

Below decks on HMS Victory

Cask No. 29.97
Islay, South Shore

The panel’s experience is summed up above, with the sub-head “wood, smoke, blood”! The first aroma is of treacle toffee, then smoky bacon crisps, then a musky note, like truffle oil. A dry nose and tannic, and very masculine. The taste at natural strength is intensely sweet, then immediately full of coal smoke, coal tar and hessian. At reduced strength it remains big and bold and smoky, but now with Daddy’s Sauce and well-worn leather saddles; the taste remains very sweet, but this is now balanced by a hoppy bitterness and a shake of salt. Intense, tarry, smoky – just what we hope for from this distillery, whose motto was ‘Love it or Hate it. No Compromise’.

Drinking tip: After the match, in the locker-room

Colour: Deep rosewood
Cask: Refill sherry butt
Age: 20 years
Date distilled: October 1990
Alcohol: 59.1%

$140

Handbags and popcorn

Cask No. 17.29
Highlands, Orkney

Amazingly layered despite its youth with aromas of stewed apples & pears with a touch of spice, salty popcorn, cardamom, creamy vanilla, Tutti Frutti, lemon sherbet, watermelon, marzipan, bubblegum, mangoes and honeydew melon. To taste we found it was hot, fizzy, tannic, slightly numbing like mouthwash but zesty and sweet, salty (think the brine from a jar of green olives), fruity (fresh pineapple) and creamy. It holds up extremely well with water becoming fresher with grassy notes, new leather handbags, toffee popcorn and ozone. On the palate there was whipped cream, peppermint, eucalyptus and artificial sweetener. From Orkney’s lesser known distillery.

Drinking tip: With pre-dinner nibbles

Colour: Straw gold
Cask: Second-fill hogshead
Age: 9 years
Date distilled: January 2002
Alcohol: 56.1%

$90

Attention-grabbing spicy wood

Cask No. 28.23
Highlands, Midlands

The nose gave us hay, grass, wood-sap, sawdust, some delicate floral notes, peppery spice, blackcurrant jam and lots of nuts (macadamia, almond, hazelnut). The palate had toffee, chocolate and treacle, but it was the spicy wood that grabbed our attention – chilli, Victory V’s, oak tannins – ‘like licking an old cask, without the splinters’ someone said. The reduced nose had toffee and lots of scented wood – cedar, pine, grape stems, saunas. The reduced palate seemed sweeter – raisins and chocolate-coated Brazils – but still with the woodiness of long years in cask – chewing on sticks, resinous, spicy; a delicious dram from Blackford village.

Drinking tip: Share with someone who understands and appreciates good whisky – and give it time

Colour: Yellow gold
Cask: Refill sherry butt
Age: 21 years
Date distilled: November 1989
Alcohol: 57.5%

$140

Oak shelves in a library

Cask No. 38.20
Highlands, Speyside (Rothes)

The nose was beautifully heart-warming, with aromas of porridge oats, sweet buttery pastry, macadamia and lemon, with ‘oak shelves in a library’ providing a sense of tranquility. The unreduced palate was tasty and mouth-filling, with dark Madeira cake and gingerbread, oaky tannins and spices (clove, cinnamon, pepper). The reduced nose had apricot, crêpes with plum jam, leather, stage make-up (greasepaint, glossy lipstick) and the floor of a eucalyptus and orange forest. The palate became a fabulous mixture of toffee and spice with some fruit and a lasting tingly heat. This distillery was first named ‘Glen Grant No. 2’.

Drinking tip: A pre-theatre dram – or while browsing in an old library

Colour: Beautiful burnished oak
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 16 years
Date distilled: May 1994
Alcohol: 57.4%

$115

The Outturn is  http://www.smwsa.com/members/outturn/outturn.pdf   
 
Please visit the SMWS of America at www.smwsa.com  for more information.