Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks, ‘Tweeddale 12yo Blend’

Tweeddale Blend OB 12yo 46%alc.

50% single grain and 50% malt

Batch 2 12yo

‘In batch two the single grain whisky is 15 years old from a sherry butt. Seven of the eight single malts are from the same casks as batch 1 but a year older 12 years old to 21 years old. One of the malts in batch 2 is 14 years old from a different cask.’

Scotch as Scotch should be.

First twist on a shop favourite, a bit more age and a bit more sherry influence make this a very accomplished 12yo blend and highly recommended. Round, mellow and well flavoured – lovely!

Blends by definition don’t figure on the Flavour map but if they did it’s rich with a dash of delicate.

Price excluding VAT: £26.25
£31.50 Including VAT at 20%

https://www.lfw.co.uk/acatalog/Tweeddale.html#a4270

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

The Whisky Exchange Blog at Spirit of Speyside: Pt.1

Now and again, working in the whisky industry and trotting out the occasional overly verbose blog throws up some spectacular fringe benefits that fully justify the grinding rectal ache of the three hour daily commute required to trek between southeast and northwest London for work. The honour of being invited to join a group of .…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Ralfy presents his anticipated (and requested) Masterclass, …. the most comprahensive to ever appear on the internet.

Whisky Review #209 (1/7) – Whisky Masterclass (Preparation) … six more episodes to go.

See for yourself at www.ralfy.com

Tomatin Celebrates Master Distillers 50th Year

Tomatin Distillery is delighted to announce the release of a special limited edition bottling to celebrate Douglas Campbell, the current Master Distiller, 50th year of service with the company. Native to Tomatin, Douglas Campbell had worked for the distillery since 1961 in a number of positions before taking on the role of Master Distiller in 2008. In his current role, he spends much of his time assessing the thousands of casks that lie maturing in the vast warehouses of Tomatin or travelling around the world promoting the distillery’s single malt.

In recognition of his 50 years service at Tomatin, Douglas has created a Single Malt using whiskies distilled in each of the 5 decades he has worked at the distillery. Starting with a 1967 cask and moving through each of the subsequent decades to the year 2005, Douglas has chosen whiskies that not only have very distinctive individual characteristics but are also versatile enough to marry together to create a single malt that is a genuine one off.

Called simply ‘Decades‘, this single malt is a marriage of maturity and youth. It is a coming together of sherry and bourbon influenced whiskies, of differing ages, to create a single malt that has great depth of flavour but also a youthful charm that helps to invigorate the taste buds.

Decades has been limited to a world wide release of 9000 bottles, is non chill filtered and bottled at 46%abv. It comes in a prestigious gift box which has been designed to look like the internal char of a bourbon cask. It is expected to retail in the UK at 69.95GBP and across Europe at 80.00 Euros.

Robert Anderson, Chief Executive at Tomatin commented “This is a fitting compliment on the life and participation of Douglas in the evolution of the Tomatin style. Douglas, an inspiration to me when I took up my post in 1988, had already contributed 27 years to our distillery – quite an accomplishment”.

Tomatin has also confirmed that they are enhancing their standard range by replacing the current 25 year old with a 30 year old Single Malt. Due to limited stocks the distillery plans to release 2000 bottles annually. This Single Malt has been crafted using both North American and European oak casks, it is non chill filtered, bottled at 46%abv and will retail for £125.00GBP in the UK market and 145.00 Euros across Europe.

Stephen Bremner Sales Director commented “this change has come about because of the phenomenal reception that our 30 year old release received back in 2007. By the time Tomatin reaches 30 years of age it has become very rich and full bodied and has a unique character that is dominated by a wealth of deep fruity aromas that you don’t pick up in the younger expressions”.

Tasting Notes

Decades

Aroma – A lovely sweet maltiness gives way to juicy, fruity aromas of fresh peach, apple and pear with gentle hints of dried apricots and raisins. Delicate flowery notes sit on top of rich pine and robust oak wood. The hint of a distant smouldering fire wafts about in the background.

Palate – The taste buds are tantalised by intense flavours of tropical fruit, rich Christmas cake, aniseed, cinnamon and creamy fudge. The rich malty sweetness returns with a nutty edge.

Finish – Mellow and memorable, like the man himself.

30 year old

Nose – Intense juicy aromas arouse the senses – Green Apples, Passion Fruit, Honey Dew Melon, Blackcurrant and Blueberries. Citrus notes come to the fore all the while a candy sweetness drifts along with hints of polished leather in the background.

Palate – Gooseberry, Ginger and Hazelnuts make way for spicy oak which hits the middle of the tongue. The oak is balanced beautifully by a honey sweetness that drifts to the back of the palate.

Finish – Long, clean and pleasurable.

Visit Tomatin Distillery at www.tomatin.com

CRYSTAL CLEAR FUTURE FOR GLENCAIRN !
 
In a time of financial uncertainty, Scottish crystal company,  Glencairn Crystal are bucking the trend with the announcement of a  £500,000 expansion programme over the next 3 years and a recruitment drive for additional staff.
 
The recent purchase of Collins Crystal combined with new factory space  and the expansion of glass and bottle decorating facilities, including  new Lehr and specialised decorating equipment are just the first steps in the company’s expansion plans.
 
Glencairn are also investing in New product development and building new clean room facilities at their East Kilbride factory and hope to create 6 new jobs in the area.
 
For the family run business the future is crystal clear, with Managing Director, Paul Davidson confident that the increase in growth and staffing levels over the next few years will continue,
 
He said: “We have made a good start on our investment plan of over £500,000 over the next couple of years and I imagine we will continue to expand in all areas at this rate especially in the overseas markets. Over one third of our total sales are outside the UK and through the scotch whisky companies, over 65% of our business is international.”
 
For Glencairn, a heady mix of rare and expensive whiskies and an innovative approach to product design and quality presentation packaging looks set to ensure that the turnover at East Kilbride based, Glencairn Crystal, will grow to over £5million during the next year – with current new business increasing staff by 15% so far this year .
 
For the Davidson family, their combined blend of expertise in crystal, design, packaging, with more than a dash of innovative product development, has ensured that Scottish based Glencairn  Crystal has secured pole position as the largest supplier of crystal to the Scottish Whisky industry in the UK and Ireland, as well as supplying their products and gaining interest in over 30 countries in the global market.

Dear Famous fan,

We are getting very excited about our brand new upcoming Festival and wanted to update our loyal friends.

The very first Famous Grouse Festival takes place on Friday 12th & Saturday 13th August 2011. Set outdoors at Scotland’s oldest and most visited distillery; Glenturret, an eclectic blend of music and whisky is set to transpire.

There are only 1,200 tickets available for each day and they are on sale now and selling fast.

Rocking the stage on Friday evening is the legendary Donnie Munro and Eric Faulkner with supporting acts including Jill Jackson, formerly of Speedway, Michael Marra and The Gospel Truth Choir.

Saturday 13th will see the Celtic band Skerryvore headlining with blazing bagpipes, fiddle and accordion fused with funky rhythms and soulgripping songs. Piperactive, Manran, Mike Lee and Jill Jackson will also be making an appearance.

We are also running a battle of the bands competition in conjunction with Radio Tay (www.radiotay.co.uk) to find the final up and coming Scottish band or artist that will complete the Saturday line-up.

Festival goers will be treated to three free drams of whisky with every ticket and learn about The Famous Family (The Famous Grouse, The Black Grouse & The Snow Grouse). Gordon Motion, The Famous Grouse Master Blender will be running master classes and TV celebrity mixologist Andy Gemmell will be shaking up some whisky cocktails.

Tickets are £30 per day and are on sale from www.ticketmaster.co.uk, until stocks last. We are expecting the event to sell out in advance.

Tickets are restricted to those aged 14 and above and all over 18s will be treated to three free drams (25ml measure). Disabled access and parking is available on prior request.

For all the latest festival news please visit: www.thefamousgrouse.com/festival.

We hope to see you there!
 
Yours famously,
The Famous Grouse Team

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

For the main July tasting event here at TWE Vinopolis, our good friends at The Balvenie Distillery in Speyside have offered to host an evening of malted merriment, purely in the name of education. And, of course, who better to present such a tasting but the incredibly knowledgeable and superbly qualified Dr. Andrew Forrester (Head Honcho for all things Balvenie in the UK), and TWE alumnus Sam Simmons, aka Dr. Whisky – famous for his wonderful blog… and we understand he now does something or other for Balvenie, too.

The Balvenie Whisky Academy Tasting,
with Dr. Forrester and Dr. Whisky
Monday 11th July, 7:00pm

The chaps will be pouring a few select gems from The Balvenie range and are also currently liberating a few samples from Warehouse 24 at the distillery for our enjoyment. They will be including elements from their recently launched Balvenie Whisky Academy, which aims to bring a better understanding of our favourite spirit with Charles MacLean, Gavin D. Smith, David Stewart and others discussing the history, science, and enjoyment of Scotch whisky. Check out the intro on youTube

Whether you are a complete novice or have been drinking Balvenie for years, this is a great chance to learn a lot about whisky in general and a rare opportunity to spend an evening in the delightful and engaging company of the fine gentlemen mentioned above.

In a slight change to our usual Monday arrangement, places for this evening will be released from 3:00pm, Wednesday 29th June. As always, they are limited to 2 per booking and sold on a first come, first served basis. You can reserve a place by calling us on +44 (0)207 403 8688 with payment details to hand.

Sláinte,

The Team

Kilchoman

Inaugural/100% Islay

Produced from barley that has been grown, malted and distilled on Islay. The Inaugural 100% release has been aged on the island for over 3 years in a combination of fresh and refill bourbon barrels, then finally bottled at the distillery.

Pre-order only.

£79.00

Remember!  We don’t charge for postage to the UK mainland when you spend over £100! £16.00 to most of Europe. Great Prices to the USA.

Sláinte!

Mike & Peter
 
Are looking to sell? Get in touch, auction prices paid!

enquiries@abbeywhisky.com

Abbey Whisky

www.abbeywhisky.com

enquiries@abbeywhisky.com

Specialist supplier of rare, collectable and exclusive malts.

HIGHLAND PARK REACHES OUT TO RECORD AUDIENCES AT HAY

Highland Park’s sampling platform, Keynotes, enjoyed record attendance figures at this year’s Hay Festival, aided by over 250,000 visitors to the ten day festival.

The festival saw the return of the popular Highland Park Keynotes, a series of free intimate performances from some of the Festival’s most recognised artists, combined with the opportunity to sample a complimentary dram of Highland Park 12 year old, known as ‘the greatest all-rounder in the world of whisky’.* The Highland Park Keynotes marquee saw over 15,000 brand interactions and 15 incredible performances over six days. 

The Festival, situated in a small Welsh village, has grown considerably since taking off in 1988. It is now taken internationally to 12 countries and has positioned itself as one of the most important literary events in the world, being described as “The Woodstock of the mind” by ex President Bill Clinton.

This year saw headline performances from Bob Geldof, David Bailey, Chris Evans, Kevin McCloud, Brian Cox, Ralph Fiennes, Rob Lowe and Gillian Anderson who were joined by a host of Nobel Laureates and some of the world’s leading authors.

The Keynotes area had an international feel with performers hailing from eight different countries, including leading British scientist Marcus du Sautoy, comedian David Baddiel, script writer and author of ‘About Schmidt’ Louis Begley and Hanif Kureishi, one for the 50 greatest British writers since 1945.  Each artist gave short readings from their novels or shared their thoughts on subjects as diverse as mathematics, the US-Mexico border, human rights, the first British art movement, sex and class conflict in 90’s Pakistan, foreign encounters in Egypt and Muslim prejudices to name only a few.

Peter Sandstrom, Marketing Director at Maxxium UK ltd said: “Highland Park has a strong relationship with the world of literature. We are delighted with the reception Highland Park Keynotes received at this year’s Hay Festival, allowing us to reach out to consumers who share our passion for literature and appreciate a good dram.  The campaign has bolstered our brand awareness south of the border and we look forward to taking Keynotes to further literature festivals later this year.”

Please enjoy our brand responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk

www.highlandpark.co.uk

Notes

*Quoted by Michael Jackson, Malt Whisky Companion

Maxxium UK:

About Maxxium

·         Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc and The Edrington Group.

·         Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse and Teacher’s), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan, The Glenrothes and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club), cognac and brandy (Courvoisier and Fundador), sherry (Harveys), vodka (Stolichnaya), tequila (Sauza), rum (Brugal and Cruzan), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, Vaccari, After Shock).

·         Across Maxxium’s whisky brands, including Blended, Malt and American, Maxxium has the leading portfolio in the UK market, attracting over 9 million drinkers annually  (GB TGI 201, Q1).

·          2 in every 3 whisky drinkers drink a Maxxium brand  (GB TGI 2011, Q1).

·         In the retail arena, 1 in every 4 whisky shoppers purchase a Maxxium brand (Kantar July 2010).

·         The whisky category is declining 3% on last year, however The Famous Grouse has shown the strength of a premium brand growing by 13% (March 11 CGA/ April 11 Nielsen).

·         Maxxium UK can deliver leading innovation to the market, The Black Grouse is the No. 1 Scotch whisky launch in recent times (March 11 CGA/ April 11 Nielsen).

·         Visit www.mixxit.co.uk for further details.

 
Highland Park:

Established in 1798, Highland Park is one of the oldest Scotch whisky distilleries. More important than age though, is the combination of traditional whisky-making techniques with obsessive attention to detail that has made Highland Park arguably the most respected single malt in the world.

Highland Park’s five keystones:

Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

JIM MURRAY’S WHISKY BIBLE TASTING TOUR OF THE ISLE OF ARRAN 
 
Mon 19 – Fri 23 September 2011
New two night tour – only £869 per person www.arenatravel.com 

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Due to popular demand, International whisky guru and author Jim Murray will be leading a two night whisky tour, specially arranged by Arena Travel.

Whisky lovers from all over the world have the rare opportunity to join him on a two night tour of Arran which includes the whisky distillery at Lochranza, home of the award-winning Arran Single Malt whisky.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Tour presents a unique opportunity to witness whisky-making at its very best and will give guests an unparalleled opportunity to explore the specially selected distilleries, meet the men behind the labels and sample some truly rare and exclusive drams. Jim will be on hand, offering a personal insight into each distillery and the whisky they lovingly create.

The whisky trail starts in Glasgow before boarding a ferry to the Isle of Arran and the Arran Distillery in Lochranza. A new and dynamic force in Scotch whisky, the distillery started distilling in the 1990’s producing the first Arran malts in 150 years. After a tour of the facility and a special visit to its Bonded Warehouse, Jim will lead a tutored tasting of personally selected single malts.

The tour then moves back onto the Scottish mainland, where on your way back to Glasgow you will visit an additional distillery. You’ll find a full tour itinerary here.

Guests will be treated to luxurious accommodation at the Auchrannie House Hotel and Spa in the pretty coastal village of Glencoy on Arran. Jim will also host two dinners and will be on hand to share his knowledge with his fellow whisky enthusiasts at all key points during the tour.

The first ever Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible Tourof The Isle of Arran takes place on 19-21 September 2011 and costs £869 per person (twin share room) and £929 per person (single).