AUCHENTOSHAN PRESENTS…
THE WILLIAM McGONAGALL BURNS SUPPER

Scotland’s only triple distilled Single Malt launches alternative Burns Night celebrations

For this year’s Burns Night, Auchentoshan, Scotland’s only triple distilled Single Malt whisky, has launched a series of alternative Burns Suppers at bars and restaurants across the UK, entitled ‘Auchentoshan Presents… The William McGonagall Burns Supper’. Instead of honouring Robert Burns – Scotland’s answer to Shakespeare – as tradition dictates, the suppers celebrate Burns’s arch enemy and the renegade poet, William McGonagall and his flair for challenging perceptions of poetry.

Auchentoshan is the only Single Malt Scotch whisky that triple distills every drop (rather than just once or twice), thus creating a whisky of unmistakable smoothness. Just as Auchentoshan likes to do things differently, so did McGonagall; whilst Burns was a traditionalist, McGonagall was a rebel. With his outlandish performances, William McGonagall turned Scottish poetry on its head, and a McGonagall Supper does just that – the pudding is served first, followed by the main course, finishing with the starter.

Auchentoshan has provided on-trade accounts with specially designed tools to host their own McGonagall Burns supper, including recipes, posters, menu cards, tent cards, coasters and event tickets. As each dish is paired with an Auchentoshan expression, served in specially created, humourous Auchentoshan whisky glasses, each featuring a design of one of a variety of different shaped and sized moustaches.

Auchentoshan Presents… The William McGonagall Burns Supper Menu:

·       Dessert:           
o   Cranachan paired with Auchentoshan Three Wood

·       Main Course:    
o   Haggis, neeps and tatties served with whisky gravy, paired with Auchentoshan 12 Years Old

·       Starter:            
o   Flaked smoked salmon over oatcakes, paired with Auchentoshan Classic

Consumers can also host their own ‘Auchentoshan Presents… The William McGonagall Burns Supper’ at home by downloading a ‘How To’ guide and decoration materials from the Auchentoshan website, which include invitations, menu holders, andexamples of McGonagall’s poetry.

For listings and details of ‘Auchentoshan Presents…The William McGonagall Burns Supper’ held in the UK, please visit http://www.auchentoshan.com/. New venues will be added daily. 

Auchentoshan

As Glasgow’s closest Distillery, Auchentoshan is truly unique as it is the only distillery to use a third still in the whisky making process. It means Auchentoshan is the only Single Malt Scotch whisky to triple distil every single drop. This third distillation takes the new spirit to 81.5% ABV (not 70% which is achieved through only distilling twice) making it the highest distillate of any Scottish distillery. The result is a light and delicate single malt of unmistakable smoothness.

At the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Auchentoshan 12 Year Old, Auchentoshan Classic and Auchentoshan Three Wood were all awarded a Silver Medal in the Spirits category. At the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Auchentoshan 18 Year Old also won a coveted Double Gold Medal.

CELEBRATE BURNS NIGHT WITH THE CAPITAL RESTAURANT

Knightsbridge favourite The Capital will be offering diners a traditional Burns Night menu on Wednesday 25th January in celebration of the life and genius of Robbie Burns, poet, balladeer and Scotland’s favourite son.

In time honoured fashion, The Capital’s restaurant will be laying on a feast of traditional Scottish delicacies alongside its normal à la carte fare. The menu will be paired with fine wines and whisky, overseen by Bar Manager Cesar Da Silva, whose unrivalled experience and dedication to promoting Scotch whisky recently saw him become the UK’s youngest Keeper of the Quaich.

What promises to be a mouth-watering experience will begin with smoked Scottish haddock served with poached Buford Brown free range egg and mustard sauce, paired with a 10-year-old Benromach.

Guests can then tuck into some traditional haggis with neeps and tatties, carrot and ginger foam, washed down with a 12-year-old Bowmore. To follow is medallion of fallow deer venison, parsnips purée, chestnuts and Brussels sprouts served with a glass of Château La Gasparde Cuvée Prestige 2007.

Raspberry cranachan and a 12-year-old Balvenie Signature will round off a memorable celebratory repast.

Served as either lunch or dinner, the menu will be priced at £35 per head, or £65 to include the whisky and wine pairing. The restaurant’s à la carte menu will also be available.

Demand is expected to be high so early booking is advisable.

The Capital, 22-24 Basil St, Knightsbridge, London SW3 1AT
Telephone: 020 7591 1202‏
www.capitalhotel.co.uk

Hello all,

Grant’s Cask Edition No1 is the only Scotch whisky matured in ale casks so it’s not surprising I am often asked about how exactly this blend comes into being.

A common misconception is that Ale Cask Edition is a ‘simple’ finished version of The Family Reserve. In fact, it is not. The Family Reserve is… (please click on the link to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

Richard ‘The Nose’ Paterson

The world famous Master Blender from Dalmore distillery will be visiting Stourbridge on Tuesday 21st Februaryto conduct a master class of the very best whiskies he has personally created for Whyte & Mackay world wide brands.

Richard is very difficult to track down for UK tastings as he spends the majority of his time evangelizing whisky abroad : This is a must for all you whisky lovers out there!

We will taste :

Dalmore 15 yo
Dalmore 18 yo
King Alexander
The Cigar Malt (New release)
Dalmore 1978
Dalmore Astrum 40 yo
Shackleton

Tasting begins at 7:00 pm

Tickets : £35

RSVP

01384 394518

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Slainte

David

Nickolls and Perks

For our big whisky interview today, we travel a few miles away from Scotland, the west coast of Canada to be exact. Shelter Point Distillery is located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

One day I hope to get myself there … tour the distillery and of course drink myself to a heavenly state! Me being head angel and all. Paul was chatting to Patrick Evans.

“Paul; morning Patrick, thanks very much for your time, I guess my first question is – why would you build a single malt distillery on a island off the west coast of Canada?”

Patrick; This starts with my background , which is absolutely removed from the world of fine spirits and whisky , I grew up on the island here in the small community of the Comox Valley. My Dad started a dairy farm in the late 60 s, which my brothers and him still operate today , Growing up on a island with a dairy operation tends to give you a variety of skills sets from animal husbandry to machines’ An interest in soils , raising and growing stuffs from cranberry’s , forestry , fruits fabricating equipment , there is never a lack of creative things to do . I married my high school sweet heart in 1990, within 8 Years we had four beautiful daughters. So the task began ..from 1991 to 2006 I poked, prodded, lured to no avail to get my daughters interested in dairying , but no matter how I coloured the sky they couldn’t understand the glamour of getting crapped on and kicked by a 1200 lb. estrogen rich Holstein bovine !So the story we began looking into different value added agriculture opportunity’s. We have grown cereals before , but typically a very light return on investment and I never considered the processing on site scenario ., and what better place to review grain processing than Scotland . We toured numerous distillery’s For a three week period ..needing to get back to Canada to sober up ……..thinking back; We left Canada with a beer and pretzel / rum and coke profile…. came back from Scotland /Ireland with a huge interest in single malt whisky …….the variety of different flavour profiles ….the beauty of them all coming from a single cereal barley ..there was something simple , something elegant yet complex . Somewhere at this point ..a seed was sown. (Paul, och slow doon Patrick, cannee write this down that fast – Patrick was getting right into it and his excitement made him yap fast!)

Paul; so exactly what expert skills do you have?

Patrick; Vancouver Island is on the road to becoming known for single-malt whisky. Its Shelter Point Distillery is the second such whisky producer in Canada. Shelter Point’s trump card is Mike Nicholson, who’s been a master distiller at some of Scotland’s finest — Lagavulin, Royal Lochnager, Blair Athol, Glenkinchie and Caol Ila.

Paul; so when do you expect to introduce your first dram?

Patrick; Our first release will be when its ready. I have had the opportunity to try some very young whisky which I thought were brilliant ..and some older ones which maybe not so much. I think as long as we maintain good consistent sensory analysis on a regular bases to ensure maturation is proceeding to a high standard, this is an ongoing programme. If I thought we could put a good product out tomorrow , it would be …that’s with my short term financial hat on , ….My long term financial hat says 8-10 years / marketing hat says it will be the 5 year mark (my intuition says – create a warmer climate and humidly control in the cask storage room, monitor regularly ….)

Paul; what is annual volume produced?

Patrick; production of 150,000 for the first 6 months was light as we are conditioning pumps boiler /stills etc. , and finding the correct rhythm of the plant.

Paul; any techno details for me?

Patrick; The stills are from Forsythes, a very traditional style a 5000 litre and a 4000, however our 5 – 5000 l fermentation tanks are made in Canada, are stainless steel, insulated and glycol chilled. This combined with a Programmable logic control system we are able to monitor control and maintain preferred fermentation temperatures .The mash tun was also made in Canada by a company called accent stainless steel , and has capacity of 1000kg. We anticipate a yearly production of 150,000 a/a. Saying that when we constructed the facility we put in place the ability to double our production by adding additional fermentation tanks to plant. As a new distillery there is little room for non-essential serves and we run a very tight ship while we wait for our spirit to age. All our products will be un chilled.

Paul; What about the first expression?

Patrick; interesting question, no doubt with our Scottish stills there will be an influence , however ..let’s appreciate each country for their own products, Mexico for tequila , use for bourbons , champagnes for France and of course , Scotland for single malts and Ireland for a distinct product – With our climate, soil conditions, equipment, and ageing areas, its no doubt we will have our own unique flavour profile.

Shelter Point Distillery will be offering a limited number of casks from its yearly production to whisky lovers who would enjoy being part of the adventure from its very beginning. A cask of Shelter Point has a volume of 200 bulk litres of spirit. In cask the alcohol strength will be around 60% During maturation, some alcohol will evaporate. This is known as the ‘angel’s share’ and represents approximately 2% per cask per year. If bottled at cask strength, the owner would get approximately 250 x 750ml bottles of whisky. If bottled at 40% (which we would recommend), the cask owner would get approximately 300 bottles. Provincial and federal duty and tax will be due when bottled. Insurance and storage charges are included in the price for the first five years. Shelter Point Distillers will arrange the bottling of the cask. Labels can be designed by the cask owner and must fit standard bottling requirements.

Perhaps if we do another interview in 6-12 months we can sample our new made and have our own sensory analysis. At least it would have been in a cask long to get the sides wet !as the first cask was filled June 2011!

THANKS VERY MUCH PATRICK, WE LOOK FORWARD TO A SAMPLE SOON AS!

Look out for more “big whisky interviews” coming soon…

www.angelswhiskyclub.com

Members will receive $10 off every bottle of Society whisky purchased is the month of January.

Please click on the LINK to read further and visit the SMWS of America at www.smwsa.com  for information on how to join.

Super Bowl parties are as much about great snacks as they are watching the game. So, with game day fast approaching, we at Maker’s Mark would like to share with you easy ways to can kick-up fun finger foods with bourbon, as well as how to mix the perfect cocktail to serve with them. Below are recipes for Bourbon Apple Glazed Chicken wings and Maker’s Mark Onion Dip created by celebrity chef and Maker’s Mark Online Cookbook Editor Lee Anne Wong.  Additionally, we’ve provided a great recipe for a Whiskey Smash created by famous mixologist Dale Degroff.  If you are interested in additional food and drink recipes, I would happy to send more to you. Feel free to also browse the Maker’s Mark Online Cookbook at http://www.makersmark.com/.

Made from corn, barley and soft red winter wheat at the world’s oldest operating bourbon distillery, Maker’s Mark is a premium, handcrafted Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. With notes of toasted oak, caramel and vanilla it is the only bourbon that is as versatile in the kitchen as it is behind the bar. 

Bourbon Apple Glazed Chicken Wings

Notes: These tangy sweet wings get the benefit of being braised then baked, no frying involved!
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour Level: Easy
Serves 4

2 lbs chicken wings, trimmed
1 cup Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
1 can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed (12 ounces)
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:

1.      Combine all of the ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to boil on high heat and then reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes until the wings are tender and the glaze has reduced, coating the wings.
2.      Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the wings from the pot and transfer to a parchment lined sheet tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the wings begin to color and the glaze becomes shiny. Garnish with minced scallions and apple. Serve immediately.

Bourbon Onion Dip

Notes: Greek yogurt and ricotta cheese lighten up this usually mayonnaise heavy party favorite.
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour Level: Easy
Serves 6-10

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large sweet onions/Vidalias, peeled, halved, sliced thinly with the grain
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, plus 1 tablespoon
¾ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
½ cup sour cream
Few drops lemon juice
Pinch sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Crudité vegetables and chips for dipping

1.      In a wide heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the sliced onions and the teaspoon of salt. Sauté the onions, stirring often until they begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir and cook the onions until they begin to color, about another 15 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of bourbon to the pan and stir in. Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions for another 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have colored and caramelized. Remove the onions from the pan and spread on a plate or baking sheet to cool in the fridge.

2.      Using a food processor or blender, combine the ricotta and yogurt and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Fold in the sour cream. Once the onions have cooled, rough chop them briefly. Fold into the mixture and season to taste with lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Serve the dip cold with crudité and chips.

Kentucky Whiskey Smash

2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
4 mint leaves
¾ lemon
1 part simple syrup
Lemon wheel, for garnish
Sprig of Mint, for garnish

Directions:  Muddle all ingredients except Maker’s Mark® Bourbon in a bar glass. Add Maker’s Mark® Bourbon and shake with ice. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon wheel.

January Outturn Leaflet Offerings

Cask No. 25.59 
Boxing gloves and rapier thrusts
   
Lowlands, Central Lowlands

Perfumes shifted and shimmered under our noses, conveying chocolate Cheerios, crème brûlée, lychee, lemon, pepper, pears in honey, vanilla and straw; a flower vase stood on a beeswax polished table. The surprisingly dry palate had mouth-numbing clove and menthol tobacco – boxing gloves of spice and rapier thrusts of citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon zest) left us gasping. The reduced nose became more straightforward – light, fresh, lemony, floral, with green fruits, crisp white wine and oysters. The reduced palate (still pepper hot, but less drying), was woody (fresh pine), fruity (cherries, lychees), juicy and floral. The distillery name is also rather floral.

Drinking tip: An aperitif for a special meal

Colour: Vibrant daffodil gold   
Cask: Refill barrel    
Age: 20 years    
Date distilled: July 1991
Alcohol: 53.8%

$140

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Cask No. 23.70 
Campfire by sea cliffs
   
Islay, Loch Indaal

The nose had herbal notes (witch hazel, eucalyptus, bog myrtle) intimations of sea cliffs and then walnuts, peppered olive oil, biltong, toffee and ladies’ handbags (leather, nail varnish, parma violets, maybe cigarette packets). The taste was huge – peat smoke, engine oil, smoked ham, dark chocolate, toffee bonbons and somehow both salty and chalky. The reduced nose found syrup, mango skins, tarred ropes and a pine forest by the sea. The reduced palate was still minerally (licking a limestone cave), with star anise, red peppercorns and a campfire among the ferns – very curious indeed! From the biggest distillery on the Rinns.

Drinking tip: A dram for going camping

Colour: Olive oil    
Cask: Refill barrel    
Age: 9 years    
Date distilled: November 2001
Alcohol: 66.0%

$90

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Cask No. 48.24
Dried roses and honey on floorboards
    
Highlands, Speyside

Shy at first, the nose developed fruits (lychee, mandarin, peach, blackberry jam) then fudge, nougat, dry roses, hazelnuts and wood (someone suggested ‘honey on old floorboards’). The unreduced palate had beautiful, chewy, viscous textures with delightful sweetness, including fudge and dried grapes; treacle and leather coming out later. We cautiously added very little water (wisely) to find the nose now had apple strudel with vanilla cream, five spice powder, Imperial Leather and monkey nuts – very complex and dynamic. The reduced palate had ice wine grapes, creamy caramel and toffee nut brittle. The distillery was licensed in 1824 by James McGregor.

Drinking tip: A fine dram for special friends or special occasions

Colour: Old sweet white wine   
Cask: Refill hogshead    
Age: 22 years    
Date distilled: March 1988
Alcohol: 49.3%

$145

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Cask No. 82.19 
‘Stunning!’
   
Highlands, Eastern Highlands

The nose produced fascinating and weighty aromas – cola cubes, toffee, dark chocolate, treacle, nutmeg, walnut, plums, vintage port and Christmas cake with dark cherries, soaked in rum and Madeira. The palate was mouth-drying but ‘stunning!’ (according to one panellist)  – dark chocolate with cherries, dark toffee apples, tarte tatin, black tea, rum, charcoal and molasses; even an old gym shoe. The reduced nose had tobacco, pecan pie, treacle tart, toasted coconut and brown sauce. Water lifted the palate – leather, oranges, toffee and maple candy – an interesting combination of vinegar astringency and toffee apple juiciness. A rare appearance from this Brechin distillery.

Drinking tip: To accompany beef or game – or as a digestif

Colour: Coca cola    
Cask: Refill puncheon    
Age: 13 years    
Date distilled: May 1998
Alcohol: 55.7%

$110

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Cask No. 93.46
Tar, tea-chests and engine oil
    
Campbeltown

The nose started out with wood polish and pear, before turning sweeter (strong honey, toffee crunch ice-cream). It also had a smoky, oily meatiness, like grilled lamb chops and a coal-miner’s overalls. The palate was somewhat challenging at full strength – putty, plasticine, tar and liquorice root but with big toffee and fudge sweetness. Water turned the nose cleaner – citrus, banana, candle-wax and honeycomb, but with distant singed mackerel or breakfast kipper. We agreed the reduced dram was eminently drinkable – bourbon cream biscuits and brandy snaps balancing leather, tar, tea-chests and engine oil. This distillery’s cast-iron mash-tun is painted bright red.

Drinking tip: An outdoor party dram

Colour: Sauternes    
Cask: Refill gorda    
Age: 12 years    
Date distilled: June 1999
Alcohol: 59.8%

$110

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Members will receive $10 off every bottle of Society whisky purchased is the month of January.

Please click on the LINK to read further and visit the SMWS of America at www.smwsa.com  for information on how to join.

Here is a selected preview of our exhibiting spirits to whet your palate:  
 
Old World Spirits
We start our preview with the return of San Francisco’s own Old World Spirits and their unique portfolio. At the top of the list stands California Gold Run Rye Whiskey, a new release by Davorin Kuchan, winemaker and master distiller. Davorin is proud to present his excellent and highly unusual product to the sophisticated WOW community. Some WOW members who’ve already tasted this gem expressed the opinion that Gold Run Rye Whiskey is “about the most faithful evocation of the grain in spirituous form” they have yet had the opportunity to taste. Try this 100% white rye organic whiskey at WOW 2012 and let us know what you think! Perhaps, like us, you’ll feel dominated by the rye grain flavor that punches clear through the other ingredients in a Manhattan or a Sazerac. Davorin himself will be available at the Expo to talk about the craft distillation revolution in United States today, as well as to eagerly prompt you on where to buy a bottle Gold Run, already short in supply.

The folks at Old World extend their talents to two incredible gins as well as whiskey. Don’t miss tasting the single barrel “Rusty Blade”, a superior gin of distinction, at the Expo. Made in small batch copper pot still style with at least a dozen botanicals, this is a dry style gin to rival any made in the UK or for that matter, anywhere! Old World Spirits also brings their current expression of their longtime award winning Blade Gin, this time NOT in a heavy Juniper-forward London style. 
 
Diageo
There are hundreds more spirits to sample at the Expo and we’ll move on now to some specialty expressions that will make our VIP guests rejoice. Diageo presents Auchroisk and Glen Spey single malts from their 2010 Super Premium releases. Steve Beal, Master of Whisky and Classic Malts Brand Ambassador will be delighted to enlighten you on the process of selection and tasting profiles for the special series. The 20-year-old bottling of Auchroisk is distilled in one of the youngest distilleries in Speyside, which was originally built to provide whisky for blends including Johnnie Walker. The ambition has always been to declare and distribute the bourbon-matured Auchroisk as a single malt. In order to achieve that, the spirit was given an additional year in sherry casks which produced a fuller and fundamentally more complex flavor. Introduced under the name Singleton– the owners deemed the name “Auchroisk” (pronounced ‘OH-thrusk’) difficult to read– the malt we’ll sample at the Expo is the first mainstream officially bottled Auchroisk since the demise of the original Singleton range at the turn of the century. 
 
Diageo Continued
Diageo’s second special treat, Glen Spey, comes from a distillery located in the famous central Speyside town of Rothes, the heartland of malt whisky production. Having started life as an oatmeal mill in the 1870s, the distillery maintained modest levels of whisky production and, like Auchroisk, intended its malts for blended whiskies, notably J&B. This is why Glen Spey bottlings are relatively rare. Interestingly, if you happen to take a tour of Glen Spey, you’ll see the J&B logo integrated into the name of the distillery. Another noteworthy feature lies in the production of the malt; they still use the so-called ‘purifiers’, small condensers that return a portion of alcohol vapors back into the pot to be re-distilled thus achieving a lighter, more delicate taste. island of Islay in 124 years. It’s a farm-distillery, one of the very few in Scotland with all-on-one-site confidential production: from traditional floor-malting to bottling. Maturity doesn’t always come with age, wouldn’t you agree? 
 
St George Distillery
For our final teaser this week we trot the globe and land right back where we started in San Francisco, home of St George Distillery and distiller Lance Winters St George Single Malt Whiskey. Lance started laying down casks for his trademark bottling about a dozen years ago but you’ll need to go to the St George booth to find out exactly which of these incredibly small batch artisanal expressions are on display the night of the Expo. If you are lucky enough to meet the maker you are in for both a treat and a full fledged education! Don’t overlook the beautiful label by David Lance Goins, one of San Francisco’s most revered artists. 

Share Your Glenrothes Vintage Moment and Win A Trip To Scotland

The Glenrothes is asking you to recall and share a game-changing or  halcyon moment in your life, for a chance to travel to Scotland and  create the 2012 vintage. The winners will be the entries that in the  opinion of the judges best represent the definition of a Glenrothes  vintage moment: a perfect combination of time, place, people and/or  occasion when everything comes together to create a moment that will stay in the memory forever.
 
Wondering what the perfect Vintage Moment looks like?

This brand new video shares an inside look at the distillery and  highlights the beauty and history of The Glenrothes, from the  breathtaking hills of Speyside to the river Rothes and barrels upon barrels of vintage whisky.
 
See ambassador, Ronnie Cox share his own Vintage Moments here    
 
The Competition
– 4 US winners will be chosen to create the 2012 vintage
– Share your Vintage Moment in 1500 words or less
– Trip takes place in May 2012
– Enter at www.TheGlenrothes.com or Facebook.com/TheGlenrothes
– Contest ends on Jan 31, 2012