Ballantine’s Marks Fifth Championship with Golf Limited Edition

Ballantine’s, the No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific, is set to launch a new Ballantine’s Golf Limited Edition pack for its 17 and 21 Year Old blends. The pack will reinforce the brand’s strong association with world-class golf ahead of the fifth consecutive Ballantine’s Championship – one of Asia’s most prestigious golfing events – which takes place from 26th – 29th April 2012 at the Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, Korea.

The pack, which doubles as a golf accessories bag, houses a 70cl bottle alongside six branded golf tees. Inspired by the pattern of a traditional brogue golf shoe, the pack’s super premium cues include a debossed Ballantine’s Championship logo and a leather trimmed zip toggle featuring the recognisable Ballantine’s ‘B’. A parchment-style label wrap, which echoes the labelling on the bottle, adorns the pack to enhance on-shelf stand-out.

Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, says: “We are delighted to be unveiling a Ballantine’s Golf Limited Edition pack for our 17 and 21 Year Old expressions. Commemorating the fifth year of the Ballantine’s Championship, the premium design of this unique keepsake echoes the high quality and attention to detail that underlines the brand, while the additional benefit of the pack functioning as a golf accessories bag will strongly appeal to consumers.”

Since the inaugural event in 2008, many professional golfers have demonstrated their world-class talents at the Ballantine’s Championship and the tournament has left an impression on Asian golf history. The brand is committed to the tournament until at least 2013.

The Ballantine’s Golf Limited Edition packs will be available in Asia from March 2012 with the 21 Year Old pack retailing from RRP 118 USD in Asia Duty Free.

Notes:

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 80 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

About Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.

In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

For further information visit: www.chivasbrothers.com

Booker’s 7yo Small Batch (63.7%, OB, Batch#C03-1-16, +/-2011)

Black pepper on the nose and then some good fruit and sweetness, beef stock and a very evident presence of alcohol (!) along with some gentle cask notes that are very nice. The taste is vibrant and very dry with lashing of flavour and loads of cold dark unsweetened black tea. This is begging for a little water…so with water things are much more manageable and all the afore mentioned notes are present but simply not as aggressive…still very excellent. The finish is much as the nose and the taste and is extremely long and active. Hints of liquorice and sweetness. The finish with water improves also and the pepper etcetera is still very much in play and adds to the end game significantly. After some time the pepper turns to lemon pepper….

Benefits from some water; the addition of which makes it into an absolutely stellar whisky.

Another steal for $56

Score 89 points

Day THREE of American Whiskey Week.

KINGSBARNS DISTILLERY, KINGDOM OF FIFE, SCOTLAND

Here is a chance to become involved from the very start, plans for a new distillery near to the Home of Golf (St Andrews) are well under way.

Paul has been chatting to Doug Clement, asking some questions on your behalf, some a wee bit awkward we thought, but needed to be asked.

DOUG; Hi Paul, Thanks for getting back. Some answers for you.

PAUL; Doug, can I say at this moment, £1.8m costing seems a low amount. DOUG; We are using the proven “Lark” craft distillery model rather than the traditional start up distillery model others have recently used which is very cost effective and efficient. Our distillery plant and renovation/construction costs have been fully costed and tendered. LARK DISTILLERY VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqxQkZTv49k

PAUL; will everything be secure and cosher? DOUG; there can never be guarantees but we have fully costed things conservitally and used conservative visitor numbers and sales. All interested parties interested in the investment opportunity please ask any questions to Colin Botfield; corporate finance advisor, at colin.botfield@ogilviemunro.co.uk who deals with new investors. Quote from investment site; Kingsbarns Distillery is a new yet traditional craft visitor distillery by the home of golf, St Andrews, at Kingsbarns, Scotland. EIS tax relief, inheritance tax relief, low cost business model, growing market demand, excellent location, experienced management team and full planning permission makes this an attractive long term proposition.

PAUL; what style of dram will you be aiming for? DOUG; Style – we will mainly maturing in small single quarter casks sherry and port. The whisky will be lightly peated using bill larks innovative post peat smoking techniques whereby one peat smokes the dry malted barley rather than the green unmalted barley. So a lightly peated, full bodied, rich, oily malt with a big finish will be our style although our flexible “lark” distillery set up it will be easy for us to change our style if required. Thus we will be breaking free from the light floral lowland lady apertif style that is most common in our lowland region.

PAUL; can we bring you whisky visitors? DOUG; We can use our distillery mill restaurant and bar and private members room bothy as the clubhouse, and play special (golf) events during the year at the places I’m a member at, Crail and St Andrews. I also have good links with Kingsbarns having worked their since the course opened. There is no doubt that golf followed by an evening of whisky tours, tastings, music, dinner and stories in our fabulous venue will work! We have done it before a few times at Cambo House for 100 people and it was amazing!

Well, there you have it, an intro to a brand new distillery (no yet built!) Go and find out more by looking at www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com for lots more info.

Brought to you by Angels Whisky Club
Worldwide online dedicated whisky club, free to become a member.
www.angelswhiskyclub.com

A bit of news:

We are pleased to announce that the Aberdeen University Malt Whisky Society has won the AUSA Society of the Year Award
After four years of hard work, we finally made it!
What better way to celebrate than at this evening’s Tasting!

Tomintoul Distillery Visit!

Friday 23rd March 12-6pm:
£10 per person – tickets available also at tastings (limited to 14 people)
Tomintoul, known as the ‘Gentle Dram’, does not normally do visits.
You will be one of the few people to have access to this great distillery!

——————————————————————————–

Tastings coming up…

Wednesday 18th April: Glenfiddich Tasting
Tickets on sale at Balvenie Tasting, and in Societies Reception after that

Friday 20th April: ABERDEEN WHISKY FESTIVAL
Advance tickets available at Balvenie Tasting
Also available at Aberdeen Whisky Shop, The Grill, St Machar Bar and Skene House Rosemount from 19/03
www.aberdeenwhiskyfestival.com

Thursday 26th – Sunday 29th April: ISLAY TRIP
Details on request

Wednesday 2nd May: Jura Tasting
Tickets on sale week before at AUSA reception in Butchart.

All of the above tastings start at 7pm sharp in the Butchart Centre – details below…

Location: BookEnds (top floor), Butchart Centre, University Road, Old Aberdeen
(click here for map)
Time: 7pm sharp
What to Bring: £3/£5 for entry + Membership Card + money for raffle

join our Facebook group!
follow us on twitter!
and bring your friends!

——————————————————————————–

In Support of Childreach International

Univesity of Aberdeen Malt Whisky Society
The Butchart Centre
University Road
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire AB24 3UT

Here’s a sneak peek of the new front page. You should find a couple of tasty items there! http://www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com/ There are 440 items in the new auction. The latest auction is now live…

TOMATIN PERFORMS EXTRAORDINARILY WELL IN NEW YORK

One of Tomatin Distillery’s single malt Scotch whiskies has received an “Extraordinary Ultimate Recommendation” accolade in this year’s Ultimate Sprits Challenge (USC), held in New York between 5th and 9th March 2012.

The Tomatin 18 year old single malt scored 96/100 in the challenge, just one point behind the overall winner in the Single Malt Scotch Whisky category of the competition into which over 60 different whiskies were entered.

The whiskies entered into the challenge were evaluated in multiple stages by highly qualified experts in a tightly controlled and conducive environment. The purpose of USC is to systemically cull from the pack and reward those distilled beverages which in the collective, and numerically arrived at, opinion of the judges stand out in their respective categories by showing uncommon quality.

Stephen Bremner, Sales Director said: “We are delighted that our whisky has been so well received by the judges in this popular contest. We work extremely hard and pride ourselves on the quality of all spirit produced at Tomatin, and blind tastings like these are a testament to our commitment to the product.”

Notes

 ABOUT ULTIMATE BEVERAGE CHALLENGE
Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC) provides expert evaluation of wines and spirits for producers, importers and marketers through its three innovative annual competitions – Ultimate Spirits Challenge, Ultimate Wine Challenge and Ultimate Cocktail Challenge. Based on exacting standards, expert judges and rigorous methodology, UBC raises the standards of spirits and wine evaluation and supplies ratings and accolades to help companies build their brands with buyers, both industry and consumer. UBC was founded by F. Paul Pacult, Sue Woodley and David Talbot. Challenge and event photos, videos and press coverage can be found at www.ultimate‐beverage.com.

 The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd (located just south of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands) is a producer and blender of Scotch whisky, boasting a strong core range of single malt whiskies along with a range of popular blends which are sold in over 30 international markets.

 The distillery was established in 1897, and while historically the whisky produced was primarily sold for use in other brands of blended whisky, the company is now very much focussed on growing the Tomatin single malt brand in its own right.

 The company’s most popular blends are The Antiquary, The Talisman and Big ‘T’.

 The distillery is owned by Japanese company Takara Shuzo: http://www.takarashuzo.co.jp/english/index.htm

 Website: www.tomatin.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tomatin1897
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tomatin1897

Knob Creek 9yo ‘Small batch” (50%, OB, +/-2011)

Scented leather (if such a thing exists but other wise you’ll have to use your imagination), coffee grounds and a glorious richness are all found in abundance on the nose. Clean and fragrant with some bees wax and hints of strawberries (really!). Excellent to say the least. The taste is big and vibrant with some dryness at first and then the curtain pulls back to reveal some sensational sweetness before the curtain is closed and the dryness morphs into grain notes, hints of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. Quite sensational. The finish is much as the nose and the taste but leans towards dry notes as it slowly diminishes. A late arrival of black pepper.

A staple at Jim Murray tastings and with good reason…

$49

Score 89 points.

Day TWO of American Whiskey Week.

Angus Dundee Whisky Tasting – Wednesday 18th April 2012

First of all, well done to all those who came along to the Compass Box blending school and created your very own unique whiskies – we’re looking forward to reading the tasting notes when you eventually try them (or, better still, having a taste!). For those who missed out then there will be another chance in the autumn to have a go at blending.

Our next tasting is going to be whiskies from two distilleries that you may not have come across before but which produce some interesting and award winning drams. Angus Dundee are an independent company who have been in the whisky business since the 1960s and they own both Tomintoul distillery in Speyside and Glencadam distillery in the Highlands. On Wednesday 18th April Tom Gerrie, production manager at Tomintoul, will be coming along to present whiskies from the two distilleries so this will be a great opportunity to try some different drams and find out all the inside info and stories behind them.

Please note, that there will only be one night of tasting for this particular event so you will need to be quick buying your tickets.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

UPCOMING EVENT

Angus Dundee Whisky Tasting
Wednesday 18th April 2012

7pm for 7.30pm

Venue Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren

Details Tickets are £12.50 per person, and this also entitles you to a discount of £3 against a bottle of one of the featured whiskies if bought or ordered on the night of the tasting. Tickets are very strictly limited, and allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and as there is only one night of tasting available for this particular event it is best to book ASAP. To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com and place an order for the number you require, or telephone us with your payment details on (01793) 765071, or call in and see us at Arkwrights, The Dormers, Highworth, Wiltshire.

Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night so come prepared.

N.B. We have negotiated special rates at the hotel for anyone who wants to stay overnight after the tasting – contact us for further details of rates.

Is your 2012 NCAA Bracket Busted?

Here is your chance to win $3,000 or the Ultimate Buffalo Trace Experience. Go to www.buffalotracesaloon.com/sweet16 to sign up for your chance win!
Cheers!

Buffalo Trace
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

facebook.com/buffalobourbon
twitter.com/BUFFALOCOMSTOCK

Ardmore and Littlemill from Single Malts of Scotland

When it comes to independent releases from Speciality Drinks we’ve been a bit quiet since The Whisky Show. However, we’re leading off the new year with a pair of bottlings. There was a preview of the first one at The … Continue reading >>