The MMs adopt a new Committee and celebrate their 15th Anniversary in Scotland

It was 1997 when Johannes van den Heuvel, Craig Daniels and Louis Perlman created The Malt Maniacs, one of the first online communities of whisky anoraks which, over the last 15 years and under Johannes’ leadership, has grown beyond anyone’s initial belief. After all these years at the helm, Johannes has decided to call it a day and retire from his Maniacal status, although we dearly hope that his retirement may only be temporary.

It goes without saying that we wish Johannes well in his future, hopefully quieter endeavours.

So, just how do we think about replacing our leader and founder? After much soul searching, discussion and navel examining (well, not really) we have decided upon what most may consider the obvious choice; a Committee with nine willing volunteers, some ‘old’, some ‘new’ and some who were already there in 1997.

So we are pleased to announce our new MM Committee, the nine members in alphabetical order and their roles:

MM Social Media Maniac Benjamin Chen (Singapore)
MM Elder Statesman & Voice of Reason Craig Daniels (Australia)
MM Awards Co-ordinator Davin de Kergommeaux (Canada)
MM Events & Chief Diary Keeper Konstantin Grigoriadis (Greece)
MM Whisky Monitor Wizard Rich Howard (USA)
MM Website Editor Oliver Klimek (Germany)
MM E-Pistle Apostle Nabil Mailloux (Canada)
MM Master Maniac Serge Valentin (France)
MM Postmaster General Keith Wood (Germany)

Also in the MM news, our Charlie MacLean is starring in Ken Loach’s new movie The Angel’s Share that will be in competition in Cannes and Paul Dejong is back after a very short retirement from the Maniacs. Hurray!

Last but not least we are delighted to announce that June 2012 will see the largest ever real-life ‘in the flesh’ gathering of Malt Maniacs as no fewer than 26 (twenty six) MMs from all continents celebrate our “First 15 years” and look forward to the next 15. Where else could we possibly choose to do this but, you guessed it; Scotland!

Watch this space and in the meantime, Slàinte Mhath, Cheers, Santé, Skol, Prost!!!

http://www.maltmaniacs.net/

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

1998 Aberfeldy 13 Year Chieftain’s Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 3 available ($75.99)

1994 Ardbeg 17 Year Old Chieftain’s Barolo Finish Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 12 available ($159.99)

Arran Machrie Moor Peated Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 10 available ($69.99)

1997 Bunnahabhain 14 Year Old Peated Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 4 available ($82.99)

1997 Caol Ila 14 Year Old Chieftain’s Rum Finish Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($89.99)

Highland Park “Thor” 16 Year Old, Isle of Orkney Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 8 available ($189.99)

Kilchoman Single Sherry Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 3 available ($115.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

Old Weller Antique 107 proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey 1L (ships as 1.5L) – 4 available ($25.99)

Back in Stock

Scotland Blended Scotch

Johnnie Walker Black Blended Scotch Whisky 750ml ($29.99)

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Hi folks. We’re almost ready to go live, but as usual, here is a peek at our new front page

http://www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com/

Regards from Glasgow,

Bill, Tam and Mick

The end is near!

First of all, a big thank you to everyone!

The Aberdeen Whisky Festival 2012 was a huge success, attracting over 300 people, and raising £1,000 for Childreach International! Thanks to this, a yearly festival celebrating the “Water of Life” in Aberdeen is now a reality, and we promise to be back, bigger and better next year. You can still take part in the celebration, by getting a bottle of Aberdeen Whisky Festival 2012 Whisky. This is an exclusive, limited bottling, offered by Single Malts Direct. It is a 14yo Mortlach, bottled at cask strenght. A real bargain at £50! They ship worldwide as well, so everyone can enjoy it!

Find it here: http://www.singlemaltsdirect.com/aberdeen-whisky-festival-2012.html

Photos of the Festival will be up soon, on Facebook and on www.aberdeenwhiskyfestival.com

Jura Tasting!
Tickets for sale at the Societies Reception in Butchart (ask for Laura, from 10am to 2pm)
Wednesday 2nd May 7pm @ Butchart Centre:

Prices are £5 for members, £6 for non-members.
This will be another great tasting, conducted by the distillery manager himself!
This distillery tasting will be limited to 50 people, so act fast!

Please note, to attend this event, please register at www.isleofjura.com and become a Diurach. Bring along a copy of your certificate to the tasting.

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In Other News:

Thursday 26th – Sunday 29th April: ISLAY TRIP
This will be 4 days of pure, unchill-filtered, uncoloured epicness.
Prepare to hear all about it when we get back!

Wednesday 9th May: AUMWS AGM (7pm in Bookends)
Are you interested in joining one of the most fun committees on campus next year? Do you want to take part in organising some of the best events? You can be on the committee next year, and take the Society to a new dimension! It looks amazing on your CV!! If you feel you have what it takes, get in touch, the usual positions will be open (President, Secretary, Treasurer, H&S Officer) and more can be created! In order for the Society to continue as strongly as it has been these past few years, we need all the help we can get! Even if you are not sure about what you can do, please come along, it will be a good laugh!

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!

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In Support of Childreach International

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Our mailing address is:

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

aberdeenwhisky@googlemail.com

ACTOR ELIJAH WOOD OF DJ WOODEN WISDOM TO PERFORM AT ‘BUSHMILLS LIVE’

Bushmills Village: 23rd April 2012: Bushmills™ Irish Whiskey has announced that globally-renowned actor Elijah Wood will perform a DJ set at ‘Bushmills Live’ – the festival of handcrafted whiskey and music taking place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on the 20th and 21st June.

He joins a bill that already features multi-platinum selling band Snow Patrol – whose fee for the festival is being donated in full to the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast – and award winning artists Iain Archer and Foy Vance.

Wood, along with his friend Zach Cowie, will take to the stage under the name Wooden Wisdom. The duo has DJ’d at Bushmills launch events in the past, but this will be the first time that they will have performed at an event together outside of the United States.

Widely regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation, Wood has recently completed production for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, where he will be reprising his role as Frodo Baggins. Wood made an indelible mark in the trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in the lead role of the hobbit, Frodo. Directed by Jackson, the films; The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King were all critically lauded as well as being box office record setters. In addition, Return of the King won the Academy Award* for Best Picture as well as 11 Academy Awards in all, tying Titanic for the record. Wood is also the founder of record label Simian Records.

Elijah Wood recently appeared in ‘Bushmills Since Way Back’– an initiative that celebrates the friendships of artists across the world, and works with them to produce unique content inspired by their passions.

Fans of Bushmills Irish Whiskey can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a competition on the Bushmills Facebook page – facebook.com/bushmills1608.

To stand a chance of winning they will have to submit a photo of themselves and a friend and explain why they and their friend should be in the audience for Bushmills Live.

As well as listening to great music, those fortunate to win a ticket to the festival will also have the opportunity to make their own blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery said: “I am really looking forward to welcoming Elijah to the Old Bushmills Distillery. He is a great actor and DJ and I have already seen him perform at a fantastic Bushmills party in Los Angeles. The line up for Bushmills Live just keeps getting better and I now can’t wait for 20th June!”

To win tickets to Bushmills Live or to find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry closes at 23:59 GMT on 27th April 2012. Terms and conditions apply.

*OSCAR® and ACADEMY AWARDS® are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Notes

Biography

Widely regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation, Elijah Wood continues to challenge himself with roles spanning the spectrum of style and genre.

Wood was recently seen among an ensemble cast in Celeste and Jesse Forever, a Rashida Jones and Will McCormack film that was screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. This summer, Wood returns for a second season of the hit FX comedy Wilfred. He has recently wrapped production on Franck Khalfoun’s re-make of the thriller Maniac and on Stewart Harcourt’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, in which he plays Ben Gunn, alongside Eddie Izzard and Donald Sutherland.

Wood has also recently completed production for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, where he will be reprising his role as Frodo Baggins. He made an indelible mark in the trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in the lead role of the hobbit, Frodo. Directed by Jackson, the films: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King were all critically lauded as well as being box office record setters. In addition, Return of the King won the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as 11 Academy Awards in all, tying Titanic for the record. Wood is also the founder of record label Simian Records.

Captions

Elijah Wood: Elijah Wood performs with DJ partner Zach Cowie as DJ Wooden Wisdom at the Bushmills Irish Whiskey ‘Since Way Back’ event in New York City. Elijah and Zach are set to appear at the Bushmills Live music and whiskey festival June 20-21: the first music festival held at the Bushmills Irish Whiskey distillery, and the first time the pair has DJ’d together overseas.

‘Bushmills Live’: The stage is set for ‘Bushmills Live’, the landmark whiskey and music festival taking place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on 20th and 21st June 2012.

Competition

The Facebook competition is open to people in:

· Belgium

· Bulgaria

· Germany

· Great Britain

· Netherlands

· Northern Ireland

· Portugal

· Republic of Ireland

· USA

From each, one pair of finalists will win tickets to ‘Bushmills Live’.

What a remARKabLE collaboration!

So what’s this all about I hear you ask? Take one renowned illustrator (Peter Arkle) and one fantastic, refreshingly modern whisky (anCnoc), and mix these creative and forward thinking collaborators together and voila! A cracking new whisky with distinctively cool packaging is born.

Scottish born Peter Arkle is a modest and amiable fellow who also happens to be an internationally acclaimed and hugely prolific illustrator. Despite loving a dram this is the first whisky project he has worked on, having already worked with some of largest brands in the world. You will undoubtedly have seen his work in newspapers, magazines, advertising and now on the packaging of anCnoc single malt whisky.

anCnoc has supported the creative arts for some years, but this vibrant project is on a new scale and a bold step which will hopefully lift it to the levels of appreciation that Old Pulteney and Balblair enjoy. This is the first of three limited releases, and although no details have yet been revealed of the later bottlings Royal Mile Whiskies are proud to be the sole UK retailer of the first edition.

This is a really interesting new whisky in ways other than the packaging. That sweet and easy drinking anCnoc spirit we love has been matured entirely in sumptious sherry casks for the very first time. Traditionally anCnoc is matured in American oak, so the Spanish oak with its spice and dried fruit flavours offers a new layer on top of the usual anCnoc notes of honey, zest and orchard fruit.

The initial edition is limited to just 6000 bottles worldwide, with all UK stock being sold exclusively by www.royalmilewhiskies.com online and in our London and Edinburgh shops, as well as our Drinkmonger stores in Pitlochry and Bruntsfield. If you visit us and ask nicely, they even have a bottle open to taste in store!

Since Peter visited us on the Royal Mile and shared a dram, the whisky has been officially launched with great gusto. Hats off to Inverhouse for finding such a talented and charming man to work with, and for filling the bottles with such tasty malt. In the meantime check out both of these cool websites: www.peterarkle.com and www.ancnoc.com (Watch the promotional film…it takes 15 minutes but is well worth it!)

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Enstein

FOR ALL GENERAL ENQUIRIES PLEASE CALL: 0131 524 9380 or email: contact@royalmilewhiskies.com

Royal Mile Whiskies Whisky Magazine’s ‘Retailer of the Year 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011’

Royal Mile Whiskies (Edinburgh) 379 The Royal Mile Edinburgh EH1 1PW Tel: 0131 225 3383 Mon to Sat 10 ~ 6pm Sun 11 ~ 6pm

drinkmonger (Pitlochry) 100 Athol Road Pitlochry PH16 5BL Tel: 01796 470 133 Mon to Sat 10 ~ 8pm Sun 12 ~ 5pm

Royal Mile Whiskies (London) 3 Bloomsbury St London WC1B 3QE Tel: 0207 436 4763 Mon to Sat 10 ~ 6pm (Thurs 10 ~ 8pm) Sun 12 ~ 5pm

drinkmonger (Edinburgh) 11 Bruntsfield Place Edinburgh EH10 4HN Tel: 0131 229 2205 Mon to Wed 11 ~ 7pm Thur to Sat 11 ~ 9pm Sun 11 ~ 7pm

NEW WHISKY ARRIVALS, SPECIAL OFFERS AND FORTHCOMING LADIES ONLY WHISKY TASTING

There’s been a steady trickle of some great new whiskies arriving at Arkwrights over the last few weeks – including some very special bottlings from Douglas Laing, a selection of Carn Mor single cask bottlings, two very affordable 40 year old whiskies and one ludicrously affordable 50 year old whisky. Also for your delectation, we have the Talisker 10 year old on special offer at £22 and the Bowmore 12 year old at £23.99.

Due to a gremlin in the system, some of you (notably anyone with an AOL address) may not have received our newsletter about the forthcoming Ladies only whisky tasting with Zoran Peric of Suntory. Our apologies for this, and as we don’t want you to miss out we are including the details again on this newsletter.

You can see all the latest whiskies that have arrived in our New Products section and if you need any advice just contact us.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
www.whiskyandwines.com

NEW PRODUCTS

LADIES ONLY WHISKY TASTING WITH ZORAN PERIC OF SUNTORY – WEDNESDAY 16TH MAY

We are delighted that Zoran Peric will be coming along in May to present some of the distinctively elegant Japanese whiskies from the Suntory range. These sophisticated whiskies are perfect for an early summer evening and will be enjoyed by both whisky novices and more experienced whisky drinkers. Click here for full details but just to whet your appetite, as Zoran is a top mixologist you will be greeted with one of his renowned whisky cocktails before moving on to taste through 5 or 6 drams of these fragrant whiskies .

Buy Online: £ 12.50

NORTH BRITISH 1961 50 YEAR OLD SINGLE GRAIN WHISKY

In our opinion, single grain whiskies should be getting more limelight. Tending to be at their best when they are older, they have a beguiling charm all of their own. Elegant yet characterful they are amazing value for money.

This Douglas Laing Director’s Cut 50 year old North British grain is a stunning example of how well priced these old grain whiskies are. Only 123 bottles came from the single 1st fill Hogshead cask that it was matured in so this is a pretty rare whisky.

Buy Online: £349.99

SPRINGBANK 1999 12 YEAR OLD SINGLE CASK SINGLE MALT WHISKY

Truly scrumptious, this Springer’s truly scrumptious – scrumptious as the breeze across the (Campbeltown) bay. Apologies for the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang style lyrics but this is one of the best Springbanks we’ve ever tasted.

The cask it came from was owned by a syndicate and we were extremely lucky to be offered some bottles so we are sharing that good fortune by letting you have a chance to own one too!

Buy Online: £55.00

MACALLAN 1965 43 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT WHISKY

After Peter MacKay from the Scottish Liqueur Centre visited us and let us try some samples from their Carn Mor single cask whisky range we just had to stock them.

The range is small but varied and you can view the bottlings we have in stock by clicking here. They are all non chill filtered and, without exception, those we tasted were top quality. This Macallan 1965 43 year old was matured in a Fino Sherry Butt and is fabulous. The presentation matches the quality of the whisky with the boxes being made from cask staves. A treat worth saving up for.

Buy Online: £1000

AWARDED WHISKY MAGAZINE’S RETAILER OF THE YEAR FOR 2011

Arkwrights Whisky & Wines. Phone No. 01793 765071 Fax No. 01793 764860  The Dormers, Highworth, Wiltshire, SN6 7PE

Very sporting…. The Glengoyne Auld Enemy

In celebration of the world’s oldest international rugby fixture – The Calcutta Cup – Glengoyne hosted a new sporting event: The Glengoyne Auld Enemy Dinner. The dinner brought together an array of rugby legends, including Scott Hastings, Finlay Calder, Gavin Hastings, Peter Winterbottom and Matt Dawson, along with many other Calcutta Cup ex-internationals.

Glengoyne also honoured the occasion by releasing a limited edition – ‘The Auld Enemy Dram’. All proceeds from this Glengoyne 1990 Single Cask bottling will go to two chosen charities – Help For Heroes and The Bill McLaren Foundation.

Glengoyne’s Neil Boyd, who was there at the event, commented: “Glengoyne is equally proud to have teamed up with Scotland rugby legend, Scott Hastings, to support both Help for Heroes and The Bill McLaren Foundation through the release of our new limited edition ‘Auld Enemy Dram’. They are both excellent charities which were perfect partners for the great occasion. We at Glengoyne look forward to a long association with the Auld Enemy Dinner in years to come.”

Read more

Naked Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky

The Edrington Group has recently launched a new addition to The Famous Grouse’s range of blended Scotch whiskies, The Naked Grouse, in an elegant and beautifully crafted white flint bottle manufactured by Allied Glass Containers in 70cl and comes at … Continue reading →

A. Smith Bowman Distillery Officially Opens Visitor Center and Tourism Operation

Fredericksburg, VA. (April 19, 2012) – A. Smith Bowman Distillery announces today the grand opening of its Visitor Center and tourism operation. The Visitor Center is a multi-purpose room containing an area for branded merchandise, a tasting bar, plus historical artifacts which are incorporated in the tours.

Visitors taking the guided tour will learn about the history of the Bowman family, which dates back to this country’s formative years, while they explore the A. Smith Bowman museum. A highlight of the tour is a visit to “Mary,” the unique copper still which is named after Mary Hite Bowman, the mother of the pioneering Bowman Brothers. After meeting “Mary,” visitors are taken to the barrel aging warehouse where they can catch delicious whiffs from the bourbon barrels, ranging in age from the newly filled up to 18 years.

The tour will end in the gift shop, where visitors will have the opportunity to taste some of the bourbons in the Bowman portfolio, as well as browse through the branded merchandise. A collection of signed bottles by Master Distiller Truman Cox are also available for purchase. Tours are complimentary and run Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and by appointment at 540-373-4555.

The Visitor Center opening completes the first phase of tourism expansion for the A. Smith Bowman Distillery. Future portions of the phased project will include a hand bottling production area, a new distillation center which will include fermenters, and eventually meeting spaces available for corporate and leisure rentals. The expansion project will take place in phases over a number of years.

A. Smith Bowman Distillery is located at One Bowman Drive, in Fredericksburg, VA in Spotsylvania County. Driving directions from Washington DC can be found online at www. http://www.asmithbowman.com

About A. Smith Bowman

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition. In 1935, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition of the distillation of bourbon. The original Distillery was located on the Bowman family homestead in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm. In response to the rapid growth of Northern Virginia, the Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com