Soon-To-Be-Released Knob Creek® Rye Anointed “Best Rye Whiskey” at 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Knob Creek®, the world’s first Super-Premium bourbon, is thrilled to announce that its soon-to-launch Knob Creek® Rye has been named “Best Rye Whiskey” in addition to earning a Double Gold medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the world’s most highly regarded spirits competitions. Further demonstrating Knob Creek’s commitment to crafting superior quality bourbon that is truly “Worth The Effort,” both Knob Creek Bourbon and Knob Creek® Single Barrel Reserve also took home coveted Double Gold medals, making Knob Creek one of the most celebrated portfolios at this year’s competition.

“I am personally proud that the brand created by my father, Booker Noe, received such an honor from the judges at this prestigious competition,” said Fred Noe, seventh-generation Beam Master Distiller and creator of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve and Knob Creek Rye. “We carefully handcraft Knob Creek Rye using a blend of the finest quality rye grains in order to bring our product to life in a way that only Knob Creek can. Being named the ‘Best Rye Whiskey’ proves that the patience and care we put into every bottle is worth the effort.”

Bottled at 100 proof and hitting shelves nationally in July, Knob Creek Rye is a versatile, full-flavored straight rye whiskey that is extraordinarily smooth and nuanced, offering a distinct rye spiciness complemented by surprising layers of vanilla and oak. It is carefully handcrafted and patiently aged, creating a rich, mature flavored whiskey with a luxurious finish – characteristics that whiskey fans have come to expect from Knob Creek.

Knob Creek was created 20 years ago by Booker Noe, grandson of James Beam and sixth-generation Beam Master Distiller. Booker wanted to create a high-quality craft bourbon made pre-prohibition style – carefully handcrafted in small batches and patiently aged, yielding a bourbon bursting with flavor. Bottled at 100 proof, Knob Creek was introduced in early 1992, launching the Super-Premium bourbon category and paving the way for the craft bourbons of today.

In 2011, Booker’s son, Fred Noe, created Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve, the brand’s first-ever single barrel bourbon. Carefully hand-selected, barrel-by-barrel, and bottled at 120 proof, it is extraordinarily smooth and nuanced, with even more of the rich wood and vanilla notes that helped make Knob Creek the world’s #1 selling Super-Premium bourbon.

The 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition was held on March 22-25 at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. More than 1,200 spirits from 60 different countries were judged during this year’s contest—the largest in the competition’s 12-year history. Judging during the event is based on blind taste tests and medals are awarded based on taste alone. A complete list of all the 2012 award winners is available on the competition’s website.

For more information about Knob Creek, go to www.KnobCreek.com or on Facebook® at www.facebook.com/KnobCreek.

About Knob Creek®

Knob Creek is the only brand that puts as much effort into our passions as you do into yours – handcrafting extraordinary bourbon with intriguing taste and bottled in unique flask shaped packaging, which has helped make it the #1 selling Super-Premium bourbon in the world. Knob Creek® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is aged nine years at a sophisticated 100 proof (50% alcohol by volume), and is named after the small town in Kentucky where President Abraham Lincoln was born. Launched in early 1992, Knob Creek is the first ever Super-Premium bourbon and is credited with driving growth in the category at the high-end, which continues to grow at a faster pace than premium bourbons. In recent years, Knob Creek has expanded its portfolio, releasing the brand’s first-ever single barrel bourbon, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve (120 proof / 60% alcohol by volume), in 2011 and Knob Creek Rye (100 proof / 50% alcohol by volume) in 2012. For more information on Knob Creek, visit www.knobcreek.com.

Ballantine’s 12 Year Old Launches Second Partnership with British Designer of the Year Lee Broom

Ballantine’s 12 Year Old today announced a second partnership with critically acclaimed British product and interior designer, Lee Broom. The Ballantine’s 12 Year Old Ritual by Lee Broom was revealed at the designer’s ‘Public House’ show at the renowned Salone Del Mobile in Milan.

Collaborating for the second time, Ballantine’s and Lee showcased the limited edition serving ritual which has been influenced by vintage crystal whisky decanters with a contemporary twist. The Ritual reflects the cultural amalgam of old meets new that is predominant in Broom’s work.

Speaking of the collaboration, Broom said “I am delighted to be collaborating with Ballantine’s 12 Year Old. As a British designer who designs and manufactures all of my collections in the UK, it is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with a heritage British label to reinterpret my design style into a new medium.”

The Ritual looks like a decanter but on closer inspection, breaks into three individual sections for single or shared occasions:
• The base acts as the whisky glass, sealing the notes and aromas
• The middle section is for ice cubes or can be used as a second whisky glass
• The top is to hold water or other ingredients to enhance the aromas of Ballantine’s 12 Year Old

This marks Lee’s second partnership with Ballantine’s 12 Year Old, after collaborating with five other critically acclaimed European artists to launch the concept bar ‘Art of BEYOND’ in 2011.

Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, said “We are delighted to be working with Lee Broom again on Ballantine’s. Lee is an outstanding designer whose philosophy and values complement the brand perfectly. His work subtly mixes traditional and heritage cues with a modern and elegant twist very much like Ballantine’s 12 Year Old. A great match.”

The ritual will be released in a limited edition of 200 serving rituals to global markets including France, Mexico and Brazil.

Notes

Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and No 2 in the world with annual sales of 6.2 million nine litre cases. It is the most comprehensive range of quality aged blended Scotch whiskies available anywhere.

Ballantine’s 12 Year Old
Ballantine’s 12 Year Old has won eight top industry awards since 2004 (IWSC Silver ’04,’05,’06,’07,’08 and ISC Silver ’08) including a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2005 and 2007. In 2009, it was awarded Gold at The Scotch Whisky Masters. The elegant, smooth taste of Ballantine’s 12 Year Old blended Scotch whisky is one to be appreciated and enjoyed in style. With its unique depth of character and exquisite balance of selected quality malt and grain Scotch whiskies, Ballantine’s 12 Year Old is blended to perfection.

Lee Broom
Lee Broom founded his company five years ago and has since gone on to become one of the UK’s leading product and interior designers. In his career to date, Broom has launched five furniture and lighting collections, designed over 40 retail, restaurant and bar interiors and has won more than 17 awards, including the ‘Best British Designer’ at the British Design Awards in November 2011.

Broom designs, manufactures and retails his own collections, in addition to collaborating with leading brands such as Ballantine’s, Westfield, Heals, Deadgood and Philips. The importance of the manufacturing process is integral to Broom’s philosophy with all of his unique contemporary pieces produced in Britain. Broom works closely with specialist traditional craftsman from the initial concept to final production runs.

Broom’s products are now retailed worldwide, including Selfridges, Liberty, Lane Crawford, Conran, Chaplins, Le Bon Marché and other retailers globally.

For further information visit: www.chivasbrothers.com and www.ballantines.com

ALL CHANGE FOR HIGHLAND PARK WITH NEW DISTILLERY MANAGER 

The Edrington Group has announced two significant changes in personnel for its single malt brands with the appointment of new distillery managers for both Highland Park and The Macallan.

Long serving Highland Park distillery manager Russell Anderson, is set to take the reins at The Macallan, after a total of 15 years in Orkney.  After two stints at the home of the Best Spirit in the World, Russell has handed the role of manager over to Graham Manson, a former engineering manager at North British Distillery.

Russell Anderson makes a return to Speyside, where he previously  worked as production manager from 1998 until 2000, to work alongside the production and warehousing teams as The Macallan looks to maximise the opportunities presented by the growth of single malt whisky around the world.  

Graham Manson brings over 25 years of experience in the Scotch Whisky industry within the specific areas of engineering and production, working for Bell’s, Diageo and latterly North British Distillery, where he was engineering manager from 1997 until joining The Edrington Group.

Commenting on his new role, Graham said, “Having worked for North British for the past 15 years, I was seeking a fresh challenge where I could put all my skills into practice whilst genuinely making my mark on a business.  The Highland Park role presented the perfect combination for me.”

Graham MacWilliam, General Manager, Distillation at The Edrington Group said: “These are exciting times for our single malts and these appointments are a reflection of the changing face of our distillation requirements and business needs.  Russell makes a welcome return to Speyside after many years of exceptional commitment and focus to help take Highland Park to the place it is today.  His new role at Macallan will add further resource and experience to a great team as we look to the future of this iconic brand.

“Graham is the right manager to build on Russell’s achievements and continue to drive the distillery forward.  His strong technical experience combined with his passion and energy will provide us with a first class distillery manager.”

Please find the latest headlines from The Whisky Shop.

Highland Park and Isle Of Jura Limited releases now in stock… – 20 April 2012 The Whisky shop has added to the Glenkeir Treasure…

Link to full article: http://www.whiskyshop.com/News/?id=10079

Balvenie 1978 Only Two bottles left in stock – 20 April 2012 Only two bottles of this left in stock. 

Link to full article: http://www.whiskyshop.com/News/?id=10080

Kind Regards

The Whisky Shop
www.whiskyshop.com

Hello Fellow WhiskeyLovers –

Forgive me for not writing last week. I was trapped aboard a cruise ship with my family and 2400 other raving lunatics from the greater NYC area. Despite assurances from the cruise operator that there would be high-speed Wifi available everywhere on-board, the internet access took me back to the days of my 56k baud modem…it was essentially non existent.

Nevertheless you all kept the FWL flame hot by burning up the voting for the winners of the 2012 Drammie Awards. In the final voting round we received votes from over 7,000 unique visitors from 16 different countries…providing a loud and clear “voice of WhiskeyLovers everywhere”.

So who won?

Well..for starts…we had one double winner for two categories.

Best Distillery Tour 2012; Distillery of the Year 2012: Laphroaig.

To see the complete list of 2012 Drammie Awards winners, click here.

So what better way to congratulate the distillery on their double-win, than to feature my favorite Laphroaig expression in this weeks letter: Laphroaig 18 YO Islay Single Malt Whisky.

Laphroaig 18 YO is made in limited quantities each year and savoured by a fortunate few. There is a soft, sweet and spicy Islay peat smoke that greets you when you first open the bottle. The immediate taste is an oak sweetness, from 18 long and lovley years in the barrel. Thereafter a faint hint of the sea can be detected, which bears testimony to its time maturing on the remote island of Islay. The whisky is bottled at 48% ABV and non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture.

My friend John Hansell, in his Whisky Advocate blog, described Laphroag 18 as “Very smooth for Laphroaig-the extra aging has mellowed this whisky. Soothing honeyed malt, creamy vanilla and toffee provide a bed for peat smoke, charcoal, tar, along with more subtle brine, smoked seaweed, anise, ginger and citrus. A, gentler, creamier, more tactile, less medicinal Laphroaig when compared to some of its siblings …The higher strength (and no chill-filtering) of the 18 is certainly a bonus….”

As mentioned, this is a limited production whisky…but as always, one phone call to our man Nickey “the Neck” and. voila, our distribution center now has more than our fair share. Which means we can offer you a bottle of Laphroaig 18 YO Islay Single Malt for $94.75/ bottle (limit 2-bottles each please).

I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to purchase this amazing whisky while it’s still available…because once it’s gone…

And until next week…have fun!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

________________________________________________________________________
LAPHROAIG 18YO ISLAY SINGLE MALT WHISKY

________________________________________________________________________

DISTILLERS’ TASTING NOTES

COLOUR: Bright Gold

NOSE: At bottling strength, a soft toffee sweet but faintly spicy flavour counterbalances the trace of delicate phenols and fruit. An all encompassing smoothness brings these together. A touch of water allows the seaweed and salt to come through but not enough to overpower the vanilla and honey sweetness with just a trace of new mown hay and peat at the finish.

BODY: An intense depth that is exceptionally balanced and warming.

TASTE: An instant warming tang of smoke fades into smooth floral scents, which blends seamlessly into an oaky nuttiness and leaves a lasting sweetness on the taste. With a touch of water, the peaty warmth fills the mouth but does not overshadow the sweet chocolate smoothness. This is balanced by the rich toffee taste and slowly fades into a delicate hint of heather and peat smoke.

FINISH: Full bodied, long with a luxurious oily smoothness.

Next week Sunday though Thursday one of our specials will be peg price (1 ounce) for a dram (1.5 ounce) of ALL of our spirits (bourbon, scotch, Irish whiskeys and blends)!!! WOW, That’s a great deal, make sure to text “THEDELL” to 90210!

Our next scotch tastings will be:

-Sunday, May 6

-Sunday, June 3

-Sunday, July 1

They start at 4 p.m. and you learn and get to discuss them and have fun doing it! Our MEGA tasting will be in August, more details to follow.

Visit the Dundee Dell at www.dundedell.com

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

BOWMORE® ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY IS CALLING ALL FANS TO NAME ITS NEXT BOTTLING

– Contest Takes Place on Bowmore Facebook Page From April 19 – May 18, 2012 –

All Consumers Who Chose The Winning Name Are Entered Into A Drawing

To Win A Bespoke Bowmore Tweed Jacket

Islay, Scotland (April 2012) – Bowmore®, the first Islay Single Malt whisky, sees a storm brewing. This isn’t an unusual occurrence at Loch Indaal, home to the Bowmore distillery, where it can go from flat calm to churning whitecaps and huge swells and back again in the span of a few minutes. No, this storm is over a very special bottling of Bowmore. The spirit is ready: a small-batch powerhouse that captures the might of the gales that batter the Scottish island of Islay that Bowmore has called its home since 1779, but the name is not.

This special whisky, aged ten years in first fill Bourbon casks and bottled at cask strength, tastes of the very sea itself, bursting with the soul of the untamed Scottish weather. It’s sold throughout the world under a ‘tempestuous’ name that can’t be used in the United States, so the fine people of Bowmore have decided to call upon their fans to find a new moniker for this unforgettable Scotch for the US market only.

Beginning Thursday, April 19, Bowmore aficionados are invited to log in and cast their vote for their favorite name via the Bowmore Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/bowmore. They will be asked to choose from two proposed names that embody the wild, raw and seemingly untamed climate that produces Islay’s most distinctive single malt Scotch whisky:

DORUS MOR A Gaelic word for the unpredictable and rough water around Islay

WHIRLPOOL A swirling body of water produced by the meeting of opposing currents

The contest begins on April 19 and ends on May 18, 2012. Bowmore will announce the winning product name to be used only in the United States on their Facebook page (in the rest of the world, the product will still go by its ‘tempestuous’ name). All those that voted for the winning name will automatically be entered into a drawing where a winner will be picked at random to win a bespoke, tailored Bowmore Tweed Jacket. Hand woven on Islay, these beautiful blazers are reserved for Bowmore ambassadors.

For those who have tried this most stormy of Bowmore whiskies, they can rest comfortably knowing that only the name will change. This special Small Batch Release will carry the same aroma of dry peat, the same lemon pepper spice, and the same Bowmore sea-salt tang with hints of citrus. Matured in first fill bourbon barrels, which over time help to bring out Bowmore’s trademark peat smokiness, this non chill-filtered, cask-strength release is a formidable tour de force worthy of a strong name. May the name games begin!

The newly named Bowmore (Small Batch Release; 55.1% ABV) for the US market will be an annual limited edition, non-chill filtered and aged 10 Years. It will launch in the US in Fall/Winter 2012 with 1,200 of bottles available. The approximate retail price is $119.99/750ml and it will be available nationwide.

THE BOWMORE DISTILLERY

Founded in 1779, Bowmore is the oldest Distillery on Islay. Islay malts are famous for their characteristic smokiness and Bowmore is no exception; we carefully smoke our malt and use skills handed down from generation to generation to craft a perfectly balanced Single Malt. Bowmore’s adherence to traditional production methods helps to shape the character of our single malts. We’re one of only a few distilleries anywhere which still produces its own floor malted barley, hand-turned by traditional wooden malt shovels. For our whiskies we draw water from the Laggan River, with its rich peaty overtones, and it’s the same Islay peat that fires the malt drying kiln.

Bowmore Distillery’s close proximity to the sea is also vital in determining the final character of our spirit. The famous Bowmore No. 1 vaults is where most of our whiskies spend their long lives resting quietly in the cool, dark, damp cellars below sea level, oblivious to the waves thrashing the vault’s sea-facing wall. They mature in oak casks, previously used for bourbon, sherry or claret, gradually developing rich and mellow flavors. It’s this combination of peat, barley, sea breeze, water, wood, people and tradition that together create the perfectly balanced warm and smoky character of Bowmore single malt whiskies.

ABOUT BOWMORE (www.bowmore.com, www.facebook.com/bowmore)

The award-winning Bowmore portfolio includes Bowmore Legend, 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old Darkest, 18 Year Old and 25 Year Old in addition to special limited-edition bottlings such as Bowmore Black, White, Gold and Bowmore 40 Year Old. Bowmore is available nationwide in the U.S. and in more than 45 countries worldwide.

Sweet Dreams: Island Parcel Only £149

We’ve put together a very dreamy parcel…three mouth-watering  bottles from the Islands, and all for only £149!   Enjoy….
       
    3.183 Beach rugby with a hotdog (15YO Islay)
    Initially your nose may detect a slight prickle as it adjusts to 
    our system, followed by the smell of damp driftwood and 
    heather. 

    29.115 Candy floss in a fairground (22YO Islay)
    The nose was savoury (lamb, gammon, smoked sausage) with 
    definite tobacco (Players Navy Cut), peanut M&M’s, Stollen, 
    banana loaf, raisins, cumin and jasmine

    4.160 In a gentleman’s club (14YO Highland Island)
    The nose had polished wood, cigars and leather chairs ‘like a 
    gentleman’s’ club’, lots of cinder toffee, chocolate fingers, 
    pastrami and various fruits 

    Only £149…..BUY 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ
Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm).

Visit the Society at http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

STOP PRESS ………..STOP PRESS…

Springbank 21yo

BACK IN FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

£200
Only 6 bottles available. Limited to ONE ONLY per customer
If you would like one please call us on
01387256601 between 9am – 5.30pm
or on
07713 566 222 if out of those hours.

BE QUICK THOUGH AS THEY WON’T HANG AROUND TOO LONG!

Our mailing address is:

T.B.Watson Ltd.
11/17 English Street
Dumfries, Scotland DG1 2BU
United Kingdom