Clan Gatherings, Haggis Toss, Men of Thunder and the Bonniest Knees

Heaven Hill Distilleries hosts family-fun Highland Games in August in Bardstown, Ky.

BARDSTOWN, KY – JULY, 2012 – For the third year, hometown hero Kerry (“KO”) Overfelt, the 2009 National Champion and 3x North American Champion, will toss the sheaf in the Bardstown Highland Games. Now sponsored by Heaven Hill Distilleries, the games will take place on the grounds of the distillery on Saturday, August 18. The Games will also include performances by the Men of Thunda, lots of Scottish clans and their colors, pipers, children’s games, live music and food vendors. Visit www.SampleOurSpirit.com to see all the activities.

Free admission family fun

The free admission event hosts Overfelt – a.k.a. the “Kentucky Cannonball” – among several pros, including Craig Smith, Brady Smith and Mark Valenti, as well as 10 amateurs from around the country, including Chuck Clements,.

Craig Smith has been ranked in the top five Highland Games athletes for the past few years. Brady Smith is a Masters World Champion and world record holder and Mark Valenti is a former world record holder who is also ranked in the top 10. Chuck Clements has been an amateur thrower for about 10 years and helps organize the Games.

Opening Ceremonies for the Highland Games begin at 12 p.m. Gates open at 9 a.m. and the games begin at 10 a.m. Celtic festival fun includes the “savage” Men of Thunda performing bagpipe melodies accompanied by the sound of tribal drumbeats in the tradition of the ancient Celtics. Pipers from Louisville Pipe Band, Kentucky clan gatherings, a ladies’ Haggis Toss, men’s Bonniest Knees Contest, kids’ inflatables, arts and crafts and lots of food, including traditional Scottish fish and chips, round out the day.

Lawn chair entertainment

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and relax on the grounds of America’s largest independent family-owned distillery, whose brands include Evan Williams, Elijah Craig and Parker’s Heritage Collection. Founded in 1934 and home of the Bourbon Heritage Center, Heaven Hill makes a unique backdrop for the Bardstown Highland Games with its many rickhouses towering over the grounds as the athletes compete in such heavy events as the caber toss, the stone put and the Scottish hammer throw.

The Bardstown Highland Games sponsored by Heaven Hill Distilleries

Festival website: www.SampleOurSpirit.com

Date Saturday, August 18: Opening Ceremonies at 12 p.m. Gates open at 9 a.m.

Games begin at 10 a.m.

Place Heaven Hill Distilleries, 1311 Gilkey Run Road, Bardstown, KY 40004

Cost Free (parking at Heaven Hill also free)

PHOTO: Craig Smith, one of the top five Highland Games athletes.

Photo: Heaven Hill Distilleries

ABOUT BARDSTOWN, KY | The “Bourbon Capital of the World,” Bardstown sits in the heart of Kentucky Bourbon Country, home to five distilleries, including the restored and newly re-opened Willett Distillery, known for its unique bourbon and rye whiskeys bottled by hand in very small batches. Three of Bardstown’s distilleries – Heaven Hill, Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam – are on the famed Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Major attractions include the “Stephen Foster Story,” Kentucky’s official outdoor drama that takes place in My Old Kentucky Home State Park; the Civil War Museum of the Western Theatre (one of the four most significant such museums in the country); The Kentucky Railway Museum, where Thomas the Tank Engine is known to put in appearances; and My Old Kentucky Dinner Train. Additionally, Bardstown has four 18-hole golf courses, three self-guided tours (Historic Downtown Walking, Architectural and African-American), two wineries and numerous religious attractions

Loch Fyne Whiskies  and ‘Best of the West Festival – Inveraray Castle – September 15 & 16 ‘

It’s time to make time for the Best of the West Festival showcasing the West of Scotland’s creativity with music, food, ale and whisky.

The Loch Fyne Whisky Bar will be there.

At £5 per head (to see the Pipers or Skerryvore) It’s possible it will be a sell out before the day, so decide now to […please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article…]

THE LINK

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

www.ralfy.com does it again, (whisky reviews to be specific) with Whisky Review 289 – Old Parr 12yo Scotch…. decent blended Scotch.

Something a little different..

There is no question that our chief distiller has the best nose and palate around when it comes to our whisky. So we have given him free reign to create his own single malt. The result is pictured “Distiller’s Elect”. He cannot be blamed for the name – that was my idea. This is a stunning whisky – however there is a catch… It is only available to purchase from the distillery; it is not available on line, on the telephone or in any other outlet. It is limited to one bottle per person. Visit the distillery and you can buy a bottle, if you want 2 bottles then bring a non whisky drinking friend – I’m sure you get the idea. The whisky will sell for £44.95 and will be worth every penny. This particular batch is limited to 960 bottles.

Advance warning

Keep an eye out for the next newsletter… We are in the process of creating a very limited bottling run of whisky to commemorate the year of 2012 and what an amazing year for England it has been. There will only be 366 bottles (one for each day of the year) in total, each one an individually engraved decanteur. We are not taking orders pre-release but will send you a newsletter the instant it becomes available.

English Whisky Co. | Tel: 01953 717939 | Email: info@englishwhisky.co.uk to sign up for the newsletter…

I have a VERY special treat for you this week.

In the state of Colorado, in downtown Denver sits a small brewery started by a fellow named Jesse Graber, called Flying Dog Brewery. But don’t let the name or the location fool you…in addition to producing some wonderful beers, over the years Jesse has developed a reputation for producing one of the finest whiskies available anywhere: Stranahan’s Colorado Small Batch Whiskey.

This is “old school” whiskey….the kind cowboys drank in saloons across the American West, during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Each bottle comes with its own tin shot glass as well.

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey is one of the most delicious whiskies I have ever tasted, and is one of my “Desert Island 5”. Stranahan’s is delicious neat, but throw a few ice cubes in a glass, and you’ve got the perfect summer drink, or the foundation for some amazing summer cocktails.

I just cannot say enough about this whiskey.

First the bad news: Stranahan’s was purchased by a “big dumb company” about 18 months ago and, in their infinite wisdom, they eliminated distribution and any access to the whisky outside of Colorado….good luck finding some, anywhere.

Now the good news: We all know Nicky The Neck. Turns out Nicky knows a guy…who’s got a guy. Which allows us to offer you Stranahan’s Colorado Small Batch Whiskey for $79.95/ bottle, while our supplies last.

But as always, the supply is extremely limited…and once its gone, it’s gone. So if you want a bottle or two to get you through the summer, order it fast. (Limit: Two bottles each please).

I implore you…if you are looking to shake up your summer cocktailing, but want to stay “close to home” with whiskey, get a bottle or two of Stranahan’s. Your summer BBQ will never be the same.

Until next week…have fun!

Doug Stone

Founder

ForWhiskeyLovers.com

STRANAHAN’S SMALL BATCH COLORADO WHISKEY

THE STRANAHAN’S STORY

This whiskey glowed amber from the start. When volunteer firefighter Jess Graber responded to a neighbor’s barn fire down the road, he never imagined any good could come of it. But the barn he made effort to save belonged to George Stranahan, long-time liquor connoisseur. When the fire settled, the two discovered a shared passion for the Colorado outdoors and a good pour of fine whiskey. And so Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey was born.

They developed a recipe for the smoothest, most flavorful whiskey in the world using the purity of their mountain surroundings to their advantage. Well, to your advantage. They say from each thing bad comes something good. For Jess, George, and fine whiskey drinkers alike, it’s amazing just how good it can be.

TASTING NOTES

COLOR: Cordovan leather with burnished gold lights.

NOSE: Licorice and tupelo honey; carmelized sugar and cherries, maple, and raspberry with a scotch-like profile.

TASTE: Extremely soft mouthfeel; washes in with immediate bing cherry followed by light vanilla, cotton candy and Heath bar/toffee resonating along the way. Hot and spicy pecan, oak, oatmeal, and barley.

FINISH: Slight smokey oak finish and hot long warm feeling felt almost immediately. Feels like higher proof than 94, but not harsh, just strong.

WITH A CUBE OF ICE: Opens up wonderfully after the large cube melts. The residual alcohol burn is tamed, leaving a fuller grain bouquet. As the cube melts, even more mineral, dirt flavors come out as well as cinnamon, allspice, and aged vanilla from the minimum aging time of two years spent in charred American white oak casks.

Growing Demand Leads Jack Daniel Distillery to Open New Barrel-Making Facility in Decatur, AL

New Cooperage to Employ Approximately 200 Workers At Full Operation

Louisville, KY, – Brown-Forman announced plans for a new cooperage to craft barrels in Decatur, Alabama, in order to meet growing worldwide demand for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.

Brown-Forman and Jack Daniel’s officials joined with Alabama Governor Robert Bentley in Montgomery, AL, to make the formal announcement today. The Jack Daniel Cooperage is expected to be operational in May 2014, and it will eventually employ approximately 200 workers. It will be the second cooperage owned by Brown-Forman, which operates another facility in Louisville, KY, and will double the company’s barrel-making capacity.

“Barrels are more than a container for our whiskey; they’re an important ingredient,” said Jeff Arnett, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller. “All of the color of Jack Daniel’s and more than half of our whiskey’s flavor is derived from the barrel. We believe in the importance of the barrel in making our whiskey so much that we are the only major distiller that makes its own barrels.

“Making a quality barrel is essential to making a quality whiskey, and this facility will help ensure we hold true to Mr. Jack Daniel’s guiding words that ‘every day we make it, we’ll make it the best we can,’” Arnett added.

Brown-Forman officials said the tremendous growth of the Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands both domestically and internationally necessitated building the new cooperage.

“With the continued long-term growth of the Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands, including the recent introduction and unprecedented success of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, we are expanding to meet anticipated growing production demand,” said Jill Jones, executive vice president and chief production officer for Brown-Forman.

According to Jones, the new cooperage’s proximity to the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, TN, as well as its centralized location between the two stave mills that supply the wood for the barrels (in Stevenson, AL, and Clifton, TN), make Decatur a perfect location for a second cooperage to supply additional Jack Daniel’s barrels.

Distillery officials also noted Jack Daniel’s has historical ties to Alabama. Back in the early 1900s, Mr. Jack Daniel’s nephew Lem Motlow moved operations to Birmingham, AL, when Tennessee went dry prior to National Prohibition.

“This isn’t the first time Alabama has opened its arms to the Jack Daniel Distillery,” said Arnett. “We’re glad to be back and thank everyone who has given us such a warm welcome.”

For more than 140 years, Brown-Forman Corporation has enriched the experience of life by responsibly building fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Jack Daniel’s & Cola, Canadian Mist, Korbel, Gentleman Jack, el Jimador, Herradura, Sonoma-Cutrer, Chambord, New Mix, Tuaca, and Woodford Reserve. Brown-Forman’s brands are supported by nearly 4,000 employees and sold in approximately 135 countries worldwide. For more information about the Company, please visit http://www.brown-forman.com/.

About Jack Daniel’s
Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866 and based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow, proprietor, is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Jack Daniel’s is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey-Based Ready-to-Drink Beverages and Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails.

Jack Daniel’s encourages its friends to enjoy its whiskey with the same care it crafts its barrels and to please drink responsibly.

Today the Balblair launches “The Gathering Place” and members will have access to some interesting single cask bottlings.

Sign up today!

Port Charlotte Peat Project

No one knows what the original Bruichladdich of 1881 actually tasted like.

There are neither bottles in existence nor tasting notes. What would it have tasted like?

The Port Charlotte Peat Project sets out to answer this conundrum.

This single malt whisky, distilled from heavily peated barley at Bruichladdich Distillery, is called Port Charlotte to differentiate it from traditional, unpeated Bruichladdich.

The Peat Project is distilled from barley peated to 40ppm, and matured in American Oak, in warehouses at the nearby village of Port Charlotte.

It is a multivintage, assembled from several different vintages and harvest characteristics, for intriguing complexity.

The Peat Project replaces the previous releases of 3D, PEAT and An Turas Mor bottlings.

(Time to clear up a little confusion before the sale closes?? – WI)

Scotland – Spirits Pre-Arrival

1999 Benrinnes 12 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($69.99)
One of our favorite experiences when visiting Scotland is the chance to taste whisky from distilleries that don’t bottle their whisky as a single malt. Diageo owns the whisky from more than forty distilleries, many of which are used only for the company’s blended Scotch labels like Johnnie Walker. Benrinnes is one such distillery. Named after the famous Speyside mountain, it is known for its lively character and fruity essence, providing the backbone of expression to many successful blends. Our cask is very much reminiscent of this reputation, beginning with plenty of fresh fruit with barrel spice and a playful palate that reminded us of our Bladnoch selection from last year. With a few drops of water the oils come out, bringing more texture, soft flavors of oak, and plenty of vanilla to balance out all the fruit. The result is a wonderful bottle of Scotch, offering depth, variety, and drinkability. Benrinnes isn’t as widely-known as many of other distilleries whose whisky we’ll be importing and it is precisely for that reason we’re excited to bring it to our customers. In the great hunt for value in single malt whisky, we must continue to search outside the box. In this case, we’ve found a real winner from a distillery we’d like to see more of. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

2002 Longmorn 10 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Pre-Arrival) ($49.99)

Back in Stock

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

Macallan “Fine Oak” 15 Year Old Single Malt 750ml – 10 available ($79.99)

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

Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 5′

Nose: Upon pouring, a fragrant fruit nose before sweet vanilla emerges alongside honey & spices..
Taste: A smooth balance between sweetness & oak tannin, underpinning a sherried character full of dried fruits, cinnamon & ginger spiciness.
Finish: Rich, sweet and spicy.’

The latest offering and limited to just 900 bottles in the UK

http://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2012/07/16/balvenie-tun-1401-batch-5/

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk