Littlemill 21 Year Old Burns Malt 55.1%
TheWhiskyBarrel.com Exclusive!
Single cask sherry hogshead from the lost Lowland distillery.
1990 vintage bottled July 2012.
Limited release of just 60 bottles.
This month we have a wide ranging selection of seven (7) different OLD MALT CASK bottlings with two (2) from OLD AND RARE, one (1) from DIRECTOR’S CUT, plus one (1) ADVANCE SAMPLE .
Tasting Notes for OLD MALT CASK:
OMC 2160 Bunnahabhain 10 Year Old Sherry
Nose: Spicy + a crushed muscovado sugar character + orange zest
Palate: Sweetly spiced develops to a milk chocolate and nutty quality
Finish: A sweet dried fruit style runs to herbal cough drops!(J)
OMC 2161 Allt-a-Bhainne 15 Year Old Sherry
Nose: Sweet & toffee’d + vanilla custard – a home baked character
Palate: Smooth, sweetly spiced + caramelised apples (tarte tatin style)
Finish: long – still sweetly spiced – now runs to a roast malt quality (J)
OMC 2172 Aberfeldy 18 Year Old
Nose: Opens fruity – now sweet & buttery + apricot jam on warm scones
Palate: Clean & fresh – barley sweet + more apricots now caramelised
Finish: remains sweet, softly spiced + creamy butterscotch + soft oak (J)
OMC 2188 Caperdonich 18 Year Old
Nose: Opens sweet & fruity – running to an attractively spiced style
Palate: Mild & sugary sweet then light vanilla’d + poached peaches
Finish: Long – surprisingly fresh – with lemon zest & barley sugar (J)
OMC 2193 Macallan 18 Year Old
Nose: Lightly spiced with barley grist, ginger & late honey sweetness.
Palate: Full and round – still honied – plus vanilla toffee and sugary Malt.
Finish: Crushed sugar with cough drop spices & a wee ginger bite. (F)
OMC 2175 Miltonduff 21 Year Old
Nose: Distinctly sweet & softly spiced running to a honeyed style
Palate: Still sweetly spiced developing to muscovado sugar & toffee
Finish: Replicates nose & palate – now drier with a soft oak quality (J)
OMC 2171 Inchgower 30 Year Old
Nose: Carries barley sugar – citric zest – a dry gristiness + light spices.
Palate: Vanilla fudge + soft cedar tones +tobacco leaf & coffee/mocha.
Finish: All those same flavours are replicated + more soft warming spices. (F)
Advance Sample 20 cl.
SMC 0423 Laphroaig 12 Year Old
Tasting Notes follow here for OLD AND RARE
OAR 0172 Ardbeg 20 Year Old
On the nose detect creosote, ash, soot and beachy rock pools. Tar is apparent early on the palate – all very Islay in character – then a sweet maltiness, more creosote with typical soft chewed leather all developing. The finish is fudge-y sweet, still with that earlier gristiness plus tar (again!) and a damp bonfire ashiness. (F)
OAR 0167 Tamdhu 21 Year Old Sherry
Sweetly Sherried – full of thick dark juicy fruited quality with molasses and a late barley gristiness all apparent on the nose. Palatewise – anticipate those some raisin, grape, date and citric hues plus vanilla pods all running to a soft, subtle sugary/oaked finish. (F)
DIRECTOR’S CUT Tasting Notes:
DIR 0022 Macallan 35 Year Old
Nose: Carries wooden fruit boxes – softens to Scotch tablet/vanilla fudge, honey and citric tones
Palate: Nicely spiced – gingery – lightly oaked + a treacle toffee and biscuit quality with a late cognac suggestion
Finish: Long, warming – still sweetly spiced – now lightly smoked with a late mocha’d finish (F)
All rather interesting we hope for you and your clients – with the 3rd release coming through of the DOUBLE BARREL Mortlach/Laphroaig.
All best wishes
Fred Laing
Visit Douglas Laing at www.douglaslaing.com
GOLD MEDAL RUSH AS CHIVAS BROTHERS SCOOPS TOP AWARDS AT LEADING SPIRITS COMPETITIONS
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has scooped an impressive total of 16 Gold medals at two of the world’s most prestigious spirits competitions: the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2012, and the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2012.
There was success across the board as brands including Beefeater, The Glenlivet and Royal Salute all received the top honour of a Gold – Outstanding medal in the IWSC, while Aberlour won Gold – Best in Class medals for two expressions, Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured and Aberlour A’Bunadh.
The Glenlivet, the world’s No. 2 single malt Scotch whisky, was the most successful of all the Chivas brands across the two competitions, picking up seven golds in total, highlighting the consistently high quality of this single malt Scotch.
The full list of gold medal winners is as follows:
IWSC Results
Gold ‘Outstanding’
· The Glenlivet 21 Year Old Archive
· Royal Salute 21 Year Old
Gold
· Ballantine’s 17 Year Old
· The Glenlivet XXV
· The Glenlivet First Fill 12 Year Old
· The Glenlivet Nádurra Cask Strength 16 Year Old
· Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured
ISC Results
Gold ‘Best in Class’
· Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured
· Aberlour A’Bunadh
Gold
· Ballantine’s 30 Year Old
· The Glenlivet 12 Year Old
· The Glenlivet 18 Year Old
· The Glenlivet Guardians Single Cask
· Aberlour Non Chill Filtered 12 Year Old
Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, commented: “It has been another successful year for us in the IWSC and ISC, and we are delighted that the judges have once again recognised the consistently high quality of our brands. We are proud to have such an extensive range and this recognition from the judges in both competitions is testament to the craftsmanship and dedication of our master distillers and blenders.”
Notes
International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC)
The IWSC was founded in 1969 to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. Winners are selected through a rigorous two-stage judging process of professional blind tasting and detailed technical analysis. The competition is backed by a group of vice presidents made up of the most influential men and women in the trade, and has the support of many of the world’s top wine and spirits producers. This year’s competition received entries from nearly 90 countries worldwide.
International Spirits Challenge (ISC)
The International Spirits Challenge is one of the most authoritative, respected and influential spirits competitions in the world. Now in its 17th year, the competition is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process, which serves to encourage the high calibre of spirits, designs and campaigns entered into the competition each year. Receiving more than 1,000 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide, the ISC is a truly global competition.
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.
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
Ballantine’s Revolutionise the T-Shirt with TshirtOS
If you could communicate through your t-shirt, what would you say? Perhaps it’s time to start thinking. Ballantine’s and digital partner WorkClub, who last year brought you a tattooed QR code, have worked with innovative clothing brand CuteCircuit to reinvent the original canvas of personal expression; the t-shirt.
Introducing tshirtOS. Wearable, shareable, programmable and 100% cotton, tshirtOS allows you to share your Facebook Status, Tweets, photos and favourite songs with anyone who walks your way. A built-in camera allows the wearer to take photos and a headphone jack to listen to music directly from iTunes.
“The t-shirt is the original canvas of self-expression. It was the Facebook status before there was a Facebook status. Whether you wore the Smiley Face, Che Guevara or Frankie Says Relax, your favourite t-shirt tells the world something about you. Ballantine’s has taken that thought and made it bigger.” says Global Brand Director, Peter Moore.
So how does it work? On its mission to celebrate creativity and personal expression Ballantine’s approached CuteCircuit and challenged them to reinvent the T-shirt using modern technology. The result? A t-shirt with its own built in operating system that is controlled by a mobile application functioning as a bridge between the t-shirt and the internet.
All 1024 pixels of tshirtOS can be viewed online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0GokKd2QRA The video showcases the t-shirt and asks the inevitable question: would you want one?
The fact is, as a prototype tshirtOS costs a lot, but the more interest there is in tshirtOS, the more accessible the price will become. Ballantine’s are capturing this interest via their Facebook page and if enough people want one, tshirtOS will be produced and purchasable.
In the meantime, Ballantine’s will also be getting the world excited by the possibilities tshirtOS presents. Three short films testing tshirtOS in London, Mexico City and São Paulo will be released in the coming weeks. Stay tuned on tshirtos.com for more updates.
Notes:
TshirtOS Technical Specifications:
LED Screen resolution
The LED Screen has a resolution of 1024 pixels, spaced 1cm apart, in a 32 by 32 pixel grid embedded into the fabric of the t-shirt. Each pixel is RGB (Red Green Blue) to make a full colour display. The LEDs used are ultra thin (like a sheet of paper), the brightest full colour discreet LEDs in the world at this thinness and only 2 by 2 mm wide. The screen is controlled by 32 ultra thin microprocessors, managing the screen control software “Q” by CuteCircuit.
Camera
The camera is an Omnivision Camera Cube. The Camera Cube combines the full functionality of a single chip image sensor, embedded processor and wafer- level optics in one compact, small-profile package. Boasting the industry’s smallest footprint and z-height (2.5 x 2.9 x 2.5 mm), it is ideal for today’s ultra-slim applications, such as wearable technology. Unlike traditional camera module designs that combine image sensors and lenses in a barrel, OmniVision devices are assembled using wafer level alignment tools. The lens can be placed directly onto chip scale packaged (CSP) image sensors, which eliminates the need for flex cables and interposers. Elimination of image contamination issues such as fixed pattern noise, smearing, and blooming produces a clean, fully stable colour image, which in the case of the tshirtOS is scaled down to 32 by 32 pixels to be displayed.
Accelerometer
This is a small, thin, low power, 3-axis accelerometer with high resolution up to ±16 g. It detects a person’s jumping motion (the momentary absence of gravity or free fall detection) and activates animations on the tshirtOS. This accelerometer is the latest generation triple-axis, hi resolution digital, micro mechanical inertial sensor.
Headphone Jack
This is a generic 3-poles stereo jack. We have 2 on tshirtOS – one for the headphone and the second for a headset/ microphone option. The headphone jacks fit all types of headphones.
Circuit board and processors
The Brain circuit is an ultra slim PCB that snaps into the tshirtOS hub to provide it with BlueTooth capability. The Bluetooth is CE and FCC certified, with an integrated micro-antenna, and it supports both the HFP, SPP, and A2DP profiles for hands-free and serial port use. The Brain is chargeable via USB simply by plugging it into a computer USB port, and the tiny Li-Po battery recharges in about 1 hour. The accelerometer and the micro- controller reside in the Brain. The micro controller controls the LED screen. We have 2 versions of the Brain where at the heart of the system is either an 8-bit processor from ATMEL or a 32-bit ARM Cortex processor, the latest ultra- powerful and energy efficient ARM processor, also from ATMEL.
iPhone and iOS support
The application will only be supported on iPhone4S and iOS5+ in its initial release.
About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s produces Scotch whisky of outstanding quality; it is the no 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the no 2 in the world. Using only the finest malt and grain whiskies from the four corners of Scotland, its signature style is unique, smooth and elegant. A complex and authentic blend that is worthy of carrying George Ballantine’s name on it.
About Cute Circuit
Cute Circuit specialise in creating innovative intelligent clothing that integrates beauty and functionality through the use of smart textiles and microelectronics. They are the first company to merge wearable and telecommunication technology to create emotionally rich experiences.
About Work Club
Work Club is a digital creative agency. In 2011 the agency won Marketing’s Digital Agency of the Year. Work Club helps its clients put digitally-powered creativity at the heart of their brands and businesses. Its work addresses a wide variety of business and brand challenges for global, regional and UK clients, most of which are number 1 or number 2 in their sectors. Work Club’s clients include BBC, Coca-Cola, Sharp, Kraft, Pernod Ricard, McLaren F1 and General Mills.
For further information visit www.chivasbrothers.com or www.ballantines.com
BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES COLONEL E.H. TAYLOR, JR. RYE RECIPE WHISKEY
100 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey is Fifth in the Collection
FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Aug, 2012) – Straight Rye Whiskey has experienced a strong resurgence in the American whiskey landscape, yet Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. was making this style over 100 years ago. The latest offering from Buffalo Trace Distillery pays tribute to the former Distillery owner with a small batch, Bottled-In-Bond, 100 proof, straight rye whiskey from days long past.
An altogether different recipe and profile than Sazerac Rye, this recipe contains just rye and malted barley, no corn. The result is an aroma full of dried fruit, black pepper, and touch of fresh dill. A small sip brings an array of flavors both sweet and savory with a terrific balance of dark spices and subtle caramel overtones. The finish is especially pleasing with an oaky dryness that lingers just long enough.
The Straight Rye Whiskey is the fifth in the line of the E. H. Taylor, Jr. collection of whiskeys. It joins the Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon and Barrel Proof Bourbon that have all been released since early 2011. Like the previous four releases, this whiskey will have very limited availability and will be packaged in a vintage label and canister reminiscent of Taylor’s bottles over one hundred years ago.
Taylor is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry, fighting for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, nearly three decades after he purchased the distillery that is known today as the Buffalo Trace Distillery. During his time, Taylor implemented several innovative methods still used today by Buffalo Trace, such as climate controlled aging warehouses. In addition to his bourbon interests, Taylor had political ties. He was the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor and elected the mayor of Frankfort, state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.
The Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye Whiskey will be available in late August and will be released annually each year. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 750ml bottle.
About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com
Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks ‘Longrow 18yo 2012 Bottling’
A darker bottling than last year…
http://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2012/08/09/longrow-18yo-2012-bottling/
£82.50 Including 20% VAT
(Price excluding VAT: £68.75)
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk
Black Bull Competition Deadline
The deadline is now set for the 17th of August 2012. If you want the chance to win a free bottle of Black Bull 12 Yeard Old (free delivery is included) then please submit your answers to gordon@duncantaylor.com. Please don’t hesitate to contact me (Gordon) if you have any questions.
1. In what year did the Black Bull first emerge? (In other words, what year does the brand Black Bull date back to?)
2. What ratio is Black Bull 12 Year Old blended at?
3. What kind or type of bull is the Black Bull?
4. What style of cask was the single malt and single grain whiskies matured in?
5. Which artist painted the Black Bull image?
Send your answers to gordon@duncantaylor.com
www.ralfy.com rolls the info-cask further up the malt-mountain with Whisky Review #294 – Caol Ila Moch young, a bit rough, decent but beware of paying too much.
This month we have selected seven (7) new Malts to add to the PROVENANCE collection, whose Tasting Notes follow:
PRV 0806 Glen Spey 9 Year Old
Opens fresh and clean on the nose running to a buttery vanilla’d quality – home baked style. The palate opens with a gristy sweet character and develops to a sweetly spiced fruit trait. All this concludes in a drier finish with an orange pith tang. (J)
PRV 0771 Glenrothes 10 Year Old
Opens clean and fresh on the nose running to a sweet, macerated fruit character plus some toffee. The palate remains fresh and fruity (now wine gums in style) and runs to a sweet gristy style. The finish is sweetly spiced and carries a toffee’d apples quality. (J)
PRV 0914 Arran 12 Year Old
Fresh and fragrant on the nose carrying a summer fruit quality plus a real vanilla style. The palate remains fresh and fruity – developing to a gristy sweet character. This all runs to a creamy finish replete with a sweet almond essence. (J)
PRV 0916 Glengoyne 12 Year Old
Opens fresh, clean and fragrant on the nose, carrying a buttery and sweet quality – cookie dough style. The palate opens with a gristy sweet character then runs to crushed sugar and an attractive home baked style. Now citrus – lemon zest style – appears and lingers on the medium long finish. (J)
PRV 0917 Benrinnes 12 Year Old Sherry
Opens spicy and dry on the nose then dried fruit and vanilla custard appear. The palate is mouth coating, sweetly spiced and carries a toffee and mocha character plus some late tobacco. This all runs to a long finish that develops to a drier style with a soft oak tang with caramel still lurking. (J)
PRV 0913 Caol Ila Young and Feisty Batch 3
Opens sweetly, carrying a freshly cut grass style plus a damp forest quality before gentle smoke becomes apparent on the nose. The palate remains sweet but the Islay character quickly appears – ashes – soft tar and rock pools. The finish is long with dark chocolate and smoked ham lingering. (J)
PRV 0912 Bunnahabhain (Young/Sweet but Feisty)
Attractively aromatic, lightly spiced, rather gristy – with a bit of brine on the nose. Palatewise, it opens distinctly sweetly – almost honeyed with some interesting toffee and tar flavours appearing – all neatly parcelled into the long, still sweet – camphor carrying finish. (F)
We hope you will appreciate these additions to the PRV selection.
All best wishes
Fred Laing
Visit Douglas Laing at www.douglaslaing.com
SULLIVANS Cove Tasmanian Single Malt takes Gold and two Silvers in London
Luxury Tasmanian single malt whisky Sullivans Cove, won Gold with its French Oak Cask and two Silvers with its American Oak Cask and Double Cask whiskies at the global whisky tasting competition, the World Whisky Masters today in London.
In the highly competitive challenge that saw Sullivans Cove take on other single malts from around the world, it was the Tasmanian that ended up with top prize in the super-premium category.
Judging panel chair and whisky commentator Neil Ridley said, “The highlights were undoubtedly Antipodean-themed, with Tasmania’s Sullivans Cove distillery creating the biggest surprise of the day with their consistently well produced range of single malts.” Competition judge Shannon McCoy was especially impressed with Sullivans Cove’s offerings, remarking on their unique style compared to other international single malts.
Between large gulps of whisky Patrick Maguire, Sullivans Cove’s Distiller, was unsurprisingly very excited with the results: “We have put some really hard work into making the best whisky that we can over the years, and it is such a good feeling to consistently come out on top on the world stage!”
These latest medals add to Sullivans Cove’s growing swag of awards won over the past five years in the major international whisky tasting challenges, including Liquid Gold Awards from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2007 and 2010 as well as three gold medals at last year’s World Whisky Masters and “Best Other Single Malt” (for non-Scotches) at the World Whisky Awards in 2007 and 2011.
The World Whisky Masters is part of The Spirits Business’s Masters Series, one of the world’s biggest and most influential spirits blind tasting competitions.
About Sullivans Cove
Tasmania Distillery produces Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky. Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky is double distilled using only Tasmanian barley with only the purest wilderness water from local mountains and forests. Matured in hand selected oak casks and allowed to settle and clear naturally, the whiskies retain full, creamy and lingering flavours that are winning fans the world over. Each cask is bottled separately, yielding only around 450 bottles, making each bottle a rare item to own and enjoy.
About the Spirits Business and the World Whisky Masters
The Spirits Business is the world’s biggest magazine covering the global spirits industry. Based in London, The Spirits Business is delivers industry news to spirits professionals around the globe. The Spirits Business runs The Spirits Masters, one of the world’s biggest and most influential spirits judging competitions. The World Whisky Masters covers whisky originating from outside of Scotland.
Tasmania Distillery Pty Ltd
Purple Valley Imports USA will begin distribution of all 3 expressions of Sullivans Cove in the USA early September.
