Voting open for the 1st “all time” World Wide Whisk(e)y Design Contest

The Final voting for the World Wide Whisk(e)y Design Awards is open from 1-September-2012 and ends on 30-November-2012. Voting is open to public. No registration required. This final round is based on the elected nominations that received a total of … Continue reading →(please click HERE to read the remainder of the article)

Taste single malt Scotch in Atlantic City, Wyoming

Scent plays a key role in whisky enjoyment. Don’t wear perfume or cologne at tastings.

Second Saturday Scotch Sipping at Six

Miner’s Delight Inn, 2nd Saturday every month, 6 – 9 p.m.

no reservation required for tastings

Here’s what you get for $25:

► Light hors d’oeuvres to cleanse your palate between pours and

► 5 half-ounce pours of single malt Scotch whisky:

♦♦ We feature 3 single malts, including a Malt of the Month *

♦♦ You roll a die then pick a whisky from 1 of 6 Scotch regions

♦♦ You pick a Connoisseur’s Choice from our single malt menu

Upcoming Features:

10% off bottles of the

Malt of the Month *

September 8

Glen Grant 10 yo *

Longmorn 18 yo —

bottled by Signatory

Edradour 2003 Port Cask

October 13

Oban 14 yo *

Benromach Peat Smoke —

Batch #4

Strathisla 12

November 10

Cragganmore 12 yo *

Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition

— Distilled 1992 (2010)

Kilchoman Machir Bay

December 11

Glenglassaugh Revival *

Deanston 12 yo

A holiday surprise

http://www.minersdelightinn.com

Kilchoman Machir Bay Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($53.99)

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Kilchoman distillery here at K&L. Our recent visit to the distillery on Islay really opened our eyes to the incredible job they’re doing. Kilchoman is a tiny operation, producing on one still and malting whatever they can inside their humble barn. Because of their small scale, their cost of production is higher and prices for their whisky have not been inexpensive. But having tasted the new-make spirit right off the still, I can firmly say that, in my opinion, there is no higher quality peated whisky being produced anywhere else. Kilchoman’s hands-on style and attention to detail make a world of difference. Every release has been better than the last, albeit extremely limited in supply. All that said, this small farm is finally introducing a full-time, affordable, house recipe, rather than another pricey single barrel release. The Machir Bay is not only incredibly delicious, it’s a huge victory for a distillery that had to overcome huge obstacles. At $54, this is what Kilchoman fans have been waiting for: incredibly delicate, finely-tuned flavors of soft smoke, sea salt, creamy vanilla and butterscotch. It’s a more subdued version of their high-toned barrel expressions, but it’s still very much Kilchoman. Think Bruichladdich meets Lagavulin. Think possible best whisky of 2012. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits buyer)

Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 15, 2012
“I didn’t know what to expect tasting this scotch for the first time. A young whiskey of 5 years or less in wood for $50+? After tasting it however it has completely changed the way I think about all distilled spirits. This whiskey is so detailed, complex and complete it makes me question whether the world of 15yr, 18yr, 21yr, Ximénez Sherry, Oloroso Sherry, Bourbon, 1st fill, 2nd fill, Super Tuscan, d’Yquem etc, etc, is all just fluff of people trying to make their average distillate taste better than someone else’s. It seems Kilchoman have the magic recipe and careful craftsmanship to make astoundingly good scotch that needs very little “dressing up” at all. The Machir Bay takes hints of salinity from it’s name sake, soft vanilla highlights backed by exotic spice and sweet red fruits. Elegantly smoky, perfectly balanced and long on the finish, moreish and very hard to put down!”

Jeff Garneau | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 06, 2012
While every whisky drinker has their favorite, cherished bottle of some obscure single malt produced by a now defunct distillery, what we all really crave of course is that great, affordable bottle we can drink with pleasure whenever we wish. I visited Scotland one summer many years ago and recall fondly a small local pub just outside of Edinburgh. The place was warmed in the winter by peat fires. In the heat of August no fires were lit, but after many years the peat smoke had permeated the very stones of the building, lending the atmosphere a subtle, smoky character. I was reminded of that pub the moment I put my nose in a glass of the newly released Kilchoman Machir Bay Islay Single Malt Whisky. Smoke, citrus, and honey on the nose. A rich texture on the palate, surprising in such a young whisky. At once both delicate and robust, subtle yet assertive, this is an Islay malt that you can happily drink every day, either straight up or over ice. If you have enjoyed Ardbeg or Bruichladdich or Caol Ila in the past, you owe it to yourself to try this new, very affordable Kilchoman bottling. You’ll be glad you did.

Keith Wollenberg | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 06, 2012
How do they do it? I expect whiskey with 3-5 years of barrel age to be rather raw and coarse. But this is peaty, complex and very fine and elegant in texture. Hats off to the master distillers in charge of this product. Who knows how they do it, but we’re delighted they did.

Melissa Smith | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 06, 2012
A pretty amazing blend of casks, and one of the best, if not THE best, I’ve ever had. Just the right amount of salinity, smoke, vanilla, and acid to make it a very intriguing Scotch. I might just make a pork terrine, with some star anise poached fried apricots, and Marcona almonds to celebrate this with.

David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 05, 2012
I maxed out the space in the tasting notes portion, so I’ll add a bit more info here. The Machir Bay is a vatting of 60% of 3 year,35% of 4 year and 5% of 5 year old single malt, matured in fresh bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, Kentucky. The 4 year old portion was finished in Oloroso Sherry butts for 2 months. I can’t stress enough how fantastic this whisky is. It’s not for the super-esoteric whisky geeks, this is as accessible as peated whisky gets – soft and gentle, yet loaded with smoke, with a high-toned cinnamon finish, and a mouthful of butterscotch when it’s all said and done. It’s absolutely stunning and there’s no amount I wouldn’t buy of it. If we could buy 2,000 cases I would. I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be the best whisky of 2012.

Kilchoman Machir Bay Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($53.99)

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

Taste sensations at The Bombay Brasserie
The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show presents The Whisky Dinner

Enjoy the ultimate dining experience at The Bombay Brasserie in London and indulge in an exclusive showcase dinner of Indian cuisine and whisky pairing. As a prelude to The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show, The Whisky Dinner boasts a delicious range of food and drink and promises to take diners through a culinary journey which will surprise and awaken the senses. Taking place on 11 September from 7pm, tickets are £125 per person and are available to buy now from through The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show website: http://www.whisky-show.com

Begin the evening with drinks and cocktails designed by award-winning bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana followed by an elaborate five course menu which has been carefully created by Michelin-starred chef Sriram Alyur. Each of the five courses will be paired with a different whisky and presented by renowned author and drinks expert Dave Broom. The selected whiskies will complement each course and will be tasted blind to encourage challenging any preconceptions about the flavour combinations.

Sukhinder Singh, Show Director, said:

“Setting the stage for The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show, the evening promises to be an intimate dining experience showcasing some of our finest whiskies. Guests will be surprised and delighted with the unexpected food and whisky pairings we have specially designed. Diners wishing to continue exploring the senses can expect many more innovative pairings at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show this October”.

Set to delight the senses, guests will be enticed with spiced infused dishes starting with Palak Patta Chaat, (crispy baby spinach with sweet mango relish). Followed by a fish course consisting of Prawn Tokri and Pan Fried Tilapia. The main course will feature Lamb Roganjosh, Aloo Katliyan, Dal Tadka and Chicken Biryani. The gastronomic experience will finish with a sweet course of Berries, Reduced Milk Pudding and Malai Kulfi – a set milk pudding with berries and cardamon infused Indian ice cream. Following dessert will be coffee and chocolate which has been selected to pair with the accompanying whisky.

The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show takes place over 6-7 October 2012, offering visitors the chance to taste some of the finest, rarest and most expensive whiskies and enjoy a range of food pairings. Tickets are £99 for a day ticket and £185 for a weekend ticket. For more information about The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show please visit http://www.whisky-show.com or to book tickets visit http://www.whisky-show.com/tickets

Spaces at The Whisky Dinner are strictly limited, so to book your place please visit www.whisky-show.com/highlights/whisky-dinner/

Forty Creek (45%, OB, ‘Port Wood Reserve’, Lot 060, 2010)

Bottled at a significantly higher alcohol by volume at 45% and it involves PORT.How exciting; Canadian distillers don’t venture this far off the norm very often. On the nose there’s some nice fruit, quite rich and deep plus some of the now familiar grains (this is not a criticism) while still remaining very clean and soft. The taste is slightly meaty with fruit and a little herbaceous notes (very slight) some really good dryness and then, all of a sudden, some really concentrated fruit notes (think fruit leather) and then think more fruit leather. The finish is really big with the fruit leather and cask influence and very dry. Very chewy and very long. More chewyness.

Excellent by any standard.

Score 88 points

Meet Our Venezuelan Ambassador

Hi all,

After Valentina Naumova in Russia and John Scott in Ecuador, I would like to introduce you to another member of our team of ambassadors; Cruz Mario Zambrano.

Cruz Mario is our ambassador in Venezuela. I spoke to him to find out a little more about his previous career as a diplomat and the popularity of…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

www.ralfy.com has an Anniversary with Whisky Review 300. . . a beautiful bohemian moment!

The wait is over…

After many requests, we have now bottled our award winning Chapter 6 at cask strength.

Enjoy!

Click here to purchase

A STRONG YEAR FOR CHIVAS BROTHERS 

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, confirmed strong performances for all of its strategic brands over the last financial year*, with its flagship, Chivas Regal, delivering +7% volume growth as it approaches annual global sales of 5 million 9 litre cases. The original luxury whisky grew net sales faster at +11%, consolidating it as the No 2 Scotch whisky by value**. 

Chivas Regal volumes grew strongly in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and Vietnam. Sales in Global Travel Retail exceeded 1 million 9 litre cases annual sales for the first time, following double-digit growth in this sector over the last year. In China, where Chivas Regal is the undisputed No 1 Scotch whisky, both volume and value growth increased strongly. 

The brand’s buoyant performance was helped by the profitable contribution of Chivas Regal 18 Year Old, which sold over 300,000 9 litre cases to maintain leadership of the ultra premium category***. Chivas Regal 18 Year Old also posted double-digit growth figures in key markets such as China, Russia, India, US, Vietnam and Global Travel Retail. 

* Pernod Ricard financial results, July ‘11 – June ‘12

** Impact Top 100 Premium Brands 2012

***Chivas Regal 18 RRP = £50 

Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, commented: “During the year, Chivas Regal has consistently demonstrated luxury, authenticity and the dynamism of Scotch whisky. Over the last 10 years, backed by the strong Pernod Ricard distribution network and a strategy of innovation, Chivas Regal has reaffirmed its iconic status and continues to grow in many emerging Scotch whisky markets. 

“In addition to Chivas Regal, the overall strong performance of our key brands underlines the importance we have placed on investing in both our operations and innovation to secure a strong future for our truly global portfolio,” concluded Porta. 

Royal Salute, the only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky brand, continued its impressive success story with another year of +20% volume growth exceeding 200,000 9l cases, a significant milestone for the prestige Scotch whisky category. Dramatic net sales performance of +23% across the range, which is priced from £100 to £1600, alongside the roll out of its World Polo sponsorship programme and strong marketing activity around the Diamond Jubilee, made this a significant year for Royal Salute. 

The Glenlivet, the No 2 single malt Scotch whisky in the world, achieved a volume increase of 15% to surpass the 800,000 9l case mark for the first time and a value increase of 19% globally. It further strengthened its No 1 position in the US, the world’s largest single malt whisky market, and saw strong growth in Asia, buoyed by a programme of new product development and direct consumer interaction. 

Ballantine’s, the world’s No 2 and Europe’s No 1 Scotch whisky, achieved a stable performance despite the effects of the economic downturn in Spain and duty increases in France; the two largest markets for the brand. Offsetting this was a very strong performance in emerging markets such as Poland, Russia and Brazil. New advertising campaigns and social media applications, alongside the prestigious Ballantine’s Championship event in Asia, have continued to convey the brand message ‘Leave an Impression’ to consumers globally. 

Beefeater Gin posted a strong volume increase of 6%, taking it to 2.5 million 9 litre cases over the year, a historical high for the world’s leading premium gin. In Spain, Beefeater Gin strengthened its position as the No 1 white spirit brand with high single-digit growth. Beefeater Gin maintained a strong focus on marketing its unique London credentials, launching a special edition bottle celebrating London in 20 countries and showcasing London music talent to consumers and digital audiences at major events in Madrid and Moscow during the year. 

Notes

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 please visit: http://www.chivasbrothers.com/ 

Forty Creek (40%, OB, ‘Confederation Oak Reserve’, Lot 1867, 2010)

On the nose there’s some really sensational crème brulèe (the hard sugar on top not the custard bit underneath) and gentle, soothing oak spice with a little menthol. The taste is once again quite gentle but once again very good with some rye notes and then a variety of oak spice notes which make the taste lean towards the dry side. There’s also some nice fruit notes (apricots etc, perhaps dried). All very nice actually. The finish is slightly creamy and lots of grain notes with the dryness as previously described taking hold and that the dominate descriptor until the end (which is actually quite long).

Easy drinking and very enjoyable.

Score 86