THE MACALLAN APPOINTS NEW MASTER OF WOOD

One of the world’s leading single malt whiskies, The Macallan, has unveiled Stuart MacPherson as its new Master of Wood. Stuart MacPherson joined the Clyde Cooperage in Glasgow in 1979, beginning his four year apprenticeship as a cooper, and rising through the ranks to become Cooperage Manager in 2001.

Today Stuart oversees 16 production coopers, 3 apprentices and 7 service coopers, based at our 2 cooperages for the supply and repair of the oak casks, which are essential to the distinctive maturation character of The Macallan. He is responsible for the day to day running of the cooperage, production planning and ensuring that the distillery receives casks that meet our exacting quality standards.

In assuming the role of Master of Wood for The Macallan, Stuart is the primary source of information on The Macallan’s oak casks and the influence on the whiskies. He is also involved in the far reaching brand education programme around wood.

Commenting on his new role, Stuart MacPherson said, “Taking on the role of Master of Wood for The Macallan feels like a natural progression for me. Having worked as a cooper since 1979, this feels like the ultimate job where I can bring together all my practical experience of wood and casks to assist in driving forward our rigorous wood policy for the coming years.”

This is a crucial role as the influence of the oak maturation casks on the final character of The Macallan is critical. The huge investment in these casks pays a dividend in the distinctive character of the final whisky, reckoned to account for some 60% of the final aromas and flavours of The Macallan.

Ken Grier, Director of Malts at Edrington, owners of The Macallan, said, “Stuart is a great addition to the Macallan team and his role as Master of Wood is vital to the sustaining the highest quality approach to wood which sits at the very heart of The Macallan.”

Stuart MacPherson takes up the role following the retirement of George Espie on 1st October 2012. Stuart lives in Lenzie with his wife Carol and son Scott. He is keen on all aspects of sport ranging from athletics to football however his main passion nowadays is golf.

Visit The Macallan at www.themacallan.com

Notes:

ABOUT THE MACALLAN
Founded in 1824 in the heart of Speyside, The Macallan was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be legally licensed. Since then it has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading single malt whiskies. The creation of The Macallan draws on the vital contributing influences of Spain, North America and Scotland, and of their respective natural raw materials, combined with traditional methods and craftsmanship. From its founding, through the subsequent owners of The Macallan distillery in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and into the present century, The Macallan has been recognised for its outstanding quality above all else. Today this remains the foundation for the worldwide fame of The Macallan and is such that it is truly “The Last Word” in luxury and at the heart of those special moments brought alive over a glass of The Macallan.

Maxxium UK:
Maxxium UK Limited is a company registered in Scotland under the Companies Acts (Registered number SC203623) and has its registered office at Maxxium House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4RT, to which address any notices should be sent.

Maxxium UK Limited is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Global Spirits and Wine Inc and The Edrington Group. Its portfolio of premium spirits includes: The Famous Grouse, Teacher’s and Cutty Sark blended Scotch; Highland Park, Laphroaig and The Macallan single malts; Courvoisier cognac; Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon. In addition Maxxium has premium brands across a number of other drinks categories including Sourz, Brugal, After Shock, Sauza and Harveys. Maxxium UK also represents third-party drinks brands including Stolichnaya vodka, Bols liqueurs, Galliano and The Glenrothes.

For further information on our brands and how to enjoy them log on to www.mixxit.co.uk

Sherry & Madeira tasting: Wednesday, 5th December 2012

If Sherry makes you think of a dusty, past it’s best, half-empty bottle sitting on your auntie’s sideboard, then think again! As the cold nights draw in we offer you a warm welcome and invite you to discover why Jancis Robinson says (of Sherry), ‘In a nutshell: The world’s most neglected wine treasure.’ We’ll be sharing 6 different examples of this often under-rated drink and offering food matching ideas to delight you and your guests during the coming festive season.

At the end of the evening you’ll understand why those in the know are paying more attention to this versatile and delicious wine…

…definitely not to be trifled with…

Telephone 01384 394518 or email James to reserve your tickets

Starting at 7pm James Baker will be guiding us round the world of sherries and Madeiras, brushing off the cobwebs from these often pigeon-holed drinks.

£15.00 inc VAT
£12.50 ex VAT

Tickets to the Worlds First Premier Luxury Whisky Show –

 “Nth 2013” Tickets On sale CyBeR MoNdAy.

10% OFF ALL TICKETS CYBER MONDAY SPECIAL ONLY. 

To purchase tickets click here:

Tickets to the ‘Nth 2013’ – Ultimate Whisky Experience

It’s today folks!

BRAND NEW! Launched in November 2012,

Based on the classic card game; Whisky Trumps lets you do battle with Whisky using a set of 36 cards containing many classic, premium and rare single malts. Choose from any of five key categories on each card to Trump your opponents and reach victory by winning all the cards in the pack. Fun and whisky educational. 1st Release is a limited edition. £5.99 plus shipping/postage.

Available from Angels;  trumps@angelswhiskyclub.com

http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/whiskytrumps.asp

2nd Floor, 163 High Street, Perth PH1UN, Scotland.

Can be shipped as a single pack or groups all over the world.

Sunday, December 2, 2012 – 4:00pm

A Whisky Auction for Hurricane Sandy Relief

The Whisky Community of New York – an unprecedented group of retailers, distillers, private collectors and brand representatives of some of the finest whiskies made – are assembling the best of their collections for an auction to raise funds for those who have suffered from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Items to be auctioned include:

Limited editions
Vintage editions
Whiskies of great age
Other rare whiskies

100% of auction revenue will go directly to charities that will be announced shortly, that are chosen for their low overhead and direct assistance to communities in need. The money will be split evenly between these two charities that work to address the needs of families in Coastal New Jersey and New York City, respectively.

The auction begins promptly at 5:00. In the hour prior to the auction, guests will be able to visit whisky tables offering tastes of great Scotch, bourbon, world whiskies and more, alongside live jazz from The Blue Nitrous Jazz quintet.

Cost: $25

RSVP

Astor Wines

Wine and liquor store

Location

399 Lafayette St New York,

NY, 10013

http://www.astorwines.com/

(212) 674-7500

INDEPENDENT DISILLERY BRINGS BACK BERE BARLEY

Independent Scotch whisky producer, Isle of Arran Distillers, has teamed up with the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, to produce a dramatic new single malt whisky made with Scotland’s oldest cultivated barley.

Thought to have been brought to the UK by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago, Bere barley is notoriously hard to grow, but for those willing to persevere it can produce a very fine quality of spirit.

Until the 19th century Bere was one of the most important Scottish crops and was widely grown by farmers and used by millers, brewers and distillers. Despite being a fundamental part of Scotland’s agricultural heritage, the crop is now only commercially grown on islands off Scotland’s North and West coasts as it has been replaced by higher yielding modern varieties.

To challenge this, the Agronomy Institute and Arran Distillers have worked together to revive the spirit of this barley which generates a unique taste of whisky as it used to be, a flavour which can be found in the new Arran Malt Orkney Bere.

Due to hit stores at the beginning of December, Orkney Bere has been matured for eight years in ex-bourbon barrels and the spirit developed quicker than anticipated. Just 5,800 bottles will be available for sale.

Euan Mitchell, managing director of Isle of Arran Distillers, said: “As an independent distillery we have the freedom to try different things and we’re constantly looking for new ways to interest and excite people who enjoy excellent malt whiskies.

“Due largely to lack of availability and difficulties with its cultivation, there are only a few distilleries which use Bere, but it can produce fantastic results and is part of Scotland’s heritage. We’ve worked with Orkney College to help raise the profile of this forgotten crop and offer our customers a taste of pure history with this limited edition malt.”

Peter Martin, Director of the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI, commented: “Working with Arran Distillers on this Orkney Bere whisky has been very exciting and I hope its release will help to awaken interest in this historically important Scottish crop. Bere is an under-utilised Scottish food and drink resource – there are not many other ancient cereals still in cultivation which can be used for making whisky, beer and a wide range of bakery products!”

The Arran Malt Orkney Bere has a flavour of ripe apples, oak and rich spices. The spirit has an ABV of 46% and has developed in American oak barrels with no artificial colours and non-chill filtered. A true collector’s edition, you can buy the whisky online at www.arranwhisky.com and specialist whisky shops.

Notes:

The Arran Malt – Orkney Bere is released early in December and will be available in the UK, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Germany and Switzerland. RRP is £47.99 for 70cl.

For more information visit www.arranwhisky.com

* Current accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007) and Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007.)

Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.)

More information on the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI:
The Agronomy Institute is a research centre of the University of the Highlands and Islands and is based at Orkney College UHI which is an academic partner in the University. The Institute specialises in crop-based research and development activities aimed at promoting sustainable development within the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland. For more information visit www.agronomy.uhi.ac.uk

Pre-order from Single Malts Direct today – The Arran Malt Orkney Bere Single Malt. This limited Edition bottle (only 5,800 available) is described as ‘whisky as it used to be’. Bere may have been introduced to Britain by the Vikings more than 1,000 years ago and, until the 19th century, was one of the most important crops grown in Scotland. Replaced by higher yielding modern varieties, it is now grown only in Orkney and a handful of other locations in Scotland. To ensure the grain’s survival and as a nostalgic glance into Whisky History, The Isle of Arran distillers and the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI teamed up to create this very special and unique dram. The spirit has been aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years and is non chill-filtered and has no artifical colouring added. This bottle is beautifully presented , worthy of any collectors cabinet.

Pre-order yours now as Arran’s previous special release of The Devil’s Punch Bowl sold very quickly.
CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

Glendronach / Benriach Tasting Evening 30th November 2012 6.30pm
Everyone is welcome to our special Glendronach and BenRiach tasting evening at our Whiskies of Scotland shop at 36 Gordon Street, Huntly, Aberdeenshire. We will be sampling five divine drams from these sister distilleries so book now to avoid disappointment as places are going quickly. £15 for five drams and excellent banter. Tasting will be held by Teresa Chalmers who worked as a guide at both GlenDronach and BenRiach for the 2012 season. 6.30pm Sharp on 30th November. Don’t miss it!

To book your place, please contact Teresa on teresa@singlemaltsdirect.com or call 08456066145

sample image

Isle of Arran 1996/2012 (51.1%, OB, Premium Cask Selection, Sherry, C#1979, 219 Bts., D’11/12/96, B’25/04/12) 

A single sherry cask from the new Premium Cask Selection series and has just arrived in the US market. On the nose there is a blast of sweet spice and some vegetal earthiness that quickly transforms into lots of welcome sherry notes, very much first class in nature. There’s also some chocolate and the aforementioned spice notes. And sherry. Richness like consommé with a dash of sherry but with some good spiciness added in. Deluxe. The taste is some what subtle despite the level of alcohol and there is a really good dryness along with the chocolate, a little coffee grounds and the sherry malt combination.  This is really quite sensational and it is so nice to come across a sherry cask of such quality. The finish is warming, long and filled with various fall and winter spices, tobacco (unlit of course) and the ever present characteristic Isle of Arran malt.

A real treat, find one if you are able.

$110

Score 90 points

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Isle of Arran 2001/2012 (55.2%, OB for Kensington, Bourbon, C#808, 233 Bts., D’13/12/2001, B’12/09/2012) 

Yet another single cask selected for Kensington in Calgary, in 2011 they bottled Arran KWM Bourbon Barrel – Distilled July 9th, 1999 – Bottled January 19th 2011 – 11 Years – 57.4% – 202 individually numbered bottles and Arran KWM Sherry Hogshead – Distilled April 2nd 1998 – Bottled January 19th 2011 – 12 Years – 55.3% – 282 individually numbered bottles. This latest is from an ex-American bourbon cask and on the nose there are some slight hints of gin, the high alcohol comes through but then after just a few moments in the glass some wafts of toasted sour dough bread starts to emerge followed by hints of heather, rose water and some sweet malt. There are also tantalizing moments of BBQ; somewhat multi-faceted. With water some further sweetness emerges, more malt and caramel or even barley sugar. The undiluted taste is big, aggressive and quite vibrant with loads of malt. With water the whisky is significantly more approachable (it handles quite a bit of water with aplomb) and is much like the undiluted nose with the lighter fragrant notes working well with the malt and sweet notes. The finish is much like fizzy orange drink (think of a soda that’s been sitting in the sun a while and has lost some of its fizz) with lots of malt. There’s lots of mouth smacking moments of malt (try saying that 3 times quickly). As times winds in the malt comes to dominate and grow, astonishing.

Vibrant, active, big and malty but not as malty as previous bottlings in the nose and the taste but certainly in the finish.

$88 (for a cask strength single cask whisky – well done!)

86 points

The Whisky Shop is proud to announce the opening of its new flagship store in Piccadilly London on Thursday the 22nd of November!

Andrew Torrance, Managing Director of The Whisky Shop, said: “This is a very exciting development and we believe that whisky deserves to have this platform. We want to offer customers a very different retailing experience that is both accessible and can serve the needs of the most discerning whisky customer.

“The new store reflects the continuing success story of whisky and will combine prestigious and super premium whisky offerings with the high service standards that customers have come to expect from The Whisky Shop.”

The store will also offer some of the most exclusive whiskies in the world including Royal Salute, ‘Tribute to Honour’, one of the most opulent and rarest of blends in the world of which there are only 21 bottles. Priced at £150,000, the whisky is presented in a spectacular bejewelled bottle, embellished by royal jeweller Garrard in flawless diamonds and shimmering gold.

The Dalmore Constellation Collection, priced at £158,000, consists of 21 individual expressions of some of the world’s rarest single malts created at the Highland Distillery between the years 1964 and 1992.

The flagship Piccadilly store will include a vast whisky library stocking over 400 whiskies as well as an information bar using iPad technology to lead the customer through their whisky journey and to help with their understanding of Scotch.

The Whisky Shop
Tel 0141 427 2919
info@whiskyshop.com
www.whiskyshop.com