MMI’s Le Clos to showcase some of the most rare and valuable Macallan expressions following auction success 

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates):  Dubai-based MMI was the largest single winning bidder at the recent (October 2012) Macallan Chairman’s Collection auction, one of the world’s finest private collections of The Macallan single malt whisky, successfully bidding for all the showpiece bottles such as the 50 year-old 1928 Vintage, the 25 year-old Wordsley Crystal Decanter, the Silver Jubilee Magnum, and the 1981 Royal Wedding bottling. Le Clos will present its full range of Macallan expressions for the benefit of international whisky connoisseurs at its Dubai International duty free stores, where the Macallan collection will form the centrepiece of Le Clos’ new dedicated whisky showcase.

MMI owns and operates the award winning Le Clos duty free fine wines and luxury spirits outlets at Dubai International, where it will open a further Le Clos store at Terminal 3 Concourse A, due to launch in the first quarter of 2013. The new Le Clos outlet will have twice the floor area of the original store.

The new Le Clos store in Terminal 3 Concourse A at Dubai International will list over 60 Macallan expressions and will be the only duty free retailer with an extensive range of both Fine Oak and Sherry Oak Macallan, showcasing two examples of the rare Macallan Lalique Collection and 20 individual vintages from the Fine and Rare Collection spanning five decades.

Ms Patsy Christie, The Macallan Brand Ambassador, comments: “As the most significant purchaser in volume and value of The Macallan Chairman’s Collection auction, Le Clos Finest Wines and Luxury Spirits has demonstrated the company’s commitment in collecting, retailing and showcasing what will be the widest and rarest retail selection of The Macallan. This long standing partnership accentuates both companies’ pursuit of achievement, both being globally recognized as best in class in their respective industries.”

Ben Odgers, Head of Le Clos, adds: “At Le Clos, we pride ourselves on acquiring the finest, rarest and most exclusive wines and spirits from across the globe. The Macallan is acknowledged worldwide as one of the greatest single malts and we are delighted to be able to offer expressions that will appeal to serious connoisseurs and collectors across the globe.”

Having set the benchmark in its field since its opening in Dubai International Terminal 3, the Le Clos concept has become synonymous within the travel retail and wine & spirits industries as a ‘game changing’ concept. The success has primarily been driven by repeat custom from both domestic and overseas customers, all of whom have recognised the commitment shown by the business to offer value at all strata, combined with unequalled provenance in the field borne out of its direct relationship with suppliers.

Notes

Both Le Clos’ outlets are located within Dubai International Terminal 3 Departures, one in the exclusive Emirates First Class Lounge and the other adjacent to gate B8 on the Terminal 3 shopping concourse.

Le Clos awards and milestones

2009

Best New Liquor and Wines Store

(Duty Free News International Awards)

Travel Retail Operator of the Year

(Drinks International Travel Retail Excellence Awards)

2010

World record duty free sale of wines and spirits

2011

World’s Number One Wine Store

(La Cav Magazine)

Further details can be found at http://www.leclos.net/.

About MMI

MMI is a dynamic marketing, sales and distribution organisation. A passionate group committed to delivering and enjoying sustainable, profitable growth by achieving leadership though excellence in our chosen beverage categories and markets. MMI is headquartered in Dubai, UAE, with joint venture operations in Omanand Abu Dhabi. MMI is a subsidiary of the Emirates Group. Our long standing operation in the market has given us a unique understanding and respect for both the cultural differences and common interests in this diverse society. At every interaction with our portfolio, events and outlets we strive to bring more to the lives of our customers and consumers, through innovations such as the award winning and ‘game changing’ Le Clos fine wines and luxury spirits retail concept.

Flaming Heart – our rich, spicy, smoky limited edition whisky – is back! Its core is a delicious combination of new French oak-aged Highland malt and peaty Islay whisky. Bottled at a feisty 48.9% it is a whisky born of fire, with a big heart.

Flaming Heart has previously won numerous awards, including Malt Advocate’s ‘Blended Whisky of the Year’ in 2011, and was awarded 95.5 points in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. However, Whiskymaker John Glaser believes this version is probably the best yet: “This is really one of our whiskies of which I am most proud. Because there is, to our knowledge, no other Scotch whisky like it. No other that combines peat smoke and sweetness like this.” Or in the words of Whisky Advocate’s John Hansell, “Flaming Heart kicks a**, as always.”

You can order one of the 9,147 delicious bottles of Flaming Heart from your local retailer or via our UK Online shop

Christmas Cask Ends Sale: Ends Wed 19 Dec
Parcels like no other, each trio not only includes bottlings of past and present but also those that have NEVER been released. The spirit that is yet to come….take a look upon thee, will you see something special for you or a present for someone special?

Parcel A: Islay Casks Ex-sherry & Bourbon £159
Parcel A packs a punch with bottlings all from Islay, this parcel will be heavily sherried with an unreleased bottling from Distillery 3. Age Range: 14 to 22 years

SPIRITS PRESENT: 3 X 70cl single cask malts from Islay with 1 guaranteed 20yo (worth £72+)

YET TO COME: Unreleased 14yo bottling from Distillery 3

BUY      

Parcel B: Motley Malts only £159
This parcel is a rainbow of cask types; enjoy bottles from port, bourbon and ex-sherry casks with a guaranteed 22yo and a never been released bottling from Distillery 35.
Age Range: 11 to 24 years

SPIRITS PRESENT: 3 X 70cl single cask malts from Speyside with 1 guaranteed 24yo (worth £75+)

YET TO COME: Unreleased 24yo bottling from Distillery 35

BUY

Parcel C: Islay Casks Ex-sherry & Bourbon £159
The second of our smoky parcels is again primarily ex-sherry casks with an ex-bourbon bottling in there for good measure however this time our future bottling is from Distillery 29. Age Range: 14 to 20 years

SPIRITS PRESENT: 3 X 70cl single cask malts from Islay with 1 guaranteed 20yo (worth £72+)

YET TO COME: Unreleased 20yo bottling from Distillery 29

BUY

All of our Christmassy parcels contain mystery malts bringing a wonderful element of surprise that is bound to raise a few smiles. 

Best be quick, before these vanish, the sale ends Wed 19 Dec at midday (our last order date for guaranteed Christmas delivery)

Cask Ends Sale Available via Mail Order only

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.

The Collective Mind

Of the whisky drinkers you know how many are male and how many female? How many collectors of whisky do you know? How many of them are male and how many female? I expect the answer to the first question is weighted towards men while to the last few if any answers will include female collectors. Somehow this is not surprising. The range of interest in whisky stretches from total dis-interest (actually even beyond that to feelings of animosity) through casual dealings, active pursuit to near obsession. The hobby of collecting bottles of whisky, as well as related items like books (a personal weakness), labels, etc, strays into the pro-active extreme.

So why do some people spend time and money tracking down particular examples of the distiller’s art with often no intention of ever opening the bottle? The fascination brought on by the building up of any collection needs little explanation. The satisfaction in carefully piecing together a complete set rewards with a sense of accomplishment while the challenge of hunting down the individual components can call upon ingenuity, patience and effort. Much like a round of golf or fly fishing. Beyond the universal appeal of such a hobby the specific draw of whisky collecting may lie in the multi-dimensional nature of the drink.

Obviously most purchases of drams are intended for consumption. So unlike a stamp collection the whisky collector can liquidate (pun intended) their collection and enjoy the benefit the subject of their fascination was designed to deliver:- flavour, aroma and that warming glow. Due to the time it takes between production and maturation bottles carry with them a sense of the passage of time. A bottle might date back to a special year for the collector, even beyond their own vintage. Or maybe it is more the location of the distillery which is meaningful. Or when a collector focuses on a particular brand perhaps it is just the appeal that company offers with its own unique approach in the market. Simpler still the attraction might just be an alternative form of investment. Some lucky or intelligent purchases might, even in the short term, return a profit the envy of many a bank’s best promises.

So where to start? Although blends are by far the most numerous in availability and accessible in price it is the malts that offer the variety and more traditional appeal of heritage and perceived superiority. It pays to think out at the beginning which direction you want to take rather than randomly gathering brands. A popular approach is to concentrate on those distilleries no longer in production. Now is a good time to pick them up as due to the development in demand for whisky, especially the top of the range bottlings, most of these malts have actually never been so common. This explosion of availability can’t last forever so don’t become complacent that the supply is a permanent feature. Also some of the more obscure examples of short lived stills can cost many hundreds of pounds/dollars. Another idea is to pick a distillery and gather up every expression that comes out. This will mean your collection will have defined limits so a goal can be achieved. Again caution needs to exercised due to some very limited out-turns especially of older examples coming out at wallet wincing prices. Another problem can be that some companies release particular bottlings in isolated markets, such as duty free, which may make acquiring a bottle tricky.

One issue worth consideration is where and how to store your bottles. With limited space maybe miniatures are a better option. Full bottles not only take up space but need shelving or cabinets if they are to be displayed. Whisky should always be stored upright unlike wine. Direct sunlight can bleach the bottle contents so keeping the bottles in the original gift tube is practical as well as adding to the presentation. Temperature fluctuations are to be avoided with central heating leading literally to the cooking of the bottle’s contents as well as evaporation. If things get serious then perhaps a word with your insurance company might be prudent.

Where to go for advice and actual purchases? These days many outlets offer unique bottlings and with the leap in online retailing shopping can be done from the comfort of your armchair with dram in hand. Certainly price comparisons and stock checks can be rapidly completed while on-line. However the rather neutral experience of screen gazing doesn’t compare with the good humoured discussions possible when visiting outlets. Auctions houses have not been slow to recognise the interest in collecting either with sales becoming larger, more common and more frequent.

So even if you don’t have aspirations to stock pile what you would rather savour as a treat after the working week is done spare a thought for any dusty bottles lying half forgotten in a cupboard or passed down to you from a relative. Sometimes what may appear to be a mundane example of a famous name could be the missing piece of a keen collector’s jigsaw. Maybe you have an old bottle which you have decided has been with you long enough and rather than opening it perhaps it could be sold and the return converted into a case of a current malt every bit as enjoyable. I myself owe it to collectors ‘preserving’ bottles for some of my more memorable drams.

Mark Davidson…

Of a distinguished Banff 1968 vintage Mark Davidson has a short but full body and so marries well (& subsequently producing two limited editions), frequently seen at whisky fairs in Scotland yet curiously difficult to find outside his domestic market it is hoped his inaugural launch on the Canadian scene will be well received. He is at home in independant bottling circles being most commonly found in the William Cadenhead livery where he has enjoyed a 13 year finishing period, however as a stand alone single expression under the Jolly Toper brand he can come into his own while being a fine mixer.

Whisky Tasting: The Glenlivet at TWE Vinopolis

We had a superb tasting at Vinopolis a couple of Mondays back.  We were delighted to welcome the affable and gregarious Ian Logan, ‘The’ Glenlivet’s global brand ambassador to introduce no less than eight outstanding drams to a packed crowd in Vinopolis’s newly-revamped … Continue reading >>

The Whiskey Ice Co. LLC Brings an Ice Ball Maker to the Masses at an Approachable Price

Dallas, TX, USA – December 7, 2012 – This year, whiskey/whisky and other fine liquor aficionados can rejoice.  The latest trend in drink paraphernalia, the ice ball, is no longer reserved for the most elite.  The Whiskey Ice Co.™, from Dallas, TX, USA has introduced their 2.6 inch (66mm) Spherical Ice Ball Maker™ that provides the exact same functionality as competing ice ball makers costing $800 to $1200 USD (£499 to £750 GBP) for only $399.99 (£248). The patent pending design of their Spherical Ice Ball Maker™ and proprietary manufacturing process allows The Whiskey Ice Co.™ to offer the same kind of product at a fraction of the cost.

The Whiskey Ice Co.™ Spherical Ice Ball Maker™ is the only complete package on the market at this price point and includes everything required to create 2.6 inch (66mm) spherical ice balls:

• 2.6 inch Spherical Ice Ball Maker™
• Ice Tongs
• Flexible Ice Plug Cup Mold
• Water Catch Drip Pan

According to The Whiskey Ice Co.™, the 2.6 inch (66mm) size is an optimized size that fits in more glassware sizes and allows for a normal volume of your favorite beverage to be served (approximately 1.5 oz. for a double old fashioned glass) and can be used in a variety of glass sizes and shapes.

“We are whisk(e)y drinkers and we enjoy an occasional cocktail too; we wanted to offer the same kind of product that typically cost hundreds of dollars more at a price that people could approach” says Mr. Clinton Compton, Marketing Director for The Whiskey Ice Co.™, “the problem with the current products available is that they are just too cost prohibitive [referring to other ice ball makers on the market] or they make ice balls that are irregularly shaped and/or crack and melt too easily [referring to silicone and rubber ice ball molds].”

The Whiskey Ice Co. ™ Spherical Ice Ball Maker™ is available in Silver and soon, a Limited Black Edition.

The Whiskey Ice Co.™ offers a variety of products with new products on the way, including apparel and vintage bar a liquor memorabilia. The Whiskey Ice Co.™ operates from 9am to 7pm US/Central time, Monday through Friday.

Wholesale and custom-branded reseller opportunities are available for retailers and distilleries who would like to offer The Whiskey Ice Co.™ Spherical Ice Ball Maker™ to their customers, including with their own brand and other color options are available, including gold, red, and more.

View the video of The Whiskey Ice Co.™ Spherical Ice Ball Maker™ in action:
www.whiskey-ice.com/videos.html

Contact:
Clinton Compton
Marketing Director
clint@whiskey-ice.com
4447 N Central Expy
Box 110328
Dallas, TX 75205
USA
Ph:  1-866-252-2099 (US & Canada) or +1-214-609-0599 (Rest of World)

A quick note of note from Colin Southcombe General Manager The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada;

Vancouver Island Based Members of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

I am pleased to announce that I now have bottles of the December Outturn available for tasting.  Unfortunately we weren’t able to present these in the soon to be regular “First Friday” format.  However we wanted you to have the opportunity to taste these fabulous new whiskies;  you should all have received a copy of the December Outturn by email from our Canada headquarters.

You are invited to attend an informal stand-up tasting in the store next Saturday December 15^th between 3:00pm to 6:00pm.  I will be pouring all seven of the December Outturn and thanks to generous subsidizing by the Society, I am offering this for a nominal $10 per member and $15 for non-members.  If anyone wants to check out any of the remaining October and November releases, you are most welcome to do that too.

Just drop in any time between 3:00pm and 6:00pm.  No ticket is required, just pay at the door, but don’t miss out.  If you can let me know you are coming, that would help.

New members who have not as yet picked up their Membership Kit, can do so at the same time.  Anyone joining the Society at the time, becomes instantly eligible to purchase any Society whiskies.  Gift memberships can also be purchased and we have the kits here, so there is no delay.

As always, if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Slainté!

Colin Southcombe General Manager The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants 919 Douglas Street, Victoria BC, V8W 2C2 Tel: 250-370-9463 Email: whisky@strathconahotel.com

Email the Society in Canada at curious@smws.ca for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers. Bottlings are currently available in Alberta (via Kensington Wine Mart Calgary) and in British Columbia (via The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants Victoria and Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales, Vancouver).

I hope my festive season letter finds you well.

It is the time of year when I look back on some of our highlights – and what a year it has been! We reached two major milestones: It was the ‘coming of age’ for the Friends of Laphroaig as we celebrated our 18th birthday at this year’s Feis Ile and, just before we reached our 18th birthday, the 500,000th plot was taken! Our Cairdeas special bottling this year also commemorated the FOL 18th birthday.

The Distillery
I am pleased to say that we had a record year for distillation, so it’s hats off to the whole team – please toast them, they deserve it! Indeed it was also a record for visitors to our distillery with over 17,000! Many if not most were Friends of Laphroaig making their pilgrimage and claiming their “rent” – a dram of our finest of course. What really pleases me is that both these records have meant that we have had the pleasure of recruiting four more local islanders to our team, two working in distillation and production and two in the Visitor Centre. It’s great to be able to do our bit in these difficult times.

Islay
Talking of our island community, may I thank all of you who participated in our monthly charity auctions on the website. You raised £5,000 which went to the Islay Museum for the installation of a temperature controlled environment – very important for some of the more delicate artefacts. If you would like to read more about this there is a picture and link on our facebook page.

Friends of Laphroaig Tartan
As you know we ran a competition this year to design the official FOL Tartan and we had 5,000 entries! The winning entry has now been hand made and you can see a picture of of our winner Patrick McCoy wearing the new kilt on our facebook page. The first items for sale have now been made at the Woollen Mill; they are a tartan scarf with the FOL logo embroidered on it and a beautiful blanket/throw. If you would like one they are now on sale in your online shop. We will be adding other FOL tartan merchandise in 2013.

Laphroaig Live Germany
In late September we had our annual ‘Laphroaig Live’, which this year came from Nürnberg in Germany and broke all previous viewing records around the World! I hope you all enjoyed it (any of you who did not see it at the time can view the recorded show at www.laphroaig.com/live). It was terrific fun comparing our classic 10 year old Laphroaig with two other peated single malts from the Highlands (Ardmore) and Ireland (Connemara), but perhaps the most unusual aspect was tasting a special German ‘Smokey’ beer that had been matured in Laphroaig Quarter Casks.

Friends of Laphroaig Christmas trees
Some of you will recall that this Spring we had to extend the original FOL Plots area as we had run out of land – indeed we had been placing plots in the nearby fir tree wood. Earlier in the year we expanded the FOL area and this has meant that the wood is now free of plots. As a result we have therefore been able to donate two of your Christmas trees to the local community in Port Ellen, and have taken one for ourselves which now has pride of place in the courtyard outside my office!

All that is left for me to do is to wish you Seasons Greetings from myself and all of us here at Laphroaig. I hope you have a great holiday and a superb Hogmanay.

Slàinte,

John Campbell
Distillery Manager, Laphroaig

Visit www.laphroaig.com to join the Friends of Laphroaig; it’s free!

TOP PICKS

• Lagavulin 12 Year Old 2012 Edition Natural Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($109.99)
Whisky Advocate: “Brought back as an annual limited edition to satisfy the cravings of those who like their peat full-on and never understood why Lagavulin moved to 16 years of age, this is the Kildalton coast single malt at its most boisterous. Aromatically, it blazes a seaweed-strewn, zigzag pathway between sea, shore, and land: bog myrtle and samphire, beach bonfire, sea spray, and melon before, with much-needed water, there’s slow-burning Latakia pipe tobacco and Lapsang Souchong tea. ” K&L Notes: A limited edition, natural cask strength single malt whisky from the essential Islay distillery, Lagavulin, on Islay’s rocky south coast. Ninth of a series of special 12 year old releases from the original distiller’s stocks. Vatted from refill American oak casks, each at least 12 years old. Available in limited quantities worldwide. An elegant classic; massive smoke and purity of flavour supported by complex aromas and delicious sweetness. Less rich and plummy than the 16 year old, this starts with a fresh moss nose that is well hidden in the standard bottle.

• Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($109.99)
The 2012 limited edition is here, loaded with the Pedro Ximenez sherry from the double maturation. Big, cakey, and round with tons of richness. This whisky is always a big hit. We’ve been getting about five requests a day for this lately, so it appears the DE Lagavulin is the new hot thing on the street! I have never been a big fan of this whisky, but I finally got around to tasting this year’s expression and I was quite taken aback. This 2012 edition is exactly what I hope Lagavulin with extra sherry will taste like, but never seems to actually do. A burst of rich raisiny sherry comes first with all the classic Lagavulin smoke and brine on the back end. The fudge lingers long on the finish, mingling between cocoa and campfire smoke. I’ve found that previous editions have overdosed on the sherry and drowned out the peat. Not this one. It’s perfectly harmoneous. It’s totally balanced and right where it needs to be. I think it might be the best Lagavulin I’ve tasted in years. Much better than the standard 16 in my opinion. Fans of the distillery will be very pleased. This whisky is delicious. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

NEW ARRIVALS

Scotland – Blended Scotch

• White Horse “HM King” Cellar Blended Scotch Whisky – 1 available ($649.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• 1966 Ben Nevis 26 Year Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere 1200) – 1 available ($899.99)
• Clynelish Distiller’s Edition Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($89.99)
• Dalwhinnie 25 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 1 available ($299.99)
• 1975 Glen Garioch 12 year Samaroli Eastern Highlands “Fragments of Scotland” old Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $620) – 1 available ($549.99)
• 1979 Glenrothes Vintage Distillery Bottle Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 1 available ($399.99)
• Longrow 11 Year Old “Red” Campbeltown Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($84.99)
• Longrow 14 Year Single Burgundy Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($109.99)
• Longrow Campbeltown Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($54.99)
• 1973 Longrow First Distillation, Last Cask Campbeltown Single Malt Whisky (Elsewhere $5700) – 1 available ($4,095.00)
• Mortlach 12 Year Old Gordon & Macphail Single Malt Whisky (Elsewhere 500) – 1 available ($299.99)
• 1972 Mortlach 22 Year Old Rare Malts Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $600) – 1 available ($499.99)

BACK IN STOCK

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Russell’s Reserve 10 year old Small Batch Bourbon 750ml ($33.99)

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

Balvenie DoubleWood 17 Year Old

Balvenie‘s 12 year old DoubleWood is one of Speyside’s most-loved drams amongst the whisky fraternity, with many whisky nuts (yours truly included) citing it as a key ‘gateway’ malt.  I certainly have vivid memories of it being poured liberally in my … Continue reading >>