HIGHLAND PARK SHOWS PASSION FOR FOOD WITH INCREASED INVESTMENT

Highland Park single malt whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK, is increasing investment by 75% into brand activation around a new platform of food and gastronomy. The brand has forged an exciting partnership with Slow Food UK, is a sponsor at this year’s prestigious The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and will also be implementing a significant sampling programme across some of the UK’s biggest foodie events.

With shared beliefs and values, promoting a passion for flavour and craftsmanship, Highland Park and Slow Food UK have launched a dynamic new initiative, the Slow Food Chef Alliance. The new initiative will engage with Britain’s chefs in actively supporting Slow Food UK, by championing small scale producers and sustainably sourced, quality produce. A number of leading names have already signed up to the scheme including Slow Food UK Chef Alliance ambassador Richard Corrigan (Corrigan’s of Mayfair), Brett Graham (Ledbury), Michael Roux Jr (Le Gavroche), Raymond Blanc (Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons) and Sam Harris (Zucca). Top regional chefs including Colin McGurran (Winteringham Fields) and Tony Singh (Oloroso) have also attended launches in Yorkshire and Scotland with more regional events being rolled out across the country.

Reinforcing the partnership with Slow Food, Highland Park will be sponsoring the Slow Food Restaurant of the Year Award at the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, now in its 10th year and known in the industry as the ‘foodie oscars’. This new award, judged by Slow Food, Restaurant Magazine and Highland Park, will go to the restaurant that creates pleasurable food with a strong commitment to community and the environment.

The brand activation investment will also see a significant sampling programme take place at key events across the UK including The Great Yorkshire Show and the three day festive foodie extravaganza, Taste of Christmas. The brand’s experiential sampling at these events will integrate the Slow Food partnership, showcasing local chefs and producers alongside Highland Park’s award winning single malt, and aims to reach over 30,000 consumers.

Peter Sandstrom, marketing director, Maxxium commented: “Highland Park’s brand strategy very much focuses on our partnership with Slow Food, which is a natural fit. Our shared values and promoting a passion for the importance of taste and flavour has been integrated across all of our brand activation. The Slow Food Chef Alliance is going from strength to strength and we are extremely excited about our involvement with The 50 Best Restaurants of the World and this annual gathering of the world’s culinary greats. We are also looking forward to giving consumers a fantastic food and drink experience through our UK sampling programme.”

Catherine Gazzoli, Slow Food UK CEO, commented: “ Our close relationships with leading chefs and UK consumers who are genuinely concerned with the quality and provenance of the food and drink they enjoy gives us a strong basis on which to reinforce the compatibility between Highland Park’s production values and the Slow Food ethos.

“We’re thrilled that Highland Park and its agencies have the vision to work with us on some of the most exciting and visible projects that Slow Food UK has ever undertaken.”

On a local level at home on Orkney, Highland Park has shown support by helping to establish Slow Food Orkney which was successfully launched at the distillery this week and hosted by Slow Food CEO Catherine Gazzoli.

Highland Park:

Five keystones contribute to making the Best Spirit in the World:
• Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
• Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
• Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
• Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky
• Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world.  For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection.   Its core range of 12, 18, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malt is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. 

Slow Food UK:

In the fast modern junk food environment, Slow Food, a non-profit organisation, is the voice of calm reason and quality. We work to promote the greater enjoyment of food through a better understanding of its taste, quality and production, Working with local member groups across the country, our network of chefs and artisan producers, we deliver educational projects and events to reconnect people with where their food comes from, how and where it is produced and the implications of the choices we make on the environment, biodiversity and our own health.

For more information about 50 Best Restaurants of the World please visit: http://www.theworlds50best.com/

http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/

Here’s a report from the official launch of the Highland Park ’Thor’ in Stockholm.

‘Thor’sday February 16 saw the day of the official European launch of the latest Highland Park – their ‘Valhalla’-collection that promises to office whisky in the character style of the old Norse Gods.

A very exciting and also a hard project according to Martin Markvardsen – the Danish brand ambassador for Highland Park. Martin tells me it has taken a lot of research into old Viking writings and chronicles to come up with the profile for this whisky – but they have released the first edition – the ‘Thor’

The launch of Highland Park ‘Thor’ was set in the capitol city of our Swedish brothers – Stockholm and at the Viking theme restaurant of Aifur (http://www.aifur.se/) a through and through concept with traditional long tables and benches, cutlery and the right décor and therefore also the right place for a launch of a whisky in this style. Aifur is located in Stockholm’s ‘Gamla Stan’ (Old town) with it cobbled streets starts to build up your expectations when you approach the place.

Aifur:

Inside Aifur the décor was much more alive like this guy with his Highland Park shield:

Martin Markvardsen said hello upon arrival and after getting a welcoming drink in my hand I quickly found a seat and started chatting with a guy from a local Stockholm whiskyclub.

Shortly after we were treated to a 3 course meal and a lecture about Viking travels by Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson from Stockholms University. To accompany the starter there was Highland Park 12yo + 18yo – 2 nice classics which was given a short introduction by Martin.

…and after the starter, it was time for the official launch of the ‘Thor’

Gerry Tosh gave an introduction to this new series and the concept behind before 2 tough looking Vikings in full armor carried a large chest down the stairs and hands Martin the keys.

He then unlocked the chest and in an old-religious style lifts out a bottle of ‘Thor’ and raises it above his head.

At the same time – a dram of the ‘Thor’ is passed around…

So let us de-mystify this much talked about latest release from Highland Park:

Highland Park ’Thor’ 16yo 52,1%, 23.000 Bottles
Cask ratios for this one deserves a mention as it’s not the normal Highland Park style. The ‘Thor’ is 90% refill American oak sherry casks and 10% first fill European oak

My own notes are:

Nose:
Clearly peated, but not in the heavy islay-style, but still significant compared to the normal Highland Park peating level. At the same time it comes across light and fresh and with an earthy note I can only describe as a dunnage warehouse style. Also very fruity, citrus style, flowers in an orange grove?

Taste: The peat hits right away, but like on the nose, its light and disappears to the back of the mouth and lets a large amount tropical fruits and citrus (grape fruits?) notes and some vanilla and oak play on the palate. Also a little spicy and salty in the aftertaste – all which dries out to allow a whiff of trademark Highland Park honey to appear. All in all a whisky with a huge mouthfeel that also allows for finer notes to appear… and what really impresses me with this one, is its incredible freshness all the way on to its medium short finish again with the peat present.

It’s a nice piece of work by Highland Parks whiskymaker Max Mcfarlane for sure.

The next release will hit the streets before the end of the year, but it has still not been decided if it’s going to Freya or Loki that’s next

After the tasting there was a photo-op – here’s Martin Markvardsen and Gerry Tosh and the star of the evening – Thor:

Then it was time for mains and wine and music and entertainment, incl. an demonstration of how the Vikings passed time during the long winter nights. One of the games was ‘cheek pulling’… and the one who gave up first lost, of course – see a demo of it here:

After that it was time to lets some of the impressions settle a bit and have another taste of the ‘Thor’ from the bar and some of the local brew also. Martin and Gerry had commitments with Italian TV so it was a perfect time to indulge myself in another dram.

Before I left for the evening, Martin and I spend some time talking about the whisky scene incl. their business agreement with cooperage at the Sherry Bodega of Gonzales Byass, that does all the cask seasoning for them. Sometimes all the sherry is just poured away or sometimes its reused for another seasoning of new European oak casks. We alsos talked about the craftmansship involved in putting together these casks when a guy almost juggles this 500 liter butt around the coopers yard.

After an introduction to Gerry Tosh, Martin also let me know that Gerry is quitting as Global Brand ambassador to work fulltime in marketing. His job is taken over by Darryl Haldane, which btw is the guy with the mobile in the picture with the 2 cheek-pullers.

It was a very enjoyable evening indeed…and the next day snowy Stockholm showed itself from its beautiful side with the sun coming out just before noon and by that creating the perfect conditions for a walk around the ‘Old Town’ in Stockholm… it is recommended for sure – just as the Highland Park ‘Thor’… so good I just had to have one myself 

Finally a thanks to Martin for the invitation to the event.

Claus ‘BigMac’ Rasmussen,
Chairman, Aalborg Whisky Club, Denmark
http://www.aalborgwhiskylaug.dk/ 

LIGHTS, CAMERA, COCKTAILS

With Oscar night around the corner (26th February 2012), The Black Grouse Blended Scotch whisky has created some cocktails worthy of their own award nominations inspired by the film world’s distinctive characters and the actors that play them.

All of these serves are easy to prepare at home and would make the perfect way to toast this year’s winners.

The smooth-talker

Made with our famously smooth whisky, this serve is named after the legendary George Clooney who is nominated for best actor for his outstanding performance in The Descendants.

Ingredients

· 25ml The Black Grouse

· 1 wedge of orange

· Top with cola

Method

Fill a high ball glass with ice and pour in The Black Grouse. Add a wedge of fresh orange, top with cola and enjoy.

Silence is golden

This cocktail celebrates The Artist, a stylish and elegant movie which brought the glamour of a bygone era to modern cinema audience gaining a nomination for best picture in the process.

Ingredients

· 25ml The Black Grouse

· Freshly pressed apple juice

· A squeeze of fresh pink grapefruit

Method

Pour a measure of The Black Grouse over plenty of ice in a highball glass. Top up with apple juice and add a squeeze of pink grapefruit.

Dragon’s breath

Inspired by the rebellious anti-hero Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, our cocktail reflects Rooney Mara’s fiery performance which sees her as a contender for best actress.

Ingredients

· 25ml The Black Grouse

· 1 wedge fresh lime squeezed

· Ginger beer

Method

Fill a high ball glass with cubed ice and pour over The Black Grouse. Squeeze a wedge of lime over the ice and drop into the glass. Lengthen with ginger beer and serve.

The Black Grouse is available to buy from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons (RRP £17.50). For further information visit www.black-grouse.com

NOTES

Please enjoy our whisky responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk

About The Black Grouse

· It is a blended whisky made from grain and malt whisky.

· It is a unique blend of The Famous Grouse mixed with peated malt whisky to create a rich smoky, peaty blend with the trademark quality and smoothness of The Famous Grouse.

· Awarding The Black Grouse 94 points* (out of 100) Jim Murray described it as a ‘real treasure’ and of the finish he said that it was ‘so gentle, with waves of smoke and oak lapping on an oaky shore….brilliant’. (Source: Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2008)

· Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible is a highly successful and innovative annual book that was first launched in 2003. Now well-established, the book takes account of all the latest developments in the world of the wee dram containing tasting notes on over 3,800 whiskies.

A Taste from the Past – Grant’s Royal 12 Year Old, 1973 to 1976

Good evening all,

Another day, another whisky and what a dram today brings – a bottle of Grant’s Royal from the 1970s.

This 12-year-old blend was bottled between 1973 and 1976 and was the first version of Grant’s Royal. It replaced Grant’s Best Procurable as our older blend but came before another Grant’s Royal which I tasted…(please click on the link to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,

Ludo

The Whisky Shop

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Now In Stock – 24 February 2012. Discontinued in mid-2009 the Dalmore Cigar Malt is…(Link to full article)  

The Whisky Shop
www.whiskyshop.com

To vote, or not to vote, that is the question.

A couple of times I got to hear something like: “I don’t want to spend money on bottles, for me it is only about the whisky”. Or, “will an initiative like WW Whisky Design Awards not result in even more … Continue reading →

Hello Fellow WhiskeyLovers –

Greetings from the Green Mountains of Vermont, where I am on holiday with my family, sliding down the mountains over what little snow they have managed to manufacture, and trying to keep myself from breaking anything as I chase my kids down the slopes.

This weeks email is about a second and final chance on exceptional blended whisky, Dewar’s Signature Blended Scotch Whisky.

Dewar’s Signature is the result of over 160 years of blending experience. The whisky’s secret lies in combining an Aberfeldy Single Malt of great age, with other distinct and mature whiskies, each carefully selected for its exceptional character and balance. The final marrying process brings the whiskies together to create a mellow, silky blend with notes of rich fruit and dark honey.

The whisky is a limited edition blend, with each individually numbered bottle marked with the signature of founder John Dewar. World renown whisky critic Jim Murray called Dewars Signature “an outstanding addition to the highest echelons of blended Scotch whisky”.

We usually sell a bottle of Dewars Signature for around $230, but thanks to some great “negotiating” by our man Nicky The Neck, the price for a bottle of Dewars Signature is just $189.95.

That’s a savings of over $40 on a bottle!

I hope you will take advantage of this exceptional opportunity, and do it it fast….because as always, once our limited supply is gone, its gone.

Until next Week….

Doug Stone

Founder

www.ForScotchLovers.com

_____________________________________________________________________
DEWAR’S SIGNATURE BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

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TASTING NOTES – Courtesy of our friend Dr. Whisky

Fresh and fruity off the start, soft and sweet with lots of honey and berries. Chocolate and cream.

Some aged grain whisky, corn and some sweet smoke. Earl Grey tea. Satsuma tangerine Body Shop soap.

Like with the Dewars 18, one can sense the growth of the malt flavours in the glass.

Gentle, but active. Christmas-y spices and apricots. A bit of baby powder. French toast/eggy bread. Burst of dry sherry that comes and then goes, firesmoke, and then some pine or sappy oak. Flavours linger through the finish, but in a subdued manner, with the more aged malts making their presence known.

Dewar’s announces partnership with TED2012

Dewar’s to launch revolutionary digital installation at TED Long Beach

(February 2012, London) DEWAR’S® Scotch Whisky has today announced a partnership with TED, the non-profit dedicated to Ideas Worth Spreading, at their 2012 conference in Long Beach, USA.

The conference from 27th February – 2nd March will bring together a diverse group of speakers from the fields of technology, entertainment and design to deliver exciting multisensory talks in less than 18 minutes. Speakers include Reid Hoffman, co-founder of Linked In and Andrew Stanton, writer of the Toy Story movies.

Founded in 1984, the TED conference draws a global audience to attend the four day event, which features TED’s famous talks, plus music, comedy, dance, short talks, video (the video will be live later in the day on the 24th – WI) and other surprises.

At TED2012, Dewar’s will capture the buzz around the talks through the “Dewar’s Hub”, a revolutionary interactive experience that distils and visualises real time conversations from Twitter. Attendees will be able to explore different themes and conversation strands by tweeting to the installation or, alternatively, navigate, filter and influence the visualisation using motion detection. People around the world can also tweet requests to receive automated Twitpics displaying the discussions generated around their chosen topic.

The top selling Scotch Whisky in the USA, Dewar’s will be served during the week at hosted events such as the TED Fellows Reception. Eighty delegates will also get the chance to take part in a special evening whisky Masterclass with Dewar’s Senior Global Brand Ambassador, Stephen Marshall. Dewar’s fans across the globe will also be able to enjoy the session in their home or office through a video Masterclass.

“TED has had the pleasure of collaborating with many of the world’s most groundbreaking brands. Our partnerships allow us to encourage and expand the dialogue of innovation,” said Ronda Carnegie, Head of Global Partnerships at TED. “The Dewar’s Hub is an exciting addition to TED2012, bringing together all of the ideas generated from the TEDtalks as they happen.”

Tom Swift, Global Marketing Manager, Dewar’s, said: “‘We are very proud to have formed this partnership. DEWAR’S shares TED’s commitment to the spread of great ideas and their positive outcome. It fits perfectly with DEWAR’S own view of life that some things are just Worth Doing.”

About DEWAR’S Blended Scotch Whisky

Founded in 1846 by John Dewar, DEWAR’S has grown from a small wine and spirits merchant shop in Scotland, to one of the largest Scotch whisky brands in the world. Best known for its iconic DEWAR’S White Label, the top selling Blended Scotch Whisky in the USA, it has expanded its family to create a portfolio of premium and super premium whiskies including DEWAR’S 12 Years Old, DEWAR’S 18 Years Old & the exclusive DEWAR’S Signature. These whiskies are crafted using the DEWAR’S double-ageing process. Pioneered by DEWAR’S in 1899, it involves returning the hand-crafted blend to vintage oak casks for further maturation. The result is a smoother taste with a long, lingering finish; an extra step that is simply worth doing. A taste that wins medals and applause, making DEWAR’S one of Scotland’s most awarded whiskies.

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Long Beach, California, along with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs; the annual TEDGlobal conference is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide, and TEDBooks, short e-books by speakers that elaborate on a single idea originally presented on TED’s stage. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

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“Artist” Signatory Vintage range by La Maison du Whisky (LMDW)

Nominated in Category 4 – Label series

“Artist” Signatory Vintage range by La Maison du Whisky (LMDW). Named “Artist” Signatory Vintage, this new range by La Maison du Whisky (LMDW) appears cosmopolitan and contemporary. It draws on various elements that have almost made Italian 60-70′s whisky bottlings … Continue reading →