The Macallan Gold Is Now Available Online At The Whisky Shop

The Whisky Shop is pleased to announce that the brand new Macallan Gold is now available to order via the Whisky Shop. Only whilst stocks last.

This range brings together two of the greatest strengths of the Macallan – natural colour and sherry seasoned oak casks. Together they create a signature Macallan character embracing all the defining elements which have made it one of the worlds truly great single malt whiskies.

Tasting Notes:

A burnished gold spirit offering a lemon citrus nose, then orange peel and sweetness that softens but doesn’t eliminate the zest. A note of vanilla followed more assertive by dark chocolate – with lingering floral and light oak notes. Citrus and boiled sweets dance on the palate, along with hints of ginger and cinnamon, while soft oak tones reveal toasted apples. The finish is medium sweet, malty and slightly dry.

Only £35.99

Click Here To Buy

The Whisky Shop Tel 0141 440 0600 info@whiskyshop.com www.whiskyshop.com

www.ralfy.com turns Japanese with Whisky Review 304 – Yoichi 15yo Japanese Malt

Hooker’s House Bourbon from Sonoma Awarded best Small Batch Bourbon at the 2012 SIP Awards

Sonoma, CA. Hooker’s House Bourbon a Sonoma-Style Straight Bourbon Whiskey was awarded a platinum Medal at the 2012 SIP awards last week. The platinum award was the only one given to asmall batch Bourbon in three years and one of three in the crowded American Whiskey category.

Hooker’s House Bourbon is the first Bourbon Whiskey to be finished in neutral Pinot Noir barrels giving it a unique wine country flavor profile and local story. Hooker’s House Bourbon ($36) 750ml bottle, 50% ABV (100 proof) finished and bottled in Sonoma, California.

Hooker’s House Bourbon is aged in neutral Pinot Noir barrels after spending time in new white American Oak barrels. Double barreling the Bourbon enhances the quality spirit with Wine Country influence of dark fruits, cherries and violets on the nose and pallet. The mash bill produces a sweet and savory balance of Corn and Rye. “The hot days and cool nights of the Carneros are ideal for grape growing and also excellent for aging Bourbon” says Fred Groth Founder of Prohibition Spirits and HelloCello. “The constant expansion and contraction makes the Bourbon ‘breath’ and gives it life”.

Hooker’s House Bourbon pays respect to the infamous General Joseph Hooker, a Civil War veteran, Sonoma resident, ladies man and whiskey aficionado. The spicy and bold character of Hooker’s House Bourbon is matched by General Hooker’s over indulging and sometimes outrageous lifestyle.

The 2012 Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards were created to fill the void that is the current state of international spirits competitions. The illusion created by massive advertising budgets, celebrity endorsements and lofty judging is old, tired and susceptible to industry bias. The SIP Awards are the first to cut to the core of public opinion as a starting point, rather than an afterthought, in branding and product development. On July 14th 75 judges examined over 400 spirit brands in a blind taste test.

About

Hooker’s House Bourbon is aged and bottled by Prohibition Spirits, a new line from the founders of HelloCello, Fred & Amy Groth. Their other products include Limoncello di Sonoma, BelloCello, FigCello and blood OrangeCello.

For tours, industry tastings and more information please contact Fred Groth: Fred@HelloSonoma.com 707.721.6290. Learn more at: www.Prohibition-Spirits.com & www.HelloSonoma.com

So this time next week we’ll be broadcasting live from Germany!

If you’re planning to join us for Laphroaig Live 2012, we’ll be live online on Thursday 27th September – you can check what time the show will begin in your country here: www.laphroaig.com/live

The Laphroaig Live website also contains a profile of each of this year’s four panellists –hopefully you will know me at the very least! – and a downloadable version of the tasting mat that we will be using in the show.

For those of you that would like to join in the tastings from home, here’s a reminder of the whiskies that we will be sampling live:

Laphroaig 10 Year Old
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Laphroaig Cáirdeas Origin
Ardmore Single Malt
Connemara Single Malt

As always, we all welcome questions and comments from Friends of Laphroaig and will try and respond to as many of you as we can during the show. If your question is picked you’ll receive a special prize, so if you do have a burning Laphroaig related question, this is the time to ask!

I hope as many of you as possible can watch online next week at www.laphroaig.com/live and anyone that does I would love to hear what you thought afterwards.

Slàinte,

John Campbell
Distillery Manager, Laphroaig

FLAMING HEART is back!

Rock ‘n’ Roll-inspired Limited Edition whisky from Compass Box Whisky Co. returns to popular acclaim

Award-winning boutique whiskymaker, Compass Box Whisky Company, announces the fourth release of its popular, rock’n’roll-inspired FLAMING HEART Blended Malt Scotch whisky. It is big, bold and smoky with rich, concentrated vanilla and spice character.

John Glaser, American-born founder and whiskymaker of the London-based company, has created this new, fourth edition which once again pushes the boundaries by melding three Scotch styles: smoke, spice and sweetness. Only 9,147 bottles have been produced – perfectly in time for the holiday entertaining season. 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. Glaser believes this version is probably the best yet:

“This is really one of our whiskies I am most proud of. Because there is, to our knowledge, no other Scotch whisky like it. No other that combines peat smoke and sweetness like this.”

“This is a whisky inspired by a rock song. Appropriate, perhaps, as rock music has long been associated with rebellion against societal norms and our humble company has been associated, for better or for worse, with a reaction against the “traditions” of Scotch whisky production. We like to think of our approach as reflecting a craft ethos –making whisky better for the sake of it. Flaming Heart is an ideal example of this approach. In the melodramatic parlance of a rock lyric, it is a whisky born of fire, yet one with a big heart.’

Befitting its name, the packaging of FLAMING HEART is thought-provoking and representative of the whisky’s rebel-like personality. The front label is illustrated by London-based artist, Alex Machin, while the packaging is designed by London and New York-based agency, Stranger & Stranger.

To celebrate the worldwide launch of Flaming Heart, Compass Box is designating Wednesday 3rd October FLAMING HEART DAY, encouraging as many people as possible to raise a glass of Flaming Heart together, wherever they are in the world.

ABOUT FLAMING HEART
“With this edition we worked hard to maintain the style of the popular 2010 version, but adding slightly more complexity. We started with some beautiful casks of Clynelish aged in American oak. Adding a large quantity of heavy-peated whisky and a large quantity of whiskies which had gone through a secondary maturation in new French oak. And to top it off, we added a tiny amount of whiskies aged in sherry casks, just 1% of the total recipe, but it helped to contribute added complexity which you can notice.” – John Glaser, Whiskymaker.

The original limited edition of FLAMING HEART debuted in 2006 and was then followed-up by small-batch productions in 2007 and 2010. The whiskies for the fourth Limited Edition of FLAMING HEART come from Single Malt whiskies from distilleries located in the Northern Highlands, Islay, Speyside and Islands, primarily from the south shore of Islay and the village of Brora (Highlands). The recipe is made up of 66.7% Highland Single Malts (for fruitiness and perfume) and 33.3% Islay and Island Single Malts (smokiness and peat). The whiskies are matured in 75% American Oak (which imparts notes of vanilla), 24% New French Oak (clove spice) and 1% Sherry cask (dried fruits).

Bottled at 48.9% alcohol by volume, this limited release of 9,147 bottles was bottled in August 2012. It is non-chillfiltered and has a natural colour. Sip neat or with the addition of water, to taste. Pricing will be approximately $115 in the USA, £83 in the UK and €100 in Europe. It will be available in Europe from September and from early October in the USA.

ABOUT COMPASS BOX (www.compassboxwhisky.com)
The Compass Box Whisky Company is a boutique Scotch whiskymaker and craft blender, started in 2000 by John Glaser. Compass Box produces and bottles a range of Scotch whiskies, available in over 25 countries around the world. A four-time winner of the Whisky Magazine Innovator of the Year award, Compass Box is known throughout the whisky world for quality, innovation and passion for great whisky. The Compass Box signature range of whiskies includes Asyla, Oak Cross, The Peat Monster, The Spice Tree and Hedonism. They also produce limited release whiskies annually, and Orangerie, a Scotch whisky infusion. Their latest creation is a ground-breaking range of Blended Scotch whiskies called Great King Street. The first in the range is Artist’s Blend.

ABOUT JOHN GLASER
American ex-pat John Glaser started Compass Box Whisky Company from the kitchen of his west London home in 2000. Having started his career on a path to become a winemaker, then re-routing himself through the corporate world and ending up as marketing director for Johnnie Walker in London, Glaser has a unique perspective on both the creation and the marketing of Scotch whisky.

Glaser established Compass Box based on his commitment to evolving practices in the industry to make great Scotch whisky more approachable and relevant to more people. From the beginning, his vision has been to create one of Scotland’s finest and most exciting whisky companies, re-establishing the standards for quality and style in the industry.

A Scotch Whisky Blend Made Just for New York

Great King Street to Release the First of its Limited Release Regional Blends

GREAT KING STREET, the Blended Scotch whisky specialist brand launched by the Compass Box Whisky Company last year, has announced they will launch next month their NEW YORK BLEND, the first of the brand’s Limited Release regional blends.

Compass Box founder and Great King Street whiskymaker John Glaser explains: “We were approached by the New York Whisky Fest last year asking us to debut a new whisky at this year’s festival, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to start a series of regional blends, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. What better place to begin than New York?”

Glaser has long been inspired by the old Scotch whisky blending houses of 120 years ago who commonly made different blends for regional tastes. He has also been inspired by the ways in which blends were made in this period, delivering far more flavour than those of today. These things have formed the basis of his whiskymaking approach for the Great King Street brand.

For the New York Blend, Glaser made two key discoveries that inspired this one-off, limited edition bottling. One was an ancient New York Times article describing an 1890s bartender named Patrick Duffy who was responsible for instigating the importation of branded Scotch whisky in glass bottles for the first time into New York. Second, was an old Scotch blend recipe from a Glasgow blending house from the same era. Glaser fashioned a blend based on the old recipe and dedicated the bottling to Duffy, and the New York Blend was born.

What sets this Great King Street blend apart from Scotch whisky blends of today is flavour. The New York Blend uses lots of peaty single malts, plenty of sherry cask-aged single malts, and a much higher proportion of malt to grain whisky (80%/20%) than is typically used today (generally 30%/70%).

The Great King Street “New York Blend” will be launched on Saturday, October 27th, 2012 at the New York Whisky Fest at the Marriot Marquis hotel in Manhattan. Only 1,840 bottles are being released and it will be available primarily in the New York metropolitan area and via the Compass Box Whisky Company web site. The suggested US retail price will be $75.00. Glaser plans more Great King Street regional blends in the future, but for now he is mum about the details of where or when!

ABOUT GREAT KING STREET www.greatkingstreet.com
“This is more than a brand; it’s a mission. A mission to get people – all people – to take a fresh look at Blended Scotch; to join in the Rebirth of the Blend: in how Blends are made, how they are viewed, how they are consumed.” – John Glaser, Whiskymaker

Great King Street is a new range of whiskies solely dedicated to Blended Scotch Whisky. The first in the range, the Artist’s Blend, launched in 2011. The name and label are inspired by Compass Box’s registered office address in Scotland – 24 Great King Street, in Edinburgh. By applying the same skill, techniques and philosophy used for the Compass Box Signature Range of whiskies, Great King Street will offer a style and approach to Blended Scotch that has not existed before. The keys are using individually chosen casks from some of Scotland’s best distilleries, a high proportion of malt whisky, truly excellent quality grain whiskies, and the careful use of new French Oak aging for added complexity. All bottled at a natural colour and without chill-filtering. They call whiskies made with this approach ‘craft blends’.

Glaser explains, “In a world where malt whisky gets all the attention, people often overlook the pleasures of good Blended Scotch. We believe that Great King Street will change this. There are good reasons why the blending of grain whisky and malt whisky has been the mainstay of the Scotch industry for over 100 years. Well-made Blended Scotches have an elegance and approachability that make them a joy to drink. Great King Street will offer a new and compelling alternative for both whisky enthusiasts who ordinarily drink only malt whiskies, and for whisky novices.”

ABOUT COMPASS BOX (www.compassboxwhisky.com)
The Compass Box Whisky Company is a boutique Scotch whiskymaker and craft blender, started in 2000 by John Glaser. Compass Box produces and bottles a range of Scotch whiskies, available in over 25 countries around the world. A four-time winner of the Whisky Magazine Innovator of the Year award, Compass Box is known throughout the whisky world for quality, innovation and passion for great whisky. The Compass Box signature range of whiskies includes Asyla, Oak Cross, The Peat Monster, The Spice Tree and Hedonism. They also produce limited release whiskies annually, and Orangerie, a Scotch whisky infusion. Their latest creation is a ground-breaking range of Blended Scotch whiskies called Great King Street. The first in the range is Artist’s Blend.

ABOUT JOHN GLASER
American ex-pat John Glaser started Compass Box Whisky Company from the kitchen of his west London home in 2000. Having started his career on a path to become a winemaker, then re-routing himself through the corporate world and ending up as marketing director for Johnnie Walker in London, Glaser has a unique perspective on both the creation and the marketing of Scotch whisky.
Glaser established Compass Box based on his commitment to evolving practices in the industry to make great Scotch whisky more approachable and relevant to more people. From the beginning, his vision has been to create one of Scotland’s finest and most exciting whisky companies, re-establishing the standards for quality and style in the industry.

Last Chance for Tickets to Whisky Live Boston This Saturday 5 or 6:30 PM

Time’s running out to buy tickets for Whisky Live Boston! We’re hard at work over here at Federal gearing up for the event. We got a call just this morning informing us that we should be able to pour a brand-new product for you this weekend. We tasted it a ways back and begged the representative to send us some advance bottles to pour at Whisky Live and it looks like they should just get here in time, we’re so thrilled. On top of that we’re digging around in our basement stash to show off some real beauties that have come our way. Boston has long needed an event of this size to bring its Whisky scene together and we’d love to see this become a yearly thing. Make the effort to join us this Saturday for a great time enjoying whisky, food, music, and a chance to share in conversation with some of the true great and good of the industry. We’ll be joined by people from all around the world who have come to display the fruits of their labors, come out and see what everyone has to offer. Tickets are available at a 20% discount with the voucher code “federal”. The tickets can be purchased here for $109 for general admission at 6:30 (before the discount) or $139 for VIP admission at 5 (again, before the discount).

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits

——————————————————————————–

Email: info@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

Whiskey in NAFTA to 2016: Market Guide

This report provides detailed analysis into the Whisk(e)y markets in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The report provides market growth dynamics and examines market consumption, consumption by major brands, consumption by channel (off- and on-premise), consumption by price segment and consumption by alcoholic strength.

Furthermore the report details for American, Canadian, Scotch & Irish Whisk(e)y by country overall consumption, consumption by price segment and by alcoholic strength. Actual data is included from 2006-2011 with forecast data provided for 2012-2016.

View table of contents: http://www.drinksector.com/toc.asp?idReport=648

Order online; http://www.drinksector.com/basket.asp?idReport=648&basketAction=auto

Whisk(e)y market guides are also available for the following regions (click on the region for more information):

Emerging Markets, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific & Latin America

Individual country reports are also available.

The Ambassador of Bourbon: Maker’s Mark and the Rebirth of America’s Native Spirit, a visual depiction of the Maker’s Mark bourbon brand. Featuring photography of the famous distillery at the Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky from the lens of master photographer David Toczko, The Ambassador of Bourbon flawlessly conveys the story of the iconic Kentucky bourbon’s celebrated history.

The Ambassador of Bourbon is an amazing coffee table book for your home and makes a heartfelt gift to give to family and friends this holiday season.

Having taken over 10,000 photographs at the distillery, Toczko presents more than 250 of his favorite images, including several historic shots from the Samuels’ family archives that demonstrate why Maker’s Mark truly is The Ambassador of Bourbon.

The Ambassador of Bourbon can be purchased online at Barnes & Noble and Makersmarkshop.com for a retail price of $39.95.