www.ralfy.com encourages nudity with Whisky Review #290 – Naked Famous Grouse. . . .. but not too naked!

Have a look around Shackleton’s Hut

The fine folks at Google like to play around with shiny things and one of their many obsessions over the last year has been Antarctica. They added streetview to selected areas of the big icy continent and have followed it … Continue reading >>

Glengoyne toasts the start of Fred MacAulay’s charity walk

July 2012, Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Whisky welcomed comedian and broadcaster, Fred MacAulay to the distillery on the first leg of his 96-mile West Highland Way charity walk in aid of the STV Appeal 2012. Fred, accompanied by Scottish rugby legend, Scott Hastings and STV news presenter, John Mackay on the inaugural day of the walk, aims to raise funds to help children living in poverty in Scotland.

The West Highland Way runs close to Glengoyne Distillery near Killearn. On arrival, Alan Wardrop, UK sales manager for the distillery, met Fred and his walkers, presenting them with a bottle of Glengoyne 21 Years Old as a memento and Glengoyne Auld Enemy Dram to auction for the appeal.

Fred was even able to top up his hip flask with Glengoyne 21 Years Old, providing him with a tipple for the remaining 89 miles which lie ahead!

For more information on Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Whisky, visit www.glengoyne.com

To donate to the STV Appeal, visit: http://www.justgiving.co,/WHWFredmacAulay

Notes:

Glengoyne

Award-winning Glengoyne Highland Single Malt is one of the leading malt whiskies in the world and has been distilled at Glengoyne since 1833. Using methods passed down for generations, Glengoyne is made with knowledge, passion and craftsmanship.

The Glengoyne portfolio consists of the 10 Years Old, 12 Years Old Cask Strength, 12 Years Old at 43%, 17 Years Old , 21 Years Old as well as special limited edition bottlings released every year. To buy online visit www.glengoyne.com.

Glengoyne is one of Scotland’s most accessible distilleries, located just 30 minutes north of Glasgow in a beautiful wooded glen overlooking the breath-taking West Highland Way. Tours start from just £6.50; call 01360 550 254 or visit www.glengoyne.com for more details and to book.

Our website is ‘down’ but the booze goes on at Park Ave Liquor Shop.

Cheers to your summer!

As you may or may not know, our store’s website has been “down”. The site crashed “in spectacular fashion” a few weeks ago and we have been working non-stop to get it repaired and running again. Needless to say, it hasn’t happened nearly as quickly as we had hoped but we need our customers to know that we are still here and bringing in more exciting bottles every day.

When the site is fully functional again we will be sure to make an announcement. Until then, we thought we’d let you know about some newly arrived Scotches and Bourbons at Park Ave. At the present time they cannot be ordered from our site but If you see something you like we are here to help you with the purchase of items featured below or any item we stock.

In recognition of your patience in waiting for the site to come back online. We are offering a 10% discount on the items listed in this email. Just mention this email/article and we will take 10% off the bottle. This offer will last only through July 31st (or as long as our inventory of these bottles last).

We apologize for the inconvenience of our site’s current unavailability. Please feel free to call or email us with any questions or concerns.

Cheers!

Jonathan & Eric
Park Avenue Liquor Shop
292 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-685-2442
info@parkaveliquor.com

New Arrivals at Park Avenue.

We’ve recently been lucky enough to take on some great new Single Malt bottlings from private bottler, Chieftain’s.

Quick history: “Since 1936, Ian Macleod Distillers, through its dedication to tradition and quality, has amassed an unrivaled cask stock from Scotland’s many distilleries. This enviable collection includes extremely rare malts, some from closed or mothballed distilleries. The Chieftain’s collection hallmark is that each bottling must be fit for a King, a Leader or in the Celtic world, a Chieftain.”

Ardbeg, 17 Year Old (April ’94 – December ’11)

Finished in Barolo Wine Cask, Unchill-Filtered.

Only 247 bottles made. 111 Proof

Nose: Restrained peat, chocolate, dark stewed berries.
Body: Rich waxy, sea salt, peach skin

Palate: Rich oily, smoked meat, cherry and leather.

Finish: Leather notes finish on petrol, smoke and dark red berry.

Our Price: $160

Rosebank, 20 Year Old (December ’90 – July ’11)
Aged in Sherry Butt, Unchill-Filtered.
Only 564 bottles made. 108 Proof

This re-fill sherry cask Rosebank shows subtle nuttiness along with fruits (prunes, quince) and the sweetness of brown sugar. The legendary characteristics of Rosebank still shine through in this sweet and nutty single malt.

Our Price: $200
Please note – We have less than 12 bottles left.

Clynelish, 14 Year Old (April ’97 – December ’11)
Aged in Hogshead Barrel, Unchill-Filtered.
Only 331 bottles made. 92 Proof

This 14 year old Highlands Scotch was aged in cask #4717.

On the nose it shows elements of oak, light camphor and

heather. A full-bodied effort that features notes of dried fruits, citrus, malt and sweet heather, the long finish is lifted by hints of white pepper.

Our Price: $79

New Park Avenue Liquor Shop Exclusives

We’ve recently brought in new Park Avenue Liquor Shop exclusives that we have been working to secure for some time. Like past exclusives, word is getting out about these unique finds.

Miltonduff 1996, 15 Year Old.
Bottled by Gordon & Macphail

(June ’96 – August ’11)

First fill Bourbon Barrel, Non-chill filtered

Only 198 bottles made. 112.6 Proof

Nose: Burst of tropical fruits with fresh pineapple and floral notes. Sweet aromas with a honey edge.

Palate: Mixed spice with a defined sweetness.
Hints of citrus fruit linger into the long finish.

Our Price: $97

Willett – Single Barrel Cask #2504, 9 Year Old

Aged in White Oak. Only 164 bottles made.

113.2 Proof

Here is what Whisky Advocate’s John Hansell had to say:

“Very graceful, with a nice balance of youth and maturity. Gently sweet notes of toffee, fig, nougat and maple syrup spiked with cinnamon and vanilla. Dark berried fruit and a hint of coconut round out the palate. Perilously more-ish bourbon with a very easy going demeanor.”
Our Price: $65

Glen Garioch, 1998 Single Cask #986, 13 Year Old
Aged in a Bourbon Cask. Only 195 bottles made.
110 Proof, Non chill filtered

Here is what Whisky Advocate’s John Hansell had to say: “A lovely example of what not chill-filtering can do for a whisky. Meticulous cask selection also helps play a part here. Very straight forward on the surface (no surprises), but with vibrant, well-defined flavors and a comforting creamy texture on the palate. Bright fruit defines this whisky (lime, kiwi, ripe melon, sultana, fresh peach), accompanied by honeyed malt, heather and a hint of spice and smoke. A fun whisky, suitable for many moods and occasions.”
Our Price: $100

Glen Ord 1998, 14 Year Old. Bottled by Classic Cask
Aged in Oak Hogshead. Only 345 bottles made
86 Proof

Our notes recall a nose of pronounced butter, heather and tropical fruit salad consisting of oranges, coconuts and bananas. It dives into the palate with sweet figs, mixed nuts and transforms into a vanilla filled finish that stays with you for awhile.
Our Price: $70

Please note: Our exclusivity on this bottle is only for NYC.

Noteworthy New Arrivals

Here are a couple of our favorite new bottles at the Park Avenue Liquor Shop.

High West: Campfire

The concept for Campfire was born after a visit to Bruichladdich’s B&B that featured a memorable dessert of melon drizzled with peated whisky and sugar. High West’s interpretation was, ‘Why not mix a sweet bourbon and peat?” While the proportions are Top Secret – We can tell you that the main flavor (or melody) is sweet honey from a ripe bourbon. The enhancing flavor (or harmony) is floral fruity spice from a mature rye whiskey. The result is nothing short spectacular. Perfect for your next S’mores making session.

Our Price: $58

Widow Jane: 5 Year Old Kentucky Bourbon

(with an assist from New York)

Inventor, aerospace engineer and founder of Cacao Prieto, Daniel Prieto Preston has expanded his portfolio to include Cacao Prieto’s “Widow Jane” Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. Cacao Prieto hand selected a barrel of five year old Kentucky Bourbon (rumored to be Buffalo Trace), which was transported to their Brooklyn distillery and cut to proof with pure limestone mineral rich water from the Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, New York. Bold, complex aromas of spiced fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, caramel and toffee carry through to the palate where they merge with notes of citrus fruit, spicy oak and earthy mineral on the long finish. Only 823 bottles of this limited edition bourbon were produced, each are hand numbered and labeled with the bottling date.
Our Price: $45

We are not responsible for typographical errors. Due to ever-changing inventory, we cannot guarantee bottle availability (especially on the Rosebank). The 10% discount offer on this email’s offering is available only through July 31st.

A quick missive from Oliver at Malt Maniac HQ;

I am happy to report that Keith’s latest E-pistle has just been published on our website:

THE E-pistle

Thanks, Keith, highly interesting!

Cheers,
Oliver

The New Grant’s Timeline

Hi everyone,

This week I would like to bring your attention to a new feature which has been launched on our UK website. Called the Grant’s Timeline, the page works a bit like Facebook’s version of timeline and aims to put key events in the history of Grant’s in the context of wider world events.

For example,…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

Our Pop-up shop…it lives…

Following on from my last post on the subject, our temporary shop (only around the corner from our traditional location in Vinopolis) is now fully armed and operational. We’ll be there while Vinopolis is rebuilt/refurbished and hosts GLOBAL SPORTING EVENT … Continue reading >>

OLD FASHIONED CELEBRATIONS AT THE NAKED GROUSE COCKTAIL CHALLENGE FINAL

John Collingwood of No.28 in Newcastle has won first place in a nationwide cocktail challenge run by The Naked Grouse Premium Blended Whisky. His unique creation – The Bitter Sweet Grouse – triumphed at the finale event held in The Naked Grouse Boathouse by the banks of Loch Turret on the 9th July.

The competition challenged specially selected top bartenders from across the UK to create the perfect Old Fashioned whisky cocktail. The twist in the challenge was that the cocktail entries had to be crafted following an authentic recipe from 1806 using only four ingredients: spirit, sugar, bitters and water.

John impressed the judges with his complex, tasty and marketable combination. His winning cocktail contained a double measure of The Naked Grouse, 2 dashes of grapefruit bitters, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, 10ml of The Snow Grouse whisky, 10ml of Aperol and a syrup reduction made especially for the competition using Wylam brewery beer. The drink was garnished with a twist of pink grapefruit.

Competition was extremely tight with John taking the prize by only a single point (out of 100). All the contenders went to great lengths in their attempt to create the winning drink with one using a fire extinguisher and another carefully transporting an ice ball from the south coast of England.

Wayne Collins, Maxxium UK’s leading Mixologist, who chaired the judging panel, commented: “We have been hugely impressed by the standard of entries into our challenge. The creativity, imagination and skill shown by the UK’s bartenders has been incredible. Our aim is to create simple, authentic cocktails that let the unique characteristics of this quality whisky shine through. We were blown away by John’s creation – The Bitter Sweet Grouse – as it accentuates the whisky rather than diluting its flavours.”

John earned his place in the final by winning the Northern heat of the cocktail challenge in May. He was joined at the final by fellow regional heat champions Ed Belshaw of World Service Bar and Restaurant in Birmingham, Mark Scott of Hyde & Co in Bristol, Jamie Jones of The Yacht Club in Manchester and Sam Sidgwick of Audio in Brighton.

This elite group were invited to go on a luxurious ‘back to basics’ themed two day cocktail boot-camp in Crieff, Scotland to decide the overall champion. Additionally one bar per region was able to nominate a bartender based on sales over a two-month period from April to May to also attend.

The Naked Grouse premium blended whisky contains two of the world’s most renowned malts – Highland Park and The Macallan, which are then slow-matured in first fill Spanish sherry casks – the most expensive in the world. Fancy bows and unnecessary boxes have been left behind in order to concentrate on creating a new breed of Scotch that’s sherried, ultra smooth and easy to drink.

The Naked Grouse is available in contemporary cocktail and whisky bars across the UK and retail outlets such as Royal Mile Whiskies, www.masterofmalt.com, and supermarkets including Tesco and Asda priced at £28.21.

Notes:

About Maxxium

· Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Inc and The Edrington Group.

· Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse, Teacher’s and Cutty Sark), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan, The Glenrothes and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club, Red Stag), cognac and brandy (Courvoisier and Fundador), sherry (Harveys), vodka (Stolichnaya), tequila (Sauza), rum (Brugal and Cruzan), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, Vaccari, After Shock)

About The Famous Grouse Family

The Famous Grouse finest, the original member of the famous family, is now flanked by a range of whiskies to appeal to different consumers and consumption occasions:

The Famous Grouse is smooth with a chocolate orange flavour and a long, slow finish.
The Snow Grouse is delicate and vanilla sweet – perfect for serving straight from the freezer.
The Black Grouse is rich, spicy, sweet and smoky, and is best served neat or on the rocks.
Finally The Naked Grouse, famously smooth, ultra sherried whisky ideally served on the rocks or long in your preferred cocktail.

“Rare Drams representing three of Scotland’s Single Malt Exporters are now offering a Specially Created “Collectors& Tasters” pack for their Whisky Lovers in British Columbia, Canada. Offered through selected Retailers the Single Malt Starters Pack allows the Enthusiast to begin a journey of “Malt Exploration”, includes their own Map & Compass ( book ).

This will be followed up by a Second Release of 4 Unique Drams and a Tasters Mat , which will enable the enthusiast to set up a Tasting Experience with their own group of friends to define and note their own tasting preferences, finding the rubber; liquorice or Christmas cake!”

For more details contact info@raredrams.com  Cheers!

Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch Whisky is hosting its first ever Whisky and Whiskers pop up barbershop in New Orleans for bartenders during Tales at the wonderful Aidan Gill For Men (Fulton St) on Thurs, July 26. For all hard-working bartenders attending Tales of the Cocktail, Auchentoshan is offering complimentary hot shaves and beard/moustache trims for the gents and for this special day we’ve brought in a hand masseuse for the ladies, to rub away any aches and pains. Auchentoshan Pedicabs will be making roundtrips from the Hotel Monteleone to Aidan Gill all day to get our guests there in style. And while at Aidan Gill, we will offer wonderful drams of Auchentoshan Whisky, the only triple-distilled whisky in all of Scotland, as well as Auchentoshan cocktails and food. 

Auchentoshan Whisky & Whiskers Pop Up Barbershop at Tales of the Cocktail
Thurs, July 26, 2012
10am to 6pm
Aidan Gill For Men, Fulton St