Black Bull 12 Year Old Recommendation

Black Bull 12 Year Old has been recommended in 101 Whiskies to Try before You Die. This book is intended as an accompaniment to his previous publication under the same name. Ian Buxton makes a new selection of 101 whiskies by broadening his geographical domain in which to choose from, he also takes care not to choose expressions from the same brand to allow for a greater diversity of whisky brands.

101 Whiskies to Try before You Die is not an awards list – it’s a guide to the 101 whiskies that enthusiasts must seek out and try in order to complete their whisky education. Furthermore, the book avoids the deliberately obscure and focuses on the whiskies that he believes every whisky lover should taste.

The selection process was governed by three basic conditions 1) Readily available 2) Affordable 3) An excellent example of its kind.

Black Bull 12 Year Old comfortably meets all these conditions, and is a must try!

The author Ian Buxton is a former Marketing Director of Glenmorangie and has worked in the industry for more than 20 years. He now runs a successful consultancy business. He was elected a Keeper of the Quaich in 1991, the highest honour of the Scotch whisky industry, and is a member of the international tasting panel for the annual World Whisky Awards and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers.

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited
www.duncantaylor.com

GlenDronach Releases Latest Batch of Single Cask Bottlings

THE BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd. has today, Friday 13 July, released the latest batch of single cask bottlings from its GlenDronach Distillery.

This is the sixth batch of GlenDronach single casks to be released by the award-winning Aberdeenshire distillery.

The five casks were all bottled in June and are available as of today.

The batch comprises five sublime casks with vintages ranging from 1971 to 1993. Two have been matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheons, one in an Oloroso sherry butt, one in an Oloroso sherry puncheon and the fifth in a Moscatel Barrel. The Moscatel cask (1989 cask # 4885) is a particularly unusual release from GlenDronach, given that the distillery tends to focus on sherry cask maturation.

All five have been hand-selected by The BenRiach Distillery Company’s Managing Director Billy Walker, and all share GlenDronach’s typically luxurious, richly-sherried characteristics, plus a fantasia of dates, orchestras of spices and explosions of honey, Demerara sugar, sweet molasses, mocha…and even fruit cake!

The cask details are as follows:

1971 cask # 1247 / 41 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 47.9% vol. / approx 529 bottles

1978 cask # 1068 / 33 years old / Oloroso Sherry Puncheon / 52.9% vol. / approx 318 bottles

1989 cask # 4885 / 23 years old / Moscatel Barrel / 53.9%vol. / approx 286 bottles

1990 cask # 2966 / 22 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 55.1% vol. / approx 539 bottles

1993 cask # 536 / 19 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 59.4% vol. / approx 596 bottles

Last year, after tasting and evaluating over 4500 whiskies worldwide for his “Whisky Bible 2012”, Jim Murray singled out GlenDronach as the distillery “with the most consistently impressive output throughout 2011” and placed it “in the Grand Crus of Scottish Malt Distilleries”. He added: “If there was a Whisky Bible Scotch Malt Whisky Distillery of the Year, GlenDronach would be it.”

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page over the coming weeks for more information on these new releases, tasting notes and exclusive product photography.

If you would like to receive more information regarding Batch 6 releases, please contact us on info@glendronachdistillery.co.uk

Black Bull 40 Year Old Batch 3

Batch 3 of Black Bull 40 Year Old has recently been bottled and is soon to be available to purchase from retailers.

Black Bull 40YO batch 3 is a mix of 14.4% Grain Whiskies and 85.6% malt Whiskies from some of Scotland’s premium distilleries.

Black Bull 40 Year Old Batch 3 (41.6%, 70cl) Tasting Notes:

Colour: Bright Gold
Nose: Raisins, roasted almonds, butter scotch, dark chocolate, orange zest, freshly cut grass.
Taste: Citrus fruits, manuka honey, faint smoked oakiness, wild berries with a distance coastal flavour emerging.
Finish: Long mouth coating finish with a delicate traces of chocolate covered cherries, with salty traces fighting their way to the front.
Comment: This is a dram to be savoured and enjoyed.

Contact kat@duncantaylor.com for information regarding the location of shop retailers and URLs for Online retailers that are soon to be stocking the Black Bull range and any other Duncan Taylor Ranges.

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited

www.duncantaylor.com

Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky raises a glass to Fife’s Ship Inn Cricket team on Scotland’s most famous pitch

Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky kicked off the summer cricket season in style by announcing its official sponsorship of The Ship Inn cricket team on Scotland’s most famous pitch – Elie beach in Fife.

Supported by Isle of Skye Whisky, one of The Ship Inn team’s first wins of the season was captured on film by BBC Scotland. Landward’s presenter Dougie Vipond joined the Ship Inn team as special honorary team member on 27 May for a special feature on Elie’s unusual cricket ground. With players and spectators basking in glorious summer sunshine on the golden sands, the quaint fishermen’s cottages of Elie proved the perfect backdrop to this traditional British summertime pursuit and The Ship Inn’s team glory. Watch the episode online.

The cricket season runs through to 9 September with home games at Elie taking place every second Sunday. People are being encouraged to come along, rain or shine, and support the Ship Inn cricket team for some guaranteed entertaining sport, delicious food at the Ship Inn and of course a wee dram of Isle of Skye 8 Years Old.

For future game listings visit: www.ship-elie.com

Dailuaine 40 Year Old, 1971 Vintage, 47.6%

Douglas Laing Director’s Cut

Single cask expression of the Speyside single malt rarely ever seen at this age from one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland established 1851.

Distilled December 1971 yielding only 117 bottles

£194.99 (£162.49 ex VAT)

Benromach’s stillmen at centre of distillery’s new creative concept

Two Scottish distillery workers have been penned by the Scottish illustrator, Jill Calder, to feature at the heart of a new design concept set to showcase the secret of Benromach, Speyside’s smallest distillery, to the UK and internationally.

Benromach is handmade by just two stillmen – Keith Cruickshank and Mike Ross – who make in one year what other distillers make in a week, making it one of Scotland’s best kept whisky secrets. Keith and Mike have now been immortalised in Fife-based artist Jill Calder’s illustrations, reflecting the personal qualities the two men bring to Benromach and its expressions. The design concept will be used in the distillery’s advertising, marketing and promotional campaigns.

David Urquhart, Joint Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, the family-run Elgin company which owns Benromach commented: “Benromach is a handmade, boutique whisky which is lovingly crafted by Keith and Mike. They are the essence of Benromach and so we thought it appropriate that they were placed front and centre of our new concept.

“Jill’s illustrations are a perfect fit for Benromach – home and handmade and with loving attention to detail.

Douglas Alexander of Stuff Creative was briefed to give the Benromach brand a new creative personality. Doug, who founded Stuff Creative in November 2011, commented: “We wanted to find a creative personality for the brand that would let it talk and express itself. Anyone who visits Benromach can meet Keith and Mike, but now those who can’t make the trip to Forres personally can ‘meet’ both of them in Benromach displays across the country.

“I’ve worked with the Urquhart family, which owns Benromach, for 25 years, in each agency I’ve been a part of. They have a lot of vision and guts, and it really has been exciting working with the family and Jill Calder to bring the brand to life and celebrate the two men who make it all happen at the distillery.”

Jill Calder commented: “Illustrating Benromach distillery and its two stillmen, Keith and Mike, was a lovely process. I’ve never been a whisky drinker but they’ve done their best to try and convert me!”

Keith and Mike’s illustrations are available, but in large file size (3MB each). Please confirm if you would like to receive these illustrations via email.

Notes:

About Benromach

Established in 1898, Benromach distillery changed hands many times and was virtually derelict when bought by Gordon & MacPhail in 1993. Drawing on generations of whisky expertise, the company carried out a painstaking refurbishment, and the distillery was officially re-opened by Prince Charles in 1998.

Just two men hand-craft Benromach using the finest Scottish barely and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. They fill new spirit into the highest quality casks before being left to mature at the distillery for many years. The Benromach portfolio includes the award winning Benromach 10 Years Old and the first fully certified organic single malt – Benromach Organic.

For more information on Benromach, visit www.benromach.com

About Jill Calder

Jill Calder is an award-winning illustrator based in Cellardyke, Fife. Trained at Glasgow School of Art, her clients include the New Yorker, Elle magazine, the British Museum, Sainsburys and Harvard Business review.

For more information on Jill Calder, visit www.jillcalder.com

About Stuff Creative

Stuff Creative was founded by Douglas Alexander in November 2011. Prior to founding Stuff, Douglas was managing director of Navy Blue in Edinburgh.

For more information on Stuff Creative, contact Douglas Alexander on doug@stuffcreative.com

As you may have noticed Whisky Intelligence was absent for a few days; the servers that host our files suffered a massive failure and it took the wee robots nearly 48 long hours to find the problem and repair it.

Now it’s catch up time!

Gold Award For Black Bull 40 Year old Batch 3

We obtained a GOLD medal award for Black Bull 40 Batch 3 in this year’s International Spirits Challenge, where over 400 Scotch Whiskies were blindly tasted in Edinburgh, Scotland, by one of the best panel of judges ever to date. The panel of judges consisted of 15 different worldwide master distillers and master blenders. To name a few: the chief blender of Nikka Whisky, Tadashi Sakuma, the Balvenie malt master, David Stewart, master blender at Chivas Brothers, Colin Scott, and the master blender at Whyte and Mackay, Richard Paterson.

Black Bull 40 Year Old receiving a Gold Medal is a fantastic achievement considering such an esteemed panel of judges, and the level of whiskies that entered the competition this year. Black Bull’s continuing success in competitions and popularity amongst customers proves once again that it is a brilliant Blended Whisky full of flavour and character.

Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited

www.duncantaylor.com

WIN a magical escape to the Isle of Skye

Isle of Skye Whisky has teamed up with VisitScotland as part of the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 to offer people the chance of winning a three-night self-catering break for two to the island, including return ferry travel from Mallaig to Armadale, a rare bottle of Isle of Skye 21 Years Old and up to £200 towards travel and spending money.

From the imposing skyline of the Black Cuillin shrouded in Celtic mist and towering high above the picturesque Glen Brittle, to the extraordinary cliff-like edge of Trotternish Ridge north of Portree, you are invited to journey ‘Over the sea to Skye’ and uncover an island full of surprises.

To help indulge your creative side during the Year of Creative 2012, make sure you experience the unique Poetry Trail at the Clan Donald Museum which brings to life the history of the Highlands and Islands through the Jacobite risings, to the sweeping cultural changes where clansmen became crofters and chiefs became landlords.

For full details and terms and conditions, visit: www.isleofskyewhisky.com/competition Or go to the VisitScotland Website.