The Dundee Dell will be holding a scotch tasting this Sunday at 4PM.

I trust this email finds you in good spirits, and well on the way to recovery from all the crazy-wild revelry that is Groundhog Day…one of my favorite holidays…especially when it falls on a Saturday! 

There is still time (but not much) to enter your nominations for the 2013 Drammie Awards: The Voice of the Whiskey Consumer. Hundreds of WhiskeyLovers like you, from six different countries on three different continents have already submitted their nominations.   

Don’t miss your chance to be heard: Tell the whiskey industry what you think and enter your nominations now.

Two weeks ago FWL Managing Editor Caroline Dewar published her notes from her time spent talking with Arran Distillers Chief Executive Euan Mitchell. The article was packed with insight into this resolutely independent Island distillery, and Mitchell’s plans for the future. If you haven’t read it yet, I urge you to check it out. 

Inspired, I decided to try one of their limited edition whiskies, and opted for the one Caroline herself professed to prefer: The Arran Amarone Cask Finished Single Malty Whisky. 

The Isle of Arran Distillery (as it’s formally known) has become known for a series of whiskys called thier Cask Finishes. The first release of this series, Arran Amarone Cask Finished, is a double matured 10 year old Scotch finished in an Amarone wine casks sourced from an artisan producer of this iconic Italian red wine. 

Arran Master Distiller James MacTaggart carefully monitored this period of secondary maturation to ensure the perfect balance was struck between the Amarone casks and the intrinsic sweet-fruity character of The Arran Malt. 

The end result is a single malt full of charm, complexity and quality that received top marks from Jim Murray in his 2010 Whisky Bible (96 out of 100), along with the comments ‘perhaps the best Arran nose of all time’.     

I found this to be a wonderful whisky that combines the best of Arran with the restrained sweet fruit and oak notes of Amarone wine. At first whiff there are aromas of poached pears, honey and toasted almonds and notes of sweet red berries. 

The taste is delightful, with flavors of coffee, chocolate orange, mellow butterscotch, sweet stewed fruits with pronounced notes of ripe dark plums, sweet cinnamon and slightly bitter almonds.  The finish is long and elegant. 

This a limited edition release, and since its been available for awhile, the global inventory has been all but depleted. But fortunately for us our man Nicky The Neck is, shall I say, “connected” within the Amarone industry….and so he has a guy, who knows a guy… 

And so we are thrilled to be able to offer you the opportunity to acquire your own bottle of Arran Amarone Cask Finished Single Malty Whisky for $75.50/ bottle. But make haste…their not making any more of this, and once it’s gone… 

Or, if you want to try Arran’s most popular expression. Buy a bottle of Arran 10YO Single Malt Whisky giftpack ($49.95/ bottle), and receive two (2) Arran Whisky glasses FREE with your bottle. 

Until next week…I wish you high spirits! 

Arran Amarone Cask Finished Single Malt Whisky

Arran 10YO Single Malt Whisky & 2 Glasses Set

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #32

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, takes you to the Land of the Rising Sun to introduce you to the Taketsuru 12 Year Old Pure Malt, the Japanese blended malt from the Nikka whisky company. 

http://youtu.be/ifbV_KN_Wro

Park Avenue Liquor Shop is proud to announce the pre-arrival of Old Pulteney 40 Year Old.

Old Pulteney is about to unveil to the U.S. their oldest and most exclusive official expression of single malt to leave its warehouses since its establishment in 1826. The spirit of Pulteney (the northernmost distillery on Scottish mainland) is influenced by its environment like no other. The windswept and rugged Caithness Coast and the remote fishing port of Wick provide the background for one of the most intriguing whiskies in the world. This new, stunning Old Pulteney was shaped by the land and the sea for over four decades and is the ultimate expression of the Maritime Malt.

THE LOOK:
Old Pulteney 40 Year Old is an important chapter in the history of Pulteney Distillery. As such it calls for bespoke presentation; a real show of fierce pride, strength of the community and stunning craftsmanship.
The whisky is presented in unusual deep-blue bottles crafted by The Tudor Crystal Design company and its sister company Plowden and Thompson’s Undertaking. Hand blown from melting silica, soda ash and special additions each bottle is then finished with solid silver melted blown across the glass to form a wave pattern. This gives the familiar ‘Smuggler’s Kettle’ Old Pulteney bottle elegance and flair that pay respect to the liquid inside.

Each bottle of Old Pulteney 40 Year Old is topped with a stone closure whittled, polished, fine-pressure jetted, milled and polished again by the famous local Caithness Stone Industries. The bottles are finished with a Scottish hallmarked silver medallion stating the age of the whisky. The high-gloss lacquered wooden box that encases the bottle has the iconic Old Pulteney herring drifter silver-etched into it to complete the stunning presentation.

In addition every bottle of Old Pulteney 40 Year Old comes with a hand-signed book by whisky expert Charles MacLean.

THE WHISKY:
Old Pulteney 40 Year Old came from four casks. They include three Spanish ex-sherry hogsheads and one American oak ex-bourbon barrel. The casks yielded 493 bottles of whisky at a natural strength of 51.3% ABV. This unique single malt has been bottled at cask strength, has not been chill-filtered or colored. Despite the age the spirit shows remarkable freshness and intensity and boasts an unmistakable Pulteney character. Pulteney Distillery Manager, Malcolm Waring, explains:

“Old Pulteney begins its life as spirit already full of character. Then we mature it on site, here in Wick, we think its hugely important. With each passing year the whisky takes on a little bit of Caithness, the initial charisma is there but it develops more and more complexity. To see that so clearly in a whisky matured for over four decades is extraordinary; we are overwhelmed by the quality of this liquid and by how firmly it’s anchored here. The people, the process, the land and the sea are all in there.”

This item is highly allocated for the U.S. with less than five bottles expected in the NY market this month. If you are interested, please contact the store directly. Ask for Jonathan, Marlon or Eric. PH: 212-685-2442 email: info@parkaveliquor.com Our price: $2,500

Our first term of Whisky Schools is half-way through and running strong, with students leaving us with smiles as well as a much rounder knowledge of the good stuff. There are still a few to come at the intro price of £70 a ticket, which includes 2-course lunch at the hotel it is running in (Malmaison or Hotel Du Vin)…

DATES & VENUES

9TH FEBRUARY LIVERPOOL
9TH FEBRUARY LONDON – Sold Out
16TH FEBRUARY EDINBURGH – Sold Out
16TH FEBRUARY MANCHESTER – Sold Out
17TH FEBRUARY GLASGOW
23RD FEBRUARY BIRMINGHAM

Don’t worry those of you in cities where the events are sold out, more dates will be announced shortly…

#loveBowmore

Valentine’s Day is traditionally a time for flowers and chocolate. This year, however, we would like to change that. We would like to invite you to a very special pre-Valentine’s ‘whisky date’ with our own Master Blender, Rachel Barrie, and a selection of the great and the good from the world of whisky.

Our lucky winners will receive a very special Valentine’s whisky bouquet and an invite to a special Twitter tasting with Rachel. The bouquet will include four mystery Bowmore whiskies including a special work in progress Bowmore that has not been released.

On the night, Rachel will guide you through tasting each of these lovely drams as well as answer some of your questions.

For your chance to win one of two places up for grabs, simply enter your details on the Bowmore Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bowmore.

We will notify winners by Monday 11th February.

For those who want to follow the tasting, it will take place on Thursday 13th February at 7pm. To join in, just use the hashtag #Bowmorelove. Hope to see lots of you there sharing the Bowmore love.

Diageo has announced plans to invest £1.5 million in expanding and enhancing the company’s global brand archive in Clackmannanshire.

The Diageo Archive at Menstrie is the largest collection of its kind in the world, consisting of more than half a million items. The collection includes documents, advertising material, bottles, books and memorabilia relating to global brands such as Johnnie Walker, Bell’s, Smirnoff, Gordon’s and Tanqueray.

The expansion project will include a new storage facility and a new reception and library area for hosting visitors to the archive. Each year hundreds of Diageo employees from around the world visit Menstrie to learn about the history and heritage of the brands for which they work. The archive is also a key source of inspiration for innovation and the development of new products and marketing campaigns.

Christine McCafferty, who has managed the Diageo Archive for the past 15 years – and who oversaw the relocation of the archive to Menstrie in 2001 – said the plans marked an exciting new phase for the flourishing facility.

She said: “The Diageo Archive is has been carefully and lovingly built over many years and is a living record of the tradition and heritage of brands which are famous around the globe.

“Diageo has the world’s leading collection of premium drinks brands and with new marketing campaigns, new bottles and new packaging being developed all the time our collection is continually expanding. I am absolutely delighted that the company is prepared to invest in developing and expanding our home here in Menstrie, securing the future of this global facility in central Scotland.”

Over 400 years of history

Although the Diageo Archive is 23 years old it holds more than 405 years of history and heritage on Diageo brands, companies, people and sites – including Diageo’s 28 malt distilleries in Scotland.

It contains material on more than 1500 brands, 200 Production Sites and 150 markets and includes more than 10,000 bottles and 12,000 adverts, all of which record the evolution of the brands.

The Archive is currently served by a team of five professional Archivists who are recognised experts not just in the care of materials, but the history and heritage of the company’s brands and they remain committed to expanding their collection of material from around d the world.

“Diageo’s ongoing commitment to the history and heritage of our brands is hugely encouraging and further demonstrates the integral role we have in terms of increasing brand knowledge and passion within the business, to inspiring innovation and design,” added Christine.

“As the demand for our brands grows worldwide and there is an increasing requirement to protect brand identities and trade-marks, the work we do here in Menstrie remains as relevant and essential as it did when we started in 1990.”

The Diageo Archive facility in Menstrie opened in June 2001 and although it is not open to the general public, a selection of the archive material is always on display at the company’s distillery visitor centres around Scotland. The archive also contributes regularly to public displays, including a recent exhibition at the Scottish Parliament to mark the centenary of the Scotch Whisky Association.

Diageo has submitted a planning application to Clackmannanshire Council for permission to extend and re-develop the archive, which is part of the company’s Technical Centre complex at Menstrie.

Balvenie Distillery Whisky Tasting – Thursday 7th March 2013

For our next whisky tasting evening we are really pleased to announce that we will be joined by the Balvenie UK brand Ambassador, Dr Andrew Forrester.

Balvenie is one of our favourite Speyside distilleries (and we’re not just saying that because our mate Phil works there…). The distillery is owned by William Grant and Sons and is a ‘family’ concern in the very best sense of the word. It still retains it’s own maltings and cooperage, and production of its fabulous rich, smooth and honeyed whisky has been overseen by David Stewart, who recently celebrated 50 years with the company. Excellent use of different cask types produce some delicious variations in the range and we’re sure you’ll find lots to enjoy in this tasting.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

UPCOMING EVENT

Balvenie Whisky Tasting

Date Thursday 7th March 2013

Time 7pm for 7.30pm

Venue Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren SN6 7SD

Details The whiskies we will be tasting range from the Balvenie 12 year old Doublewood through to the 21 year old Portwood, and you’ll be able to hear from Andrew all about how this handcrafted whisky is made and some of the stories of the craftsmen involved in its production.

Tickets are £13.50 per person, and this also entitles you to a discount of £3 against a bottle of one of the featured whiskies if bought or ordered on the night of the tasting. Tickets are very strictly limited, and allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and as these tastings usually sell out within hours it is best to book ASAP. To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com and place an order for the number you require.

Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night so come prepared.

N.B. We have negotiated special rates at the hotel for anyone who wants to stay overnight after the tasting – click here for further details.

NEW Black Bull 40 Year Old 4th Release

Black Bull 40 Year Old, the flagship of the Black Bull range is a superior blend of the finest Single Malt and Single Grain whiskies available from Scotland’s premium Distilleries. The spirit in this, the fourth bottling of Black Bull 40 year old contains whiskies from the following distilleries: Glenlivet, Bunnahabhain, Tamdhu, Glen Grant, Invergordon & Port Dundas.

Black Bull 40 Year Old Scotch Whisky is part of a multi award winning stable of blended scotch whiskies

£222.00 inc VAT

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW