Tasting Notes: An Cnoc 22 Year Old

An Cnoc is the single malt from Knockdhu distillery, and although it’s relatively low profile compared to some other Speyside malts, they’ve been quietly producing very good whiskies for some time now. Certainly the 16 year old is a perennial favourite – … Continue reading >>

World Whisky Day 2013 – Four Fun and Interesting Facts About Whisky & Maker’s Mark:

• Whisky comes from all over the world. Each type varies by region, distillation, aging and grain mash recipe. For instance, Irish whiskies are normally distilled three times while Scottish whiskies are distilled twice. Maker’s Mark whisky is made from mash that consists of at least 51% corn, red winter wheat and barley malt and is distilled twice.
• Did you know whisky can be spelled with or without an E? The difference in the spelling depends on the style or country of origin. Whisky is generally used in Scotland, Wales, Canada and Japan, while whiskey is mostly used in Ireland and the U.S.  While Maker’s Mark is distilled in Kentucky, the Samuels’ family has Scottish roots – therefore no “e.”
• Bourbon is both good behind the bar and in the kitchen.   Maker’s Mark has become a favorite among bartenders and chefs alike, as it offers great dimension when added to sauces for meats and in sweets like ice creams and cakes. Go ahead—take a stab at adding some whisky to your favorite recipes!
• Whisky sales have sky rocketed in the past year in the U.S. and abroad! In the U.S., American whiskies including bourbon and Tennessee whiskey were at the forefront of this growth, with a combined volume rising 5.2% – that’s 16.9 million cases in 2012 alone! American whiskies also accounted for 70% of the total U.S. spirits exports for 2012.

Toast to this fun day with a few classic cocktails:

Maker’s Mark Manhattan

• 1-1/2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
• 1/2 part sweet vermouth
• 1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
• 1 maraschino cherry

Shake all together for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled Manhattan glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry (served up, no ice). 

Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned

• 1-1/2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
• 1/2 part club soda
• 2 orange slices
• 2 maraschino cherries
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Muddle 1 orange slice, 1 maraschino cherry and the sugar in an Old Fashioned glass. Fill glass 3/4 full of ice. Add Maker’s Mark® Bourbon and splash of club soda. Garnish with additional orange slice and maraschino cherry.

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The Whisky Exchange BLOG

Kavalan Fino and King Car Conductor

With Whisky Live London only a few weeks away we’ve been getting ready to run the on-site whisky shop. We’ve been looking through who’ll be exhibiting to make sure we bring along all the bottles that you’ll be able to … Continue reading >>

ST. PATRICK’S DAY – Sunday March 17th

Legend has it that Saint Patrick banished all snakes from Ireland, something we think the characters of the movie ‘Snakes on a Plane’ would surely appreciate! This weekend is looking like it’s going to be quite something, what with the final day of the Six Nations championship on Saturday and then Saint Patrick’s Day on Sunday (followed by a duvet day on Monday?)

Watch this space! The newly revived Teeling Whiskey Company plan to re-open a distillery in Dublin. One doubts there will be any shortage of visitors once it is set up! In the meantime, we can make do with this delicious, finely crafted small batch Irish whiskey.

No, not the 1978 movie starring Richard Burton & Roger Moore. This Wild Geese whiskey is much better than that! Comes in a 50 cl bottle – just enough for you and your mates to quaff on for the day.

Bushmills 1608 Anniversary is a great easy drinking Irish whiskey with plenty of character, which we regularly whole heartedly recommend. Irish whiskies have really come to the fore in recent years and this would be a great introductory Irish whiskey for the novice.

Irish Moonshine comes in from the cold. Although other Poitins have been available since the law was relaxed in 1997 (or 1989 for export only) this new Teeling Poitin looks like maybe having a bigger impact than before. Great tasting and similar in many ways to a new make spirit, this is well worth trying. Just remember that it is 61.5% abv!

Powers is a superb single pot still whiskey with excellent balance and full bodied character. One of the more recent Irish whiskey releases that really made people sit up and take notice of what can be achieved by present day Irish distillers.

www.royalmilewhiskies.com

Whisky Wednesday heads to Texas to review Balcones Baby Blue Whisky.

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STARS SET TO DISCOVER THE LEGEND AT 2013 BALLANTINE’S CHAMPIONSHIP

Championship to welcome major winners to this year’s tournament                       

American Ryder Cup stars Dustin Johnson and Zach Johnson, plus 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, will headline the field for this year’s Ballantine’s Championship. The trio of major winners will join home favourites YE Yang and KT Kim for the Championship’s sixth edition, which takes place from 25 – 28 April 2013, at the prestigious Blackstone Golf Club in South Korea.

This latest world-class field underlines the growing reputation of the Ballantine’s Championship, as players look to join a legendary family of previous winners which includes Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell (2008), Englishman Lee Westwood (2011), as well as defending champion Bernd Wiesberger (2012).

Christian Porta, CEO of Chivas Brothers, said: “We are delighted that the Ballantine’s Championship continues to attract such a wealth of both talent and interest from all over the world, again reinforcing the increasing importance of Korea as a world-class golf destination.  We look forward to another exciting edition of this prestigious golf tournament.”

World Number Five Oosthuizen will make his debut in the Ballantine’s Championship, having captured his sixth European Tour title at last month’s Volvo Golf Champions in his native South Africa.

“I’m really looking forward to visiting Korea and to playing in the Ballantine’s Championship for the first time,” said Oozthuizen. “I got my first win in Asia last year and it would be nice to challenge for another in April. I’ve heard good things about the tournament and I look forward to discovering more about it.”

American Zach Johnson, himself a former winner of The Masters in 2007, is also making his debut at the championship and it will be the first time the three-time Ryder Cup player has played in a European Tour event outside of the Major Championships and World Golf Championships events.

“It’s a great opportunity to be able to play in the Ballantine’s Championship and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “To be able to play in a new country and test myself against some of Europe and Asia’s leading players is very exciting.”

Meanwhile countryman Dustin Johnson, one of the biggest hitters in world golf, returns to Blackstone Golf Club having finished fourth on his debut in 2011. The 28 year old was forced to miss last year’s Ballantine’s Championship but goes to Blackstone in good form already in 2013.

“I was disappointed to have to miss last year’s Ballantine’s Championship because of my back injury,” said Johnson, who recently won his seventh US PGA Tour Title in the season opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions. “I really enjoyed my first visit a couple of years ago and I’m looking forward to returning.”

Leading the home hopes will be Yang and Kim, with both players striving to become the first Korean to win the Ballantine’s Championship. Whilst Kim is the former Korean Amateur Champion and won the 2007 Maekyung Open, Yang became the first Asian player to win a Major when he held off Tiger Woods to win the 2009 US PGA Championship.

“The Ballantine’s Championship is always an important event for the Korean players and it is one I always look forward to,” Yang said. “Ballantine’s always puts on a great Championship and really looks after us, so I hope that I can do well in return.”

The Ballantine’s Championship was established in 2008 and builds on Ballantine’s long-standing association with golf. In addition to the Championship, Ballantine’s sponsors several top-flight events, as well as investing in grass-roots activity such as the Golf Fund in China and the Road to the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.

Notes

About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s is the No 2 ultra-premium Scotch whisky in Asia, No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 129 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

• Ballantine’s has been title sponsor of the Ballantine’s Championship since 2008
• Ballantine’s is an official sponsor of the BMW Masters, The Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open & The Mission Hills Golf World Cup
• The first Ballantine’s sponsored golf tournament was played in 1960 at Wentworth Golf Club, England

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.

The English Are Coming.

The English have arrived. English Whisky that is.

Purple Valley Imports is proud to announce that The English Whisky Co. (EWC) is now available in the US. The Classic and Peated Single Malts are produced by St. Georges Distillery, the first new distillery in England in over a century.

The whisky expressions being released are exclusive to the US market. Initial release will be in the Chicago, Washington, DC, Boston and San Francisco markets.  An official launch is scheduled for the week of April 14th, when Andrew Nelstrop, Managing Director of EWC will be visiting the US. Events are planned for Washington DC, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.

Raj Sabharwal, Managing Director, Purple Valley Imports commented “we have been working for over 2 years to get these great Single Malts into the US.”.

Added Andrew Nelstrop, “the US is an important market and we wanted to introduce our Single Malts with the right flavor profile”. EWC is imported by Purple Valley Imports USA, named Whisky Importer of the Year by Whisky Magazine.

For more information contact Raj Sabharwal, at Raj@purplevalleyimports.com. Or 704-497-2493. Purple Valley Imports USA 2013 Whisky Importer of The Year 704 497 2493

Saturday, May 11 is still a couple of months away but there is no need to stay dry until then. ‘Single Minded 2013: A Modest Guide to Really Good Whisky’ is here to steer you towards a selection of Great Everyday Whisky at reasonable prices and within easy reach right here in Canada.

Written and published by Spirit of Toronto’s executive producer, Johanna Ngoh, this was conceived as a refreshing antidote to books that review 4,500 whiskies, most of which will never reach our shores. Her 2013 selection includes single malt Scotch, blends and blended malts, as well as whisky from the United States, Canada and Ireland.

Priced at $14.95 plus tax and shipping, this can be ordered online at www.singleminded.ca

WIN FREE CUSTOM SCOTCH WHISKY

To help raise awareness of International Whisky Day (March 27th), and it’s efforts to help charities such as Parkionson’s UK, we’ve decided to give giving away five free bottles of custom blended Scotch whisky… because it’s officially the 5th year of IWD. One way to be in with a chance to win one of these 100% discount vouchers to be redeemed on whiskyblender.com is entering our prize draw. It’s simple, submit a label to us via the link: http://www.whiskyblender.com/iwd2013 and we’re announce the winner on at some point during the festivities.