Global competition launched to celebrate the release of anCnoc Peter Arkle Limited Edition No.3 ‘Bricks’

anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is announcing a new chapter in the collaboration between the whisky brand and a renowned Scottish illustrator based in New York – Peter Arkle. The partnership was launched in April 2012 and involves a series of limited anCnoc expressions presented in packaging designed by the artist. So far the range included two global releases –anCnoc Peter Arkle No.1 ‘Ingredients’ and anCnoc Peter Arkle No.2 ‘Casks’. Today the brand unveiled anCnoc Peter Arkle No.3 ‘Bricks’ and revealed details of a global competition launched to celebrate the partnership and give anCnoc fans around the world an opportunity to participate in this remarkable project.

The Whisky

anCnoc Peter Arkle No.3 ‘Bricks’ was matured in Spanish ex-sherry butts as well as American exbourbon barrels. The resulting whisky is full-bodied and sweet and displays a classic anCnoc flavour profile with notes of perfume, citrus, honey and spice defining its style. The whisky is bottled at 46% ABV, non chill-filtered and presented at its natural colour.

The packaging shows a thick dunnage warehouse wall, as drawn by Peter Arkle during his visit to Knockdhu Distillery in 2011. The artist comments on the project and the design:

“I have loved working with anCnoc and am very proud of our latest limited edition. The distillery at Knock is such a great place and I had a fantastic time visiting there. This particular illustration for me really shows a complex thought in a very simple way. On one hand it’s just a drawing of the bricks that make up the walls of the distillery and the warehouses with a yellow sign stuck on. But, on the other hand, those bricks are so old and so soaked with the essences of anCnoc – absorbed over the years – that they are not just any old bricks. They are bricks with real character and history. And the sign is there to remind people that anCnoc is not something you can take for granted. One must handle something remarkable with care.”

Only 1000 cases of anCnoc Peter Arkle Limited Edition No.3 ‘Bricks’ will be available online and from specialist retailers in the UK, USA, Germany, Russia, Japan, Taiwan and Canada. The recommended retail price in the UK is £49.99.

#youranCnoc

To mark this great collaboration ten whisky fans from around the world will see their personal anCnoc experience turned into unique bottle designs drawn by Peter Arkle himself. The competition, called #youranCnoc, will take place on the 17th June and all who wish to participate will be asked to tweet a photo of their perfect anCnoc moment that day. Ten entries selected by Peter will then be hand-drawn, transferred onto individual bottles of anCnoc and sent to the winners. Additionally, one lucky winner will be taken to New York to meet the artist and experience the process of creating his remarkable illustrations first-hand.

Peter further commented:

“I have been so inspired designing for anCnoc and I’m really excited for people to get the chance to be inspired themselves and have their own personal anCnoc moment immortalised onto their very own bottle. It’s such a fun opportunity.”

Gillian Gibson, the anCnoc Brand Manager added:

“anCnoc has long had a close relationship with visual art and we are delighted to not only be continuing with this fantastic series with Peter which we are sure will become instant collectors’ items like its predecessors, but that we can also offer truly personalised art with a mighty fine dram with our #youranCnoc campaign.”

Full details of the competition can be found at www.anCnoc.com anCnoc can be found on Twitter at @anCnoc whisky

Tasting notes

Colour: Bright amber

Aroma: Fresh, fragrant and complex. The signature rich honey and lemon notes are accompanied by freshly cut flowers, juicy green apples and sweet vanilla. A hint of heavy leather adds to the depth while just a touch of ripe orange zest wraps it up in a beautifully balanced composition.

Taste: A full-bodied dram with great texture. The flavour is spicy at first with notes of vibrant citrus, sherry and dark chocolate developing and revealing a mouth-watering burst of hot toffee and honey sweetness.

Finish: The finish is long and smooth with notes of oranges and sherry enveloped in moreish spiciness.

Peter Arkle

Peter Arkle is been a freelance Scottish illustrator, based in New York City. Born in Penicuik he graduated from St. Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, before moving to New York, where his unique style flourished. He has been working freelance since 1993, contributing to books, newspapers and magazines such as The New Yorker, Newsweek and Oprah, in addition to leading global brands and businesses.

Notes

•anCnoc [a-nock] Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced at Knockdhu Distillery in the village of Knock near Huntly

•The distillery was established in 1894 and is now part of the International Beverage Holdings portfolio, alongside Balblair, Pulteney and Speyburn single malt distilleries in Scotland.

• Core expressions of anCnoc include a 12 year old, a 16 year old and a 22 year old

•A super premium anCnoc 35 year old is also available for a limited time across selected markets worldwide

www.ralfy.com introduces a good quality Canadian option with Whisky Review 362 (3/7) – 40 Creek Copper Pot Canadian Whisky

While the history of whisky is long and proud, with legend telling of Saint Patrick bringing the craft of distillation to Scotland, the history of the Quaich is no less long or illustrious.

 The word Quaich comes from the gaelic “cuach” which means cup and they have been used for centuries to welcome or bid farewell to guests, or as a mark of comradeship or friendship. Sharing a dram of whisky from a Quaich has long been symbolic of binding people together in love, friendship or comradeship or to welcome or bid farewell to favoured guests. Today quaichs are often given as a gift to someone held dear.

This two handled Scottish drinking cup may have originated with the practise of drinking whisky from a scallop shell and progressed to forming these shallow cups from wood, stone or horn. Over the years the cups became more elaborate and highly skilled craftsmen fashioned wooden quaichs with beautiful celtic designs. From the 17^th century, as metals came to be more commonly used, quaichs have been made of  brass, pewter, silver or a combination of all three. The original outer shape was retained but the thick bases were thinned to reduce the the weight.

Quaichs originated in the Highlands and weren’t used in Lowland Scotland until the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie when the quaich travelled south in the canteens of the Prince’s army. The quaichs of the army were reputed to have glass bottoms enabling the drinker to keep an eye on those around him; a sad reflection on treacherous times.

Alex Scott & Co Ltd, a long established Aberdeen based company would like to offer you the chance to win a beautiful quaich so you may sup your dram in the traditional way and our gift set even provides a miniature of MacAllan Gold single malt whisky for the first filling.

To enter simply email the answer to the following question along with your name and address to sales@kiltmakers.co.uk using the subject line Quaich Competition, and we will draw the winner, at random, from the correct answers. Closing date June 19th, 2013…….. Please don’t forget to title your email Quaich competition.

What is the Centenary Quaich?

1. Quaich which resides in the Scottish Parliament building and is used for ceremonial occasions.
2. An international rugby union trophy contested annually by Ireland and Scotland.
3. A annual flat race run at Ayr races each September with the Centenary Quaich also being the name of the trophy.
4. A quaich presented to Queen Victoria by her loyal Scottish Subjects at the turn of the twentieth century.

Terms and Conditions:-  The winner will be notified of their win by email and the prize sent by post. No further correspondence will entered into and the judges decisions are final. The prize cannot be substituted or exchanged for cash. The competition is open to all except employees or relatives of Alex Scott & Co (kiltmakers.co.uk) or employees and relatives of Red Evolution. Important – entries will only be accepted from those who are 18 years old or over. This contest will run until Wednesday June 19th, 2013.

UK vlogger Joe Ellis a.k.a Whisky Wednesday reviews Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky.

http://youtu.be/zlGwAKuYnGk

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

ARDBEG UNEARTHS ITS LATEST LIMITED EDITION

Ardbeg, the world’s smokiest, peatiest award winning whisky is set to launch its latest limited edition called Ardbog, on ‘Ardbog Day’ – 1st June and will be available exclusively at New Zealand Ardbeg embassies.

To be the first in the country to enjoy a wee dram of the 2013 Ardbog Limited Edition, whisky connoisseurs can either head to Whisky Galore in Christchurch or Sam Snead’s House of Whiskey in Auckland on 1st June where Ardbog will launch for sale. These Ardbeg Embassies will also host special tastings during Ardbog Day as well as some peaty instore events to celebrate the worldwide launch.

Rai Banbury, senior brands manager, says, “The Islay Ardbeg Festival has become a key date in the calendar of malt whisky lovers worldwide. Every year Ardbeg creates a unique and fun way for our Ardbeg fans to celebrate Ardbeg and the much anticipated limited edition release.”

The name Ardbog was chosen to highlight the peat bogs of Ardbeg’s island home Islay and the part they play in the whisky making process. The unique peat bogs contain highly aromatic plants that when used to dry malted barley gives Ardbeg whiskies their distinctive smoky flavour.

Ardbog has deep, enticing waves of pecan nuts, salty toffee & caramels, fudge, leather and a distinct whiff of herbs, lavender and violets. The smoke is soft and aromatic, and is interwoven with savoury notes, like Iberico ham (de bellota) and olives.

The release of Ardbog follows the highly acclaimed Ardbeg Galileo, awarded as the World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards earlier this year.

To find out more about ARDBOG Day and becoming a committee member, visit http://www.ardbeg.com/ardbeg/members/public/index/register.

Notes

NZ Ardbog Day Events on Saturday 1st June:

• Whisky Galore, 66 Victoria Street, Central City, Christchurch. 11-5pm
• House of Whiskey, 50 Courthouse Lane, Auckland, CBD. 11-5pm

Tasting Notes:

Colour Deep ochre

Aroma Deep, enticing waves of pecan nuts, salty toffee & caramels combine with fudge, leather and with a distinct whiff of herbs, lavender and violets. The smoke is soft and aromatic and is interwoven with salty, savoury notes, such as berico ham and olives. The addition of water brings forth herbal, perfumed notes, smoked rhubarb, aged balsamic vinegar and some salty, ‘graphite’ notes reminding you of the Manzanilla cask element.

Taste/Texture A full, oily/tingly mouth feel leads into a powerful, salty, savoury burst of flavours including salted cashews and peanuts, clove, aniseed flavoured toffee, green olives and a curious hint of anchovy. A long, lingering aftertaste, in which the classic Ardbeg sweetness (like a hint of maple syrup) is kept in check by oak tannins, clove and coffee grounds.

RRP $160

About Ardbeg:

Ardbeg prides itself on being the ‘Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky’. Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by whisky connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts. Despite this, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.

Jura Launches Travel Retail Exclusive

Jura distillery has released a new expression – Turas-Mara – for sale exclusively through travel retail.

Gaelic for long journey, Turas-Mara is inspired by the travels of the many Diurachs who were forced to emigrate during the 18th and 19th centuries, in what became known as “The Clearances”, to countries including the US and Canada.

Turas-Mara is an expression that honours those who carried Jura in their hearts, as they travelled and migrated across the globe. Jura Turas-Mara allows travellers to experience a little bit of Jura as they embark on their own journeys.

Each pack is adorned with a compass to help steer the traveller home, and a poem written by a former resident of Jura, Jessie Scott. Jessie lived on the island during the 19th century and witnessed many of its inhabitants depart Jura by boat for the shores of North America. The poem is an ode to her homeland and has been immortalised on a plaque which currently stands on Jura’s Corran Sands beach.

Jura Turas-Mara is bottled at 42% ABV and available to buy in selected travel retail stores throughout 2013, with a RSP of £40 or €50.

Jura Distillery Manager, Willie Cochrane said:

“The spirit of travel is reflected in this whisky as it takes its unique and exotic flavour from casks sourced from America, Spain, France and Portugal. Its fleshy notes of vanilla and toffee and black cherries on the palate will make duty free travellers long to visit our wonderful island.”

Francesco Scaglione, Whyte & Mackay Travel Retail Director commented:

“For a whisky inspired by those Diurachs who set off around the globe, it’s fitting that this expression will only be available for sale through selected travel retail outlets. Over the past five years, the brand’s sales within this channel have grown more than any other top single malt, and this year we aim to build on that momentum and continue to work closely with our partners to create innovative brand exclusives.”

Taste Notes

Colour: Velvet Mahogany
Nose: Vanilla, coconut and sweet toffee
Taste: Honeyed vanilla, succulent black cherries, fleshy grape pulp and juicy raisins

About Jura
Off the west coast of Scotland lies one of nature’s best kept secrets, the Isle of Jura. Populated by a community of less than 200, known as Diurachs (the Gaelic name for the people of Jura), the island is home to Jura distillery and an award-winning range of single malt whiskies.

There are four classic bottlings in the Jura Collection, each with their own distinctive flavour profiles: the light and delicate Origin 10; the rich and full bodied Diurachs’ Own 16 year old; and Superstition and Prophecy, which are lightly and heavily peated respectively.

Jura whisky, as we know it today, was born in the late 1950s when two local estate owners – Robin Fletcher and Tony Riley-Smith – took the bold decision to rebuild the Jura distillery following decades of neglect, employing architect William Delme-Evans. By 1963 their work was complete, providing much needed economic support for an isolated island community.

The story of the distillery’s rebirth is one of many that define the unique character of Jura, the islanders and their whisky. From the Writers’ Retreat to the annual Music and Whisky Festivals, Jura continues to generate stories worth telling.

www.jurawhisky.com

Ladies only Balvenie Whisky Tasting with Alwynne Gwilt (Miss Whisky) – Thursday 6th June – Delightful Drams & Delicious Nibbles!

Just a quick reminder that on Thursday 6th June we are holding our next Ladies only whisky tasting.  Alwynne Gwilt is a lady who has a real passion for whisky and through her website (misswhisky.com) is helping to spread the word that whisky is as much a drink for women as it is for men so we’re delighted that she will be joining us to present some of the delicious honeyed drams from the Balvenie distillery on Speyside, and to give us a unique perspective on the whisky world.

We will be starting with a whisky cocktail then move through a selection of drams that will include such luscious lovelies as the new Single Barrel 12 year old and (perfect for a summer’s evening) the Caribbean Cask 14 year old.

Along with the whiskies we will be tasting some dainty nibbles specially selected by Alwynne to enhance the flavours of each dram so the evening has all the perfect ingredients for a great girls night out with a difference.

Come by yourself (we’re a really friendly bunch of ladies) or get some friends together and join us.  See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us

Sláinte!
Fran
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines

Ladies only Balvenie Whisky Tasting with Alwynne Gwilt
Date Thursday 6th June 2013
Time 7pm for 7.30pm
Venue Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren SN6 7SD

Details Balvenie is still a family owned distillery, having been established in 1892 by William Grant. It retains it’s own maltings and cooperage, and production of its smooth, rich whiskies is overseen by David Stewart, who has over 50 years of experience. Excellent use of different cask types produce some delicious variations in the range and the whiskies that have been selected for the night will give you the chance to find your own particular favourite(s).

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 sell out very quickly 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.

anCnoc builds on Peter Arkle partnership

Once-in-a-lifetime competition launched to celebrate latest release

anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled its third Limited Edition Peter Arkle release.

The striking and distinctive packaging from the New York-based Scottish artist takes its inspiration from the thick, brick walls of anCnoc’s Knockdhu Distillery’s dunnage warehouses.

Internationally-acclaimed illustrator Peter Arkle said:

“I have loved working with anCnoc and am very proud of our latest limited edition. The distillery at Knock is such a great place and I had a fantastic time visiting there. This particular illustration for me really shows a complex thought in a very simple way. On one hand it’s just a drawing of the bricks that make up the walls of the distillery and the warehouses with a yellow sign stuck on. But, on the other hand, those bricks are so old and so soaked with the essences of anCnoc –absorbed over the years – that they are not just any old bricks. They are bricks with real character and history. And the sign is there to remind people that anCnoc is not something you can take for granted. One must handle something remarkable with care.”

The liquid has anCnoc’s signature honey and lemon notes and has a spicy taste with notes of citrus, sherry and dark chocolate.

Strictly limited to only 1000 cases, this Limited Edition will be available online and through specialist retailers in the UK as well as across the globe in the USA, Germany, Russia, Japan, Taiwan and Canada.

To mark this unique collaboration, anCnoc is offering 10 fans the chance to win a personally illustrated bottle of anCnoc in a Twitter contest. By Tweeting in a picture of how they enjoy their whisky, 10 of the entries will be chosen by Peter and hand-drawn before being transposed onto a label and tube of anCnoc.

Gillian Gibson, Brand Manager for anCnoc, said:

“anCnoc has long had a close relationship with visual art and we are delighted to not only be continuing with this fantastic series with Peter which we are sure will become instant collectors’ items like its predecessors, but that we can also offer truly personalised art with a mighty fine dram with our #youranCnoc campaign.”

The campaign, called #youranCnoc, will go live on June 17th when people all over the world will have a single day to Tweet in their perfect way to enjoy a dram of anCnoc – whether that be at the beach, by a roaring fire with a dog or looking at the countryside from their window. One of the 10 winners will be flown to New York to meet Peter and be presented with their personalised bottle.

Peter added:

“I have been so inspired designing for anCnoc and I’m really excited for people to get the chance to be inspired themselves and have their own personal anCnoc moment immortalised onto their very own bottle. It’s such a fun opportunity.”

For more information on the anCnoc range or the #youranCnoc campaign please visit www.anCnoc.com

www.ralfy.com kicks into part 2 of a 7 part vlog-series based on 2013’s Spirit of Toronto Whisky Gala it’s called Whisky Review 362 (2/7) – Wisers 18yo Canadian Whisky

Alan Winchester, Master Distiller of The Glenlivet led the inaugural tasting of a new mystery expression, The Glenlivet Alpha at a media launch event held at the Whisky Shop in Piccadilly on 8^th May.

Chivas Brothers CEO, Christian Porta, attended the event to support the launch of the new expression, which is limited to 3350 bottles.

Guests were also invited to try a range of sensory challenges (pictured left) launched by the Glenlivet in collaboration with Greyworld to help whisky enthusiasts master their senses to unlock the secrets of The Glenlivet Alpha. The sensory challenges are hosted on The Glenlivet Facebook page and http://www.theglenlivet.com/.

Alan Winchester (pictured above leading the tasting) will reveal the tasting notes and cask information for the mystery expression in a video broadcast on 6^th June at 12:30pm. To watch the reveal live, visit The Glenlivet’s Facebook page. 

Notes 

Follow The Glenlivet on Twitter via the handle @The_Glenlivet and stream the campaign through #alpha 

The Glenlivet is the No. 2 single malt Scotch whisky in the world. Crafted in the remote Livet Valley since 1824, it is the only whisky with the unchallengeable right to be called The Glenlivet. 

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.

For further information please visit http://www.chivasbrothers.com/