Jura Whisky Revamps Core Range Packaging

Jura whisky, one of the world’s fastest growing malts, has revamped its packaging to make the brand stand out on shelf and to clearly explain the distinct flavour profiles of each expression.

Each carton will have its own distinct colour palette featuring a different image, drawn from the landscape of Jura.  The image that adorns each carton connects back to the whisky’s distinct island story and sits beside a half outline of the distinctive Jura bottle shape.  When the expressions are lined up together the outlines join up to reveal the whole outline of the iconic Jura bottle.

Gemma Parkinson, Jura Brand Manager commented: “2012 was an exceptional year for the brand. We are now looking to build on this momentum and release a new creative look and feel that we hope will resonate with consumers and help them to truly identify with our brand story.”

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.

To find out more visit www.jurawhisky.com

The fantastic programme of events is only two weeks away. Masterclasses are now sold out but there’s still a load more to see and do. Have a dram, a dance and grab a hearty venison burger in the cooperage. Click the button below for the full run down.

If you can’t brave the waves to Jura then get online. We’ll be covering the festival on Facebook & Twitter. Keep your eye out for our 39 ¾ year old –pre release of our 40 year old in the week following the festival, you could win a vial of this very special dram in our video competition.

See you at the dramming bar!

VIEW THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

www.ralfy.com on location in Canada beginning a seven part vlog-series with Whisky Review 362 (1/7) – Spirit of Toronto Whisky Gala 2013

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY SHINES THE SPOTLIGHT ON GRAIN WHISKY 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the world’s leading malt whisky club, is today (Friday 17 May) launching a week-long celebration of one of the hidden gems of the whisky world – grain whisky.

Unlike malt whisky, which is made from malted barley, grain whisky is made from unmalted cereal grains such as wheat, rye, maize or corn. Traditionally, grain whisky has been used in the production of blended whisky and is rarely released on its own. But when aged for long periods, such as 20 to 30 years, in highquality casks, it can become a superb spirit in its own right.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, winner of the Grain Whisky of The Year in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2013, is flying the flag for this often over-looked whisky with its Grain Whisky Week (17-25 May). Grain Whisky Week, part of the Society’s 30^th-anniversary celebrations, kicks off today with the release of 10 grain whiskies, all bottled from single casks in the tradition of all SMWS bottlings, and continues with a grain whisky sampling at the London Whisky Fest on Saturday.

The Society, a members-only organisation, will also celebrate Saturday’s World Whisky Day by opening its doors to the public and inviting them to sample grain whisky at its three private venues – 28 Queen Street and The Vaults in Edinburgh, and 19 Greville Street in London.  A complementary 10cl bottle of grain whisky will be offered to anyone buying membership in the venues on the day.

The Grain Whisky Week celebrations continue with grain whisky tastings at the following locations:

?         28 Queen Street (Tuesday 21)

?         19 Greville Street (Wednesday 22)

?         The Angel Hotel in Guildford (Friday 24)

?         The Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock (Friday 24)

?         The Whisky Stramash Festival in Edinburgh (Saturday 25)

A limited number of tickets for non members are available for all the above tastings (call 0131 555 2929 to book) apart from the Whisky Stramash Festival.

Helen Stewart, the UK Brand Manager of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “The Society was first established 30 years ago to celebrate the delights of single cask, single malt whisky but we have always explored the full spectrum of the whisky world to unearth the finest casks. Grain whisky is a hugely under-rated spirit and deserves to be discovered by many more people. We have been bottling grain whisky for several years now and are delighted to see it gradually gaining the recognition it deserves.”

Notes 

About grain whisky

?         Single grain Scotch whisky is made from unmalted cereal grains such as wheat, rye or corn, plus a small amount of malted barley – it is distilled continuously in a continuous column still. In contrast, single malt Scotch whisky is made from malted barley – it is distilled batch-by-batch using a pot still.

?         Grain whisky has typically been used in the production of blended whisky. It has suffered from a slightly negative reputation in the past due to a notion it was verylight and cheap to produce, and therefore lacked the quality and character of single malt whisky.

?         The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s single grain bottlings are breaking this stereotype of grain whisky. If you put grain whisky in a good quality cask, you get a unique spirit at the end. This underlines the importance of the Society’s key ethos, which is to only ever bottle from the highest-quality single casks.

?         Like all malt whiskies, all grain whiskies will taste different. But, generally speaking,grain whisky can have a lighter, smooth and creamy taste. It can taste more like bourbon than malt whisky – as a result, grain whisky is a fantastic way to get new audiences involved in whisky.

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

?         The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international membership organisation and bottler, which bottles the world’s widest selection of exceptional single cask, single malt whisky for its members

?         The Society bottles the finest single malt whisky from around 300 single casks every year from a range of more than 129 distilleries. The very nature of the single cask means that each bottling offered by the Society is limited.

?         The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members around the world with branches in 19 countries.

?         For more information about the Society, visit www.smws.com

Grain Outturn: An Intriguing surprise in disguise
We’re still The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, promise…but we do love a good single cask grain.  As part of our 30th Anniversary celebrations, we shine the spotlight on this underrated spirit bringing you 10 unique grain whiskies (and a new distillery).

Leave behind your preconceptions, open your mind and set your compass for absurdly intriguing variety.

West of Scotland Grain Pair Offer: G7.5 & G10.4
G7.5 Smoky Werther’s Originals
The taste has a delicate, well balanced sweet and smoke combination, dusty icing sugar and, if only they would exist, smoky Werther’s Original.

G10.4 A witch’s Christmas tipple
Something quite Christmassy gift-wrapped the nose – oranges, mixed peel, Brazils, pecan pie, floral perfumes, varnished wood and pine trees. Water introduced dark chocolate, toffee, fudge, and coconut, with hints of spice
   
Grain Pair only £116 
Buy 

Grain Outturn
*G7.5 is exclusive to this pair offer

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.

First of all, if you’re not based in the South-East, my apologies, but we haven’t been able to fully regionalise our mailing list. However, we will have a full UK news email in a week or two, with updates on Leeds Festival, hopefully Manchester and a whole sluice of summer tastings…

If you are in the South-East, and London in particular, please read on!

This Sunday’s ‘Jam & Dram’ session at The Village Underground, Shoreditch still has 75 places up for grabs and rather than perform to a half-full room, we would like to give you the opportunity to take up a crazy offer! We put this event together as a truly experimental day which we worked hard, along with the guys from CaskStrength Creative, to put together. What we now have is an event that will (hopefully!) successfully blend whisky and music together. Three bands, each containing not-insignificant industry personnel…

A little more meat for you about the event first…

The idea is to ‘blend’ music and whisky. We wanted something where people could come and sample the tasty wares of the exhibitors, have the opportunity to blend their own whisky and, at certain times, just relax and listen to some good, live music. Pretty simple really! We have already detailed the exhibitors on the website, so its time to tell you about the bands…

The Copper Dogs
– a good time rock and roll band featuring the talents of Dr. Whisky himself (Sam Simmons, Global Balvenie Ambassador), Cat Spencer from Master of Malt and Rob Allanson, the editor of Whisky Magazine.

Prince Adewale & The Endeavours
– Black Keys-esq shenanigans including Neil Ridley of CaskStrength Creative and Dr. Nick Morgan, Diageo’s very own ‘Master of Malt’!

The Whisky Lounge Blues Band
– Whisky-fueled….blues, with your very own, Eddie Ludlow of The Whisky Lounge and his band.

Each band will play for around 30 minutes at predetermined times of the day and will be representing a whisky that you will then get to vote on at the end of the session. You will also get the opportunity to try your hand at blending, plus you’ll get a mini of your blend, a goodie bag courtesy of Cutty Sark and a whole lot more. Most of our Saturday exhibitors will still be on hand to provide you with samples and insight into a room-full of tasty whisky. This all takes place between 12pm and 5pm.

The Deal

If you have already purchased tickets for Saturday’s London Whisky Festival or Sunday’s Jam & Dram, we are offering you the chance to buy additional Jam & Dram tickets for just £12.50! That’s right, for today only, you can get a full days whisky and music – and all of the associated goodies – for the paltry sum of £12.50 – half the original ticket price.

This is unrepeatable and limited to the first 75 to book on. Good old-fashioned, first come, first served.

We have set up a new page on the website specifically for you, and to make this nice and easy for you to take advantage of. Simply click here to be taken to it. A word of warning though. This offer is only for those who have a previous booking – anyone found to have booked this offer without following this guideline will simply have their money returned via Paypal and with no ticket. Please be honest!

A reminder of date, time and place;

The Whisky Lounge ‘Jam & Dram’
Sunday 19th May 2013, 12pm-5pm
The Village Underground
Hollywell Lane
Shoreditch
EC2A 3PQ

We hope you can make it and we know you’ll enjoy it!

Cheers,
Eddie

Kid Rock and Jim Beam Looking for One Lucky Fan to Serve as Rock Star’s Personal Bartender

Clermont, KY (May 8, 2013) – Kid Rock is upping the ante on his tour with a bold request– his very own personal bartender to create and serve Jim Beam® cocktails during his cross-country “Best Night Ever” tour. Through a nationwide search, Jim Beam and Kid Rock are accepting applications from fans 21 and over who are ready to take on this challenge and join the rock star himself as his resident bartender this summer. The winning fan will receive a prize package, personal mixologist training and the opportunity to bartend backstage for Kid Rock during three of his summer tour stops.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will be awarded to one lucky fan who embodies the spirit, enthusiasm and creativity of our seven generations of Beam distillers to join Kid Rock on tour. The grand prize winner will have the opportunity to join the tour for three separate concert stops throughout the summer: Irvine, Calif. (July 26); Detroit, Mich. (August 10); and Chicago, Ill. (August 30); receive a training by Beam Master Mixologist Bobby “G” Gleason and a $10,000 prize package. Now through June 7, fans interested in applying can visit www.JimBeam.com/Music/Kid-Rock for more information, the official contest rules and application instructions. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be 21 or older to participate. Void where prohibited. Subject to complete official rules. Contest begins May 6, 2013, and ends June 24, 2013.

“Kid Rock has helped make Jim Beam’s decades-long music legacy even stronger” said seventh-generation Master Distiller and Jim Beam’s great-grandson Fred Noe. “We figure it’s time to pour him a drink or two, and we need our fans to help us make Kid Rock’s perfect cocktail. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it!”

This year marks the fifth consecutive year that Jim Beam and Kid Rock have come together to bring legendary music experiences to fans across the country. Since partnering back in 2009, the World’s No. 1 Bourbon and Kid Rock have launched breakthrough consumer programs that have provided one-of-a-kind opportunities for music and bourbon fans alike. This year builds on those groundbreaking music experiences as Jim Beam and Kid Rock honor their loyal fans with Jim Beam’s Mix for Kid Rock Contest. Jim Beam is also sponsoring Kid Rock’s 2013 concert tour, which kicked off earlier this year and concludes this September in Tampa, Fla.

For more information about Jim Beam’s Mix for Kid Rock Contest, the “Best Night Ever” tour, or Jim Beam’s music legacy, visit JimBeam.com/Music/Kid-Rock, www.Facebook.com/JimBeam or follow us on Twitter @JimBeamOfficial.

About Beam Inc.

As one of the world’s leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World.  Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Pinnacle Vodka, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher’s Scotch Whisky, Skinnygirl Cocktails, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC and DeKuyper Cordials.  Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,400 passionate associates worldwide generated 2012 sales of $2.5 billion (excluding excise taxes), volume of 38 million 9-liter equivalent cases and some of the industry’s fastest growing innovations.

Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index.

Whisky expert outlines investment potential ahead of World Whisky Day

THE second annual celebration of World Whisky Day takes place this Saturday 18 May, an important day in highlighting the global significance of whisky and how important it is to Scotland and the UK.

David Robertson, formerly Rare Whisky Director at The Dalmore and Master Distiller at The Macallan, recently set up The Whisky Trading Company, to take advantage of the increasing demand for the rarest bottles of Scotland’s most famous export.

The company has identified 3,000 bottles of rare whisky as part of its initial stock, many distilled before World War II. The investment opportunity to acquire shares in the new business is currently being widened as it seeks to raise an additional £2-4 million to capitalise on market opportunities. The shares are issued under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and attract certain tax benefits for qualifying UK tax payers.

Commenting ahead of World Whisky Day, David Robertson said: “It’s a fantastic day to celebrate what is truly a global drink. Not only will people be raising a glass in Scotland, but millions more will be enjoying a dram at home or in the pub, from Boston all the way to Beijing.

“The whisky industry is vital to the UK economy, bringing in billions of pounds in revenue, and its growing value as an investment is truly dynamic. Whisky is rarely viewed as such, but having spent my career in the industry I have seen rising prices and returns first-hand, which is why I have started The Whisky Trading Company last year.

“The volume of premium bottles being traded continues to grow significantly, with more than 20,000 expected in the UK auction market through 2013. If you had invested in the top 100 performing whiskies in 2008, you would have seen returns of 306 percent. With knowledge and insight there are huge returns to be made and it’s time to take whisky investment seriously.

“I hope by World Whisky Day in 2014 the whisky investment market will have become far more prominent in the minds of alternative asset investors and whisky enthusiasts alike.”

Notes:

• EIS: The Whisky Trading Company qualifies under EIS rules in order to deliver tax benefits for investors, depending on their circumstances. The main benefits are:
  • Income tax relief of 30 percent of the subscription (£1m cap per investor);
  • The ability to carry back the income tax relief to 2011/2012 for tax relief at 30 percent (£500k investment cap per investor);
  • Unlimited capital gains tax deferral relief;
  • Capital gains tax exemption on disposal of the shares; and
  • Unlimited 100 percent IHT relief after two years.
• Investment in alternative assets or exotic assets are becoming increasingly popular. An increasing number of investors are putting some of their wealth into more tangible assets such as investments in fine wine, art, classic cars, coins, jewellery, stamps, watches and now whisky, which diversifies their portfolio. They are deemed to be investments that are less correlated with macroeconomic shocks, the performance of the macro economy and the volatility of the stock market.
• Global socio-economic trends have led to an increase in the demand for luxury goods, which includes premium whisky around the world in both mature and emerging markets.
• The most valuable whisky ever sold at UK retail was 64-year old The Dalmore Trinitas, which fetched £120,000 in Harrods in 2010.
• The most valuable globally was a 62-year-old The Damore Sinclair, sold at Changi Airport, Singapore, which sold for £135,000 in 2011. (First sold in 2002 for £25,000 at auction, a second bottle was acquired and drunk at Penny Hill Park Hotel in April 2005 for £32,000 and the final bottle was then placed with Changi airport in 2011.)
• The value of rare and collectable whisky depends on reputation of distillery and the quality of the whisky itself. The most sought after whiskies usually originate from a number of places: extinct distilleries, classed as “silent stills” – Brora, Port Ellen, Rosebank; older aged vintage bottles; certain brands – particularly iconic brands such as The Macallan, The Dalmore, Balvenie and Glenfiddich, and, in particular, limited edition varieties – for example, Macallan released 2,012 bottles to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee and The Dalmore have recently released their Constellation Collection – and, finally, having a bottle in its original packaging in pristine condition is also key

About The Whisky Trading Company

The Whisky Trading Company is a specialist rare whisky merchant established in London and Edinburgh in 2012. It offers a unique opportunity for UK taxpayers to participate in the returns attainable from the rare whisky market by investing in a start-up supported by the benefits of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), a government-sponsored initiative to encourage investment in UK enterprise.

The company buys and trades only the rarest and super premium of whiskies and aims to deliver returns in excess of 15 percent per annum to its investors and shareholders. As with fine wine, there is finite supply and growing demand for rare whisky, with every bottle sold and consumed increasing the value of remaining stock. These market conditions coupled with our expertise in the industry deliver a strong investment opportunity for investors seeking to diversify their funds into alternative assets.

The company was set up and is managed by whisky expert David Robertson, who has over 20 years’ experience in the whisky industry including as Master Distiller at The Macallan. He also created and sold the world’s first £100,000 bottle of whisky, a 64-year-old Dalmore Trinitas.

Glendronach
Cask Strength Batch #2 (55.2%)

NEW 2013 Release

Selected once again by Master Blender
Billy Walker. Matured in the finest Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

Bottled at natural cask strength.

Buy – $63.30

Abbey Whisky www.abbeywhisky.com Tel: 0800 051 7737

High West American Prairie Reserve

75cl / 46% Vol

Named after a wildlife reserve in northeastern Montana, The American Prairie Reserve, which is an impressive 5,000 square mile of land and the largest wildlife reserve in the lower 48 states of America. The whiskey is a premium blend of Bourbons. A 6 year old Bourbon, mashbill, 75% Corn, 20% rye, 5% barley malt and a 10 year old Bourbon, mashbill from 60% Corn, 35% rye, and 5% barley malt. High West donates 10% of their after tax profit from the sales of this bottle to the American Prairie Reserve.

£45.75  (£38.13 ex vat)

Click here to buy High West American Prairie Reserve

High West Campfire

75cl / 46% Vol

High West Campfire, a blend of sweet, straight bourbon whiskey, a spicy and floral, straight rye whiskey, both which are from the old Seagrams plant in Indiana along with a smoky, blended malt Scotch whisky, made from 100 percent barley malt. All whiskey/whisky used in this blend are 5 years or older. Campfire from High West Distillery was created by David Perkins (Proprietor) after a recent trip to Islay. Read the full story here… (worth a read)

£53.75  (£44.79 ex vat)

Click here to buy High West Campfire

Fighting C#ck 6 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey

75cl / 51.5% Vol

Fighting C#ck aka ‘The Kickin Chicken’, a 6 year old Kentucky straight bourbon, bottled at 103 proof (51.5% vol). Distilled and bottled by Fighting C#ck Distilling Co, a subsidiary of Heaven Hill Distilleries.

£29.50 (£24.58 ex vat)

Click here to buy Fighting C#ck Bourbon

John E. Fitzgerald Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon

100cl / 46% Vol

Created as a special small batch bourbon, John E. Fitzgerald Larceny is made from 100 barrels or less that have aged from 6 to 12 years. Bottled at 92 proof, or 46% alcohol by volume, Larceny bourbon continues the Old Fitzgerald tradition of using wheat in place of rye as the third or “small” grain in the whiskey’s grain recipe, or mashbill as it is commonly known. 94/100 – Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2013

£47.50 (£39.58 ex vat)

Click here to buy John E. Fitzgerald Larceny

Parker’s Heritage Collection 6th Edition / Blend of Mashbills

75cl / 69.7% Vol

The sixth edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection is a blend of Heaven Hill’s two Bourbon mashbills including rye-based Bourbon and wheat-based Bourbon. Bottled at cask strength, 69.7% vol (139.4 proof). Parker’s Heritage collection is a series of rare, limited edition American Whiskeys offered as a tribute to sixth-generation Master Distiller Parker Beam for his 50+ years of distilling experience. Parker has been practicing his family craft of distilling, ageing and selecting some of the world’s most critically acclaimed Bourbons and American Whiskeys since he began working alongside his father at Heaven Hill Distilleries in 1950.

£108.50 (£90.42 ex vat)

Click here to buy Parker’s Heritage Collection / 6th Release

Roughstock Montana Pure Malt Whiskey

70cl / 45% Vol

Montana Pure Malt whiskey, a small batch release from Roughstock distillery. Made from 100% Montana grown and malted barley mash, aged in lightly charred American white oak barrels.

Official Tasting Notes

The nose will open with touches of light fruit: pear, apple, and caramelized bananas, as well as soft barley. On the palate, the sweet malty grain flavor will dominate and then finish with the stronger barrel notes of vanilla, more caramelized banana, toffee, and a bit of tannin spice. A touch of smoke may linger in the background from the barrel char. It will warm as it goes down…

£52.25 (£43.54 ex vat)

Click here to buy Roughtstock Montana Pure Malt Whiskey

Roughstock Montana Sweet Corn Whiskey

70cl / 50% Vol

Clear whiskey?

Distilled twice in a copper still, this western style American corn whiskey has been made from 100% sweet yellow corn. After distillation only the sweet clean heart of the distillate is collected, set aside to mellow for a minimum of two weeks and then cut to 100 proof for bottling. True to the old west when whiskey wasn’t aged in barrels, this is the only style of whiskey in the United States you can call whiskey without first ageing it in a barrel.

£48.25 (£40.21 ex vat)

Click here to buy Roughtstock Montana Sweet Corn Whiskey

Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky Batch 50

70cl / 48% Vol

Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky, a unique, pot stilled small batch release, produced at the Copper Fox Distillery in Virginia, America. The barley, malted at the distillery itself, is flavoured using apple and cherry wood smoke. Distilled from a single batch copper still producing one barrel at a time, the spirit is then aged for 42 months using a special chip and barrel ageing technique.

£43.25 (£36.04 ex vat)

Click here to buy Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky