Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño Stays True to Win the Ballantine’s Sponsored BMW Masters

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño today showed his true courage and conviction, holding his nerve on the 18th Green to secure the title at the prestigious BMW Masters at Shanghai’s Lake Malaren Golf Club; a prestigious European Tour event also sponsored by Ballantine’s, the world’s No. 2 Scotch whisky.

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño shot a four under par final round to finish on eleven under for the Championship, holding off Francesco Molinari and Thongchai Jaidee who both finished ten under par.

Earlier in the week Ballantine’s, which has recently announced a new global marketing campaign ‘Stay True, Leave An Impression’, asked the players at the BMW Masters to write a word that represented what inspired them to ‘Stay True’ and ‘Leave An Impression’ on the game of golf, with a range of answers from family through to patience.

After his performance over the last four days, Fernandez-Castaño’s choice of the word ‘winning’ could not be more appropriate:

“It doesn’t get any better than this.  The first event of the first ever Final Series and I got the victory.  There’s never a bad time for a victory, but this has been just the perfect one.”

He had not been looking at the leaderboards all day until he first glanced over on the 15th hole and noticed his long name at the top. He afterwards admitted that it affected his game, but he stayed true to himself to earn the victory, despite a double bogey on the final hole:

“You don’t have a three shot advantage that often, so there’s many things going on in your mind.  I didn’t want to mess up and I almost did, so it’s a weird feeling! As I said, I’m not used to having a three shot advantage when I’m playing such a big tournament like this, but hopefully I’ll get many more opportunities and next time I’ll do better.

It’s pretty much like playing at home and it’s been great to see the crowds this week – they have been pretty amazing! There’s definitely bigger crowds than in previous years, and that just shows that golf is growing here in China and there is big potential and a bright future ahead.”

To find out more about the Ballantine’s campaign, Stay True, Leave An Impression, as well as Ballantine’s and golf, please go to http://www.ballantines.com/

Caption:

BMW Masters 2013 Champion Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño is presented with a bottle of Ballantine’s 30 year old whisky by Pernod Ricard Managing Director Horace Ngai.

Notes

About Ballantine’s:
Ballantine’s is the No.1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the No.2 Scotch whisky in the world and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 120 trophies and medals at international competition 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 association with golf can be traced back to at least 1960, when the Ballantine’s Tournament took place at Wentworth golf course. More than fifty years later, Ballantine’s sponsors both the BMW Masters and the AAM Scottish Open, and has also been title sponsor of the Ballantine’s Championship and an Official Sponsor of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in 2009 and 2011.

Greetings Society Members,

Just sending a quick newsflash to lead you into the weekend….

New Society Bottling

I have some great news for you…the new Society release has been bottled and will be ready for dispatch by the middle of next week! A large majority of the bottling has been reserved already but there are still a few bottles available if you have not yet ordered one. The price for the new Springbank 12 year old Port bottling is £55.00.

For bottles being reserved in Campbeltown and sent out to addresses within the UK, I will be able to take payment for your bottles from Monday onwards. I have some of your payment details on file but for the others could I please ask you to get in touch with me as soon as you can to arrange the payment and delivery. If you would prefer to phone rather than email these over, you can reach me on 01586 55 2009.

Unfortunately bottles which have been reserved to be sent to our European Cadenhead’s shops will not be delivered there until 2014 as the last of the 2013 orders have already been organised/sent. The Baden store have told me their next order will be in Spring 2014 and the other shops will most likely place their next order between January and March 2014. I will let you know as soon as I can when the shops will be receiving their next order which will include the Society bottles. Can I kindly ask that you wait until you have heard from me before phoning the shops to ask if they have arrived.

Some of the Cadenhead’s shops have been in touch with me to say that there have been Society bottles reserved in their shop for a few months which have never been paid for or collected. We have agreed that from now on, shop owners will keep these unpaid bottles reserved for two months before giving other Society members the chance to purchase them. I feel this should be long enough to collect the bottles as it is unfair to expect the shop owners to keep them unpaid for a long period of time. If you are unable to physically get to the shops you could perhaps get in touch with the shop and have the bottles posted out to you.

Springbank 16 year old Madeira 

Also bottled earlier on this week is a Springbank 16 year old Madeira single cask which has been bottled especially for our UK retailers. This is extremely limited with only 630 bottles available. Bottled at 56%, this whisky spent it’s first 10 years in a Refill Bourbon cask before being transferred into a Fresh Madeira for the final 6 years. It was distilled in June 1997 and bottled in October 2013. This will be available in UK retail shops including the 3 Cadenhead’s Shops in Campbeltown, Edinburgh and London. The price for this is £70 and no Society discount will be available as it is just so limited. If you would like a bottle can I ask you to please get in touch with the shop directly as I will not be taking orders for this – simply because I will not be able to keep track of how many bottles they have available. Each shop will only have an allocation of between 30 and 60 bottles and I imagine they will sell very quickly.

Ardshiel Hotel crowned THE WINNERS! 

In case you haven’t heard yet, I am delighted to tell you that the Ardshiel Hotel WON the prestigious Scottish Field Whisky Bar of the Year award ‘by a country mile’!! It is fantastic news for Flora and Marion who have invested a lot of time, effort and money into making the bar as phenomenal as it is. It is a great achievement for a hotel in such a small town to win this award as they were up against some stiff competition from much bigger bars in the cities. It is something that as a town we are very proud of and it can only help to boost visitor numbers and help to keep raising the profile on our wee town! A big thank you to all of you who took the time to vote for the Ardshiel and help to spread the news – it was definitely worth your time!

That is all for just now so I hope you all have a great weekend and will be in touch soon!

Slainte,

Mairi

Mairi Paterson

For the Springbank Society

To join the Springbank Society please contact them at society@springbankwhisky.com

Colour – Golden honey

Nose – Initial aromas of liquorice are followed by poached pears, chocolate, cream and marzipan. Springbank’s traditional earthy and coastal influence qualities also make an appearance.

Palate – There is no mistaking the red wine tannins from the Gaja Barolo casks, complemented by earthy and woody notes. Swedish lingonberries and rhubarb crumble give the whisky some sweetness and a touch of sea salt also comes into play.

Finish – This is like raspberry ripple ice cream but combined with peat and spices and a medium dry finish.

SPRINGBANK 9 Year Old Gaja Barolo Wood Expression

Stunning New Aberlour Christmas Range

Take a look at the brand new range from Aberlour including an exciting
new Whisky Shop Exclusive

Aberlour have released three fantastic new whiskies in time for Christmas and one of them is exclusively available from us!

Please click on any of the links to buy.

Aberlour Non Chill Filtered 12 year old, exclusive to The Whisky Shop

£49.99

The Whisky Shop is delighted to be the exclusive UK retailer of the brand new non chill filtered Aberlour 12 year old over the Christmas period.

This really is the perfect Christmas whisky; bottled at 48% opening with aromas of baked apples, raisins, light caramel and nutmeg. With a delicious creamy texture with dried fruit, marzipan, fudge, a touch of nutmeg and pepper and a lingering rich fruit with delicate spice finish, we think it’s pretty hard to beat.

Aberlour 15 year old Select Cask Reserve

£69.99
This brand new release from the Speyside distillery has been matured for 15 years in both sherry and bourbon casks which lead lead to a soft fruity aroma and a sweet richness from the Sherry Casks.

Strong malty with honey and caramel flavours to open, moving on to become more complex and rounded with hints of vanilla and finally an intense, dry finish with a slight sharpness.

Aberlour 18 year old
£99.99

And finally, another exciting new release: the 18 year old, a fantastic addition to the Aberlour family.

Rich and complex, notes of toffee and butterscotch combine with ripe peach and bitter orange. The 18 year old demonstrates a perfect structure; initial notes of soft apricot and cream are offset by developing flavours of old leather and oak with a touch of honey. A very long and balanced finish which progresses to a gentle oak flourish.

The decorations are up and for a lot of us the shopping has started…

We have some great new products for Christmas 2013 and for the Month of November we will give you FREE postage on all orders of English Whisky co. products over £50!

MINIATURE GIFT PACKS

You love our gift packs and this year we have introduced a miniatures gift pack, including chapter 6, 11 and 12. The perfect present to introduce your friends and family to The English Whisky Co. family.

£14.99

Jim Beam Taps Into New Flavor With Jim Beam® Maple

Clermont, KY (October 17, 2013) – As the holiday season inches steadily closer, Jim Beam® Bourbon has tapped the warm taste of maple to reveal the latest creation in its flavored line, Jim Beam® Maple. The new expression follows the introduction of Jim Beam® Honey, and boasts the natural flavors of sweet, smooth maple. Both Jim Beam Honey and Jim Beam Maple combine rich flavors and America’s native spirit to create offerings that are both mixable and approachable.

“Jim Beam Maple – as with Jim Beam Honey – is an innovative flavor-infused bourbon that was developed to offer our fans a different whiskey option and the opportunity to try a new, creative shot or cocktail,” said Chris Bauder, General Manager of Whiskies at Beam Inc. “This is another exciting flavor experience that pushes boundaries while still honoring the proud traditions that make Jim Beam the world’s finest bourbon.”

Spirits experts are already extending high praise for Jim Beam Maple:

• Geoff Kleinman, of Drink Spirits, (September 3rd, 2013) says: “Jim Beam Maple is yet another smart and timely innovation from a company who is simply at the top of their game.”
• Colin Joliat, of lifestyle blog Guyism, (September 27th, 2013) says: “The edges are rounded-out by the sweetness of the maple, but it’s no longer…dominated by the singular taste. Now suddenly the vanilla, caramel, and oak show up to create a better balance, making you want to apologize to the bottle for ever thinking it was a one-trick pony.”

Jim Beam Maple is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey infused with natural flavors that provides a perfect balance of warm aromas, a hint of charred oak, complete with a subtle and smooth caramel finish. The natural maple flavors make the 70-proof Jim Beam Maple fantastic on its own or on the rocks, and ideal for holiday cocktails and food recipes that will appeal to bourbon drinkers both old and new. Create a festive seasonal cocktail with one of the recipes below:

Maple Toddy

Ingredients

• 1 part Jim Beam® Maple Bourbon
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 half-moon slice of orange
• 2 whole cloves

In a pre-heated mug muddle the cloves and the fruit then pour in the Jim Beam® Maple and fill half way with steaming hot water, stir to combine and fill with steaming hot water. No garnish.

White Canadian

Ingredients

• 2 parts Jim Beam® Maple
• 1 part Kamora® Liqueur
• 2 parts half and half

Shake all ingredients with ice or build over ice in a double old fashioned glass. No garnish.

Both Jim Beam Maple and Jim Beam Honey are available nationwide and have a suggested retail price of $15.99 for 750ML. For more information please visit http://www.jimbeam.com/maple, http://www.jimbeam.com/honey, “like” Jim Beam on Facebook or follow @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.  For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Jim Beam® Expands Trail-Blazing Flavor-Infused Bourbon Line With Red Stag By Jim Beam® Hardcore Cider

Clermont, KY (October 8, 2013) – Just in time for the fall season, Jim Beam® Bourbon has introduced the newest expression to its world-leading bourbon portfolio: Red Stag by Jim Beam® Hardcore Cider. Following the flagship brand that helped spark the flavored bourbon category – Red Stag Black Cherry – Red Stag Hardcore Cider is a “Different Breed of BourbonTM” that offers a mixable and approachable spin on America’s native spirit with natural flavors of apple cider.

“Since its history making introduction in 2009, Red Stag has helped fuel rapid growth of flavor innovation in the category,” said Chris Bauder, General Manager, Whiskies at Beam Inc. “We’re excited to extend our flavor leadership with the Red Stag line, which has seen double-digit growth every year, and are confident Red Stag Hardcore Cider is the perfect, versatile flavor addition for the fall season.”

This exciting new addition to the Red Stag by Jim Beam portfolio has also already generated substantial interest from industry experts. Beverage Media notes that the product “offers great versatility in many cocktail creations or can be enjoyed chilled, on the rocks.”

Like the other Red Stag flavors, Red Stag Hardcore Cider is an 80-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey infused with natural flavors. The new expression features crisp fruit and subtle flavors of apple cider for just the right amount of sweet and spice that’s approachable for those who haven’t considered bourbon before or who simply want to add a little fall flavor to their glass. Whether as a shot, on the rocks or mixed in a variety of creative cocktails, Red Stag Hardcore Cider is the perfect way to get into the fall and holiday spirit. Try one of the great seasonal recipes below:

Holiday Pie Punch

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Red Stag by Jim Beam® Hardcore Cider
• 1 part Pinnacle® Pumpkin Pie Vodka
• 3 parts Apple Cider
• 1 part Fresh Lemon Sour

On the Rocks: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice in a tall glass garnishing with a lemon.

Warm-Up: Combine all ingredients plus a ½ part of water and 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks in a crock pot or non-reactive pan and bring to a simmer keeping heat just high enough to keep warm. To serve, ladle into heat proof mugs and float a thin wheel of lemon.

Eve’s Temptation

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Red Stag by Jim Beam® Hardcore Cider
• 1 part JDK & Sons™ Crave Chocolate Cherry Liqueur
• 2 parts Half & Half

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry on the rim.

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.  For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Red Stag Hardcore Cider is now available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $17.99 for a 750ml bottle. For more information on Red Stag Hardcore Cider, please visit www.jimbeam.com/red-stag, “like” Jim Beam on Facebook or follow @JimBeamOfficial.

Inchdairnie.

New Lowland Distillery

Ernie – Ernst J Scheiner, The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net

A joint venture will build a £6.7m distillery in Scotland‘s first post-war new town Glenrothes in the heart of Fife. The partners include the Indian premium drinks group Kyndal and the Perthshire distiller John Fergus & Co. Ltd.

Their plan is to build a malt distillery with a production capacity of 4 million litres per annum with a number of bonded warehouses on a 6ha land adjacent to the Whitehill industrial estate. Members of the Glenrothes area Commitee agreed to the construction in January 2013. A building application was received by the Fife Council in February 2013 and a planning approval has been given in March 2013. See: http://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=M2ZMO7HF0IF00

Distillation is planned to start in 2015: „Production will continue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 48 weeks a year.“

„Yes, the process will require a local water supply and electricity as well as heat. However, the heat supply may be provided through anaerobic digestion from the residue from the plant. None of the resources are considered to be non-renewable or in short supply.“ See Screening Checklist Fife Council http://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=M01TGOHF01A00

Their intention is to produce whisky which is going mainly to export markets such as India, Africa and the Far East. The distillery will be located just south of Fife airport.

„Scottish Enterprise and its international arm Scottish Development International have been working with the companies on their development plans. The enterprise company is providing a £240,000 regional selective assistance grant while the Scottish Government’s food processing, marketing and cooperation scheme has put up £1.6m in funding.“

„The news was hailed by Fife Council’s business, enterprise, economy and planning spokeswoman Lesley Laird, who said the “fantastic” project would not only generate employment but would emphasise that “Fife means business” See: www.constructionnow.co.uk

Fifteen new jobs will be created. There is no visitor centre planned.

Rumours have it that the distillery will be named Inchdairnie.

The present John Fergus & Co. managing director will be Ian Palmer who has worked with Glen Turner Distillery near Edinburgh.

Information: „Kyndal Group. Ltd. was set up in 2002 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Whyte & Mackay (then called Kyndal Spirits Ltd). Following the buyout of Whyte & Mackay by India ’s UB Group, the MD of Kyndal Group, Siddharth Banerji led a management buyout of Kyndal Spirit’s rights in the Indian subcontinent in 2006. Today, Kyndal Group is an alcoholic beverages company that manufactures and distributes premium brands in the Indian sub continent, Far East and the Middle East. The company employs over 100 people in India. It has sales offices in 12 cities in India and warehouses in five cities, covering the length and breadth of the country.“ See Scottish Enterprise Development International.

Photos

The distillery’s plot. Copyright: Euan Morrison 2013

About the Author: Ernie – Ernst J. Scheiner M.A. was a director in an adult education centre. Ernie offers courses on whisky distilling, writes for newspapers, magazines and blogs in Germany. He is the editor of The Gateway to Distilleries at www.whisky-distilleries.net which gives an excellent photographic and educational insight into the whisky industry of Scotland, Ireland, Europe and Asia.

Please see also: http://www.whisky-distilleries.net

Our allocations for this year’s Diageo Special Releases have now been finalised. They will go on sale only online at royalmilewhiskies.com this coming Monday 11th November at 2.00 pm. (Please note our stock delivery is due in a little later this month)