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/

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