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

Loch Fyne Whiskies Stocks Ben Nevis 1996 15yo

Ben Nevis 1996 15yo

55.4%abv

£81.00 inc vat £67.50 ex vat

‘…A rich chocolatey palate that reminds me of my old school classroom…’

 Best regards,

Loch Fyne Whiskies

david@lfw.co.uk

BARTON 1792 DISTILLERY PRODUCES THREE

MEDAL WINNERS IN SAN FRANCISCO COMPETITION 

BARDSTOWN, kENTUCKY (May 7, 2013) – Three Kentucky favorites from the Barton 1792 Distillery won medals in the 13^th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), held March 21-24, 2013.  1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon Whiskey won a much-coveted Double Gold Medal, and long-time favorite Kentucky Tavern won a Silver Medal.  Another up and coming star, Zackariah Harris, was honored with a Silver Medal.

A record number of entries – more than 1,400 – were evaluated by some of the finest palates and spirits experts in the industry. Judging is based on a blind, consensual procedure to ensure competitive integrity.  Complete results of the 2013 competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/browse.

 About Barton 1792 Distillery 

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands of Kentucky, with facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, a family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.”  1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery.  This small batch Bourbon whiskey is a two-time double gold medal winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. To learn more about the Distillery visit www.1792bourbon.com.

Discover A Rare Find!

Shielded from the world’s prying eyes deep in the Highlands of Scotland, quietly producing small, precious batches of Single Malt Whisky, Glen Garioch is a Rare Find indeed.

Now, we want to share this little hidden gem in Scotland’s northeast with one lucky winner!

We’re offering Glen Garioch enthusiasts the chance to experience Rare Finds across Aberdeenshire: a two day, all expenses paid trip to the Garioch, The Granary of Aberdeenshire.

On a VIP tour of our Glen Garioch distillery, our lucky winner will discover the time honoured skills at work and hear from the master craftsmen involved.

After a private tasting held by our Master Blender, Rachel Barrie, the lucky winner will rest their head at Meldrum House: a luxury four star hotel situated in the beautiful countryside surrounding the market town of Oldmeldrum, the home of Glen Garioch.

The next morning, you’ll venture out into the wild to discover Rare Finds of the northeast. Guided by local experts, our winner will experience salmon fishing and gold panning at secret locations precious few will ever see.

Competition runners up will also receive their very own Rare Find: a special, Limited Edition Small Batch release of Glen Garioch Single Malt Whisky.

For your chance to win, simply enter via the Glen Garioch Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glengarioch Entry closes at midnight on 3rd June 2013: good luck!

The whiskies just keep on coming!  Amongst the latest new arrivals are the (very!) long awaited Bowmore Tempest 4, Batch 2 of the fabulous GlenDronach Cask Strength plus a plethora of delights from Dewar Rattray.

You can see some of these new whiskies & vodkas below and for the full selection check out our New Products section.

Finally, the Glory of the Grain tweet tasting we partnered on with the Whisky Wire was a very enjoyable event.  The Nikka Coffey Grain and the Invergordon 1965 45 year old were the favourites but all the whiskies were well received and you can read Kieran Smyth’s report on the tasting here.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

NEW PRODUCTS

BOWMORE 10 YEAR OLD TEMPEST BATCH 4

This series of small batch cask strength releases from Bowmore have proved immensely popular and number 4 has finally appeared in all it’s new, repackaged glory. Coming in at a strength of 55.1%, it’s delicate smokiness and coastal saltiness made this the dram of choice at the recent Bowmore tweet tasting

Buy Online: £ 49.99

GLENDRONACH CASK STRENGTH BATCH 2

It’s GlenDronach, it’s cask strength (55.2%), it’s been matured in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks, and it’s lush – what more do you need to know???

Buy Online: £ 49.99

LONGMORN 1993 19 YEAR OLD

Another great whisky from the reliably good independent bottlers Dewar Rattray. As soon as we tasted a sample of this Bourbon matured Longmorn we knew we had to stock it. The enticing nose draws you in and on the palate we found it was multi layered with notes of citrus, lemon meringue, melon and vanilla. Mmm…

Buy Online: £ 65.99