THE GLENLIVET MAKES WHISKY HISTORY WITH LAUNCH OF MYSTERY CAMPAIGN

The Glenlivet, the world’s No. 2 single malt Scotch whisky, is pioneering an innovative approach to flavour with the launch of The Glenlivet Alpha; a new, mystery expression released without cask information or tasting notes.

Presented in a black bottle to preserve the mystery, consumers are encouraged to let taste and smell lead their experience of The Glenlivet Alpha. Connoisseurs of the range will be able to identify its signature style but also discover a new flavour palate due to the inclusion of never-before-released spirits.

The Glenlivet Alpha launch will be supported by an integrated marketing campaign that will see consumers exploring The Glenlivet’s complex flavours through multi-sensory experiences both online, through http://www.theglenlivet.com/ and the brand’s Facebook page, and offline. The campaign will help to generate discussion and a deeper understanding of The Glenlivet, the single malt that started it all.

The campaign will bring The Glenlivet Alpha to life with a launch film, advertising, in-store activity and a global media launch event in London. Additional films, which explore the roles of sight, smell, taste and feel on flavour perception, will be hosted on The Glenlivet’s digital social media platforms and will link through to online sensory challenges that allow consumers to gradually unlock the secrets of The Glenlivet Alpha. Sensory experts including taste visualisation specialists, Greyworld, will also be working with the brand on the campaign.

In June, the mystery behind The Glenlivet Alpha will be revealed by Master Distiller Alan Winchester in a global broadcast to The Glenlivet fans on http://www.theglenlivet.com/ and on the brand’s Facebook page.

Nikki Burgess, International Brand Director for The Glenlivet, says: “The Glenlivet is famous for its smooth, full bodied flavour and with the launch of The Glenlivet Alpha we’re excited to be exploring this in an original way. This is the first time anyone has launched a ‘blind’ whisky in this way and we are confident that this innovative campaign will excite whisky drinkers and help them to truly appreciate single malt and understand the flavours they taste in The Glenlivet’s award-winning range.”

With only circa 3,500 bottles worldwide, The Glenlivet Alpha will be available in USA, UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Andorra, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, India and South Africa and will retail at $120.

The Glenlivet was the first licensed distillery in the Livet valley and offers a variety of expressions, all boasting its signature smoothness and floral, fruity profile.

The Glenlivet has been the biggest contributor to volume growth in the single malt category over the last five years, adding more than any other Single Malt brand*. The release of The Glenlivet Alpha continues the brand’s legacy of innovation and reinforces its position as ‘the single malt that started it all’.

*IWSR 2011 

Notes 

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

Facebook application: https://www.facebook.com/theglenlivet/app_406821989412224 

The Glenlivet Alpha YouTube video and embed link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOvsNoC-2YU&list=UUVnO1IwQ0pn6-pMrfks8TfA&index=1 

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.

Whiskey Tasting
Texas’s Balcones Distillery
with Winston Edwards
Thursday, May 16th.
4:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M.

Joe writes,

This Thursday we will host Winston Edwards from Balcones Distillery in Waco, Texas. We will taste the line of malt and blue corn whiskies. Bourbon – it is not. Good – It certainly is — Very Good. Professional and amateur critics alike, the world over, go so far as Excellent, Genius, and Cornographic. Will you find your new drink? We will taste four very different whiskies from their line and let you be the judge. Do let us know what you think! Winston will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. The micro distilleries have been popping up all over, come in and taste why. Bring a friend or co-worker and see why this is the hottest micro distillery!!!!!

We Will Taste:

Baby Blue Corn Whisky $49.99 On Sale at $44.99
True Blue Corn Whisky $59.99 On Sale at $54.99
Brimstone Smoked Corn Whisky $59.99 On Sale at $54.99
American Single-Malt $59.99 On Sale at $54.99

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits
Email: info@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is the Centenary Quaich?

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

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

SPECIAL OFFER

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Speyburn 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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NEW PRODUCTS IN THIS WEEK

Just arrived –

Talisker Port Ruighe, named after the old Gaelic name of Port in the Isle of Skye. The distillery has been using Port Casks to age its whisky as far back as 1898 and this new Malt is a toast to the Scottish merchants who braved the high seas to bring back the newly discovered Port Wine from Portugal.

BUY NOW – £44.99

The Macallan 1824 Series is a new range of single malts which showcase the very best of The Macallan, built on the principle of natural colour.
Macallan 1824 Amber 40%,

BUY NOW – £51.00

Macallan 1824 Sienna 43%,

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Macallan 1824 Ruby 43%

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UK vlogger Joe Ellis a.k.a Whisky Wednesday reviews Benriach Curiositas 10 Year Old Single Malt

http://youtu.be/xlcF81vu1eI

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

http://www.tomswhiskyreviews.com/

Buffalo Trace Distillery Releases Ninth Round of Single Oak Project Bourbon

Interesting Insights Learned from Participants  

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May, 2013) – Buffalo Trace Distillery releases the ninth round of the Single Oak Project Bourbon and with it some interesting perspectives from the top two consumer reviewers.

In this ninth release, all of the bourbons that comprise this release entered the barrel at 125 proof, aged within the concrete walls and floors of Warehouse L, with a number three barrel char after the staves were seasoned for six months.  This allows the release to focus on three other variables, the recipe, wood grain size, and tree cut.  All of the other variables such as aging warehouse, entry proof, char level, and stave seasoning remain constant.

So far, more than 2,481 industry expert and consumer reviews have been logged online at www.singleoakproject.com and barrel number 106 continues to remain at the top, for now.  It has battled for that top spot with barrel number 97 for the past several months, but currently retains its lead as the consumer favorite.

Two of the top consumer reviewers of the Single Oak Project, both of them members of the MAD Oak Apostles tasting club in Madison, Wis., have shared their insights into what they’ve learned so far on the Single Oak Project.

Michael Dereszynski, who is the organizer of the Mad Oak Apostles, is the leader for number of barrels reviewed and says what he enjoys most about the Project is the learning, “It made me more aware and appreciative of what comes out of a bottle, as well as the discipline needed in analyzing a series of samples. It became a project within the Project for me to hone these skills.”

Dereszynski also learned that he prefers wheated recipe bourbons over rye recipe bourbons, saying, “Before the Project started, had you asked me, I would have said my recipe preference was rye, not wheat. But after compiling my reviews, apparently I favor the wheat.” He adds, “I prefer a wheated recipe at 105 entry proof, no preference in top or bottom of the tree or the char level, but seasoned staves for 12 month and stored in a concrete floored warehouse.” Dereszynski’s favorite barrel so far is #56, which scored a “91” rating by Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible 2013.

Scott Reich, who is the second place reviewer of the most barrels, was surprised at how much he enjoyed wheated bourbons as well.  “I tried one wheat recipe bourbon a few years ago in a tasting that included several rye recipe bourbons. I found the wheated bourbon to be quite bland, so have tended to avoid them ever since.” Now according to Reich’s reviews, he’s been surprised to find that while 58% of his favorites in the Single Oak Project are rye recipe, 42% are wheat recipe.

Reich has also found he enjoys bourbons aged in barrels made from the bottom of the tree and he also has a strong preference for those aged in the concrete floor warehouse.  Reich adds his favorite so far was from barrel #136, which was given a “92” rating in the Whisky Bible 2013.

All of the whiskey reviews entered on www.singleoakproject.com will determine which Single Oak Project Bourbon is the favorite of fans worldwide. Buffalo Trace looks forward to more reviews, to hear what bourbon drinkers think, and will craft the perfect bourbon based on consumer feedback.

“It’s gratifying to hear the knowledge consumers are gaining from their reviews. Not only is it helping us to create the perfect bourbon, it’s helping them learn more about their taste preferences and what the different effects like aging environment or proof entry can have on a bourbon,” said Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director.

The Single Oak Project is part of an intensive research project Buffalo Trace Distillery started conducting in 1999 by hand picking 96 trees with different wood grains and then dividing them into a top and bottom piece, yielding 192 unique sections. From there, staves were created from each section and were air dried for either 6 months or 12 months. After all the staves were air dried, a single barrel was created from each tree section, resulting in 192 total barrels. These barrels were given either a number three or a number four char and then filled with either wheat or rye recipe bourbon.

To further the variety of experiments, the barrels were filled at two different proofs, 105 and 125 proof.  And if this wasn’t enough, two completely different warehouses were used, one with wooden floors and one with concrete floors.  In total, seven different variables were employed in Buffalo Trace’s ultimate experiment.

For eight years the Distillery continued with its tracking process, creating intricate databases and coming up with a potential of 1,396 tasting combinations from these 192 barrels!

The Single Oak Project Bourbon is being released in a series every three months from 2011 through 2015 until all of the 192 barrels have been released. The first release hit select stores in 2011.  This ninth release will reach stores towards the end of May. Like all the other releases, the quantities are very limited. Every case will contain 12 bottles, each from a different barrel. The ninth release is made up of barrel numbers 5, 6, 37, 38, 69, 70, 101, 102, 133, 134, 165, and 166.  All releases will be packaged in a 375ml bottle. Suggested retail pricing per bottle is $46.35.

At the conclusion of the Single Oak Project, the Distillery plans to take the top rated Single Oak Project Bourbon and make more just like it, under the Single Oak name.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

A. SMITH BOWMAN SPIRITS ARE MEDAL WINNERS AT 2013 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

Fredericksburg, VIRGINIA (May, 2013) – The winners from the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition have been announced, and four spirits from the A. Smith Bowman Distillery were honored with medals.

Both John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon and Bowman Brothers Small Batch Bourbon were awarded Gold Medals.  Winning a Silver Medal was Deep Run Vodka, and Sunset Hills Gin was awarded a Bronze 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 A. Smith Bowman

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills, Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  In response to the rapid rise of taxes in Northern Virginia, the Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

This coming Friday, 17th May

Jameson Irish Shindig…

Stephen Carberry looks after Jameson brands for Pernod Ricard and is eager to share both his knowledge and expertise with us down in the tasting cellars of Stourbridge.

Featuring this selection of amazing whiskeys from Pernod Ricard’s Chief Ambassador:

Jameson Green Spot
Jameson Yellow Spot 12year old 46% abv
Jameson Limited reserve 18 year old
Jameson Powers JL
Jameson Redbreast 15 year old 46% abv
Jameson Select reserve
Start times: 7:30 pmTickets £20.00

For further details, email david@nickollsandperks.co.uk or phone 01384 394518

Call or email to reserve your tickets

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Sláinte!

The Nickolls and Perks Team

Nickolls & Perks Ltd
37 Lower High Street
Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 1TA
www.nickollsandperks.co.uk

Federal Wines & Spirits

The Whisky Cruise
As Put on annually by The Whisky Guild
Saturday, May 18th
Aboard the Spirit of Boston Cruise Ship
200 Seaport Blvd., Boston, MA
VIP Hour – 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Main Boarding – 1:00 – 1:30pm
Sail Time – 1:30 – 3:30pm
20% Discount with the code: federal
For Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/5010646980

Joe writes, Join us once again for a cruise around Boston’s harbor and some great whisky drinking. Chances are too few and far between to taste the full line-ups of so many brands and independent bottlers. We’re proud to be pouring some of our favorite whiskies alongside some of the best in the industry. Visit www.whiskyguild.com for regular updates to the pour-list. Price of admission includes a buffet lunch and those who join us for the VIP hour will have free acess to (though space is limited, contact us quickly to sign up) a Masterclass as hosted by yours truly. This will be a first for me, so details to come as I think of them.

 Federal Wine & Spirits
________________________________________
Email: info@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/