Southern Comfort Releases Limited Edition World Series of Poker® Gift Pack

LOUISVILLE, Ky – April 15, 2013 –  Southern Comfort 100 proof has released a limited edition gift pack in conjunction with its partnership with the World Series of Poker. The gift pack contains a 750ml of Southern Comfort 100 proof, a deck of playing cards and 10 poker chips. It is available in 13 markets (Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Virginia) across the US.

Southern Comfort is the presenting sponsor of the 2012-2013 season of the World Series of Poker Tour. The season-culminating National Championship event takes place at Harrah’s New Orleans from May 21-23, 2013.

ABOUT THE WSOP

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.  In 2012, the event attracted 74,766 entrants from 101 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $222 million in prize money.  In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe.  The WSOP Circuit Tour is entering its ninth season in 2012-13.  For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit www.WSOP.com.

ABOUT SOUTHERN COMFORT

Southern Comfort®, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was created in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is enjoyed by friends in over 100 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand.  Please visit us at SouthernComfort.com and facebook.com/southerncomfort.

ROCK TOWN DISTILLERY

WINS TOP HONORS IN 2013 WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITIONS 

“Competitions held in London, Chicago and San Francisco” 

Little Rock, AR – (April 15, 2013) – Phil Brandon, founder of Rock Town Distillery, Arkansas’ first legal distillery since prohibition, is happy to announce his hand crafted spirits have won top honors in recent prestigious spirits competitions.

Early in March, Rock Town was awarded the rating of “Exceptional – Gold Medal” for both our Arkansas Young Bourbon and our Hickory Smoked Whiskey by the highly respected Beverage Tasting Institute in Chicago.  The Beverage Testing Institute’s International Review of Spirits Competition is one of America’s oldest and most influential spirits competitions operating since 1994.

“On March 21st we were stunned to learn our Bourbon was awarded Best Bourbon (no age statement) at the World Whiskies Awards in London, England” said Phil Brandon distillery founder.  The World Whiskies Awards had more than 300 whiskies battling it out during three intensive blind tasting rounds, for the coveted title of ‘2013 World’s Best Whiskies’. Judges for Whisky Magazine’s independent editorial panel were drawn from the best drinks journalists and retailers across the world, with industry representatives made up of master blenders, distillers and brand ambassadors in the final round.

On March 24^th Rock Town received more great news from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition that our Bourbon won the top award of Double Gold Medal in the ‘Small Batch Bourbon up to 10yrs Old’ category.  The annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition commends the finest spirits from across the globe.  More than 1,400 spirits from 63 countries were judged this year as part of the largest competition in the event’s 13 year history.

“Receiving these accolades really is a testament to the hard work, dedication and craftsmanship we put into our whiskies” said Phil Brandon.  “We’re very proud of the fact that we use locally sourced Arkansas grains to make world class whiskies”.

For a complete listing of winners online:

World Whiskies Awards 2013 – http://www.whiskymag.com/awards/wwa/2013/

San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2013 – http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/browse

International Review of Spirits 2013 – http://tastings.com/LatestSpiritsReviews.html

Rock Town Distillery is also proud to announce it has also recently partnered with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) and is now available in Georgia and Florida through RNDC.  Soon RNDC will distribute Rock Town’s products in Texas and Louisiana as well.  Rock Town’s products are also distributed in Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Oregon, and Oklahoma.

ABOUT ROCK TOWN DISTILLERY

Rock Town Distillery, Arkansas’ first legal distillery since prohibition, produces the award winning Brandon’s Vodka, Brandon’s Gin, Arkansas Young Bourbon Whiskey, Arkansas Hickory Smoked Whiskey, Riverboat Rum, as well as three moonshines called Arkansas Lightning, Apple Pie Arkansas Lightning and Lightning Hot Arkansas Lightning.  The distillery located in downtown Little Rock at 1216 E 6^th Street, Little Rock, AR 72202.  The distillery is open for tours and tastings.  For more information please visit www.arkansaslightning.com

A. SMITH BOWMAN BOURBONS WIN HIGH HONORS AT 2013 ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE

Fredericksburg, VIRGINIA (April, 2013) – The winners from the 2013 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, held last month in New York City, have been announced.  A. Smith Bowman Distillery was honored with two of its craft whiskeys winning high accolades in the prestigious competition.

John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon was awarded 94 points and the rating of “Excellent, Highly Recommended,” and named a Finalist for the Chairman’s Trophy.

Tasting notes from the judges describe this bourbon as, “Incredibly smooth and delightfully sweet. Polished and refined finish referring back to baked cherries and almond butter while maintaining its delicate sweetness. Fantastic.”

Also scoring highly was the Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon, with its 88 points and a “Very Good, Strong Recommendation.”

This is the fourth year for the Ultimate Spirits Competition, founded by noted spirits reviewer Paul Pacult.  Other esteemed judges include Sean Ludford, Dale DeGroff, Jim Meehan, and Dave Wondrich.  Find a complete list of winners online at http://www.ultimate-beverage.com/the-results/2013-spirits-results/.

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.

Caroline Martin, Diageo.

Hi again Caroline, your tasting session recently in Edinburgh prompted me to ask you more questions! (asks Paul Mclean)

I know you have been with Diageo for umpteen years, but – What first got you interested in whisky?  I started working with the company in the New Products Innovation area in 1986, primarily working with flavours, colours, thickeners and different spirit types. From that starting point I became involved with whisky from the perspective of developing whisky liqueurs. I enjoyed being able to blend different flavours together as I had done previously when I studied Home Economics at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh with food recipe development.

What exactly does a whisky master blender do? A wide variety of things on a daily basis, there is no “typical” day at work. Mostly I ensure the consistently high quality standards of our established brands are fully met – including Johnnie Walker, Bell’s J&B Rare. I also am involved in the creation , crafting and innovation of new whisky blends. The key skill required is the ability to nose, taste and describe whisky attributes – known as sensory capability. I manage a small team of highly motivated whisky technical specialists too.

How did you become a master blender? My journey to become a Master Blender happened over quite a few years. I built up of lots of experience of nosing whisky samples over time. Being knowledgeable and keen to understand the new make whisky characters and then appreciating what the different casks can bring to the flavour styles in the maturing spirit. The ability to then craft new blends by understanding how the different whisky flavours interact to produce something exceptional and unique.

When did you realise you had a “nose” and “taste” for whisky? I was always keen to be able to put descriptors to what I nosed and tasted in different whiskies. In fact my interest in this area took me on a different career path for a while, where I actually managed and trained sensory panellists for the company. Sensory skills are paramount for a master Blender and I benefitted greatly from investing my time in this role. I also had a keen interest in aromatherapy, blending essential oils, around this time and qualified as a Clinical Aromatherapist after two years of studying and completing case histories.

How hard is it to nose/taste so many whiskies each day? Most whiskies are nosed and not tasted. With experience you learn to be aware of your own tolerances to nose effectively and I pace myself accordingly. If I feel my nose is becoming exhausted when nosing a large number of whisky samples, especially if they have strong peaty notes, then I will take a break and come back to them when my nose is refreshed and able to perform as required.

What happens if you have a cold? I have the reassurance that there are other expert whisky panellists onsite who perform as a trained sensory panel alongside me. So when I have a cold there is no real cause for concern – just frustration on my part!

What do you look for in a new whisky? A new whisky blend for me has to deliver something exceptional from an aroma and flavour perspective. Its ability to stand up to different serves on different occasions is also important to me – it should be adaptable! Once I’m intrigued enough to try it, and assuming I like it, the blend must then be consistent in quality.

Are you working on anything new/special just now? I’ve always got a few new projects in progress, but like all good Master Blenders they’re not spoken about until they’re available on the market!

What is the best blend you have achieved? I am delighted with the positive feedback I received on the Johnnie Walkers Directors Blend for 2011. I put considerable time and effort into this blend to create very soft, mellow fruity flavours with a subtle hint of smoke in the background. I’m glad that the guests invited to a recent Director’s Blend event in Edinburgh found it to be very enjoyable.

Can you briefly outline a typical day? The variety within my role means that there is no real typical day. I could be travelling to Elgin one day to nose new make malt whiskies and the next day travelling to Fife to nose new make grain samples. On other days I may be assessing mature cask samples with a view to using them to create new blends. Ongoing quality assurance is an important part of the role and training sensory panels at our production sites is crucial. I also manage a small team of 4 people who are also contributing to the world of whisky at Diageo.

What skills and qualities do you need to become a master blender? The key skill is sensory capability – you have to be able to nose and taste whiskies and describe them in detail. This skill either allows you to be able to create new blends or highlight when something is wrong in a blend –and more importantly why! Accuracy and repeatability are other important aspects of the role and an understanding of the inventory too!

Apart from our membership (of course) is there anyone in the whisky world you wish to meet? Past or present. I’d love the opportunity to meet up with the original Arthur Bell or Johnnie Walker and ask them what they think of the whisky industry today. I wonder what advice they would offer us……?

Many thanks for being honest and putting up with all of my questions, do you have a parting shot? Peoples’ tastes change over time – I’d encourage you to be aware of this. Because you don’t like a particular whisky today doesn’t mean this will always be the case. Keep trying new blends- they bring with them new flavours. And keep trying them on different occasions, in different serves. The world of whisky offers much in the way of variety of flavours. Finding your favourites is all part of the enjoyment!

Caroline Martin, Master Blender, Diageo, interviewed by Paul McLean, Angels Whisky Club.

www.angelswhiskyclub.com

www.mcleanscotland.com

Late April 2013 Outturn Offerings 

A window box outside a pub 

Cask No. 30.69                           $145

Speyside, Spey

The nose had lots to offer – sultanas, figs, sweet tobacco, coconut oil, vanilla, pineapple, banana bread and butterscotch bumped up against leather, slate, sea salt and Fisherman’s Friends. The palate was also very attractive, with marmalade, blossom honey, golden syrup on buttered toast, crêpes with Cointreau, geraniums, beer and tobacco (‘like a window box outside a pub’ someone said). On the reduced nose, a laundry basket appeared, along with white chocolate and jellied orange sweets. The mouth-feel turned slightly fizzy and developed new flavours of biscuits, linseed oil and slippery elm. The distillery still-house looks out over the Rothes graveyard.

Drinking tip: A dram for those with a sweet tooth – and water doesn’t do much for it

Colour: Simpsons yellow                            Date distilled: December 1989

Cask: Refill hogshead                                      Alcohol: 51.7%

Age: 21 years                                          USA allocation: 102 bottles 

Sweet and smoky 

Cask No. 29.112                         $120

Islay

A polite and somewhat reserved example of what used to be known as Islay’s most pungent malt – a mild nose-feel, then ‘fresh linen on a clothes line’ and sweet short-crust pastry (even hints of tablet), with antiseptic cream and coal smoke in the distance. The taste is sweet and very salty, with clean smoke and a floral aftertaste. Water takes us to a rock pool, then public swimming pools and foot-baths – with plastic water-wings and beach-balls bobbing in the background. The taste remains sweet and salty, with a peppery finish and ash in the aftertaste, with traces of Coal Tar soap.

Drinking tip: On a warm machair beach

Colour: Full gold                                           Date distilled: April 1995

Cask: Refill barrel                                         Alcohol: 61.3%

Age: 16 years                                          USA allocation: 72 bottles

Jar Jar Binks in trouble again 

Cask No. 63.27                           $85

Speyside, Spey

Remarkable for its age, the nose suggested unripe green fruits, stewed rhubarb, lemon bonbons, mint, golden syrup and Werther’s butterscotch. It reminded us of grappa, tequila, pear schnapps etc. The substantial palate delivered apple sours, lime fruit pastilles and red cola – a caustic/sweet combination so juicy it had us slavering like Boss Nass berating Jar Jar Binks. The reduced nose had apples sautéed in butter and raspberry jam pips – and woody, earthy, floral notes inspired the gardeners among us. The palate now had tart toffee apples and Key lime pie – very interesting indeed. The distillery was built by James Buchanan.

Drinking tip: To accompany light gardening or an episode of Star Wars

Colour: Tutankhamen’s breastplate                          Date distilled: June 2006

Cask: Second-fill Sherry butt                                                  Alcohol: 62.3%

Age: 5 years                                                       USA allocation: 90 bottles 

A land of sweet and spicy fragrance 

Cask No. 73.47                           $105

Speyside, Deveron

Our panellists found the nose attractive, though quietly assertive – beyond a freshly-painted dentist’s waiting room, was a land of sweet and spicy fragrance – ginger, nutmeg and clove, toffee, raisins and croissants, banana, orange, balsamico, cigars and cognac. Water added apple cider, fresh laundry, lemon balm and lemon barley water. The palate bestowed superb, exquisite sweetness, like heavily honeyed Lindisfarne mead, but also some lively taste impressions of salted beef, pretzels and grappa. With water, sweetness persisted, but we now discovered spearmint and lemony hot toddy with liquorice allsorts on the finish – very quaffable indeed. The distillery name means ‘big stream’.

Drinking tip: A pleasant summertime, ‘déjeuner sur l’herbe’ kind of dram

Colour: Pinot Grigio                                                 Date distilled: May 1999

Cask: Refill barrel                                                     Alcohol: 57.8%

Age: 12 years                                                      USA allocation: 90 bottles

Please visit the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America at http://www.smwsa.com/ 

Hi all,

8 lucky journalists from around the world joined me in Dufftown on Friday for a look around our distilleries, and to enjoy a unique opportunity to create their own bespoke blend.

The day started with a tour of Dufftown, the village where William Grant was born. With only 2 main streets, that didn’t take particularly…(please click on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,

Ludo

Speyburn 25 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

In November 2012 Speyburn Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky unveiled a new version of its 25 year old expression, featuring a premium silver design and a personal signature from the distillery manager. Actually every aspect of the packaging has been … Continue reading →

TWE Karuizawa Whisky Trip Pt.7: Endgame for Karuizawa

Welcome to the seventh instalment of TWE’s big Karuizawa trip to Japan.  After our excellent evening out at Helmsdale we awoke the next morning to a cold, … Continue reading >>

GLENMORANGIE AND ARDBEG PRESENT TWAIN VS. ORWELL AT BROKEN SHAKER 

More then 200 guests gathered recently at Broken Shaker to celebrate two iconic whiskeys and two great American writers at the Twain vs. Orwell Mixology Competition presented by Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. Eight local mixologists and members of the United States Bartenders Guild competed in a literary inspired competition to see who could create the freshest new Twain or Orwell inspired cocktail using Ardbeg or Glenmorangie single malt whiskey.

The trial was performed “Iron Chef’ style before four judges: David Blackmore, global brand ambassador for Glenmorangie/Arbeg, Trisha Cancilla, regional marketing manager for Glenmorangie/Ardbeg; Galena Mosevich, cocktail writer for Miami.com and The Miami Herald, and Mickey Heads, distillery manager for Ardbeg who came in all the way from Scotland to be a part of the event.

At 7:30pm, live bagpipes sounded to present the competition finalists Trevor Alberts of Gramp’s in Wynwood and Michael Parish of Broken Shaker, who each won a private edition bottle of Ardbeg or Glenmorangie.  But to name the ultimate cocktail and mixologist, the contestants then entered a sudden death round where they each had to create a  shot using Ardbeg or Glenmorangie.  Michael Parish was crowned the first place winner earning a brand new iPad mini for his inventive and delicious concoction.

Guest enjoyed a variety of single malt whiskey samples throughout the evening including Ardbeg’s private edition Galileo, which was just named theWorld’s Best Single Malt Whiskey at the 2013 World Whiskey Awards in London.  Ardbeg’s 10 Year Old, Uigeadail and Corryvreckan were also served along with Glenmorangie’s The Original  Lasanta, Quinta Ruban and Nectar d’Or.

Artist Jon Grey entertained the crowd with the live creation of an original Twain vs. Ardbeg painting.  Other fun highlights included Twain and Orwell Madlibs, an interactive photo area where guests could dress up as characters from Twain and Orwell books, butler passed Scottish bites, and of course,Broken Shaker’s famous hand crafted punch bowls.

What’s the connection between the whiskey’s and these writers?  Glenmorangie’s Ealanta is aged exclusively in wooden casks sourced from the Mark Twain Nation Forest in the Missouri Ozark Mountains.  While George Orwell wrote his  famous book 1984 while living on the Isle of Jura in Scotland.  The area is next to Islay, the home of Ardbeg.

SIGNED BOTTLE OF THE MACALLAN 1962 IS AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY 

Sotheby’s has auctioned a bottle of The Macallan 1962 from its fine and Rare collection, distilled the same year as the first Bond film was released, achieving an impressive £9,635.

Since this prestigious single malt whisky featured in key scenes in SKYFALL, the highest-grossing Bond film ever, The Macallan is thrilled to be part of its celebration and achievement by donating the rare bottle of whisky to the auction that commenced at this morning.

The bottle auctioned featured a unique signed label that included signatures from Bond himself, Daniel Craig, along with Javier Bardem and Bérénice Marlohe.

All proceeds of the auction will be donated to charities that support members of the British security and intelligence services, selected by Prince Charles to benefit from the SKYFALL world premiere held in October 2012.

David Cox, Director of Fine and Rare Whiskies, Edrington, owners of The Macallan, said “We are delighted with the result of today’s auction. Following on from The Macallan’s ‘cameo’ in SKYFALL we were honoured to be able to take part in this prestigious, Finest & Rarest Wines sale and are ecstatic with the amount raised. The charities that will receive the monies raised are very fitting and will help support members of the British security and intelligence services.”

Today The Macallan is one of the world’s most collectable whiskies, sitting at the top of the auction table and the owner of the current Guinness World Record™ for the most expensive whisky ever sold at auction.

“The Macallan is a First Growth Malt, the tops, with all that this means in terms of excellence and excitement” comments Serena Sutcliffe MW, Sotheby’s International Head of Wine.  

Notes 

About The Macallan®

Founded in 1824, The Macallan® is one of the world’s most admired and awarded single malt whiskies. The reputation of The Macallan is based on a product of outstanding quality and distinctive character, founded upon a set of guiding principles, the Six Pillars. An obsession with quality has been the hallmark of The Macallan since its founding by Alexander Reid on a plateau above the river Spey in north-east Scotland. The distillery is surrounded by a 150 hectare estate, with Easter Elchies House, a Highland Manor built in 1700, at its heart.

Traditionally known for maturation in sherry seasoned oak casks, The Macallan’s range of outstanding single malts includes: Sherry Oak, matured in Spanish oak casks seasoned with sherry; Fine Oak, matured both in sherry casks of Spanish and American oak and in American oak casks seasoned with bourbon; the 1824 Collection, exclusive to Global Travel Retail and the 1824 Series built on the principle of natural colour. In addition, The Macallan is well known for its great range of vintage whiskies, dating back to 1926, and is considered the most sought after of all single malts among collectors and connoisseurs at auction.

In November 2010, The Macallan set a staggering new Guinness World Record^TM for the “most expensive whisky sold at auction”. The Macallan in Lalique 64 year old: Cire Perdue was sold for $460,000 and every single penny of this was donated to charity: water to help fund life changing clean water projects in the developing world. This was arguably the defining moment in the recent history of The Macallan, but one which reinforces its position as one of the world’s greatest whiskies. 

About Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s Wine auctions in 2012 brought an overall global total of $64,462,965. Sotheby’s overall total of $88.27 million for global wine auctions in 2010 is the highest in the company’s forty-two years of wine auctions. 2011 brought an overall global total of US$85,467,096. The Lafite Ex Cellars sale – of First Growth Bordeaux directly from Château Lafite-Rothschild – held by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in October 2010 set a new record for a single standard sized bottle at auction when a bottle of Château Lafite 1869 sold for $232,692.  This means that Sotheby’s now holds the world records for a standard bottle, a bottle in any format – the Jeroboam of Château Mouton Rothschild 1945 which fetched $310,700 in February 2007 in New York – and any wine lot at auction – 50 cases of Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 which sold for US$1,051,600 at Sotheby’s New York in 2006.

Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744.  Sotheby’s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s presents auctions in 10 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby’s BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from anywhere in the world. Sotheby’s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby’s Financial Services, the world’s only full-service art financing company, as well as private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art department, and two retail businesses, Sotheby’s Diamonds and Sotheby’s Wine. Sotheby’s has a global network of 90 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).