Islay Cask Ends Parcels
Enjoy three mystery Islay bottlings from the ‘Heavy Hitters’…all big Panel Scorers and a mix of ex-sherry and bourbon casks for only £159.

Two bottlings are guaranteed to be 20yo (or a little older) and the other, at least 14yo. Buy our Islay parcel on its own or with our Mighty Mini pack now…

Cask End Islay Parcel: £159
Three Mystery Malts for a mix of ex-sherry & bourbon casks
Buy

Cask Ends Islay Parcel with SURF & Turf Mighty Minis: £207
Add a Surf & Turf Mighty Mini pack to your Islay parcel for this ultimate smoky adventure
Buy

Cask Ends Sale

Cask Ends Sale ends Thu 2 May
Available via Mail Order only. Visit our Members’ Rooms for a small selection of May preview bottlings.

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.

Your chance to attendThe Whisky School 2013

An unforgettable experience for fans of The Glenlivet.

There’s no better way to experience the single malt that started it all than by travelling to the place it all started: The Glenlivet Distillery in Speyside.

Whether you’re a connoisseur of malt whisky or a relative newcomer to the subject, The Whisky School offers you a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of The Glenlivet.

During this captivating three-day experience you’ll be guided by our International Brand Ambassador Ian Logan through a comprehensive nosing and tasting education, including samples of rare expressions. You’ll also walk ancient smugglers’ routes and enjoy an in-depth tour of the distillery, providing you with with an understanding of the rich history and exciting future of The Glenlivet.

But the entertainment doesn’t stop when the tours do; after each day’s activities you’ll experience the very best of Scottish hospitality, with traditional meals in our stunning private house in Keith. Here, you can relax with other passionate Guardians, reflect on your experiences and, of course, share a dram or two.

The £700 per person price includes all activities and all-inclusive luxury accommodation.

This year, we are running The Whisky School on the following dates:

13th-15th May
12th-14th August
7th-9th October

Demand for this once-in-a-lifetime experience is always high, so book now to secure your stay.

Some Great New Whiskies in stock & news of our Grain Whisky Tweet Tasting!

We’ve already got a 1000+ whiskies crammed into our tiny emporium but there are so many temptations come along that we’ve been busy adding more delights!  We’ve put a selection of the new arrivals below but to see them all check out our New Products section on the website.  You’ll find not just the latest expressions but also some old and rare whiskies – with something in most price brackets.

Just in case you’ve missed out on seeing it, we were really thrilled to announce earlier this month that we are partnering with that great guy Steve Rush of The Whisky Wire on a grain whisky tweet tasting.  It’s taking place this Wednesday (24th April) at 7pm and you can follow the action on twitter via #GrainWhiskyTT.  If you’ve not followed a whisky tasting on twitter before then take the plunge and find out what tasters round the world think of four different grain whiskies!  You will be able to buy sample packs of the whiskies being tasted, and full size bottles too of course, but we can’t reveal what the whiskies are until after Wednesday as it’s a blind tasting.

Finally, to get an idea of what a tweet tasting involves then why not read the first article by our new guest blogger Kieran Smyth?  He gives you the lowdown on just what it’s like to take part in one of these events and will be reporting back in due course on Wednesday’s tasting plus future articles will include his forthcoming visit to the Bushmills Distillery.

That’s all for now but we hope you’ll find something of interest among the new whiskies and join us if you can on Wednesday for the tweet tasting.  As ever, if you have any queries just contact us.

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

Smokin’ Deals
Smokin’ Blended Scotch Whisky

The Gentleman’s Dram!
Whisky as it used to be, paying homage to the legendary blends of yesteryear.

£22.99

For a limited time only, while stocks last.

The Bowmore Tempest 4 has arrived!

It has the DNA of all the other Tempests in terms of the Bowmore smokiness and sea salt tang and of course is matured only in ex-Bourbon casks at cask strength. But it is the beauty of small batch production and 100% first fill casks that enables Bowmore to produce the very different flavours apparent in this exceptional whisky which differentiates it slightly from the other award winning Tempest releases that have gone before.

The fourth expression in the Tempest Series and they just keep getting better.

Bottled at 55.1% volume.

This limited edition bottling is only available while stocks last.

£49.99 Simply Click Here To Buy

BUNNAHABHAIN AND FISHERMEN’S MISSION LAUNCH INTERNATIONAL 

‘TALES OF THE SEA’ DESIGN COMPETITION

Islay single malt whisky Bunnahabhain has partnered with The Fishermen’s Mission, a charity which cares for the families of fishermen lost or injured at sea, to launch an international design competition.

The project aims to nurture emerging design talent while also raising funds to help The Fishermen’s Mission, the only charity which provides emergency support alongside practical and emotional care to help fishermen and their families.

The competition, which launches today (24 April) and is open to amateur and professional designers, asks entrants to design a contemporary label based on the return of the brand’s iconic travelling Helmsman to the safety of Bunnahabhain Distillery. In addition to the UK, Bunnahabhain will run the competition in other markets, including the USA, to produce an exclusive Tales of the Sea collection which will be auctioned later in the year.

All proceeds of the auction and a portion of sales from the 500 limited edition bottles will go to The Fishermen’s Mission to help it carry out vital work supporting fishermen and their families.

Over 13,000 men and women are employed in the UK’s toughest and most dangerous peacetime occupation – inshore and deep sea commercial fishing. They face fatal injury on a daily basis and are 115 times more likely to suffer a fatal accident than the rest of the nation’s workforce.

Michelle Lansdowne, Senior Brand Manager at Burn Stewart, said: “Bunnahabhain’s Helmsman and his maritime stories have inspired the brand for generations. Tales of the Sea is an opportunity for us to add a contemporary twist to our current label, in addition to fostering fresh design talent and highlighting the important and groundbreaking work of The Fishermen’s Mission.”

David Dickens, CEO of The Fishermen’s Mission, said: “Every day the Mission staff sees the devastating aftermath of death and serious injury of fishermen at sea. Launching Tales of the Sea with Bunnahabhain will help us to raise further awareness of the Mission’s vital work and help to raise the funds necessary to continue our work supporting fishermen and their families.”

The winner will receive a cash prize of £2,000 and will see their design produced commercially as part of a limited collection. Chosen by a panel of expert judges, the winning design must perfectly embody Bunnahabhain’s nautical theme of the Helmsman returning home to recount his tales by the fireside.

To register for the competition, entrants must send an email with their name, date of birth and contact telephone number to: talesofthesea@stripecommunications.com or phone 0131 526 3083 with these details.

Deadline to register for the competition is 24th May 2013.

Deadline for submissions is 24th June 2013.

Notes

About Bunnahabhain: The multi-award winning Bunnahabhain is the flagship malt whisky from Burn Stewart Distillers and is exported to over 30 countries globally. Unlike its neighbouring distilleries on the Island, Bunnahabhain embodies “the gentle taste of Islay”, as it is the only non-peated Islay malt. Situated on the northern shore of Islay, Distillery Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 by William Robertson and brothers James and William Greenless. Bunnahabhain is Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’ and the distillery is situated right at the shoreline, close to where the Margadale River flows into Bunnahabhain Bay.

www.bunnahabhain.com

About Fishermen’s Mission

The Fishermen’s Mission is a national UK charity founded in 1881 to support Fishermen and their families. We are the only fishermen’s charity that provides emergency support alongside practical and emotional care. We help all fishermen, active or retired, and their families. We do this by:

• Offering immediate assistance, day or night, to the families of fishermen who have been killed or seriously injured
• Looking after the survivors of fishing boat accidents • Helping injured or ill fishermen to find medical help • Finding emergency housing and food if necessary
• Supporting fishermen’s families in the case of illness, distress or financial difficulties •
• Alleviating loneliness by visiting retired fishermen and their families at home or in hospital
• Offering welfare and support to overseas fishermen, working in the UK fishing industry, especially those who have to live onboard boats • Providing Christian pastoral and practical help, including problems with debt, sickness,      bereavement, family difficulties, debt and addiction problems.

The Fishermen’s Mission is a national charity registered in Scotland as SC039088 and England and Wales 232822.

Further details about the Fishermen’s Mission can be found at www.fishermensmission.org.uk

Wiesberger Braced for Ballantine’s Defence

Bernd Wiesberger is looking forward to the challenge of defending a European Tour title for the first time when he returns to Korea for the Ballantine’s Championship, from April 25-28.

The 28 year old Austrian captured his maiden victory in emphatic style at Blackstone Golf Club last year, sinking a 20ft birdie putt on the last hole to seal a five stroke win over Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and claim the €367,500 first prize.

Just 14 weeks later, he added a second win in equally impressive fashion on home soil in the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity, coming from four shots back to card a final round 65 for a three shot victory in his national Open.
Those two triumphs, as well as three other top ten finishes, helped Wiesberger to finish in 22nd position on The 2012 Race to Dubai, and also earned him places in the fields for the US PGA Championship, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and WGC-HSBC Champions.

As a result of the experience gained in the wake of his breakthrough victory, Wiesberger believes that he returns to Blackstone Golf Club, near the Korean capital Seoul, as a better player and is relishing the chance to defend his title.

“It’s going to be a nice new experience for me,” he said. “My maiden win in Korea last year was great, and I’m looking forward to having another good week again this year.

“I like the course, I love the tournament and Ballantine’s have been great to me, so I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“I felt like I could win a European Tour event, but I proved it that week. I was able to be a champion. The win gave me the chance to play a Major and a couple of WGC events, which expanded my view of professional golf, allowing me to perform on a higher level with the top players in the world.

“A couple of months afterwards, I was able to win again in Austria, which meant I was a multiple winner. With those two wins, it was a great breakthrough season for me and the victory at Ballantine’s kicked off everything.”

Wiesberger will have another strong field to contend against in the €2,205,000 Ballantine’s Championship, headlined by World Number Six Louis Oosthuizen, 2010 US PGA Champion YE Yang and American Ryder Cup pair Dustin Johnson and Zach Johnson.

But he hopes to draw on his recollections from last year when, after an opening round of 72, he carded consecutive course records of 65, followed by a closing round of 68 which included three birdies in the final four holes, for an 18 under par winning total of 270.

“Everything went my way from Friday onwards, and I have some great memories from last year,” he said. “Holing that winning putt and finishing well on the Sunday with a couple of birdies was fantastic. I will really enjoy going back and having the chance to defend the title.

“I had great control over my irons into greens last year. The greens at Blackstone are quite severe. You want to hit the right spots, the right plateaus, and know the contours going into them. That was key for me, and on top of that I also had a great putting week.

“If you just miss your target slightly you can run off and leave yourself in awkward spots and you can three putt quickly, but that was something I did well last year and I holed some putts when I needed to.”

As has become tradition at the Ballantine’s Championship since the event’s inception in 2008, Wiesberger had the opportunity to create his own Ballantine’s Championship Blend, which was another enjoyable new experience.

“I have received the Championship Blend of Lee Westwood, who won the year before me, and it’s on a nice display at home,” he said. “I’m getting mine in a couple weeks hopefully. I did the blending the week after Dubai and it was great experience doing it with the guys from Ballantine’s.

“It was nice getting to know what it takes to blend the whisky and it was a fun experience for me. It is only going to be a ten bottle limited edition but hopefully whoever is fortunate to drink it likes it as well.”

About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s is the No 2 ultra-premium Scotch whisky in Asia, No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 129 trophies and medals at international competitions 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 has been title sponsor of the Ballantine’s Championship since 2008 • Ballantine’s is an official sponsor of the BMW Masters, The Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open & The World Cup of Golf • The first Ballantine’s sponsored golf tournament was played in 1960 at Wentworth Golf Club, England

About Chivas Brothers

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 Scotch.

Ardbeg Announced As World’s Best At World Whisky Awards

Ardbeg took out the ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ title at the World Whisky Awards in London on 21st March, living up to its reputation as being the ‘Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky’. With more than 300 whiskies battling it out, Ardbeg received further recognition when its latest limited edition, Ardbeg Galileo, a 12-year-old whisky, was declared ‘Best Islay Single Malt’. Adding to these coveted awards, Ardbeg was also voted ‘Scotch Whisky of the Year’ for a third year in a row by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – the worlds leading whisky guide.

Adding to the celebrations, Sam Snead’s House of Whiskey, Auckland’s only specialised whisky shop, has been declared the second Ardbeg Embassy in New Zealand after Whisky Galore in Christchurch.

Rai Banbury, Senior Brands Manager Moët Hennessy, says, “It’s a huge achievement for Ardbeg to receive these awards and be recognised as the world’s best whisky. This is perfect timing with the announcement of our second Ardbeg Embassy in Auckland.”

Hot on the heels of these awards comes Ardbeg’s ARDBOG Day on 1st June. In celebration of ARDBOG Day, the Auckland and Christchurch Ardbeg Embassies will exclusively stock and sell Ardbeg’s Limited Edition release for 2013 and will also host special events for Ardbeg committee members and smoky malt enthusiasts. This year, New Zealand whisky connoisseurs are invited to be the first in the world to celebrate this day.

To find out more about ARDBOG Day and becoming a committee member, visit: http://www.ardbeg.com/ardbeg/members/public/index/register.

Notes:

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’.

The Glenmorangie Company purchased the brand in 1997 and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following.

Ardbeg Embassies are a network of premium whisky stores who love Ardbeg and sell it as their whisky of choice.

We’re heading to Edmonton on Saturday, May 11th to host a very special tasting!

To raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, one of our Edmonton members and his daughter (a cancer survivor), have been training with Team in Training for their first half-marathon. In conjunction with training he has been putting on monthly whisky tastings as a way to gather donations for the LLS.

We were honoured to be asked to participate and will host the final tasting, on Saturday, May 11th, to celebrate their efforts and help raise a chunk of money for a great cause.

We hope you can join us for what is sure to be a great evening – details and registration link are below and if you’ve already signed up we look forward to seeing you! If you can’t make it then please forward this on to your scotch-loving, philanthropic friends and we encourage you to donate directly to the cause at our member’s support page:
http://ow.ly/kg5rY

As always, you can expect a wonderful line-up of Society single cask scotches. There will also be light food, a special welcome drink upon arrival and a great selection of auction items!

Team in Training & The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
present
A Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fundraising Tasting

Saturday, May 11th at 6:30pm
$65.00
Happy Harbor Comics
10729 – 105 Avenue, Edmonton
780-452-8211

To register click here: http://ow.ly/k7XaX or contact Happy Harbor Comics

We’re changing things up for our May Outturn tastings!!

Instead of new releases, we’ll be revisiting old friends.

Are you a new member who hasn’t had a chance to try some older releases?

Perhaps you haven’t been able to make it to any SMWS tastings and would like to hear more about the Society?

Do you have friends you’ve been talking to about the Society and you would like to introduce them to it?

Then this month is for you!

As always members get first crack at signing up but act quickly before these get opened up to the general public.

In Victoria please join us at The Strath on Friday, May 3rd at 6:30pm.
To register and pre-pay please email whisky@strathconahotel.com
or call 250-370-9463 or drop into the store at 919 Douglas Street
$50 ($10 discount for SMWS members)

In Vancouver please join us at Edgemont Fine Wines on Monday, May 6th at 6:45pm.
To register please click here: http://ow.ly/kaNKI
or sign up in person at 3020 Edgemont Blvd., North Vancouver
For more information call 604-984-9463
$50 ($10 discount for SMWS members)

www.smws.ca