BRAND NEW DEDICATED BEER AND WHISKY BAR TO OPEN IN ABERDEEN’S MERCHANT QUARTER.

CASC (Cigars, Ales, Scotch and Coffee) – a brand new, independently owned bar featuring hundreds of bottles of Scotch Whisky is due to open in Aberdeen’s Merchant Quarter later this year.

With its dedicated staff of whisky geeks and beer nuts, as well a large range of Cuban cigars, premium spirits and beers from around the world, CASC hopes to bring something new to Aberdeen’s discerning drinkers.

If, however, you prefer drinks of the non-alcoholic variety CASC will also serve as a hotspot for coffee enthusiasts and see the first syphon brewed coffee system in the city.

To learn more about CASC and follow our progress, find and ‘like’ us on facebook: www.facbook.com/CASCbar

And follow us on twitter @CASCbar

Whiskies of the World San Francisco 2014

Every year with arrival of Thanksgiving, we start the unofficial self-winding countdown to the next year Whiskies of the World San Francisco, to take place on March 29, 2014. The end of March, when we stand a perfect chance for the rain-free lazur allowing to enjoy the beauty of the bay from our spectacular and unique venue, SF Belle Hornblower Yacht.

Be sure that you have tickets and that you’ve told all your friends, co-workers and colleagues about the Expo. The anticipation is a great way to usher in autumn and survive through the long lasting winter …raise your spirits and carry on!

Expo Preview
Anticipate exploring every booth, to savor both old and familiar expressions and to look for new launches. We invite you to discover the first English single malt whisky in 100 years launched by the English Whisky Co at the end of 2009, and only recently available to the US whisky imbiber. Read the whisky Chapters (literary, try the expressions of various ages and of various character) to follow the development of the fine malt from the newly built distillery. So far, they released about 10 bottlings of both peated and unpeated profiles, and keep adding to continuum. Quite a “Book”, don’t you think?

At the Expo, we’ll sample their Classic, a whisky of amplitude and depth, and their Peated, a well-crafted whisky that some call the Classic in the peated. Your say!

In almost every newsletter, we mention news from Diageo’s fronts; not that we’re playing favorites, but they do always have news on whisky releases. The recently announced ones, exciting and mouthwatering, are: 21 YO Cardhu, a balanced and silky malt from the one clandestine location; Lagavulin 12 and 28 year old Special Release, unconventionally coming from a first-fill sherry butt; Johnnie Walker Platinum Label with the greatness typical of the brand; the list can spectacularly go on. At the Expo, sojourn at the Diageo booths, a perfect spot to catch up with the company’s new releases.

Man can’t live by bread (or whisky ) alone; to keep our celebratory mood in check, Diageo’s Bushmills Pipe and Drum Band will entertain us for the evening. This amazing band has been accompanying the show since its start, and has become a distinctive feature and a not-to–be-missed highlight of the Expo. Many thanks to Steve Beal, the Master of Scotch and now, the Keeper of the Quaich, for bringing the band to us year after year. For those who is yet to know, Steve is the official brand ambassador for the Single Malts & Johnny Walker, so take the opportunity to make his personal acquaintance at the Expo and share his knowledge and passion for fine malts. Also, ask about the Keeper of Quaich title—we really want to know.

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, OUR DECEMBER FIRST FRIDAY WILL ACTUALLY BE HELD ON TUESDAY DECEMBER 3^rd DUE TO ALL HOTEL SPACE BEING BOOKED ON THE FRIDAY FOR CHRISTMAS PARTIES. A THIRD OF THE SEATS ARE SOLD ALREADY, SO IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY BOOKED, CONTACT US RIGHT AWAY.

Here are the details for the event:

Date: Tuesday December 3^rd, 2013.

Time: 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Location: The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants, 919 Douglas Street, Victoria.

Price: $35 each for Members & Partners, $45 for Non-Members/Guests.     

NON MEMBERS & GUESTS ARE MOST WELCOME 

REGISTRATION:   

1. Space is limited so you must register.
2. To secure your place you need to pre-pay. Please email, drop into the store or phone with credit card details. Email: whisky@strathconahotel.com Phone: 250-370-9463 
3. Once your seat(s) are paid for you will receive an email confirmation from me.

This is your virtual Ticket.

The Tasting will take place in the Maple Room – enter at the Sticky Wicket Pub, corner of Douglas and Courtenay. Doors will open at 6:20pm and the tasting will start PROMPTLY at 6:30pm.

IMPORTANT:

Please remember these are cask strength whiskies, so you should not be driving home after the tasting.

Slainté!

Colin

Colin Southcombe

General Manager

The Strath Ale Wine & Spirit Merchants

919 Douglas Street, Victoria BC, V8W 2C2

Tel: 250-370-9463

Email: whisky@strathconahotel.com

Willett Small Batch Bourbons in Stock at Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits (E. Setauket, New York)

Rowan’s Creek Small Batch Bourbon 100.1 Proof – $34.99 (3 bottles in stock)

Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon 94 Proof – $38.99 (7 bottles available)

Noah’s Mill Small Batch Bourbon 114.3 Proof – $47.99 (5 bottles available)

Mora’s Fine Wine & Spirits

www.moraswines.com

631-941-4458

sev.clemens@moraswines.com

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2014

Another year, another burst of whisky-related discussion and outrage on the internet – Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2014 is out. Over 4500 whiskies, along with Jim’s tasting notes and scores, packed into one pocket sized mini-tome, ready to be pored … Continue reading >>

TOMATIN DISTILLERY REDUCES ITS CARBON EMISSIONS BY OVER 80%

Local MP Danny Alexander and UK Green Investment Bank Chairman, Lord Smith of Kelvin, visit distillery to see its new carbon saving biomass boiler

Tomatin Distillery, located 16 miles south of Inverness, has become the first Scottish Distillery to install a new, state of the art, sustainable biomass boiler. This new renewable energy boiler displaces the distillery’s previous heavy-fuel oil usage and produces both heat and steam for the whisky making process.

The installation of the new biomass boiler as part of an Energy Supply Contract (ESCO) has immediately improved the distillery’s energy efficiency, cutting carbon emissions by 80% or over 4,000 tonnes CO2 each year, equivalent to taking 1,200 family cars off the road.

The ESCO was part-financed by the UK Green Investment Bank, through its fund manager Equitix, and Balcas. Balcas is the largest manufacturer of wood pellets in the UK with production sites in Northern Ireland and in Invergordon, Scotland, 35 miles north of the distillery. This plant alone produces100,000 tonnes of sustainable biomass pellets annually.

In cutting its carbon emissions by 80%, Tomatin Distillery is the first distillery in Scotland to achieve the Scotch Whisky Association’s target for 2050 – 37 years ahead of schedule.

Robert Anderson, chief executive of Tomatin Distillery and Ernest Kidney, managing director of Balcas provided Danny Alexander MP and Lord Smith of Kelvin with an overview of the environmental and economic benefits of the new biomass fuelled steam boiler.

The Rt Hon Danny Alexander, Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey said:

“It is terrific to see this landmark Green Investment Bank project come online with its first investment in the Highlands.

“I’m delighted that Tomatin Distillery is to benefit, with the support of Balcas, from this flagship Lib Dem initiative which will reduce its energy costs and use cleaner energy.

“Both the Distillery and Balcas are to be congratulated for their forward thinking and positivity.

“The North of Scotland has huge potential for growth in renewables and green energy. I’m confident that this project will be the first of many to benefit the local economy and boost jobs in the area.”

Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chairman of GIB said:

“Every one of us can do more to save money and reduce our environmental impact through a greater commitment to energy efficiency. Tomatin Distillery has taken a lead and shown the very real gains that businesses of all sizes can make by investing in energy efficiency. The have provided a great example to other small and medium sized businesses that I hope others will follow.’

Robert Anderson, chief executive of Tomatin Distillery said:

“We are delighted to welcome Danny Alexander and Lord Smith to Tomatin so that they can see for themselves how we as a company have embraced renewable energy and in doing so have achieved our 2050 carbon reduction targets from the Scotch Whisky Association. In addition to reducing our carbon emissions, the energy solution from Balcas has had

many additional benefits to us including clear financial savings, the ability to benefit from the Renewable Heat Incentive for the next 20 years, and a local and secure fuel supply.”

Ernest Kidney, managing director of Balcas said:

“Tomatin is the first company to benefit from our unique integrated energy proposition and I congratulate them on achieving their carbon reduction targets for 2050. Given that the RHI is for the next twenty years we believe that having a world class solution for the supply of steam in an industrial or commercial setting backed with the security of supply of fuel for the next twenty years has, and will be, a decisive factor for many customers in this marketplace.”

Notes

1. An infographic explaining how the boiler works can be found here.

2. For more information on Balcas and images of the visit / pictures of the boiler contact Julie McCabe or Brittany Breslin at Massive PR on 028 9024 0250 or 07801 989950.

3. For more information on the UK Green Investment Bank visit www.greeninvestmentbank.com or call Head of Communications, Stephen Moir on 0131 306 0193

4. For more information on Tomatin Distillery contact Jennifer Nicol, Marketing Manager on 01463 248 148

5. L-R Geoff Jackson, CEO, Equitix; Lord Smith of Kelvin, UK Green Investment Bank Chairman; Robert Anderson CEO, Tomatin Distillery; Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP and Ernest Kidney,Managing Director, Balcas.

The Relaxed Whisky Weekend
5 – 7 September 2014

Dear whisky friends,
Here in the northern hemisphere, autumn is upon us, and the ‘regular’ whisky festival season is in highest gear. Time for us to inform you about our thoughts on Maltstock 2014!

Next years Maltstock (5-7 September 2014) will see the return of some old favourites and some new stuff based upon the input from our guests. We hope you like them!

The return of the midnight snack

Back by popular demand: the Midnight snack! The first editions of Maltstock we did provide for this. After having to bin lots of food we decided against doing it, but having little to eat at night wasn’t such a great idea after all. So 2014 will see the return of the midnight snack!

Food corner

Every Maltstock guest knows about our great bar. Lots of drinks: water, beers, sodas, coffee, and tea, all readily available from our great volunteer crew. Next year we’ll do the same for food. Everybody wants to eat at different times during the day and a brand new food corner will provide for sandwiches, fruit and more during most of the day. Of course this service is included in your ticket prize, Maltstock being an all-inclusive event.

Maltstock Night Café

Maltstock 2014 will see the birth of the Maltstock Night café. Crazy partying and sleep somehow seem to bite each other. Especially if combined within a few meters distance. So in 2014 the Chapel, which is only 75 meters from the main building, will be turned into the Maltstock Night café! Here we can have a taste and chat until the sun comes up while others can enjoy a good rest. More details on the Maltstock Night Café and the rest of our program will follow.

More changes

Some of the people in our organizing team have left the Maltstock organization. Arthur, Eline and Rogier are going to pursue other challenges and dreams. Five years of Maltstock would not have been possible without their humor, ideas, feedback, support, and last but not least: countless hours of work. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our friends for all their effort and support and wish them all the best!

Maltstock promo tour

Starting next week, at the International Whisky Festival in The Hague, the Maltstock organizers will commence their usual promo tour. Annette, Jeroen, Klaas and Stan, who have joined us in organizing Maltstock, will be present in The Hague and at various other occasions. They would really like to meet you!

Maltstock will (at least) be present at these great festivals:

– The International Whisky Festival (15-17 November, The Hague) -link–
– Whisky Weekend Amsterdam (17-18 January 2014, Amsterdam) -link-
– The Hielander whisky Festival (14 & 15 February 2014, Alkmaar) -link-
– International Malt Whisky Festival Gent (8-9 March, Ghent) -link-
– Whisky Festival Northern Netherlands (28-30 March, Groningen) -link-
– The Spirit of Speyside Festival (1-5 May, Speyside) -link-

We hope to see you at one of the above festivals or at least 5-7 September 2014 at Maltstock!

Annette, Bob, Jeroen, Klaas, Stan and Teun

www.maltstock.com

TOP PICKS 

• Cadenhead’s 20 Year Old “Creations” Batch #1 Blended Scotch Whisky 750ml ($99.99)
The first release of Mark Watt’s highly-anticipated small batch blend has arrived — a twenty year old, sherry-aged marriage of Bruichladdich and Mortlach single malts with the grain whiskies of Cameronbridge and Invergordon. The rich malty notes come instantly in the nose and burnt sugar and sherry spices are decadent on the first sip. The bits of toasted marshmallow and marzipan linger long on the finish. The grain component is definitely palatable, so the overall experience isn’t as supple as sherry-aged single malt would be, but the blending talent of Watt is on full display. It’s a seamless blend that really highlights the strengths of each whisky. There’s not much available, but we’re taking everything we can get. Cadenhead’s resources have yet to be fully tapped, in our opinion.

• Talisker Storm Limited Edition Isle of Skye Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($72.99)
The new American release of Talisker Storm is finally here — a non-age statement expression featuring a marriage of both young and old Talisker whiskies. Still bottled at the trademark 45.8% ABV, the fruit of the Talisker is front and center, with soft vanilla and malty goodness, but the finish is much more peaty than the other Talisker malts. That’s not to say smokier, but rather peatier — earthier, saltier, and more briny. The finish is surprisingly un-storm-like, making this whisky one of the more ironic releases of 2013, but that’s not to say it isn’t delicious. Fans of the distillery will be pleased with the extra punch, but those looking for sheer power should stick to Islay. The Storm is a punchier version of Talisker, but it’s a mere blip on the weather radar for big peat fans.

• Glenfiddich 18 year, Ancient Reserve Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($69.99)
Special Order Only! Special order items are not in stock and are dependent upon quantity available from distribution. All special orders are final and non-refundable. Will take 3-7 business days to receive this product before it can be shipped. Silver medal 2007 International Wine & Spirit Competition. The Glenfiddich 18 year old has a delightfully rich aroma reminisce of ripe orchard fruit, spiced apples and robust oakiness. The palate is luxurious and warming, with dried fruit, candied zest and dates buoyed by subtle Spanish Oloroso wood notes.

• Glengoyne 17 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $100) ($49.99)
90-95 points Wine Enthusiast: “A fat, fruity and malty initial aroma; after aeration the bouquet adds alluring nuances of apple crisp, sautéed butter, honey and Sherry. The palate entry is clean, grainy sweet, and slightly oaky; at midpalate the flavor deepens and adds notes of marzipan, nougat, candied apple and bacon fat. Concludes gracefully and balanced. ” (11/2005) Whisky Advocate: “Probably the most highly-regarded malt in the regular Glengoyne lineup, the 17 year old represents a direct progression from its younger siblings. According to the distillers, “The balance has artfully changed. A more concentrated palate of flavors has emerge…” Citrus and cedar notes on the slightly grassy nose, with a hint of plain chocolate. Medium in body, with more plain chocolate notes, plus raisins, orange, vanilla, and malt. Lengthy in the finish, with milky coffee, sherry, leather, and citrus spice. (Vol. 14, #1)” K&L Notes: *4 Stars* “Glengoyne distillery is about 15 miles north of Glasgow. Unlike most other single malts, Glengoyne has been preserving the essence of its flavor for decades by using air-dried barley rather than barley dried using harsh peat smoke. The result is a more subtle, complex whisky in which all of the delicate flavors are freely allowed to express themselves. Medium golden, clear and bright color, with aromas of soft, mellow oak and apple fruitiness. On the palate, vanilla, full oak and fruit with a very long finish.” (Spirits Journal)

NEW ARRIVALS

Canada – Bourbon and Rye
• Whistle Pig “Boss Hog” 12 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey 750ml (cannot ship) – 12 available ($149.99)

Ireland – Irish and Blended Scotch

• Tullamore Dew 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey 750ml – 1 available ($42.99)
• Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey 750ml – 5 available ($36.99)

BACK IN STOCK

• Laphroaig 25 year old Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($499.99)
• Laphroaig “Triple Wood” Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($64.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey Barrel Select 750ml – 3 available ($34.99)
• Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon 750ml (ships as 3L) – 3 available ($44.99)

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

The Vancouver December Outturn tasting is now open for registration!

Please join us as we enjoy seven wonderful single cask whiskies, including one from an iconic distillery we don’t see very often! This month also sees the release of the Canadian branch’s first 40 year old – just in time for Christmas!!

December Outturn Tasting

Wednesday, December 4th
7:00pm
$35 SMWS members/$45 non-members

Legacy Liquor Store
1633 Manitoba Street
Vancouver, BC
604-331-7900

Register here: http://ow.ly/qILy2

www.ralfy.com gets sherry-happy with Whisky Review 409 – GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 2