LAPHROAIG QA CASK 1 LITRE

Distillery LAPHROAIG
Strength 40%%
Bottle Size 1 Litre

World of Whiskies Price: £46.99

Tasting Notes
The colour of sparkling gold with a nose of burning peat fire with warm vanilla and hints of orange rose petals. Light bodies but with a palate of intense peat followed by ash from the fireplace with liquorice root and fresh black pepper leaving a clean palate with a hint of lingering peat smoke.

Charles
MacLean’s Tasting notes: Summer gold in colour. A spicy nose, with vanilla and seaweed, planed oak, iodine and tarred hessian rope – backed by peat smoke. The taste is very sweet to start, with traces of salt and vinegar, and tarry smoke in the finish.

Something old, something new

It’s rare for Scottish distilleries to use new rather than re-fill casks. So with Laphroaig QA Cask – a bottling exclusive to Duty Free stores – you’re in for an uncommonly fine treat. With ‘QA’ signifying for Quercus alba (white oak), the name acknowledges that this whisky has been re-racked from ex-Bourbon into fresh American oak casks for the final months of its maturation. As the active tannins and compounds in new wood can quickly dominate, the duration of this final part of the process is critical. But it’s one Laphroiag has perfected; adding an extra flavour dimension of vanilla and spice to their famously robust spirit.

Read Charles MacLean’s full article

www.ralfy.com discovers something wonderful in Whisky Review 392 – Elmer T Lee single barrel sour mash bourbon

BenRiach 1966 Vestige

BenRiach “Vestige” is a 46 year-old single malt Scotch whisky, distilled and filled to cask on the 21st of September, 1966.

When BenRiach became independent in 2004, we inherited a handful of casks from 1966 – the oldest stock in the distillery’s warehouses. By the end of 2012, just two of those casks remained, and Billy Walker has selected one of those casks, BenRiach 1966 cask # 2381, to be bottled as “Vestige”.

This whisky is ‘classic Speyside’ in style, and was matured in a traditional hogshead. It is bottled at cask strength (44.1% vol). After 46 years of maturation, the cask generated just 62 bottles, which will be sold worldwide. The UK retail price is £3999.99.

“Vestige” has been so named because it represents a moment in time, a small trace of something very special that, once lost, can never be replaced. The BenRiach 1966 cask # 2381 truly is a piece of the distillery’s history.

BenRiach 1966 Vestige

Jim Beam® Announces “Make History™” Global Brand Campaign

Deerfield, Ill. – September, 2013 – Beam Inc. (NYSE: BEAM) today announced the launch of Make History™, the first ever brand campaign for its flagship Jim Beam Bourbon to span all of the brand’s markets globally.  Make History™ is a multi-year, multi-media campaign that will launch in the fourth quarter and roll out in more than 100 markets around the world over the next nine months.

“As the world’s number one Bourbon whiskey, Jim Beam has been making history since 1795,” said Matt Shattock, president and CEO of Beam Inc., in remarks prepared for delivery today at the Barclays Capital Consumer Conference in Boston.  “We’re excited to announce today the launch of Make History™, the first truly global advertising campaign for Jim Beam.  This multi-year campaign reflects sharp global consumer insights, continued substantial investment in the growth momentum of our flagship brand, and our sustained commitment to the attractive and fast-growing Bourbon category around the world. Make History™ is a big brand idea that resonates with consumers across global markets.”

“Make History™ is a call to action to consumers to be inspired by the legacy of Jim Beam to go make some history of their own, be it a memorable night out with friends or putting their stamp on the world as they pursue their dreams,” said Kevin George, global chief marketing officer for Beam.  “Indeed, regardless of geography, every night is an opportunity to Make History™.  At its core, this campaign celebrates those who turn everyday moments into memorable stories – just like Jim Beam has been doing for generations.”

The global campaign will encompass the full line of premium Jim Beam products, including the flagship Jim Beam White, Jim Beam Black, Devil’s Cut, Jim Beam Honey and Red Stag by Jim Beam. For more information on Jim Beam, log on to www.jimbeam.com.

The campaign has been developed by Future Works, a consortium of three incumbent agencies that had worked on the Jim Beam account in various markets: Strawberry Frog (New York), The Works (Sydney) and Jung von Matt (Hamburg). Future Works was awarded the campaign after a global pitch conducted earlier this year.

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.  For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

SPECIALITY DRINKS LTD RELEASE GLENFARCLAS 1953 TO COMMEMORATE THE QUEEN’S CORONATION

Speciality Drinks Ltd will launch their latest bottling today.  A very special crystal decanter filled with a single cask 1953 vintage Glenfarclas Single Malt Whisky, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6th February 1952, and was proclaimed Queen shortly thereafter.  As tradition dictated that an appropriate period of mourning should be observed for the preceding sovereign, the coronation was held more than a year later on 2nd June 1953.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of this historic occasion, we are proud to introduce The Coronation Decanter. With just 60 specially commissioned crystal decanters being released, this is an exceptional, exclusive bottling that reflects the importance of The Queen’s Coronation.

The outstanding whisky has been matured in a single sherry butt at the distillery in Ballindalloch for almost six full decades and has been bottled at its natural strength.  Only the natural elements of air, wood and time have influenced the development of its magnificent flavour profile.

Connoisseurs of fine whisky will recognise the rarity of any single malt reaching such a  great age; for the whisky to still  be in such amazing condition is little short of miraculous.  This remarkable sherry cask has yielded a whisky of unsurpassed quality, with an exquisitely refined array of rich and complex flavours.  

Tasting notes: 

Nose  –  At first concentrated dark fruit, macadamia nuts and orange liqueur. Baked apples and raisins develop in the glass for a more subtle style of whisky, while shiitake mushrooms, autumn leaves and sandalwood add a wonderful savoury aspect. Spiced cake and dried fruit provide a balancing sweetness. 

Palate  –  An initial launch into clove studded oranges and mulled wine, with fragrant arabica coffee, dark chocolate and umami. The flavours then lighten and lead towards an explosion of fruit – ripe mango and guava are balanced by grapefruit and juicy mandarin. Behind this, gentle honey sweetness and barley sugar combine with ground nutmeg and cinnamon to give a complex and rounded body. Given time, tarragon and cedar wood compliment leafy mint and cooked blackberries. 

Finish  –  Soft orchard fruit and bread pudding linger on the palate, with touches of hazelnut, fresh mint and citrus juice leaving you ready for another sip.

Sukhinder Singh, Director of Speciality Drinks, says: “We are delighted to launch The Coronation Decanter to celebrate The Queen’s 60th regal anniversary.  This whisky really is exceptional, it reminds me of a citrus, spiced Christmas pudding. The depth and range of flavour in this whisky really is extremely rare for its age and has only been achieved on few occasions.  We have presented it in a beautiful crystal decanter that we had specially crafted solely for this one-off release.  As there are only 60 bottles being produced, this is not only a fantastic investment opportunity for the avid collectors and enthusiasts but more importantly, it is a Single Malt the connoisseurs from around the world will truly appreciate.”

The Coronation Decanter is available to buy exclusively from The Whisky Exchange (www.thewhiskyexchange.com) with an RRP of £6000.  It is not unjust to say that this is  extraordinary value for a Single Malt of such a great age.

Notes:

ABOUT SPECIALITY DRINKS LTD:

Speciality Drinks Ltd is the brainchild of Sukhinder and Raj Singh, two brothers with a passion for fine spirits and nearly fifty years of experience in the drinks business between them.  They went online in 1999 with the launch of The Whisky Exchange, a site which has grown to become the web’s No.1 specialist retailer of whisky & other fine spirits and liqueurs, with an enormous range of over 4000 products available online at any one time.  TWE’s philosophy has always been to offer the best range and service in online spirits retailing, and the company is constantly on the lookout for quality new spirits and liqueurs with genuine heritage to add to our range.

The company has diversified over the years, building up a thriving on-trade business supplying our top-quality products to an ever-increasing number of the UK’s finest hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and world-famous style bars.  One of the company’s strengths is the ability to cater to the needs of a very diverse client list, servicing all kinds of customers from international five-star hotel chains to small country pubs with the same expert knowledge, personal service and attention to detail.

Almost since its inception, SDL has been releasing exciting single malt whiskies to enthusiastic praise from the whisky world.  Beginning with one-off expressions from top-end distilleries, their expertise and rigorous cask selection is now channelled toward the creation of new products and ranges, all of which have gone on to win awards and critical acclaim.  These include the innovative Elements of Islay and Port Askaig brands, as well as the acclaimed Single Malts of Scotland series of independent bottlings, while the latest SDL product, Black Tot, is a luxury bottling of the last stocks of authentic Royal Navy Rum.

SPECIALTY DRINKS LTD – BRANDS:

Speciality Drinks have been bottling some of the finest whiskies on the UK market for several years, winning numerous awards at international spirits competitions.  The company releases a wide variety of different whiskies under our three proprietary labels: The Single Malts of Scotland, Elements of Islay and Port Askaig.  In 2010, Speciality Drinks added Black Tot Rum, the last consignment of British Royal Navy rum, to its portfolio. 

LNIKS:

www.specialitydrinks.com

www.thewhiskyexchange.com

With the festive season approaching fast, Whisky Magazine is the perfect medium to promote your brand or business to all those who enjoy drinking whisky.

Devoted exclusively to whisky and published eight times every year, Whisky Magazine brings you news, features, reviews and, of course, tastings of the very best malts, blends, bourbon and others whiskies.

The next two issues are no exception and being published in October and December 2013, are perfectly placed to capture the hugely important pre-Christmas market.

Editorial Features

 An advertisement in either (or both) of these editions will give you maximum exposure to a highly-targeted audience in the leading whisky consuming countries of the world.

  Issue No. 115

 Special Features

Whisky Travel: Islay, Jura & Campbeltown

Icons of Whisky North America results

Publication Date: 25th October

Copy deadline: 27th September

    Issue No.116

   Special Features

Whisky Travel -: Japan & Asia

Icons of Whisky Scotland Results

Independent Bottlers’ Challenge Results

Publication Date: 6th December

Copy deadline: 8th November

 To find out more about advertising contact

Joanne Robertson

Sales Manager

joanne@whiskymag.com

 Ben Williamson

Commercial Manager

ben@whiskymag.com

Whisky Magazine

Celebrating the whiskies of the world

www.whiskymag.com

Upcoming Whisky Tasting Highlights at Milroy’s of Soho

Auchentoshan Ambassador Night

Wednesday18th September 2013, 6.30pm Start

Auchentoshan (Aw-khen-tosh-an) is Gaelic for “corner of the field”: it is located at the foot of the Kilpatrick hills in West Dunbartonshire. Auchentoshan is unusual for a Scottish distillery in that it employs triple distillation, lending it exceptional purity and lightness, so that it is sometimes called ‘the Breakfast whisky’. Join us as we peruse a delicious range of expressions of this most elegant whisky.

£20.00

All tastings take place at our tasting cellar:

Milroys of Soho,

W1D 4NX

GlenDronach Batch 8 / BenRiach Batch 10

GlenDronach Batch 8 and BenRiach Batch 10 were both released in July.

GlenDronch batch 8 was bottled in May and includes traditional, rich sherry matured vintages ranging from 1971 to 2002. Full list of casks and details can be found on our website.

BenRiach batch 10 was bottled in June and includes a variety of casks from traditional hogsheads to sherry puncheons and virigin american oak hogsheads. Full list with details can be found on our website.

LAGAVULIN DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF THIS YEAR’S SPECIAL BOTTLING FOR THE LAGAVULIN ISLAY JAZZ FESTIVAL

by Pat Roberts

A special limited-edition bottling of Lagavulin™ single malt Scotch whisky will again be available at this year’s Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival ( #LagavulinJazz ), which starts on Friday 13 September with a concert in the Malt Mill at Lagavulin distillery by the master of American Stride piano, Stephanie Trick.

The third in this series of releases, the 2013 bottling comes in an edition of 1,500 individually numbered bottles and drawn from hand-selected Sherry Butts filled on 19 January 1995. It is bottled at an ABV of 51.9%.

“We’re delighted to announce our third Jazz Festival bottling” said Nick Morgan, Diageo’s Head of Whisky Outreach. “The first two have been of quite exceptional quality, and this year we’ve increased the quantity to ensure that it can be enjoyed by visitors who come from all over the world to enjoy the Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival, and those who follow.”

The neck labelling continues the jazz theme of previous editions, again featuring a piano keyboard.

Bottles will be available to personal visitors only at Lagavulin distillery (limit of two bottles per customer) at a UK RRSP of £99.

The Islay Jazz Festival

The Festival is promoted by specialist jazz promoters, Jazz Scotland, and The Islay Arts Association, and receives funding from Argyll and Bute Council and Creative Scotland.

The Festival has been running since 1999. Since then the Festival has promoted musicians from over 25 countries and presented fifteen world premieres and is today regarded as a significant jazz event in the UK calendar.

Programme details can be seen on the Islay Jazz Festival website www.islayjazzfestival.co.uk. The events of the Festival are spread over three days and many venues on Islay.

Diageo’s famous Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Lagavulin™ first sponsored the Festival in 2010.

About Diageo

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Windsor, Buchanan’s and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.

For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com .

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

The LAGAVULIN word and associated logos are trade marks. © Diageo 2013

Japan – Single Malt Scotch

•Nikka 17 Year Old Taketsuru Pure Malt Japanese Whisky 750ml ($139.99)
•Nikka 21 Year Old Taketsuru Pure Malt Japanese Whisky 750ml ($169.99)
•Nikka Coffey Still Grain Whisky Japanese Whisky 750ml ($62.99)
•Nikka Miyagikyo 12 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky 750ml ($109.99)

•1998 Arran 14 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky ($99.99)
Our first attempt to visit the lone distillery on Scotland’s Isle of Arran was disastrous – a gigantic blizzard blew through the south of Scotland, completely shutting down the available ferry system and knocking out power for the entire island. Despite our desire to finally see one of the true up-and-comers of the Scotch industry, we were simply out of luck this year. That didn’t mean we couldn’t taste through casks, however. Luckily for us, the Arran rep was stationed at Glasgow when the storm hit and had samples pulled in anticipation of our appointment. We met up with her shortly after the storm and immediately fell in love with an ex-sherry hogshead that was as complex and delicious as anything we had ever tasted from the young distillery. The nose is all golden grains, brandied fruit, and malty goodness. The palate has a short burst of bright fruit before settling down into faint sherry and sweet barley. At cask strength the alcohol makes these flavors even more powerful, but water doesn’t hinder them in any way. Arran is easily the MIP of the malt industry – the most improved player. Recent releases have been top notch, especially for a producer that began in 1996. We have no doubt that this wonderful cask will make believers out of K&L customers as well. The richness of the finish lingers on forever, reminding for minutes how legit this whisky is. Of course, we knew that going in. That’s why we were willing to brave the blizzard. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

Scotland – Blended Scotch

• Compass Box Delilah’s Special Edition Blended Whisky 750ml ($69.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Glenfarclas 40 year old, Distillery Bottling 750ml – 6  available ($469.99)

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