The Relaxed Whisky Weekend

6 – 8 September 2013

A note from our friends at Maltstock

Fellow whisky enthusiasts,

Just slightly more than one more week to go, and it’s Maltstock time again! We’re all really looking forward to it. It promises to be a fantastic weekend again. And (touch wood) even the weather just might be OK! -click- We have a record number of 12 very interesting masterclasses for you. There will be music and entertainment (Gordon Scott and Scotch and Folk) and excellent food! Of course there’s the brilliant BBQGuru team and The Highlander Inn will make you the best Scottish breakfast. And on Saturday afternoon there will a delicious selection of food to match whisky in our Whisky and Food Pairing.

Masterclasses
We are very proud to be hosting a record number of 12 different free masterclasses this year. (in random order: Amrut, Suntory, the Glenrothes, the Balvenie, Tamdu, the Whisky Shop Dufftown,  Specialty drinks/ the Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, Highland Park, Hans Offringa, Benriach/ Glendronach and Cadenhead) All our guests have chosen their favorites by now. Everybody will be able to attend their number one masterclass and one or two more! Besides the more traditional mastrclasses there will be a big masterclass during the campfire in which everybody can take part (see below) and a very special private masterclass for the winners of the Whiskyquiz featuring Hans Offringa.

Whiskyquiz
The Whisky Shop Dufftown team has been working hard to create a challenging and fun whisky quiz for the forthcoming Maltstock. It will be quick, funny and very, very annoying! And since it is a whiskyquiz after all, and not the “-who is best at searching for whisky facts on the internet or in their personal mobile library- challenge”, this year internet and books will not be allowed… :p

Guinness & Grolsch
This year we’ll have two kinds of beer in stock at our bar. Guinness and Grolsch. Of course all drinks are included in your ticket price, so all teas, coffees, softdrinks, water and beers are available with our bar staff during Maltstock.

Campfire (weather providing)
The 2013 Maltstock campfire will be a very special one. Entertainment by Maltstock veteran Jock Shaw (Scotch and Folk) and the first ever campfire masterclass by Donald MacLellan (Benriach/ Glendronach).

Raffle
The whiskyquiz isn’t the only opportunity to win some great prizes. There’s also a big raffle. We would like to thank all who contributed this year.

Ardbeg Gallileo
Next week, just before Maltstock, the winner of the Maltstock Ardbeg Monthly Prizedraw, grand prize, the Bottle of Ardbeg Gallileo will be drawn. So… any plans to still come and visit us? There are no beds available anymore but there is a camping nearby. Be sure to buy your ticket up front, there are no tickets available at the Maltstock entrance.

Maltstock 2014 tickets at a discount
Starting Friday September 6th, tickets will be available for Maltstock 2014. If you buy your 2014 tickets before midnight Sunday the 8th of September they’re available at the old price of just € 195,-. After midnight they will be € 225,- (or € 195,- if you arrange your own accommodation, like camping) The sixth edition of Maltstock (next year) will be held from 5 – 7 September 2014.

To all of our guests this year: we will send you an E-mail next week with all the latest information and with your masterclass schedule.

We are looking forward to meeting you all and enjoy a relaxing weekend!

Arthur, Bob, Rogier & Teun
www.maltstock.com

THE MACALLAN 1824 SERIES Rise to the occasion

The Macallan is known worldwide for innovation – a defining characteristic that sets this distillery apart. Innovation is the driving force behind the distillery’s latest creation, The Macallan 1824 Series. A sophisticated collection of four unique expressions – Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby – that will redefine the way Scotch whisky is evaluated. The 1824 Series brings together natural colour and exceptional sherry seasoned casks – two of The Macallan’s “Six Pillars,” the starting points from which The Macallan is crafted. Together these traits create a signature character, embracing all of the defining elements that make The Macallan one of the world’s truly great single malt whiskies.

A tasting of the new Macallan 1824 Range:

Gold, Amber and Sienna. 

Date:  Saturday, September 7th

Time:  1:30 to 4:30 pm

“We are fortunate to have Dan Volway, Western Canada Brand Ambassador for Macallan, Highland Park and Famous Grouse on hand to discuss the new line up.  I look forward to seeing you on the 7th!” 

Deborah (250) 391-2811

Product Consultant

Victoria Westshore (BCLDB) British Columbia

Lagavulin Presents Islay Jazz in London!

As you may already be aware, each year since 1999 there has been a festival of jazz in Islay.  This is not to be confused with the annual Feis Ile, aka the Islay Festival of Music & Malt.  The Islay Jazz … Continue reading >>

WHISKY TASTINGS

at The Kilderkin, 65/67 Canongate, Royal Mile, 7.30pm, 07757434694

P/O/U/R/S Thursday 12.09.13 £20/17* five drams including:-

Glen Spey 17yo 46%

Duthies Campbeltown blended malt 46%

Caperdonich 35yo 1977 – 07/13 sherry butt 384 bottles 50.2%

Caol Ila 22yo 1991 – 07/13 Bourbon hogshead 252 bottles 53.1%

P/O/U/R/S Thursday 26.09.13 £20/17* five drams including:-

Littlemill 36yo 1977 – 07/13 Bourbon hogshead 150 bottles 40.2%

Caol Ila 22yo 1991 – 07/13 Bourbon hogshead 276 bottles 54.1%

P/O/U/R/S Thursday 10.10.13 £20/17* five drams including:-

Convalmore 36yo 1977 – 07/13 Bourbon hgshd 288 bottles 58.2%

Ardbeg Ardbog 52.1%

P/O/U/R/S Thursday 24.10.13 £20/17* five drams including:-

Benrinnes 25yo

Longrow Red

P/O/U/R/S Thursday 07.11.13 £20/17*

P/O/U/R/S Thursday 21.11.13 £20/17*

P/O/U/R/S Thursday 05.12.13 £20/17*

P/O/U/R/S Thursday 19.12.13 £20/17*

P/O/U/R/S = Peaty, Old, Unusual, Rare, Sherry cask

*£3 off for first timers & members, membership = £10 for 13 months. Entry by pre-paid ticket only

www.jollytopertastings.co.uk

www.ralfy.com takes a trip to Kentucky U.S.A. with Whisky Review 388 – Four Roses Single barrel Bourbon

Whisky Innovators Team Up to Unveil DELILAH’S Limited Edition whisky to
Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Legendary Chicago Punk Rock Whisky Bar
Unique Style of Compass Box Whisky is created; a Shot and a Beer, Please!

“Everyone who comes to Delilah’s knows you can drink your whisky any way you like. It’s a mutual perspective John Glaser and I share that inspired our collaboration,” said Mike Miller, owner of Delilah’s. I have a deep appreciation and respect for John’s philosophy and talents and am honored to mark twenty years of combining great music and great whiskies with a Compass Box whisky blended uniquely for us and our community.”

– Mike Miller, Owner of Delilah’s

Through a shared vision that a great whisky should be enjoyable to all, boutique Scotch whiskymaker and craft blender, Compass Box Whisky Co., and Delilah’s, Chicago’s legendary punk rock bar have collaborated to create DELILAH’S – a limited edition Compass Box whisky to celebrate the bar’s 20thanniversary. Only 6,000 bottles of this eponymous craft Scotch whisky will be available in select markets worldwide – 4,800 of them in the US – following its debut in Delilah’s bar in Chicago on 29th August 2013.

DELILAH’s is a combination of single malt and single grain whiskies aged in a mix of experimental new American oak barrels which give the whisky a delicious sweetness. Bottled at 40%, DELILAH’S has an intense richness yet is subtly complex with honeyed and seductive fruity notes and hints of cereals and vanilla cream.

“Mike wanted a Scotch whisky that, in his words, ‘thinks it’s a Bourbon,’ so we sourced some single malts aged in new American oak hogsheads, something that’s very hard to find in Scotland,” said John Glaser, Compass Box founder and whiskymaker.“The result is a Scotch with a big, luscious vanilla-oak character that has echoes of Bourbon flavor. This makes it dangerously easy to drink neat and perfect served as a shot with a beer—the way a lot of whisky is enjoyed at Delilah’s!”- John Glaser, Compass Box founder and whiskymaker Just as this commemorative whisky is a twist on more traditional Scotch, so Compass Box has used it to create a twist on the Mint Julep, the perfect refreshing way to celebrate summer and Delilah’s anniversary:

Delilah’s Julep
2 oz Delilah’s whisky
1/3 oz honey syrup
10 mint leaves,
Crushed ice
Fill glass with crushed ice, add whisky and syrup. Rub mint leaves around rim of glass before mixing in.

Delilah’s Anniversary Day – Thursday, August 29th, 2013 #DelilahsWhisky

In the spirit of Mike Miller and with the support of their local communities, a celebration dubbed “Delilah’s Day” will take place on August 29th at Delilah’s, unveiling its eponymous Scotch whisky along with artwork by eight local artists who have each created a one-of-a-kind piece inspired by their personal connections with Delilah’s. Their works will be on display at the bar through Thursday, 3rd October.

The evening would be incomplete without the music that made Delilah’s known as one of the best rock bars in Chicago and beyond. DJ and bar owner Casino El Camino from Austin, TX, a longtime friend and inspiration for Miller and his own bar, will be spinning throughout the night. Other DJs will include Jump Up! Records’ Ska, Reggae DJ Chuck Wren, and a visit from Fisto the Clown.

In addition to being served at the iconic bar itself, DELILAH’S will be available from 30th August for approximately £52 (70cl) at fine spirits shops in selected markets worldwide, but especially the USA. For more information on DELILAH’s, visit www.compassboxwhisky.com and www.delilahschicago.com
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ABOUT JOHN GLASER – American ex-pat John Glaser started Compass Box Whisky Company from the kitchen of his west London home in 2000. Having started his career on a path to become a winemaker, then re-routing himself through the corporate world and ending up as marketing director for Johnnie Walker in London, Glaser has a unique perspective on both the creation and the marketing of Scotch.

Glaser established Compass Box based on his commitment to evolving practices in the industry to make great Scotch whisky more approachable and relevant to more people. From the beginning, his vision has been to create one of Scotland’s finest and most exciting whisky companies, re-establishing the standards for quality and style in the industry.

ABOUT COMPASS BOX (www.compassboxwhisky.com) – The Compass Box Whisky Company is a boutique Scotch whiskymaker and craft blender, started in 2000 by John Glaser. Compass Box produces and bottles a range of Scotch whiskies, available in over 25 countries around the world. A four-time winner of the Whisky Magazine Innovator of the Year award, Compass Box is known throughout the whisky world for quality, innovation and passion for great whisky. The Compass Box signature range of whiskies includes Asyla, Oak Cross, The Peat Monster, The Spice Tree and Hedonism. They also produce limited release whiskies annually, and Orangerie, a Scotch whisky infusion. Their latest creation is a ground breaking range of Blended Scotch whiskies called Great King Street. The first is called Artist’s Blend.

ABOUT MIKE MILLER – Mike Miller has been theowner and operator of Delilah’s in Chicago since 1993. Writer, designer, film maker, teacher, spirits judge and world traveler, Mike let’s his interests and discoveries guide him and his business decisions – determined to offer to the world his vision of fun by bringing different elements of life and art together to create an ever-evolving canvas. Miller also plays pinball at and operates Bottom Lounge, a live music venue he opened in 2008 in Chicago’s West Loop.

ABOUT DELILAH’S (www.delilahschicago.com) – Delilah’s has been Chicago’s premiere cavern tavern since it opened in 1993. Delilah’s is open every night of the year and features nightly Rock and Roll DJs, local art exhibitions, film screenings and a world class selection of beer and spirits – including more than 600 whiskies! Delilah’s has been recognised internationally for its selection of whiskies, its juke box, its special custom whisky releases and for its overall atmosphere. Voted Esquire’s ‘Best Dark Bar in America!’ British beer and whisky writer Michael Jackson said “Delilah’s is the most important bar in America.”

Discover Pulteney Distillery

The home of Old Pulteney lies a long way north, but for connoisseurs of the Maritime Malt, there’s nowhere more rewarding when it comes to sampling this wonderful whisky than our historic Wick distillery. Here you’ll find yourself captivated by a location which has for nearly two centuries embodied the essence of the town’s heritage, its enduring association with the sea and its people – and a distillery tour will bring to life a dram of our award-winning single malt in a way that will linger long in the memory. Also featuring a fantastic visitor centre and Old Pulteney shop, a trip to Pulteney Distillery will reward all those who travel to this very special part of Scotland. Click here to find out more about the Pulteney Distillery.

Glen Grant 25 Year (Pre-Prohibition US bottling) Single Malt Whisky – 1 available ($7,999.99)
This little piece of history is one of a kind. It is very unusual to see pre-prohibition Single Malt as most product at the time was shipped and consumed directly from the barrel. However, certain industrious importers were known to bottle small amounts of very special whisky for various reasons. This may be the last time I expect to see anything like this available. This is a merchant bottling, imported and bottled by Morten & Co. Usually we use the address on the bottle to help date the contents, as Morten has two confirmed places of business and we know when they moved. This particular specimen has absolutely no business address (save it’s state of import New York), so we assume the bottle was filled quite early, say before 1906. The glass manufacturer, an England based company, operated continuously between 1870 and the early 1900s. Hence, we can deduce that this bottle was most likely filled sometime before 1906 and after 1870. That means is was dist illed only 25-30 years after the distillery was founded. Please note that the word “whiskey” is spelled incorrectly and has no baring to the bottles provenance, as merchants regularly bottled Scotch under both spellings. The label is faded, but legible. The bottle is absolutely one of a kind. (David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer)

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 new Southern Comfort commercial called “Karate” which will begin airing in the US at the beginning of September. The new spot is a follow up to the “Shampoo” spot which debuted a few weeks ago. Here is a link to the new Karate spot:

THE VIDEO

Some interesting things to point out about the spot:

– For the “Whatever’s Comfortable” campaign, we were/are casting for people that naturally embody the Whatever’s Comfortable attitude. The character in the launch spot (“Beach”) was an example of that. The character getting his hair washed in “Shampoo” is also a great example of that, which is further revealed in “Karate”. The actor was chosen for the role after the creatives at Wieden + Kennedy saw his casting tape, in which it was clear that he naturally embodies the Whatever’s Comfortable attitude. Based on that casting tape (in which he did karate) the director (Tim Godsall) and the creative team wrote a second script based on who he naturally was.

– The actor is actually skilled in the martial arts and owns a handful of dojos.

– The director was Tim Godsall, who has directed all the Southern Comfort spots in the campaign.

– The song is called “I’m a Fool to Care” by Les Paul & Mary Ford.