Federal Wines & Spirits

Tuesday, March 18th, 2014

Gordon & MacPhail Single Malt Tasting
with Gary Keimach
Thursday, March 20th 2014
4:30 P.M. or 6:00 P.M.

We’ll have all the scotches below at both sessions. Pick the one that works best for you, but as tasting regulars know, space is limited so please be prompt. We will let people in 10 minutes before each tasting.

Benromach:
Benromach 10YO

Gordon and Macphail:
Glenturret 11YO
Mortladch 11YO Cask Strength
Mortlach 15YO
Mortlach 21YO
Caol Ila 10YO Cask Strength

We will also have some Glencairn scotch tasting glasses on sale.

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits
________________________________________
Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/

UK vlogger Joe Ellis from Whisky Wednesday reviews Crown Royal Canadian Whisky. 

http://youtu.be/FbN4NPRqveM 

http://Facebook.com/whiskytube 

http://Twitter.com/whiskytube

Margaret wins global PR account for William Grant & Sons Innovation brands

London based creative agency Margaret has strengthened its food and drink division with a new account win for the retained Global PR for the William Grant & Sons Innovation portfolio.

Margaret will be responsible for helping to develop outstanding creative ideas that will build the portfolio in global markets. The brands include Reyka vodka, Solerno liqueur, Hudson whiskey, Milagro tequila and new whisky portfolio including Girvan Patent Still, Gordon Highlanders, Kininvie and Rare Cask reserves.

The account, which was won in a three-way pitch, will be headed-up by Agency Director Olly Dixon and PR Director Lucy Stanfield.

Olly said, “We’re thrilled to be working with the Innovation team and to be part of the William Grant & Sons extended family. We thrive on developing memorable, creative campaigns and the Innovation portfolio is already proving to be full of rich stories and inspiration. It is a great opportunity for us to create ideas and communication strategies for a global portfolio with a focus on nurturing brands to realise their full potential”

Damien Heary, Planning & Innovation Director at William Grant & Sons commented, “Fundamental to any new innovation from William Grant & Sons is combining incredible liquids with ideas that are exciting, compelling & highly different. Whether that’s creating a new category in aged Single Grain whisky like we have done with the Girvan Patent Still, delivering small batch craft to the vodka category with our premium craft Icelandic Vodka REYKA, or launching our most reclusive treasure – Kininvie Single Malt whisky – to malt enthusiasts in Taiwan. We seek to bring this philosophy to life not only in the creation of these brands but in the way we bring them to life for consumers and that was the central attribute we were looking for when we chose MARGARET as our Global PR partner.”

Margaret was set-up by three friends Katy Louis (Ex Dazed & Confused), Emma Pettit (Ex Institute of Contemporary Arts) and Olly Dixon (Ex music promoter and producer). Now in its 7th year, it is based in London Fields, Hackney and covers creative campaigns for PR, marketing, events and social media for brands, venues, film distributors and festivals, music events, contemporary arts and photography and cultural institutions. 

The Famous Grouse Experience

presents

The Famous Feastival

The Famous Feastival, on Sunday 25th May, is a celebration of food, whisky, chocolate and music, held at Scotland’s Oldest whisky distillery, The Glenturret, at The Famous Grouse Experience in Crieff. This year’s feastival is delighted to be working with world renowned British chef Tom Kitchin.

Choose from a delicious selection of VIP Events, including lunch with Tom Kitchin, a tantalising array of public events, including chocolate and whisky tasting sessions, and don’t forget a tour around the Distillery.

From Whisky Kiss to Whisky Baba, it’s a feast for all five of your senses.

VIP tickets go on sale today and are sure to be popular for whisky lovers, chocoholics and foodies alike. So don’t delay and book today!

BOOK YOUR TICKETS TODAY

With the excitement surrounding whiskey at an all-time high, we’re constantly inundated with questions about the next big thing. Single malt whisky fans are constantly searching for the next great cask. Bourbon fans continue to hunt liquor stores from coast to coast in search of the elusive Pappy Van Winkle. However, the next big thing for whiskey fans just hit American soil this week and the anticipation has been building for some time. The next big thing for whiskey drinkers isn’t a single malt or an American whiskey, but rather a pot-distilled Irish masterpiece. For the last few years we’ve been fielding numerous phone calls and emails from customers who have heard about, read about, or tasted something called Green Spot — a traditional Irish whiskey that’s acquired a cult-like following abroad. We’re now happy to report that, after years of saying “we’re sorry, but that whiskey isn’t available in the United States,” Green Spot has finally landed in California, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s going to take American by storm and it’s going to sell very, very fast.

Green Spot Single Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey 750ml ($44.99)

The elusive Green Spot Whiskey is finally here. This legendary whiskey is partly responsible for the resurgence in popularity of pure pot still whiskey, the traditional Irish method of whiskey production. Green Spot began as the house brand for a Dublin wine merchant Mitchell & Sons. After consolidation of the Irish Whiskey market, Mitchell & Sons negotiated an agreement to be provided a small quantity of whiskey to support the brand. The current blend consists of 8-9 year old whiskey of which 25% is aged in sherry casks. Fewer than 1,000 cases are produced a year.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 17, 2014

Green Spot has been the holy grail of Irish Whiskey since my start in this business nearly 10 years ago. I remember a famous restaurant in Los Angeles used to display a bottle on the bar (smuggled illegally) but refuse to pour it unless you owned the place. When I finally convinced them to let me taste, I finally understood why everybody made such a big deal out of it. The legacy of the prominent Dublin wine merchant, Mitchell & Sons, who’d matured and bottled those original stocks of sherry cask pure pot still whisky, is solidly considered one of the world’s great whisky. Today it’s aged at Midleton to a specific recipe, from one of the distillery’s 3 pure pot still recipe. This is not a smack you in the mouth powerful whiskey like the red breast cask strength. Instead it’s supple and soft and drinks like a dream. This is probably why Irish Whiskey was the best selling whisky before prohibi tion and they responded to the popularity of blended scotch with consolidation and the creation of blended Irish, a style Irish distillers had resisted until the 1970s. We bought all we could get and have no clue when we’ll be getting more.

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 issue of Whisky Magazine, published 5^th June 2014 is truly global. We take a look at whiskies being produced in countries around the world aside from Scotland, Kentucky, Ireland and Japan, with a particular review of whisky being produced in France.  For our readers looking to visit Kentucky, we follow the Urban Bourbon Trail to discover the distilleries to visit.  Blair and Gavin also report on their Whisky Adventure in New Orleans. 

In July, the issue reports from Canada looking at the new directions in Canadian whisky, with the profiles of five top Canadian whiskies, together with a Drinkers Guide to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  This issue also includes a review of the beautiful Scottish islands, Islay and Jura, reviewing the whiskies produced in this region and including a guide on where to stay and where to visit. With this edition of Whisky Magazine our readers will also find an informative book outlining the Whisky Bars of the World

Issue No.119

Special Features

Whisky Travel: New Orleans, Kentucky and  The Urban Bourbon Trail

Special Features: World Whiskies

Publication Date 5th June

Copy  Deadline: 28^th March 

Issue No.120 

Special Features

Canadian Whiskies

Whisky Travel: Islay and Jura

Whisky Bars of the World supplement

Publication Date: 25^th July

Copy Deadline: 9^th May

 whiskymag.com

SelectScotchWhisky.com reviews Gordon & Macphail bottling of Old Pulteney 16YO 

After a long hiatus of interrupted sleep and changing countless nappy’s finally another review from select scotch whisky.

Have a squiz HERE  

THE GLORIOUS RAMMY RETURNS TO LEAD HOMECOMING SCOTLAND’S WHISKY MONTH

The Edinburgh Whisky Stramash is returning to Scotland’s capital in May to lead a programme of events as part of Homecoming Scotland’s Whisky Month. 

Celebrating Scotland’s national drink, the two-day experiential event, which takes place on 24^th and 25^th May, will once again take over the famous Surgeon’s Hall in the heart of the city’s historic Old Town. 

Designed to appeal to consumers with an appetite for adventure, as well as whisky purists open to intrigue, Whisky Stramash will bring whisky inspired fun and frivolity to Edinburgh, with high-jinx character and thought-provoking activities.  Big name brands including The Dalmore, Isle of Jura, Dewars  and Glenfiddich, as well as small independents within the industry, are already signed up to showcase their whiskies in their own inimitable style. 

Not your average whisky event, the Whisky Stramash has attracted over 4,000 whisky lovers from across the globe since its launch in 2012, and is devoted to bringing whisky to the masses in its own unconventional way.  It showcases new ways to enjoy whisky with madcap molecular mixology stations as well as bring famous whisky brands to life with immersive and interactive experiences.  

Scott Martin, founding partner, Whisky Stramash commented:

“Whisky is a core part of our Scottish heritage that has been enjoyed for hundreds of years and we are privileged to have been selected to lead the celebrations throughout Scotland this year.  What started out as a boutique event organised by myself and Darroch Ramsay has very quickly grown into a world-class celebration of our national drink, with a whole month of events now devoted to it. 

“We are working closely this year with some exciting whisky brands to ensure this year’s event will be our best yet, with plenty of imagination, ridiculous secrecy, and our signature modern take on good old fashioned fun, bringing whisky into the modern-day world.” 

Tickets are on sale now from Ticketsoup. Ticket prices are £26 per person. 

Event session times: 12:00, 17:00
Price: £26.00
Event Tel: 0844 481 8898 

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Established in 2012, The Whisky Stramash is organised by founding partners Darroch Ramsay and Scott Martin
• In 2013 the event attracted 2,400 attendees over two days (Male 60% / Female 40%)
• Since it was founded in 2012, the event has attracted visitors from all over the world including Iceland
• The male average age was 36 years, and female 34 years

www.ralfy.com turns to the green side for St Patricks Day with Whisky Review 439 – Redbreast 15yo Whiskey @ 46%vol:

The North American Whisky Dinner Tuesday March 25th 

On Tuesday, March 25th, we will be hosting another whisky pairing dinner. This time around we have Brown-Forman’s Western Canada Brand Ambassador for dinner, Ryan Cheverie. Brown-Forman is one of the worlds leading whiskey producers. Ryan represents such iconic whiskey brands as Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels and Collingwood. Ryan spends his time conducting whiskey master classes throughout western Canada and can be found at all of our whisky festivals.

We will be challenging our kitchen team to once again pair 5 whiskies with 5 dishes. The team is talented and the whiskies exceptional so join us to see how it all works out. A bit southern perhaps?

Join us on Tuesday March 25th at 7pm for a great evening of whiskey and food with Ryan Cheverie down at The Kitchen.

Please make arrangements for a safe ride home! 

The cost for this event is only $60 + gst and gratuity and is open to only 25 people! click here to register