I’m quite glad to see March come to a close. It’s been a busy month with a total of nineteen evening events, forty whiskies to judge for the Spirit of Scotland festival, twenty whiskies to review for Whisky Magazine and writing my first piece for The List.

The month started with an amazing collaboration between The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Seafood Scotland and chef, Mark Greenaway. Mark created an imaginative menu presenting some of our finest seafood in imaginative ways not seen before. My task was to pair the dishes with the unique single cask bottlings from the Society. Because the tasting notes are so descriptive, finding aromas and flavours that will bring something to the party is made easier. Armed with wee samples bottles I set about nosing and tasting with Mark and the results were some of the best I’ve tried.

The event was a great success with bloggers and journalists able to mingle with all of the parties present, the highlight for me was to meet the characterful Jimmy Buchan of BBC’s Trawlermen fame.

I also had the opportunity to visit some wonderful venues this month including a night at Archerfield House in East Lothian, Harburn House for a fiftieth birthday party for twin brothers, then to Drumlanrig Castle for the Duke of Buccleuch. Six Nations was the theme for the Traveleads party on the weekend of the 15th March with all six countries featuring – some artistic license used!

At Whisky Live in London Robin Tuke of Hardiesmill Farm and I teamed up to experiment with food pairings. Robin and Alison Tuke produce 100% Aberdeen Angus beef and manage to spare time to smoke and cure a range called Tombuie. They also smoke a cheddar cheese and the nuances of flavour work brilliantly with a range of whiskies.

A good way to end a good week. It was also announced at the show that I am to be working more closely with the team at Whisky Magazine, my new title is Contributing Editor for Scotland. I’m thrilled to be covering events and reporting back to the magazine.

And finally I’m delighted to be working with the new Isle of Harris distillery. This is a project that is close to my heart and I am happy to say that you can be one of the very first to invest in this, the first social distillery. The distillery is being built to support long term employment and investment of this special island. If you are interested in owning an exclusive part of it you can be one of two hundred to purchase a cask. I have!

Please get in touch and visit the website and I look forward to hearing from you.

Annabel

The Whisky Belle
www.thewhiskybelle.com

Distilleries Celebrate Drams As They Open Their Doors At Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festival

Many glasses will be raised to Scotland’s famous whisky region when the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival kicks off next month – and some of the toasts will take place in venues which are opening their doors to the festival for the first time.

Many of the most popular activities taking place during the festival from May 1 to 5 are tours and distillery tastings, and some of the hottest tickets are for venues which are not usually open to the public.

James Campbell, chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says, “Distillery tours are always quick to sell, but demand has been particularly high this year. We have even more distilleries taking part in the festival in 2014, which probably reflects the increase in production that we have seen on Speyside in recent times.

“For some venues it will be the first time that they have taken part in the Festival – indeed some of them have never even opened to the public before – so naturally visitors want to be the first to see what’s inside and learn about what’s made there.

“It’s great that so many distilleries are going beyond offering a standard tour. They have put together some excellent events which will give visitors access to key people involved in creating the spirit, and are offering the tours to small groups so there will be the feeling of it being a very exclusive event.”

Glen Keith, which reopened in June 2013 following an extensive refurbishment, will be offering manager’s tours and tastings as it invites the public to view the results of its modern revamp. Manager Graeme Cruickshank will also be inviting visitors to try Glen Keith’s single malt.

Roseisle, Speyside’s newest distillery, will be opening its doors for the first time and exclusively during the festival. In a rare opportunity to step inside the distillery – the first one built by Diageo in over 30 years – guests will be guided by the manager who will share its story. The in-depth tour will end with the chance to sample a range of whiskies from the Diageo portfolio.

Tormore Distillery will also be welcoming visitors, and they will have the chance to sample its recently launched Tormore 14 Year Old and Tormore 16 Year Old Non Chill Filtered single malt. There will be an opportunity to venture on a tour with Tormore’s manager Neal Corbett: he will share the story of the the distillery, which was one of the first built on Speyside after WWII.

Tamdhu, which featured at last year’s festival for the first time, is set to return this year for one day only with VIP tours of the distillery on offer. Distillery workers will conduct guided show rounds, providing visitors with a slice of their knowledge from Tamdhu’s birth in 1897 to its current day practices. Visitors will have a chance to go behind the scenes of the distilling process before they try a dram for themselves, with sample from a handpicked single cask.

Glenburgie Distillery will also be offering touring and tasting sessions. The distillery which was founded in 1810 under a different name and became known as Glenburgie in 1878, will provide visitors with an insight into the distillery’s history before allowing them to experience the site including the barley, distillery and the warehouse. The event will round off with a tasting of the distillery’s famous whiskies in the Old Custom’s House which includes an extra special dram.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is a key event in Scotland’s Homecoming 2014 calendar, and will start Whisky Month – a four week national celebration of Scotland’s world class food and drink. Tickets for all events in the 2014 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme can be bought via the website – www.spiritofspeyside.com The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter. The website also offers an abundance of accommodation options in the area.

Notes

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs from Thursday, 1 May – Monday, 5 May 2014.  Check out www.spiritofspeyside.com for up-to-date news and follow the Festival at www.facebook.com/WhiskyFestival or www.twitter.com/spirit_speyside  

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from EventScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners

EventScotland: EventScotland is the national events agency. EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, visit http://www.eventscotland.org/

Year of Homecoming Scotland

Scotland will welcome the world in the Year of Homecoming 2014- providing a year-long programme of events alongside the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games. The Year of Homecoming Scotland will run from 31 December 2013 to 31 December 2014 throughout the length and breadth of the country.  Visitors from around the world are invited to join in a celebration of the nation’s food and drink, active pursuits, cultural heritage, nature and ancestral heritage.

Homecoming Scotland 2014 is a Scottish Government initiative being led by EventScotland and VisitScotland, supported by numerous partners. To find out more visit www.homecomingscotland.com

ARE YOU YOUR SELFIE?
WHAT YOUR PROFILE PICTURE REALLY SAYS
ABOUT YOU (ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET) 28th MARCH 2014

Does this person enjoy creating chaos, gossip, sweet harmony or conspiracy theories? These are some of the questions that Ballantine’s, the world’s No. 2 Scotch whisky brand, is asking people around the world, with the launch of a new website that allows individuals to see what the images they share of themselves online says about them to others.

“Are You Your Selfie?” asks curious fans to upload their own selfies, with anonymous others then giving their opinion about who the subject of the picture really is by answering a number of light-hearted, set questions. As soon as others begin leaving their opinions, the person whose image has been uploaded is notified and will be able to view the most common “impressions” that their image has left, ultimately seeing whether the way that others perceive them is in line with the way they see themselves.

Users are then given the further option to share one or more of those “impressions” via a visual representation generated by the site on Facebook or Twitter, encouraging their friends to also take part in this unique social experiment.

A global phenomenon of the modern era, the selfie has become known for being the ultimate form of self-expression. However, through ‘Are You Your Selfie?’, Ballantine’s – renowned for its global marketing initiative ‘Stay True, Leave An Impression’, which encourages consumers to express themselves in a way that is both genuine and authentic – hopes to establish how true people are really being with their personal portraits, and whether others see them in the same light.

Peter Moore, Global Brand Director for Ballantine’s, commented: “Given the current trend for selfies amongst the millennial generation, we hope that this exciting initiative will stimulate conversation amongst Ballantine’s fans online and provoke them to think about whether they are presenting a true reflection of themselves when they share photos online.

“Ballantine’s has always been at the forefront of innovation since its inception, thanks to the pioneering vision of our founder, George Ballantine. His determination to be original and to stay true to his convictions remains at the heart of the brand to this day, so it is very fitting that we are launching this new online social experiment, which encourages our fans to stay true to themselves.”

‘Are You Your Selfie?’ is a global platform which can be accessed by users around the world from today [Friday 28th March]. The website will also be localised later this year for a number of Ballantine’s key global markets, including Brazil and Mexico.

Visit www.areyouyourselfie.com to find out more.

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No. 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the world’s No. 2 Scotch whisky by volume, and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 120 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.

www.ballantines.com

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.

www.chivasbrothers.com 

Available for comment

Peter Moore was appointed to the position of Global Brand Director for Ballantine’s in December 2005 and is responsible for the strategic leadership, innovation and marketing of Ballantine’s whisky worldwide.

Peter brings a wealth of knowledge to his role, with over 25 years of marketing experience within the wine and spirits industry. Under his leadership, Ballantine’s has developed the new global communication platform, ‘Stay True, Leave an Impression’ which aims to unify all brand communications across the complete Ballantine’s range.

Peter has also developed Ballantine’s global golf sponsorship programme and has overseen major packaging upgrades and new product launches – most recently Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve, Ballantine’s 17 Signature Distillery Editions and Ballantine’s 40 Year Old, a new pinnacle reference for the Ballantine’s range

WHISKY: THE MANUAL

DAVE BROOM

PUBLISHING APRIL 8, 2014 from Mitchell Beazley

 $19.99, Hardcover

World-renowned expert Dave Broom dispels the mysteries of whisky and unlocks a whole host of exciting new possibilities for this magical drink in this spirited, entertaining and no-nonsense guide.

Full of practical and fascinating information about how to enjoy all styles of whisky, it busts a few myths along the way, including the notion that whisky is a drink for old men, that single malts are better than blends, and that is has to be drunk neat.

Most whisky books tell you how to become an expert. The Manual tells you what to drink and how to drink it.  

Whenever whisky has been most popular, it has been drunk long, mixed, made into cocktails or been flavored.  The reason?  Because it tastes great that way!

Whisky: The Manual begins by detailing the history of whisky, sharing wonderful anecdotes such as the decision to dye whisky pink in the 1970s to make it more attractive to women.  It traces the emergence of whisky throughout the world— from its introduction to America and Canada through to its arrival on the shores of Japan, and provides the essentials of whisky production. The book is then divided into two parts: 

 “What to Drink” explores flavor camps, provides extensive tasting notes on the major brands, new brands and brands from around the world, demonstrating and celebrating whisky’s extraordinary diversity. 

 “How to Drink” explores how to enjoy whisky in myriad ways – using water and mixers, and in cocktails. Dave tested 103 whiskies with club soda, green tea, Coca Cola, ginger ale and coconut water and then rated how each whisky stands up to each mixer.  The results will surprise you and inspire you to experiment.   It only follows that there would also be a section on whisky cocktails, from classics such as the Manhattan and Old-Fashioned to exciting, contemporary inventions  such as the Tatami Cocktail and the Green Breeze.

Dave gives you permission to mix!

About the Author

Award-winning author and whisky expert Dave Broom has been writing about whisky for 25 years as a journalist and author. He has written eight books, two of which (Drink! and Rum) won the Glenfiddich Award for Drinks Book of the Year. He has also won the Glenfiddich Award for Drinks Writer of the Year twice and in 2013 won the extremely prestigious IWSC Communicator of the Year Award.

Dave is editor-in-chief of Whisky Magazine: Japan, consultant editor to Whisky Magazine (UK, the USA, France, Spain), and a lead columnist at Whisky Advocate (USA). He is also editor of the Scotch Whisky Review and a contributor to a raft of national and international titles including the Spectator, Mixology, and Imbibe (Europe). He is a regular broadcaster on TV and radio.           

Over his two decades in the field, Dave has built up a considerable international following with regular training/educational visits to France, Holland, Germany, the USA, and Japan. His remit has covered consumer features as well as business reports. He is also actively involved in whisky education, acting as a consultant to major distillers on tasting techniques as well as teaching professionals and the public. He was also one of the developers of Diageo’s generic whisky tasting tool, the Flavor Map.

WHISKY: THE MANUAL by DAVE BROOM

Mitchell Beazley, April 8, 2014 $19.99, 224 pages

50 full-color Illustrations

ISBN: 9781845337551, Distributed by Hachette Book Group 

Dave Broom New York book signings and tastings

Saturday, May 10, 2014

The Dead Rabbit, 30 Water St, 12:30-2:30 PM

www.deadrabbitnyc.com 

Char No 4, 196 Smith Street, Brooklyn, 4-6 PM

www.charno4.com 

The Flatiron Room, 37 West 26^th Street,   7:30 – 9:30PM

www.theflatironroom.com  

Please check individual websites for details

APRIL OUTTURN: SPRING TINGLES

Sting the senses this spring with a fierce nip of ‘Galactic root canal treatment’ (26.100) then soothe them with the ‘honey dripping from a wooden spoon’ in ‘Breathe in long!’ (9.82). Perhaps you’ll drink in the deep honey gold dram that is ‘Fantastically floral’ (35.106) and earn your stripes with ‘Weird but wonderful’ (66.50) – it’s got smoky flavours contentious enough to stir up a hornet’s nest. Get your order in quick – these bottlings are sure to attract…

Young & spritely

36.74 Whiter than White
BUY £44.00

26.100 Galactic root canal treatment
BUY £48.40

Sweet, fruity & mellow

35.106 Fantastically floral
BUY£57.00

1.179 The Artists Studio
BUY £114.50

Spicy & sweet

76.115 ‘Glamping in a Yurt’
BUY £71.70

Spicy & dry

39.97 A symphony of sophistication
BUY £87.20

48.41 Pink wafers in a lady’s hat shop
BUY £95.00

Old & dignified

73.62 Magical, mellifluous marvelosity
BUY £92.40

9.82 Breathe in long!
BUY £100.00

Oily & coastal

4.189 ‘Cracking!’
BUY £51.80

53.202 A Bracing Outdoors Loving Character
BUY £59.30

Peated

66.50 Weird but wonderful
BUY

Exclusive to April Offers
3.215 Weird but wonderful
(A happy coincidence!)
BUY £68.10

Heavily peated

29.150 Chapter and verse
BUY £95.90

Browse all 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 here for membership information This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Our Spring 2014 tasting schedule is now online and open for registration. We have an incredible lineup of tastings including Glendronach Batch 9 Dinner, The Speyside Whisky Trail and Blockbuster Single Malts with Hunter. There is also our biannual whisky festival, the Spring Single Malt Festival, Thursday June 12, it always sells out quickly, so don’t delay in booking your tickets. We have a couple of distillery specific events for Tomintoul/Glencadam Distilleries and Balvenie Distillery with their travelling brand ambassadors, and a very exciting special edition of our Last Samurai Japanese whisky tasting. I’m most jazzed about our Ancient Malts tasting on the 17th of June, the Four Decades Edition which will feature not just 30 and 40 year old whiskies, but also a 50 and 60 year olds too! These tastings begin April 17 with Whisky, Women & Chocolate, which given the proximity of the holiday, will likely have an Easter theme!

There are lots of fun events in our Spring 2014 schedule, which may be the best we’ve ever put together. But you don’t have to wait until then for a great tasting opportunity! Our Spring tasting schedule is detailed below, and can also be seen on our website’s In Store Tastings page.

Last but not least, there’s some info on the bottom of this Malt Messenger Bulletin which will be of interest to all you Ardbeg fanatics. Kindly at least scan the rest of the newsletter so you don’t miss any of the other juicy tidbits!

I hope this finds you well, and that you enjoy this Malt Messenger Bulletin.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Kensington Wine Market

PS- PS – Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/scotch_guy and Facebook: facebook.com/scotch.guy.1  
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com

Kensington Wine Market Spring 2014 Tasting Schedule

Could this be our best spring lineup ever?

All of these tastings are now open for registration, online: https://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/tastings/register.php , by phone: 403-283-8000 and in store.

1. Whisky, Women & Chocolate – Thursday April 17 – Gather your girlfriends for a pairing of everyone’s two favorite food groups, whisky and chocolate! Hint! There will definitely be an Easter theme! – $60
2. The Speyside Whisky Trail – Thursday April 24 – We’ll follow the River Spey as it winds past some of Scotland’s most iconic distilleries on this virtual tour. Along the way we’ll sample some of its finest whiskies! – $60
3. Classic Single Malts – Tuesday April 29 – This is our classic introduction to the world of single malt Scotch whisky. You’ll discover a little history, how it’s made, and sample six distinct styles. – $35
4. Blockbuster Single Malts – Tuesday May 13 – Join us for a sampling of some of our fastest moving single malts with KWM’s fastest mouth, our own Hunter Sullivan. Like these whiskies, this tasting is expected to sell out in a flash. – $40
5. Glencadam & Tomintoul Distilleries – Tuesday May 20 – We’ve put together a special lineup of 7 whiskies for our tasting with Bob Kyle of Rare Drams. There’s a trio of Tomintouls, including the stunning 1977, a pair of Glencadam, including the new 21 year and two even rarer treats! – $55
6. Balvenie with Elizabeth Havers – Thursday May 22 – Brand ambassador, Elizabeth Havers, will guide us through a tasting of whiskies from one of Scotland’s most iconic distilleries. – $30
7. Rare Malts – Tuesday June 3 – Only the rarest whiskies, those more than 20 years of age, or from closed distilleries are considered for this very special tasting. – $80
8. Spring Single Malt Festival – Thursday June 12 – Our famous biannual whisky festival may be limited to just 100 participants, but there will be just as many whiskies to sample in this festival style tasting. Warning! Tickets sell out very quickly. – $60
9. Glendronach Batch 9 Dinner – We’ll be cracking one bottle each of the nine Glendronach vintage single casks from Batch 9 for this dinner tasting at Buchanan’s Chop House. – $160
10. Ancient Malts: 4 Decades Edition – This tasting typically sees whiskies aged 30 to 40 years of age or more. This incarnation will feature not just 30 and 40 year old whiskies, but also a 50 and 60 year too! Only 1 session will be held! – $200
11. Last Samurai: Special Edition – Thursday June 26 – We have some real curiosities from the world of Japanese whisky in store. We could tell you more, but then honor would dictate that we’d have to commit seppuku! – $100

“Auriverdes” is the Ardbeg Day 2014 Bottling

And North Canada’s First Ardbeg Embassy is Taking Pre-Orders!

Keeping a whisky like Ardbeg’s annual Ardbeg Day bottling secret would be challenging enough, but with the distillery’s cult following and fanatical Ardbeg Committee members it is nigh on impossible. Some clever scotch anoraks in the US discovered that they could place a freedom of information request to discover the identity of whiskies coming to the US long before they actually arrive. Perhaps it is with this in mind that the distillery confirmed the 2014 bottling late last week as the Auriverdes, or Green & Gold. This is a clever nod to the distillery gold nectar and iconic green glass bottle, but also to the host country of this year’s Football(soccer) World Cup, Brazil.  

Kensington Wine Market will be hosting Ardbeg Day festivities on Ardbeg Day, May 31st. Details on those events will be announced in the next month or so. The Ardbeg Auriverdes will be available for sampling at the event, though the whisky proper is not expected to arrive in store until later in June with a target retail price of $125-30. We are taking pre-orders for June arrival!

Pre-Order Ardbeg Auriverdes

Ferguson Whisky Tours

Speyside Tour May 11-17 2014

Deadline to register is this Friday. Estimated price, $3500-4,000 per person.

• 7 days/6 nights
• Includes visits to the following distilleries some to be confirmed:
o Glengoyne
o Deanston
o Edradour and Signatory
o Glencadam
o Glen Garioch
o AnCnoc
o Glendronach
o Balvenie
o Cardhu
o BenRiach
o Gordon & MacPhail
o Benromach
o Tomatin
o And More.
• As always, we’ll wind up with a whisky dinner at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society
• Check out the website, or send an email to scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com for more details.

• FergusonWhiskyTours.com

Thank You for Reading the Malt Messenger!

Contact & Disclaimers

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change, don’t include GST. In the case of discrepancies in pricing, the price in our in store point of sale will be taken as correct.

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
Manager & Scotchguy
Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Owner & Opperator
Ferguson’s Whisky Tours
www.fergusonwhiskytours.com
scotchguide@fergusonwhiskytours.com

Kensington Wine Market
403-283-8000

NEW ARRIVALS

Japan – Single Malt Scotch

• Ichiro Chichibu “The First” Japanese Single Malt Whiskey 750ml – 1 available ($189.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Highland Park “Freya” Valhalla Collection Single Malt Whisky 750ml (ships as 3L) – 4 available ($259.99)

• Lost Spirits Distillery Seascape II Single Malt Whiskey 750ml ($44.99)

BACK IN STOCK

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Dalwhinnie 15 year old Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($49.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Angel’s Envy 100 Proof Rye Whiskey 750ml (one bottle limit) ($67.99)

• Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Old Small Batch Rye 90 Proof 750ml (3 bottle limit per customer) ($34.99)
  One of America’s finest and most authentic rye whiskey. Great price for an excellent 6 year Rye.

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

CHAPTER 13
As promised, this is your heads up for our latest release. The new release of Chapter 13 is sporting its bespoke label and will be incredibly rare with the run limited to just 1499 bottles.

The quirky label design for Chapter 13 was designed by Emma Garner, who was picked as the winner of a national competition, to design a label for us that followed a theme of “Englishness”. Emma received £500 prize money.

BUY NOW £49.99

Ch.13 Release Two Whisky Tasting Notes
Nose
Sweet with hints of raisins, toffee and vanilla. Caramelised Demerara sugar, (think Crème Brûlée). Floral with notes of lavender, eucalyptus and pine – like the warm fresh wood smell of a sauna. Hints of dark chocolate, mocha.

Palate
Soft and creamy like a light syrup. Spicy and warming – hints of mixed spice, red liquorice, black pepper and cloves. After swallowing the finish is long, dry and almost like a light brandy. This whisky really is one to sip and savour!

Ardbeg Distillery Releases Limited Edition “Auriverdes”

 – Limited Edition whisky will be released on Ardbeg Day – May 31st 2014 –  

(MARCH 28, 2014)  Ardbeg, four-time winner of the World’s Best Scotch Whisky award – is announcing the launch of its 2014 Limited Edition Ardbeg Auriverdes. The new Ardbeg will launch globally on May 31st, as part of “Ardbeg Day”- the distillery’s annual celebration of all things Ardbeg. 

“Auriverde” a Portuguese term, is the combination of auri (meaning “golden”) and verde (meaning “green”) – the colors found in the iconic Ardbeg bottle, as well as the Brazilian Flag and a reflection of the “Ardbeg Day” salute to the 2014 World Cup. 

Ardbeg Auriverdes has been matured in American oak casks, with specially toasted lids that were tailor-made for this formula. The toasting technique has given the whisky a unique flavour profile, producing a mocha coffee flavour at one end and flowing into creamy vanilla at the other – truly a dram of two halves. 

Ardbeg Auriverdes follows the highly acclaimed, Limited Edition Ardbeg Galileo, which scooped the ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at the World Whisky Awards 2013. Ardbeg Auriverdes is bottled at 49.9% ABV and will be available for U.S. purchase at select embassy liquor stores ($99.99). For an embassy liquor store locater, please visit www.ardbeg.com . 

Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Distillation and Whisky Creation, explains: 

“When creating Auriverdes, I had a distinct flavour profile in mind that I wanted to achieve, so I specifically created the heart of the recipe to bring that to life. It is a unique expression of Ardbeg which has exceeded all my expectations. It has the trademark Ardbeg undertones with a distinct new taste experience and an explosive mouthfeel which gives way to complex flavours of coffee grounds, liquorice, maple smoked ham, malty/biscuit notes, white pepper and a good sweet/salty balance.” 

He continues: 

“We love to experiment and try new things at Ardbeg and we are in no doubt that Auriverdes will be a hit with our Ardbeg fans on Ardbeg Day!” 

“Ardbeg Day” runs alongside the widely celebrated Islay Festival (the Feis Ile). It has become a key event in the calendar of malt whisky aficionados around the world, with thousands making the trip to the Island of Islay annually. “Ardbeg Day” will be celebrated in the form of a “Peat Football” tournament on May 31st at the Ardbeg Distillery and at participating Ardbeg Embassies around the world.  

Ardbeg Auriverdes Taste Notes

Aroma: Tarry and herbal notes with hints of mocha

Taste: Coffee grounds pass to smoked root vegetables, while maple-cured bacon collides with hot-smoked salmon

Finish: A lingering, smoky vanilla note              

About Ardbeg

Ardbeg prides itself on being the ‘Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky’. Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts.

Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future and it was not until the brand was purchased by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the Distillery was saved from extinction. Since then, the Distillery has risen like a phoenix and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following. The legacy of the whisky was safeguarded by the formation of ‘The Committee’ in 2000 from thousands of Ardbeg followers across the globe keen to ensure, “the doors of Ardbeg never close again.”

Ardbeg was voted ‘Scotch Whisky of the Year’ three years in a row by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible and was awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’, ‘Best Islay Single Malt’ and the ‘Global Icon Visitor Centre Manager of the Year’ at the World Whisky Awards 2013. 

Ardbeg Embassies

Ardbeg Embassies are a network of Ardbeg customers who love Ardbeg and have agreed to profile Ardbeg to their consumers; most are independent premium whisky stores.                                                                                                                                                      

Responsible Drinking

Ardbeg and The Glenmorangie Company advocate responsible drinking and suggest that drinkers savour Ardbeg in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption. 

During our first whisky sailing trip this year a certain number of places is still available:

Embarkation: Saturday May 17th 2014 from 14.00 hrs in Oban

Disembarkation: Saturday May 24th 2013 at 10.00 hrs in Troon 

For you a chance of a lifetime to come along and sail with us in Scotland ánd meet Masterblender Richard Paterson on board for a reduced price: 

EUR 750,- instead of EUR 895,- per person!! 

More information about the trip can be found here. For further questions please contact us by email or phone: + 31-10-4156600.

For online booking click here.

Welcome on board!

Kind regards,

HOLLANDS GLORIE

Liesbeth Wammes – de Graaf

Brigitte Beckers