CURLING & WHISKY in Scotland, October 2014.

We were hosting a curling team from Norway who just happened to like a dram now and again! Carl, Calle, Morten and Erik wanted to come over (again) and do some curling with local Scottish teams. We, of course obliged them and added in whisky – as you do. Thursday 30 October; The guys arrived into Aberdeen, we then drove south towards the County of Angus. With some local sightseeing en route, the first stop was Brechin, Glencadam whisky distillery. The tour was with Douglas Fitchett, Distillery Manager. Glencadam first opened in 1825, in the ancient city of Brechin. It was little more than one year after the Excise Act of 1823 legalised distilling. Glencadam is now the only distillery in the county of Angus, an area of the Highlands region of Scotland between Dundee and Aberdeen. Glencadam Single Malt has always been premium whisky for blending, and as such was highly sought after for some of the world’s most prestigious blends. Glencadam was finally bought by Angus Dundee Distillers on 1st June 2003, an independent Scottish company. Angus Dundee restarted production immediately, and we released our first ever single malt product, Glencadam Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 15 Years, in December 2005. This was subsequently re-launched in November 2009 with new packaging, alongside the release of a 10 year old expression. The current multi-award winning range includes Age 10, 15 and 21 Years expressions are good, WE TASTED THEM ALL along with a new make spirit. The most popular dram on the day was Aged 14 Years Oloroso cask finish. We all (except Paul who was driving) had a good tour and taste here, many thanks Douglas and his team. We then drove south to Broughty Ferry where a grand lunch was taken at the Ship pub, the @Ferry was also where they stayed overnight. Liz lives in the ‘Ferry, so we were well covered for local news and where to eat and drink.

Friday 31 October; we started the day with a visit to St Andrews   Eden brewery/distillery, a tour (doesnee take long) until 10am by then we can legally drink samples – we did! Beers by the way and gins, no whisky as yet. Kevan the general manager guided us around the site and the drinks, you can read an interview with Kevan on angelswhiskyclub soon. It is an up and coming distillery, small but with a great future!   From here we drove to Perth, Dewar’s Ice Rink, where a curling bonspiel at 12.45 had been arranged, with another match at 3pm, sharing a few laughs and drinks with your opposing teams in between rinks. The guys had brought over bottles of aquavit for their Scottish teams! Returning to the ‘Ferry for overnight. More drams!

Saturday 1 November; From the hotel, we travelled to Arbroath for some sightseeing and ataste of the local seafood, we had a very nice lunch with drinks. Then we headed north to Forfar for a curling session. After drinks with the opposite team, again a bottle of aquavit showed up, we returned to the ‘Ferry overnight again. Dinner enjoyed at the Ship after a few drinks at The Fort pub, Balvenie Carribean cask and Doublewood, superb!

Sunday 2 November; From the hotel, we travel back to Aberdeen for your flight home. En route we stopped at Dunottar castle for a dram or two! Sad to see them go, but a great tour yet again, lots of fun.

Drams on the road included; Kavalan Single Malt Whisky – water is essential to whisky production, it follows that the character of the water used can have a considerable influence on the profile of the spirit. The founder of the Kavalan distillery has spent years searching for the perfect site, with the ideal water supply. He chose Yilan as the site for its abundant supply of cold, spring water flowing through the Snow Mountain. Kavalan, the earliest tribe that inhabited Yilan, represents sincerity, honesty, and the spirit of step-by-step cultivation. The effort goes into every drop of new make spirit and every seasoned cask we choose. Coupled with the mastery of the blender, they ensure the silky smoothness and distinctive flavours of Kavalan whisky. Glen Elgin, Glen Elgin Distillery nestles quietly in the heart of Speyside approximately 3 miles south of Elgin on the road to Rothes. The architect, Charles Doig, stated it would be the last one built in Speyside for 50 years. His prediction was remarkably accurate with Tormore being the next distillery built, in 1958. Until the 1950s the distillery was entirely operated and lit by paraffin. All machinery was driven by a paraffin engine and a water turbine. It was a full-time job to keep the paraffin lights burning. The distillery has a huge storage capacity for malted barley. The 36 malt bins can hold 400 tonnes – more than the 3 other distilleries in the Elgin group combined. However the ISR (intermediate spirit receiver) which collects the spirit from the stills is very small and has to be pumped empty 3 times a day. The Glen Elgin spirit and wash stills are similar in size and shape, although the spirit stills have a flatter pot. There is a gentle incline on the lyne arms which lead outside to the worm tubs. The distillery operates a balanced distilling process: each wash back provides 6 individual charges for the wash stills; two wash distillations make up the charge for a spirit distillation. This makes for a busy shift in the still house with 9 separate still charges to be made. Using worm tubs to cool the distilled vapours, as opposed to condensers, adds a depth and richness to the spirit. An added bonus are the fresh water shrimp which thrive in the tubs. Ledaig, Situated on Scotland’s picturesque west coast lies the island of Mull, home to Tobermory, and the Maclean’s – is without doubt one of Scotland’s most beautiful and charming distilleries. Built in 1798, The Distillery is quite unique to other distilleries as it produces two very distinct single malt Scotch Whiskies, Tobermory single malt, which has an extremely smooth taste profile and the robustly peated Ledaig single malt. We know it well! The Madeira finish single malt Welsh whisky defines our ‘house style of whiskies’. Distilled in our unique copper pot still, matured in bourbon barrels, finished in rich Madeira wine casks and bottled at premium strength, this single malt whisky is smooth, light in character and softly golden in colour. Penderyn Welsh whisky, Madeira Single Malt At a generous 46% ABV, it has a classic freshness with whiff’s of cream toffee, fruit and raisins. The Gold Medal award winning single malt whisky from the only distillery in Wales, distilled single malt whisky is matured in bourbon barrels and finished in Madeira casks to impart a generous flavour of subtle complexity. Yummy!

Would you like to become a member of our whisky club ? http://www.angelswhisskyclub.com/ an online whisky club, giving details of new whiskies and developments in the whisky world. Or come on tour with us?

AT THE SAME TIME our (friend, tour guide & driver) took another whisky tour, again from Norway. This is another story to look out for. http://www.mcleanscotland.com/

Diageo strengthens its global position in tequila and its leading position in Mexico through transaction facilitated by the sale of Bushmills

Just Whisky Auction Ends Sunday at 8PM. You are invited to log in and bid, in what is their best auction so far. 

Happy Bidding: www.just-whisky.co.uk

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Toasts One-Year Anniversary with Special Events and Bourbon Bottle Release

LOUISVILLE, KY. – The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience® is celebrating its one-year anniversary Nov. 15 with a week of celebratory events and the release of a commemorative Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon.

The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience® is a multi-million dollar artisanal distillery, immersive tourism experience and retail store celebrating the legacy of Evan Williams, Kentucky’s first commercial distiller and namesake of Heaven Hill Distilleries’ flagship Bourbon brand. As Louisville’s first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience drew 70,000 visitors this year from around the globe.

“The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is an incredible pioneer in Louisville’s ever-expanding bourbon and spirits tourism presence,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “Thanks to Heaven Hill for blazing a trail and giving so many visitors a tremendous experience with our city’s native spirit, history and heritage.”

Anniversary festivities kick off 10:30-11:00 a.m., Mon., Nov. 10, when Mayor Fischer, company executives and other dignitaries will be on hand to unveil an official Evan Williams historical marker across the street from the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, 528 W. Main St. Max L. Shapira, president of Heaven Hill, America’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits company, will sign bottles from 3-5:30 p.m. and there will be a Downtown Neighborhood Celebration from 2:30-5 p.m. in the Retail Store.

A special 2005 Vintage Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon may be purchased exclusively at the Bourbon Experience starting Nov. 10 as well. There are only 420 bottles available, poured from two hand-selected barrels. The bourbon is 100 proof, as opposed to the standard 86.6 proof in other Evan Williams Single Barrel bottles. The bottles are dipped in copper wax and feature a unique “Evan Williams Bourbon Experience First Anniversary” label and sell for $99.99 each.

Throughout the week, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience will offer buy one, get $1 tours, a free, logoed nosing glass for every guest and door prizes each day. Tastings of rare Evan Williams 23-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey will be on tours Tues., Nov. 11, and Artisanal Distiller Charlie Downs will treat visitors to the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience’s ‘new make,’ fresh off the still on ‘White Dog Wednesday,’ Nov. 12.

On Thurs., Nov. 13, Heaven Hill Brand Ambassador Bernie Lubbers, fondly renowned as “the Whiskey Professor,” will lead tours in the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience’s Speakeasy, a 1920s inspired bar that transports guests back to the last days of Prohibition. On Friday, guests will enjoy refreshments, bourbon cupcakes and Heaven Hill Master Distiller Craig Beam and Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Artisanal Distiller Charlie Downs will sign bottles 4–6 p.m. Lastly, Downs will sign bottles noon-2 p.m., Sat., Nov. 15, as guests enjoy refreshments.

“We’re extremely proud of the experiences we’ve offered to our guests this year at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience,” said Heaven Hill President Max L. Shapira said. “Through the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, people from near and far have come to know just how integral our area has always been to the growth and development of the Bourbon industry. It all started here with real-life legends, like Evan Williams, Louisville’s first commercial distiller and wharf-master. We give guests a taste of that tradition and how it lives on today.”

The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience offers guests guided, immersive tours where they are brought back in time to see Evan Williams’ original distillery, Louisville wharf scenes and historic Whiskey Row. A dioramic video wall display allows guests to see how Heaven Hill’s modern Bernheim Distillery operates and how it differs from distilleries in Evan Williams’ era.

The building features a five-story-high Evan Williams Bourbon bottle façade and indoor Bourbon fountain installation as signature architectural features. Guests of legal drinking age may enjoy educational tastings of premium Bourbons in two themed tasting rooms and a large retail area offers a wide range of Evan Williams branded merchandise, specialty food products and a number of Heaven Hill premium Bourbons and American Whiskeys for sale.

About Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc: Founded in 1934, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams Bourbon; Larceny, Elijah Craig and Henry McKenna Bourbons, Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; The Christian Brothers Brandies; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur; Lunazul Tequila; Cinerator Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey and Rittenhouse Rye Whisky.

Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Oban 15 Year Distillers Edition Montilla Fino Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($99.99)
• Alexander Murray “Bon Accord” Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 9 available ($31.99)

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

Hands-on Whiskey Distilling Workshop

with Jordan Via, Breckenridge Distillery and Nancy Fraley, Sensory Analysis December 7 – 12, 2014 Gig Harbor, Washington

This hands-on class takes place at Heritage Distilling Co. in Gig Harbor, WA, and covers the fundamentals of whiskey distilling. Participants will be able to smell and taste new make spirit as it is being distilled.

Topics include mash preparation, basics of fermentation and wash production, anatomy of a still, mechanics of distillation (stripping and spirit runs), making the cuts, barrel maturation, proofing, and bottling.

Attendees will make new spirit on the six small teaching stills at Heritage Distilling Co. and take home a bottle of new-made whiskey.

For detailed information, including cost and hotel accommodations, click here

ORDER NOW FOR CHRISTMAS!

ORDER NOW TO RECEIVE YOUR PERSONALISED ENGRAVED DECANTER FOR CHRISTMAS.

We can personalise our beautiful decanter bottles with a design or wording of your own.

Words, crests, images, etc. We will then fill it with a whisky of your choosing (English Whisky co. only), pack it in a red tube and dispatch.

Prices from £60 (prices vary depending on the type of whisky, quantity of engraving)

Enquires to sarah@englishwhisky.co.uk

FREE HIPFLASK with every order that includes a bottle of 70cl English Whisky Co. own brand purchased before Christmas*

*Free gift subject to availabilty and while stocks last

Wemyss Malts launches limited edition Velvet Fig whisky

Independent bottler Wemyss Malts is launching a luxurious new limited edition  to complement its award-winning blended malts range. The new ‘Velvet Fig’ comprises specially selected single malts matured wholly in ex Oloroso sherry casks, evoking rich autumn and winter fruits and spices.

Knowing their customers’ passion for whiskies matured in ex Sherry casks, Wemyss Malts has created this no-age statement expression to diversify their existing line-up and is its first blended malt to be non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46% abv. With a limited release of just 6000 bottles globally, it is presented in a gift carton and available in specialist spirits stores at around £40.

Like the rest of the Wemyss Malts blended malts selection, Velvet Fig is named after the whisky’s natural flavours and aromas.  The natural mahogany colour has a depth and richness that comes from the quality sherry casks selected. The generous nose is abundant with rich fruits bound with sweet mead and warm leather. The palate has luscious golden sultanas, soft fig and Medjool dates, spiced with nutmeg and ginger and yielding sweet chestnut and toasted walnuts in the finale.

William Wemyss, Managing Director of Wemyss Malts, commented: “We are thrilled with the new Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig blended malt as it will provide a unique, yet complementary addition to the Wemyss blended malt range.  Velvet Fig is sure to be a favourite with those who have a passion for sherry cask matured whiskies or are looking for the perfect festive whisky.”

Notes:

• Edinburgh based Wemyss Malts is owned by the Wemyss family and their family seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.
• Wemyss Malts has an ongoing blended malt whisky range comprising: The Spice King, The Peat Chimney and The Hive; single malt single cask bottlings and blended Scotch range, Lord Elcho.
• The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include boutique gin Darnley’s View, together with the premium wine estate of Rimauresq Cru Classé in Cotes de Provence.
• Recent awards for The Hive 12 years old include: a Double Gold at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2014 and a World Whisky Award Gold Medal in 2012.
• The Spice King 12 years old won the Best of the Rest of whisky at the Whisky Shop Dufftown customer choice competition 2014 and a World Whisky Award Gold Medal in 2013.
• The family is building a single malt distillery at Kingsbarns, near St. Andrews in Fife, which will be open to visitors from 1st December 2014.

ROCK TOWN DISTILLERY WINS BIG

Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey named

“2015 AMERICAN MICRO WHISKY OF THE YEAR”

In the 2015 Whisky Bible by Jim Murray 

Little Rock, AR – (September 5, 2014) – Rock Town Distillery is pleased to announce its Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey has won the top micro-distillery award in the 2015 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Rock Town’s Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey garnered an incredible score of 96.5 placing it in the upper echelon of all the whiskies reviewed in the book and earning the title “2015 US Micro Whisky of the Year”. Mr. Murray said in the review, “Unquestionably one of the great micro distillery bourbons of all time; a bottling which will put Arkansas and Rock Town in particular on the world whisky map.”

“This is an unbelievable accomplishment,” said Phil Brandon, founder and head distiller at Rock Town Distillery. “We are truly honored to have our whisky judged by one of the world’s leading whisky experts, Jim Murray, as the best whisky of all the craft distilleries in the US in this edition.”

ABOUT ROCK TOWN DISTILLERY 

Rock Town Distillery produces the award winning Brandon’s Vodka, Brandon’s Gin, Arkansas Bourbon, Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, Arkansas Hickory Smoked Whiskey, Arkansas Rye Whiskey, Arkansas Lightning, and Rock Town Vodka which are distributed in Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, DC and Delaware and the United Kingdom.

Rock Town Distillery, Arkansas’ first legal distillery since prohibition, is located in downtown Little Rock at 1216 E 6^th Street, Little Rock, AR 72202.  The distillery is open for tours 7 days a week. To find out more please visit www.rocktowndistillery.com

ABOUT JIM MURRAY’S WHISKY BIBLE

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible is the world’s leading whisky guide. Each edition contains roughly 4,500 detailed, professionally analyzed and easy to understand tasting notes on the world’s leading and lesser known whiskies.  Visit www.whiskybible.com  for more information.

Hello to old friends and new,

Embarrassingly, it has been quite a while since we sent out an update from the distillery, my apologies.

It is a long story but the rather rapid growth in bourbon demand recently has had us all scrambling to keep up and left us no time to personally write these updates, which is our distinct preference!

Hopefully, we have things back on track now with regular updates planned, especially now that we have Kristie Wooldridge on board to help out. Kristie will be co-authoring the updates as well as being on hand to answer any questions you may have.

We have lots to tell you about but let us begin by wishing you all the best for a very happy upcoming holiday season!

Since our last update, some highlights include:

– Buffalo Trace Distillery has become a National Historic Landmark
– We have experienced the very sad loss of Elmer T. Lee, Ronnie Eddins and Jimmy Johnson
– We are in the midst of a bourbon shortage
– The Old Taylor and E. H. Taylor brands are now back at Trace after a mere 118 year absence
– The completion and opening of Warehouse X – our new experimental warehouse
– The Single Oak Project
– Lots more awards for our whiskies
– The fall releases of the Antique Collection and Van Winkle
– Some fun community events at the Trace
– Our first coffee table book

We have pasted a photo collage;

We plan to cover the above events in more detail in future updates but for this update………….

National Historic Landmark

We were very excited to announce last summer that Buffalo Trace Distillery was named a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior, becoming one of only 2,577 National Historic Landmarks in the United States, which represents 0.001 percent of total properties in the U.S. We could not be more proud of this fabulous recognition for the distillery and its 241 year history.

Very sad losses

It is with a very heavy heart that we share with you that our beloved Master Distiller Emeritus Elmer T. Lee, 93, passed away July 16, 2013 after a short illness. In the world of making really fine whiskey the role of Master Distiller is pivotal, but Elmer’s meaning to those he met, came to know, and worked with closely extended far beyond that of a Master Distiller. Elmer defined, in the simplest terms, what it means to be a great American – hard working, self-made, courageous, honest, kind, humble, and humorous.

We also mourned the passing of Ronnie Eddins on Oct. 13, 2010 Ronnie’s official title was Warehouse Manager, but he was actually so much more. He was an innovator, a creator, a perfectionist, sometimes even a barrel detective, and most of all, a friend. He joined our family in 1961 and was instrumental in our Experimental Whiskey Program.

In January of 2011 we lost our longtime friend Jimmy Johnson, who spent 42 years with us and retired as Warehouse Manager. Jimmy had the honor of rolling our every millionth barrel of bourbon this distillery has ever produced since Prohibition, even coming back in 2008 to roll out our 6 millionth barrel. Jimmy’s son Freddie carries on the family tradition and works with us here showing our visitors the delights of the Trace; Freddie will be familiar to many of you! Freddie is the third generation of the Johnson family to work at the Trace.

Bourbon Shortage

Last year we warned consumers that a shortage was looming, but many markets across the nation are just now feeling the full effects. Along with increased production, adding more bottling lines and hiring more people, we have also hired a full-time barrel allocation manager, just as we intended last year. Despite the increase in distillation over the past few years, bourbon demand still outpaces supply. Bourbon must be matured in new oak barrels and we age many of our barrels for eight to ten years, and some over two decades. That’s a long time to wait for a bottle of bourbon. Not to mention, with the amount of bourbon lost to evaporation over time, barrels are half empty after ten years. The increase in sales, coupled with the aging process and evaporation loss, leads to a shortage with no end in sight. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we try to catch up!

Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. brand is back

We are thrilled that a few years back we were able to bring E.H. Taylor back home to where it all began! In 2009 we purchased the Old Taylor Bourbon label and barrel inventory from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. and since then we have now developed six extensions including: E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash; E.H. Taylor, Jr. Warehouse C Tornado Surviving.

Community events

We’ve had several very successful events this year. Our July 4th 5K Race was a record-breaker, with a record number of runners, and with both the men and women’s first place winners breaking previous record times. All proceeds for this race go to the local VFW 4075. This year we donated $14,265!

In August on what would have been Elmer T. Lee’s 95th birthday, we hosted a lunch for representatives from local VFW Post 4075 to present a $10,000 check to them from the proceeds for the Elmer T. Lee commemorative bottling. Elmer was a member of the Post 4075 and was active in it until his passing. Peggy (Lee) Comer and her husband Denny (Elmer’s daughter and son-in-law) attended the lunch.

Next up is the Lighting of the Trace on Dec. 4.

Fall releases

The fall release of our annual Antique Collection whiskies: Eagle Rare 17 Year Old, George T. Stagg, Sazerac Rye 18 year Old, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye and William Larue Weller, were released in limited quantities in late September.

Also this fall, around late October, we again released the Van Winkle bourbons. Please keep in mind that supply is very limited and bottles shall be hard to find in stores, bars and restaurants.

Future Updates

Call us old fashioned but we are not fans of mass produced, impersonal mailings that are so prevalent today, preferring to send hand written, personalized updates. Sorry it has taken a while to get ourselves reorganized in this area!

If we can be of any help at all with questions, needs, wants please just reply to this e-mail and it will be personally answered.

In closing, and on behalf of all the now 425 folks at the Trace, thank you for your support of our whiskeys, it is very much appreciated.

Cheers,

Mark and Kristie,
Mark Brown
The Buffalo Trace Distillery
Direct: (502) 696-5978
E-Mail: MBrown@BuffaloTrace.com
www.buffalotracedistillery.com
www.greatbourbon.com

Kristie Wooldridge
The Buffalo Trace Distillery
Direct: (502) 783-5652
E-Mail: kwooldridge@buffalotrace.com