From humble beginnings in 1824, The Macallan has grown from a small local enterprise to global recognition, based on a constant and determined attention to quality. The Macallan Sherry Oak expressions are exclusively matured in specially selected Spanish sherry oak casks which give the whisky an incredibly smooth, rich flavour, with hints of chocolate orange and clove spice. Perfect for Christmas.

The Macallan 25 year old £525 Click here to buy

JOHNNIE WALKER® SCOTCH WHISKY TO GIVE 250,000 KILOMETRES OF SAFE RIDES HOME ACROSS THE WORLD AS PART OF FESTIVE RESPONSIBLE DRINKING INITIATIVE

Edinburgh, Scotland, 4th December 2014: As part of the JOHNNIE WALKER global responsible drinking programme, Join the Pact, the world’s leading Scotch Whisky1, today said it was giving away 250,000 kilometres of safe rides around the world during the festive season to encourage people not to drink and drive.

In Edinburgh Mika Häkkinen, former Formula 1 driver and JOHNNIE WALKER Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador came together with Formula 1 drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen to help launch the campaign which will run in Edinburgh and in over 60 other cities across the globe.

Join the Pact has already gathered commitments from more than 1.4 million people to never drink and drive and in September, JOHNNIE WALKER announced a goal of securing an additional five million personal pledges over the next four years.

During the festive season JOHNNIE WALKER will help people get home safely through a variety of initiatives with local transport providers. In Edinburgh, JOHNNIE WALKER is partnering with Lothian Buses to provide free bus services for revellers returning home from the city’s Hogmanay event on New Year’s Eve.

Speaking at the launch David Gates, Diageo Global Head of Premium Core Brands, said: “The involvement of JOHNNIE WALKER in Formula 1 through our partnership with McLaren Mercedes has given the brand a credible platform to run a powerful responsible drinking programme that has made real impact on a global scale. This has been ongoing for almost a decade and our recent arrangement with Formula One group to become the Official Whisky of Formula 1 will allow us to expand the programme into new territories.

“Our appeal to Join the Pact to never drink and drive is never more relevant than when millions of people around the world are planning to relax and enjoy the holiday festivities. Through activations of the programme in over 60 cities over the next few weeks, we hope to provide in the region of 250,000 kilometres of safe rides home.

“At Diageo, we take our commitment to the promotion of responsible drinking very seriously.  We really hope that everyone joins the Pact and makes that public commitment this festive season.”

In a joint message issued from today’s event, JOHNNIE WALKER Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador Mika Häkkinen along with Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen said: “We each know that driving a Formula 1 car is about staying in control, all of the time. Join the Pact is a commitment to staying in control and putting the safety of yourself, your passengers and other people ahead of everything else. It’s a choice that guarantees that everyone can enjoy their festivities and get home safely – we appeal to you to make that choice and Join the Pact to never drink and drive.”

During the launch event the three drivers demonstrated their control skills and provided rides in Edinburgh city centre to competition winners, media and special guests in a JOHNNIE WALKER branded Caparo T1 supercar and two McLaren MP4-650S sports cars.

Over the festive season consumers can make their pledge to never drink and drive by visiting http://www.jointhepact.com/ or by tweeting #GetHomeSafely to @JohnnieWalker_.

1 IWSR (2013)

B-Roll footage of the JOHNNIE WALKER Join the Pact announcement and driving spectacular can be downloaded at https://vimeo.com/album/3159579 from 5pm (GMT). 

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

Johnnie Walker Join the Pact Edinburgh 001 – Former Formula 1 driver and JOHNNIE WALKER Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador, Mika Häkkinen, came together with Formula 1 drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen to help launch a JOHNNIE WALKER responsible drinking initiative for the festive season, to give 250,000 kilometres of safe rides home as part of Join the Pact

Johnnie Walker Join the Pact Edinburgh 002 – Former Formula 1 driver and JOHNNIE WALKER Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador, Mika Häkkinen, Formula 1 drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen are pictured at the launch of the JOHNNIE WALKER responsible drinking campaign which will run in Edinburgh and in over 60 other cities across the globe

Johnnie Walker Join The Pact 003 – Kevin Magnussen pictured driving a McLaren MP4-650S at a JOHNNIE WALKER driving spectacular in Edinburgh as part of the JOHNNIE WALKER responsible drinking campaign to give away 250,000 kilometres of safe rides home around the world during the festive season

Johnnie Walker Join the Pact Edinburgh 004 – Jenson Button pictured driving a McLaren MP4-650S at a JOHNNIE WALKER driving spectacular in Edinburgh as part of the JOHNNIE WALKER responsible drinking campaign to give away 250,000 kilometres of safe rides home around the world during the festive season

Johnnie Walker Join the Pact Edinburgh 005 – Former Formula 1 driver and JOHNNIE WALKER Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador, Mika Häkkinen, came together with Formula 1 drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen to help launch a JOHNNIE WALKER responsible drinking initiative for the festive season, to give 250,000 kilometres of safe rides home as part of Join the Pact

Notes 

JOHNNIE WALKER Join the Pact will deliver 250,000 kilometres of safe rides home in more than 60 cities to include:

• USA – 50+ cities
• Sao Paulo
• Recife
• Santos
• Brasilia
• London
• Manchester
• Leeds
• Edinburgh
• Manila

About Join the Pact

JOHNNIE WALKER places great importance on responsible drinking and tackles this issue through the Join the Pact campaign, with Mika Häkkinen as the Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador. Join the Pact asks consumers everywhere to make a commitment to never drink and drive through signing a pact. Since 2006 Mika has led this call-to-action initiative, which have been activated worldwide, collecting over a million signatures.

Mika has visited over 40 countries on five continents, spoken to countless media, government officials, stakeholders and consumers delivering important messages through unique JOHNNIE WALKER experiences.

About JOHNNIE WALKER

JOHNNIE WALKER is the world¹s leading Blended Scotch Whisky¹. Established in Scotland in 1820, JOHNNIE WALKER became one of the first truly global brands, reaching 120 countries within 100 years of its founding. Today the brand is available in over 180 countries, a tribute to the pioneering vision and ambition of the Walker family which have inspired progress and great achievements for almost two centuries.

Big, bold flavour is at the heart of JOHNNIE WALKER. The range comprises unique blends, each with their own distinct character and history, which are the result of almost 200 years of blending heritage: JOHNNIE WALKER RED LABEL, JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL, JOHNNIE WALKER DOUBLE BLACK, JOHNNIE WALKER GOLD LABEL RESERVE, JOHNNIE WALKER PLATINUM LABEL AND JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL. In addition, THE JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION, a range of blends created for global travellers, is available exclusively in travel retail outlets globally.

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories.  These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world.  The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO).  For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com/.  Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, http://www.drinkiq.com/, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

THE ONE WHISKY JOINS ASIAN SPIRIT ELITE 

The ONE whisky, from The Lakes Distillery has been recognised as amongst the best in the world by the prestigious Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition (HKIWSC) which revealed its 2014 winners in November, awarding The ONE a Silver Legend in the Worldwide Whiskey category.

The ONE, the first ever blend of whiskies from around the British Isles, achieved its second silver award within six months after its official launch in September 2013, making 2014 a very exciting year for The Lakes Distillery.

The annual HKIWSC awards are an industry-noted mark of quality and excellence, and provide the Asian market with the ultimate guide to purchasing wine and spirits which are sensitive to the Asian palate and cultural consumption patterns.

Products from nearly 40 countries are entered into the competition with only those of the highest quality receiving recognition. Entries are scored out of 100 and undergo a detailed level of scrutiny including double-blind tastings and technical analysis, which ensures all products are technically sound and will be of the same high quality when they reach the consumer.

Paul Currie, founder and managing director of The Lakes Distillery, said on the win: “These awards set the benchmark for quality and the vast population of consumers in Asia eagerly anticipate the results each year. Consumers view it as the guide to Asian palates and it’s a testament to the exceptional quality of our products that The ONE has been included.

“Our lovingly crafted spirit is now listed alongside the Asian wine and spirit world’s top brands, which is where we feel it deserves to be.”

Production of The Lakes Single Malt, The Lakes Gin and The Lakes Vodka are underway and the distillery is gearing up to open Bistro at The Lakes, distillery tours and the shop to the public in mid-December.

More information about the Lakes Distillery is available at http://www.lakesdistillery.com/e-brochure/

More information abbot The Bistro at The Lakes is available at: www.lakesdistillery.com/en/bistro-and-bar  

Notes: 

The ONE and The Lakes Gin are available to buy online at http://www.lakesdistillery.com/shop/

The Lakes Distillery

Close to Bassenthwaite Lake, in an area of unimaginable beauty encircled by Cumbrian fells, is the perfect home for the first-ever Lakes Distillery.

The experienced team behind the Lakes Distillery, which includes managing director Paul Currie who co founded the Arran Distillery, Master Distiller Chris Anderson with over 30 years’ experience and Alan Rutherford a former Production Director of Diageo, are renovating the historic buildings of an old Victorian Model Farm next to the famous river Derwent and close to Bassenthwaite Lake, with the aim to produce a new world-class single malt whisky.

The water from the famous River Derwent, with its source high up in the fells, a team steeped in whisky experience, and perfect conditions for distilling are set to create a very special malt.

The Lakes Distillery will open to the public mid-December. The Lakes single malt will begin production this summer, and its blended whisky from the British Isles, called The ONE, is available to buy now.

The ONE Whisky

The ONE is the first British blended whisky ever to be produced.  As opposed to blends made only of scotch whiskies, The ONE has been carefully created from whiskies from around the British Isles, leading to a very unique whisky. This is very much an artisan blend – the team in Cumbria has enormous experience in making the very finest whiskies, and their expertise has put together this outstanding blend, which has a lightly peated character.

Blended whiskies are made up of grain and malt whiskies, and it is the quantity of malt whisky in the blend that dictates the quality – so the more malt whisky in the blend, the better the quality. The ONE has a very high malt content and its quality is very much in line with single malt whiskies.

The Connoisseurs’ Club 

The company has launched a  Connoisseurs’ Club, offering the opportunity for just 60 members to own their own very rare cask of The Lakes Malt.

Each cask is estimated to contain more than 100 bottles and members can be there on that historic first day to make the whisky themselves, fill their own Connoisseur’s Cask and see it stored in the distillery warehouse. The Connoisseurs’ Club limited membership costs £12,000, which includes the unique signature cask, exclusive annual events, accommodation at the nearby 4-star Trout Hotel, delivery, all duty and VAT. It’s estimated if kept, the cask will be worth over £20,000 in years to come. 

The Founders’ Club

The first ever distillery in the beautiful Lake District, opening later this year, is setting aside the first ever 100 casks of malt whisky produced for members of its Founders’ Club.

Each year for ten years, members will receive one 70cl bottle plus two tasting miniatures of the maturing malt, making up a collectible set of the distillery’s first ever production, all with unique, limited edition labels. These casks will not be available for the general public and are uniquely reserved for members.

Founders’ Club membership costs just £595, with an expected value of over £1,400 over the ten years period. Delivery of the first bottle will be in 2015.

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• 1999 Ben Nevis 15 Year Old Exclusive Malt Cas Strength Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 5 available ($139.99)

• Haig Club Scottish Grain Whisky 750ml (due to bottle size this ships like a 1.5) – 6 available ($59.99)

• 1994 Mortlach 20 Year Old Cadenhead’s Small Batch Cask Strength Collection Single Malt 750ml – 5 available ($129.99)
• 1972 Macallan 42 Year Old Gordon & MacPhail Speymalt Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 8 available ($1,099.99) Whisky Advocate: “On more familiar ground with this G&M bottling of one of Speyside’s most iconic single malts, this is Macallan in full-on sherried form. Highly aromatic with powdered clove, hints of incense and fig, behind which is cacao, Bolivar cigar, and molasses. The palate has immediate smoke and surprisingly gentle tannins — the inherent oiliness of the spirit keeping any grip at bay. Very long, leathery, prune-like (think armagnac), and dense. A classic after-dinner mouth-filler. (Vol. 20, #4)” K&L Notes: Aged entirely in first-fill sherry barrels, this is quite possibly the best Macallan I’ve ever tasted. The concentration of sherry is absolutely unreal. It’s almost impossible to tell where the sherry ends and the whisky begins – it all gets lost in a seamless flavor of rich toffee, syrup, and caramel. I have to believe that anyone who is willing to pay the price will get exactly what they expect from this bottle. It tastes expensive, unlike so many pricier malts that get you on rarity or collectibility only. Bottled in 2013.

Scotland – Blended Scotch

• Compass Box Hedonism Grain Scotch Whisky 750ml – 5 available ($94.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Leopold Bros. Maryland Style Rye Whiskey 750ml – 1 available ($46.99)

• Old Forester Bourbon 86 Proof 750ml ($16.99)

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

Single Malt is only 1% of total Scotch whisky production, we have the bottle Jim Murray named the blend of the year, the best of the 99%. Buy Now – $119.99

SOCIETY WINS INDEPENDENT BOTTLERS CHALLENGE 2014

We’re very proud to say we’ve scooped the prestigious top prize at this year’s Independent Bottlers’ Challenge! A big thanks to all involved, to our members for your continued support and to the Panel for only selecting great whisky.

Watch this space for winning bottlings…

SPREAD THE JOY: THE GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP

SMWS membership is the must-have for the whisky lover.

Will it be the curious, multi-layered membership pack that delights? Or the three unique single casks nestling within? Will it be admission to the Society’s exclusive Members’ Rooms or tastings that makes this the perfect gift? Or the sheer pleasure of exploring the world’s widest selection of single cask whisky?

Gift membership comes with a £10 e-voucher to use against 70cl bottles online – and you receive a £15 e-voucher for recommending a friend!

BUY GIFT MEMBERSHIP >

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

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #99

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whiskyblogger, tries a lost malt. Sort of. Auchangie was a Highland distillery that operated near Pitlochry from 1812 until 1911. The Lost Distillery Company did a lot of research and, with the help of present days malts, offers a reinterpretation of that long-gone whisky. The result is quite surprising.

http://youtu.be/ajO5mbqKFrg

Tamdhu Distillery Welcomes New Manager 

It’s the end of an era at Tamdhu Distillery as one of the whisky industry’s longest serving managers retires and makes way for his replacement.

Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky has appointed Sandy McIntyre as the new Distillery Manager, replacing Sandy Coutts who steps down after over 40 years service.

Sandy McIntyre joins Tamdhu Distillery from Diageo where he spent eight and a half years working across Burghead & Roseisle Maltings, Glenlossie and Mannochmore Distilleries and Glen Spey Distillery in Rothes in various positions including Malt Operations and Site Operations, overseeing production, quality, process and energy efficiency.

Sandy will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Tamdhu Distillery including all aspects of production, warehousing, HR, health and safety, maintenance, spirit and cask quality as well as compliance for the site, and supporting brand development and promotion.

Robbie Hughes, Group Distillation Manager for Ian Macleod Distillers who own the Tamdhu brand, said: “We’re really pleased to have Sandy McIntyre on board with us. His previous experience will contribute greatly to the distillery. Having been re-launched less than two years ago, it’s a very exciting time at Tamdhu and Sandy will play a key role in its future.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to send our best wishes to Sandy Coutts who will now retire from Tamdhu after more than 40 successful years. We hope he enjoys a very well deserved rest!”

Sandy McIntyre said: “I am really excited to be joining Tamdhu Distillery and I’m looking forward to the challenges the role will bring. The dedicated team at Tamdhu is committed and passionate about our brand and despite only being on site for less than a month that can-dhu-spirit is already felt by myself too.

“Taking over the reins from Sandy Coutts has been a delight and pleasure as he has historical and detailed knowledge of the site and the process, and being able to draw upon that knowledge as part of my hand over has been invaluable. Tamdhu is a quality spirit from a site that prides itself on tradition and nothing is more pleasurable than showing off our people, our process and our product.”

Tamdhu is owned by one of Scotland’s leading, independent family-owned distillers, Ian Macleod Distillers. Tamdhu was born on the banks of the River Spey in 1897 – an era when anything seemed possible. When obstacles were there to be overcome, an age of the CAN-DHU ATTITUDE. Its quality is defined by the hint of peat in its malted barley, the natural Speyside water which is drawn directly from the Tamdhu spring and the 100% exclusive use of only the finest oak sherry casks.

For more information, please visit www.tamdhu.com.

“An attractively-priced rare bottle of The Old Blend Whisky of the White Horse Cellar”

Available for online bidding on AuctionMyStuff until 11 December, 2014.

Description:

No. 1004847, bottled 1940.

Estimate:

£150 – £200

Starting Price:

£135

To view the listing, I invite you to click HERE

Christmas Delivery Cut-off Dates 2014

As you may have noticed, Christmas is rapidly approaching. That means that the world’s postal services start groaning at the seams and deliveries start slowing down. To make sure you get your parcel by December 25, make sure you order before the dates listed below:

United Kingdom

Orders to postcodes IV, HS, KA27-28, KW, PA20-49, PA60-78, PH17-26, PH30-44, PH49-50, ZE, BT, IM, TR21-25 must be placed by 2pm on Friday 19 December. Orders using 3-5 working day delivery (offered for some small parcels) must be placed by 2pm on Friday 19 December. All other UK orders must be placed by 2pm Monday 22 December.

Rest of the world

These are our estimates based on years of experience of shipping around the world – if you order after the dates below your parcel may arrive in time, but it’s much less likely.

Australia Wed 10 December

Austria Wed 17 December

Barbados Tues 16 December

Belgium Wed 17 December

Bulgaria Mon 15 December

Cayman Islands Tues 16 December

Channel Islands Thur 18 December

Christmas Island Wed 10 December

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Wed 10 December

Croatia Mon 15 December

Cyprus Mon 15 December

Czech Republic Wed 17 December

Denmark Wed 17 December

Falkland Islands Tues 16 December

Faroe Islands Tues 16 December

Finland Wed 17 December

France Wed 17 December

French Polynesia Wed 10 December

Germany Wed 17 December

Gibraltar Wed 17 December

Greece Mon 15 December

GreenlandMon 15 December

Hong Kong S. A. R Wed 10 December

Hungary Mon 15 December

Iceland Mon 15 December

Ireland Wed 17 December

Italy Wed 17 December

Japan Wed 10 December

LatviaMon 15 December

Liechtenstein Mon 15 December

Lithuaniaon 15 December

Luxembourged 17 December

Macau S.A.R. Wed 10 December

Malta Wed 17 December

Martinique Tues 16 December

Monaco Wed 17 December

Netherlands Thur 18 December

New Caledonia Wed 10 December New Zealand Wed 10 December

Norfolk Island Wed 10 December

Norway Mon 15 December

Poland Mon 15 December

Portugal Wed 17 December

Reunion Wed 10 December

San Marino Mon 15 December

Seychelles Wed 10 December

Singapore Wed 10 December

Slovakia Mon 15 December

Slovenia Mon 15 December

South Africa Wed 10 December

Spain Wed 17 December

Sweden Wed 17 December

Switzerland Mon 15 December

Taiwan Wed 10 December

United States Tues 16 December

Vatican City State Mon 15 December

Virgin Islands (British)Tues 16 December

Asia, Africa and Australasia’s cut-off is 11th, so make sure you get your orders in soon!