IMPRESS WITH A BAIN’S CAPE MOUNTAIN WHISKY GIFT PACK THIS FESTIVE SEASON

Whether you’re looking for a gift for your boss, best friend, your dad or simply to thank the hosts at a Christmas dinner, the proudly South African Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky gift set won’t fail to impress.

Awarded the title of the World’s Best Grain Whisky at the 2013 World Whisky Awards, the whisky in addition also took gold for the fifth consecutive year at the 2014 International Spirits Challenge held in London recently.

The gift sets are all unique and together with a bottle of Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky range from glassware to ice buckets, water carafes and ice rocks, beautifully packaged in a bespoke box.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is made from only three natural ingredients – water, yeast and grain – and owes its exceptional smoothness and distinctive flavour profile to the double maturation process in carefully selected oak barrels previously used for maturing bourbon. It spends three years maturing in these barrels whereafter it is transferred to a fresh set of ex-bourbon barrels in order to extract the maximum flavour from the wood. Regular tastings by the master distiller and his team ensure the maturation produces the desired quality and style.

The result is a delicious combination of floral, banana, honey, toasted hazelnuts and toffee aromas and by adding a splash of water the whisky opens up to include wood, vanilla and spice. Beautifully balanced vanilla, cocoa butter and light spices from the oak casks lead to a warm mouth-feel and long, smooth finish.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is distilled and matured at The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington in the Boland and is inspired by the natural beauty of the Bain’s Kloof Pass. The whisky is crafted from the finest South African grain and pays tribute to Andrew Geddes Bain, the pioneer road builder who built Bain’s Kloof Pass in 1853 to connect Wellington to the interior.

The Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky gift sets are available from leading liquor outlets and retails for about R199.

The Whisky Shop Dufftown 12 Days to the 25th 25% Off Christmas Sale on 12 Stunning Whiskies

At The Whisky Shop Dufftown we are counting down to Christmas with a very unique sale which started on 13 December. With 12 (ish) days to go to 25th December we have selected 12 stunning whiskies and discounted them by 25%. And we are offering free delivery to UK addresses until the end of the year.

These whiskies are in very short supply so don’t delay!

Day – Whisky –  Price –  Sale – Price

1 Glenfarclas 1963 Family Cask Rifle and Shot Gun Cleaning kit  £ 7,500.00 £ 5,625.00
2 Benriach 1966 46 Years Old Vestige £ 3,995.00 £ 2,996.00
3 Glendronach 1968 Recherche £ 2,750.00 £ 2,062.00
4 Private Collection Glenlivet 1954 £ 1,825.00 £ 1,368.00
5 Highland Park 40 Years Old £ 1,686.00 £ 1,264.00
6 Glen Garioch 1958 46 Years Old £ 1,500.00 £ 1,125.00
7 Old Pulteney 40 Years Old £ 1,490.00 £ 1,117.00
8 Director’s Cut Port Ellen 35 Years Old £ 840.00 £ 630.00
9 Dalmore 25 Years Old £ 600.00 £ 450.00
10 Isle of Jura 1976 £ 500.00 £ 375.00
11 Director’s Cut Ardbeg 1991 23 Years Old £ 485.00 £ 363.00
12 Old Malt Cask Macallan 1988 25 Years Old £ 455.00 £ 341.00

We have loads more offers in our festive sale. Check out all of our Special Offers here.

The prices are quoted inclusive of VAT. Shipping charges will apply but we are offering free delivery in the UK on all purchases made up until December 31st. No further discounts can be applies to any of our Special Offers.

The single cask bottles from independent bottlers Hunter Laing are of some of the most noteworthy Scotches in the market. Every cask is hand-picked and bottled at the peak of its flavour. This Douglas of Drumlanrig Mortlach 9 year old is one of only 381 bottles, distilled in November 2005 and bottled in April 2014 from a refill hogshead.

Mortlach 9 year old Was £63 Now £45 Click here to buy

Talisker 5 year old Was £72 Now £55 Click here to buy

Caol Ila 17 year old Was £129 Now £85 Click here to buy

Arran 18 year old Was £120 Now £85 Click here to buy

The nights are fair drawing in and so what better time of year to think about a comforting dram. I’ll soon set about the task of writing my Christmas cards for friends and family and I usually have a wee libation to keep me going. The last few months have been a whirl of distillery visits and tastings so here is a round up to distract you.

CLICK HERE!

Thank you for your support over the year and wish you all a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year in 2015.

Annabel

A STORM BREWING: NEW RARE PAIRINGS RELEASED!

The clouds are ominous, the wind is getting stronger, a few snow flakes drift close. Looks like a storm on the horizon. Has a distant butterfly flapped its wings? No. We think it might be our fault. You loved last week’s unique Japanese bottlings enough to scoop them up in minutes. We scoured the warehouse and found just a handful more from distilleries 119 & 120. Will it be enough to cause its own weather system? Log on to find out. Plus, there’s heart-warming value to be had with a pair of rarely seen Irish bottlings, gifting galore with Santa’s Sophisticated Set (two of them are 29!) and medal winners from the Independent Bottlers’ Challenge. But hurry on inside, it’s cold out there and the bottles are starting to blow away…

Snow-capped Japanese Peaks Pair

119.14

Raspberry imperial stout

Deep, rich & dried fruits
11 years old
First fill bota corta
£155.00

120.7

Sweet, fragrant and satisfying

Deep, rich & dried fruits
14 years old
First fill butt
Exclusive to the pair

Only £289 BUY >

Glinting Irish Icicles Pair

117.5

Smouldering, brooding and alluring

Deep, rich & dried fruits
22 years old
Refill ex-sherry hogshead
£251.10

118.3

Self-assured, buxom and rewarding

Spicy & sweet
22 years old
Second fill ex-bourbon barrel
Exclusive to the pair

Only £329 BUY >

Santa’s Sophisticated Set

26.105

Bumblebees by the sea

Light & delicate
29 years old
Refill ex-sherry butt
Exclusive to the pair

30.78

A warming comfort blanket

Old & dignified
23 years old
Refill ex-bourbon hogshead
£87.20

35.103

The Great Easter Bake Off

Old & dignified
29 years old
Refill ex-sherry butt
£124.60

Only £249 & 55 trios available! BUY >

Browse New Bottlings>
Browse All Bottlings>

Last orders for Christmas delivery midday Friday 19 December.

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

Paul & Liz Visit Speside Distillery (PART 1)

The private whisky tasting was hosted by Exel Wines of Perth, a really good whisky shop with many hard to find whiskies lying about on the shelves!

It was given by Paul Dempsey, Commercial Manager, Speyside Distillers Company Ltd.

We were taken through three drams, the TENNE, Latin for Tawny, as it is a Port finish, and – beautiful! I better start from the start … When we say Speyside Distillery there are many that simply think of the region. This is THE Speyside Distillery, a wee thing down by Kingussie. This is a distillery that together with it’s owner company Harveys of Edinburgh had bags of stories to tell whilst we enjoyed a dram of their 12 year Old, 18 Year Old and the Tenne (Tawny style). Along with a selected few (including our guest Drew, from Phoenix Arizona) we sampled all three. My favourites of the evening were the Tenne and the 18 year old, how do I try and tell you what they were like? I won’t, I shall let you just try and find them for yourself, but be quick, limited supply at limited outlets – more on that later. For example, the 18yo; comes dressed in a nice looking tube, with certificate, a limited batch of only 1500 worldwide! I came away with number 883. When you see the photos you will see what I mean by dressed, the bottles are also real “lookers”. To say we had 3 tastings would be a lie, aye there were 3 bottles, but we tasted each more than once! I also came away with sample bottles courtesy of Paul.

A good evening? Aye, too right! This story will continue as I get to the distillery next week, then interview the CEO shortly afterwards. So watch this space…

Paul & Liz Visit Speyside Distillery (PART 2)

Speyside Distillery – a wee story narrated by Paul. Friday December 5^th.

Liz and Paul where invited up to the distillery for a show around and chat with Distillery Manager Sandy Jamieson.  Sandy knew we were coming up and was ready for us at 11am. We arrived relaxed and looking forward to our meeting, driving down from Elgin where we had stayed the night before. A beautiful December Friday, a good drive ending up at Kingussie, where we stopped for a wee tea and scone, then driving past Ruthven Barracks down a winding country road, we found the entrance drive.

The Speyside distillery is located in Drumguish, close to Kingussie.  We had mentioned our trip to a few people and they were under the impression the distillery would be in Dufftown, Elgin or similar location –  as the name suggested. However, it is located near the source of the Spey. It produces the Spey single malt and Drumguish single malt. The distillery was founded in 1962 by George Christie. It was built by hand by George Christie over the next decades, and was finished in 1987. It took another three years until whisky production started in 1990.

Upon arrival we were greeted by Sandy, a quick chat, then a few quick questions for him, we retired to his office. The two pot stills are some of the smallest in Scotland. The Glenspey mash tun was the very last one fitted by Newmill engineering before they closed down. Though small the distillery can produce 600,000 litres of alcohol per annum. The distillery is the most southern on Speyside and takes its water directly from the River Tromie.

Whilst Paul was talking, Liz tried a dram; an unaged malt called Drumguish – I must say, it was not here favourite, but, as she said, it would be a good entry level single malt for a beginner. “SANDY how long have you worked in the whisky industry?” I have been here since 2013, prior to that I started out in 1979, working for various companies including Diageo. I am now manager at Spey. “HOW MANY PEOPLE WORKING HERE?” Myself, 2 others and a tractor driver, on a two rota shift.  “HOW DO YOU CASK THE WHISKY?” We have a tanker taking 16,000 litres of new spirit every 8 days to our warehouses in Glasgow.

By now both Liz and Paul were looking round Sandy’s “office”, a delightful loft space, with drinks cupboard, desk, table and chairs, a row of Highland Dress – kilts, jackets, shoes etc – begging the question … “do you look after a pipe band?”  These are held here to give some notion of feeling Scottish to special guests – namely a party from Asia recently, who all donned the kilt! (see facebook; SPEY Whisky).  Liz was on her second dram, so Sandy suggested looking over the distillery, so we did! A small set up with a pair of stills, all equipment housed in one space, a nice old stone building, reminding Paul of a kirk (church). Sandy took us outside – a really nice, country setting, complete with river and waterwheel, to a bothy where drinks could be found! Another old stone building with a lime-washed interior, where we could see the range of the drams made here.  It didnee stop here, another wee room located under his office was the dram room, superb wee room neither Liz nor Paul wanted to leave. Here, Sandy explained more on the distillery history, drams and plans whilst Liz accepted large drams of – how shall I say this? Many excellent whiskies, more than we normally have offered, Paul meantime was the driver, looking on enviously – Sandy did give him a wee sample to take with him, so not all was lost!  Time to mention here; Paul had previously sampled the drams at a private tasting days before.  By now Liz was having a ball, smiling far too much, er … time to go Liz, leave sandy to his work. BUT – before we left, a wee book each Scotch Missed, autographed by Sandy, sample drams to take home and a bottle of the Tawny Port finish – superb!  Dragging Liz away, we almost made our escape before waving off Sandy, he gave a good handshake, and a hug to Liz, who replied with a kiss. Was it a good visit? What do you think? “Come back anytime” we will to be sure!

www.mcleanscotland.com   www.angelswhiskyclub.com

The Malt Maniacs Awards 2014 Final Results (& The Winners!) will be published tomorrow, 15th December, 2014.

The results may be viewed at www.maltmaniacs.net

We hope you are all well and getting into the festive spirit. Here’s a quick public information notice from TWL… We don’t mean to panic you…but with less than 2 weeks to go we all know only too well that the heat is on for those looking for something for the one who has everything. The person who appears to have tried everything and for whom you have strived to buy something new and exciting every year. What you need is a present that doesn’t cost the Earth but will peak the interest of the most fervent whisky-lover… Well, we have spent years developing our tasting packs in order to satisfy this exact requirement! With four different variants to choose from, there really is something for every whisky lover…

TWL Guide to Whisky – Perfect for those just becoming acquainted with the good stuff.

Only £25 including UK delivery

Worldwide Whiskies – Discover amazing whiskies from all over the world. A real eye-opener!

Just £30 including UK delivery

Fèis Ìle 2014 – A rare chance to try six of the Uber-sought after Islay Fest bottlings. A pack for real peaty connoisseurs.

Just £50 including UK delivery

Rare & Old – As it sounds. Six old and rare whiskies hand-picked by us for you. Put a massive smile on their faces! Just £70 including UK delivery All of these are packed in a small, but beautifully formed TWL box with all of the tasting notes and information needed to get the most out of the tastings. All of this delivered to your door from £25.

That’s it. Nice and easy. Panic over.

There’s plenty more we could tell you about, such as tastings, festivals and vouchers but we’ll keep it short for now! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter – @thewhiskylounge – and like and share our Facebook page to keep bang up to date with the latest news about our events and more. We look forward to seeing you over a dram or two soon.

Sláinte!

Eddie
& Team Whisky Lounge

Chivas 18 Showcases its Spirit of Generosity with New Print Campaign

Chivas 18, one of the world’s leading ultra-premium Scotch whiskies, has unveiled a new global and visually impactful print advertising campaign, “generosity in every drop”, to drive awareness of the expression among modern gentlemen and support its position in the increasingly competitive luxury category.

The striking campaign features Chivas 18 elevated amongst a scene of falling crystal droplets that encapsulate a selection of the blend’s 85 tasting notes and represents an evolution from the brand’s former successful advertising platform, “every taste a new experience”.

The campaign takes inspiration from the brand’s recent collaborations with Pininfarina, the prestigious Italian design company, who created a patented ‘droplet’ shape for the whisky blend that led to the successful launch of three limited editions in 2013 and more recently the delivery of luxury experiences in the on and off trade through ice making tools, which recently launched in November 2014.

To create the adverts, Chivas 18 has worked with a selection of leading craftsmen who embody the brand’s spirit of generosity, brotherhood and luxury. Peter Layton, designer of the crystal droplets depicted, is one of the world’s most widely respected glass artists. He has influenced and nurtured international leading glassmakers and continues to support his professional community by running his studio as a collective at which his peers are free to use the kilns to develop their skills. Popular food stylist Peter Smith and Dan Tobin Smith, a globally acclaimed and contemporary photographer who has shot for Dior and Alexander McQueen, have also collaborated closely to produce this modern campaign.

Richard Black, Global Brand Director for Chivas Regal, comments: “We are thrilled to be launching this campaign, which is not only visually beautiful and contemporary, but will also further support our position in the ultra-premium category by conveying our values of generosity and luxury. Chivas 18 is an award-winning whisky created by Chivas Regal Master Blender Colin Scott, who has crafted our exceptional Scotch blends for over 24 years, and we are certain that the new creative will raise awareness of the expression’s complex and sophisticated flavour profile among whisky enthusiasts and modern gentlemen.”

In support of the campaign, Chivas Regal has created a series of photographs and videos showcasing the creation process of the advert that can be downloaded/watched at http://youtu.be/mPhCupRzgr8 and http://youtu.be/5x4VWJktfEs

The advertising campaign comes in a dynamic year for Chivas Regal, which has seen the brand launch ‘The Venture’, a global competition to win up to $1m funds for promising social entrepreneurs that use enterprise and innovation as a force for good, and the Chivas Masters, a successful global cocktail competition that celebrates the skill of the master bartender.