Renewal of Open Championship Sponsorship Continuing as The ‘Spirit of The Open’

Over 150 whiskies lined up for 2015 festival in Birmingham

• Whisky Birmingham 2015 set for 7 March 2015 at The Bond in Digbeth
• Festival doubled in size this year, going from 200 visitors in 2013, to 400 in 2014
• 600 tickets have now been released for the 2015 festival
• Leading whisky brands including Laphroaig, Buffalo Trace and Chivas Regal confirmed
• Whisky growing in popularity locally, driven by specialist shops and increased stocking in bars

England’s biggest whisky festival outside London will return for a third year in 2015, with over 150 whiskies to be exhibited by a host of distributors including Pernod Ricard and Maxxium.

Organisers have now released 600 tickets for the one-day event at The Bond on 7^th March, with over 100 tickets already snapped up in the Christmas gift-buying rush.

Whisky Birmingham 2015 will see whisky enthusiasts and novices gather to taste, try and buy from over 25 whisky brands and retailers at The Bond, a historic canalside venue in Digbeth.

This time the festival will grow to take over two exhibition spaces. Visitors will be able to sample over 150 whiskies from respected brands and distilleries, including Laphroaig, Buffalo Trace, Macallan and Chivas Regal.

Whisky Birmingham is the brainchild of Amy Seton, founder of the Birmingham Whisky Club. She explained the reason for expanding the event in 2015:

“ The festival has taken off brilliantly, and it’s thanks to the great reception Birmingham has given it. People are really interested in learning about whisky, exploring different drams and coming to have a relaxed time. The proof has really come in the run-up to Christmas – I’ve seen many more people buying tickets this year as gifts for whisky lovers.”

While Scotland may be the spirit’s traditional heartland, the festival will also play host to whisky from around the world, including Penderyn from Wales, and Paul John, distilled in India.

A series of whisky-matching masterclasses is due to be announced early next year. The 2014 festival saw local artisans pair whisky with chocolate, cheese and cigars.

A casual Beginner’s Guide session will provide whisky novices with an introduction to the drink, giving pointers on how to nose and taste a dram.

Birmingham’s whisky scene has seen something of a surge this year, with the launching of whisky collections by venues like The Plough, as well as the opening of Hard to Find Whisky, a specialist shop selling rare bottles costing up to £35,000.

Jason Kirby, founder of Hard To Find Whisky, thinks that whisky in Birmingham is on the up:

 “I decided to open Hard To Find Whisky here because there’s a growing demand for good quality whisky. Bars and pubs are stocking wider selections, and the city’s central location helps attract whisky lovers from around the country to discover the growing scene here.”

The Whisky Birmingham 2015 festival will take place on 7 March 2015 at The Bond. Tickets have been released and are available at the official website.

Whisky Ramblings Via Video #101

Mark Dermul, Belgian Whiskyblogger, tries the latest limited release from Auchentoshan, a 25 Year Old beauty from 1988. It matured for 8 years on bourbon casks before it was transferred to red wine casks for a finish of no less than 17 years, the longest in the industry. This is more a double maturation than a finish, in my book. Auchentoshan is one of the few distilleries that really succeeds in getting the red wine cask finish right. The delicate nature of the triple distilled spirit no doubt has a lot to do with that. Oh, and did I tell you that it is a beauty, yet? Yes, it is!

http://youtu.be/fQobOF1E4bI

JANUARY EVENTS

New List Open Tasting, 19 Greville St, London – Sat 10 Jan

Steak & Whisky Tasting, 19 Greville St, London – Mon 12 Jan

The Ultimate 2014 Highlights Tasting, 28 Queen St, Edinburgh – Tue 13 Jan

New Members’ Tasting, 19 Greville St, London – Tue 20 Jan

Rabbie Burns Tasting and Dinner, 28 Queen St, Edinburgh – Thu 22 Jan

Keswick Members Tasting, Middle Ruddings Country Inn, Keswick – Sat 24 Jan

Up Helly Aa, 19 Greville St, London – Tue 27 Jan

Aberdeen Preview Tasting, Caledonian Thistle Hotel, Aberdeen – Thu 29 Jan

Dunfermline Preview Tasting, Garvock House Hotel, Dunfermline – Fri 30 Jan

Glasgow Preview Tasting, Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow- Sat 31 Jan​

Browse All Tastings

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

John Dewar & Sons Launches “Last Great Malts” Collection: New Expressions and Never-Before-Released Single Malts

GLASGOW, Scotland, Sept. 24, 2014 – John Dewar & Sons Ltd., one of the most respected names in the world of Scotch whisky, today announced plans to release a range of new expressions and never-before-released single malts – the hidden gems of its single malt portfolio. This bold move, unprecedented in recent years, will introduce a treasure trove of top-shelf whiskies to consumers around the world.

The distinguished drams of ABERFELDY®, AULTMORE®, CRAIGELLACHIE®, THE DEVERON® and ROYAL BRACKLA® are launched under the title of the “Last Great Malts,” each with a compelling story and character.

For generations, these distinctive whiskies have been distilled and left to mature undisturbed in oak casks. Now, at last, whisky aficionados the world over will be able to taste the single malts from these distilleries in their authentic form. “The single malt category is one of our industry’s great growth opportunities. We are blessed with five of Scotland’s finest, high-quality whiskies,” says John Burke, dark spirits category director. “We have great respect for the category and are confident that each of the Last Great Malts will be a fitting addition to the repertoire of the most discerning single malt enthusiast.”

The “Last Great Malts”
ABERFELDY, known as the “Golden Dram,” draws its water from the Pitilie Burn. Pure and fresh, its waters are famed for containing deposits of alluvial gold. The dram is much admired for its honey notes, displaying a classic Central Highland style rarely tasted in single malts today. Named “Highland Whisky of the Year 2014” by Whisky Magazine, ABERFELDY is repackaged and available globally as a 12-year-old and a 21-year-old, with an 18-year-old exclusively available in Travel Retail. The Company plans to launch a 16-year-old sherry finish and a 30-year-old in 2015.

AULTMORE is a rare Speyside malt known locally as “a nip of the Buckie Road.” The distillery’s water filters down through the misty, mysterious area called the Foggie Moss. AULTMORE is rated top-class and is a dram sought after for its gentle grassy notes. AULTMORE will be available from November with a 12- year-old, a 21-year-old in Travel Retail, and a 25-year-old in limited quantities.

CRAIGELLACHIE has released a portfolio of single malts for the first time in history. The distillery stays true to its traditions of whisky-making, including the use of worm tubs – so called for their coiled copper tubing – to cool the spirit. A challenging Speyside whisky, it was described as “old-fashioned” even in 1891 as it makes no concessions to modern-day trends. Single malt fans appreciate CRAIGELLACHIE for its remarkable sulphuric, savoury, meaty character. CRAIGELLACHIE makes its way from the distillery doors this month, with a 13-year-old, 17-year-old, a travel retail exclusive 19-year-old, and a limited 23-year-old.

Coming in summer 2015, THE DEVERON, a new range of 12-, 18- and 25-year-old single malts, made where the River Deveron meets the open seas. Offering “calm from the storm,” it’s the perfect fireside malt. Soft fruity notes combine with an easy drinking style to make THE DEVERON a favourite with the work force of the distillery.

With a previous limited edition release of a 35-year-old £10,000 (US$15,000) a bottle, ROYAL BRACKLA is a truly regal malt. Founded in 1812, in the northern Highlands, it hails from the first distillery bestowed with a royal warrant and has since been lauded as “The King’s Own Whisky.” Heavily sherried, rich, fruity and full, ROYAL BRACKLA is a fine dram to savour as it slowly reveals its complexity. To be released in March as 12-year-old, 16-year-old and 21-year-old expressions.

“We have been patiently reserving casks and we are now ready to share the five distinguished malts with whisky lovers around the world – each release features an age statement,” adds Stephen Marshall, single malts global marketing manager. “Up until now, these amazing liquids have been Scotland’s best-kept secret, known only to a few. Now we’re appealing to single malt drinkers – people who like stories and enthusiasts who are interested in exploring the aromas of the world’s most complex spirit.”

Market Availability
The single malts, which will be released in phases, will be available as a complete set of five or in various combinations of the expressions in 10 initial markets around the world including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States and Global Travel Retail.

The first public showing of the Last Great Malts single malt Scotch collection will be at the Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival starting September 25 (2014).

For more information on the new single malt expressions, the five distilleries, tasting notes, crafting, and heritage, please visit http://www.LastGreatMalts.com.

About John Dewar & Sons Ltd.
John Dewar & Sons Ltd. employs 300 people at seven locations throughout Scotland. The Company currently operates whisky distilleries in Aberfeldy, Macduff, Aultmore, Craigellachie and Nairn with ageing, blending, bottling and packaging facilities in Glasgow and additional maturation facilities in Poniel in Central Scotland.

The single malt brands of ABERFELDY®, AULTMORE®, CRAIGELLACHIE®, THE DEVERON® and ROYAL BRACKLA® are part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

Whisky Intelligence is publishing this press release later than the original publication date in an effort to play catch up during this traditionally slow news period.

WMTV reviews Bunnahabhain 23 Year Old 

The Rare Casks

Last time a Pierre tasted a whisky from AW’s, The Rare Casks series he got pretty excited. Find out what he thinks of this Bunnahabhain from the same range…

Distilled in 1989, this special malt was aged in a refill bourbon barrel for 23 years before being bottled at natural cask strength of 44% vol. As with the 1st release only 96 bottles have been filled and made available for this limited edition release.

Bunnahabhain 23 Year Old / The Rare Casks is available here for only £72.95

TOP PICKS

• Kininvie 23 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey 375ml (one bottle limit) ($149.99) These are 375ml half bottles of 23 year old Kininvie aged in both sherry and hogshead barrels. Very rare and almost never bottled as a single malt, Kininvie is a tiny distillery located behind Balvenie, originally started by William Grant’s daughter. Strict one bottle limit per customer.

• Highland Park “Dark Origins” Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($79.99) A darker, richer Highland Park that’s aged in twice as many first-fill sherry butts as the standard 12 year bottling.

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

    Ardbeg 1977

£395.83 ex VAT £475.00 inc VAT

 46% ABV | 70cl

Unveiling the World’s First ‘Crowd-Sourced’ Whisky – Glenmorangie Taghta

Caermory Whisky are delighted to announce the release of their 21 year old single malt. This single cask bottling was specially selected and is at cask strength (48.2%vol). Available directly from Caermory whisky or from selected retailers. The stockists are Blue Otter – Hitchin, Rollings  -Harpenden, Whisky.co.uk – York, The Vine King  – Reigate, Dram Shop – Sheffield, Milroys – London and The Blue Glass – Bedford.

www.caermorywhisky.co.uk