Scottish Field Whisky Challenge

You still have time to vote for us in the category of Distillery Visitor Experience in this year’s Scottish Field Whisky Challenge.  Find out more about the awards and vote for us here

GLANN AR MOR DISTILLERY ADAPTS ITSELF AND CONTINUES ITS ACTIVITY

The artisan distillery Glann ar Mor (Celtic Whisky Cie) which produces Kornog and Glann ar Mor whiskies had announced earlier this month on 1st July that it had to stop its activity by 15 August. This decision was coming as a direct result of the new “Whisky Breton” Geographical Indication (GI) laid down this year by the French INAO organization.

This GI, the legitimacy of which is disputed by Glann ar Mor as well as its technical file which defines what a “Whisky Breton” can be or cannot be, is challenging the economic model of the company and in particular its perspectives of development.

Yet, to the great surprise of Martine and Jean Donnay who founded and run the company, the INAO has announced earlier this month through its general manager that “of course” the technical file could be revised. This, whereas Glann ar Mor had been told in September 2014 that any modification was strictly impossible.

If naturally this announcement does not guarantee that the problems resulting from the GI can be forgotten, it represents an opening which is bringing sufficient hope for having Martine and Jean Donnay reconsidering the very difficult decision with such sever consequences they have had to take.

After having taken the full measure of this new element and of the resulting situation, Glann ar Mor has considered that it should be possible after all to continue its activity. Nothing being yet certain for now, in view of the uncertainties to be taken in consideration a cautious approach has to be retained and the company will pursue its activity with a reduced structure which will nevertheless allow the preservation of four jobs out of the six existing one.

For the record, Jean Donnay has proposed by an open letter on July 24Th to the INAO a debate on the theme of the “Whisky Breton” GI. He hopes it will actually take place and will allow to solve in a positive and satisfying manner for Glann ar Mor and for the future of the company the problems which this GI raise.

Facebook : Kornog Whisky

Twitter : KORNOGWHISKY@Glannarmor

VAULTS EXCLUSIVE BOTTLING

This month sees us celebrating the Edinburgh Festival. We’re making The Vaults our calm oasis by releasing an exclusive bottling, only available at our Leith Members’ Rooms:

63.31 Green grow the rushes oh!
Baked stone fruits sprinkled with rosewater and pistachio, fresh pine and beeswax polish. Cooling lychee and cucumber, breezy jasmin. Fresh kiwi, gooseberry and wet slate. Crisp green apple and lime pastilles, warm brown paper, fresh laundry and mint cornetto. “As refreshing as rain on a summers day”
Flavour profile: Old & dignified
Age: 25 years
Outturn: 1 of 168 bottles
Cask: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
Only £80.00!

Available to buy at The Vaults from 11.30am
Friday 7 August

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

Cask No. 128.5                               $115

As purple as Prince!

Wales

The whisky formally known as Scotch had turned into something very different! Rasp-beret ripple ice cream, Creamola Foam and frappuccino flounced across the nose before cinnamon rye, cherry drops and chambord pushed their way in. At full volume it went lovesexy with blackcurrant cassis, Body Shop dewberry bubblebath and raspberry compote. Frangipane tart and warm oiled leather lingered behind the berry explosion. The texture was viscous and crunchy like croutons in expensive olive oil. Reduced, blackcurrant took the guise of Pop Tarts, Solero iced lollies, Lockets and bramble cranachan topped with Mr Whippy ice cream. Let’s go crazy!

Drinking tip: When you want to go from blue to purple

Colour: Creme Catalan

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 9 years

Date distilled: January 2006

Alcohol: 60.2%

USA allocation: 102 bottles

Flavour profile: Sweet, fruity & mellow 

Cask No. 48.42                       $105

Grown-Up Ice Lollies

Speyside, Spey

Soothing, innocent and fresh at first nose, the panel was overcome with chamomile, agave syrup, lavender, cherry blossom and desiccated coconut: ‘like a glimmer of sunlight shining through a dewy forest’ one announced. This freshness carried through to the palate with sweet butter pastry, real lemonade, fizzy green apple sweets and gooseberries. Slightly hot, yet very refreshing and thirst-quenching. A little water turned the dram into a variety of homemade summer ice-lollies: blackcurrant, pear, melon, eucalyptus and clementine – take your pick! Strawberry yoghurt, lemon sherbet, green grapes and croissants with lime jam to finish. A refreshing afternoon treat!

Drinking tip: When you need a summer refreshment – add a drop of water for a juicy-fruit flavour explosion

Colour: Oaked Chardonnay

Cask: First-fill barrel

Age: 10 years

Date Distilled: November 2002

Alcohol: 56.7%

USA allocation: 90 bottles

Flavour profile: Sweet, fruity & mellow

Cask No. 35.111                     $125

A chalet girls dram

Speyside, Lossie

With this whisky the panel were transported to an alpine cabin. On the nose they fancied pork crackling with red currant jelly and tom yam paste. Rich sherried notes of creme brulee and ginger snaps. One was reminded of hot ski wax. To taste they found a meaty feast of biltong, pate on rye toast and coq au vin. It was as if a pan had been deglazed with Grand Marnier or trappist beer. With water, hot chocolate and tangerines in brandy developed. A leather pig skin football was kicked about. A curious and quirky dram.

Drinking tip: Apres ski

Colour: Rich copper

Cask: Refill Chardonnay hogshead

Age: 12 years

Date distilled: November 2001

Alcohol: 59.3%

USA allocation: 90 bottles

Flavour profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits

Cask No. 53.216                             $175

BBQ in pine-clad dunes

Islay

After the bonfire in the hospital car park we went to the pine-clad dunes and started the barbeque for our dinner consisting of honey glazed smoke ham, gammon steak, whole mackerel with lemon, oregano, olives and Ayrshire new potatoes with sour cream and parsley. The taste neat therefore no surprise, sweet cured ham, pork sausages and a lingering mild sweet peat smoke. With water the food turned into steamed mussels and cockles, Arbroath Smokies and herring salad in a sour cream sauce. The taste now sweet and juicy like a grilled gammon steaks with caramelised pineapple slices.

Drinking tip: For your evening barbeque by the sea

Colour: Polished soprano saxophone

Cask: Refill butt

Age: 21 years

Date distilled: July 1993

Alcohol: 60.6%

USA allocation: 90 bottles

Flavour profile: Lightly peated

Please visit http://www.smwsa.com/ for more information.

New Tastings

1. Lost in Translation Summer Edition – Japanese Whisky including Taketsuru 25 Year!  – 6PM Thursday August 13 – $50
2. Very Rare Malts in the Summer – Exceptionally rare Scotch whisky! – 6PM Thursday August 20 – $125
3. Best of Bourbon – Hunter & Bourbon, need we say more! – 6PM Thursday August 27 –$30

Register in store, online or over the phone!

Kensington Wine Market

1257 Kensington Road NW Calgary Alberta T2N 3P8

P. 403.283-8000 Toll Free. 888.283.9004

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Ardbeg 15 Year Old

We rarely see indy’ Ardbeg. This week two have come along! The 15 Year Old 2000 Chieftan’s and 19 Year Old 1995 Dun Bheagan

Buy – $166.61

Whisky of the Month

Why not celebrate summer with a refreshing cocktail with a twist featuring our Whisky of the Month? The Black Grouse is available to buy online and in our distillery shop for £17.99. Why not give it a try?

PRESENTING THE FAMOUS GROUSE HOUSE  

Promising to turn the world of whisky on its head, The Famous Grouse House is coming to Edinburgh’s International Festival Fringe this August 2015 (Thursday 6^th August – Sunday 30^th August). Situated in the central hub of the capital’s festival entertainment, the destination pop up bar will land on George Street, where visitors will be transported to a whisky-infused world where drams and cocktails will be brought to life like never before.

The Famous Grouse House will play host to hundreds of thousands of visitors and performers from across the globe as part of the Universal Arts Festival at New Town Theatre. Located just outside this popular festival venue, on the pedestrian friendly section of George Street, The Famous Grouse House will be open from 11:00am to midnight, seven days a week throughout the month of August, providing the perfect spot to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the festival.

Johna Penman, Marketing Controller, The Famous Grouse commented: “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival, transforming one of the most beautiful cities into a stage for three exhilarating weeks attracting the most colourful performers from the world of arts for everyone.  It’s the perfect place to enjoy Scotland’s No.1 selling Blended Scotch Whisky, The Famous Grouse, taking in the atmosphere of the festival! Visitors to The Famous Grouse House can try mixing it up with The Famous Grouse and Ginger – a refreshing long serve over ice with a wedge of orange – perfect for festival summer days.”

Reflecting its Scottish heritage, quality and personality The Famous Grouse House will offer festival goers a month of live music, laughter, surprises, dancing, sunshine, whisky barrel leaning and vintage themed fun.

The venue will play host to some of Scotland’s best up and coming music acts, as well as musical fringe performances from all over the globe, including ‘Nina Simone Black Diva Power’ all the way from Australia, ‘Ticket to Bollywood’ from India as well as Edinburgh’s local heroes ‘Indigo Velvet’ taking to The Famous Grouse House Stage. With critically acclaimed new music, a festival vibe and a fresh sense of fun, there’s no better place for a famous gathering!

The Famous Grouse House is open daily from the 6th to 30th August, from 11am until midnight, situated outside New Town Theatre, 96 George Street, as part of the Universal Arts Festival.

Please enjoy our drink responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk

For more information visit http://www.famousgrouse.com/. For the latest news follow on twitter @TheFamousGrouse or Facebook at: TheFamousGrouseUK  #famousforareason

NOTES 

The Famous Grouse (http://www.thefamousgrouse.com/)

• The Famous Grouse is the no. 1 whisky in UK and no. 5* standard blended whisky worldwide (*IWSR data 2013).
• The Famous Grouse has been the best-selling whisky in the home of Scotch whisky, Scotland since 1980.
• The Famous Grouse is exported to over 100 countries.
• Created in 1896 by founder Matthew Gloag, it was originally called The Grouse Brand.

• The brand became so popular that on August 12^th 1905 it was renamed The Famous Grouse.
• The Famous Grouse Experience is located at Scotland’s oldest working distillery – Glenturret. Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience is the most visited distillery in Scotland.(www.thefamousgrouse.com/experience) 

About Maxxium UK

• Maxxium is the distributor of The Famous Grouse and Famous Ginger Grouse in the UK.
• The Famous Grouse portfolio includes: The Famous Grouse, The Black Grouse, The Naked Grouse and Famous Ginger Grouse.
• Maxxium UK Ltd is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Suntory and Edrington Group.
• Its UK portfolio of premium brands includes: blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse, Teacher’s and Cutty Sark), malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan, The Glenrothes and Ardmore), imported whiskey (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Canadian Club, Red Stag), cognac and brandy (Courvoisier and Fundador), sherry (Harveys), vodka (Stolichnaya), tequila (Sauza), rum (Brugal and Cruzan), liqueurs and specialities (Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano, Vaccari, After Shock)

Malt of the Month: Aberfeldy 12 Year Old

The start of August means it’s time for our new Malt of the Month. This time, we’ve chosen a lighter and summery whisky: Aberfeldy 12 Year Old, and have knocked £4.50 off the usual price – it’s now just £29.95.

Historically, Aberfeldy flew under the radar. Known to whisky connoisseurs and blenders, it wasn’t easy to find. That changed when Bacardi purchased John Dewar & Sons from Diageo in 1998, with the 12 Year Old released the following year. Much of the distillery’s production is used for Dewar’s White Label, just as it was when it opened in 1898. So important is Aberfeldy in the blend, that a new visitors centre opened at the start of the millennium, named Dewar’s World of Whisky.

Relaunched and repackaged as part of the Last Great Malts of Scotland range in late 2014, Aberfeldy 12 Year Old is a superb easy-drinking whisky. Predominantly aged in ex-bourbon casks, this is known for being one of the sweetest single malts, with a characteristic honeyed note and a rich, mouthfilling texture.

Aberfeldy 12 Year Old, 40%

Nose: Rich and intense with aromas of honey, pineapple, red apple and a hint of toffee and sweet cinnamon spice.

Palate: Unctuous texture; cinnamon and nutmeg intermingle with dry honey, apple, orange, vanilla and a hint of smoke.

Finish: Dry and medium-long with lingering nutmeg.

Comment: A whisky that gets it just right; light enough for an everyday drinker, but with enough complexity for sippers and those who like to think about their whiskies, too.

A perfect whisky for the warmer weather, it’s only £29.95 for the whole month of August – £4.50 off the usual price. It’s hard to find a malt of this quality for under £30 nowadays, so this is a great time to stock up.

Canada – Bourbon and Rye

• Whistle Pig “Boss Hog” 13 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey 750ml (2 bottle limit – ships as 1.5L) – 5 available ($174.99)

Scotland – Single Malt Scotch

• Balvenie 17 Year Old Doublewood Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 9 available ($125.99)

• Glendronach Cask Strength Batch #3 Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($89.99)

• Smokehead Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 6 available ($52.99)

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Angel’s Envy 100 Proof Rye Whiskey 750ml (one bottle limit) – 2 available ($67.99)

• Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon 750ml (oversized bottle, ships as 1.5L) ($46.99)

• Michter’s Limited Release US 1 Barrel Strength Rye 750ml – 2 available ($79.99)

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