MAXXIUM UK UNVEILS AN UNRIVALLED SMOKY GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS

Ahead of the key festive season, Maxxium UK has unveiled the Peated Malts of Distinction gift pack which features each whisky from the Beam Suntory portfolio – The Ardmore Legacy, Connemara Original, Bowmore Small Batch and Laphroaig Select – united in one box set for the first time.

Each expression comes as a 50ml bottle and is inserted in an eye-catching box which feature a traditionally cut peat block and also includes a mini-booklet explaining the traditional peated whisky process and the variety of peat flavours present in the range. Launching this month at specialist whisky retailers in the UK, it is aimed at both whisky enthusiasts and consumers looking to explore a unique set of flavour profiles.

Peter Sandstrom, Marketing Director at Maxxium UK said: “The peated malts category is showing strong growth and as distributors of an unrivalled portfolio of peated malts in the UK we’re in a unique position where we can offer customers a variety of taste experiences. The Peated Malts of Distinction gift pack brings together a collection of peated malts for every palate, with each expression boasting its own unique and distinctive smoky flavour.

“From the lightly peated Highland single malt, The Ardmore, which is a perfect introduction to the peated malts category, to the iconic Laphroaig, which is often considered the archetypical Islay peated single malt, the gift pack will provide consumers with a unique taste journey through peated malts.”

Beam Suntory launched the Peated Malts of Distinction in 2014 in order to forge the company’s leading position in the Peated Malts category and educate both consumers and trade on the versatility and variety of taste profiles available.

Peated Malts of Distinction gift will retail at RRP 14.99 and is available at specialist whisky retailers including Royal Mile Whiskies, The Green Welly Stop and The Whisky Exchange.

Notes:

The Ardmore Legacy (ABV 40%)

A lightly peated Highland single malt whisky, The Ardmore has been produced using the same traditional whisky distilling methods since 1898, and is regarded as the perfect entry into peated malts.

The Ardmore is the perfect way to start your peated malt journey.

• Colour: Light honey
• Nose:   Heather Honey with hints of cinnamon and toffee bonbon. Very subtle hints of peat smoke
• Palate:  Creamy vanilla spice gives way to more overt smoky charcoal notes, especially with the addition of water. Smoke doesn’t dominate and    is balanced by the sweet honey and spice          flavours
• Finish: Full bodied, silky mouth feel with a (trademark Ardmore) dry, tangy and lingering aftertaste, coupled with delicious spice notes 

Connemara Original (ABV 40%)

Inspired by Ireland’s ancient distilling traditions, Connemara’s smooth sweet malt taste and complex peat flavours make it a truly Irish whiskey. As the only peated Irish single malt whiskey, Connemara is highly decorated with huge collection of gold medals and has been honoured as the ‘World’s best Irish single malt’.

The smooth and mild peat of Connemara is a balanced step up into the peated malts of distinction.

• Colour: Lightly golden.
• Nose: Smoky peatiness balanced by heather floralness with hints of honey and oak.
• Taste: Silky smooth with a honey sweet start, followed by more complex aromas of malt and fruit giving way to the intensifying full bodied peat. A well-balanced yet complex taste with vanilla oak notes.
• Finish: A long and glorious finish with golden honey notes and deep peat spreading across the mouth and palate. Hints of chocolate vanilla and oak leave a mouth-watering taste! 

Bowmore Small Batch (ABV 40%)

As the first distillery on Islay and one of the oldest in the whole of Scotland, Bowmore is nurtured in the legendary No.1 vaults, and widely acknowledged to be among the finest and most perfectly-balanced malts in the world.

Bowmore Small Batch is exclusively matured in first and second fill ex-bourbon cask, then blissfully married together, exhibiting the best qualities of both.

This combination of sweetness, subtle spices and peaty smokiness leads to a more intense peated malts experience.

• Colour: Warm gold
• Nose: Vanilla fudge, sea air and peat smoke, balanced beautifully by honeycomb and cinnamon spice
• Palate: Mouth-watering citrus, gentle saltiness and vanilla with flakes of coconut
• Finish: Wispy smoke, bourbon vanilla and lime finish 

Laphroaig Select (ABV 40%)

The Island of Islay is situated on the rugged west coast of Scotland, a beautiful yet uncompromising place at the mercy of the sea, wind and rain. In the corner of the island is a distillery in a special place, a “beautiful hollow by the broad bay” or in Gaelic “Laphroaig”. The Laphroaig distillery was founded here in 1815, and is viewed as the archetypical Islay peated single malt.

Laphroaig is the ultimate peat experience and a must for any peated malts journey.

• Colour: Full sparkling gold
• Nose: Burning embers of peat in a crofter’s fireplace, hints of coconut and banana aromas
• Body: Full bodied
• Palate: Deep, complex and smoky yet offers and surprises the palate with a gentle sweetness
• Finish: Really long, dry with smoke and spice

About Maxxium UK

Maxxium UK Limited is part of the global sales and distribution alliance between Beam Inc and The Edrington Group. Its portfolio of premium spirits includes: The Famous Grouse, Teacher’s and Cutty Sark blended Scotch; Highland Park, Laphroaig and The Macallan single malts; Courvoisier cognac; Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon. In addition Maxxium has premium brands across a number of other drinks categories including Sourz, Brugal, After Shock, Sauza and Harveys. Maxxium UK also represents third-party drinks brands including Stolichnaya vodka, Bols liqueurs, Galliano and The Glenrothes.

For further information on our brands and how to enjoy them log on to www.mixxit.co.uk 

About Beam Suntory Inc.

As the world’s third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the flagship Jim Beam bourbon and Yamazaki Japanese whisky, as well as world renowned premium brands including Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek bourbons, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher’s,  Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur.  The company generates annual worldwide sales exceeding $4 billion excluding excise taxes.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and entrepreneurial culture. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan.  For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.