FOUR LOCAL CHARITIES CHOSEN BY CHIVAS BROTHERS EMPLOYEES

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, is today awarding a combined £20,000 to four charities across the UK as part of its ongoing commitment to build strong relations with the local communities where it operates.

Each year, Chivas Brothers’ 1,600 employees across four regions collectively select their favourite causes to support, with each charity receiving a £5,000 donation. The chosen charities for 2016 are:

• Macmillan Cancer Support in the West of Scotland (Paisley, Glasgow and Ayrshire)

o   A £5,000 donation ensures that a Macmillan nurse is able to give in-home support for people living with cancer for a whole month

• Beatson Cancer Charity (Dunbartonshire)

o   A £5,000 donation will support the charity’s pioneering work, which supports the 8,000 new patients and their families who attend the cancer centre every year.

• Alzheimer Scotland (Northern Scotland region)

o   A £5,000 donation will support the charity’s work across Aberdeenshire and Moray through initiatives such as dementia cafes, carer groups and the Aberdeen Dementia Resource Centre

• Jake McCarthy Foundation (London and Plymouth region)

o   Last year’s £5,000 contributed to The Wall of Hope, a symbol of the ongoing aim to eradicate brain cancer, with each brick representing one day of research for glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of malignant brain tumour

Jennie Norrish, Head of Communications at Chivas Brothers, said: “It is a great pleasure to announce the four charities that our employees have chosen to support this year. We are dedicated to being a part of the communities where our employees live and work, and therefore to support this incredibly worthy cause that is so close to the hearts of our workforce across the country. The Charity of the Year initiative is a great opportunity for Chivas Brothers to give back to our local communities.”

For the second consecutive year, Hammersmith, Kennington and Plymouth sites voted for The Jake McCarthy Foundation, which was set up in memory of the brother of an employee and aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of brain tumours to help ensure early diagnosis.

Josh McCarthy (pictured), Senior Brand Manager for Chivas Brothers, is Jake’s brother. He said: “I’m thrilled that the Jake McCarthy Foundation has been chosen as 2016 Charity of the Year. Chivas Brothers has such a warm, welcoming community of people and their compassion and support for our cause just showcases the kind-hearted nature of the people I’m lucky enough to work with each day.

“It is obviously a cause extremely close to my heart and with brain tumours still responsible for more cancer deaths in under 40s than any other illness, the support amongst such a big business like this helps our cause enormously. This partnership helps us to fund further research into the disease as well as get support from a wide community of people.”

The annual charity vote is just one of a number of initiatives that Chivas Brothers’ employees can take part in throughout the year, including a ‘doubling-up scheme’ where the company matches funds raised for good causes by workers in their spare time.

Notes:

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s No.2 in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the world’s No.2 single malt whisky; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.
www.chivasbrothers.com
@ChivasNewsRoom

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 8,558 million in 2014/15. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier- Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, Graffigna and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 85 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40index.
www.pernod-ricard.com

GET BIDDING THIS WEEKEND!

Our current auction is in full swing and we’ve already seen a lot of interest in some of the rarest bottles.

This weekend is the perfect opportunity to take a look at the hundreds of items listed in our auction.

CHIVAS BROTHERS’ NORTHERN SCOTLAND EMPLOYEES DONATE TO ALZHEIMER SCOTLAND

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, is today awarding £5,000 to Alzheimer Scotland after employees across its Northern Scotland operations voted in their droves to support the charity.

Each year, Chivas Brothers’ staff select their favourite causes to support as part of the company’s commitment to build strong relations with the local communities where it operates. As the leading dementia organisation in the region, Alzheimer Scotland provides a wide range of specialist services for people with dementia and their carers. A £5,000 donation will support the charity’s work across Aberdeenshire and Moray through initiatives such as dementia cafes, carer groups and the Aberdeen Dementia Resource Centre.

“On behalf of Alzheimer Scotland, I would like to thank everyone at Chivas Brothers for supporting our charity”, said Andrea Watt, Aberdeen-based Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer Scotland. “Funds raised will help us to continue to run our new Dementia Resource Centre here on King Street, Aberdeen, plus our various groups and activities across Aberdeenshire and Moray. In addition these vital funds will help ensure we continue to provide dementia advisors and dementia nurse consultants to help people live well with dementia and to make sure that no one faces dementia alone.”

Elma Mackay (pictured), Alzheimer Scotland Community Fundraiser in Inverness, added: “Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s leading dementia charity, offering specialist support services, community activities, information and advice at every stage of the dementia journey, from over 60 locations across Scotland. We depend on generous donations and fundraised income to maintain and develop our work to improve quality of life for the 90,000 people in Scotland with dementia and their carers”.

Jennie Norrish, Head of Communications at Chivas Brothers, said: “It is a great pleasure to announce that our employees have chosen to support Alzheimer Scotland this year. We are dedicated to being a part of the communities where our employees live and work, and therefore to support this incredibly worthy cause that is so close to the hearts of our Northern Scotland workforce. The Charity of the Year initiative is a great opportunity for Chivas Brothers to give back to our local communities.”

Karen McGillivray works for Chivas Brothers at Strathisla Distillery. She said: “My uncle has been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and it’s not until you are faced with conditions like these that you can fully understand and appreciate the work that these charities do, not only for the patient but also for their partners and families. I have read up on all the benefits and effects the work the charity does and appreciate this.”

The donation to Alzheimer Scotland forms part of a £20,000 contribution to four charities across the UK, each representing a region in which Chivas Brothers operates and includes; Alzheimer Scotland, Northern Scotland region; Macmillan Cancer Support West of Scotland, Paisley, Glasgow and Ayrshire; Beatson Cancer Charity, Dunbartonshire; and the Jake McCarthy Foundation, London and Plymouth region.

The annual charity vote is just one of a number of initiatives that Chivas Brothers’ employees can take part in throughout the year, including a ‘doubling-up scheme’ where the company matches funds raised for good causes by workers in their spare time.

Notes:

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s No.2 in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the world’s No.2 single malt whisky; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.
www.chivasbrothers.com
@ChivasNewsRoom

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 8,558 million in 2014/15. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier- Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, Graffigna and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 85 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40index.
www.pernod-ricard.com

Bag one of these new batches!

It’s going to be a big week with the Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 3 limted edition and Aisla Bay Batch 2 from Girvan Distillery both available to order at The Whisky Shop. These new batches are highly sought-after so don’t wait around or you’ll surely miss out!

Free delivery available on all orders over £75 Next day delivery available

The Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 3

The much-anticipated annual release from the Balvenie Distillery, Tun 1509 marries together casks hand-picked by Malt Master, David Stewart MBE, to create a unique expression that possesses those familiar Balvenie characteristics that made previous batches so popular. A whisky of “rich complexity with elegant oaky notes and dried fruits balanced by mellow cinnamon spices and ginger,” as Stewart describes it. “It also has lovely layers of vanilla oak, rich woody spices, dark fruits and a definite sherry character interspersed with elegant honey.”

£280 Buy Now

Ailsa Bay Batch 2

This second batch from Girvan Distillery is a uniquely balanced single malt whisky that refuses to be defined by its geography. A Lowlands expression with a beautifully precise smoky:sweet ratio, this dram defies the traditional Scotch Whisky Region classification. An intense nose with smoky phenol notes balanced with creamy honeyed sweetness followed by smoky bacon. The palate has a zingy, peaty kick and layered sweetness with crispy rashers and a touch of maple syrup, while the finish is big and lingering.

£59.99 Buy Now

Rare Cask Reserves Ghosted Reserves 21 Year Old

William Grant & Sons’ Rare Cask Reserves line presents this 21 year old blended Scotch that contains some very exclusive whisky from long closed distilleries such as Ladyburn, Inverleven and Dumbarton. Inheriting fresh fruity notes from the Dumbarton grain components, light oaky notes and hints of floral blossom from Inverleven, while Ladyburn adds its unique robust flavour profile.

£120 Buy Now

NEW | Benromach 41 Year Old 1974 | Cask #1583

Back in February we blogged about the brand new 35 year old scotch whisky release from Benromach. At the time, one of the oldest expressions to be released from the warehouses of this superb Speyside Distillery. Well, this month, they have only gone and trumped themselves with a brand new release from the warehouse! New in stock here at The Whisky Barrel, is an even older, even wiser single cask scotch whiskey from Benromach……please click here to read the rest of the article.

Tomintoul 1968 – Rare Old

An incredible 1968 Tomintoul aged for approximately 44 years. Aged in refill sherry hogsheads and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail at 45.5% vol, as part of their fantastic Rare Old series.

£582.00

Abbey Whisky Ltd
Dollar, FK14 7AS
United Kingdom

21 Years in the Making

Isle of Arran Distillers Release Anniversary Book  

The award-winning Isle of Arran Distillers, who began whisky production in 1995 for the first time on Arran in almost 160 years, has now reached 21 years of age. As part of the on-going anniversary celebrations, a new book ‘The Arran Malt – An island whisky renaissance’ will be officially released during the popular Malt and Music Festival in Lochranza on the 2^nd July.

A complete account of the history of the distillery, from before it was even an idea in the mind of its creators to the present day, the book is illustrated with archive and contemporary illustrations as well as stunning photography of the distillery’s island home.

Researched by Neil Wilson, the respected whisky writer and one of those who originally purchased a bond in Isle of Arran Distillers, it follows the growth of this much-loved island distillery from its founding directors, Hal Currie and David Hutchison to its current status as one of Scotland’s finest malt whisky producers.

Along the way, Neil has interviewed many of the people who were involved in the company’s development as well as current employees and enthusiasts of the brand to create a true celebration of a the Arran Malt.

As the Isle of Arran Distillery looks forward to the next 21 years, and expansion with a second distillery site on the south of the island at Lagg, ‘The Arran Malt – An island whisky renaissance’ is an essential edition to the whisky lover’s bookshelf.

Soft cover book – £19.99

Hard case book – £29.99

Availble from http://www.arranwhisky.com/, the Lochranza Visitor Centre, Neil Wilson Publishing and Amazon

Notes:

NEIL WILSON is a whisky historian, writer and publisher specialising in the Hebridean distilleries. His other works

include Scotch and Water, The Island Whisky Trail, Ardbeg – Jewel of Islay, The Whisky Map of Scotland and Whisky In Your Pocket. He has also written for Whisky Magazine and is a contributor to www.scotchwhisky.com/

www.nwp.co.uk/

For more information visit http://www.arranwhisky.com/

* Accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007), Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (20070

Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.) ‘Double Gold Award’ for Arran’s 14 Year Old Single Malt and ‘Gold Award’ for Arran’s 10 Year Old Single Malt at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2012). Double Gold in FiftyBest.com awards (2012). Double Gold Medal for the 12 year-old Cask Strength in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2013). Double Gold for both the 10 year-old and 12 year-old Cask Strength at the China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014.

NEIL WILSON (neil@nwp.co.uk)

Neil Wilson is one of Scotland’s most respected publishers and whisky writers. His food and drink imprint, The Angels’ Share, regularly releases new material on the subject, the latest of which is The Arran Malt: An Island Whisky Renaissance. As one of the original investors in Isle of Arran Distillers, having purchased Bond number 0479 in 1994, he jumped at the opportunity to research and write a book on the company’s history when he was asked to do so by MD Euan Mitchell in March 2015. After a year of painstaking research involving interviews with current and past employees, visits to archives and numerous visits to Arran and further afield, he completed the book in May and it will be launched at the annual Arran Music & Malt Festival on 2 July 2106 at Lochranza Distillery, marking its 21^st anniversary.

MORE INFO:

Neil Wilson Publishing Ltd was formed in 1992 and now has over 200 titles in print and Ebook formats, many of them written by award-winning authors such as Jim Perrin, Roger Protz, Trevor Braham (Boardman-Tasker award winner 2004) Catherine Brown, Jim Murray and Wallace Milroy.

Originally a drilling fluids engineer working in the oil business, in the mid-1980s he wrote Scotch and Water (Lochar Publishing, 1985) after a sailing trip around the Hebridean malt whisky distilleries (later revised and reissued as The Island Whisky Trail in 2002) and it was out of this project that his publishing and writing interests grew. Wallace Milroy’s Malt Whisky Almanac, which he co-authored, followed and achieved worldwide sales of 300,000 in seven editions and many languages. Most recently this title was reprised as Whisky In Your Pocket, published by Waverley Books.

He has fostered close relationships with the whisky industry and this has allowed him to work on many projects for a wide spectrum of distillers. He has written and published a five-language book on Ardbeg Distillery for Glenmorangie plc, a cellar book for Glengoyne Distillery, Loch Fyne Whiskies and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and published numerous corporate publications. Included in these are:

The Enduring Legacy of Dewars by Ian Buxton

Glenglassaugh: A Distillery Reborn by Ian Buxton.

Goodness Nose by Richard Paterson and Gavin D. Smith

Glenfarclas 175 by Ian Buxton.

But The Distilleries Went On: The Morrison Bowmore Story by Ian Buxton 

He formed Classic Expressions with Ian Buxton in 2007 to republish rare whisky editions and the result of this was the reissue of books such as Nettleton’s Manufacture of Plain Spirit and Truths About Whiskey amongst others.

He has attended the Diageo Malt Advocates course and is a regular invitee to trade events and new release launches. He has contributed to Whisky Magazine, Wine, Decanter and the national press. He currently writes for www.scotchwhisky.com

Arran tasting – island life

The island distillery of Arran was the inspiration for our latest TWE tasting, hosted by sales manager Louisa Young. Although it was only founded relatively recently – in 1995 – Arran is well known among whisky drinkers, and is currently planning to build a second distillery on the island. We tried five whiskies from Arran’s core range, and the extra treat of choosing our favourite from two cask samples, the winner of which will be bottled as a TWE exclusive later in the year.

The distillery

In Their Own Words – Louisa Young

‘Our founder, Harold Currie, was a bit of a character. While chairman of St Mirren Football Club, he got a phone call in the middle of the night from the new manager, who said he didn’t think he could do the job – it turns out that manager was Sir Alex Ferguson!’

‘When Arran distillery was built in 1995, there were not that many small craft distillers at the time. But now in Scotland, it seems that every single day there’s a new distillery trying to get planning permission’

‘We’ve put in planning permission for a second distillery on Arran, in the far south of the island, where we want to make a heavily peated spirit. And if we get it, it would take the number of distilleries on Arran to two!’

‘“Scotland in miniature” is how Arran is described. Down in the south of the island, it’s like the Lowland region, while up north, it’s more barren with fewer people living up there’

‘Our Cask Finishes range are very popular. We get our Sauternes casks from Suduiraut, our port casks from the Symingtons, and our Amarone casks from Allegrini’

‘Our current distillery manager is from Islay, which might explain why the peating level of our Machrie Moor went up a bit’

WE TASTED

• Arran 10 Year Old – clean and fruity, with peach, melon and orange to the fore
• Arran 14 Year Old – beautiful balance between elegant fruit and rich toffee and sponge cake
• Arran 18 Year Old – spicy Seville oranges, stem ginger, nutmeg and toffee
• Arran Port Cask Finish – clean and refreshing, with just a hint of red-berry fruit
• Arran Machrie Moor (6th Edition) – peated to 20ppm with a kick of bonfire smoke along with a zingy, citrus kick

We then moved on to two Arran cask samples. Both were tasted blind, and – in a TWE first – the voting couldn’t split them. Both whiskies received 17 votes each, so the likelihood is that both will be bottled as TWE exclusives! The first, a 1997 aged in a refill sherry cask, was exceptionally clean and fruity, with plenty of apple, lemon and red-fruit notes. The second, a 2002 matured in a first-fill sherry cask, was bigger and richer, with Christmas-cake spices and savoury notes of cardamom and coriander seed. Keep a look out for them towards the end of the year.

BEST #TWETASTING TWEET

Excellent peaty #whisky 20ppm @Arranwhisky Machrie Moor great balance sweet & peat also in cask strength #twetasting pic.twitter.com/Ob1K7a5gIP

— L E O (@leomcauliffe) June 21, 2016

WHISKY OF THE NIGHT

For me it was the 18 Year Old. The classic Arran fruitiness given extra depth with rich spiciness.

ARRAN 18 YEAR OLD, 46%

Nose: Big, rich aromas of nutmeg, toffee, stem ginger and Seville oranges, with an added note of grilled banana.

Palate: Mouthfilling texture, zingy and spicy, with orange oil and ginger, with a smooth layer of toffee that adds richness.

Finish: The rich fruit and spice linger.

Comment: Absolutely delicious – the fruit and spice are beautifully balanced.

Thanks to Louisa for being an excellent host, and we look forward to trying the whiskies from Arran’s second distillery, which will be heavily peated – very different from the typical Arran style.

You can see the full range of Arran whiskies available at The Whisky Exchange here.

HAPPY CANADA DAY, eh?