GLENFARCLAS NAMED “BEST DISTILLERS’ SINGLE MALT”

AT SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

Glenfarclas whiskies win six top medals, including two Double Gold

            NEW ORLEANS, lA.  (April 27, 2016) – Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch was distinguished as “Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch –No Age Statement” at the 16th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition where a record-breaking 1,899 entries were submitted for a blind tasting.

Thirty-nine of the industry’s finest spirits experts reviewed each entry before ultimately awarding Glenfarclas whiskies a total of six top medals, including two Double Gold Medals and the designation of “Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch.”

Medal winners:

Double Gold

• Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years

Gold

• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 17 Years

Silver

• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years
• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 25 Years

“It is an honor to be recognized among the best of this competition,” Associate Brand Manager Jana Ritter said. “We feel very humbled and couldn’t be any more pleased with these results.”

Complete results for the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/browse.

About The Sazerac Company

Sazerac is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Lewiston, Maine; Londonderry, New Hampshire; and Montreal, Canada.  For more information, please visit www.sazerac.com/.

Shelter Point Distillery releases premiere Single Malt Whisky

Oyster River, BC – Shelter Point Distillery has confirmed that it will release its premiere single malt whisky on May 13, 2016. Aged on-site for over five years in white oak barrels at Shelter Point’s oceanfront distillery, the Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky will be the distillery’s second spirit, and the first major release of a Vancouver Island made single malt whisky. Grown, fermented, and pot distilled in traditional Scottish copper pot stills, the Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky was produced from field to flask entirely in BC.

The inaugural batch of Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky will launch as a limited release at 12pm on May 13, 2016, at the Shelter Point Distillery storefront. The Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky will then be delivered to independently owned liquor stores across Vancouver Island and the Vancouver mainland over the following weeks. A restored 1929 Ford will be on display at some locations, including Shelter Point Distillery, at launch.

“Trucks like these were the original rum-runners, smuggling from Canada into the US during the prohibition,” says Shelter Point owner Patrick Evans. “There’s something about Canadian heritage that just makes us want to share, and we want to share our whisky with the world.” 

About Shelter Point Farm and Distillery

Located along the banks and delta of the Oyster River (halfway between the Comox Valley and Campbell River) on northern Vancouver Island, Shelter Point Farm and Distillery sits on rich bottomland facing a long expanse of the Strait of Georgia. Ample moisture and fresh water is collected and filtered by the surrounding mountains and rich rain forests, fed by pure Pacific Ocean winds making landfall after a 10,000-mile journey. The moderating effect of the ocean and sea level location allows for extended growing seasons, and bountiful and varied crops. Shelter Point farm is one of the few remaining original ‘oceanfront’ farms on the west coast of Canada.

Shelter Point Distillery is privately owned and funded.

Kensington Wine Market
Donates $3000
Red Cross Fort McMurray Relief Fund

The Kensington Wine Market is pleased to donate $3000 to the Red Cross Fort McMurray Relief Fund. The monies for our donation were generated from the ticket sales for our annual Spring Wine Festival held this evening. Calgarians are no stranger to the devastation wrought by the forces of Mother Nature. The 2013 Calgary flood displaced so many of our family, friends and customers and while the Wine Market did not suffer any flood damage, our business was closed for several days as the city’s first responders struggled to get us back up and running. Fort McMurray has suffered terrible losses, both commercial and personal, and at a time when our province is already under tremendous stress. It is for this reason we are reaching out to our northern neighbours.

We want to thank all our customers for their patronage and for helping us make this contribution the Red Cross Relief Fund possible. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 24th birthday!

STORE HOURS

10:00 to 8:00 Monday to Wednesday
10:00 to 9:00 Thursday and Friday
10:00 to 8:00 Saturday
12:00 to 6:00 Sunday

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

Ardbeg: ‘Dark Cove’  has arrived.

One of the year’s most highly anticipated single malt releases has hit our shelves.

The buzz has circled around Ardbeg ‘Dark Cove’ for awhile. Though our tiny allocation of committee bottles has come and gone – we did receive a (albeit small) delivery of non-committee bottles this week.  It is currently on our shelves but we know that not everyone can make into the store –  Here’s how the good people at Ardbeg describe ‘Dark Cove’.  “Take this whisky and hide it well. For its heart has been matured in DARK SHERRY CASKS, imparting waves of treacle toffee, coal tar, squid ink, noodles and toasted coffee grounds.  Inspired by our turbulent past, this whisky is a clandestine meeting of Ardbeg matured in ex-bourbon casks and a heart matured in dark sherry casks. The darkest Ardbeg ever.”

ARDBEG: Dark Cove = $135/btl

If you want a bottle please, please, please contact the store as it has not yet uploaded to our site!

Cheers!

Jonathan & Eric
The Park Avenue Liquor Shop
270 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-685-2442
jonathan@parkaveliquor.com
eric@parkaveliquor.com
www.parkaveliquor.com

Three of our favourite Laphroaig drams at an unbeatable price, make sure to snap them up while they are still available! 

Laphroaig Select takes its name from the special selection of American and European casks, chosen for their unique character that they give during maturation. Our Inspiration for our new Global expression has been take from history – 70-80 years ago, the time of the last family member owner of the distillery, Ian Hunter. Ian was one of the biggest influences in the history of Laphroaig indeed he was one of the first distillers to travel to bourbon county in the USA to identify new sources of casks that would give him greater consistency as well as new flavours. He later married this ‘new’ style of Laphroaig with his traditionally matured (European cask) Laphroaig.

£33.99 incl. VAT

Buy now

Laphroaig Quarter Cask offers an irresistible doubling of flavour, due to the double maturation in two barrels made of American oak. Still-maturing whisky from our standard ex-bourbon barrels is transferred to quarter casks and left to rest in our warehouse just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic shore.

This process represents Laphroaig breathing new life into a once-defunct tradition: the use of the smaller cask size, which ensures increased contact with the oak, creating a soft and velvety edge to complement Laphroaig’s distinctive peatiness.

£38.00 incl. VAT

Buy now

This expression of our famous whisky, from the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland, has enjoyed a triple maturation in 3 types of cask. Just as with our standard Quarter Cask expression, the first maturation is in American oak, ex-Bourbon Barrels. We then select the most suitable of these barrels, containing a range of different aged spirit and transfer into small 19th Century style Quarter Casks for a second maturation. The final maturation is in specially selected, large European oak, Oloroso Sherry Casks.
It is bottled at 48% ABV and is non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture.

£47.50 incl. VAT

Buy now

NEW TO THE PARTY

Jefferson’s Wood Experiment Box Set – This is Jefferson’s newest project to highlight the effects of the barrel on bourbon. With five different selections in 200ml bottles, this is a must buy for bourbon connoisseurs and bourbon collectors everywhere.

OKI Reserve 10yr Bourbon – The hot new label from New Riff Distilling has rolled another year onto their OKI reserve bourbon. It’s still a high-rye bourbon, and now with a double-digit age statement! This is a crowd favorite here at TPS.

Big Ass Bad Ass Barrel Proof Bourbon – If you like Big Ass Bourbon, this Bad Ass Cask Strength selection is a must try. At 119.5 proof you’ll need some water or a couple ice cubes to calm this one down.

Hillhaven Lodge Whisky – The Hilhaven Lodge was a special place in Beverly Hills for those in the spotlight to be able to get away. It is a blend of bourbon, rye, and Tennessee whisky that is very easy going, yet has nice depth.

Whipper Snapper Oregon Spirit – Whippersnapper is a pot distilled, handcrafted whiskey made by dedicated artisans for those who appreciate quality, flavorful whiskey. It is intended for sipping, mixing in cocktails, or just plain drinking.

Canadian Club Rye – This premium Canadian whisky is crafted 100% from single grain rye. Aged to perfection, it’s the purest expression of rye whisky, with more complexity, character and spiciness than other Canadian whiskies. It has the smooth taste you expect from Canadian Club – making it the perfect choice for special occasions. Like Tuesdays.

Junior Johnson Cinnamon Moonshine – Made from corn and cinnamon flavored, it’s the newest!

www.thepartysource.com

95 Riviera Drive, Bellevue, KY 41073  (859) 291-4007

TWE EXCLUSIVE

ABERLOUR 16 YEARS OLD  SINGLE SHERRY  CASK #4738

£99.95

We chose this single first-fill sherry cask for our latest exclusive bottling. Filled with Aberlour’s weighty spirit, it’s big, bold and complex, with notes of spicy cinnamon, aromatic tobacco and brown-sugar sweetness.

MASTER DISTILLER KEN PIERCE TO RETIRE FROM 1792 DISTILLERY  

BARDSTOWN, kENTUCKY (May 4, 2016) – After more than 30 years in the beverage industry, Master Distiller Ken Pierce is retiring from Barton 1792 Distillery.

Pierce’s early days in the distilled spirits industry started with Barton Brands of Georgia (now defunct) where he was Plant Chemist and later Quality Control Manager. After six years, the company transferred him to Bardstown, Ky. to its distillery now known as Barton 1792 Distillery. Pierce started his work in Bardstown as Senior Chemist; a short time later was named Chief Chemist, then Director of Distillation before being named Master Distiller.

During Pierce’s time with the company, he had the opportunity to train under three previous Master Distillers. He was also able to lend his expertise to many industry-wide projects, including the George Washington Distillery project, as part of a group that used historically accurate equipment to distill rye whiskey at Mount Vernon Plantation in Virginia. The distillate was aged and sold at auctions to raise funds to rebuild the distillery.

At Barton 1792 Distillery, Pierce was involved in all aspects of bourbon production, from the evaluation of incoming grain to the selection of mature whiskey. He was instrumental in the development of 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and in the recent line extensions.

Pierce’s retirement is effective May 13, 2016.

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 28 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery. This whiskey is named for the year Kentucky became a state and is the recent gold medal winner at the 2015 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. To learn more visit http://www.1792bourbon.com/.

On the island of Hven located in the strait of Öresund between Denmark and Sweden lies the Spirit of Hven distillery. Founded in 2008, this family owned distillery became the third pot still distillery ever to be built in Sweden and is one of the world’s smallest commercial pot distilleries.

Although Hven only covers an area of 3 square miles and has a population of around 350 inhabitants, from this remarkable island comes some of the highest quality handcrafted spirits produced – a true testament to the skill and expertise of Master Distiller Henric Molin.

Described as “Taste & Scent with Sustainability”, Spirit of Hven produces a diverse range of oak matured distillates including Organic Vodka, Gin, Aquavit and Summer Spirit. However, it doesn’t just stop there; with the heart and soul of the distillery being the production of world acclaimed single malt whiskies. In fact, their single malt whisky was Sweden’s first ever island whisky. Handcrafted using only certified organic ingredients, distilled in unique copper pot stills, matured in oak casks and bottled without additives or prior chill filtration; each spirit is one of a kind with an enticing character and sensational flavour. Everything from distillation to the bottling is done on site. Each bottle is individually numbered and approved before they are hand signed.

Spirit of Hven is now distributed in the UK by Amathus Drinks PLC. For more information, please visit http://www.hven.com/ or contact holly@amathusdrinks.com.

We are excited to announce the full schedule for the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2016 which begins NEXT WEEK! We are excited to see everyone who will travel to Campbeltown next week and final preparations are well underway to make your trip worthwhile!

The festival will take place from Wednesday 18th-Friday 20th May with various events each day, celebrating the quality malts produced at Campbeltown’s three distilleries. The full schedule is as follows:

Wednesday 18th May 2016

Glen Scotia Distillery will be hosting their second annual Open Day at the distillery with doors opening at 10am. There will be a selection of local stalls and demonstrations from their Loch Lomond coopers throughout the day as well as tours and tastings at the following times:

11am:  Manager’s Office with Staff Member (£30 per person – maximum of 6 people)

11:30am:  Free Tour

12pm:  Food Pairing Demo

1pm:  Dunnage Warehouse Tasting with Distillery Manager (£20 per person – maximum of 20 people)

3pm:  Free Tour

4pm:  Manager’s Office with Distillery Manager (£50 per person – maximum of 6 people)

For bookings or more information, contact Glen Scotia on +44 (0) 1586 552288 or email glenscotiashop@lochlomondgroup.com

The following events will also be taking place on Wednesday 18th May 2016:

11:30am:  Springbank Society Tasting in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery (FULLY BOOKED)

3pm-6pm:  Whisky Impressions Liquid History Tour (FULLY BOOKED)

7pm:  Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery 12th Anniversary Dinner (FULLY BOOKED)

9pm:  Whisky Quiz (more information below)

In addition to the dinner held at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery, the Ardshiel Hotel, Craigard House Hotel and the Harbourview Grille at the Royal Hotel will also be hosting whisky themed dinners. For menu information and bookings, please contact each hotel directly:

Ardshiel Hotel:  +44 (0) 1586 552133

Craigard House Hotel:  +44 (0) 1586 554242

Royal Hotel:  +44 (0) 1586 810033

After the success of the 2015 quiz, Whisky Macs Bar & Grill will be hosting another Whisky Quiz at 9pm on Wednesday 18th May. Teams of up to 4 will be accepted and the cost will be £2 per player (£8 for team of 4). The only two rules are ‘no mobile phones’ and ‘the quizmaster is always right’!

Thursday 19th May 2016

The Springbank Open Day will take place on Thursday 19th May and we hope to attract a range of locals and visitors to the event. The gates will open at 11am and the following will take place throughout the day:

• Free tours of Springbank & Mitchell’s Glengyle distilleries on the hour from 12-4pm
• A selection of over 25 stalls from local businesses
• Hot Food and Cakes
• Three special Springbank Open Day bottlings
• Warehouse Whisky Bar
• Fyne Ales Bar (plus tastings – more information below)
• Marquee Bar
• Various Masterclasses and Tastings, as listed below:

11:30am:  Springbank Intimate Tasting: How wood influences our spirit (FULLY BOOKED)

12:30pm:  The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (FULLY BOOKED)

12:45pm:  Kilkerran Mini Masterclass: Trio of Single Casks (£15) (SPACES AVAILABLE)

1:30pm:  Springbank Masterclass: New and Forthcoming Releases (FULLY BOOKED)

2:30pm:  The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (FULLY BOOKED)

2:45pm:  Springbank Intimate Tasting: Favourites from the past (FULLY BOOKED)

3:45pm:  Cadenhead Masterclass: Cask Samples & Current Bottlings (FULLY BOOKED)

4:30pm:  The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (FULLY BOOKED)

New and exciting news for 2016 is that as well as having their usual bar set up in our marquee, Fyne Ales will also be hosting 3 tasting sessions throughout the day. The tastings will be held at 1pm, 2pm and 5:30pm and should last 30-40 minutes each. The tastings will be bookable on the day at the Fyne Ales bar in the marquee and there will be a cost of £5 per tasting with 15-20 people on each. The tastings will take place in Warehouse 10 and all people taking part in the tasting should meet at the Fyne Ales bar 10 minutes before the tasting begins to be led over to the warehouse. 

Look out your dancing shoes in the evening as from 7pm-11pm, the Malt Barns will be brought to life with live music. Upcoming young local band Rhuvaal will kick proceedings off at 7pm before the return of popular local band THE WEE TOON TELLERS who received rave reviews after a lively set at Springbank Open Day 2015. Local photographer Raymond Hosie will be in the Malt Barns from 8:30pm-10:30pm with his popular photobooth service, there will be a licensed bar and Callie Catering will be pitched up outside, serving hot rolls until 11pm. Entry is free and no ticket is required.

Friday 20th May 2016

The final day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2016 will be dedicated to Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery and Cadenhead’s Independent Bottler.

At 11am, the gates to Glengyle Distillery will open where there will be hourly free tours of the distillery, local stalls, tastings and a Cadenhead ‘Lucky Dip’ bar.

At 12 noon, there will be a Kilkerran Work in Progress Masterclass (FULLY BOOKED) and at 2pm, there will be a Question & Answer session with an expert panel who are, or have been, involved with the build, running or promoting of the distillery. As well as asking any questions you may have, you will also be treated to 3 drams throughout the session, including an EXCLUSIVE sample of the upcoming Kilkerran 12yo whisky which will be available to buy in selected markets from August 2016. The cost of the Q&A session is £10 per person and tickets can be purchased on the day or beforehand by emailing mairi@springbankwhisky.com. There will also be two Cadenhead Warehouse Tastings during the day (FULLY BOOKED) and events at Glengyle Distillery will conclude at 3:30pm.

In addition to the Glengyle and Cadenhead events, at 11am there will be an Architecture Tour of Campbeltown with David McEwan and at 2:30pm there will be Heritage Tour of Campbeltown with Alex McKinven. The tours of Campbeltown are very interesting and give a great insight into Campbeltown’s historic past, its rich heritage, its people and its stories as well as gaining an insight into some of Campbeltown’s finest buildings and their history. The tours are conducted by local volunteers who deliver the tours free of charge for the public. The tours last approximately one hour and booking in advance is essential. Please contact the Campbeltown Tourist Information Centre to book your spot – you can email them at campbeltown@visitscotland.com or call +44 (0) 1586 552056.

Events will conclude on Friday evening with a night of live music in the Ardshiel Hotel who will host The Coaltown Daisies as part of their ‘A Whisky For the Road’ Live Tour. For more information, please call the Ardshiel Hotel on +44 (0) 1586 552133.

The break down of events on Friday 20th May is:

10am:  Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting with Mark Watt (FULLY BOOKED)

11am:  Architecture Tour with David McEwan (SPACES AVAILABLE)

12 noon:  Reflection on the Kilkerran Work in Progress series (FULLY BOOKED)

2pm:  Kilkerran Question & Answer Session with expert panel (SPACES AVAILABLE)

2:30pm:  Heritage Tour with Alex McKinven (SPACES AVAILABLE)

3:30pm:  Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting with Mark Watt (FULLY BOOKED)

Evening:  Live Music from The Coaltown Daisies in the Ardshiel Hotel (SPACES AVAILABLE)

For more information on any of the above events, please contact Mairi by emailing mairi@springbankwhisky.com or calling +44 (0) 1586 552009. 

Kind regards,

Nathan

Nathan Currie 

Springbank Society