BENROMACH LAUNCHES UNIQUE EXCLUSIVE SINGLE CASK TO MARK VISITOR CENTRE SUCCESS

The Benromach Distillery Company Ltd has launched a visitor centre exclusive single cask at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival to celebrate a successful year for the distillery and visitor centre.

Benromach 1976 (ABV 53.5%), cask number 2393, is a dark golden malt, matured in a Refill American Hogshead, with an exceptionally rare character of succulent fruits, with smooth, peppery hints followed by sweet aniseed.

Like previous vintage exclusives, this limited-edition Speyside single malt is presented in a bespoke decanter-style bottle with the contours and copper-colour of the neck and shoulder line representing Benromach Distillery’s stills. The oak presentation box is inspired by the home of Benromach, reflecting the copper of the stills, as well as the dark, grained wood of the original washbacks and the white of the lime washed distillery walls. A beautifully written hardback book accompanies the whisky which delves into the Benromach history, as well as providing whisky fans with some fascinating stories about the people behind the whisky.

Distillery Manager Keith Cruickshank continued: “This visitor centre exclusive is a great way to mark the distillery’s recent success and I’m sure Benromach enthusiasts will be keen to get their hands on one of the 32 bottles.”

“This single malt was distilled before the Urquhart family took the reins and brought Benromach Distillery back to life and now, after maturing for 40 years, it is finally time for whisky fans to get the chance to savour this treasured and exceptional dram.”

Susan Colville, Benromach Brand Home Manager, explained: “With the growing popularity of our Distillery and visitor centre with whisky fans from around the world, we carried out extensive renovations during 2015 and 2016 to really showcase what Benromach has to offer and last year we welcomed more visitors than ever before, with over 12,000 whisky fans coming through our doors.”

The growth of Benromach led to the expansion at the distillery and visitor centre 18 months ago, and included new warehouses and a larger team. The four-star visitor centre at Benromach Distillery, open to the public throughout the year for tours, now features three tasting rooms for visitors to experience, while Benromach House – the old distillery manager’s house – was also renovated to hold a new tasting room.  Refurbishment of the visitor centre toilets was completed in March 2017.

The Benromach 1976 is available exclusively at the distillery’s visitor centre with a RRP of £1250.

For more information on Benromach, and to explore the wide range of expressions available, please visit www.benromach.com  

Notes

Benromach Distillery

Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when leading whisky specialists Gordon & MacPhail purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998.

In reopening Benromach Distillery, Gordon & MacPhail decided to create a classic Speyside single malt – a style that draws its influence from Speyside whiskies pre-1960s.

Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A four-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world-famous Malt Whisky Trail.

EXPLORE THE WORLD OF FLAVOUR WITH FOOD & DRINK EXPERTS AT SENSORY SYMPOSIUM

Join The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, a food futurologist and three experts in cheese, coffee and foraging for an exploration of the world of flavour

Are you fanatical about tasting new flavours and expanding your sensory skills? The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has teamed up with food futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye and three ‘Flavour Fanatic’ experts from cheese, coffee and foraging to stage a special event that explores the world of flavour.

The ‘Flavour Fanatics Sensory Symposium’ (www.smws.com/flavour-fanatics-sensory-symposium), which takes place at Protein Studios, Shoreditch on Wednesday 10 May, will feature a panel of guest speakers exploring the development of flavour in different fields of food and drink to help people understand how to focus on and identify flavours.

Food futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye will give a keynote talk, followed by ‘Flavour Fanatics’ Dumo Mathema, Ned Palmer and Fergus Drennan who will share their insight into flavour in coffee, cheese and foraging respectively. During the talks, the audience will taste pairings of Society whisky matched with items from the three guest speakers.

The guest talks

Host and SMWS ambassador John McCheyne will introduce the concept of exploring whisky by flavour while the audience samples a dram of the Society’s rare single cask single malt whisky.

Food futurologist Dr Morgaine Gaye will share her insight into topics such as trends around flavour preferences; the importance of texture; how synthetic smells are affecting our perception; and olfactory branding and how this is used to engage consumers.

Dumo Mathema, head roaster at The Department of Coffee, will share his knowledge of flavour in the constantly-evolving and seasonal coffee world. Ned Palmer, a freelance cheesemonger, will delve into the magical world of artisanal cheese. And Fergus Drennan, a wild food experimentalist and forager, will explore the variety of different flavours to be found in foraged foods.

After the talks, the audience can sample more Society whiskies and more products from the guest speakers.

SMWS ambassador John McCheyne said: “We’re obsessed with flavour at the Society. We categorise all our whiskies through 12 flavour profiles and we’re on mission to help people explore whisky through the lens of flavour. This event is all about helping people to understand the world of flavour more, not only in whisky but also in other food and drink.

“We’ve teamed up with some fellow ‘Flavour Fanatics’ from coffee, cheese and foraging who share our passion for flavour and together we’ll talk and taste our way through the evening and help people to develop their palates and senses in order to better discover flavours.”

Freelance cheesemonger Ned Palmer said: “There are more than 1,500 cheeses in the world, all with different flavours and textures. It’s a magical and fascinating world and at the event I’ll help the audience with how to taste and understand all the flavours and give them an insight into how the cheese world is evolving.”

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Flavour Fanatics Sensory Symposium, Wed 10 May 630pm-830pm, Protein Studios, 31 New Inn Yard, Shoreditch, EC2A 3EY

Tickets £20 with five whiskies, including three whisky & food pairings

TICKET PAGE https://www.smws.com/flavour-fanatics-sensory-symposium

MORE ABOUT FLAVOUR FANATICS https://www.smws.com/flavour-fanatics

Notes

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club that bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world
• The Society only ever bottles single casks –  each cask is unique, making every Society bottling a limited edition
• The Society has bottled whisky from more than 132 distilleries in its history
• The Society releases a new batch of around 30 single cask single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers different levels of membership

o   Membership Pioneer with gift box containing three samples, £122

o   Member without gift box, £61.50

o   Sample Subscription – free trial membership.

o   Visit https://www.smws.com/society-membership

• For more information about the Society, visit http://www.smws.com/

Our island whisky festival is back for a one-day single malt spectacular on Thursday 1st June.

Tickets are on sale now.

Designed to inspire new ways to enjoy whisky, with everything from unique tastings and island tours, to masterclasses, a long table lunch with the locals and special meet and greets with the distillery team, Tastival is a chance to join us Diurachs for a dram like no other.

The dramming bar will be open all day in the Cooperage, with a full programme of live entertainment – including live music from iconic Scots traditional music band RURA – and a world first opportunity to try and buy our festival bottling, Tastival 2017.

As a Diurach’s Own mailer subscriber, you get an exclusive first chance to buy tickets today.

Click here to buy now 

Please note: A £5 entry fee includes general access to the Cooperage and dramming bar, plus two complimentary drams, a festival brochure and souvenir glass. Ticketed sessions sold separately. Free still house tours will run on a first come, first served basis.

To avoid disappointment, please book travel early. A limited number of special crossings are available direct from Islay to the distillery from the all new Jura Jetty.

See here for more information to help plan your journey now. Raising a dram with you is a true highlight of our year, and as always, a warm welcome awaits you at Tastival. Can’t make it? Tastival may be taking place near you. A number of localised Tastival events will take place in Europe throughout the summer. Keep an eye on our social channels for updates.

We’ll see you soon,

From all at the Jura Distillery #

JuraTastival

Malcolm from World Whisky Day here. Events for this year’s celebrations (Saturday 20 May) are rolling in, and it’s looking like we’ll be conquering all seven continents once again. Slàinte to that!

I’d love to have you back again to join in the fun. As always, it’s completely free to register an event. Friendly gatherings, guided tastings, food pairings, cocktail masterclasses, street-parties – anything goes on World Whisky Day. It’s yours to do with as you please.

Head over to www.worldwhiskyday.com where you can register as a user and then register your own event. I’ll check everything over before publishing it and putting a pin on the map to mark it as official.

Drop me a line if you need any help or if you’ve got any questions. In the meantime, here’s a link to some up-to-date promotional material which you’re free to download and use as desired: http://bit.ly/2oBF82P.

Looking forward to raising a dram with you, and the world, next month!

All the best,

Malcolm 

Malcolm Triggs
World Whisky Day Event Co-ordinator
Saturday 20 May 2017
t: 0131 555 6494

w: www.worldwhiskyday.com

tw: WorldWhiskyDay

James Campbell (extreme left), chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, lines up with award winners, from left: Sandy McIntyre (Tamdhu), Graeme Cruickshank (Aberlour), Annelise Hastings (Mannochmore) and Dennis McBain (Glenfiddich).

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Whisky Award Winners revealed

The winners have been revealed in the hotly-contested Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Whisky Awards which had a global flavour this year, with judging sessions taking place in three international destinations as well as in Speyside.  

Eight finalists were voted on at a series of judging sessions in Germany, Canada and The Netherlands as well as in Speyside in the run up to and during the Festival.  

The winner of the 12-year-old and under category was Aberlour 12 while the title for malts aged 13 to 20 years went to Glenfiddich 15. In the 21-year-old and over category Mannochmore 25 Special Release topped the poll while in the non-aged statement Tamdhu Batch Strength 002 took top honours. 

The favourite whisky across the eight finalists was The Macallan 30 year old Sherry Cask which was shortlisted in the 21 years and over category. 

James Campbell, chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says, “Whisky recognises no boundaries and we were delighted to be able to hold judging sessions in Canada, Germany and The Netherlands this year, spreading the name of the festival further and complementing the tasting events in Speyside. 

“This year saw the biggest number of votes cast with whisky lovers at home and abroad using their noses, knowledge and taste buds to vote on these Speyside drams. Well done to all our winners.” 

The malts had previously been shortlisted by a panel of industry leaders, acclaimed writers and specialist retailers. 

The awards are sponsored by coppersmiths Forsyths of Rothes, the company responsible for building many of the pot stills in which the shortlisted single malts were distilled. 

The winners were announced at the whisky awards ceilidh held on Sunday, 30 April at Knockando Distillery. 

It is hoped that the roving judging sessions will help introduce even more international visitors to the five-day annual Festival – which this year has comprised almost 500 different events from distillery tours to tastings – and encourage them to plan a visit in future years.

Overseas markets are a key area of growth for the Festival and the USA, Germany and Scandinavia have traditionally been very strong for visitor numbers, and organisers are keen to expand knowledge of the event in these regions.

Based in the heart of Scotland’s malt whisky country, the 18th Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has taken place over five fun-filled days from April 27 to May 1, 2017. Events have been held in Kingussie in the south to Forres in the west and Buckie in the east.  

More information about the event is available at www.spiritofspeyside.com or on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and Instagram.

Caption: James Campbell (extreme left), chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, lines up with award winners, from left: Sandy McIntyre (Tamdhu), Graeme Cruickshank (Aberlour), Annelise Hastings (Mannochmore) and Dennis McBain (Glenfiddich).

Notes

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from Festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Event Scotland and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 to 2020. The Scottish Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

INTRODUCING JOHNNIE WALKER BLENDERS’ BATCH BOURBON CASK & RYE FINISH: A LIMITED-EDITION SCOTCH BLEND IN A NEW SERIES OF EXPERIMENTAL WHISKIES FROM JOHNNIE WALKER

London, 25 April 2017:  Diageo Global Travel is proud to announce that Johnnie Walker, the world’s No. 1 Scotch Whisky Brand[1] and the biggest selling spirits brand in travel retail[2], has launched Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Bourbon Cask & Rye Finish, an innovative new addition to its series of experimental whiskies: Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch. A limited edition, the new blended Scotch is only available in a small number of selected markets including Travel Retail. 

A bold experiment in flavour, Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Bourbon Cask & Rye Finish has been drawn from over 200 whisky samples, aged in first-fill bourbon casks and finished for up to six months in former rye casks. Featuring whiskies from just five distilleries including Dufftown and the now closed Port Dundas, it’s a rich and warming Scotch Whisky with an intense honeyed sweetness.

This limited edition whisky is part of the experimental Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch portfolio, a series of limited edition Scotch Whiskies created as a result of hundreds of ongoing flavour experiments carried out by a small team of expert blenders at the brand’s home in Scotland.

The Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch range lifts the lid on the skill and never-ending pursuit of flavour that drives the blending team, led by master blender Dr Jim Beveridge, a man whose personal journey making whisky began over 40 years ago.

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Bourbon Cask & Rye Finish is inspired by the time Beveridge spent blending bourbons and ryes in Kentucky in the 1990s. He said:

“Blended from just a handful of Single malts and carefully chosen grain whiskies matured in first fill bourbon casks and finished in casks that formerly held rye whisky – Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Bourbon Cask and Rye Finish is a rich, sweet, intensely honeyed and smooth Scotch Whisky, with the warming vanilla spiciness usually associated with the iconic Johnnie Walker Black Label. To my mind, it’s the best of Scotch but with an exciting twist inspired by the best of traditional American whiskey flavours.”

Dayalan Nayager, Managing Director, Diageo Global Travel said “The launch of Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Bourbon Cask & Rye Finish is a welcome addition to the Scotch Whisky category in travel retail, made possible by the hundreds of ongoing flavour experiments and skill of the blending team at Johnnie Walker. This is an incredibly exciting time for Scotch Whisky and we believe the new blend will act as a signpost for those shoppers who want to explore the category.”

“Travellers are looking for brands that have discovery, authenticity, craftsmanship and real human stories behind them. Johnnie Walker has a truly unique story to tell and with the latest innovation in the Blenders’ Batch series, we are excited to offer our customers and consumers a glimpse into the constantly shifting world of flavour exploration from the biggest spirits brand in the channel.” 

The blenders at Johnnie Walker think ‘from the bar back’ when making whisky, ensuring bartenders and whisky fans at home have the perfect liquids at hand to serve neat, on the rocks, or as the foundation of a flawless Scotch-based cocktail.

The limited edition Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Bourbon Cask & Rye Finish is the second release from the Blenders’ Batch series, inspired by the recent success of Johnnie Walker Select Casks – Rye Cask Finish. It is available now in selected travel retail outlets globally, retailing at $52.50/£32.00 RRSP for a 1L bottle.

Notes: 

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories.  These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff and Cîroc vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world.  The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO).  For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com/.  Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, http://www.drinkiq.com/, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

[1] IWSR, 2015

[2] IWSR, 2015

BLAIR ATHOL™ 23 year old

Distilled 1993 ABV 58.4%

Region: Highlands

Cask: Ex-Bodega European Oak Butts

No of bottles: 5,514 

BRORA™ 34 year old

Distilled: 1982 ABV 51.9%

Region: Coastal Highlands 

Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads

No of bottles: 3,000 

CAOL ILA™ 18 year old

ABV 59.8%

Region: Islay

Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads

Limited quantities available worldwide  

CONVALMORE™ 32 year old

Distilled: 1984 ABV 48.2%

Region: Speyside

Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads

No of bottles: 3,972 

GLEN ELGIN™ 18 year old

Distilled: 1998 ABV 54.8%

Region: Speyside

Cask: Ex-Bodega European Oak Butts

No of bottles: 5,352

LAGAVULIN™ 12 year old

ABV 56.5%

Region: Islay

Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads

Limited quantities available worldwide  

PORT DUNDAS™ 52 year old

Distilled: 1964 ABV 44.6% 

Region: Lowlands

Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads

No of bottles: 752 

PORT ELLEN™ 37 year old

Distilled: 1979 ABV 51%

Region: Islay

Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads & Refill American Oak Butts

No of bottles: 2,988 

TEANINICH™ 17 year old

Distilled: 1999 ABV: 55.9%

Region: Coastal Highlands 

Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads & Refill American Oak Barrels

Limited quantities available worldwide 

One of our most cherished moments in the whisky calendar is the annual announcement of the Diageo Special Releases collection – a group of limited edition and natural cask strength whiskies that are highly anticipated around the world and revered for their quality and collectability. Special Releases has rapidly become the worst kept secret in Malts due to enthusiasm and dedication to the collection. Full line to be revealed in autumn 2017.

Hans Offringa (left) is presented with the International Ambassador of the Year Award by last year’s winner, Dave Broom.

New ambassadors are the toast of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

Three Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival devotees who have supported and promoted the drams-fest to audiences at home and abroad were honoured when the 2017 event kicked off last night (Wednesday, 26 April).

Walkers Shortbread boss Jim Walker, Glen Moray Distillery manager Graham Coull and Dutch whisky writer Hans Offringa were each singled out for contribution they have made to the Festival and to Speyside.

A lifetime of service to Speyside and its communities saw Jim Walker receiving the Spirit of Speyside Award.

When Mr Walker joined the family business in 1961 the company employed around 100 people. Alongside his brother, Joe and sister, Marjorie, they developed the business which at its seasonal peak employs over 1,700 people and is Scotland’s largest food exporter.  Walkers is the only UK food manufacturer to have won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Export Achievement four times.

Ambassador of the Year Graham Coull manages Glen Moray Distillery where he has overseen huge investment and growth whilst tirelessly working to expand and enhance the distillery’s product portfolio. Mr Coull’s role as master distiller at Glen Moray has seen him travel extensively all over the UK and the world, and Glen Moray continues to support many clubs, charities and organisations in the local community too.

International Ambassador of the Year Hans Offringa is a bilingual author, media expert and whisky connoisseur. He has written nearly 20 books on whisky and numerous articles for various publications across the globe, and has produced a series of educational television programmes for a public broadcasting company in The Netherlands as well as being a lecturer at the International Whisky School in Groningen, Netherlands. He has been a great supporter of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and has attended every Festival since it started back in the year 2000.

Jim Walker (left) accepts the Spirit of Speyside Award from last year’s recipient Richard Forsyth.

James Campbell, chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says that all three have had an immense impact on the success of the Festival, which attracts thousands of enthusiasts from around the world to the spiritual home of Scotland’s whisky industry.

“Jim has been a great supporter of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival since its inception and has made a major contribution to Aberlour and the wider Speyside communities in so many ways over the years. The way in which Mr Walker and his family have overseen the worldwide growth of Walkers Shortbread has been a shining example of excellence,” Mr Campbell says.

“Graham has also been a passionate supporter of Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, and has gone the extra mile on many occasions to help out and to promote the event.

“Hans has written about and promoted the Festival in English and Dutch in a range of publications, enhancing its reputation to potential visitors all over the world.”

The awards were presented last night at the Festival’s opening dinner, attended by 270 guests, which marked the start of the 18th annual Speyside drams fest.

Based in the heart of Scotland’s malt whisky country, the festival continues until May 1, 2017 with comprises almost 500 events, taking place from Kingussie in the south to Forres in the west and Buckie in the east.

There are still some event tickets available, and the website – www.spiritofspeyside.com/ – is updated on an ongoing basis to show latest availability. The Festival is active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #dram17.

Graham Coull (right) accepts the Ambassador of the Year Award from last year’s winner, Hugh Fraser.

Milroys Bottlings Range Deal

This weeks WEB EXCLUSIVE is one to get excited about.

Save £54 when you purchase the entire Milroys range online. Normally £304.80, for a limited time you can own the entire range for only £250

Single Cask Blair Athol 28 year Rich and complex. A stunning single cask whisky from one of our favourite highland whiskies. 

Single Cask Glentauchers 8 year An incredibly bold sherried speyside whisky. Prunes and dates are very apparent in this cask stregnth wonder. 

Single cask Ardmore 6 Year A lightly peated highland whisky with a burly full spice. A malty nose with ginger and a floral element. Milroys 8 Year Blend A well balanced highland style blend at 8 years old. Soft and rich it is certainly a sessionable dram.

BUY ONLINE NOW

Milroy’s of Soho
3 Greek Street
London, England W1D 4NX
United Kingdom

Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch

Crafted from over 20 of the finest highland single malts, this blended malt is based on Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt, a whisky discovered under the ice of the Antarctic, left behind from Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1907 expedition to the South Pole.

£40 Buy Now