DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE LAUNCHES THE BOURBON DISTRICT 

Historical markers, destination signage, banners and an event pop-up scape to highlight Downtown’s rich bourbon history 

Louisville, Ky. – The first phase of the Bourbon District – an initiative that pays homage to Downtown Louisville’s rich bourbon history and recognizes the city’s current bourbon industry boom – was unveiled on April 25, 2017 on Main Street in front of the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.

Featuring Historic Site signs, Destination signs, banners and a pop-up “event scape,” the Bourbon District is a collaborative effort led by the Louisville Downtown Partnership (LDP), Louisville Metro Government and the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, in cooperation with Downtown’s Bourbon industry community.

At one time, Main Street was a hub of activity for the bourbon industry due to its proximity to the river. “Main Street is truly the home of Louisville’s bourbon industry, both historically and in its current resurgence,” said Rebecca Matheny, Executive Director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership (LDP).

“Today, ‘Bourbonism®’ is thriving in Downtown Louisville, with four distillery experiences already open and three more planned within the next few years,” said Mayor Greg Fischer, who unveiled the first historical marker on Main Street.  The Bourbon District will use the public right of way to create an engaging and educational aesthetic for pedestrians while supporting the ongoing development of the bourbon industry in Downtown Louisville.

The renaissance of bourbon has sparked tourism and development in Downtown Louisville.

“While Louisville’s bourbon story goes back to the late 1700’s, it’s only been in the last decade that bourbon tourism has become a defining point of our city’s authenticity. We are thrilled to be part of sharing this cultural heritage with locals and visitors and think it will enhance their appreciation of Louisville’s unique destination experience,” said Karen Williams, President and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

When complete, the Bourbon District will be concentrated along Main Street from Jackson Street to 10^th Street, and along Fourth Street from Main Street to Broadway.

 Solid Light, a local Louisville company nationally recognized for designing and building extraordinary visitor experiences, created the Bourbon District to be a walkable experience.

“When visitors come to the Bourbon District, they will have an authentic experience learning about Louisville’s bourbon heritage and experiencing its resurgence,” said Solid Light Owner/President Cynthia Torp. “Working with the Louisville Downtown Partnership to create the Bourbon District was especially meaningful for us because our roots are here, so we are dedicated to keeping the history of our community alive. With every piece of history we uncovered and historical marker we designed, our passion for the project and for sharing Louisville’s bourbon story grew.”

Phase I, unveiled today, is concentrated on Main Street between Fourth and Sixth streets and will highlight the four active bourbon attractions.  Plans for Phase II, which will be located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Main streets, include a grand sculptural element as part of a Story Hub, an informational and interactive center of the Bourbon District.  Phase III will include at least eight more Historic Site signs and Destination Signs for the upcoming bourbon experiences.

Phase IV will include further activations to make the corners of Fourth and Main Streets distinctive pedestrian areas.  “Bourbon is such a significant part of Downtown Louisville’s history, and the Bourbon District will help us tell that story to locals and visitors from all across the globe,” Matheny added.

LDP drives economic growth in Downtown and adjacent central-city neighborhoods for the benefit of the entire region, as well as oversees multiple on-street enhancements that help establish Downtown Louisville’s distinctive character and widespread appeal.  LDP believes the economic engine of any great city starts with a strong Downtown. For more information, go to:  www.louisvilledowntown.org.  LDP can be contacted at 556 S. Fourth Street; Louisville, KY 40202; (502)584-6000.

About Solid Light

Solid Light designs and builds exhibits and visitor experiences that engage, enlighten, and inspire.  We are passionate champions of a client’s vision, bringing powerful stories to life through comprehensive, start-to-finish content, design, fabrication and installation services. https://www.solidlight-inc.com/

A series of Rare Cask serves designed by the Roca brothers

Masters of creativity and innovation, the Roca brothers of El Celler de Can Roca push every boundary possible in the culinary sphere to challenge, inspire, and create memorable experiences. The Roca brothers have created a collection of specialist bar tools and glassware, along with unique serves of The Macallan Rare Cask which feature in the latest Masters of Photography artwork. Steven Klein talks about the El Celler de Can Roca approach as an “ideology of food and whisky that gives a truly different perspective”.

THE MACALLAN RARE CASK + APEROL & LEMON JUICE 

INGREDIENTS
1/3 The Macallan Rare Cask
1/3 Aperol
1/3 lemon juice

THE PERFECT SERVE
1. Fill a mixing glass with ice.
2. Pour The Macallan Rare Cask over the ice.
3. Add the Aperol.
4. Add the lemon juice.
5. Stir until well cooled.
6. Strain the liquid through the ice into the cocktail glass.

DISCOVER THE SERIES ~ BUY THE MACALLAN RARE CASK ~ MEET THE ROCA BROTHERS

Invergordon 40 Year Old 1977 Sovereign #13278 $232.09  ABV:55.1% Age:40 Year Old Vintage:1977 Cask Type: Refill Hogshead Cask #:#13278 Bottler: Hunter Laing & Co. Region: Highland Type: Single Grain Scotch & Volume:70cl

Invergordon 40 Year Old 1977 Highland single grain Scotch whiskey. Single cask refill hogshead #13278 bottled February 2017 by Hunter Laing & Co. for the Sovereign series. 390 bottles. A burnished golden coloured whisky with a rich, mellow, full bodied nose. Sweet vanilla tablet with creme brulee and peaches leading to a long lasting nutty finish. Invergordon Distillery is the most northerly of Scotland’s grain distilleries and was established by Invergordon Distillers Ltd in 1959 at Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth in the Highland whisky region. A single Coffey Still was increased to three in 1963 and an additional and much larger column still was introduced in 1978 in order to produce neutral spirit. Hart Brothers and Hunter Laing bottle single cask Invergordon single grain whiskies.

**New Stock**

Carn Mor

Celebration of the cask

“Celebration Of The Cask is a very limited range of whiskies from all over Scotland. All the bottles are numbered and once they are gone they cannot be replaced as they are all one off bottlings from a single cask. They are bottled at cask strength and are all non-chill-filtered“

WESTPORT 21 YEAR OLD, 1995 52.6%

Victoria sponge and limes are evident on the palette with a long and sweet finish. A deceptive nose is stronger than the dram delivers. Delightfully smooth and complex. Delicious.

MORTLACH 21 YEAR OLD,  1995, 52.6%

Moving away from the standard meatiness that we often see from Mortlach, this bottle is filled with Marzipan, pears, apples and citrus, an absolute must for fans of Mortlach.

CAPERDONICH 1992  58.9%

A fruit explosion and a delightful dram from Caperdonich. Strong citrus notes and a rich chocolate finish. A very slight smoke comes through once given time to open in the glass. Give this dram some time and you’ll enjoy what it gives back.

BUY NOW

THE LORE AND LURE OF HIGHLAND PARK

Highland Park’s new Valkerie release, much like its previous releases, is long on viking mythology and short on specifics, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good. I did a side by side comparison with the 12 and 18 year this week and felt that-as a middle ground between the two-the whisky holds up right where it should for the $70 price. More importantly, it tastes like the best parts of both whiskies. While the 12 year is light and fruity, the classic 18 year is remarkedly more sherried. With the Valkyrie, you get the malty, lightly-peated texture of the 12 with some of the rancio, cakebread, and richness of the 18. From what I understand, about half of the barley used in the Valkyrie was peated, which is higher than what’s used in the 12 and 18. That extra kick helps to mask any rawness from the whisky’s younger components and was clearly a good move. On the finish is a wave of dark chocolate and earth from the sherry, bolstered by more smoke. The packaging is nicely revamped and marks the beginning of a complete make-over for the entire portfolio. I think fans of the Orkney distillery will find this new expression to be a VAST improvement over the previous Dark Origins.

What I appreciate most here is that the Valkyrie delivers its finest work on the nose and the finish, rather than on the mid-palate. These are two elements of whisky appreciation I appreciate more as I get older: how it teases my nostrils and how it comes together as a unit on the back end. There’s a robust sherry aroma right out of the bottle, and sweet, concentrated hit of Oloroso richness on the finish that dries out a bit with the smoke, but clearly makes itself known. While Highland Park went heavier on Orkney’s viking heritage this time around, they didn’t do so at the expense of the whisky.

Highland Park “Valkyrie” Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($69.99)

R&B Distillers undertakes barley variety trial on Raasay

Craft whisky makers, R&B Distillers, who are in the process of building the first legal distillery on the Isle of Raasay, have the long-term ambition of using all-local ingredients – water, peat and barley – to create a spirit that is a true reflection of this uncommon terroir.

The Isle of Raasay Distillery is uniquely situated on the small and fertile island of Raasay. As part of the distillery build project, R&B Distillers wanted to establish whether it would be possible to grow and ripen barley, suitable for whisky making, on the island. With a Celtic well on site providing access to the high mineral content water, as well as a plentiful supply of peat in the North of the island, R&B Distillers was curious to investigate if it would be possible to create a truly local whisky.

In April 2017, R&B Distillers began to trial barley growing on the island with five different barleys: Bere, Concerto, Tartan, Iskria, Kannas. Once R&B has found a variety that ripens well and has a low enough moisture content for malting, the barley will be sent away to be malted using Raasay peat. The barley will then be returned to the distillery and used to create a lightly-peated Raasay Single Malt.

This distillery build project has relied upon the island resources: the stone used to build the supporting wall at the rear of the distillery is from the site itself; wood from the site will be used for furnishings within the accommodation. The most invaluable resource has been the local community: the knowledge of island water, distilling history, building expertise, local infrastructure and hospitality. For the barley project, the advice and support of neighbouring local farmer, Andrew Gillies has been vital. Andrew, along with John Gillies and Alasdair MacAskill, have disked, ploughed, rolled and sowed the land as well as broadcasting it with lime and fertiliser. As a result, the process of growing Raasay barley is underway. This has all been made possible with the knowledge and help of Peter Martin of Highland’s and Island’s University Agronomy Institute.

If the trials are successful, R&B Distillers intends to hold an open day for all local farmers and crofters to see the results as well as hear about the future of barley growing on Raasay. R&B plans to offer local farmers and crofters an alternative crop to grow, with a guaranteed end customer. Working directly with the primary producer, R&B will shorten its supply chain and offer an agreed price for any crofters on Raasay, Skye or Kyle that can grow the successful variety for distillery use.

R&B Distillers have the ultimate long-term objective of growing enough local barley on Raasay, as well as on Skye and Kyle, to produce a single malt from 100% locally grown barley. While acknowledging that this whisky may only be a small percentage of total production, R&B is keen to challenge the limitations of production in such a remote and unusual location.

NOTES

Please find information about the barley varieties under trial below:

• Bere Barley was grown on Raasay 40 years ago and is a traditional and very early maturing Scottish barley (6-row; harvested 21 days earlier than Concerto in Orkney in 2016).

• Concerto is the most widely grown UK malting barley (2 row; later than average maturing)

• Tartan is a variety which had a provisional recommendation for distilling and which was grown for several years in Orkney for Highland Park Distillery (2-row; harvested 6 days earlier than Concerto in Orkney in 2016);

• Iskria is an Icelandic variety (2-row; similar in maturity to Bere)

• Kannas is a very early Swedish variety (2-row; similar in maturity to Bere)

4 DAYS TILL FATHER’S DAY! AUTUMN SHOW – SEPT 15-16 2017

If you haven’t heard already, Midlands Whisky Festival is returning to Birmingham at thestudio venue this September for it’s biggest show yet! Get those palates ready – we’ll be inviting even more distillers to the show for a weekend celebration of all things whisky!

BOOK NOW

 – WHISKY EXHIBITORS –

From Japan to England you’ll always find yourself a new whisky. Be it a heavily-sherried Taiwanese single malt or a newly released bourbon, you’ll stumble across both new releases and old and rare bottlings at Midlands Whisky Festival.

– MASTERCLASSES –

If you’re looking for an exclusive tasting experience with well-known industry faces, our Masterclasses are definitely worth a look at. In past festivals we’ve had the pleasure of hosting Richard Patterson and the exquisite Constellation Collection, and George S. Grant of Glenfarclas tasting six different 40-year-old whiskies as he turned 40 himself. This year’s Masterclasses TBC.

– EARLY BIRDS –

We are now down to our very last few Early Bird tickets so if you’re like us and don’t like disappointment, be quick to grab yours today! As one day just isn’t enough, this year we’ve added a Friday evening session, giving you chance to discover even more whisky over two days.

Friday Ticket £35

Early Bird Saturday Ticket £35 (Last few tickets)

Combo Friday & Saturday Ticket £70

MORE DETAILS

VENUE & SHOW TIMES

thestudio 7 CANNON STREET BIRMINGHAM B2 5EP

Friday 15th Sept 6:00pm – 9:30pm (last pour at 9:10pm)

Saturday 16th Sept 12:00pm – 5:00pm (last pour at 4:30pm)

Old Pulteney 21 Year Old

The Old Pulteney distillery in Wick is discontinuing their 21 year old Highland single malt so this could be one of your last chances to buy this fantastic expression!Marrying together spirit matured in ex-bourbon casks, ex-Oloroso sherry casks, second fill American oak and some first-fill Spanish oak, the taste is a result of the unique wash still at the distillery, reflected in the deisgn of the bottle.

Order by 10am on Wednesday 14th June to ensure delivery in time for Father’s Day

£150 Buy Now

Great drams for great dads!

Choosing a gift that says just how much your dad means to you can be tough… but then there’s always whisky! We’ve got a great selection of some fantastic drams to suit every discerning dad’s palate – from engraved bottles of our own Loch Fyne range to gift sets, taster packs and the latest releases! Best of all, we ship all over the world and you can even get next day delivery in the UK.

So what are you waiting for? Raise a dram with dad this Father’s Day!

Personalised

The Loch Fyne Blend Engraved

£34.00

The Loch Fyne Living Cask 4 Engraved

£50.00