It’s finally here…

I am pleased to announce that the Springbank Local Barley 11yo is available NOW!

Springbank Local Barley 11yo (53.1%)

Our 2nd release of the Springbank Local Barley series uses barley from Aros Farm near Machrihanish airport, with the Barley type being the historical Bere Barley and bottled as an 11Y/O at 53.1%.

We used 13 tonnes of Barley across 4 hectares – I will be perfectly honest with you guys, I have no idea how big a hectare is, let alone 4 of them, but it sounds like a lot. So after 11 years in 26 Bourbon casks there are now approximately 9,000 bottles available worldwide.

Tasting notes:

Nose: Freshly baked bread with sweet notes of sun dried bananas to contrast with the salted caramel topping

Taste: The promise given in the nose delivers, a lovely creaminess and sweetness of grapes, custard, honeycomb and marshmallow.

Finish: There’s a nutty quality about this, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts as wellness an air of indulgence, rich and buttery with an elegant finish that keeps on giving.

A true Campbeltown dram that needs to be opened and enjoyed amongst friends.

Our Springbank 11yo Local Barley Single Malt Scotch Whisky is being released on Monday 20th February 2017 (Today) from our Cadenhead’s Campbeltown Whisky Shop, where the price will be £82.50. It will then be available throughout the UK over the following few days and thereafter in our export markets. There will be approximately 9,000 bottles circulated amongst approximately 40 countries worldwide, with each country’s allocation arriving at various times depending on order dates, shipping times etc. Please contact your local retailers and stockists for more information, details of whom can be found by visiting http://www.springbankwhisky.com/distributors/.

If you would like to buy it directly from us you can contact our Campbeltown Cadenhead shop by calling +44 (0)1586 551710. Shop manager Donald Brown has asked me to let you know what the purchasing process will be. Please read the information below carefully:

• Orders will be taken by telephone only
• Strictly 1 per person
• 1 transaction per phone call
• This is not a Society exclusive bottle
• This is not considered a core product so there will be no Society discount on this bottling.

As most of you will know, I cannot take orders for this as I will be unaware of the shop’s stock or allocation. Should you attempt to order a bottle through myself, I will either pass your enquiry onto our Campbeltown shop or direct you to your local Springbank retailer of stockist.  Also, please be aware that each shop’s stock will be limited and interest could be very high.

We are aware of the likely high demand for this product, driven by what we hope is the quality and desirability of the whisky itself. However, we are aware of the secondary demand for these bottles amongst whisky collectors and the manner in which that can drive prices up very quickly. With that in mind, we would like to make the following points:

1 The prices we have set should allow most bottles to be sold at price between £82.50 and £90.00 with the United Kingdom, or an approximate equivalent of that in export markets. We do not set Recommended Retail Prices (RRPs) and leave it up to each retailer to set their own prices as they see fit.

2 We acknowledge that pricing upwards of £80 may be seen as expensive for an 11yo whisky.

3 Due to the success and popularity of the previous Local Barley, we feel we could have set our pricing much higher for this release if we were purely concerned about maximising profit. However, we decided to sell the whisky at a price which will allow Springbank drinkers around the world to purchase a bottle, open it and enjoy the contents while at the same time making sure we as a company make a reasonable amount of money from our product.

4 There is a dramatically increased cost in producing whisky from barley grown in Kintyre compared to other parts of Scotland. This is mostly due to three factors: the cost of sourcing the barley itself is usually higher; we have to “work harder” with the barley during the malting process in order to be able to turn it into whisky; we get a lower yield from the local barley (approximately 10% fewer litres of alcohol from each tonne of barley).

5 There can be price variations from country to country due to alcohol duties, sales taxes, shipping costs and currency fluctuations, so the price band mentioned earlier could change slightly. However, with certain exceptions, these variations should not manifest themselves in retail prices massively above those stated above. If you are in one of those countries where the system for distributing and selling alcohol leads to higher prices, then if you want to take on your provincial, state or national government then we’ll be on your side.

6 We have no control over other companies’ profit margins and make no attempt to dictate how others should run their businesses but we do wish to emphasise that the whisky will be available around the world at reasonable prices in due course, even if not immediately due to the aforementioned shipping times.

7 We express no judgement on the practice of “flipping” (buying bottles and immediately making them available on the secondary market) other than to re-iterate that this whisky will be distributed around the world over the coming weeks, albeit in relatively low numbers in comparison to the expected demand, and at prices much closer to what we would consider reasonable than those we have already seen on some websites.

I hope you are all able to get yourself a bottle and you enjoy it as much as we do. I’ll speak to you again soon.

(According to Google, a hectare is about the same size as an international standard rugby pitch)

Slainte,

Nathan

Springbank Society society@springbank.scot

For the Springbank Society Contact Nathan directly if you would like to join the Society).

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/officialspringbankwhisky/

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/Springbank1828

Instagram –  Search Springbank Whisky (@springbankwhisky1828)

MICHTERS, 2016 CELEBRATION OF THE CASK

ONLY 4 ALLOCATED FOR THE UK, MILROYS HAVE 1 BOTTLE

£4,695.00

In December 2016, Michter’s will be releasing its Celebration Sour Mash Whiskey for the first time since 2013. To make this special whiskey, Master Distiller Willie Pratt selected Sour Mash Whiskeys, some of them Kentucky Straight Bourbon and some of them Kentucky Straight Rye, from his very favorite barrels in Michter’s stocks, and he blended them into this extraordinary 116.8 proof offering. The whiskeys chosen for this 2016 release are anywhere up to over three decades old with the youngest being over a decade old. With 18 karat gold labeling screened onto the bottle, Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash comes packaged in an elegant gift box. 256 bottles will comprise the entire 2016 world-wide release of this whiskey. Only 4 bottles have been allocated to the UK, Milroy’s of Soho have 1. This 2016 Celebration release is the final one blended by Willie Pratt in his capacity as Michter’s Master Distiller before he assumed his new position of Michter’s Master Distiller Emeritus.

BUY NOW

ALSO, A TASTING IN HOLLYWOOD FEATURING BRUICHLADDICH

Join us and National Brand Ambassador Michelle Fedor for an intimate evening of exceptional food and smokey whisky at one of Hollywood’s swankiest cocktail destinations. We’ll enjoy a bevy of small bites including Braised Beef Crostini, Ahi Tartar Wonton, Portabello Risotto Cakes, and Moroccan chicken cups paired with a line up of Bruichladdich’s smokiest whiskies. We’ll be enjoying a Botanist Gin welcome cocktail before moving through 6 very special smoky offerings from this unique distillery. Expect to see the standard offer Port Charlotte Scottish Barley, followed by the Port Charlotte Islay Barley. Then we’ll experience the magic that is the new release of Port Charlotte 10 Year Old “Second Edition” before turning up the peat to eleven with a flight of Octomores. You’ll get to enjoy the 7.1, 7.3, and very special Octomore 10 year old “Second Edition”. All this for an incredible $10! Seating is extremely limited, so don’t hesitate to secure your seat today.

Bruichladdich “Peat & Smoke” Master Class @ The Powder Room in Hollywood, Thursday February 23rd – 6-8pm $10.00

In stock from Bruichladdich:

Single Malt Scotch Tasting Thursday, February 23rd. Gordon  & MacPhail 

with Richard Urquhart  and Joe Swanson 4:30 P.M.  or  6:00 P.M.

Join us Thursday as we raise a glass with our local ambassador of Gordon and MacPhail, independent bottlers of Scotch whiskies, along with a member of the Urquhart family, who have been involved with the company since the year of its founding in 1895. Richard Urquhart is presently the export director for the U.S. and Asia and Joe Swanson is the Northeast Regional sales manager. This will be a very nice tasting and we will show some very nice single malts at reasonable prices. Benromach 10 Y.O. is always a wonderful old school style of single malt that has an elegance like no other; all of the malts coming from this distillery are very special. A long-time favorite, both of myself and so many others is their Mortlach 15 year. Just a great dram that we’re excited to be tasting again. There will be a Clynelish 11 Y.O. that is just about sold out from the distributor, so we took the last of it because it is a cracker — simply special. We will taste the Glenburgie 21 Y.O. which we’re excited to offer for an enticing price given its respectable age. Glenturret, a distillery we don’t see enough of, will be represented here with an 11 Y. O. — this one will have a sherry cask influence and I am excited to try it. We will finish off on Islay with a 12 Y.O. from Caol Ila from G&M’s Private Collection which is made up of single malts selected by The Urquhart Family, that has been finished in a Sassacaia wine cask.

Regular Price Sale Price Benromach 10 Y.O.   $58.99 – $53.99 Glenturret 11 Y.O.   $79.99 – $72.99 Clynelish  11 Y.O.  $79.99 – $72.99 Mortlach 15 Y.O.   $89.99 –  $81.99 Glenburgie 21 Y.O.  $169.99 – $154.99 Caol Ila 12 Y.O. $104.99 –  $94.99

Joe Howell

Federal Wine & Spirits
Email: info@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: www.federalwine.com/

JAMESON LAUNCHES SIXTH CONSECUTIVE ST. PATRICK’S DAY LIMITED EDITION BOTTLE

Jameson, the world’s favourite Irish whiskey, has unveiled its sixth limited edition bottle ahead of its annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities. The most recent in a series of collaborations with Irish artists, this year’s bottle has been designed by Dublin-based designer and illustrator, Steve McCarthy.

McCarthy’s creative starting point came from the Jameson family motto Sine Metu – or without fear – which has been at the heart of the company since it was founded in 1780 and lives on today. He also took inspiration from a commonly used Irish saying that goes hand in hand with Sine Metu, ‘to chance your arm’.

Legend has it that in 1492, ‘Black James’ Butler and his men found themselves barricaded behind the door to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. On the other side was Gearóid Fitzgerald who, tired of the constant fighting between the clans, decided it was time to make peace. Fitzgerald ordered his men to cut a hole in the door before extending his hand through the gap as a token of friendship. Rather than cut his arm off with a sword, Butler shook it and the long standing feud came to an end, giving Dublin one of its most famous sayings: to chance your arm.

Over 500 years later, Dublin is still a place where social barriers break easily and friendships come about in the most unexpected of ways and this has been brought to life on the label through two outstretched hands exchanging a handshake, framed by the St. Patrick’s Cathedral door of Reconciliation. The Sine Metu motto has been tattooed on to the knuckles of each hand as a reminder that when we fear a bit less, we live a bit more.

McCarthy has included some of the Irish capital’s most recognisable monuments in his bold and colourful design, such as the Ha’penny Bridge and Smithfield tower, and has also peppered the label with additional details that are reflective of his own knowledge of the city and sense of humour.

He comments: “I wanted it to feel like there was a deeper meaning to what you see. For me, the Jameson motto is very emotive and I hope that with my design I am able to speak to others around the world who have also been inspired by Sine Metu, or those who might still with this release, to fear a bit less to live a bit more.”

The release of the sixth limited edition bottle kicks off Jameson’s global St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for 2017 and will be available in markets including the USA, Ireland and Russia from February 2017, with a recommended retail price of €30 (or local equivalent).

Daniel Lundberg, Jameson Global Brand Director adds: “Our limited edition Jameson bottle for 2017 keeps the spirit of John Jameson alive and celebrates a very Irish saying that dates back to the 15^th century but is as relevant as ever today. As Jameson found when he established the Bow Street distillery in 1780, fearing less can help you reap rewards you never thought possible and we still proudly live by this ethos.

“Steve’s design perfectly balances the rich heritage of Dublin with the modern design and Irish wit of Jameson, and we hope that Irish whiskey fans will be inspired by the bottle in their own St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.”

Notes 

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard is Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits and wines and producer of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s fastest-growing Irish whiskey, experiencing 26 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 5m cases in 2015. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 50 of those experiencing double- or triple-digit growth.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Powers & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. In 2015, we completed a €220m investment which doubled our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

More information at www.irishdistillers.ie/.   

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 8,682 million in FY16. 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 40 index.

www.pernod-ricard.com/

Whisky ambassador Stefanie Holt

The nights are cold and spring is still far away, but fear not as we visit the warm tropics of Asia in our second instalment of Ladies Night! This session was hosted by the wonderful whisky ambassador Stefanie Holt. Full of passion and limitless knowledge, Stef guided us around three key Asian whisky-producing countries; India, Taiwan and, of course, Japan. We tasted six whiskies – two from each country – I learned so much in just one evening!

Whisky ambassador Stefanie Holt

Taiwan Taiwan sits on the Tropic of Cancer and the climate ages whisky three to four times faster than in Scotland. The country is also one of the main importers of high-value single malt in Asia.

Taiwan’s Kavalan has upped its production levels recently, and produces nearly 10m litres of spirit a year

Kavalan comes from the north east of Taiwan, an area of rolling hills and luscious green forest. Although it only began making whisky in 2006, it has already won many accolades and has garnered much recognition and respect. The distillery was built in nine months and attracts 1m visitors a year, more than all visitors to Scottish whisky distilleries put together. Kavalan has high aspirations, and now has 10 sets of stills, which will see it produce nearly 10m litres of spirit a year, close to the quantity made at Macallan.

India India is the biggest producer of ‘whisky’ in the world (albeit the majority is made with molasses and neutral grain spirit) and most of it is consumed domestically, so little is exported. Interestingly, it is not permitted to transport alcohol between regions.

Amrut, which created India’s first-ever internationally recognised single malt whisky, is based in Bangalore, far south but inland and therefore has a more stable climate. It uses six-row Indian barley (European barley has two) which has more husk and therefore protein, creating more flavour. The angels’ share is high, perhaps – as one audience member pointed out – because they have more gods…

Japan Japan has a temperate climate and much more similar to Scotland. Up until the 1850s, the Japanese only drank home-grown spirits, in particular an imitation of whisky which was made from a coloured high-alcohol shochu. However, this all changed when one man, Masataka Taketsuru, went on a mission and studied whiskymaking in Scotland. He returned to recreate the Scottish style in Japan.

Yoichi distillery is located in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido

Miyagikyo was created to replicate a Speyside distillery and was built to create blends – it even uses barley from Scotland. Yoichi is the most northerly distillery in Japan and was Taketsuru’s first. It was created to replicate an Island/Islay distillery, and is famed for its peaty, smoky whiskies.

FACT OF THE NIGHT

When you age whisky in tropical climates, the whisky interacts with the wood much faster than in cooler climates, which means that spicy, toasty notes from the oak interact with the whisky in a shorter period of time.

WE TASTED

Kavalan Classic Raisins, apricot, pineapple, coconut – fruity, light and gentle. Very pleasant.

Amrut Dried fruits, figs, more aromatic with sweet notes of fudge, toffee, vanilla, butterscotch. Woody, American oak, more texture, more cereal notes and a milky texture. Well-integrated alcohol.

Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt Soft, subtle, green fruits, forest, pear, raisins, honey, vanilla, with a touch of smoke.

Nikka Yoichi Single Malt Smoky, briny, salty and oily, with earthy and vanilla notes. More American oak than sherry oak.

Amrut Fusion Soft smoke with toffee, savoury notes and some pencil lead. Richer, thicker texture, with integrated alcohol, and full bodied.

Kavalan Sherry Cask 6 Year Old TWE Exclusive We finished the night on a high! Powerful, intense sherry notes of sultanas, raisins, Christmas cake, walnuts, honey and chewy. Deliciously nutty.

WHISKY OF THE NIGHT

It was a close call but it ended as a tie between Miyagikyo and the Kavalan Sherry Cask.

COUNTRY OF THE NIGHT

Japan.

Whisky production is booming all over the globe – even Scotland is planning to open 25 distilleries this year – and we ladies welcome this with open arms. We cannot wait for the next Ladies Night tasting in the spring.

Gordon & MacPhail Bunnahabhain 2007 | Cask Strength 

Distilled in 2007 at the Bunnahabhain distillery, this cask strength single malt Scotch whisky from Islay has been aged for 9 years in 1st fill sherry hogsheads. Bottled at 55.8% in 2016 by independent whisky bottlers Gordon & MacPhail, for their superb Cask Strength series.

£47.90

Bunnahabhain Moine Oloroso

This limited edition Islay Single Malt Scotch from Bunnahabhain is the product of just seven Oloroso sherry casks left to mature fully in the sea-facing warehouse No.7, revealing a side to the distillery not often seen. An intense peat and sherry sweetness await in this non chill-filtered cask strength expression.

Find out more on Hamish’s Blog

£74.99 Buy Now

Available while stocks last.

Ralfy pops a cork ( again ! ) for Ralfy Review 626 – Bruichladdich 10yo 2nd Edition @ 50%vol

Twentseven – twentytwo

Friday; I went south from Perth down to Tullibardine on Friday – the start of the weekend. This is what I can tell you about the Tullibardine “Murray”. There are around 12,ooo bottles (and these have already all gone out to market as it was bottled on allocation). It is first fill ex Bourbon, cask strength 56.1%, this is the Marquess Range. At this point in time they do not know when the second edition will be released and indeed have not decided what this whisky will be. Anything they do will sit with the brand image as a boutique craft distiller, and so a whisky has to be just right to be considered under the range. The second edition will be released at the earliest mid 2018. But this one …. Chocolaty strawberries, oak barley and bakery notes (Bread or Greggs?), fruit with orange blossom (special). We (Liz and Paul) have up to now obtained 8 of these glorious bottles. The Murray is a 12 year old single malt whisky distilled in 2004 and bottled in 2016 at cask strength (see above) no chill-filtration. Released as part of their Marquess Collection, likely named after William Murray, who was the Marquess of Tullibardine. The 2nd Marquess of Tullibardine, Sir William Murray fought for the Jacobites at the Battle of Sherrifmuir on the hills close to the distillery. In 1745 he was chosen to unfurl the Royal Standard at Glenfinnan announcing the Prince as the rightful King. I’m a sucker for history. This is the first release of a Tullibardine at cask strength in a hundred years, it’s one of those “try before you die” drams, or in my case, “try before it’s all gone”!

I dropped into Tulli on Friday (3 Feb) to pick up our case of Murray, chat and be completely nosey as to all the developments going on there. As it is a half hour doon the road it is easy to “just drop by for a cuppa” a grand excuse to pick up drams and see what new ones are available now/soon. Said Matthew “We are currently thinking about whether we do a second bottling this year of the Murray given the demand we have for the product, again this has yet to be decided. The series was created by the team at the distillery – we are a very close knit team and we work on the brand development as a team with regular brand meetings. Matthew Johns Commercial Director

Tullibardine distillery founded in 1949 on the site of a brewery, said to have brewed ale for King James IV’s coronation in 1488! The brewery dates back to the 12th century. Named after Tullibardine Moor, the distillery draws its water from the Danny Burn to the south-west of Blackford village, renowned for the purity of its water, so much so that the well known Highland Spring is bottled close by from their own spring. Queen Helen, the wife of King Magnus of Alba (Scotland), drowned in a ford after falling from her horse not far from Blackford was named accordingly. So that was my weekend started with a case of whisky, reason for today? Didnee wish to take a case of whisky to Edinburgh with all those Irishers about!

Saturday; drove south again, over the bridge and into Edinburgh, stopped near the zoo to meet my pal PJ, he was away over with pals to see the game and have a grand weekend, he also brought me my bottle of Telling “Rising” and I gave him the Redbreast – we had pre – arranged this to be sure.

RISING an Irish dram from Teeling’s. An 11 year old single malt to mark the rising of the distillery and the 100 years since the Irish Rising of 1916, Dublin – where two of my great uncles fought alongside the hero’s against the British (Paul). A handcrafted small batch, 1000 bottles and consists of rare Irish casks. REDBREAST Mano a Lámh All Sherry Limited Edition. A limited release from Midleton of 2000 bottles for Stillhouse members. I had a spare bottle of this (Paul), Mano a Lámh, means ‘hand in hand’, represents the joining of two languages, Gaelic and Galician, in celebration of the relationship between the Masters of Midleton and the artisans in Spain, who have crafted the distillery’s sherry butts over 20 years. A grand pairing for this Scotland/Ireland rugby match, not forgetting the Murray (Murrayfield is the stadium for the game – clever eh!).

Leaving PJ I headed to drop off the car (found free parking) and my bag then dondered into the city – Jeeze, it was rammed with Irish. Ended up making a pub tour, just to find a space you understand to see the game. After some lunch and many visits, I ended up at Usquabae, superb craic in this pub, mega full with rugby supporters, Irish sitting next to Scots, next to English even, that’s the way it goes with rugby. Saw the fantastic game; Scotland’s passion and relentless tackling did not give Ireland time to breathe, let alone pass the ball (or have a dram). It was just suffocating. Stuart Hogg the Glasgow player is not just ahead of his rivals, he is clear of them by some distance, my man of the match. Game over after some nervous last few minutes, Scotland win 27 – 22! I wander downstairs to the whisky bar – by this time a cousin has arrived with pals, I am trapped. Usquabae whisky bar is superb, over 400 whiskies to select from, we immediately set up a bar tab, not thinking where this was leading … Michael and myself started with a Balvenie 21 year old Port, as you do. I was unaware of what the others were drinking, some went/stayed on the beers. Our education included a Redbreast 15yo (Irish to be nice), Glenrothers Sherr, Dalmore cigar malt and a Dalmore King Alec. After this it all got a bit dark and confusing, wee note here; be careful when drinking with Irish. I do recall a very nice Balvenie 17 year old looking at me across the bar, so called him over and educated myself and Michael from Donegal into the Balvenie way. It was about now we heard a hige roar fae upstairs, a less intoxicated Irishman went upstairs to see what was goin on? He arrived back saying the Saxons were behind against the French, superb! We had a long discussion between ourselves and bar staff “what the hell is Swing Low sweet chariot all about?” After, or during this chat – I lost all sense and apparently was assisted back to my hotel by Mic and a friend, I was walking but not in a straight line, Devil Irish strike again. I have to say thanks to Mic for getting me home – he is younger than me thankfully, he returned to the fray. I woke up on ma bed, fully dressed watching match of the day!

Sunday; driving home, at a suitable time for the fumes to dissolve, with two good friends in the back of the car (Rising and Murray) am happy as Larry. It’s always the same on this game, my dad fae Oban, my ma fae Kilkenny, I don’t really care who wins, I win each time! My big gripe and rant; is the saxon media, they never gave Scotland a chance, the Irish they said only have to turn up to beat us! And how did their team fare against the French, they scrambled a win only just, but that night the sports news BBC was full of a superb saxon win with umpteen minutes of coverage, Scotland got a wee mention. Typical. By the way saxon (English) media ANDY MURRAY IS SCOTTISH not British or English. Again, a great dram; Tullibardine Murray.

Ends.

 PAUL MCLEAN   http://www.whiskytours.scot/