New packing for 2017, our favourite Scottish single malt Springbank 15 Year Old features a fresh new face for the New Year. Matured in sherry casks this is a must-try Campeltown malt.
£53.10
WILLIAM GRANT & SONS UK APPOINTS ALWYNNE GWILT
AS THE BALVENIE UK AMBASSADOR
11th January 2017: Independent family distillers, William Grant & Sons UK has today confirmed that whisky specialist, Alwynne Gwilt will take on the role of UK ambassador for The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch whisky, as of January 2017.
Joining William Grant & Sons UK in January 2016 as Whisky Specialist for the Ancient Reserves portfolio, Alwynne’s new role as The Balvenie UK ambassador will see her focus on generating brand advocacy and bridging communication between the brand and whisky drinkers, bars & restaurants, retailers, distributors and press.
Jonathan Cornthwaite, Head of Whisky at William Grant & Sons UK said: “Alwynne has a deep passion for whisky and the way it is made, which is why she is the perfect person to take on the UK ambassador role for The Balvenie, the most handcrafted single malt. With her wealth of unique experience, Alwynne will play a crucial role as the face of one of William Grant & Sons UK’s core brands. Alwynne will lead from the front to develop key relationships and initiatives to further enhance The Balvenie’s excellent reputation with whisky novices, enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike, as well as with on-trade partners.”
Alwynne Gwilt said: “Many years ago, when I was just beginning my journey in whisky, The Balvenie distillery was one of the very first ones I visited. And because all of the processes are done on-site, it was the first time I really, truly ‘got’ whisky, the first time I understood its underlying heartbeat. I was utterly hooked! As such, I’m thrilled to be coming back to these early roots, to be able to speak about and share my love of this beautifully hand-crafted product with whisky lovers far and wide.”
Alwynne will take over from James Buntin who held the role since 2014.
Notes:
About Alwynne Gwilt
Alwynne comes with significant industry experience and is the founder and editor of whisky-focused website, Miss Whisky, named ‘Website to Watch’ in the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2016. Throughout her career Alwynne has written for numerous publications on whisky, been involved with consulting and training in the whisky sector, and run events in the UK and overseas, all of which earned her a place within the ‘Top 10 Women in Whisky’ as judged by The Drinks Business in 2014, and the title of ‘International Whisky Ambassador of the Year’ at the Spirit of Speyside Festival in 2013.
About The Balvenie:
The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master, who celebrates his 54th year at the distillery in 2016. Each has a very individual taste, but each is rich, luxuriously smooth and underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie.
The Balvenie is dedicated to the five rare crafts that are used to create The Balvenie’s distinctive taste. It is the only distillery that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both coppersmiths and coopers on site – making The Balvenie the most handcrafted of malts.
The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd, an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by his direct descendants.
About William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons Holdings Ltd is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the global premium spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s most awarded single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch, Grant’s®, as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry®, Tullamore D.E.W. ® Irish Whiskey and Drambuie®.
Click on www.williamgrant.com for more information on the Company and its brands
The 25th January 2017 is fast approaching. That means its nearly time to don your tartan, brush up your linguistics, and get ready to ‘slay’ a Haggis! And most importantly raise a dram of Scotch Whiskey. Burns Night is upon us.
There is no need to re-hash the story of Robert Burns and the synonymy between Burns Night and Whiskey. Let’s just say they make a good pairing. And what better than our very own exclusive Burns Malt® and Burns Grain® whiskies to pair with haggis, Robert Burns and a celebration of Scottish culture. As uttered by Burns himself,
“Freedom an’ whisky gang thegither“
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THE POST
Only 3 Available!
Exclusive Web Price £617.95
Tasting notes –
Dense and fragrant nose with plenty of heather honey, fish oils and slightly astringent coastal notes. Lightly phenolic with a touch of tar, very herbal peat and late coffeed notes. Dense and fleshy with barley and soft fruit. Freshens as the coastal notes arrive. The peat is pleasantly herbal with a light coffee note. Long, mouth-watering and sooty finish with hints of violet, wood and a lightly tarry aftertaste. A lovely Islay, with a seriously sooty finish.
The classic Islay nose of peat bogs with a hint of basil and fennel. The palate delivers more fennel and peat and some cinnamon. Finish is like apple doughnuts and smoke.
Oyster shells, palate is flinty and sweet like sea foam on slate.
Ardbeg Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery in Ardbeg on the south coast of the isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands.
Free In-Store Whisky Sampling
Wednesday 25th January
We’re inviting you to join us for a free whisky tasting in-store on Wednesday 25th January.
Visit The Whisky Shop to try all six of the drams avaialble for tasting with guidance from our staff. Toast the Immortal Memory with each one and get your Burns Night celebrations off to a good start!
The following stores will be hosting an in-store sampling from 1pm on Wednesday 25th January:
Bath Birmingham Brighton Edinburgh, Victoria Street Edinburgh, Waverley Mall Essex, Lakeside Glasgow Guildford Inverness London, Paternoster London, Piccadilly Manchester Newcastle, Metro Centre (Gateshead) Norwich Nottingham Oxford Stoke on Trent, Trentham Gardens York
All the whiskies available for sampling will be included in our W Club members-only offers, so if you want 10% off the price of a full bottle – along with a host of other benefits – join the W Club in-store on the day or online now for only £20 per year.
Ralfy explores the growing influence of Whisky auctions with Ralfy Review 619 – Whiskies I bought at Auctions.
Jim Murray – ‘I went to Talisker and it changed my life’
In the first part of our exclusive interview, Jim Murray tells Stuart how Lord Lucan helped him get into whisky, how he helped create the rye boom, and why sulphur is the enemy of a great dram…
Before you wrote about whisky, you were a Fleet Street reporter. How did you get involved in journalism? I was still at school. I covered league cricket at the age of 14, so earned my first pennies at that tender age. After school, I wouldn’t go home, I would go to the paper and during my holidays I’d work for them, too. I set up my own press agency when I was 20, covering the Midlands. I was getting stories on the front pages of national newspapers, so I was known around Fleet Street. I did hard investigations – I specialised in murders, turned over crooks, paedophiles, you name it. It was a long, hard, enjoyable and diverse career.
Why the move into whisky? Jim Milne of J&B was holding a seminar where he had these whiskies marked X, Y and Z, but they didn’t say the name of the distillery. I nosed one and said ‘This doesn’t go in your blend; it’s Fettercairn.’ He looked at me and said ‘Yes, that is Fettercairn, and the only reason it’s here is because it’s a mistake.’ We talked and we became mates because there was great respect between us. It was Jim who told me that I should write my views on whisky, because until then all I’d done was generic pieces on history and distilleries. I remember turning to my [now] ex-wife and said I was going to give up Fleet Street and do this full time, which horrified her. I was on a well-paid job and there was no guarantee of earning anything whatsoever.
Where does your love of whisky come from? I was working on the Lord Lucan story at the age of 16, which was fun. I finally got a holiday and I was determined to get to a distillery, and determined to get to an island. I went on the boat to Skye, got to Talisker distillery and it literally changed my life. I remember the aromas, the sounds, I remember going into the warehouse. It’s as if it happened yesterday, it’s so vivid.
You’re a huge bourbon fan, too… I got my taste for bourbon before I went to Talisker. When I left school at 16, I spent a month in America with relatives before joining the press agency. I tasted about 40 whiskeys – I looked a lot older than 16! [Later] I went to live in Kentucky for about four months and kept going back. I learned and learned. The one thing I said to them was they have to start producing more rye, but they said rye is dead. I said no chance, because people can’t get enough Islay whisky, and rye is their Islay – it’s the big, ballsy one that makes a statement. And rye has now gone through the roof.
I’m proud of the fact I got the American industry to re-examine rye. And I got the Irish whiskey industry to get pot still going, because that was dead. It’s the old campaigning journalist in me – if you believe in something, you go out and fight your campaign. And people are drinking Japanese now. I was on a flight and the guy next to me said ‘Are you Jim Murray? My God, you’ve cost me some money. The Yamazaki [Sherry Cask 2013, which won Jim’s 2015 World Whisky of the Year] – I managed to get three bottles and each one cost me £2,000 each, but it really was the best whisky I’d ever tasted in my life.’ It’s lovely when you hear things like that, because you feel vindicated.
Talking of sherry-cask whisky, you’re notoriously outspoken about sulphur… Everyone should have an issue with sulphur! You get ridiculous PR people who are paid to do what they’re told coming out with ridiculous statements saying that this [sulphur] just adds to the flavour of whisky. It doesn’t add; it detracts, it ruins whisky. That is why you’ve got copper pot stills, to make it nice and clean, beautiful and bright, and honeyed and sweet, and then you put it into sulphur and you f*** it up! Sorry, but there are so many thick people in the industry, it’s terrifying, and they’re all covering their tracks.
I remember there was a guy in America who had his own column about whisky, and I mentioned the sulphur thing, and he goes ‘What problem?’ I said ‘Are you serious? You’re a whisky writer. That’s like being a football correspondent and not knowing what offside is.’
What’s the most underrated distillery? God, there are so many. From Scotland, I would say two: Clynelish should be brought out as a really special whisky. It [Diageo] doesn’t do with it what they could do with it. But I understand why, because Clynelish is such an important blending whisky because it’s got so much character. The other one would be Glentauchers, which I discovered back in the early 1980s.
And the most overrated? Fettercairn.
What’s the next big country for whisky? The two countries that could do really well are Australia and India. Australia is fantastic – what they’re bringing out, there may not be much of it but my God, I do look forward to doing the Australian section [of Jim’s Whisky Bible]. I think Australia has so much potential. And Taiwan is making some brilliant whisky.
What do you drink when you’re not drinking whisky? Real ale – I love it. And I’m pretty useful on rum, but I don’t think it’s understood at all. Rum is the only spirit you should put caramel in, for instance. I don’t think you should put caramel in whisky. The industry says caramel does not affect the flavour; yes, it does, massively. I’m pretty good on gin, but I don’t have time – writing the Bible alone takes four to five months a year, and the rest of the time I’m going round the world doing TV and shows.
Would you recommend people buying certain whiskies to invest? The whole point of the Bible is to actually enjoy the whisky. For me, it’s about tasting it, not stashing it away and making loads of money. I would never say to people to go and buy a whisky for investment. I went to Clynelish [a number of years ago], and the manager took me to the original distillery, renamed Brora. He showed me a warehouse and said to me: ‘This is our Brora. I’ve got two warehouses of this. The blenders don’t want to use it because there’s only x amount of it, and once it’s run out, it’s run out. They want to use whiskies that they can continue using; we don’t know what to do with it.’ And he added ‘If you know anyone who wants to buy all this stock…’ I swear, two warehouses of Brora!
What about NAS whiskies? I can understand why it’s happening. I don’t have a problem with NAS personally – the original Glenfiddich had no age statement, for example. It was like eating a slightly underripe gooseberry – it had this tartness to it, but also this really gorgeous natural feel, and it was refreshing. But when they brought it up to 12 [years old], you could feel that maybe they’d upped the caramel a bit, and that tartness and the liveliness vanished and down it went. I think age can be a red herring.
Read the second half of our Jim Murray interview next Sunday (January 29th), in which he reveals his strict rules for choosing his World Whisky of the Year, his response to critics of the Whisky Bible, and his retirement plans.
THE WHISKY EXCHANGE MASTERCLASSES AT OLYMPIA HISTORIC!
Olympia Historic Automobile Fair & Auction
17-19 February 2017, Olympia, London
olympiahistoric.com
The Olympia Historic Fair & Auction, in partnership with renowned auction house Coys, is London’s new luxury lifestyle event for owners and collectors of classic cars. Taking place on 17-19 February, the show will deliver an unforgettable experience for visitors with a series of features that range from a Coys Auction and Restoration Showcases to the Whisky Exchange Masterclasses and Fine Watch Room.
Run in partnership with The Whisky Exchange – the Whisky Masterclasses are a collection of fine whisky tasting sessions led by industry experts featuring top labels from around the world, from Johnnie Walker Blue Label to Japanese Nikka whisky.
New for 2017 – The Whisky Exchange Masterclasses in partnership with The Whisky Exchange
Johnnie Walker and the Chocolate Factory
Join experts in an exclusive tasting session of one of the world’s most popular blended whisky labels. Guests will be able to enjoy three of the finest Johnnie Walker whiskies, from the exquisite Blue Label to the indulgent Gold Label and Gold Label Reserve. The whiskies will be partnered by award winning luxury chocolates from London chocolatiers, Chococo.
Nikka Whisky with Stephanie Holt
Explore the multi-award winning Nikka range with a tasting of 5 whiskies from the company. Whisky expert Stephanie Holt will guide you through the nuances of a variety of single malt and blended whiskies known worldwide for their quality and flavour.
Kavalan Whisky with Stephanie Holt
Kavalan have made a big impact in the whisky world since they started distilling in 2006. This masterclass will be led by spirits expert Stephanie Holt who will conducting a tasting session of the award winning single malt whisky, known for its smooth and complex flavour.
Luxury Blending Session with Phil Huckle
Phil Huckle, brand ambassador for Pernod Ricards Scotch, will be showing you why it is a modern day myth that Blended Scotch is inferior to Single Malt. Guests will be able to taste premium luxury blends to discover the truth for themselves. On the menu will be Chivas Regal Extra / 18yr & 25yr plus Ballantines 17yr and Royal Salute 21yr.
Alwynne Gwilt – William Grant & Sons UK
Alwynne Gwilt is the UK Balvenie Brand Ambassador at William Grant & Sons UK. She got her start in whisky first through of a love of the liquid, and later through setting up the whisky blog, Miss Whisky. Alwynne will be guiding visitors through a selection of Balvenie whiskies from the Single Barrel range, including the 12yo, 15yo and 25yo, plus a couple of extra treats along the way.
Photo credits: The Whisky Exchange
All Whisky Masterclass tickets cost £45 in advance and include entry to the Olympia Historic Fair & Auction.
Please note, masterclasses are limited to 30 people per session so we recommend you book in advance to secure your place.
The Whisky Exchange Masterclasses are £55 on the door.
The Olympia Historic Automobile Fair & Auction, in partnership with renowned auction house Coys, is proud to announce its inaugural event taking place in London’s most prestigious event venue Olympia London on 17-19 February 2017.
Packed with inspiring features such as the Classic Car Rally Talk Theatre, The Restoration Showcase and Fine Watch Room, the event will provide a wealth of information and guidance on the world of historic automobiles. From concours restoration to provenance, whether you’re thinking of buying with the aim to enter the exciting world of classic racing or interested to know how to maximise your investment, this event will allow owners and collectors to both indulge in their passions and acquire their next historic automobile.
For more show details and to buy tickets please visit: olympiahistoric.com
Nicholson’s Pubs Celebrate Scotland with Burns Night and their Whisky Showcase
From Monday 23rd January, food and drink lovers across London are in for a treat as Nicholson’s pubs including The Elephant and Castle, The Princess of Wales, The Hoop and Grapes and The Henry Addington kick off 2017 with Burns Night celebrations and a whisky showcase. The traditional Burns Night menu will offer guests the chance to experience classic Scottish dishes in new and exciting ways, with the whisky showcase set to enable guests to explore whisky and find new favourites for 2017.
Burns Night
This January Nicholson’s Pubs will be celebrating the life of the Scottish poet Robert Burns in a truly traditional fashion with a two and three course set menu showcasing classic Scottish cuisine. Guests will be able to sample the Scottish dishes from Monday 23rd January until Sunday 29th January meaning Burns Night celebrations can continue all week.
Dishes will include traditional favourites such as Smoked Salmon served with Scottish oatcakes and chive sour cream, haggis, neeps & tatties, and to round off the meal, guests with a sweet tooth can enjoy a traditional Scottish cranachan served with honey, whisky raspberries and golden toasted oats.
Adding an extra warming winter twist on their experience, there’s also a whisky flight available for guests to add to their Burns Night celebration for just £5. This includes three 25ml measures of The Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year Old, Talisker Skye and Singleton Dufftown Spey Cascade, the perfect accompaniment to the traditional Scottish fayre.
The Whisky Showcase
The Burns Night festivities will form the start of a month-long celebration of all things whisky in Nicholson’s pubs with the inaugural Whisky Showcase commencing from 23rd January.
Over 30 whiskies will be available in London Nicholson’s Pubs until 19th February as part of the showcase and each pub will be bringing whisky to life in fun & interesting ways, and make it accessible to both the whisky newcomers and malt connoisseurs alike.
As well as an extended range of exciting whiskies, the showcase will be brought to life through events and masterclasses taking place across the Nicholson’s pubs throughout the month. These will include tasting events for beginners in conjunction with Fever-Tree, whisky pairing masterclasses with Macallan chocolate and virtual reality events where guests can take a tour of the Glenfiddich distillery from the comfort of their local pub.
Whether guests like their whisky straight up, on the rocks, or topped with cola, Nicholson’s wants to show guests how accessible and unique each whisky is, and help them discover their perfect serve.
Events
The Old Thameside Inn will be hosting the Glenfiddich Virtual Reality Distillery tour
The Flying Horse will be hosting the Fever Tree ‘beginners guide to whisky’ session, where guests will begin with perfect serves of whisky & coke, and whisky & ginger, before discovering its unique taste on its own.
The White Swan will be hosting the Arbelour tasting sessions where guests will discover the secrets behind double cask maturation.
The Argyll Arms will be hosting the Maxxium Whisky Masterclass, where guests will explore pairings with chocolate and ale.
The Sir Christopher Hatton will be hosting the Diageo Whisky Masterclass which will delve into the world of whisky, including the myths surrounding it, flavour mapping and exploring the Nicholson’s whisky collection.
Guests can also get involved online, as the Nicholson’s social media feeds will be full to the rim of interesting whisky facts, Burns Night quotes, offers competitions and much more. Follow @Nicholsonspubs and #NicholsonsWhiskyShowcase to stay updated with all things whisky!
To find out more about which Whisky Showcase events are happening in London or to review the Burns Night menu, visit the website at https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/burnsnightmenu and find your nearest Nicholson’s.
Twitter: @Nicholsonspubs
www.facebook.com/nicholsonspubs
Instagram: nicholsonspubs
Notes
About Nicholson’s
Founded in 1873 by William Nicholson; Nicholson’s Pubs extend across the UK with pubs in most major city centres locations. Nicholson’s prides itself on the colourful history and the striking architecture of each individually designed pub in the collection.
With a timeless atmosphere and character by the barrelful, it’s the perfect place to try an ale from the widest selection available, enjoy a gin from some of the most unique gin producers in the country and tuck into some hearty food. From an after work drink with colleagues, to having a drink with friends whilst visiting an historic city or enjoying a quality pub lunch or evening meal with family, every occasion can be a Nicholson’s one.
Find out more about your local Nicholson’s by visiting http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/, following on twitter @Nicholsonspubs, or visiting the Facebook page www.facebook.com/nicholsonspubs
25 year old Glen Grant single malt, bottled by Douglas Laing as part of their Xtra Old Particular range, which is reserved for some very special whiskies indeed. This one was distilled all the way back in November 1990 and left to age in a refill hogshead for quarter of a century. It was bottled in June 2016 with an outturn of 205 bottles.
