Eleven Buffalo Trace whiskies honored at2017 INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS COMPETITION

Twelve Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits were awarded medals at the 2017 International Wine & Spirits Competition. Eight of the 12 Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits recognized received “Silver Outstanding” medals which are awarded based upon the highest scores within each category.

Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits awarded “Silver Outstanding” include:

 Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

 Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

Those awarded Silver include:

 Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 Benchmark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Awarded Bronze:

 Buffalo Trace Distillery Bourbon Cream

“We are delighted by our placements at the IWSC,” said Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “The judging for this competition is very rigorous, but so are we when it comes to creating quality spirits so we feel very proud of these results.”

The International Wine and Spirit Competition was founded in 1969 and is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs.

All entries are first blind tasted in groups divided by variety, region and vintage as necessary, by professional expert judges (by glass, not bottle) and then the top products are sent for detailed chemical and microbiological analysis. This analysis is crucial as in some instances the results of this analysis may lead to marks being deducted or even outright rejection.

Learn more at www.iwsc.net.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named “Brand Innovator of the Year” by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015. Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

Our Warehouse Experience invites you into our exclusive bonded warehouses which house our maturing casks of Glenturret whisky. This experience includes 4 premium whisky tastes from our exceptional range of Glenturret single malts. A fantastic “behind the scenes” experience at Scotland’s oldest working distillery and the perfect gift for the whisky lover in your life. Book Now

Why not treat yourself to our Bottle Your Own Glenturret?  A personalised, single cask edition complete with a hand written label detailing the name of the person the bottle was filled for and the bottling date. Our current cask is dedicated to our world famous distillery cat “Towser” Buy here

If you are planning to visit Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery be good to yourself and book one of our famous Afternoon Teas. Available daily from 2.30pm – 4.00pm. Find out more here

Scotland’s oldest distillery is a unique venue for any event and, with 7 distinct event spaces, we can offer a range of layouts and rooms setups for a wide variety of occasions. Call our events team to discuss your requirements and date availability today on 01764 656565.

KILCHOMAN WHISKY TASTING – THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER 2017

Autumn is upon us, and as many people’s thoughts may well be turning to a smoky whisky that will fit the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ we thought what better time could there be to invite George Wills from Kilchoman Distillery to come back and visit us?  We’re very glad to report that George said yes to the invitation and he will be with us on Thursday 5th October with whisky and tales from the family distillery on the island of Islay that punches well above its weight and whose rich, peaty drams bring so much pleasure.

For those of you who haven’t come across Kilchoman Distillery before, this farm sized distillery was established in 2005 and at that time was the first new distillery to be built on Islay for over 120 years.  As much as possible of the production process is carried out on site and the distillery produces a whisky that is definitely Islay in style but one that very much has its own character.  Fruity sweetness combines with layers of peat smoke, resulting in a well balanced, delicious malt and, for those who have yet to discover the joys of peat, this might just be the one that wins you over!

Tickets are £15 per person and will be available to buy online from 12.30pm on Thursday 7th September.  Please note, no bookings will be taken before this time and because of the high demand for these tickets the maximum number per booking is 4.

Tickets for these events always go very quickly so make sure you go online to book yours as soon as they are released.  If you do miss out then please contact us to register your interest and we will add you to the reserves list for any returned tickets.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte! Fran and Ken Arkwrights Whisky and Wines www.whiskyandwines.com

KILCHOMAN WHISKY TASTING
Thursday 5th October 2017
Please arrive at the venue at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start
Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren SN6 7SD (www.stantonhouse.co.uk)

Details Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night. Tickets are £15 per person, and this also entitles you to a discount of £3 against a bottle of one of the featured whiskies if bought or ordered on the night of the tasting.  Tickets are very strictly limited, and restricted to 4 per booking. As these tastings usually sell out immediately it is best to book as soon as the tickets are released. To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com from 12.30pm on Thursday 7th September and place an order for the number you require (up to a maximum of 4).  Please note that tickets cannot be reserved without payment and are non-refundable.  N.B. We have negotiated special rates at Stanton House Hotel for anyone who wants to stay overnight after the tasting – just quote ‘Arkwrights whisky tasting’ when booking by ‘phone or email.

Tuesday, September 12th 5-7PM:

Laphroaig Tasting with Master Distiller John Campbell

Please join us for a whisky tasting presented by John Campbell, whisky expert, ambassador, and manager of Laphroaig distillery. John Campbell is renowned throughout the whisky world for his extensive whisky expertise and engaging presentations, and we are very excited to see what drams he’ll bring to this event.  RSVPs are highly encouraged, as is showing up early for a good spot!

Click Here to RSVP

Ralfy reviews a distillery malt never reviewed till now with Ralfy Review 680 – Linkwood 12yo @ 43%vol (Flora & Fauna)

Isle of Raasay Distillery Opening in September 2017

In September 2017, whisky makers R&B Distillers will officially open the Isle of Raasay Distillery, the first (legal!) whisky distillery on this small Hebridean island. R&B Distillers are bringing this traditional Scottish craft to an unchartered whisky region, harnessing the raw elements of the unique terroir to create the first Raasay Scotch, which will be ready to drink from 2020.

Co-founders Alasdair Day and Bill Dobbie are realising a dream to make whisky in this uncommon location. Alasdair Day describes the uniqueness project: “It is the location; an island off an island with complex geology, water and island climate with probably the best views form any distillery in Scotland, that makes Raasay ideal for our innovative Scotch whisky distillery.”

Raasay is a small island, only fourteen miles in length, situated off the East coast of Skye. The island’s 120 residents have watched eagerly as this disused Gothic villa hotel, Borodale House, has been transformed into the new distillery, adjacent visitors’ centre and Na Tùsairean Club members’ accommodation which will be opening later.

In February 2016, R&B Distillers received permission from the Highland Council to bring the first distillery to Raasay. The young brand subsequently secured grants from the Food Processing Marketing and Co-Operation Grants Scheme, as well as the Highlands and Islands Enterprise, for the development of a visitor’s centre which is projected to bring in 12,000 visitors to Raasay in the first year.

Chris Taylor, VisitScotland Regional Partnership Director, comments: “The opening of the new Isle of Raasay Distillery is an exciting addition to the tourism offering in the Highlands, particularly with the development of a visitor centre and the promise of such fabulous views from the distillery itself.

Whisky is so embedded in the traditions of this country so is seems very fitting that the new distillery is opening during Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology. It is also great to hear that a disused Victorian villa has been brought back into use in such an innovative way.”

Designed by Olli Blair from ABIR Architects and Allen Associates, the distillery incorporates the Victorian Borodale house and the modernity of a brand new distillery. However, the main feature of the design brief was to showcase and compliment the stunning views from the distillery site. This has been taken into careful consideration throughout.

The distillery on Raasay will be furnished with two copper pot stills sourced from Frilli in Tuscany and R&B predict that it will be able to produce 150,000 bottles of Scotch whisky a year. Single malt, Raasay While We Wait is an aptly named taste of the style of whisky that will be produced on Raasay. It is lightly peated to reflect the volcanic mineral content in the water supply, and balanced by fruity notes from Tuscan red wine finishing casks. The team also has 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. In June 2017, R&B Distillery commenced Barley growing trails on the island to assess the possibility of growing and ripening barley suitable for whisky making locally with farmers and crofters.

The distillery will be independently owned and operated and is expected to generate employment for up to 10% of the island residents. In July 2017 R&B announced the distillery team who will be integral to whisky production: the team is comprised of an island resident, a young distilling graduate and a master distiller with decades of whisky prowess.

R&B Distillers are proud to be utilising some of the raw talent found on Raasay: they have employed Raasay local, Norman Gillies, as Distillery Manager. Norman was born and raised on Raasay and has been involved in the distillery project from the early days, working as Site Engineer and then Ground Foreman on the construction process. With a strong engineering background coupled with experience on the build from the outset, Norman understands the workings of the distillery.

Iain Robertson has been appointed as the Distiller and has relocated to the island to join the team. Iain is a recent Honours graduate of the Heriot Watt Brewing and Distilling school. During his studies, he took a placement at North British grain distillery and worked at Edinburgh’s The Scotch Whisky Experience as one of their highly knowledgeable tour guides. Iain is not only formally educated in the art and science of distilling but is innovative and enthusiastic about respectfully pushing the boundaries of the spirit.

Master Distiller Chris Anderson will be joining Iain and Norman for the inaugural 5 months to oversee

the initial distillation. He has experience at Dewars and United Distillery, and has helped with production at Ardnamurchan and Kilchoman distilleries – he will lend this expertise to the Raasay Distillery. Most recently he has been involved with the Lakes Distillery in Cumbria and the construction of neighbouring Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye. Chris will be invaluable to R&B Distillers as they establish one of Scotland’s newest whisky distilleries.

R&B stands for Raasay and Borders, two unique landscapes brought together through one unique whisky company. Co-founder Alasdair Day embodies this coupling. His great grandfather, Allan MacDonald, hailed from the Hebrides while his other great grandfather, Richard Day was a Masterblender in the Borders in the early 19th Century. It is this history that has prompted R&B’s ongoing project to build distilleries at these twin roots. The former, on Raasay, will soon be a reality.

NOTES:

Isle of Raasay Distillery will produce Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

• Capacity: 94,000 LPA

• Fermentation Time: 90 hours

• Spirit Still: 3,600 L

• Wash Still: 5,000 L

• Washback Size: 5,000 L

• Maturation: All maturation on site

Produced using local water supply at every stage of distillation and reduction

Isle of Raasay Distillery

Borodale House, Isle of Raasay, Kyle IV40 8PB

www.raasaydistillery.com

Facebook: RaasayDistillery Twitter: @raasaywhisky Instagram: @raasaydistillery

Six questions with Brian Kinsman, Glenfiddich Malt Master

Brian Kinsman is malt master for Glenfiddich, and also looks after the Grant’s range of blended whiskies and works with his mentor David Stewart on the Balvenie range. I caught up with Brian a while ago to learn more about his work and see if he’d drop a few clues as to what might be coming next. The success of the first two releases in the Glenfiddich Experimental Series – Glenfiddich IPA and Glenfiddich XX – has led to rumours that the next release is imminent.

How do you keep Glenfiddich interesting when it is one of the biggest and best-known whisky brands in the world?

It is tricky, and one of the reasons is the scale. If we’re going to do a limited edition for Balvenie, it can actually be quite small and still reach a significant proportion of the Balvenie fans. Obviously for Glenfiddich, that’s much harder, so our limited editions tend to be much larger, or more targeted.

One of the ways we do it from the product side is by being true to the distillery – we don’t do gimmicks. If we’re going to do a variant, we make sure it passes the acid test of feeling confident that what you’ve got is authentic and truly Glenfiddich. Then we engage [with the whisky drinkers] through our brand ambassador community. We have more than 20 in all the major markets around the world, and day in day out they are talking to people like you, reminding everyone that yes, Glenfiddich is huge, but it’s great quality; it’s huge, but we do some interesting stuff.

What’s the biggest misconception you hear about Glenfiddich?

That it’s a light starter whisky. A number of times, I’ve heard people say: ‘It’s a great introduction, but once you’re really into single malt you graduate from Glenfiddich’. I’ll always challenge them back: ‘Go back and taste it again; go back and try the 12 Year Old; do a tasting with any other single malt’, and Glenfiddich stands up every time. It’s easy to dismiss because it’s so readily available, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as good or better than a lot of the competitors.

Glenfiddich and Balvenie sit next to each other and the combined site is a similar size to the nearby town of Dufftown…

How is the whisky industry at the moment?

From our perspective, the diversity of categories and the growth of things like Irish whiskey, I think it’s a hugely exciting time. And for me, that’s why our Experimental Series works, because there’s a curiosity about whisky. It’s always been there but there was a period when it just cooled a bit, and I think it’s back and incredibly vibrant again.

What other experiments do you have in the works?

Essentially, we’ve got one that’s almost complete – we’ve done all the trial work and are really happy with it. We’re taking it from the experimental stage to scaling it up to potentially come out this year, all being well. It needs to be repeated – we’ve done it once, we all really liked it, and now we need to repeat it.

There’s probably another three/four/five ideas that are still in the experimental stage. They range from collaborations to what you might call ‘more traditional distillery-based innovations’. So, there will be hopefully be one new addition to the range [in 2017], potentially more, depending on the speed of the results. And as we all know, sometimes whisky can be a bit slow – you have to wait to see how it goes.

The first two entries in the Glenfiddich Experimental Series – IPA Cask and Project XX

Have you done more experiments with beer casks?

We have done more experiments. At the moment I don’t see another product coming out of them, but it’s definitely an interesting area: the ability to manipulate and play with something that you can then flip on its head to become a whisky cask finish. We’ve done experiments and we’ve got some ongoing across a few of our different brands so I wouldn’t be surprised if we have something – although it might not be Glenfiddich – in the next year or two.

What’s the next big thing in whisky?

I wish I knew. We’re working on stuff we think will be engaging and some of the next big things, but who knows? It’s that old thing of ‘keep doing what you’re doing, do it the best you can, keep experimenting and something will come out of it’. The tricky part, and the part we have to be very cautious of, is taking our eye off the ball. So, Japanese whisky’s doing its thing, bourbon’s doing its thing, as long as we are keeping up, the next big thing will come along. And when it does, we’ll all go ‘Oh. Right. Of course. That was interesting.’

The Fall Tasting Schedule is Now Online 

Our Fall Tasting Schedule is now online. You can read all about it view and register for the tastings on our website. The Fall Single Malt Festival is 2/3 sold… the remaining 35 tickets will likely sell out over the next 48 hours! The Irish Whiskey tasting is coming up on Tuesday with an amazing range for just $20. There is also room in the Wednesday Scotch Malt Whisky Society tasting. It is open to both Members $40 and Guests $50, featuring 7 new single cask single malt Scotch whiskies. Here is the full KWM Fall Whisky & Spirits Tasting Schedule.  

1.       Scotch Malt Whisky Society September Outturn Tasting – Wednesday September 6, 6PM – Join us for a 1 hour tour de force tasting featuring the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s August outturn whiskies. The Society is the World’s largest whisky club, www.smws.ca . You’ll sample 7 single cask, cask strength, typically Scotch whiskies. – $40 (Members) / $50

2.       Irish Whiskey Master Class with Ciara Cannon – Thursday September 7, 7 PM – Jameson Brand Ambassador Ciara Cannon will be our guest as we work through a range of fine whiskies from Irish Distillers including Vintage Reserve, Redbreast 21 Year and Midleton Barry Crockett. This tasting is a steal for $20!  – $20

3.       High Octane Whisky (Cask Strength) – Thursday September 14, 7PM – Does low alcohol whisky make you feel bored? Want to raise the stakes for greater reward? Some see 43 or 46 percent as ‘a good place to start’. The bottles we taste are not for the faint of heart. High Proof? Cask Strength? Call it what you will! The higher the alcohol… the greater the thrill! – $40

4.       From Goa with Love – Monday September 18, 7PM – Hot on the heels of Amrut, Paul John single malt whiskies are taking the world by storm. Madhu Kanna of Goa’s John Distillers will introduce you to one of Asia’s hottest new whiskies! – $25

5.       Kilchoman with Anthony Wills – Tuesday September 19, 7PM – Anthony Wills will be our special guest as we launch our oldest ever single cask of Kilchoman. Bottled at 10 years of age, the Kilchoman 2007 KWM 25th Anniversary is the oldest Kilchoman yet to be sold in Canada!  – $30

 7.       Craft vs. Classics: American Whiskey – Tuesday September 26, 7PM – American Whiskey $35 American craft whiskey is on the rise, but is it ready to go toe to toe with the established Bourbon and Rye brands? There is only one way to find out!  – $35

8.       Balvenie with Jamie Johnson – Wednesday October 11, 7PM – For her first ever Master Class at KWM we’re going vertical with Balvenie’s Brand Ambassador Jamie Johnson. We’ll tackle the range from 12 – 25 years of age.  – $35

9.       Millstone Whisky with Patrick van Zuidam – Thursday October 12, 7PM – Patrick van Zuidam is one of the Netherland’s most respected distillers. He’ll walk you through a range of some of the best single malt and rye whiskies in the world, including a new cask bottled for KWM! – $25

10.   An Introduction to Single Malt Scotch – Thursday October 19, 7PM – Your inception into the complex world of single malt whisky. We’ll debunk the myth of regions while introducing you to a range of different styles. – $30

11.   Spectacular Speysiders – Tuesday October 24, 7PM – Quite simply this is a range of our favourite Speyside whiskies new and old… you won’t be disappointed!  – $75

12.   Legendary Gordon Macphail w/ Alastair Milligan – Sunday October 29, 4PM – We’ll sample a range of Benromach and Gordon Macphail whiskies with Brand Ambassador Alastair Milligan, including a pair of very rare 1982 vintage whiskies from St. Magdalene and Brora. – $80

13.   Going with the Grain – Monday October 30, 7PM – This will be an exploration of single and blended grain whiskies with an emphasis on old and rare. Three of the whiskies sampled will be north of 50 years of age, and two others over 40!  – $100

14.   Head to Head to Head – Tuesday October 31, 7PM – This time it will be Evan, Hunter and Marty going head to head to head. Which expert’s whisky picks will reign supreme in this KWM Battle Royale! – $30

15.   Hunter Laing with Andrew Laing – Thursday November 2, 7PM – We are thrilled to be launching our first ever single cask of Bowmore, with special guest Andrew Laing of Hunter Laing. It is our first exclusive cask of Old Malt Cask, since the Port Ellen we bottled with Andrew’s father Stewart many years ago. This will be a stand-up mini-festival including a glass!  – $30

16.   Springbank with Melanie Stanger – Friday November 3 – Springbank is the most stubbornly traditional distillery in Scotland. We love its spirit of independence, and of course its whisky! Special guest Meanie Stanger will take us through a range of whiskies representing its three spirit styles and Kilkerran whisky from its sister distillery Glengyle. – $30

17.   Fall Single Malt Festival – Thursday November 9, 7PM – Our famous, ever popular, Fall Single Malt Festival. Limited to just 100 participants we will feature nearly as many whiskies. Oh, and it includes a 25th Anniversary KWM logo Glencairn glass! – $65 (2/3 Sold Out!)

19.   Masters of Malt – Thursday November 23, 7PM – Only the rarest and very special whiskies are showcased at this tasting which always highlights some of the most exciting new whiskies in the world! – $125

20.   Whisky Advent 2017 Launch Party – Thursday November 30, 7PM – Twas the night before Whisky Advent and all over the floor, there were tables full of whiskies for sampling throughout the store! A mini whisky festival celebrating the launch of our 2017 Whisky Advent Calendar (event price includes a complimentary Glencairn glass). You have the opportunity to attend this event FREE (1 ticket-per calendar) with the purchase of our Advent Calendar, but space in the event is limited so buy your calendar soon and register for the party! – $25 (FREE with the purchase of an Advent Calendar)

21.   Glenfiddich with Beth Havers – Tuesday December 5, 7PM – Glenfiddich is launching three new expressions this year, and our friend Beth Havers, Glenfiddich Canadian Brand Ambassador, is making a special trip to Calgary just to showcase them! – $30 

To Register: pop into the shop, call 403-283-8000 or register online!

New release from Ardbeg

What better way to start the weekend than with a brand new whisky? It doesn’t get any newer than the latest release from Ardbeg, An Oa, now available to pre-order at The Whisky Shop. Stock is limited so orders will be treated on a strictly first come, first served basis.

Next day UK delivery available
International shipping

ARDBEG AN OA

An Oa takes its name from the Mull of Oa, one of the most untamed parts of Islay with cliffs towering over the tempestuous Atlantic Ocean on one side and the calm shelter of the southern coast on the other. The contrast is reflected in the liquid, marrying Pedro Ximenez sweetness, virgin charred oak spice and a high proportion of ex-bourbon casks giving an intense hallmark Ardbeg flavour.

Bottled at 46.6% abv without chill filtration, the nose is subtly smoky with creamy toffee and aniseed atop fruity peach and banana notes. The palate is smooth and creamy with orange chocolate, treacle, smoky tea leaves and sweet spices. Gentle aniseed and hickory linger with subtle smoke on the finish.

£49 Pre-Order Now
Stock arriving w/c 4th September

Week 2/6 – Lot B, or as it’s more simply known, Van Winkle 12 year old. This whisky came about as a result of the Van Winkle family having some older stocks due to a lack of demand for the 10 year old. Instead of selling the 10 year old for 12 year old prices, seemed logical to just release as 12 year bottling. Little bit earthier on the nose with tobacco and coffee, still has a lovely element of citrus cutting through the background. Enjoy!

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