Archive for February, 2018

Latest Arrivals: The Collector’s Edition at The Whisky Shop – Scotch Whisky News

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Latest Arrivals:
The Collector’s Edition

This week we’ve had a few very rare, collectable bottles arrive at The Whisky Shop. From a UK market exclusive single cask from The GlenDronach, to a 1980s bottling of Springbank 21 Year Old and a limited edition Balblair 38 Year Old distilled in 1966, these bottles are perfect additions to any whisky collection and definitely won’t be around for long, with a very limited number of each available.

Next day UK delivery available
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GlenDronach 1994 22 Year Old

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£210 Buy Now

Springbank 21 Year Old (1980s)

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£1,200 Buy Now

Balblair 1966 38 Year Old

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£1,100 Buy Now

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The Singleton whisky launches ‘Forgotten Drop Series’ – Scotch Whisky News

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The Singleton whisky launches ‘Forgotten Drop Series’

The Singleton Glendullan 40 Year Old is the first release from the distillery’s Forgotten Drop Series, which will include limited edition whiskies drawn from reserves uncovered by The Singleton’s Master of Malts Maureen Robinson.

“The Singleton Forgotten Drop Series is an exciting collection to curate. We have been exploring the deepest corners of our warehouse to find hidden treasures that, due to the stocks, we could never release widely. The amount of time these liquids spent maturing in this type of cask makes it so precious. It’s whisky for whisky lovers and The Singleton Glendullan 40 Year Old is a stunning liquid to launch with.”

Maureen Robinson
Master of Malts for The Singleton

The distillery, with its large, uniquely shaped stills and light distillation technique creates an incredibly fresh and delicate spirit, resulting in a sweet and spicy profile featuring hints of honey and a gingery sweetness, finishing with a spiced, lightly salted nutted oak.

Dayalan Nayager, Managing Director of Diageo Global Travel, commented: “The Singleton Glendullan  ‘Forgotten Drop Series’ will offer a collection of limited releases for our whisky connoisseurs in Travel Retail. We’re delighted to introduce this series and work with our Master of Malts Maureen Robinson to unveil such a rare and perfectly crafted single malt.

The Singleton Family

The Whisky Lounge “March tastings, Feis Ile and Newcastle Festival News” – Whisky News

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More whisk(e)y stuff than you can shake a tree at!

We hope the start of the year is being kind to you and yours. We’ve passed the ‘so-called’ most depressing day of the year so we are safely through the other side…

Here at TWL HQ – in-between celebrating our 10th Birthday – we have been furiously preparing ourselves for the year’s events.

First up we have our Newcastle Festival on the 10th March, which is shaping up nicely – we have news on masterclasses. Then we have our second tasting series of the year – St. Patrick’s Whisky Shenanigans, which will be more like a celebration than a traditional tasting, with music, food and drams. Plus we are also looking forward to our trip to this year’s Feis Ile or Islay Festival of Whisky and Music, with an unbelievable offer for anyone wanting to meet us there!

We also see the welcome return of the Whisky News, by our very own Gateshead Whisky Geek in residence, Lee ‘Connas’ Connor, so please read on….

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Our next tasting series will be a bit of a departure from the usual sit-down, serious whisky tasting stuff. We wanted to bring a bit of fun into your March, and what better excuse than around St. Patrick’s Day? We will have whiskey for you of course, but we will also be feeding you some delicious Irish Stew, playing some traditional music (live music where possible!) and turning the Craic up to 11! Whiskey-wise, we are hoping to have some really interesting drams from some of the new distilleries that have been popping up in recent years, alongside a few established ones…

All of this for just £35! You really can’t say fairer than that!

16th March
York – Brigantes

17th March
London – Marlborough Arms
(plus Rugby – its gonna get lively!)

20th March
Leeds – The Northern Monk

22nd March
Birmingham – The Edgbaston

23rd March
Manchester – The Britons Protection

26th March
Sheffield – The Sheffield Tap

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Coming up fast we have our first festival of the year!

If you have been before, you know how it works. Pick up your commemorative glass and program from reception and then enjoy freely the drams and chat on offer in the main hall. With more fun stuff to do than ever before, the Newcastle Whisky Festival will be a fantastic day (or night) out for anyone with even a fleeting interest. If you don’t already have tickets, then you better get your skates on as both sessions are almost sold out.

Aside from Blending Sessions, Cocktail Demos, the Whisky Creche, and various other activities, we have 2 very different masterclasses available for you in both sessions….

Masterclasses

Mackmyra – Magic of the Small Casks 1pm (1st Session) & 7pm (2nd Session)

We are honoured to have Magnus Dandanell, the founder of Mackmyra joining us in Newcastle! A fascinating and unique tasting awaits with cask samples aplenty, and an insight into whisky production in Sweden.

Eddie Ludlow – Founder of The Whisky Lounge £10 2pm (1st Session) & 8pm (2nd Session)

In this, for our 10 Year celebrations, we thought who better to take you through a tasting of some good stuff than the old fella himself? Expect his usual curmudgeonly self and some pretty fine drams.

Buy Tickets

Islay Festival 2018
We – of course – are heading back to Islay this year for the famous Fèis Ìle. We are planning some very exciting events own alongside the distilleries own goings-on. And because it is our 10th Birthday year, everything is going to be bigger and better than ever before! We have already sold most of the spaces available at our new home on the island – Easter Ellister – but we have one double room left, so we have for you….

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Instead of selling the two places in the normal fashion, which we could quite easily, we are offering EVERYBODY the chance to come and stay with us on Islay! We are selling 240 ‘Lottery’ tickets at £10 each. Once these have all sold, we will draw a name from the list at random and that person will win the prize! So, to the prize. First of all you must be available the week of the Islay Festival (sounds obvious but you know what some people are like!) and you also need to make your own way to the island. Once there, however, you will be in peaty whisky heaven! You will be free to come and go from the beautiful accommodation, you can join us in our activities or explore the island and distilleries on your own at your own pace. If you have not been, it really is an incredible place to visit. Click on the banner above or the button below for more info. What have you got to lose – there’s a 240-1 chance it could be you although you can buy as many tickets as you like to shorten your odds…

Buy Now

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We will have some exciting news and will focus on our fabulous, show-stopping London event later this week. Keep an eye out for that as you definitely won’t want to miss it this year…

And Finally…

…A welcome return of the monthly whisky news.

With our very own Gateshead correspondent, Lee ‘Connas’ Connors!

First up, Oooooooooooooh Cananananananada……!There’s been war on in British Columbia.Long story short – The Scotch Malt Whisky Society have a number of “Partner Bars” over there to whom they supply their whisky directly, as they do in a number of bars around the world.Turns out, in BC getting your Whisky from anywhere other than a Government Licensed outlet is a Big No No! So the bars were raided at 10am, and the bottles from the SMWS were logged and impounded. This has, of course, sparked something of a social media campaign to get the stuff back. (If you can spare a moment feel free to add your name to the online petition!)All of this coincided with The Victoria Whisky Festival, at which our pal John McCheyne was booked to do an SMWS tasting. Unfortunately his stock was at one of said bars, and is now behind bars (although fortunately John is not).Thankfully The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has subsequently confirmed that none of the funds they were raising for various charities in the area will be affected by this turn of events.

 Next, Diageo News. They have announced an increase in distillery visitors of more than 15%. Which is nice.They’ve also made some headlines with regards to lobbying to relax the strict rules enforced by the Scotch Whisky Association on how whisky is produced. With a view to having an “Infused Scotch Whisky” category.  [Wonder what Compass Box think of this one? – Ed.]

 Trip Advisor Stramash The guys from The Pot Still (legendary whisky bar in Glasgow) got a bad review on Trip Advisor. Their response is worth a look.You’d buy whisky from this man right? Even if you had to wait 30 seconds…There is much more, and if you would like a full rundown of Connas’ news, it is available HERE.

OK, that’s it from us.

Slainte!

Eddie

Amanda, Guy, Rupert, Vicky, Connas, Chris

The Whisky Lounge Team

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We turn 10 years old in 2018
Come and help us celebrate in style at one of our nationwide festivals or tasting events.

Glen Grant Tasting February 16th, 2018 at the Whisky Shop #SFO – Scotch Whisky News

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Friday, February 16th, 5-7PM:

Scotch Tasting: Glen Grant

Join us for a tasting of Glen Grant single malt scotch. Established in 1840, the centuries-old Speyside malt remains one of the biggest selling single malts in the world. Guest will be treated to rare favorites and new releases from the centuries old distillery, with whisky experts present for all your scotch questions.

 Click Here to RSVP

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Valentine’s Day for Whisky Lovers; Early Bird Ticket Sales Texas – Whisky News

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Make Valentine’s Day Special for Your Whisky Lover

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Whisky pairs well with just about any food and you can create a delicious and fun whisky pairing experience to share with your date for Valentine’s Day this year. Start with a classic Old Fashioned cocktail but give it a little twist. Take a small wedge of a blood orange, including the peel, and place it in the bottom of each Old Fashioned glass. Add 1 tsp of sugar and give 3 shakes of orange bitters to each glass. Muddle well and add 1.5 oz. of Redemption Rye to each glass. Take a garnishing pick and add a small wedge of blood orange and cherry and place pick in the drink, repeating for each drink. Enjoy your appetizers with your Old Fashioneds, especially something like small baguette slices with an artichoke tapenade, or even a bruschetta. If you are not the cocktail type, but do enjoy smoky whisky, another delicious combination to start off your night is raw oysters with peated Scotch, like Kilchoman Sanaig. Serve them on the half shell and pour a teaspoon or so of the whisky on top and drink the whole oyster and Scotch right out of the shell! The flavors of the oyster compliment the Scotch in ways that you have to taste to believe. If you enjoy cheese, you are in for a treat. In fact, you could just skip the entree and just luxuriate in cheese and whisky. Smoky whiskies and blue cheese are a match made in heaven and soft cheeses like brie like a lighter touch like Speyburn 10. Cheddar and parmesan pair well with Old Forester 1870, and Old Pulteney 12 likes any cheese with salt crystals! With a salad or crudité course, a light and tasty whiskey like Eagan’s Irish is just the thing. Just have 1/4 oz. of whisky, enough to nose and taste, with each course. If you enjoy steak, Balcones Blue Corn Bourbon is just the whisky to pair with your main course, but if you prefer salmon or chicken, try a Napa wine finished American whisky from Savage and Cooke like The Burning Chair. Vegetarian entrees also pair well with these. Chocolate is a must for Valentine’s day for most people, and sherried Scotches are simply divine paired with chocolates or chocolate cake or anything chocolate! Try Tamdhu 10 with dark chocolate hearts or The Macallan 12 with a chocolate dessert. To finish the evening, a nice slow sipper like Lagavulin 16 is hard to beat.

Early Bird Tickets for Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta are now on sale!

San Francisco VIP is sold out. General Admission is still available for San Francisco, but will sell out soon. There are still a few VIP tickets for San Jose, but they are just about sold out.

San Jose (#WOWSJ) happens Thursday, March 22, 2108 at the San Jose Marriott. Tickets are available here.

San Francisco (#WOWSF) happens Saturday, March 24, 2018 at the San Francisco Belle Yacht. Tickets are available here.

Austin (#WOWAUS) happens Thursday, September 20, 2018 at the Vault Space. Early Bird Tickets are available here.

Dallas (#WOWDAL) happens Friday, September 21, 2018 at Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field. Early Bird Tickets are available here.

Houston (#WOWHOU) happens Saturday, September 22, 2018 at Silver Street Studio. Early Bird Tickets are available here.

Atlanta (#WOWATL) happens Friday, November 2, 2018 at The Intercontinental Buckhead. Early Bird tickets are available here.

Lets talk about it! Be sure to use the hash tags when talking about the all the WOW shows on social media!

The Art of Cigars with Honor Cigars

Whiskies of the World is delighted to announce our cigar partner in San Jose and San Francisco for 2018 is Honor Cigars. Honor Cigars founder and owner Troy Lawrence is a cigar connoisseur and entrepreneur dedicated to promoting the art, culture, and enjoyment of fine cigars. Honor Cigars specializes in custom cigar rolling events. They offer a unique combination of craftsmanship and art that transforms the raw tobacco product into something that can provide sublime pleasure when blended properly and smoked in the right setting.

Whiskies to Talk About

We have so many great whiskies for you to sample at our shows. Every newsletter we like to highlight a few that you can taste at some of our events.

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The Macallan

The Macallan 12 year old Single Malt Scotch is arguably the best known and most popular Single Malt, available at most any bar who offers Single Malts. Aged for its entire 12 years in seasoned sherry casks, it is just the tip of the iceberg of amazing whiskies from one of the biggest and most popular distillers in Scotland! Macallan has been making whisky since 1824, being one of the original Speyside distilleries to obtain a license after the excise act of 1823 and has been owned by the Edrington Group since 1999, who also owns Highland Park, Cutty Sark, Glenturret, The Famous Grouse and Glenrothes. In 2004 The Macallan started offering their fine oak series which included whisky aged in both bourbon and sherry casks. The Macallan is highly collectable and older bottlings are avidly sought out both for collecting and drinking! The recently completed 100 million pound subterranean new Macallan distillery was commissioned in November of 2017. Once they have made sure that the new distillery makes whisky as good as the old one, the production will move over to the new facility! Of course it will be at least 10 years before we get to try any of this whisky made at the new facility! In the meantime, we will keep on drinking and loving The Macallan and you can try many expressions at our shows!

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Frank-Lin Distillers American Whiskey

Frank-Lin Distillers is a large beverage group who has many premium brands under their umbrella. Some of the perennial favorites at Whiskies of the World include whiskeys from this group. J. Seeds Apple Cider whiskey is a blend of whiskey and Apple cider. They market this as an accidental mixing that had a happy ending – like Reece’s Peanut Butter cups – two great tastes that taste great together! The actual distillers of their whiskies are kept a secret, but many seasoned Bourbon drinkers have their opinions about the origins of these brands. That is part of the fun of whiskey like this; it is quite delicious, a good value and you can drink it with your friends and try to guess who made it! Black Saddle 12 year old Bourbon is an award winning bourbon that is often requested for our Whisky dinners! Buck Bourbon celebrates the spirit of the rodeo and is well reviewed and regarded. Wathen’s and Medley Bros. are both from the Medley Bros. Kentucky company, and are made to the Medley Bros. specifications. The Medley Bros. were Kentucky distillers for 8 generations and the newest version of their Bourbon is made specifically to compliment Bourbon cocktails! Wathen’s is a single barrel Bourbon whose barrels are chosen at their peak and bottled at 94 proof! All of these wonderful whiskeys are available to try at Whiskies of the World.

The English Whisky Company

Photo Credit Whisky_Donna from Instagram

Photo Credit Whisky_Donna from Instagram

St. George Distillery is the home of The English Whisky Company. When the The English Whisky Company first started distilling in 2006, it was the first Single Malt whisky being made in England for over 100 years! They laid down 26 casks in December of 2006 and now have over 3000 casks resting and waiting for their perfect maturation to be bottled and shared with the world! This is a family owned and operated distillery, and though the current operation is only 12 yeas old, the Nelstrop family has been farming and living in this part of England for over 100 years. St. George’s Distillery is in Roudham, Norfolk. Superb barley is grown in Norfolk and would traditionally be shipped to Scotland for whisky production there. The Breckland aquifer has excellent water, and runs right under the distillery! James Nelstrop had a keen interest in distilling whisky and it seemed like his part of England was perfectly made for this purpose. They are proud of the fact they make whisky in small batches by hand, with no computers, no added color, non-chill filtered and aged in American ex-Bourbon barrels, as well as a selection of other wine barrels including sherry. They call each release of their whisky a chapter, and usually the odd numbered chapters are peated, and the even chapters are unpeated. Though other English distilleries are now open and running, The English Whisky Company was the first in England in over 100 years, and continues to be a fabulous tourist attraction in addition to making great whisky. A new restaurant is open at the distillery, The Kitchen at St. George’s, and with the picturesque river walks and gardens, is a must see destination for any whisky lover!

Glengoyne Single Malt Scotch

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The name Glengoyne is derived from Glen Guin – the valley of the wild geese. This is appropriate because Glengoyne, founded in 1833, is probably the most environmentally conscious distillery in Scotland these days. One large scale way they prove this is by sending their spent lees into their own wetlands so that they will naturally filter through, using gravity and plants to cleanse the water before it joins the local stream and eventually flows to Loch Lomond. They also have two beehives on their property, to help support declining bee populations. The wetlands and the bees both support a diverse and healthy environment at the distillery, making it also one of the most beautiful distilleries in Scotland. They are also an active partner with Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust, and 100% of their electricity comes form renewable energy. Glengoyne is never peated and matured exclusively in Sherry casks. This started as a way to save money, by using local fuel instead of importing peat, and buying cheap sherry casks that were readily available back in the 1870’s when the distillery was young. Sherry casks are now the most expensive casks to use, but they are an integral part of the profile of Glengoyne. The core range includes a 10, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 25 year old, but they also have many special releases including a rare 35 year old with only 500 bottles made. They also have a non age statement Cask Strength whisky available, which is also non chill filtered. Glengoyne Scotch whisky remains a popular and sought after dram – not only for its green ways but also for its delicious, sherried whiskies accessible to everyone. Try some this year at Whiskies of the World!

Corsair American Whiskey

Corsair likes to say “If it has been done before, they don’t want to do it!” They have unique offerings like quinoa whiskey and oat whiskey! Their first and best selling is the Triple Smoke, using imported malted, peated barley from Scotland, as well as barley peated with cherry wood and beach wood smoke. Originally they started distilling in Bowling Green Kentucky. They then distilled in Nashville Tennesee. They have added a third location in Nashville where they now make their whisky. The Bowling Green location distills gin, vodka, rum and absinthe. At the original Nashville location they are now brewing beer! Corsair is co-founded by Darek Bell and Andrew Webber, and Amy Lee Bell is also co-owner. Darek Bell is considered a pioneering distiller across the industry. Andrew Webber is known for his love of distilling unusual grains. Their “mad-scientist” genius comes together in the delicious whiskies made from unexpected cereals! Other whiskeys include Ryemageddon, Wildfire American Malt, and Buck Yeah Buckwheat whiskey!

This is just a small sample of the hundreds of whiskies from which you can choose to try at a Whiskies of the World event. There is something for every taste, and it all comes together in one great evening! Don your kilts, your dinner jackets and party dresses and come on out for an unforgettable night of whisky! Tickets are now on sale for all of our 2018 shows!

Cheers,
Douglas Smith
Event Director
Whiskies of the World

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society “February Update: Capture your heart’s desire” – Scotch Whisky News

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CAPTURE YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

Bottles from this month’s Valentine-inspired Outturn are selling fast, with many now gone forever. Don’t miss out, capture your heart’s desire by clicking over to our website now. To set your pulse racing, we’ve selected some of our favourite February flavours.

VIEW WHISKY               READ OUTTURN

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

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Compass Box “No Name” Blended Malt Scotch Whisky at K&L California – Scotch Whisky News

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Compass Box “No Name” Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $170)

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In late 2017, Compass Box released this outstanding limited-edition whisky called “No Name,” a blend of 75.5% Ardbeg, 10.6% Caol Ila, and 13.4% Clynelish with an additional 0.5% French oak-aged Highland malt for extra flavor. We sold through our allocation in a flash, even with the “one bottle limit per customer” dictate slowing things down in the sales queue. Now that the fervor of the Christmas shopping season is over, we managed to consolidate a large chunk of what was left in the States and get it all delivered to K&L. That means no bottle limits, no restrictions, and no risk of running out anytime soon. If you were a fan of the “Flaming Heart” or the “Peat Monster,” this is sort of like a combination of the two. You get the clean, focused, highly peated intensity of Ardbeg, tempered ever so slightly by the roundness of Caol Ila and the oiliness of Clynelish.

$139.99

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ARE YOU AVAILABLE LATE OCTOBER FOR AN INCREDIBLE WHISKY ADVENTURE? SCOTLAND!

balblair distillery in the Scottish Highlands

ARE YOU AVAILABLE LATE OCTOBER FOR AN INCREDIBLE WHISKY ADVENTURE? SCOTLAND!

A bespoke whisky tour blending distilleries, tastings and whisky events. Thursday 25th October – Monday 29th October 2018 tour includes; Glen Wyvis Distillery, Balblair Distillery, 3 nights bed and breakfast in en suite accommodation. Of course we introduce a welcome dram at the bar! The Old Pulteney Distillery, lunch with an outdoor whisky tasting along this historic coast, live music, a whisky walking tour – 5 or 6 venues, getting a dram in each, entertainment & nibbles along the way! A marquee full of whiskies from near and far – sample single malt whiskies, gins and craft beers from distilleries, independents and brewers, a range of local chocolates, savouries, cakes & cheeses. Whisky Cocktail Tasting. A Sunday Roast with a few drams to accompany your lunch. Blind Whisky Tasting – test your nosing skill, compare single malts and blended whisky to discern where they come from.

FOR THOSE WITH THE TIME AVAILABLE AND THE WHISKY DESIRE, CONTACT LIZ; liz@mcleanscotland.com

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Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018 – Scotch Whisky News

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The Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018 is taking place between Tuesday 22nd and Friday 25th May 2018. Please allow this email to serve as a reminder for you of any details, times and dates associated with the festival and be aware that details and descriptions of some events have been updated.

In the coming weeks and months there will continue to be communication from us to you that will provide further information that we can only share nearer the time of the event.

Below you will find all relevant information regarding the events and tastings that are being provided during the festival by Springbank, Glengyle and Cadenhead’s. However, for your immediate attention here is a summary of the new information that has been added:

  • The Springbank Society Tasting is Fully Booked
  • Details of dinners taking place throughout Campbeltown on the evening of Wednesday 23rd May.
  • Further instructions on how to order tickets from Eventbrite and what to do once your order has been confirmed.
  • Time that Festival Bottles will go on sale during the Springbank Open Day + Glengyle/Cadenhead Open Day
  • There will be the traditional Open Day Ceilidh taking place in the Malt Barns
  • A full and updated description of the format of the Cadenhead Masterclass (the Big Cadenhead Tasting)

Please familiarise yourself with this full email so that you are aware of all the new details at this stage.

The festival will take place from Tuesday 22nd – Friday 25th May. Torrisdale Gin Distillers Beinn an Tuirc will be hosting events on the Tuesday with Wednesday onwards being dedicated, as usual, to the celebration of the whiskies produced here in Campbeltown.

Last year proved to be our most successful Malts Festival ever and, since you shouldn’t try to fix something that isn’t broken, we’ll be following a very similar formula in 2018.

However, to reflect each of our companies’ significance, we feel it is important to emphasise that in 2018 the Cadenhead’s/Kilkerran event on the Friday is just as much fun as the Springbank one the day before.

With that in mind the Glengyle and Cadenhead celebrations on Friday 25th May are going to be bigger than ever. Not only is the Cadenhead Masterclass that is traditionally held on the Thursday moving to the Friday but also this year’s Kilkerran Festival Bottle will be exclusively available on Friday 25th May.

To emphasise, there won’t be a main Cadenhead’s or Kilkerran masterclass on the Thursday as both will now take place on the Friday. Similarly, there will be an exclusive bottling of Kilkerran only available on the Friday, not on the Thursday.

Before we move on to the main part of this email there is one more thing to tell you. We have decided to adopt a new way for you to order tickets for the tastings and masterclasses. We will be using a website called Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/

How to Order Tickets

Over the last few years it has become obvious to us that we cannot continue using the same old methods when it comes to the purchasing of tickets for the Campbeltown Malts Festival. The Festival has become so popular that many more people are attending it than ever before. This meant that we had to rethink things.

As mentioned above, we are going to be using Eventbrite and, when the time comes, that is where you will be able to buy tickets from.

Tickets will be available on Eventbrite from: Thursday 15th February at 2pm GMT (UK time). 

You can register on Eventbrite now to save time entering your details when you order your tickets but you don’t have to should you not wish to. You will still be able to order tickets even if you do not register in advance, though it might save you time to do so. Details of the Festival will be displayed on Eventbrite prior to the ticket launch, including descriptions of each tasting. Please search for “Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018” over the next few days – the page will appear within the next 7 days. We will also provide you with a link to the page in a future “reminder” email.

It will be a maximum of 2 tickets per person for each tasting and, please note (and this is important!), that some tastings do overlap in time so it might not be possible to do all of them.

Please remember to print off your order confirmation as you will need to bring this with you to the festival.

Available Now

Tickets for the Cadenhead Club Members Tasting and the Springbank Distillery Dinner can be ordered now but they are not on Eventbrite – details on how to do this can be found below.

Fully Booked

The Springbank Society Tasting fully booked.

Tuesday 22nd May

7pm: Cadenhead Club Tasting

On the evening of Tuesday 22nd May the Sales Team from Cadenhead’s will be hosting a tasting exclusive to Cadenhead Club Members.

This tasting will be free to attend but places are very limited. Please contact club@cadenhead.scot to book a place at this tasting – this can be done immediately upon receipt of this email.

Details regarding what this tasting will entail will be released in a future email, although you should expect a diverse collection of whisky from the Cadenhead range and Mark Watt telling a few stories.

Wednesday 23rd May 2018 

On Wednesday, festival staples return as we host the Springbank Society Tasting and our special dinner at Springbank Distillery.

Springbank Society Tasting – FULLY BOOKED

To kick off events at Springbank we will be holding an exclusive tasting for our lovely Springbank Society Members. The tasting will take place on Wednesday 23rd May at 11:30am in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery.

Further details regarding this tasting will be released in due course.

The Springbank Distillery Dinner

Once again we will be hosting an exclusive dinner at the distillery on the eve of our Open Day. This year, guests will be treated to dinner in the surroundings of our wonderful Malt Barns. This will take place on Wednesday 23rd May 2018 at 7pm.

On arrival to Springbank Distillery, you will be greeted with a champagne reception in our marquee which will also feature a range of locally sourced canapés.

Following this, you will sample a selection of whiskies, hand drawn from the cask by a member of our senior production team.

You will then be led to your table to enjoy a four course meal with a specially selected wine to accompany each course. To end your unique experience, each attendee will be presented with their own exclusive 70cl hand drawn bottle, chosen by public vote from the casks sampled earlier in the evening.

Throughout the evening, staff from J. & A. Mitchell & Co. Ltd. will be present to chat to and share some drams with. The cost of the dinner is £250.00 per person and payment is required upon booking to secure your place.

There will be a set menu so please advise us of any dietary requirements you have when booking. Also, please note that the meal will take place on the middle malt floor so guests will have to climb stairs to get to their table.

Tickets for this event go on sale today, Thursday 8th February, at 2pm GMT (UK Time) and are not available on Eventbrite.

To book your place, please email donald@cadenhead.scot or call +44 (0) 1586 554761.

Dinners Taking Place in Campbeltown

A number of places in the town will be hosting dinners on the evening of Wednesday 23rd May should you wish to attend. There will be a dinner taking place at each of the below establishments and every event will feature an appearance by a Sales Team member.

  • Ardshiel Hotel (01586 552133)
  • Craigard Hotel (01586 554242)
  • Royal Hotel (0800 151 3701)
  • Food for Thought (01586 553865)

In addition to the telephone numbers in brackets, you can also find further contact details by visiting: http://www.explorecampbeltown.com/

A Sales Team Member will be on hand to serve all the guests at each dinner with the three drams that will also be sampled by attendees of the official distillery dinner that night. Guests at the official dinner will vote for their favourite from the three. Raffle tickets will be handed to each person at the above dinners and one lucky person from each will win a bottle of the whisky favoured by those in attendance at the official distillery dinner.

This bottle shall be collected at the Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop the following day.

Thursday 24th May 2018 

Springbank Open Day

The Springbank Open Day will take place on what is now the third day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival. The day will start at 11am and will include a wide variety of activities such as free distillery tours, a range of tastings and masterclasses, local craft and food stalls, exclusive bottlings, the famous warehouse whisky bar and more.

Festival Bottles

Springbank Open Day Festival Bottles will go on sale at Springbank Distillery from 10.30am. Please be aware that there will likely be a queue so it would be best to plan ahead if you are booked to attend one of the earlier masterclasses.

The tastings and masterclasses taking place during the Springbank Open Day will be available to book on Eventbrite from 2pm (UK time) on February 15th, excluding events that are only bookable on the day, and details of each can be found below:

11.30am – Getting to know Longrow and Hazelburn Masterclass – £30

Explore Springbank Distillery’s Longrow and Hazelburn expressions to experience the range that Springbank has to offer. Whether it’s the smoky and mysterious Longrow bottlings or the lighter, sweeter Hazelburn, there will be something here for every fan of the Springbank range.

11.30am – The How It’s Made Masterclass – £30

Your chance to get deeper into our production methods and the reasons behind we do things they way we do, with some great drams to enjoy while you learn. All production-related questions are welcome, especially if you want to submit them in advance…

12.30pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

1pm: Springbank Distillers Single Cask Tasting – £30

As the title suggests, this is an opportunity to try some of the stunning drams which have been released around the world as single cask bottlings.

1.30pm: The Directors’ Cut (or The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) Tasting – £50

Join Director of Production Findlay Ross, Springbank Sales and Marketing Director Ranald Watson and Director of Sales for W.M. Cadenhead’s Mark Watt for a very special tasting that will take you through a wide range of drams and topics covering every corner of J&A Mitchell.

2.30pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

2.30pm: Springbank Masterclass – £30

This is your opportunity to join one of the Springbank Sales Team in enjoying a selection of drams from across the Springbank selection. Whether you are new to Springbank or you are looking to enjoy some old favourites, this could be the tasting for you. This event is bookable on the day only.

3.30pm: Springbank; New and Forthcoming Releases – £30

A chance to try some of the most recent limited release bottlings from Springbank Distillers. February, March and April will see a number of new whiskies appearing and this may be your best chance to try them in one place.

4pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

6.30pm: An Introduction to J&A Mitchell Tasting – £30

Get to know our company and our core products a bit better – these are the drams that provide the foundation to our business. Perfect for those just getting into whisky or who want to go back to basics with Springbank, Glengyle and Wm Cadenhead. This event is bookable on the day only.

The Springbank Warehouse tastings will be 45 mins long.

All other tastings during the Springbank Open Day are scheduled for strictly 1 hour.

Tickets for tastings that are only bookable on the day are not available on Eventbrite and must be purchased at Springbank Distillery.

Ceilidh

The traditional Open Day Ceilidh will once again be happening in the Malt Barns and you are all welcome to come along, of course. Things will get underway around 7.30pm and will feature live music throughout the night.

Friday 25th May 2018 

Cadenhead and Mitchell’s Glengyle Open Day

The final day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018 will be dedicated to Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery and W.M. Cadenhead’s.

Our Friday events will take place at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery where there will be hourly free tours of the distillery, local stalls and the very popular Cadenhead Lucky Dip Bar will be joined by the Fyne Ales bar and a Cocktail Bar.

Please note: The Kilkerran Festival Bottle will be available at 10.30am.

The tastings and masterclasses for Friday 25th May can be found below:

10am: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

10.15am: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

10.15am: Cadenhead Alternative Tasting – £30

Throughout its 176 year history Cadenhead’s has been about more than just excellent whisky – this is a chance to try some of our alternative spirits. The tasting will include a selection of Gin, Rum and Cognac from current bottlings and possibly some surprises.

11.30am: Kilkerran Masterclass – £30

Familiarise yourself with the house style of Kilkerran, our bottlings to date and perhaps one or two of the early experiments from Glengyle Distillery. Join us for a comprehensive Kilkerran experience.

1.15pm: Cadenhead Masterclass – £30

Traditionally taking place on the Thursday of the festival, the “Big Cadenhead Tasting” looks like it fits in well on Friday. This year’s tasting will take on a special format as Sales Team members Cameron Mcgeachy and Jenna McIntosh go head to head in competition as they each present to you a selection of drams from the International Small Batch range and the Authentic Collection respectively. Mark Watt will serve as your special guest referee for this contest.

In past years we have also rolled a cask into the Malt Barns to be sampled by those in attendance but this time there will be two casks for people to taste and purchase bottles from. These bottles are only available at this tasting.

3pm: The Kilkerran Alternative Masterclass – £30

A chance to explore Kilkerran Single Malt further, with one or two twists on the usual style. Tickets for this tasting will not be on Eventbrite. They must be purchased at Glengyle Distillery.

3pm: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

3.15pm: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

As a Society member, you will receive several additional emails in the near future as more information on the Campbeltown Malts Festival will be released in due course.

Just over 3 months to go…

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY HAS ANOTHER RECORD BREAKING YEAR FOR VISITORS – American Whiskey News

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BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY HAS ANOTHER RECORD BREAKING YEAR FOR VISITORS

Over 200,000 Guests Visited Historic Distillery in 2017, Expansion Set to Accommodate More

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Jan. 18, 2018) Bourbon sales continue to grow, and bourbon tourism is growing at an equally rapid pace, at least for Buffalo Trace Distillery. In 2017, this National Historic Landmark Distillery set a new record for visitation, ending the year with 201,491 guests. This is an increase of 18% in visitation over last calendar year, and a total increase of 287% since 2010.

“It took us 15 years to get to 100,000 visitors, but only three years to get to 200,000, so the momentum just keeps going,” said Meredith Moody, marketing services director. Buffalo Trace is already looking at ways to expand its Visitor Center, which was just expanded in 2015 to accommodate its ever-increasing needs. The expansion is part of the $1.2 billion dollars Buffalo Trace plans to spend in the next ten years to accommodate not only more visitors, but more bourbon barrels and more bottling lines.

As previously announced, Buffalo Trace is building new barrel warehouses on the farm it owns adjacent to the Distillery, at a rate of one new warehouse every four months for the next ten years. These new warehouses will hold 58,000 barrels, and construction on the first one is nearly complete.

Buffalo Trace will also expand its distilling operation, which includes new mash cookers, a boiler and fermenters. In order to make room, the existing bottling hall will be moving to another area on site starting this spring/summer and the bottling lines will be modernized to allow for more efficiency and better capacity. This is the first large scale structural expansion at Buffalo Trace Distillery’s campus since the 1950s.

“We are bursting at the seams, so to speak, in all areas, distillation, bottling and tourism, so we’re looking forward to our new expansion,” added Moody.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American 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 21 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018. Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 500 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com.


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