Kensington Wine Market will celebrate International Women’s Day

with its First Annual Lassies Only Whisky Festival

Calgary, AB (Feb.13, 2018) – On Wednesday, March 7, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Lassies Only Whisky Festival will take place at Kensington Wine Market (KWM). Owner of KWM, Andrew Ferguson, will honour International Women’s Day with making this a ladies only event, in support of the Brenda Strafford Society, a local non-profit organization that helps to prevent domestic violence and to provide emergency shelters for women in need. Guests can look forward to trying over 80 whiskies from a variety of whisky vendors, shopping The Bamboo Ballroom pop-up store and enjoying bites from Peasant Cheese and Brasserie Kensington.

With over 15 years experience working in the whisky retail industry, Ferguson has noticed a common misconception of women often associating whisky drinking as a man’s business. The goal of this festival is to make whisky more accessible to women, and give them the opportunity to learn about and taste a variety of styles.

“We struggle with the stereotype that whisky is a man’s drink, because it’s not. But we can also appreciate how some women are intimidated by whisky because of the male dominated culture surrounding it,” says Ferguson”.

Ferguson explains that the the idea of putting on the Lassies Only Whisky Festival came from the idea of giving women an opportunity to explore the world of whisky on their own terms. The entire KWM team are thrilled that the event will go toward supporting the Brenda Strafford Society.

“We are delighted to be participating at the Lassies Only Whisky Festival. Hundreds of women and their children call the Brenda Strafford Society their home each year and the need in our city and at our Centre has never been greater,” says Maeghon Reid, Executive Director of The Brenda Strafford Society. “This festival is great opportunity for us to connect with like-minded women on the issues our clients face and to discuss how important this community support is in supporting women and children to leave domestic violence and live a life of hope and prosperity.”

The Lassies Only Whisky Festival is open to the public and tickets are available online for $40 plus GST at www.KensingtonWineMarket.com/Tastings/Tasting-Schedule/. 100 percent of the ticket proceeds will be donated to The Brenda Strafford Society.

About Kensington Wine Market:

Kensington Wine Market opened its doors in May 1992. Twenty-five years later it has evolved from a modest neighborhood corner store into one of the most dynamic and unique stores in the country. Kensington Wine Market has received a number of local, national and international awards. Recently, they were the recipient of Metro Calgary’s Community Choice Awards for Best Wine Store in 2016 and the only Canadian store to be considered Whisky Retailer of the year, by Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky in 2015 and 2016. Kensington Wine Market hosts on average three tastings per week and are regularly involved in local and regional charity events and art events that give back to the less-fortunate and elevate the Calgary community.

• KWM was Established 1992, one of Canada’s Oldest Private Liquor Stores and has more Than 25 years serving Calgary
• KWM has the largest collection of single malt whisky, the most interesting, eclectic and exclusive wine selections and one of the best curated beer sections in Canada
• KWM was voted FFW Best of Calgary Reader’s Choice “Best Wine Shop” 12 years in a row
• KWM is the only Canadian retailer ever shortlisted by Whisky Magazine, Icons of Whisky, World Whisky Retailer of the Year (5 Times) and twice runner up
• KWM has helped raise over $250,000.00 for the MS Society over the past seven years

Follow @KensingtonWM on Twitter and Instagram and @KensingtonWineMarket on Facebook for updates.

About The Brenda Strafford Society:

The Brenda Strafford Society for the Prevention of Domestic Violence has 34 Second-Stage Shelter apartments where our families can stay for up to 6 months in safe, secure shelter. Individualized counselling for women and their children helps them heal from the effects of domestic violence and child care and parenting support is provided to assist with this. While in Second-Stage Shelter, women are at the greatest safety risk. Nearly half of all spousal homicides occur within two months of leaving their abusive partner, making safe affordable housing, specifically for women and children impacted by domestic violence, essential. In addition we have 51 Progressive Housing apartments where the women and their children can stay up to an additional two years while working on their goals with individualized counselling support provided. Our state of the art facility has been designed to enable women and children to move from Second-Stage Shelter apartments into Progressive Housing, our longer term apartments, all in the same security focused building. We believe that the cycle of violence can be broken by providing women and children with supportive programs and services that support healing, build self-confidence and self-awareness that enable long-term stability for families.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY AND FRANKFORT PARKS AND RECREATION TO HOST EASTER AT THE TRACE

Registration is required for participation in complimentary event

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Feb. 20, 2018) – Buffalo Trace Distillery is making some egg-citing changes to its annual Easter event! This year, the Distillery and the City of Frankfort Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites will host “Easter at the Trace,” which will be more of a festival-like event than in years’ past.

New this year, all families interested in participating must register online ahead of the event and present a printed ticket at the check-in. As in previous years, this will be a complimentary event for children and families to attend, however registration will now be required because of growing interest in this event, and in order to manage crowd size and ensure a safe event for everyone.

Easter at the Trace will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 25 in the Buffalo Trace Distillery gardens and conclude at 2 p.m. The three hour event will be comprised of music, refreshments, and other Easter activities. Children will also have an opportunity to have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny as well as search for thousands of treat filled eggs on the Distillery lawn.

This year, children will have more room to hunt for eggs, as the Distillery lawn will be divided into two larger hunt areas to allow for more hunting space, rather than four smaller hunt areas. At noon, children ages 0-2 will hunt in one marked area, and then at 12:15 p.m. children ages 3-4 will hunt the second hunt area.

Following those two hunts, the two areas will be replenished with eggs and then at 12:45 p.m. children ages 5- 8 will hunt in the first hunt area, followed by the final hunt at 1 p.m. for children ages 9- 11 in the second hunt area. Registration for Easter at the Trace is complimentary and begins Feb. 25th. To register, visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com/events and click on the “Register Now” link in the Events Stampede Calendar. All participants must register online and bring a printed ticket to check-in at Easter at the Trace. Early registration is recommended as space is limited for this event.

Buffalo Trace is located at 113 Great Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, Ky. Visitors are asked to enter at the main Distillery entrance. Event parking signs will be posted. In the event of rain, the Easter Bunny will greet the children for photos and pass out treats in the Buffalo Trace Clubhouse.

Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. No pets please, except for service animals.

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 21 distillery ttitles 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.

We are very excited to announce that our Port Cask Finished Virginia-Highland Whisky won ‘Best American Blended Malt’ at the Whisky Magazine World Whiskies Awards in New York City last night.

We were also recognized as Highly Commended for Craft Producer of the Year in the Icons of Whisky America Awards.

Our team is excited to continue developing Virginia-Highland Whisky as an innovative finishing series and is looking forward to releasing our ultra-premium American Single Malt whisky that is 100% distilled and aged on-site in the Spring of 2020.  Thank you so much for your support.  Cheers!

Marlene Steiner (Brand Director), Kate Johnston (Sales Director), Maggie Moore (Chief Experience Officer), Gareth Moore (CEO/Chairman), Ian Thomas (Distillery Director) and Jerry Heddy (Operations Director) celebrating our awards in New York City.

Hi Folks

That time again, remember Auction closes today Saturday 3^rd March At 8pm!

Get your bids in early – so not to be disappointed or miss that bottle!

www.whiskygalore.uk.com

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Offers Collectible, Limited Edition Kentucky Derby Festival Bourbon Bottle

For the second consecutive year the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience will release a special edition bottle of Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon, featuring a 2018 Gold Pegasus Pin, to commemorate the Kentucky Derby Festival. Collectors will find the pin sealed in gold wax on the neck of the 2010 vintage Bourbon, as opposed to the 2009 vintage, which featured the pin atop the cap. The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience will also be the sole location providing Pegasus Pins through March 5.

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Artisanal Distiller Jodie Filiatreau and Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO Mike Berry unveiled the official 2018 pin and limited-edition bottle at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Friday, Feb. 16, by personally hand-dipping two of the 600 bottles. Dipped in a unique gold wax with a commemorative pin sealed to the neck, the bottle features a special face label with the Kentucky Derby Festival logo, and includes a 2018 Pegasus Pin in an envelope attached to each bottle.

This product will be available for purchase at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience for $74.99 starting Friday, Feb. 16, while supplies last.

The limited edition 2010 vintage bottle came from four barrels of Bourbon and is bottled at 109 proof, commemorating both the 63^nd Kentucky Derby Festival and 46^th Pegasus Pin anniversary. Like a fine wine, each bottle of Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Bourbon contains the exact day it was put in an oak barrel to age.

The Bourbon is matured in natural open-rick warehouses under the careful supervision of Heaven Hill’s Master Distillers, who monitor the progress of each year’s vintage to ensure it maintains its intended flavor profile and superb quality.

Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage has won five “Whiskey of the Year” awards and is one of the most critically-acclaimed specialty Bourbons produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the world’s second largest holder of aging Bourbon.

“The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience celebrates the heritage of Kentucky’s spirit and is proud to continue a partnership with the Kentucky Derby Festival to promote the unique experiences of the Commonwealth,” said Evan Williams Bourbon Experience Artisanal Distiller Jodie Filiatreau. “We welcome all Festival Fans to join us in a toast to the 2018 Kentucky Derby Festival.”

Bringing the community together since 1956, the Kentucky Derby Festival has grown to become a whirlwind of more than 70 special events leading up to the big race in May. The Kentucky Derby Festival runs this year from April 20 – May 5. Pegasus Pins, which allow entry to Derby Festival events, may be purchased at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience as well.

“This Evan Williams commemorative bottle really showcases two of Kentucky’s favorite things – the Derby Festival celebration and bourbon,” said Mike Berry, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “Just like the Pegasus Pins, we know fans will be adding this bottle to their Festival collection too.”

About Kentucky Derby Festival: Since 1956, the Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. The Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.

About the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience: The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience® (www.EvanWilliamsBourbonExperience.com) celebrates the legacy of Evan Williams, Kentucky’s first commercial distiller, through an immersive visitor’s center experience which brings to life the history and tradition of Kentucky’s native spirit. An official stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, the facility offers guests a historical glimpse back in time to see Evan Williams’ original distillery through high definition video recreations of the Louisville wharf and Main Street in the late 18th Century, plus recreations of Whiskey Row building facades along Main Street from the 1890’s through the present. Meanwhile, visitors learn the essential differences between distilling during Evan Williams’ era and Heaven Hill’s modern Bernheim Distillery operations.

TALISKER LAUNCHES THE TALISKER BODEGA SERIES: TALISKER 40 YEAR OLD 

Talisker unveils a 40-year-old Sherry finished single malt: one of the oldest and most unique expressions to date

Talisker introduces the Talisker Bodega Series: an exploration of exceptional Sherry Cask finishes on the finest of Single Malt Whiskies, celebrating age-old sherry relationships dating as far back as the 1900s. Adding to the Talisker portfolio, this new and exclusive series of Single Malt releases will offer collectors a taste of historic wineries of the renowned Sherry Triangle, where Talisker once sourced its casks.

In late June, the first exclusive release of the Talisker Bodega Series worldwide will be unveiled; Talisker 40 Year Old. With only 2,000 bottles produced, the 40 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is one of the oldest from Skye’s oldest distiller and is set to be one of Talisker’s most valuable expressions to date.

The liquid has been expertly crafted using some of the most renowned sherry casks. This is to reflect an exploration of an age-old relationship rooted in craft and excellence between Talisker and one of the world’s finest and oldest sherry producers, Delgado Zuleta, from the Marco de Jerez region.

To reinterpret the flavour profile of old, and commemorate these relationships, Talisker’s Master Blender has crafted this precious 40 year old liquid using a selection of the most mature and highly prized Vintage Talisker whisky, aged in refill casks. They then worked with the Sherry Masters at Bodega Delgado Zuleta, who hand picked five very special and unusual old ex-Sherry casks that once held the Bodega’s finest award-winning 40 year old Amontillado sherry.

The result is a deep, crystal gold liquid which signifies an echo of the old Talisker, enhanced by the gentle accent of the Amontillado sherry casks, with rich raisin, peaty aromas and a rare sweet opulence and fruity smokiness. On the nose it’s mild and rich, with a light prickle. This is paired with the depth of the rich Delgado Zuleta Amontillado casks which is present in waves of fruit and sweetness enriching the traditional Talisker pepper and yielding a remarkably vigorous 40 year old that is a pleasure to drink.

This golden spirit lies in a screen-printed bottle, and is housed in a hand-crafted wood casing to evoke the many stages of this whisky’s unique history. The design is inspired by the distinguished arches of the sherry Bodegas and architecture of the sundial of Sanlucar de Barrameda where the Delgado Zuleta casks are housed.

Donald Colville, Global Talisker Ambassador comments “This Talisker 40 Year Old, is an exquisite Single Malt Scotch Whisky which captures the age-old relationships with Delgado Zuleta and the high quality craftsmanship which took place throughout the creation of this rare expression. We are delighted to launch this as the first of the Bodega series and the liquid is something that we are extremely proud of. 

It is a magnificent lion-hearted old Talisker, rich with the sophistication of age yet still full of life and retaining the make’s familiar maritime and spicy character. With only 2,000 bottles produced this is the ultimate expression of luxury. Connoisseurs and collectors will aspire to have a bottle of Talisker 40 Year Old on their shelves, as it is a stunning example of where the warmth of Spain meets the wild of Skye.” 

Talisker has combined traditional craft skills with modern maturation techniques to produce this rare and unique Talisker expression that is the epitome of an age-old relationship. This limited edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky will be a seamless addition to the finest of Whisky collections around the globe.

Talisker 40 Year Old will be available from selected luxury retailers globally from the end of June 2018 onwards.  In the UK (domestic), RRSP of £2,750 per 70cl bottle.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• Talisker 40 Year Old will be available from selected luxury retailers globally from the end of June 2018.  In the UK (domestic), RRSP of £2,750 per 70cl bottle.
• ABV 50%.
• There will be further releases of The Bodega Series, each finished in different casks to complete a journey around the Sherry Triangle. Details TBC.
• Tasting Notes:
  • Appearance: Deep, limpid gold. Good beading.
  • Nose: Mild and rich, with light nose prickle. The sweet fruitiness of sultanas and pears in syrup, then orange peel, framed in oiled sandalwood, with a salty suggestion of seaweed or sea air in the middle, on a base of faintly smoky raw sugar. Water brings up a buttery note of short crust pastry and a waxy hint.
  • Body: Medium, rich.
  • Palate: Most appealing. At natural strength, the texture is very fine; oil-smooth and lightly coating.  The taste starts sweetly fruity – white grapes, more sultanas – then becomes sea-salty and savoury, before finishing hot and peppery. As the sweet waves of flavour roll out across the palate, they break over a hint of that Talisker trademark, hot chilli spice, and some scented smoke. There’s great balance and vigour throughout. Adding water may tame the fire a little, but the lion remains wild at heart.
  • Finish: Long and warming, with a late, great tongue-tingling nuttiness in the embers as the fire slips down, and a last smoky trace of snuffed candle 

ABOUT TALISKER

The TALISKER® distillery is battered by the elements on the windswept coast of the Isle of Skye and is one of the most remote distilleries in Scotland. It was founded in1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill, and the distillery has been in near-constant

operation ever since. Talisker 10 year old, Talisker Skye and Talisker Storm are widely distributed while Talisker 18 year old, Talisker Distiller’s Edition and Talisker Port Ruighe can be found in specialist stores. See www.malts.com and www.facebook.com/Talisker for

more information.

Talisker has a heritage rooted in adventure, in 1830 its founders the MacAskill brothers crossed the Atlantic Ocean from the Isle of Eigg to establish the TALISKER distillery on the shores of Loch Harport on the Isle of Skye. It has remained there ever since, producing consistently fine whiskies for almost 200 years. The TALISKER, TALISKER STORM, TALISKER PORT RUIGHE, TALISKER SKYE. Words and associated logos are trademarks. © DIAGEO 2018

TICKETS GO ON SALE FOR THE 2018 WORLD WHISKY FORUM

The Cotswolds Distillery in England will host the second World Whisky Forum in June, following the Forum’s highly successful first year at Box Distillery in Sweden.

Created by Jan Groth of Box Distillery in conjunction with Ingvar Ronde of the Malt Whisky Yearbook and acclaimed whisky writer Dave Broom, the aim is to bring together key figures in the whisky world to foster cooperation and knowledge exchange across the industry. By bringing together small producers and much bigger players, from the established whisky-producing nations and the new ones, ideas can be shared and progress made – both in terms of the industry and the product itself.

Founder and CEO of the Cotswolds Distillery, Dan Szor, attended the first conference and was struck by the spirit of cooperation and curiosity that fuelled the Forum.

Szor said: “The 2017 Forum was an eye-opening experience that demonstrated that, unlike many industries today, the whisky world is one filled with passionate individuals keen to share ideas and cooperate, irrespective of national borders or corporate allegiances. With the World Whisky movement in full flight, we are thrilled that we’ll be able to host some of our friends and heroes, and show them our own perspective on bringing something new to the whisky world. Our Cotswolds Single Malt has only just been released, so this recognition of our place in the World Whisky community makes us incredibly proud.”

The theme for this years Forum is ‘Whisky 2020’, with guest speakers addressing innovation in whisky and the future direction of the industry. The 12 speakers this year include Jota Tanaka of Fuji Gotemba distillery in Japan, Tristan Stephenson of Fluid Movement/Black Rock, Miika Lipiäinen of Kyrö Distillery in Finland and the Cotswolds Distillery’s own head distiller, Nick Franchino. Returning as moderator is Dave Broom, editor of ScotchWhisky.com and author of The Way of Whisky: A Journey around Japanese Whisky.

There are a limited number of spaces available to attend the Forum, and these are open to anyone working in the whisky industry. For more information on how to book and the full speakers schedule, please visit www.worldwhiskyforum.org

NOTES:

The WORLD WHISKY FORUM was founded in 2017 by Jan Groth of Box Distillery in Sweden. It is a stage for the new wave of distillers and whisky stakeholders around the world who put innovation, rethinking and, of course, craftsmanship first. It is a recurring event that takes place every eighteen months.

The COTSWOLDS DISTILLERY was founded in 2014 and is the first full-scale distillery in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It was recently named Craft Producer of the Year in the Rest of World category of the Icons of Whisky Awards, and in the UK category of the Icons of Gin Awards.

For more information, please visit www.worldwhiskyforum.org and www.cotswoldsdistillery.org, or contact Jan Groth, Head of the World Whisky Forum +46 (0)70-494 18 01 jan.groth@worldwhiskyform.org or Zoe Rutherford, Communications Manager at the Cotswolds Distillery zrutherford@cotswoldsdistillery.com +44 1608 238 533.

SASSY SINGLE CASKS ALERT: READ ONLINE NOW

With International Women’s Day being celebrated this month, our March Outturn provides a great opportunity to raise a dram to the inspirational women in your life, and those who’ve shaped the whisky industry.

This First Friday sees a selection of 26 sassy, strong, characterful whiskies to choose from – much like the women they are celebrating.  There’s also three intriguing parcels and the next bottle in our special 35th anniversary series. Don’t wait – click over to our website now and read the full listing ahead of the release on Friday 2 March, 9am.

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

Getty Images

Due to the ongoing severe weather warnings in place for Glasgow, the decision to close the office today (2nd March) has been taken. We are reviewing this and will let you know when the office is open again. We apologise for any inconvenience caused but the decision has been made for the safety of our staff during this time. If you have any urgent requests we will try to respond to them via email. The auction is scheduled to close as usual on Sunday 4th March.

If you’re in the UK, please take care while we endure the “beast from the east”!

Best wishes from a very snowy Glasgow,

The SWA Team