No review this week as Phil is a little under the weather………

THE ‘THREE WISE MEN’ FROM LOCH LOMOND DISTILLERY

A STAR CHRISTMAS GIFT SELECTION

Image Caption: Three Wise Men Cocktails – Loch Lomond Group

This year, The Loch Lomond Distillery has the perfect Christmas gift selection for whisky lovers with its very own Three Wise Men; a specially crafted trio of 12 Year Old whiskies, each with its own unique style and character.

Traditionally, the ’12 days of Christmas’ marked the time between Christmas Day and the arrival of the three wise men; Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior, making this collection of 12 Year Olds the perfect way to toast the festive season.

Loch Lomond Distillery has also created a recommended serve for each expression representing each of the three gifts, to provide some added inspiration for those entertaining guests this Christmas – or perhaps even seeking a quiet moment to themselves…

Loch Lomond 12 Year Old – £39.99 – 46.0% ABV

Loch Lomond 12 Year Old has a deep fruity character of peach and pear layered with a vanilla sweetness and the characteristic hints of peat and smoke found in Loch Lomond Whiskies.

Matured in three different types of casks – bourbon, refill and re-charred – the expertly crafted iconic Loch Lomond whisky delivers a perfectly balanced single malt. 

Inchmoan 12 Year Old – £46.99 – ABV 46.0%

Inchmoan 12 Year Old is born from a combination of malt whiskies from the distillery’s traditional swan neck and unique straight neck pot stills, to create a peat character of exceptional depth, marrying smoke and spiciness perfectly.

Matured for 12 years in a combination of re-charred American oak and refill bourbon American oak casks, it imparts sweet vanilla background notes that complement the soft peat style of Loch Lomond’s unique still set up. 

Inchmurrin 12 Year Old – £44.99 – 46.0% ABV

The enchanting isle of Inchmurrin is the largest of Loch Lomond’s islands and its natural characteristics shine through in this exceptional single malt Scotch whisky.

Known as the ‘Grassy Isle’ the island is soft, rounded and wonderfully wooded, just like the whisky itself.

Inchmurrin 12 Year Old is aged in hand selected bourbon, refill and re-charred casks and then married together to create a lighter whisky with grassy notes and floral hints of pear drops, crème caramel, soft fruits, vanilla and fudge.

The whiskies are available to buy from www.lochlomondwhiskies.com and specialist whisky retailers.

Loch Lomond Sparkling Gold

Gold was gifted often as an acknowledgement of kingship. This precious gift is still a symbol of Christmas and so we have incorporated it into a drink fit for royalty;

Ingredients:
25ml of Loch Lomond 12 Year Old
15ml of Golden Honey

15ml of Ginger syrup
Prosecco
Gold Flakes (optional)

Method:

Combine Loch Lomond 12 Year Old with the golden honey and ginger syrup and chill down over ice before straining into at chilled flute glass and topping with sparkling Prosecco. To add a little sparkle, top with a pinch of edible gold flakes.

Inchmurrin Aromatic Frankincense

Frankincense is a rare aromatic resin with citrus and pine aroma and is used in incense and perfume with the name coming from an old French expression meaning “high-quality incense”.

The fruity and floral profile of our Inchmurrin 12 Year Old combined with bitter and fresh Italian aperitif Aperol and soothing sweet vermouth topped with sparking soda and orange oils.

Ingredients:

25ml of Inchmurrin 12 Year Old

15ml Aperol

15ml Sweet Vermouth

A splash of soda

Orange peel to garnish

Method:

Simply add Inchmurrin 12 Year Old, Aperol and Sweet Vermouth to a large wine glass over cubed ice. Stir these ingredients together for 10 seconds and add more ice if needed. Top with sparkling soda and gently stir together. Garnish with orange peel. 

Inchmoan Warming Myrrh

Myrrh is an opulent smokey, dark, woody and earthy resin that has long been thought to contain healing qualities.

The smoky and deep character of Inchmoan 12 Year Old combines with natural honey, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg before being soothed with hot water, pressed apple and fresh lemon.

Ingredients:

25ml Inchmoan 12 Year Old

30ml of pressed apple

200 ml hot water

2 teaspoons of honey

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

A pinch of nutmeg

A squeeze of fresh lemon

Lemon peel to garnish

Method:

Add the honey to a glass mug then half fill with the hot water and stir until fully dissolved. Add all other ingredients except for the lemon peel, and stir together for 10 seconds. Finally add the remaining hot water and serve, garnished with the lemon peel.

About Loch Lomond Whiskies

• The multi award winning Loch Lomond whiskies range includes the Loch Lomond 12 Year Old which has been awarded a Gold Medal at the International Spirits Challenge 2017. Other expressions in the range are the single malts Loch Lomond Original; Loch Lomond Classic; Loch Lomond 18 Year Old; Loch Lomond 50 Year Old; the Loch Lomond Island’s Collection which includes the Inchmurrin and Inchmoan ranges as well as the deluxe blend Loch Lomond Signature and Loch Lomond Single Grain.

• Loch Lomond distillery has been producing the finest single malt whisky since 1814.
• Official social media accounts are Twitter: @LochLomondMalts Instagram: @lochlomondmalts

John j. Bowman single barrel Virginia straight Bourbon Takes home gold at 2018 New York world wine and spirits competition  

Fredericksburg, VIRGINIA (Oct. 23, 2018) – Two spirits from A. Smith Bowman Distillery won medals at the eighth annual New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC), including John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon winning Gold and Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon receiving Silver.

The NYWSC, held in August, received more than 430 wines and 340 spirits to be judged at this year’s competition, breaking all records of previous years.

“We are honored to accept the awards at this year’s New York World Wine and Spirits Competition,” said Brian Prewitt, master distiller at A. Smith Bowman Distillery. “It’s great to see our team effort pay off.”

Results from the 2018 New York World Wine and Spirits Competition can be found at https://www.nywscomp.com/results/.

About A. Smith Bowman

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition when the Bowman family had a granary and dairy farm in Sunset Hills,Virginia. They used excess grain from the family estate to distill spirits. In 1934, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition and built a more modern distillery in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm.  The Distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. Its various brands have won more than 100 awards in the past five years, including “World’s Best Bourbon” in 2016 for its Abraham Bowman Port Finished Bourbon and again in 2017 for its John J. Bowman Single Barrel at the World Whisky Awards.  For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

REDBREAST 12 CASK STRENGTH RE-CLAIMS JIM MURRAY’S ‘BEST IRISH WHISKEY’ SPOT

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Batch B1/17, which is crafted at Midleton Distillery by Irish Distillers, has been awarded the overall ‘Best Irish Whiskey’ in the world and ‘Best Irish Pot Still Whiskey’ in the annual Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2019.

Scoring an impressive 97 out of 100 points, Redbreast 12 Cask Strength is the most highly-awarded of all new Irish whiskeys to be tasted this year. The achievement continues success for Redbreast in the Whisky Bible, with the range having scooped ‘Best Irish Whiskey’ in the whiskey compendium for the sixth time in seven years.

Recognition from Murray completes the whiskey awards season for 2018, a year in which Redbreast 12 Cask Strength has excelled across the board. Key awards won include a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition, a Master medal at The Irish Whiskey Masters and a 94 out of 100 point score at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Commenting on the accolade, Billy Leighton, Master Blender at Midleton Distillery, said: “It is a real honour to accept the ‘Best Irish Whiskey’ award on behalf of Redbreast again this year – the sixth time in seven years that I’ve had the opportunity to do so. Jim Murray is one of most distinguished names in the whiskey world, and I hope that his resounding endorsement for Redbreast, the quintessential Irish whiskey, will help to spread the gospel for exceptional Irish whiskey even further around the world. This award is a testament to the craftsmen at Midleton Distillery who assist me in blending outstanding Irish whiskeys for the world to enjoy.”

The Redbreast range has been awarded ‘Best Irish Whiskey’ in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible six times over the past seven years:

• 2013 – Redbreast 12 Year Old
• 2014 – Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
• 2015 – Redbreast 21 Year Old
• 2017 – Redbreast 21 Year Old
• 2018 – Redbreast 21 Year Old
• 2019 – Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength

Now in its 16th edition, Jim Murray has tasted more than 4,500 different whiskeys in order to compile Jim Murray Whisky Bible 2019, evaluating each entrant out of 25 for its nose, taste, finish and balance in order to curate a score out of 100.

NOTES

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits and wines and producer of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the world’s fastest-growing Irish whiskey, experiencing 28 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 7.3m cases in 2018. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 80 of those experiencing double- or triple-digit growth.
Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. Since 2012, we have invested over €250m to double our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.

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

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of €8,987 million in FY18. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,900 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 86 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.
Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

A Tin to Tell a Story 

Ardbeg’s unique 10 Year Old warehouse tin, first manufactured by IPL Packaging in 2017, this year received a few meaningful exterior embellishments that further emphasise the unique provenance of this peaty single malt

Constructed of metal, the basic structure of the pack with its striking warehouse-shaped design and bold letters emblazoned on the warehouse wall (once a signpost for supply ships headed towards the distillery) remain the same. However, the depiction of the Ardbeg dog and mascot, Shortie, who runs cheerfully around the distillery, as well as an image of one of Ardbeg’s chief characters barrel-rolling, further bring the compelling history of this distinctive Islay landmark to life.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old is considered by some to be the peatiest, smokiest, most complex single malt of them all. It is non chill-filtered and has a strength of 46% abv, thus retaining maximum flavour, at the same time giving more body and added depth. This highly collectible tin can be used for years to come.

www.iplpackaging.com

THE TWEEDDALE LAUNCHES NEW GRAIN WHISKY – ‘GRAIN OF TRUTH’

This October, heritage brand The Tweeddale will add a new single grain whisky to its repertoire – Grain of Truth.

The Tweeddale was first blended by J&A Davidson in 1820 in Coldstream in the Scottish Borders, and later continued by Richard Day from 1895 to 1940. In 2009 Alasdair Day –great-grandson of Richard Day – decided to recreate The Tweeddale and to continue Richard Day’s eminent legacy. Grain of Truth represents Alasdair Day’s latest effort to create a memorable, rich and complex single grain whisky, based on traditional Victorian craftsmanship with innovative maturation techniques.

Grain of Truth possesses an uncommon composition of 50% wheat and 50% malted barley. The spirit was matured in bourbon barrels and finished for nine months in fine Oloroso sherry hogsheads imbuing the whisky with rich and warming honey and orange notes on the nose. This evolves into touches of dark chocolate and cognac on the palate, which is balanced by Oloroso, orange and dark chocolate notes, with a dry and spicy finish.

Since its invention in the early nineteenth century, ‘Grain Whisky’ has been often been mistakenly maligned as an inferior category of whisky and despite its complexity and many desirable properties, it has been overshadowed by ‘Malt Whisky’. However, in recent years, grain whisky has witnessed a resurgence in popularity, with bartenders, industry experts and consumers alike reconsidering this style of spirit. Leading global award bodies have begun to introduce new categories in order to celebrate the increasing popularity of grain whisky, such as WWA’s Best Scotch Grain Award, which was won by The Tweeddale: A Silent Character in 2018.

The Tweeddale hopes that Grain of Truth will follow on from the success of R&B Distillers’ award-winning single grain, Borders, which was lauded at HKIWSC 2016 (Bronze) and in Scottish Field Readers’ Whisky Challenge 2017. With a strong heritage behind it, The Tweeddale is poised to redefine the perception of the category, and, through the launch of Grain of Truth, looks to the future of this grain whisky.

This unusual and memorable Grain of Truth has been designed with the curious drinker in mind. The 50% malted barley and sherry cask finish gives the whisky a more complex flavour than typical grain whiskies. Grain of Truth is delicious neat, on the rocks or with a mixer. The spirit flourishes when served in a Grain of Truth Highball: a refreshing long serve which retrains the distinctive sweet sherry and spice notes of Grain of Truth. In a highball glass stir equal parts of The Tweeddale: Grain of Truth Single Grain Scotch Whisky, premium quality ginger ale (or ginger beer) and bitters over ice. Garnish with fresh citrus fruit peel and serve as a light aperitif.

NOTES

Grain Of Truth is priced at £49.99 and is available to purchase on Master of Malt.

Notes on ‘Grain Whisky’:

Scotch whisky can be made from any cereal grain, traditionally barley, but also wheat and rye. Once the grain has been malted, it is mashed to convert starch into sugar using enzymes within the malt. These enzymes are also capable of converting starch in unmalted grain when mashed with malted grain. The resulting spirit is Grain Whisky, as opposed to “Malt Whisky”, which can only be made from malted barley.

The advent of continuous stills in the 1830s opened up new realms of possibility for whisky production and creating a grain whisky that is lighter than the often more pungent malt whisky. Merchants began to blend malt whisky and grain whisky together to produce a consistent spirit that brings out the most desirable characteristics of the component malts and grains. Master blender, Richard Day developed a number of recipes using quality grain whisky with a sherry influence, which adds an extra sweetness and smoothness. This lighter and fruitier style of blended whisky was widely enjoyed by discerning drinkers in the region during this period who tended to favour a smoother and more balanced tipple.

R&B DISTILLERS:

The Tweeddale is owned by independent Scottish whisky company R&B Distillers, which stands for Raasay and Borders. Co-founder and managing director of R&B Distillers, Alasdair Day embodies this coupling: his great-grandfather, Allan MacDonald, hailed from the Hebrides, while his other great grandfather, Richard Day, was a master-blender in the Scottish Borders during the early 19th Century.

Trained as a botanist and food scientist, Alasdair first entered the whisky business in 2009, when he inherited his great grandfather Richard Day’s cellar book. Richard Day had a small licensed grocer’s shop in Coldstream in the Scottish Borders where he blended and bottled whisky. He recorded his recipes meticulously in the cellar book and left it for the family when he retired after the Second World War. Alasdair eventually recreated one of his great grandfather’s signature blends called The Tweeddale using his original recipe. The Tweeddale was reborn and has since evolved into a premium range of small batch blended, single malt and single grain whiskies, inspired by his great-grandfather’s legacy.

R&B Distillers Raasay Distillery commenced production in September 2017, the spirit is now quietly maturing and will be ready to drink from 2020. Raasay Single Malt will be ready to drink from 2020 and will encapsulate the rugged elegance of the island terroir.

Canadian distillers fight automatic tax increases:

 NOT On My Tab campaign

Canada’s federal government introduced an automatic, annually escalating excise tax increase on alcohol in its 2017 budget. Then, on January 1st this year, the United States lowered theirs. Canadians already pay among the highest alcohol taxes in the world and now the increasing tax burden on Canadian spirits is seriously eroding Canada’s competitiveness with the US and other international competitors.

Canada’s large and small distillers along with brewers and winemakers are opposing the federal government’s automatic escalation of alcohol excise taxes, as introduced in the 2017 federal budget. Under the terms of the escalation clause, excise taxes increase automatically every April without consultation and without discussion in Parliament. The distillers have launched an information campaign called Not On My Tab (link) to advise Canadians of the taxes they pay, and encourage them to join efforts to have the automatic escalation clause repealed.

It is not that Canada’s beverage alcohol producers oppose taxes. Rather, they believe that by relieving Members of Parliament of their role to review and approve tax rates, the government has short-circuited normal democratic processes. This change makes tax increases automatic without reference to prevailing economic conditions. Currently, those conditions are making Canadian spirits uncompetitive at home and abroad.

Taxes make up a significant portion of the price of alcoholic beverages in Canada, with spirits being taxed the most. Consumers may know they pay high taxes, but often don’t realize that when they buy a bottle of whisky, about 80% of what they pay goes to the government. Canadians pay one of the highest tax rates in the world for the simple pleasure of enjoying a drink with family and friends.

For over two centuries Canadian distillers have proudly turned Canadian grain into world-class whisky and other spirits. Canada’s nearly 200 distillers are an important economic engine for rural communities across the country, and for large and small cities in every province. Yes, whisky is an agricultural product and in Canada, 100% of the grain it is made from comes from Canadian farms.

However, spirit sales are very much price sensitive. So, the federal automatic escalator tax on beer, wine and spirits introduced in the 2017 budget threatens the 8,500 full-time jobs and $5.8 billion contribution to Canada’s annual GDP that distilling provides. With the new escalator tax, prices will increase on April 1^st every year – forever.

The government tried this approach once before. In the early 1980s they introduced a similar escalator tax only to repeal it 5 years later after 11 major distilleries had closed permanently.

Reasonable taxes help support our society. However, excessive taxes harm local business owners and workers particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Most bars and restaurants can’t simply pass along these tax increases to their customers. At the same time, Canadian farmers are facing difficult times. How will reducing demand from some of their best customers help Canadian barley, corn, wheat and rye farmers?

Coincident with the increase in excise duties on Canadian-made spirits, was a historic decrease of excise duties on American spirits. By this April, Canada’s excise rate for spirits will be an astonishing 85% higher than those in the United States, Canada’s largest international competitor. Canada’s tax and regulatory framework is making our distillers uncompetitive internationally, while the United States is busy creating a much more welcoming and efficient regulatory environment in which to do business.

Unfortunately, after years of growth, our international presence is declining and sales are down nearly 6% year-to-date, as companies are forced to throttle back on global promotions and new market development in the face of unreasonable tax burdens at home.

Canadians will always drink spirits, but unless we start to think longer-term, the 1980s will repeat themselves with spirits imported from abroad replacing those made here in Canada.

As a microdistiller in the throes of launching a new distillery told me this week, America is a much more welcoming environment for distillers today. He would like to launch his distillery in Canada, but right now it just makes more business sense to do so in the U.S. Pity.

Canadian Whisky Awards

A record number of entries promises to make this the most hard fought battle since the Canadian Whisky Awards were inaugurated 9 years ago. Watch here in January for results, or join us at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria on Thursday January 17, when the winners will be revealed.For your gift shopIt’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas, especially if you have a visitors’ centre at your distillery. If you would like to sell the book, Canadian Whisky, in your gift shop, drop me a line and I’ll connect you with my publisher’s wholesale department. davindek@gmail.com

Dekanta

2-49-7 Minamiikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo,

Cask TD0138

American Oak is finally available again!

Our current release of American Oak single cask was distilled in September of 2006 and decanted in April of this year. It was matured in a 200L American Oak ex-bourbon cask for eleven years and eight months in our distillery in Cambridge, Tasmania.

This whisky has all the hallmarks of a great Sullivans Cove American Oak; it’s well-rounded, fruity, viscous and has incredible length. There are only 242 bottles of this powerful and well-developed whisky, bottled at 47.7% ABV.

As a mailing list member, you have exclusive access to purchase this prior to general release.

“Surprisingly leathery and spicy for its age, this cask is my personal favourite from amongst our recent American Oak releases” Heather Tillott, Production Manager

PURCHASE NOW

It’s time for cosiness and conviviality

OUTtURN WHISKIES          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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