SAZERAC CANADIAN WHISKIES RECEIVE FOUR GOLD MEDALS AT LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS COMPETITION
MONTREAL, CANADA (August 2, 2018) –Canadian Whiskies from the Sazerac Company participated in the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition and came home with four medals this year.
This competition, in its 12th year, is judged by a panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned judges including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners, who rate each spirit on a 100-point scale.
Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.
We are pleased to announce two new distillery releases that will be available in the UK from today – release dates for other countries/markets will vary. Details of these special, limited releases are below:
Longrow 14yo Sherrywood 57.8%
This Longrow release was matured in refill Oloroso Sherry casks and bottled at 57.8% ABV.
Nose: Very fruity! Toffee apples, pears and strawberry chocolates in the background; salted popcorn kernels, mint leaves and honey.
Taste: Salty and coastal, the fruitiness continues with raisins, chocolate orange and prunes. A dryness develops with demerara sugar and digestive biscuit.
Finish: Drying BBQ spices; cayenne pepper and paprika followed by cinnamon sugar, oats, pecan nuts and the typical gentle Longrow smokiness.
The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling the Longrow 14yo Sherrywood for £55.00
This is not a Society exclusive bottle
There is no Society discount for this bottle as this is not a core range product.
Springbank 12yo Cask Strength
The latest edition to the Springbank 12yo CS range has been matured in 70% Sherry casks and 30% Bourbon casks and has been bottled at 56.2% ABV.
Nose: A fruity and nutty combination; cherries, apricot jam, pistachios and toasted oats. Salted caramel and marzipan begin to emerge.
Taste: Sweet and delicious, Scottish tablet, prunes and honey. The classic Campbeltown style develops; sea salt and a light smoke coat the mouth.
Finish: A long and warming finish; honeycomb, orange marmalade and liquorice closely followed by Demerara sugar, almonds, oats and prunes.
The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling the Springbank 12yo Cask Strength for £49.50.
This is not a Society exclusive bottle
The Society discount for this product is 10% (at the discretion of each Cadenhead shop)
Please note that the Campbeltown shop will only be taking orders via phone and will not be reserving any bottles should you call before 10am (BST) tomorrow – Tuesday 14th August 2018.
These whiskies are available in the UK from tomorrow – for more information on when they will be released in different countries/markets please contact your local Springbank retailers and stockists, details of whom can be found by visiting: http://springbank.scot/distributors/.
This email is designed to replace the old ‘Available Now’ newsflash that was traditionally sent out on the launch day as a number of members have requested that we let you all know sooner. As such, notifications on the launch day itself will only be made on social media. We do urge members not to publish the details of this newsflash on social media before we announce it ourselves through our own social media channels. This will hopefully let you all get first chance to buy these bottles although we would highlight that we do not control how shops sell their stock. Even the Cadenhead shops are out-with our control so if you have any enquiries about what stock individual shops have please contact them directly.
(L to R) Nigel Mills CBE, Chief Executive Officer of The Lakes Distillery, Paul Currie, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of The Lakes Distillery and Whiskymaker Dhavall Gandhi
LAKES DISTILLERY BREAKS WORLD RECORDS AT WHISKY AUCTION
The first bottle of single malt whisky from The Lakes Distillery has sold for £7,900, breaking the world record for the most expensive whisky from a new distillery, and the most expensive bottle of English whisky sold at auction.
WORLD RECORD: Most expensive bottle of whisky from a new distillery
WORLD RECORD: Most expensive bottle of English whisky
LANDMARK: Average of £900 per bottle for the batch of 99 auctioned
The Lakes Distillery auctioned 99 of its first bottles of single malt whisky, Genesis, with bottle number one selling for £7900.This surpassed the previous record of £7,100 for the first whisky to come from a new distillery, which was held by a Scottish distillery.
Genesis was sold at cask strength in a bespoke rosewood presentation box, each individually numbered and hand signed by Dhavall Gandhi, the Whiskymaker. Genesis comes from the Greek word meaning origin. The name pays homage to the distillery’s beginning, and gives a tantalising glimpse into its future.
The auction, which was hosted on http://www.whiskyauctioneer.com, started on 29th June and ran until noon on Tuesday 10th July.
Nigel Mills CBE, Chief Executive Officer of The Lakes Distillery, said: “Genesis signifies an important milestone in our history, because the first spirit we laid down is now more than three years old and we can finally call it whisky. The auction was fascinating and it exceeded all our expectations. We are proud to have not only produced a wonderful malt whisky but to have seen such a demand for the first bottles.”
Whiskymaker Dhavall Gandhi said: “We don’t just bottle our whisky because it is three years old; instead, I look at each cask to assess them individually until I find the right flavour profile. We have reached a peak for some casks and that is why we released a limited number.
“It’s an amazing feeling that people are finally recognising whisky as art. People have a lot of faith in what we are doing and it’s amazing to see the prices showing that faith.”
Paul Currie, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of The Lakes Distillery, said: “This is an historic moment and the success of the auction and the interest in Genesis demonstrates that the Lakes single malt whisky is a credible alternative to whiskies from the world’s established distilleries.”
Alan Rutherford OBE, Chairman of The Lakes Distillery, said: “Our expectations for the auction were high and we are thrilled that we were not disappointed. There was tremendous interest and this is reflected in the price and the records broken. I am very proud that 99 people will have the opportunity to taste this very special malt whisky.”
The whisky was first matured in Oloroso hogsheads giving it a vibrant character full of dried ginger and wood-spice. After the initial period of maturation, the whisky was finished in casks made-up of American and European oak to add a layer of dried fruit and vanilla. Finally, these two components were married together in Orange wine casks from the Andalucía region of Spain, giving it a spicy and chocolate-orange character.
The Lakes Distillery employs 85 people and is led by a team of four:
Paul Currie, Founder and Chief Operating Officer, as one part of the father-son team behind the Isle of Arran Distillers, Paul has whisky in his veins!
Nigel Mills CBE, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, was the driving force that saw the Mills convenience store brand grow from 11 newsagents to a chain of 77 convenience stores and eight supermarkets.
Dhavall Gandhi, Operations Director and Whiskymaker, joined the Distillery after fine-tuning his skills at Macallan and is instrumental in crafting the Lake District’s only single malt whisky.
Alan Rutherford OBE, Chairman, a leading figure in the whisky world, as testified by his OBE for services to the Scotch Whisky Industry and as the former production director at Diageo.
The distillery was founded with money from a group of North of England based investors. A further 2,435 investors supported the Distillery in a round of crowd funding on Crowdcube six months ago, raising £1.62million.
In addition, 2,975 whisky lovers joined an exclusive Founders Club, giving them the opportunity to enjoy a 70cl bottle of The Lakes spirit every year for 10 years.
Lakes Distillery spirits are now available in multiple national retail chains including; Marks and Spencers, Tesco, Morrisons, ASDA, Harvey Nichols, Majestic Wine and Booths, alongside a number of independent specialist spirit retailers and World Duty Free shops.
The business is also supplying export markets in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, and South Africa.
The Lakes Distillery has won six awards for its visitor experience including the Global Masters Award for Distillery Visitor Facilities and Visitor Experience. It has also won awards for its spirits, tourism, its Bistro and the quality of its new buildings within the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Lake District National Park.
Capturing The new Macallan distillery from genesis to completion
The Macallan Masters of Photography celebrates two very different, but highly revered art processes and brings together some of the world’s best photographers to capture The Macallan’s mastery.
The Macallan Masters of Photography: Magnum Edition marks the seventh limited edition release. This awe-inspiring collection of images, taken by six world renowned Magnum photographers, captures different aspects of the new Macallan Distillery from genesis to completion, from the landscape and materials, to the character of the workers and protagonists who have brought it to fruition.
A unique statement in architecture and whisky making
The Macallan Genesis Limited Edition celebrates the innovative design and iconic architectural statement that is the home of The Macallan; marking a remarkable partnership with internationally acclaimed architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
Complete with a limited edition lithographic print of the distillery by lead architect Graham Stirk, this exclusive whisky reflects the complexity of flavour influenced by each stage of The Macallan’s whisky making process.
The Genesis Limited Edition will be available from The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience on the 14th August 2018 priced at £495.00, limited to one bottle per customer on a first come, first served basis. Please note there will be no access to the site before 9:30am on the 14th August.
OVER 300 WHISKIES ON TASTE IN THE CITY
15 SEPTEMBER 2018
– thestudio –
It’s just over a month till we descend on Birmingham’s city centre for another memorable whisky gathering, joined by over 50 brands and more than 300 whiskies on taste. Brace yourselves for our greatest whisky tasting experience yet!
Each year Midlands Whisky Festival welcomes some of the most well-known brands and bottlers in the whisky industry, although you’re always guaranteed to find something new and exciting to taste!
STARWARD
World whiskies are always interesting finds, especially when they’re from the other side of the globe. Starward, known as the ‘modern Australian whisky’ mature their spirit in a variety of wine casks including red wine and fortified wine, which results in a single malt with serious character to boot. Be sure to come and check them out at the Birmingham show.
THE PEARLS OF SCOTLAND
Family-owned independent bottler Gordon & Company will be at the show showing bottlings from a number of distilleries such as Bunnahabhain, Cambus, Tobermory and this exceptional bottle of single cask Highland Park, which was aged for an impressive 25 years.
FROM VERMONT, USA
If you’re a fan of American whiskey then you’re in for a treat. WhistlePig will be making their MWF debut next month, taking you on a lip-smacking journey through their range of amazing rye whiskeys from WhistlePig farm in Vermont.
MEET THE MAKERS
Keith Cruickshank will be sharing his knowledge and experience on what it’s like being a distillery manager at Benromach, during a masterclass to celebrate their 20th anniversary!
Tasting Lineup
– Benromach 10 Year Old
– Benromach 15 Year Old
– Benromach Organic
– Benromach Triple Distilled
– Benromach 1998 20th Anniversary Bottling
– Benromach 1970 (Bottled 1980s) Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & MacPhail)
Possibly the highest regarded of all the closed distilleries, Port Ellen single cask bottlings are incredibly rare. Here at Bartels we are proud to present our second edition Port Ellen 1983. Aged in a Bourbon Hogshead this 33 year old retained a very high strength of 57.1% and produced 249 individually numbered bottles. With the unmistakable Islay nose and rich coastal flavours this certainly is one not to miss. Sold in a beautiful black piano presentation box with a fur lining.
Wyoming Whiskey are independent, family-owned whiskey makers with a world-class distillery in the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming. The Big Horn Basin has everything needed to make great bourbon, and all ingredients are sourced locally – from non-GMO grain to water from the Madison limestone aquifier. The consistency and uniqueness of these whiskey elements make for a better bourbon that stands apart from all others, and a true contender for best Whisky of the West.
Johnnie Walker announces the arrival of Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen
The new whisky is the second in a series of special editions crafted using irreplaceable ‘ghost’ whiskies and other incredibly rare whiskies from the Johnnie Walker Blue Label reserves used to create the award-winning Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare Port Ellen
For Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge and his small team of expert blenders, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare series is an exciting exploration of flavour.
Jim Beverage commented: “These whiskies deliver a fascinating glimpse into another world, exploring the unique, inimitable character of whiskies from a small number of iconic, closed distillieries that lend something very special to every drop of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. It’s really interesting to be able to put a spotlight on the character of these whiskies.”
“‘Ghost’ whiskies from Caledonian and Carsebridge add layers of creamy, vanilla sweetness whilst rare malts from Mortlach, Dailuaine, Cragganmore, Blair Athol and Oban deliver rolling waves of waxy citrus, rich malt and tropical fruit flavours – all perfectly balanced by the distinctive maritime smokiness of Port Ellen that lingers in the long and warming finish.”
The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare series, which launch globally from October 2018
At the end of last year, we announced that Port Ellen and Brora, two of the most revered “lost” distilleries in the global spirits industry, were to be brought back to life through a £35 million investment.
In the 34 years since Brora and Port Ellen were closed, the whiskies they produced have become some of the most highly prized and sought after liquids in Scotch whisky, renowned for exceptional quality and character; elevating the lost distilleries to cult status amongst whisky enthusiasts and collectors.
Iconic “lost” distilleries revived in major scotch investment
Port Ellen and Brora, two of the most revered “lost” distilleries in the global spirits industry, are to be brought back to life in a powerful statement of confidence in the future of Scotch whisky.
The distilleries, which have been silent since they were closed in 1983, will be brought back into production through a £35 million investment by Diageo.
In the 34 years since Brora and Port Ellen were closed, the whiskies they produced have become some of the most highly prized and sought after liquids in Scotch whisky, renowned for exceptional quality and character; elevating the lost distilleries to cult status amongst whisky enthusiasts and collectors.
For many years whisky fans around the world have called on Diageo to reopen these closed distilleries. The decision is partly a response to those demands from existing enthusiasts but it also reflects the strong growth in the single malt Scotch market and the opportunity to create new generations of whisky consumers.
Port Ellen Distillery on the famous whisky island of Islay, and Brora on the remote eastern coast of Sutherland, will both be reinstated to distil in carefully controlled quantities, with a meticulous attention to detail, replicating where possible the distillation regimes and spirit character of the original distilleries. Cask filling and traditional warehousing will also be included on the sites of both distilleries.
£35m investment
800kl capacity per year
The distilleries will also have dedicated Brand Homes to welcome guests and they are expected to become iconic attractions in the Scottish tourism landscape, attracting whisky pilgrims from around the globe.
The new Brora and Port Ellen distilleries will be among Diageo’s smallest distilleries, capable of producing 800,000 litres of alcohol per year. They will replicate as closely as possible the previous taste profiles of Port Ellen and Brora, with medium peated character at both sites.
Subject to planning permission and regulatory consents, detailed design, construction and commissioning work, it is expected the distilleries will be in production by 2020.
Continue to win in Reserve: Driving personal luxury with Johnnie Walker
The nature of luxury has continued to evolve: from the traditional western notion, driven by behaviours and visual cues, into a more modern luxury driven by experiences, and global and local influences. Today, luxury can be for everyone.
Mass luxury is key to our reserve growth opportunity. One of the ways we are delivering is through the gifting and personalisation of Johnnie Walker Reserve variants.
In 2018, we offered consumers an accessible luxury gift beyond traditional beauty care and fragrances. During the festive season, our team in Peru launched a Johnnie Walker Blue Label pop-up store. Consumers were treated to Johnnie Walker Blue Label mentoring and were able to engrave their Johnnie Walker bottle with a personal message.
In May, we also launched Johnnie Walker My Edition in Great Britain and Spain. This pilot programme aims to offer consumers a cutting-edge, online whisky personalisation experience. Through the website, consumers are able to purchase exclusive whiskies based on personal flavour preferences, personalise the label and engrave the bottle to create a truly unique gift.
Net sales of Johnnie Walker Reserve variants were up 8% in 2018. Overall, scotch net sales grew 2%, but there is more to do.
