Highland Golf Links Pro Am 2019 sponsored by Tomatin 

TOMATIN RETURNS AS SPONSOR OF HIGHLAND GOLF LINKS PRO AM 

Globally-renowned whisky distillers Tomatin are returning as headline sponsors of a prestigious Pro Am golf tournament over three of Scotland’s finest links courses.

The annual event, now known as the Highland Golf Links Pro Am 2019 sponsored by Tomatin, will be played over the famous championship courses at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Castle Stuart Golf Links and The Nairn Golf Club.

The 54-hole event, to be held from 30 September to 2 October, will be one of the richest on the PGA in Scotland Tour and will be limited to 60 teams.

In addition to the first place cheque, the winning professional will pick up a unique prize of a bottle of 50-Year-Old Tomatin single malt which has been bottled exclusively for the event with an estimated value of £10,000.

The event has also attracted new corporate partners TaylorMade and Black Isle Brewery.

Tomatin were the tournament’s original sponsors, from 2012-2015, and helped establish it as one of the most coveted events on the Scottish golfing calendar.

Stephen Bremner, Managing Director at Tomatin, said: “We are delighted to again be sponsoring this renowned event played over three magnificent links courses.

“The mix of quality golfing in beautiful locations with excellent food and drink really showcases what the Highlands has to offer. This is the perfect fit for us and our markets at home and abroad.”

The event is already attracting significant interest from home and abroad. A capacity field would see 240 players – one professional and three amateurs – tee up at Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart and Nairn.

Castle Stuart has hosted the Scottish Open on four occasions and last year was the venue for the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy. Royal Dornoch staged the Boys Home Internationals in 2018 and previously hosted the Scottish Amateur Championship on three occasions and also The Amateur Championship and the international Jacques Leglise Trophy. Nairn, which has been home to both the Walker Cup and Curtis Cup, held the Boys Amateur Championship in 2017.

Stuart McColm, general manager of Castle Stuart Golf Links, who is leading the organising team, said: “The Highland Golf Links Pro Am has become a must-play event for golfers, from both home and abroad, who enjoy the challenge of links golf at three of our best courses.

“We are delighted to have Tomatin back as headline sponsor. Scotland is synonymous with golf and whisky and this renewed partnership will help elevate the event to new heights.

“We are also extremely grateful to new corporate partners, TaylorMade and Black Isle Brewery for their valuable support, as well as The PGA for their help in running this showcase event.”

The Pro Am is open to teams of four players from anywhere in the world consisting of three amateurs (ladies or gentlemen) plus a professional of their choice. Teams that do not include a pro are allocated a leading player from the PGA in Scotland Order of Merit.

Shona Malcolm, The PGA’s Regional Manager for Scotland, said: “The Highland Golf Links Pro Am is one of the first events that the top Tartan Tour players register for when the playing schedule is announced each year.

“The tournament provides a combination of three great links golf courses, keen competition and social opportunities, and we at The PGA look forward to working with the organisers and sponsors to make the 2019 staging of the event the best yet.”

Catriona Sutherland, from Black Isle Brewery, said: “We’re proud of our Highland provenance and delighted to bring Black Isle organic beer to this year’s Highland Golf Links Pro Am.”

For more information on The Highland Golf Links Pro Am sponsored by Tomatin visit www.hglproam.com

BALBLAIR

WITH DISTILLERY MANAGER JOHN MACDONALD

Tuesday 2 April
7pm-8.30pm
£40

Spaces limited. Tickets on sale now.

BOOK NOW >

Although its history dates back to 1790, Balblair as we know it today is very much a product of more recent years. Indeed, it seems like there’s always something new and exciting going on, so we’ve invited distillery manager John MacDonald to talk to us about the latest developments at this Highland distillery.

John will be bringing a very special line up of six drams for you to try. In classic Whisky Exchange fashion, these will be a mix of rare cask samples and some whiskies that have never been publicly tasted before. This promises to be a fantastic chance to learn more about Balblair whisky and, even for connoisseurs, a chance to see it in a new light.

JOHN MACDONALD

A native of the Scottish highlands, John has a lifetime’s experience in creating unique whiskies. Starting out as a warehouseman in 1989, he has worked his way through every job in a distillery and took over as manager of Balblair in 2006. He now carefully guards the distillery’s spirit, ensuring that we will continue to have Balblair whisky long into the future.

TUESDAY 2 APRIL
7PM-8.30PM

£40

Spaces limited. Tickets on sale now.

BOOK NOW >

VENUE

SMITH & WOLLENSKY

1-11 JOHN ADAM ST
LONDON
WC2N 6HT

The Gallery in West Hampstead is celebrating St Patrick’s Day a little bit early this year, on Wednesday 13th March from 7pm-11pm, with an evening of Irish whisky, beers and food pairings.

The Gallery boasts a staggering collection of over 100 whiskeys from around the globe, as well nine rotating beer taps and a strong selection of craft beers by the bottle. To celebrate St Paddy’s Day, The Gallery has curated a special menu of Irish beers and whiskies from the Green Isle matched with delicious canapés. The drinks will take guests on an exploration across Ireland showcasing whiskies from the historic Middleton Distillery in Cork, and beers from The White Hag Brewery in Sligo. The bar upstairs will be open throughout the evening and the knowledgeable bar staff will be more than happy to recommend alternative whiskeys from the extensive library.

Bar Manager Phil Gale comments:
“We are bringing together one of Ireland’s oldest distilleries with one of their newest breweries to give you a taste of the history and the happening in the Emerald Isle. It’s a chance for people to learn about the method and the madness that goes into creating some of the finest beers and whiskies that Ireland has to offer. These will be brought together with some fantastic food, specifically created to compliment the flavour and finish of these drinks. This is not one that any whisky or beer fanatic will want to miss!”

Tickets are £30 and include four whiskies, four beers and four food pairings and are available to book here.

Save the date: 10th March, 6-8pm

Save the date: 10th March, 6-8pm
We’re delighted to say that we are back in London this weekend to collect whisky. 10th March, 6-8pm, St Paul’s Hotel Hammersmith. If you would like to attend this whisky rendez-vous please fill out the attendance form by clicking on the picture to the right. Additionally please click on the button below and fill out our ‘Submission Sheet’.

SUBMISSION SHEET

Find Out More

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 242: Macallan Concept Number 1

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries the latest Macallan. A new series by Macallan? Let the hype begin. Indeed, this Concept Number 1 flew off the shelves and at auctions fetched double the retails price, even in the week of the release. Go figure. The packaging is inspired on the world of surreal art. The whisky first matured in sherry cask and then got to sleep the same amount of time in bourbon casks. How long exactly, we do not know. But is it any good? For this is another NAS at drinking strength. But, hey, somebody has to pay for that new distillery, right?

https://youtu.be/4rKv65N4KeE

THE DUBLIN LIBERTIES SETS SIGHTS HIGH WITH NEW PRESTIGE EXPRESSIONS

Hot on the heels of its recent distillery launch, the team behind The Dublin Liberties Distillery has revealed three new, aged, single malt expressions and a stylish, new look for its award-winning Dublin Liberties Irish whiskey range.

Created by renowned Master Distiller, Darryl McNally, the three, small batch, aged expressions include the 13 year old The Dublin Liberties Murder Lane, the 16 year old The Dublin Liberties Keeper’s Coin and the 27 year old The Dublin Liberties King of Hell.

The Dublin Liberties Murder Lane is a 13 year old, tripled-distilled single malt, with 46% abv and matured in bourbon casks and finished in Hungarian Tokaj casks.  Made with 100% Irish malt and priced at €160[1], this whiskey is brimming with sweet aromas of marzipan, almonds and vanilla with flavours of apricot, coconut and white peach to taste.

Also with 46% abv, the 16 Year Old Dublin Liberties Keeper’s Coin is a single malt, triple-distilled, Irish whiskey made from 100% Irish malt, priced at €340.[2] Matured in first-fill bourbon casks and finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, this is a smooth, full-flavoured whiskey, with a rich honey sweetness to finish.

Each batch of Dublin Liberties Murder Lane and Dublin Liberties Keeper’s Coin will be numbered. All casks have been hand-selected by Master Distiller, Darryl McNally.

The pinnacle of the new collection is the 27-Year-Old Dublin Liberties King of Hell, which is available exclusively on numbered release and is presented in a stylish case. Aged in the highest quality, first fill, bourbon casks, the King of Hell is finished in rare Bordeaux Premier Cru casks and bottled at 46% abv. Each bottle of this triple-distilled, 100% Irish single malt whiskey is numbered and will also have an authenticity card individually signed by Master Distiller, Darryl McNally, inside the case. With only 50 bottles produced in the initial batch release, this rare whiskey is priced at €2700[3].

Available to selected outlets in Ireland and to Global Travel Retail customers from this month, the new expressions join stablemates, The Dublin Liberties Copper Alley 10 Year Old and The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil 5 Year Old in the all-aged Irish whiskey range. The three new expressions will be rolled out to other markets worldwide later this year. All five expressions will be sold in the Dublin Liberties Distillery shop at the distillery and visitor experience, which welcomed its first paying visitors this week following last week’s launch events.

Through their evocative names and intricate illustrations, each whiskey in the Dublin Liberties series tells a legendary story from the Liberties colourful history in the 17^th and 18^th Century, where the distillery is located. With the new range, Master Distiller Darryl McNally and his team at the Dublin Liberties Distillery are aiming to bring a fresh, new perspective to Irish whiskey-making and reinvigorate the high end of the category, as McNally explains;

“Irish whiskey is my passion and to be able to play a part in continuing its growth is a real honour for me. I see innovation in the super premium plus segment as key to continuing the impressive growth Irish whiskey has seen in recent years, so with The Dublin Liberties, we’re embracing an experimental approach with unique finishes for our aged malts unlike anything else on the market. We’re incredibly proud of the new expressions we’ve created and we’re confident that the new Dublin Liberties whiskies will become collectors’ items in their own right.”

With stocks of aged Irish whiskey increasingly rare due to growing global demand, The Dublin Liberties expressions are expected to be well received by whiskey enthusiasts and collectors around the world. The new Dublin Liberties Distillery is also expected to be a big hit on Dublin’s whiskey tourism scene in the year ahead, with over 70,000 visitors expected in the next year.

For further information about the Dublin Liberties Distillery, visit thedld.com.

ABOUT THE DUBLIN LIBERTIES DISTILLERY

The Dublin Liberties Distillery opened its doors for the first time in February 2019. A working distillery in the heart of the Dublin’s Liberties district, Ireland’s historic whiskey capital, The Dublin Liberties Distillery is majority owned by Quintessential Brands Group, in partnership with Stock Spirits.

thedld.com

Twitter @wearethedld

Insta/Facebook @dublinlibertiesdistillery #wearethedld 

ABOUT QUINTESSENTIAL BRANDS GROUP

Quintessential Brands is an award-winning international spirits company, dedicated to distilling and crafting the world’s best alcohol brands for consumers and customers globally. Pioneering spirits of the industry, inspired since 1761 by their founder, Thomas Dakin, Quintessential Brands Group delivers a diverse portfolio of award-winning, best-selling spirits with unrivalled heritage and craftsmanship.

Founded in 2011 by Enzo Visone, former CEO of Gruppo Campari, and entrepreneur, Warren Scott, Quintessential Brands Group owns world-class manufacturing facilities across Europe, including G&J Distillers, the world’s oldest continuous gin distillers, in Cheshire, UK; L&L in France, a leading manufacturer of fruit spirits and liqueurs; Irish Cream artisan producers, First Ireland Spirits; and the Dublin Liberties Distillery, launched in February 2019. Renowned for its white spirits expertise at G&J Distillers, Quintessential Brands has won International Spirit Challenge Gin Producer of the Year three times and is fast winning a reputation as one of the most exciting Irish whiskey producers to emerge on the scene.

Quintessential Brands’ award-winning premium brands portfolio includes Greenall’s The Original Handcrafted Gin, BLOOM London Dry Gin, Thomas Dakin Small Batch Gin, Berkeley Square London Dry Gin, and Opihr Gin. Its Irish brands include The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey, The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey, Feeney’s Irish Cream Liqueur and O’Mara’s Irish Country Cream. Liqueurs in the portfolio include Alizé and Toussaint Coffee Rum Liqueur. The company is also a leader in contract bottling and own label & private label spirits, working with retail partners across the world to provide spirits solutions of unrivalled quality.

quintessentialbrands.com

http://spiritsolutions.quintessentialbrands.com

[1] Retail price in the Dublin Liberties Distillery shop

[2] Retail price in the Dublin Liberties Distillery shop

[3] Retail price in the Dublin Liberties Distillery shop

Now available exclusively from theglenrothes.com

Explore the rich flavours of sherry seasoned casks in our new Aqua Collection.

“Water is a fundamental part of the whisky making process. The new Aqua Collection celebrates the role of the five different water sources we have on our Estate. These whiskies offer enticing fruity notes such as black cherries and candied peel, which are very much rooted in the familiar character of The Glenrothes”.

Gordon Motion, Master Whisky Maker

EXPLORE AQUA

Whisky Maker’s Dram

The perfect first step into the world of single malt and the opportunity to explore and discover The Glenrothes.

This single malt has been matured only in sherry seasoned oak casks, 100% first fill, and creates a character defined by vanilla, oranges and candied peel.

Aqua 12 Year Old

A twist on the ‘house style’ of The Glenrothes, but with a distinct flavour and higher strength.

Bottled at 43%, this single malt starts with creamy vanilla and flows seamlessly into sultanas, finishing with warm spicy notes

#SpiritOfRothes

Glen Grant 70 Year Old

The oldest bottling of Glen Grant whisky ever! 1948 vintage matured in a single sherry cask.

Shop $19,524

Glen Grant 70 Year Old 1948 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whiskey. Single cask first fill sherry butt #2154. Distilled Friday, 11 June 1948 & bottled Friday, 19 October 2018 by Gordon & MacPhail for the Private Collection series. The oldest ever bottling of Glen Grant whisky. Just 210 hand-blown crystal decanters have been produced.

Friday, March 22nd, 3-7:30PM 

World Whiskies: Japanese and Gouden Carolus US Debut 

Expand your whiskey palate at our world whiskies tasting, featuring store-favorite Japanese whiskies and the highly anticipated US launch of Gouden Carolus Belgian whiskey. Whiskies by Tottori, Kurayoshi, and Gouden Carolus will be poured, with Kurayoshi and Gouden Carolus’ distillery ambassadors present.

More details to be revealed as the event approaches, RSVP to stay up to date. 

More Details & RSVP

This weeks episode of the show takes a look at the recently re-vamped Old Pulteney line up.

https://youtu.be/c8KEOr7C_Uo