THE MACALLAN FINE AND RARE 1979 – THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE UNRIVALLED COLLECTION 

Forty years in the making – The Macallan Fine and Rare 1979 is the prestigious new vintage to be welcomed into the brand’s Fine and Rare collection, which was created to portray the very best array of The Macallan.

The Macallan Fine and Rare collection presents some of the greatest vintage single malts produced, and now features the 1979, which was filled on 19 February 1979 and after slumbering for forty years, was captured in 2019 to become part of the liquid history of The Macallan.

Commenting on the new release, Polly Logan, Whisky Maker, The Macallan said: “The release of the 1979 Fine and Rare vintage is an exceptional addition to the collection, which displays an inviting burnished antique oak colour after being held in a single puncheon cask for forty years. On the nose rich dried fruits with gentle peat smoke, gives way to a hint of orange citrus, balanced with antique oak spice and warming ginger. The journey of discovery continues on the palate with oak spice followed with a richness of dried figs and dates, the gentle peat smoke in the background throughout. The expression finishes with the signature richness of The Macallan with warming oak spice and honey sweetness. By capturing this single malt at natural cask strength of 57.2 per cent, it embodies the true spirit of The Macallan and compliments the outstanding array of the Fine and Rare collection.”

Reflecting on the era when this exceptional single malt was distilled, Jaume Ferras, Prestige Marketing Director, The Macallan, said:  “This expression delivers an insight into the long-standing heritage of our brand. It is a reflection of the time in which it was distilled – an era of global progression, and an age where our award-winning single malt was also growing and developing.

“In 1979 The Macallan appointed a new Chairman in Peter Shiach, and his influence is still evident in the brand today, much like The Fine and Rare Collection itself, which demonstrates the unmistakable legacy of The Macallan.”

Over the years, the Fine and Rare range has underpinned The Macallan as the world’s most valuable and collectable single malt whisky, leading the secondary market around the world and setting world record prices.

The recommended retail price of The Macallan Fine and Rare 1979 will be £10,300 per 70cl bottle, £11,100 per 750cl and £750 per 5cl.

Tasting notes:

Colour:  Burnished antique oak.

Nose:  Rich dried fruits with gentle peat smoke. A hint of orange citrus, balanced with antique oak spice and warming ginger.

Palate:  Fresh with oak spice followed with richness of dried figs and dates, the gentle peat smoke in the background throughout.

Finish: Medium long, with warming oak spice and honey sweetness.

ABV: 57.2% (natural cask strength)

Tint: 44

Cask:  –  – Sherry Puncheon

Cask no: 2803

Age: 40 Years Old

Bottle numbers: 338 bottle equivalents

About The Macallan

Founded in 1824, The Macallan is one of the worlds’ most admired and awarded single malt whiskies. The reputation of The Macallan is based on a product of outstanding quality and distinctive character. An obsession with excellence has been the hallmark of The Macallan since its founding, by Alexander Reid, on a plateau above the river Spey in north-east Scotland.

In 2018, The Macallan unveiled its new £140 million distillery and visitor experience on its Speyside estate, increasing investment in whisky, warehousing and in The Macallan’s signature sherry-seasoned oak casks.  The striking contemporary architecture, cut into the slope of the land, takes its cues from ancient Scottish hills.  It stands nearby Easter Elchies House, the Highland Manor built in 1700 which has been The Macallan’s spiritual home since 1824.  The new distillery marks an important milestone, recognising the significant journey of The Macallan since 1824 and marking an exciting new chapter in the evolution of the luxury single malt.”

www.themacallan.com

AD GEFRIN APPROVED! 

Plans for Northumberland’s First Whisky Distillery Given the Thumbs Up by Planners. 

Planning permission for the £Multi Million development of the Ad Gefrin Distillery in Wooler has been granted by Northumberland County Council. To be built on the former Redpath’s Yard adjacent to the A697, this major development is expected to become an exciting part of the region’s future economy – impacting local, national and international markets.

Today’s announcement is a significant milestone for the project, for the Ferguson Family – who’s vision this is, for the town of Wooler, and for north Northumberland. Sited at the forefront of an area known as ‘The Gateway to the Cheviots’, the new Distillery Experience will contribute significantly to the sustainable future of the area. In addition to local employment, and the showcasing of local products, it is projected to stimulate a variety of business opportunities building on the increased number of visitors to the town.

At the Ad Gefrin Distillery Experience the public will be able to explore the story of the area and the ancient Kingdom of Northumbria, behind-the-scenes tours, a bistro, whisky tastings, retail and events spaces. At the heart of the venture will be the production of a new Single Malt whisky and niche spirits that it is hoped will not only become the pride of the area and the tipples of tourists, but exported internationally. Up to 50 jobs will be created, many of them long-term, bringing employment to local people and new skilled workers to the area. The Ferguson family is also committed to supporting the local community where its roots lie and ensuring the wider economic impact of visitors to Wooler bolsters local businesses and increases spending in the area.

After extensive local consultation, the proposals won universal praise from residents and businesses alike. The County Council has now added its voice of approval to the detailed plans, which cover all stages of the distillery, from the clearing of the site, to opening the doors for business.

Planning permission provides the starting gun on the demolition and removal of the existing buildings and salvaging of the slates and external stone for re-use.  Formal approval also means that work can now begin in earnest to bring the Ad Gefrin Distillery Experience to fruition.

On hearing that full planning had been granted, Alan Ferguson, Head of the Ferguson family, said: “We are thrilled with today’s decision and so grateful to Northumberland County Council for supporting our vision.  This project has been a long time in the making, and now it will come to fruition.  Although the ambitious timescales we had planned may have taken a small dent, this means that we are now able   to move forward with all the energy and enthusiasm that we have stored up.”

“As well as commencing the demolition work on site in the next few weeks, this allows us to finalise requirements for the bespoke spirit stills with the manufacturers. They are integral to the future success of the Distillery, and when they are installed and commissioned, the heart of the enterprise will really start to beat.”

Award-winning local architect, Richard Elphick, adds: “This is a delegated decision by the Planning Department – we are so pleased that the council and their officers have responded so positively to the application and all of the proposals. We all worked together as a team to bring this successful consent to fruition.

“All of the planning officers we have dealt with have been hugely constructive in determining a response to such a large and complex proposal and we would like to thank them for their support.”

On hearing the news, Eileen Ferguson whose family the Redpaths originally owned the site, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured planning permission and now looking forward to transforming the site.

“I want to give a big thank you for all of the residents and local businesses throughout what has been a six-month consultation process. We received 100% support and look forward to the first chapter of Ad Gefrin which begins now. We have had the prologue, and this is the action.

“The Ad Gefrin name has a long history and is appropriate to a renaissance and new buoyancy for the economy.  The Redpath and Ferguson families have been part of the fabric of the area for generations. Through our shop, restaurant and exhibition areas, we are totally committed to supporting Glendale by showcasing the best of Northumberland – such as food, drink, art and design.”

Peter Jackson, leader of the County Council, added his approval: “The Ad Gefrin project is one of the most exciting and innovative schemes to have been devised in Northumberland for years.

“The County Council is very happy to give its full support to something that will explore our vast range of history and further develop our fantastic visitor offer. I wish the project every success”, concluded Peter.

 Notes

• Ad Gefrin takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon palace below Yeavering Bell. Both names take their meaning from the “hill of the goats”, which still roam the slopes today. The site on the banks of the Glen was a place of gathering and community, and the new distillery in Wooler aims to become a similar meeting spot in the 21^st

• The Ferguson family behind the vision – an amalgamation of the local Redpath and Ferguson lineages – is part of the fabric of Northumberland with a heritage as a major local family run business in the area for almost 100 years.

• The currently dilapidated, redundant gateway site at the entrance to Wooler was once part of a former 19^th century Salvation Army Laundry, and was originally bought by the Redpath family in the early 1930’s on the establishment of Redpath Bros. Haulage.

• Ad Gefrin will be the first whisky distillery in Northumberland in 200 years, reviving Northumbrian Whisky and Cheviot distilling.
• Ad Gefrin whisky will be a new prestige product for Northumberland capitalising on domestic and export markets and supporting local trade partnerships.

• Ad Gefrin will become a long-term employer in Wooler (creating up to 50 FTE jobs by Year 5), diversifying training and employment across spirit production, hospitality and visitor engagement.

• Ad Gefrin will create a high-quality visitor destination on one of the main Anglo-Scottish arterial routes, showcasing, promoting and selling diverse products from Glendale and Northumberland – and establishing a new start and end point for the UK’s renowned Whisky Trail.

• The Ferguson family is committed to further encouraging and championing inward investment and regeneration in Wooler, its High Street, and wider Glendale, as a distinctive tourist destination, and enhancing its reputation as a high-quality production area for food, drink and creative products.

How are casks made?

A Jameson cooper is a happy cooper…

The concept of the wooden cask hasn’t changed much since it first came into being, but the practice of making it has gradually been refined over the past few millennia.

That’s not to say there wasn’t trial and error involved – things like the collapsible shipping cask and the Da Vinci-esque cask cleaning machine, both beautifully illustrated in Scientific American in the 1800s, have fallen by the wayside – but today making casks is a superb blend of art and science.

Coopers – professional cask-makers – will craft casks to a distillery’s specifications, altering things such as the intensity of the char by precise amounts to create the desired chemical reaction between wood and liquid.

Depending on what’s destined to go into it, for example bourbon or sherry, a cask is made in slightly different ways. To give you general overview, however, let’s take a look at how whisky casks are commonly made.

A tree is felled

Oak is widely used, not least because it grows in helpful ways and imparts pleasant flavours, and you can learn more about how different types affect whisky on Tom’s blog post. For best results, the tree should be at least 70 years old.

Staves are cut

The oak is cut into long thin pieces and dried, traditionally outside, for several years. This removes moisture from the wood and reduces its harsh tannins. The way the wood is cut is crucial, as a tree naturally contains flow paths for water and nutrients, and cutting along the faster flow paths can result in leakages. Once seasoned, the planks are then carefully shaped into staves.

A SKIRT IS ASSEMBLED AND TOASTED

The ends of the staves are fitted together around one iron hoop, forming a skirt-like structure. Heat is then applied in order to bend the staves into shape, which is traditionally done over an open flame and known as toasting. The toasting process also caramelises the wood sugars, resulting in flavours of caramel, nuts and liquorice, and breaks down the wood’s lignin into compounds that result in flavours like spice, vanilla and flowers. Different toasting levels – light, medium and heavy – produce different effects.

Hoop-LA

Metal hoops are applied to the barrel to keep its shape through continuous pressure.

More Fire is always an option

A blazing barrel at Loch Lomond

Barrels destined for sherry and wine tend to stop at toasting, but the pyromaniac bourbon makers go one step further and set the cask aflame. Ok, they’re not really pyromaniacs: by law bourbon must be aged in a new, charred barrel. It still looks fun, though.

Charring, which is measured in levels – the 55 second Level 4 char being the staple – changes the wood further and creates a thin layer of carbon that acts as a filter for impurities like sulphur, removing them from the spirit within.

The end(s)

The finishing touches are applying the cask head(s) – the bit on either end – drilling a bunghole so spirit can be added, and adding the final hoops. Once these are complete, the finished cask is ready to be filled with new make and start its minimum three year journey to become whisky.

See the process in action

If you want to learn more about the art of coopering, you could take a tour of the Speyside Cooperage, or watch this moody and dramatic Macallan video of casks being made in Jerez. Alternatively, kick back with this gem from British Pathé, in which an apprentice cooper is gleefully initiated with excellent 1940s commentary.

OLD & RARE AMERICAN OAK Aged 18 Years
SINGLE CASK HH0107

This batch of Old & Rare American Oak Single Cask is now availiable for purchase, exclusively to our mailing list members. HH0107 was distilled in the final days of the last millennium (December 1999), and decanted in June of 2018 after a maturation of eighteen years and seven months, making this the oldest single cask whisky ever released by Sullivans Cove. Aged in a single, 200L American oak ex-bourbon cask, the final whisky yield was only 208 bottles at 47.4% abv.

Each bottle comes in a unique, hand made, solid oak presentation box, and includes a letter of authenticity signed by Head Distiller Patrick Maguire and Production Manager Heather Tillott. Whiskies of this age are incredibly rare in the still-young Australian whisky industry, so these few bottles represent a literal liquid history for you to enjoy.

Nose: The scent of coconut slice and lemon blossom make the mouth water from the first smell, followed by a rainforest song of waxy flowers, wet earth, green leaves and toasted nuts.

Palate: Waxy bananas, orange peel, coconut, strawberries and cream lollies alongside gingerbread, cacao nibs, sourdough bread crumbs and a consistent  note of pineapple.

Finish: Toasted nuts, vanilla, aniseed and coconut, riding on a wave of pineapple all the way to the horizon.

PURCHASE NOW

Whisky Advent Calendars 

A wee dram of whisky is one of few things better than chocolate. Count yourself down to Christmas with these grown-up advent calendars! Pre-order yours today to guarantee delivery. Each day of advent get a 3cl dram to keep you in the Christmas spirit all the way up until the big day! From Scotch, American Whiskey, Irish Whiskey and Japanese there’s something for every taste!

24 Advent Drams – Whisky Advent Calendar

Count down the days to Christmas with a dram a day! This spectacular whisky Advent Calendar features 3cl drams from some of Scotland’s finest distilleries (encompassing all six whisky regions), some world whiskies, and a blend or two for good measure.

24x3cl
£99.00

Buy Now

The Boubon Advent Calendar

£149.95 Buy Now

The World Whisky Advent Calendar

£149.95 Buy Now

The Irish Whiskey Advent Calendar

£149.95 Buy Now

The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar

£149.95 Buy Now

The Old and Rare Whisky Advent Calendar

£999.95 Buy Now

Saturday, September 21st 1-4 PM

BenRiach, Glendronach, Glenglassaugh 

Presented by whisky expert Rory Glasgow, this in-store tasting features new and rare drams by BenRiach, Glendronach, and Glenglassaugh distillery. Scotch connoisseurs and newcomers to the the world of traditional scotch are sure to enjoy this tasting.

Click Here to RSVP

Whyte & Mackay Ltd whiskies shine bright at IWSC 2019

Whyte & Mackay Ltd is toasting the success of its whisky portfolio this week after landing fifteen Gold and Gold Outstanding awards at this year’s prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).

Highland Single Malt Whisky, The Dalmore was the whisky maker’s most notable success, scooping four Gold Outstanding awards and three Gold awards. Across the portfolio, the award-winning whisky maker was presented with a total of forty six awards.

John Barr Reserve, a strategic brand for Whyte & Mackay won a Gold Outstanding. Whilst Single Malt Whisky Tamnavulin Vintage 2000 too won Gold Outstanding; the latter was released in Taiwan earlier this year and will be available in UK specialists before the end of the year.

After blind tasting and professional analysis, the independent judges awarded Gold Outstanding to The Dalmore’s 15, 35, 40 and 45 year old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Steven Pearson of Whyte & Mackay, said: “We’re delighted to have received such noteworthy industry recognition right across the whisky brands in our portfolio. These awards are testament to our whisky making abilities and the quality of our bottlings across the portfolio, from blend to single malt. As our jewel in the crown, it’s particularly pleasing to see The Dalmore presented with four Gold Outstanding Awards and three Gold Awards.”

Jura’s latest releases, two 21 year old single malt whiskies named Time and Tide also received Gold awards, alongside the island distillery’s Vintage 1988 Single Malt.

Earlier this month The Dalmore was awarded four Gold or Gold Outstanding Awards at the International Spirits Competition (ISC), including the coveted Single Malt Non Age Statement award for The Dalmore Cigar Malt.

Currently marking their 175^th year, Whyte & Mackay is now one of Scotland’s leading whisky makers, with single malt brands including The Dalmore, Jura, Fettercairn, Tamnavulin and blends including Whyte & Mackay, The Woodsman.

Whyte & Mackay Award Wins at 2019 IWSC & ISC

The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve Scotch Single Malt – Highland – NAS – Cask Finish Gold
The Dalmore 15 Year Old Scotch Single Malt – Highland – 14-16YO Gold Outstanding
The Dalmore 18 Year Old Scotch Single Malt – Highland – 17-19YO Gold
The Dalmore King Alexander III Scotch – Single Malt – Highland – NAS Gold
The Dalmore  35 Year Old Scotch Single Malt – Highland – 35-40YO Gold Outstanding
The Dalmore 40 Year Old Scotch Single Malt – Highland – 35-40YO Gold Outstanding
The Dalmore 45 Year Old Scotch Single Malt – Highland – 35-40YO Gold Outstanding
Fettercairn 40 Year Old Scotch – Single Malt – Highland – 35-40YO Gold
John Barr Reserve Scotch Blended – No Age Statement Gold Outstanding
Jura 21 Year Old TideScotch – Single Malt Island – 21YO Gold
Jura 21 Year Old Time Scotch – Single Malt Island – 21YO Gold
Jura Vintage 1988 Scotch – Single Malt Island – 30YO Cask Finish & Cask Strength 53% Gold
Tamnavulin Vintage 2000 Single Speyside Malt Scotch Single Malt – Speyside 18 YO 50% Gold Outstanding
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Single Malt NAS Double Gold
The Dalmore 40 Year Old Distillers’ Single Malts 21 Years and over Double Gold
The Dalmore 45 Year Old Distillers’ Single Malts 21 Years and over Double Gold
Jura 21 Year Old Tide Distillers’ Single Malts 21 Years and over Double Gold
Tamnavulin Vintage 1970 Single Malt NAS Trophy
Tamnavulin Vintage 1979 Single Malt NAS Gold

Notes:

About Whyte & Mackay Group Ltd.
Whyte & Mackay was founded in Glasgow in 1844, and today celebrates its 175^th anniversary with a multi-award-winning portfolio of brands which includes The Dalmore, Jura, Tamnavulin and Fettercairn whiskies alongside its namesake Whyte & Mackay Blended Whisky.

The whisky maker are proud partners of Flor de Caña, Camus and RumChata distributing their distinctive brands in the UK, while in recent years their focus on pioneering innovation has seen them reveal a plethora of brand extensions and new to world brands. From an exclusive 50 Year Old Highland Single Malt from The Dalmore celebrating the career of Master Distiller Richard Paterson to a full range revamp on Jura. In the last twelve months, more than five new brands have been revealed, to name a few – Shackleton, Woodsman, and Wildcat, as well an independent boutique bottling arm Whisky Works, fronted by whisky maker, Gregg Glass.

The global spirits business is headquartered in the heart of Glasgow, and employs over 500 people around the globe, across five international offices, five distilleries and a state-of-the-art bottling plant in Scotland.

Today, with the support of its owners Emperador Inc,. Whyte & Mackay is building a progressive, passionate and ambitious company for the future. Emperador is a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group, Inc (an international conglomerate listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange).

A.SMITH BOWMAN DISTILLERY AWARDED GOLD MEDALS,

“BEST OF CATEGORY” HONOR AT 2019 LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS COMPETITION

One spirit awarded Silver Medal

FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA (Aug. 29, 2019) – At this year’s Los Angeles International Spirits Competition, five A. Smith Bowman entries earned Gold Medals, and one, John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon, earned a Silver Medal.

Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Virginia Straight Bourbon was named a “Best of Category Bourbon with a Unique Finish” and also was awarded a Gold Medal, earning 91 points.

Other A. Smith Bowman spirits winning Gold Medals were:

• Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon (90 points)

This competition, in its thirteenth 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.

Complete results for the 2019 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition can be found at https://fairplex.com/competitions/spirits-competition/awards-celebration.

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 John J. Bowman Single Barrel, which received a gold medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

Lux Row Distillers Launches New Bourbon to Commemorate First Anniversary of Distillery’s Opening

BARDSTOWN, KY (September 10, 2019) – Lux Row Distillers has launched a new bourbon, Lux Row Distillers Double Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, to commemorate the distillery’s grand opening last year. The new limited edition bourbon brings together two carefully selected 12-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon barrels bottled together for the ultimate barrel strength taste and finish.

“We wanted to do something unique to commemorate the opening of Lux Row Distillers so I tasted through many barrels to find the ones that would complement each other perfectly creating a well-balanced, flavorful bourbon,” says Head Distiller John Rempe. “Each two barrel combinations will be slightly different but will have strong caramel and vanilla notes, with a warm and spicy finish.”

These masterfully selected bourbons have a rye mash bill and are bottled at cask strength at 118.4 proof – a nod to the distillery’s grand opening in April of 2018. The packaging includes a custom Lux Row Distillers embossed bottle, real metal labels and is topped with a solid copper cork. In addition, each bottle’s label includes the barrel numbers and age statements of the barrels selected. The back label tells the story of the grand opening, a celebration of the distillery’s first year. This limited edition bourbon, with approximately 6,000 bottles released, is available only in Kentucky and retails for a SRP of $150.

ABOUT LUX ROW DISTILLERS

Real roots, real family, real products: Lux Row Distillers – a bourbon distillery experience on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail – is a family-owned venture, bringing the Lux family history and spirits tradition to the bourbon industry. Lux Row Distillers is the home of Luxco’s bourbon brands, including Rebel Yell, Blood Oath, David Nicholson and Ezra Brooks Kentucky Straight Bourbons.

Located in the heart of Bardstown, Kentucky, the 18,000-square foot Lux Row Distillers includes a visitor center, barrel warehouses, a tasting room, and event space, making for an all-encompassing bourbon experience. The 80-acre property is home to an 18^th century stone house – which is registered as a National Historic Place – and a long, tree-lined driveway providing a scenic entrance to the distillery.

For more information about the distillery, visit www.luxrowdistillers.com. You can also like Lux Row Distillers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/luxrowdistillers or follow the distillery on Instagram @luxrowdistillers.