THE STORIES BEHIND THE DRAM: THE RARE BALVENIE STORIES RANGE ARRIVES IN CANADA

The newest collection of rare whiskies from The Balvenie represent tales of character and craft, made by hand at The Balvenie Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.

Toronto, ON- The much anticipated Balvenie Stories collection arrives in select Canadian markets just in time for holiday and gift-giving season.

“The Balvenie Stories collection is about paying tribute to the craftmanship and the people behind the creation of this handcrafted whisky,” comments Jamie Johnson, Canadian Brand Ambassador, The Balvenie. “It is a celebration of the craft, tradition and technique behind each barrel, each bottle, each dram.”

Featuring three new expressions in The Balvenie Stories range, arrival of the new releases will be staggered in Canada. Just in time for the…

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Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 285: Talisker 41 Year Old 1978 Bodega Series

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky vlogger, tries the oldest Talisker to date: the Talisker 41 Year Old Bodega Series. This is the second release in a triptych of sherry finished malts from stocks of 1978. Last year saw the release of the Talisker 40 Year Old Bodega Series, finished on Amontillado casks from the Delgado Zuleta bodega. This release is finished on Manzanilla casks from the same bodega and is thus the oldest (and most expensive) Talisker to date. Part three is probably for 2020. With a price tag of around 3.500 EUR (well, it comes in a very nice box) it certainly is not for everyone and that it is a pity. For it is simply divine.

https://youtu.be/zz_5KjYxP4g

One Thousand Men Are Walking

By Joshua Dyer

One thousand men are walking

Walking side by side

Singing songs from home

they walk toward the light milord

they walk towards the sun

they smoke and laugh and smile together

no foes to outrun

these men live on forever

in the hearts of those they saved

a nation truly grateful

for the path of peace they paved

they march as friends and comrades

but they do not march for war

step closer to salvation

a tranquil steady corps

the meadows lit with golden beams

a beacon for the brave

the emerald grass untrampled

a reward for what they gave

they dream of those they left behind

and know they dream of them

forever in those poppy fields

there walks one thousand men

 A. SMITH BOWMAN BOURBON WIN GOLD MEDAL

 Bourbon Awarded Medal at New York World Wine & Spirits Competition 

FREDERICKSBURG, VA (Oct. 30, 2019) – Isaac Bowman Port Finished Virginia Straight Bourbon won a gold medal at the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC).

The NYWSC competition is committed to three principles, legacy, integrity and experience. Through these principles, the spirits are judged by the industry’s most trusted authorities.

 “Receiving a gold  edal at the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits competition is an honor,” Master Distiller Brian Prewitt said. “We are grateful for this recognition.”

Results from the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition can be found at https://www.nywscomp.com/results/

To find more information about A. Smith Bowman brands, please visit https://asmithbowman.com/

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. As Virginia’s oldest and most award-winning distillery, its various brands have earned numerous prestigious awards over the 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

1792 FULL PROOF WINS BEST SMALL BATCH BOURBON

Barton 1792 Distillery Bourbons Win Six Medals at 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition

BARDSTOWN, KY (Oct. 23, 2019) –  1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon won a Double Gold Best in Class medal at the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC) and was given the title Best Small Batch Bourbon – Up to 10 Years.

Five more Barton 1792 Distillery Bourbons received medals as well. The brands were awarded as follows:

• Very Old Barton 90 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Double Gold
• 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Silver
• Kentucky Tavern Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Silver
• Zackariah Harris Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Silver
• Very Old Barton 80 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Bronze

The NYWSC competition is committed to three principles, legacy, integrity and experience. Through these principles, the spirits are judged by the industry’s most trusted authorities.

 “It is always exciting to see our whiskies win awards, especially when one wins Best Small Batch Bourbon,” Master Distiller Danny Kahn said. “A lot of effort is put into creating these whiskies, and these awards are testament to that hard work.”

Results from the 2019 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition can be found at https://www.nywscomp.com/results/

To find more information about Barton 1792 brands, please visit https://www.1792distillery.com/

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 27 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery. This whiskey is named for the year Kentucky became a state and is the recent gold medal winner at the 2018 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. To learn more visit www.1792bourbon.com.

“Lest we Forget”

“We will remember them”

In 2014 we released a bottling to remember those that fell in WW1.  This bottling was hugely popular and due to repeated requests for another batch, five years later we have decided to create another release to mark 100 years since the treaty of Versailles which marked the official end of WW1. The whisky itself has gentle undertones of smoke and an earthiness to it – our way of giving a nod to the battlefields.

TASTING NOTES

BUY NOW

CREATE THE PERFECT DRINKS TROLLEY THIS FESTIVE SEASON WITH

WOODFORD RESERVE’S LIMITED EDITION WHISKEY GIFT RANGE 

Thursday 31 October 2019, London UK – Whether for you or a loved one, celebrate with WOODFORD RESERVE®’s unique holiday gift selection, from the Woodford Reserve Bourbon Gift Pack – for those partial to an Old Fashioned cocktail – to the Woodford Reserve Malt, the Scotch drinker’s whiskey of choice. Perfect for seasoned whiskey aficionados and cocktail enthusiasts alike, Woodford Reserve’s award-winning family of American Whiskeys offers a gift that will befit every celebratory occasion this winter. 

A WARM WELCOME FOR WHISKEY LOVERS; FROM RRP £32.00

Revered for its rich and full-bodied flavours brought out by the masterful artisanal process behind every bottle, Woodford Reserve Bourbon is one of the world’s most celebrated bourbons, with over 200 detectable flavour notes. So what better way to gift your loved ones during this year’s festivities than with a bourbon that has truly made its mark and a limited edition bottle. From bold grain and wood notes, to sweet aromatics, spice and fruit, Woodford Reserve Bourbon can be served as a digestif after dinner, on the rocks, or as the basis for a cocktail, thanks to its unique mashbill of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt.

The special limited edition bottle depicts a holiday landscape from the Woodford Reserve Distillery. For over 20 years, guests have visited the national historic landmark to enjoy Woodford Reserve Bourbon, take in the scenery and learn about its history. Painted by renowned Kentucky-based artist, Suzanne Enriquez Dougherty, the snowy scene showcases the stylistic approach to her work bringing the warmth of the holiday spirit at the distillery to life.

Unusual also for being triple distilled for extra smoothness, this iconic spirit is a versatile foundation for your favourite festive tipple. 700ml bottle available from Tesco for RRP £32.00, reduced to £25.00 from 29 October until 18 November. 

AN OLD FASHIONED HOLIDAY; FROM RRP £32.00

Roll out the drinks trolley this December and pour out the world’s number 1 classic cocktail*, the Old Fashioned, with Woodford Reserve’s Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup, created in collaboration with a selection of the world’s best bartenders. Made using bitters, sugars and botanical extracts, the syrup makes light work of the classic American cocktail and has been developed to carefully complement the signature taste of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, including rich fruits, caramel, spices and vanilla – the true taste of the festive season.

Creating an authentic Old Fashioned to pair with the indulgent delights of holiday gatherings couldn’t be easier with one of two distinct gift packs. Choose from either one, featuring both the 60ml Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup and the award-winning 700ml Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon (available from selected Waitrose and Amazon stores for £32), or the other that comes complete with Old Fashioned glassware and a 200ml bottle of Woodford Reserve (available from selected Sainsbury’s stores at £18).

RECIPE:

1. Pour 50ml of Woodford Reserve Bourbon into your favourite rocks glass
2. Add 10ml of Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup
3. Stir with a large block of ice for 10 seconds and garnish with an orange zest

THE SCOTCH DRINKER’S WHISKEY; FROM RRP £35.00

For those who enjoy a Scotch as they nestle down post-supper but are seeking a new experience, reach for Woodford Reserve Malt. With an emphasis on the nuttiness of grain and toasted oak of the barrel, Woodford Reserve Malt Whiskey gives a more buttery flavour than its bourbon counterpart, an ideal pairing for the rich flavours of any festive dessert.

Whilst most people associate malt whiskey with Scotland, Kentucky has a history of malt whiskey production pre-prohibition, which Woodford Reserve has drawn on for inspiration. Crafted from 51% malt and aged in new charred oak barrels the result is a whiskey that is flavourful with notes of dark chocolate, dried fruits, caramel coated nuts and a trace of toasted coconut.

700ml bottle available from Asda for RRP £35.00.

Myth Busters

Canada’s whisky regulations are stricter than they look

High Wire’s New Southern Revival Sorghum Whiskey & Still 630’s S.S. Sorghum Whiskey would not be considered whisky if they were made in Canada.

A story in this morning’s edition of The Spirits Business draws the misleading and inaccurate conclusion that Canada’s regulations for making whisky are looser than those in the U.S.

Comparing regulations for Canadian whisky to U.S. regulations for bourbon may suit marketing purposes, but is disingenuous. Bourbon is just one of dozens of whisky styles approved by the American TTB.

Because Canada’s whisky regulations are succinct, some people believe they are looser than those of other countries. However, taken together, U.S. regulations offer significantly more options for whisky makers than Canadian regulations do.

Let’s compare Canada’s whisky rules to those of our much-loved cousin to the south:

1. Can Canadian distillers make whisky from pure sorghum juice? Absolutely not, yet American whisky made from the juice squeezed from the sugar cane-like sorghum plant qualifies as whisky under American TTB regulations.

2. Can Canadian spirit be sold as whisky without ever maturing in wood? No it cannot. But American whisky rules allow grain spirit that has barely touched wood to be labeled and sold as whisky.

3. Must American whisky be matured in new barrels only? No, new and used of barrels are both permitted under TTB regulations.

4. Must all American whisky follow specified “mash bills?” Certainly not. There is no restriction on what grains American distillers can use or their proportions. Yes, there are rules that apply to bourbon only, but bourbon is just one part of the American whisky spectrum.

5. Can Canadian distillers include up to 95% neutral spirits in their blends and still call them whisky? No! But according to American TTB regulations it is perfectly fine to do so in the US.

6. Can American distillers add artificial flavouring to their whiskies and still call them whisky? Yes they can, as long as it is “harmless.”

7. Must Canadian whisky taste like whisky? Yes, it must, but there is no such requirement in the US.

Canada’s whisky regulations are short, but don’t be misled. They are much more restrictive than whisky regulations in the US. A close read of the full TTB American whisky regulations shows that they provide almost no restrictions on what distillers can do when making American whisky.

America makes some of the best tasting and best selling whiskies in the world, so let’s not quibble over which country’s rules are the strictest. Rules don’t make whisky, people do, and thank goodness they don’t all do it the same way.

The award winning book, Canadian Whisky The New Portable Expert won the Gourmand Award for Canadian wine and spirts and the Association of Culinary Professionals award for best book about wine, beer and spirits, and was shortlisted for the Taste Canada Awards. It was recently an Amazon No. 1 best seller.
Order your copy here.

Springbank Society

We are delighted to be emailing you all to announce two new releases – one from Springbank and one from Kilkerran. Both whiskies will be available from today (9th November 2019).

Since this is the Springbank Society, we will start by talking about the Springbank offering, our brand new 10yo Local Barley bottling.

10yo Local Barley

This Springbank Local Barley was bottled at 56.2% abv and is the 5th in our series of annual releases distilled from barley grown locally in the areas surrounding Campbeltown. This year it is Optic barley that has been used and it was grown especially for us, 11 years ago at High Cattadale farm. The whisky was matured in 77% Bourbon casks, 20% Sherry casks and 3% Port casks and there are approximately 9000 bottles available worldwide.

Tasting notes

Nose: Sweet and slightly spicy with hints of honey, Demerara sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Light peat smoke and a dusty characteristic reminiscent of freshly milled barley

Palate: Tropical and soft fruit sweetness. Ripe pineapple, mango and juicy peaches are complimented by a building peat smoke. Green tea and a coppery tone follow.

Finish: Creamy, buttery mouthfeel with light integrated peat smoke and a coastal salty influence.

This bottling will be available in the UK from Saturday 9th November 2019 – please note that the release date in other markets and countries is likely to vary. For details of when the new Springbank 10yo Local Barley is available near you please consult your preferred Springbank retailer or visit the “Where to Buy” section of our website to find a Springbank stockist.

You will also find this bottling at the whisky shows our Sales Team are at this weekend: Spirits in the Sky (Belgium) Glasgow Whisky Festival (Scotland) and at Villingen Whiskymesse (Germany).

• The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling this bottling for £86.00
• There will be no Society discount applicable to this bottling as it is not a core range product
• This is not a Society exclusive release

Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength

The new edition of the Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength is available from tomorrow (9th November 2019). Bottled at 57.1% this new KK 8yo CS was matured in 100% Re-charred Oloroso Sherry Casks.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Waves of smoky bacon and sticky glazed ham are followed by dried fruit characteristics that give way to soft peat smoke.

Palate: Rich, fruity and spicy. Notes of ginger loaf, fresh ripe cherries and sultanas. Hints of cloves, dark chocolate and a refreshing menthol note.

Finish: A lasting finish of nostalgic buttered brown toast, espresso and ashy peat smoke. A lasting, earthy character reminiscent of the distillery’s dunnage warehousing.

This bottling will be available in the UK from Saturday 9th November 2019 – please note that the release date in other markets and countries is likely to vary. For details of when the new Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength 57.1% is available near you please consult your preferred Kilkerran retailer or visit the “Trade” section of our website to find a Kilkerran stockist.

You will also find this bottling at the whisky shows our Sales Team are at this weekend: Spirits in the Sky (Belgium) Glasgow Whisky Festival (Scotland), Whisky Live Taipei (Taiwan) and at Villingen Whiskymesse (Germany).

• The Campbeltown Cadenhead shop will be selling this bottling for £48.00
• There will be no Society discount applicable to this bottling as it is not a Springbank product.
• This is not a Society exclusive release

Slainte

The Springbank + Kilkerran Team

To join the Society please contact them at Springbank Society society@springbank.scot