#ardbeg #untamed smoky #islay #bggg2020 #brewgooder 

IT’S ALL HANDS TO THE PUMP, AS ARDBEG LAUNCHES A LIMITED EDITION BEER IN SUPPORT OF BREWGOODER’S GLOBAL GATHERING 

All profits from the Scottish whisky maker’s first ever beer to be donated to charity supporting clean water projects in Malawi 

ISLAY, UK – 10 March 2020 – Today, Ardbeg, the world-renowned Islay Distillery, announced the release of its first ever beer – The Shortie Smoky Porter. Named after Ardbeg’s beloved canine mascot (Shortie the Jack Russell), this limited edition will be launched in partnership with Brewgooder as part of their Global Gathering campaign.

The brain-child of flatmates Alan McIntyre, Global Brand Manager at Ardbeg, and Alan Mahon, Founder of Brewgooder, the beer has been produced in aid of World Water Day (22 March 2020) with all profits from The Shortie Smoky Porter donated to support clean water projects in Malawi.

To produce this one-off beer – which will be available exclusively in the UK for a limited time only –  Ardbeg has joined forces with Williams Bros. Brewing Co. The Shortie Smoky Porter is made using the same peated malt as the award-winning Ardbeg Ten Years Old whisky, capturing the Distillery’s signature smoky character with notes of bitter dark chocolate, malty biscuit, dry espresso coffee and a hint of liquorice.

Ardbeg is the only spirits brand alongside around 250 craft brewers from around the world, all releasing their own unique, one off-brew in aid of the Global Gathering. A coordinated release of the beers will take place over the weekend of World Water Day – March 20^th – 22^nd 2020.

Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks commented: “We all dig Ardbeg, and no more so than Shortie. So for this life-saving, well-digging clean water brew, it was only fitting that our canine mascot should represent Islay. As with most porters, this beer is smooth and creamy. However our malt has helped make it distinctly smoky – the way we imagine an Ardbeg beer is meant to taste!”

Mickey Heads, Ardbeg Distillery Manager, said: “Not only is this a hugely important cause – that we’re delighted to be a part of – but The Shortie Smoky Porter is of course a first for the Distillery. Helping brew a beer may seem like unchartered territory for Ardbeg, but as any whiskyphile worth their malt will tell you, beer and whisky share the same DNA. Just like brewers, we ferment our malt. The only difference being, we hold on to the hops. We hope that Ardbeggians and craft beer lovers alike will enjoy this extra special limited edition.”

Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder, commented: “This collaboration is particularly special for me. To create an incredible beer that helps empower people’s lives is one thing, to do it with one of the world’s best whisky brands is another, but to bring it to life with my best friend: there are few things I have been prouder of in my life. I look forward to working with the team at Ardbeg to turn the profits from this beer into life-saving clean water wells for those who need them.”

The Shortie Smoky Porter will be available to purchase exclusively in the UK from the Ardbeg Distillery Visitor Centre, online at Ardbeg.com, in select stores and Ardbeg Embassies across the UK from Tuesday 24^th March – priced at £14 for a four-pack.

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NOTES:

Tasting Notes 

ABV: 6.2% 

Colour:

Dark peat bog brown

Nose:

On the nose, Ardbeg’s distinctive peat gives rise to more oily notes intermingled with sour cherries, rich coal tar and pine. Ardbeg’s malt then begins to reveal itself, with aromas of toasted nuts and sweet lemon and lime.

Taste:

On the palate, this smoky porter boasts a typically creamy texture, with bitter dark chocolate, malty biscuit, dry espresso coffee and a hint of liquorice.

Finish:

In a finish that lingers long beyond the can, delicious and distinctively smoky notes guide the palate towards the bitter end. 

Ardbeg

Ardbeg prides itself on being The Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky.  Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts.  Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.  During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future and it was not until the brand was purchased by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the Distillery was saved from extinction.  Since then, the Distillery has risen like a phoenix and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following.

Brewgooder Global Gathering Campaign

The Scottish craft beer brand, Brewgooder, has attracted more than 240 brewers from around the world to its biggest campaign to date. The Global Gathering is a collaborative brewing project on a mission to provide clean water for 100,000 people in developing countries. The campaign aims to partner with hundreds of breweries in the UK and around the world to brew unique, small-batch beers. A coordinated release of the beers will take place over the weekend of World Water Day – March 20-22^nd 2020. To find out more and join the movement, visit www.brewgooder.com/gathering 

Ardbeg Committee

The legacy of the whisky was safeguarded in 2000 by the formation of the Ardbeg Committee.  The Committee is made up of thousands of Ardbeg followers worldwide who are keen to ensure that “the doors of Ardbeg never close again”.  Today there are more than 100,000 members of the Ardbeg Committee in over 130 countries.  Committee members are regularly consulted on new bottlings and expressions and are offered exclusive Committee bottlings.  Members also receive invitations to special gatherings, tastings and events.  The Committee, chaired by Mickey Heads, is free to join at ardbeg.com.

Awards

Since 2008, Ardbeg has won more than 50 gold and double gold medals in key whisky competitions.  Ardbeg was voted ‘Scotch Whisky of the Year’ twice by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible (2008, 2009) and has twice been awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards (2010, 2013).  At the 2014 Global Icons of Whisky Awards, Mickey Heads was voted ‘Distillery Manager of the Year’.  The following year, Ardbeg’s expressions took the top three spots in Whisky Advocate magazine’s review of the best single malt Scotch whiskies under US$100.  Most recently, at the 2019 World Whisky Awards, Ardbeg Ten Years Old triumphed in the 12 Years and Under category, and Ardbeg Corryvreckan in the Non-Age Statement section. In the International Whisky Challenge 2019, Ardbeg was named Distillery of the Year and Ardbeg An Oa took home three awards, including best Islay malt.  Meanwhile, Ardbeg Uigeadail was handed a rare platinum medal by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2019 (SFWSC) – an award reserved for a handful of spirits, deemed near the pinnacle of achievement.

The Glenmorangie Company

The Company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers and marketers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.  Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Company produces Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt.

Responsible Drinking

Ardbeg and The Glenmorangie Company advocate responsible drinking and suggest that drinkers savour Ardbeg whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.

Heaven Hill Statement Regarding Visitors Center Closures Due to Coronavirus

BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Effective close of business today, March 13, 2020, the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, Kentucky and the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Downtown Louisville will temporarily suspend all tours and retail sales. Heaven Hill will continue to assess the public health situation and will reopen at a future date that is to be determined. Heaven Hill is taking this measure as a safeguard to protect its employees and guests and the action comes in the wake of recommendations by Federal and State health officials and by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association to take all necessary precautions to help reduce the potential spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). All previously scheduled tours will be refunded – visitors with questions please visit https://heavenhilldistillery.com/visit-us.php for contact information.

There are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus at any Heaven Hill facility. Coronavirus has not impacted production. Additionally, all production facilities are operating as usual with added health and safety protocols.

After a special meeting on Thursday, the KDA Board of Directors recommended that members take all necessary precautions to reduce the potential spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Some KDA members are implementing strict measures to safeguard visitors, including enhanced sanitation procedures and reduced tour and tasting group sizes, or scaling back tours of sensitive areas, while others are choosing to suspend tours temporarily.

Heaven Hill is committed to protecting the health and safety of its most valuable asset, the employees, and is taking this mitigating action to support broader initiatives across the Commonwealth and ensure general public safety. Through the guidance of the Center for Disease Control and state health department, Heaven Hill will continue to update health and safety protocols as necessary.

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 1.6 million barrels aging in 58 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky and Parker’s Heritage Collection. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the title of 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Distillery of the Year, Best in Show Whisky, and previously held the titles of 2018 San Francisco Spirits Word Spirits Competition Best Bourbon, 2017 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year, 2016 Whisky Advocate American Whiskey of the Year and 2016 Rye Whiskey of the Year from “Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

Our March auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids from Friday 13^th March until Sunday 22^nd March at

www.whiskyhammer.co.uk

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Fettercairn Cask – Distilled in 1989. 

Karuizawa – 35 Year Old (1981) Single Cask 

Port Ellen – 40 Year Old (1979)

Glenfarclas – 40 Year Old

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.co.uk.

Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the Octomore event we were running a giveaway for has been postponed until later in the year. We’ll communicate a definite date once we have one confirmed.

All entrants will be included in the draw for the postponed date and in the meantime we’re giving away a bottle of Octomore 10.3 Dialogos through a prize draw. The draw for this prize will include everyone who has entered the competition already with the winner being notified on Monday 16th March.

Kaiyo “K&L Exclusive” Cask #541 Cask Strength Japanese Whisky (750ml) $99.99 View

Kaiyo “K&L Exclusive” Cask #543 Cask Strength Japanese Whisky (750ml) $99.99 View

Free Gifts With Selected Bottles

Get even more bang for your buck with fantastic free gifts including earpods and glasses!

🚚 Free UK Delivery on all orders over £25 📦
🌎 We also ship worldwide! 🌍

Old Pulteney 15 Year Old

With Free I10 Earpods

£75.00

REDBREAST IRISH WHISKEY INTRODUCES ITS OLDEST EVER PERMANENT EXPRESSION, 27 YEARS IN THE MAKING

Irish Distillers, makers of some of the world’s most enjoyed whiskeys, has introduced Redbreast 27 Year Old, the oldest permanent expression in the beloved Redbreast series. An iconic addition to the collection, Redbreast 27 Year Old includes whiskey matured in ruby port barrels from Portugal’s Douro Valley to bring a new complexity and depth to the Redbreast collection.

Redbreast 27 Year Old will join Redbreast 12, 15, 21 Year Old and Lustau, taking its position at the head of the family with its distinguished age statement. Spending 27 years maturing under the watchful eyes of the Midleton Masters, it was Master Blender Billy Leighton and Blender Dave McCabe who set their sights on building further on the celebrated foundation of bourbon and sherry casks so synonymous with Redbreast with the addition of a ruby port cask.

For over 30 years the team at Midleton has travelled to the Douro Valley in Portugal where port has been produced for two thousand years, to discover the finest caves in the region in a quest to provide drinkers with a truly unique taste experience. Having sourced ruby port casks, the masters filled them with pot still distillate before leaving them to mature. The ruby port barrels impart fleshy fruit characteristics with notes of toasted oak which complements the rich and robust style of the distillate. 

Master Blender Billy Leighton comments: “It gives us great pleasure to reveal the latest member of the Redbreast Irish Whiskey family. In creating this whiskey, Dave and I drew on our experience of working with sherry and other wine casks over the years as we have evolved the range. This time, we wanted to push the boundaries and yet create an expression that would seamlessly take its place at the head of the family.  Nearly three decades in the making, we are incredibly proud to present Redbreast 27 Year Old – a cask strength Redbreast expression that is a joy to behold in each and every sip.”

Blender Dave McCabe adds: “Bottled at 54.6% cask strength, the ruby port barrels contribute notes of mango, pineapple and berry to the robust flavour of Redbreast 27 Year Old, clearly distinguishing it from the previous expressions in the collection, treading a beautiful balance of tradition and innovation.”

Produced in limited quantities on an ongoing basis, Redbreast 27 Year Old is available in 11 markets from March 2020 at RRP€495.

Redbreast 27 Year Old tasting notes by Master Blender Billy Leighton and Blender Dave McCabe:

Nose: A mix of exotic fruits and red berries, complemented by fresh herbs and wood spices. Vanilla sweetness and treacle toffee combine with the nuttiness of toasted oak.

Taste: Incredibly rich in texture with a luxurious combination of ripe stone fruits and summer berries, balanced by the prickle of a hint of chilli oil. Cherry menthol, vanilla and cinnamon sweet spices complement red pepper, nutmeg and toasted oak.

Finish: A satisfyingly long balance of ripe fruit and wood spices, worthy of a journey of nearly three decades.

NOTES Redbreast is the world’s bestselling and most awarded single pot still Irish whiskey.

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of spirits and wines, and producer of some 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 bestselling Irish whiskey, experiencing 30 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 8m cases in 2019. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 70 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 €400 million 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 No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €9,182 million in FY19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: 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’s brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group’s decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of “Créateurs de Convivialité.” As reaffirmed by the Group’s three-year strategic plan, “Transform and Accelerate,” deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard’s strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “We bring good times from a good place.” In recognition of Pernod Ricard’s strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nation’s Global Compact LEAD company.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

The cherry blossom trees are beginning to flower, the dawn chorus is warming up its vocal cords and the sun has even been) spotted in the sky – spring is officially on the way. And what better way to enjoy nature’s colourful display than with a vibrant Society dram? We’ve selected some suitably outdoorsy bottlings to match the occasion.

VIEW OUTTURN         VIEW ALL WHISKIES

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

Courage & Conviction – Arriving April 2020

Friends, family, and whisky lovers! After many years of patience and maturation, we’re very excited and extremely proud to announce the release of our flagship offering of our American Single Malt Whisky, Courage & Conviction.

Aged a minimum of three years at our distillery in Lovingston, Virginia, this 100% malted barley whisky is matured in former Bourbon, Sherry and Cuvée wine casks. The target profile for this Flagship product is a combination of these aged whiskies.

MEET COURAGE & CONVICTION

Courage & Conviction Release Party – Saturday, April 4th

The time has arrived! Join us in celebrating the inaugural launch of Courage & Conviction on Saturday, April 4th from 11am to 6pm at our distillery in Lovingston, Virginia.

JOIN THE CELEBRATION

SAVE UP TO 33% ON
GAME OF THRONES SINGLE MALT WHISKIES

We’re chopping prices like a Valyrian steel sword through White Walkers. Like a hot knife through a Lannister forearm. Like dragonfire through a 700ft-high ice wall. You get the picture.

While stocks last, we’re offering big discounts on all Game of Thrones single malt whiskies, so whether you’ve been dying to try them, need gifts for an upcoming occasion, want to run a great tasting for your whisky club, or just want to add some great bottles to your collection from some of Scotland’s best-known distilleries, now’s your chance!

When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you… well, in this instance, actually, you just win.

SHOP THE RANGE