Millburn and Linlithgow – One distillery is northern and not particularly well known at all. It’s now a restaurant and hotel, no signs of it’s whisky heritage apart from the building that once made and stored the stuff. The other is a treasured lowland distillery with two different names: Linlithgow and St. Magdelene. The site was an leper colony, a convent, a hospital and a distillery before its closure in 1983. Two long lost to history but beyond contrasting and extremely different whiskies.

https://youtu.be/yoyesXk6P-4

OURWHISKY LAUNCHES VIRTUAL WHISKY FESTIVAL TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CHARITY

OurWhisky is set to launch its first virtual whisky festival, connecting lovers of a good dram with their favourite distillers and blenders around the world while raising money for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Running online over four consecutive Thursday evenings from 30th April-21st May, the festival will welcome some of the world’s greatest whisky makers as they guide visitors through a curated selection of drams.

Each week ticket holders will be sent a pack containing five unmarked whisky samples and invited to join a live-streamed tasting hosted on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. To retain the element of surprise, the style, region and age of the whiskies be kept a secret until the tasting itself.

Becky Paskin, co-founder of OurWhisky and Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year 2020, said: “We wanted to recreate the curiosity and excitement you get with real life whisky festival masterclasses. While our guests won’t know the identity of their whiskies, or the personalities who will be introducing them until the tasting, we promise they’ll be in for an unforgettable experience.

“We’ve approached some of the biggest names in whisky, who will be joining us direct from their own living rooms to share some of the liquid they’ve created.

“This is a rare chance for whisky lovers to discover new bottles they may otherwise have overlooked, while connecting with the whisky makers themselves.”

Guests will be given the chance to ask questions in a live Q&A compered by Becky Paskin.

Tickets will be available to purchase for £30 each from ourwhisky.com, with just 50 tasting packs available for each session.

All proceeds from the festival, which is also being sponsored by the featured brands, will be donated to The Drinks Trust, formerly known at The Benevolent.

Paskin added: “The hospitality industry is on its knees. We wanted to find a way to support the bartenders and other professionals who are personally struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is also a way for whisky lovers to support the industry – by continuing to try new expressions, communicate with each other and buy bottles, they will be helping distillers and blenders navigate this period of uncertainty.”

Ross Carter, CEO The Drinks Trust, said: “We have been so impressed by the diversity of the fundraising initiatives set up during this difficult time by all our supporters and this one emphasises exactly what The Drinks Trust is all about; championing education and community whilst raising money for the charity. We are very grateful to OurWhisky for setting it up and hope it is a great success.”

The festival also marks the start of a new phase for OurWhisky. Launched in 2018 as a social media movement to challenge the outdated perception that whisky is a ‘man’s drink’, OurWhisky is evolving into an educational platform.

While continuing to represent the face of the modern whisky drinker, OurWhisky’s new website and social channels will also be dedicated to helping curious consumers navigate the world of whisky in an accessible, easy-to-follow and fun way, providing all the tools and knowledge they need to find whiskies they’ll love.

The new website is set to launch later this year.

The OurWhisky Virtual Whisky Festival will run at 6pm GMT on 30th April, 7th, 14th and 21st May. Due to current logistical challenges, tasting packs can only be sent to UK addresses.

The festival will be live streamed on OurWhisky’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels, as well as at ourwhisky.com.

Notes:

About OurWhisky

OurWhisky was launched in March 2018 as a global campaign to highlight the diversity of the whisky industry, its inclusiveness and the variety of its drinkers through a photographical social media series. Co-founded by leading whisky writer Becky Paskin and global whisky ambassador Georgie Bell, OurWhisky aims to inspire people all over the globe to explore whisky further. In 2020, OurWhisky will evolve to become an educational platform designed to help all curious drinkers navigate the world of whisky in an accessible, easy-to-follow and fun way, providing all the tools and knowledge they need to find whiskies they’ll love.

About Becky Paskin

Becky Paskin is a well-known whisky writer and former editor of online magazine Scotchwhisky.com. She was named 2020 Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year, and was the first journalist to gain a General Certificate in Distillation with the Institute of Brewing and Distilling – a qualification usually reserved for distillery operators. Becky has been writing about drinks for over 10 years, is a member of exclusive society Keepers of the Quaich, and is an expert in all manner of spirits. She regularly presents educational whisky seminars at global drinks shows including Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and The Whisky Show in London.

About The Drinks Trust

Since 1886, The Drinks Trust (formerly The Benevolent) has provided care and support to the people who form the UK drinks industry workforce, both past and present. The Drinks Trust is managed by drinks industry professionals, funded by drinks industry partners and supported by thousands of drinks industry fundraisers, volunteers and contributors. The Trust provides individuals with services across vocational, well-being, financial and practical support. These services are intended to assist with and improve the circumstances of those who receive them, to help its community thrive, to upskill, to broaden their knowledge, to network and learn from one another.

Since the beginning of March, demand for the Trust’s services has increased significantly and many individuals are now in desperate need. In response, the Trust has launched the Covid-19 Emergency Fund. Find out more at drinkstrust.org.uk/coronavirus.

‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful*’

William Morris (1834 – 1896)
*especially your drinks cabinet

We’re delighted to announce the launch of our limited edition Hearts & Crafts Sauternes Cask Single Malt Whisky, which is now available to purchase on our website. As one of our Cotswolds Distillery Club members, we are offering you the chance to buy a bottle before it is made available to the general public.

Our Sauternes Cask Single Malt Whisky is the first whisky in our new Hearts & Crafts series. This yearly limited edition series celebrates the Arts & Crafts movement which flourished here in the Cotswolds and stood for the importance of traditional craftsmanship – the same values upon which our beautiful rural distillery was built.

For this release, we selected a small parcel of premium French Oak casks seasoned with sweet Sauternes wine, resulting in a honey-coloured malt with a vinous quality and notes of peach, sweet raisin and oak wood spice. 

700ml | 55.2% ABV | £74.95 

Free UK delivery on orders over £25 using discount code FREEDELIVERY.

SHOP NOW

THREE GREAT BOURBONS THREE GREAT PRICES

All reviewed by our own fantastic Katie Groves

Eagle Rare: is one of those bourbons that stays with you for life – it has a huge personality and charm that stays with you from the first sip. Aged for a minimum of 10 years and selected with top attention to cask quality, this is an unbelievably smooth sip with rich notes of toffee, leather, tobacco, orange peels and the complex herbal style home to the Buffalo Trace distillery.

Order for £35

American Eagle: is a stand-out Tennessee Bourbon distilled from a mash bill of corn, rye and malted barley and aged for 12 long years. It has a beautiful balance of fresh, zesty fruits on the nose and a creamy, smooth palate packed full of vanilla and dried fruits. An easy, highly satisfying bourbon ideal for long summer evenings.

Order for £50

Stagg Junior

A mention of Stagg Junior to any bourbon aficionado brings a sparkle to their eye and a wry smile, as this is an unforgettable beast of a whisky. Bottled at a borderline scary 63.2% and aged for 10 years in charred American oak casks, this bourbon has serious attitude – think spicy cloves, brown sugar, dark chocolate and roasted smoky chestnuts. An amazing whiskey named after the famous distiller George T. Stagg.

Order for £75

Founded in 1823 during the age of great achievement, Mortlach was the first legal distillery in Dufftown, located in the heart of Speyside. Mortlach has a unique distillation process, distilling the spirit 2.81 times. The resulting whisky, nicknamed “The Beast of Dufftown”, is renowned for its rich, robust, muscular character. In a region known for smooth and gentle whiskies, Mortlach really stands out from the crowd. This heavily sherried, decadently full bodied single malt is one of the hidden gems of Speyside.

BROWSE OUR FULL MORTLACH RANGE HERE

In this weeks show I’ll be taking a look at Glenfarclas. Is it just a one dimensional sherry monster? Have a look and find out my conclusion.

https://youtu.be/L0cElDySYM0

JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY EXPANDS ITS BARTENDER ADVOCACY PROGRAMME, JAMESON HOSTS,

TO SUPPORT GLOBAL BAR COMMUNITY THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES 

The world’s favourite Irish whiskey has launched an online platform to support, inspire and engage the international bar community through an unprecedented period of uncertainty caused by the Coronavirus outbreak.

The culmination of more than three decades of pioneering bartender advocacy, Jameson Hosts, Jameson’s trade engagement platform, has launched an online space where the bar community can come together to connect, learn and share in the wake of the pandemic. As bars, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs across the globe have been forced to close their doors, Jameson Hosts provides a space for members of the bar trade to receive wellbeing support, enhance their technical knowledge and collaborate from the comfort of their home through video content.

The newly launched Jameson platform follows a $500,000 financial donation from the Irish whiskey brand to the United States Bartenders’ Guild which supports on-trade members affected by Coronavirus. Through Jameson Hosts, Jameson will also widen its practical support of the industry by offering financial compensation to those creating videos for the platform.

The online videos will cover a range of topics designed to educate and inspire the bar community including cocktail masterclasses, wellbeing sessions, career coaching and whiskey tutorials. It will also feature advice from bar teams around the globe which are pulling together to adapt to the current challenges and better equip themselves for the future when businesses reopen.

Beyond the virtual platform, Jameson Hosts will shortly announce a live event in late 2020 or early 2021 where the extensive global bar community, including bartenders, bar owners, brewers, waiters and more, will be invited to take part in a three-day festival at Midleton Distillery, the home of Jameson. Much like its online counterpart, the festival will invite attendees to host their own workshops to share their knowledge and expertise with fellow participants and inspire new ideas among the community. The festival will also offer visiting ‘hosts’ a chance to immerse themselves in the production of Jameson Irish Whiskey with exclusive access to the Old Midleton Distillery and Blending Lab at Midleton.

Brendan Buckley, International Marketing Director at Irish Distillers, says: “The global bar community has dedicated its life and career to the service of others.  Now, more than ever, this community needs a new place to come together and share inspiring stories, real-world guidance and encouraging words to help each other overcome the challenges they face today and those that lie ahead.

“We hope this will offer both practical and emotional support through this challenging time and we very much look forward to celebrating with all our hosts at Midleton soon.”

Join the Jameson Hosts community by heading to:

Instagram: @jamesonhosts

Notes: 

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. 

Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival to raise spirits 

Summerton Club has announced a first of a kind whisky festival which will deliver both digital entertainment and physical enjoyment from the comfort of attendee’s homes.

Taking place 12:30 to 22:00 on the 30^th May, the Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival is the first event to combine a whole-day live stream with a home-delivered pack (containing drams, mixers and snacks) to create an event which whisky enthusiasts can not only look forward to, but also actively take part in whilst in the comfort of their homes.

Distilleries set to appear and include their whiskies in the festival pack include: Bimber, Glenfarclas, Glen Scotia, The Lakes Distillery, Mackmyra and Wolfburn (additional brands TBC).

In addition to brand presentations, cocktail masterclasses with leading bar professionals, Q&A sessions and insightful talks (both live and pre-recorded) from prominent industry insiders are also scheduled to take place during the event. The festival will be supported by live entertainment and a wide variety of well-known industry figures, whisky writers and presenters.

Speaking of the Virtual Festival, Summerton Club Founder & Director Dan Humphrey said “It’s been a very difficult few weeks for the entire whisky industry and wider community. With a raft of popular festivals and tasting events all being cancelled, distilleries and producers have lost an invaluable channel to reach whisky enthusiasts. At the same time, whisky lovers have similarly had to forgo much loved social gatherings and opportunities to engage with distilleries and bottlers under a single roof. The Summer Virtual Whisky Festival aims to create not only an event that we can all look forward to, but one in which the attendees can actively participate in, engaging directly with whisky makers whilst still enjoying a dram. The response to the event has been fantastic and it’s wonderful to see the industry and community all coming together to raise our spirits.”

Notes 

About Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival 

www.summertonwhiskyfestival.com

30^th May 2020

12:30 – 22:00

Virtual tasting room provided by private live stream via YouTube

Private members group to continue conversation after the event 

Tickets cost £38 and include:

• Expertly curated whisky samples
• Mixers
• Snacks
• Complementary promotional items

Participating distilleries include (as of 14^th April 2020)

• Bimber
• Glenfarclas
• Glen Scotia
• The Lakes Distillery
• Mackmyra
• Wolfburn

Guest speakers include (as of 14^th April 2020)

• Colin Hampden-White, The Three Drinkers
• Amy Seton, Birmingham Whisky Club
• John McCheyne, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
• Matt McKay, The Dramble
• Vin Perry-French, No Nonsense Whisky
• Anthony & Nicky Manton, New Dram Drinker
• Andy Duckworth, Malt Box
• Ian Wisniewski, Whisky Author

As we near the end of another week of distancing from each other physically, it doesn’t mean that we can’t share our love of whisky together virtually. We’ve got new bottlings to explore, an exciting Virtual Tasting to be part of and lots of stories to enjoy in our virtual Members’ Room. So, what are you waiting for – there’s no better time to get involved.

OUTURN HUB ALL             OUTTURN BOTTLNGS

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

Bowmore is the oldest distillery on Islay, and one of the oldest in all of Scotland. Founded in 1779, the Bowmore distillery produces the second best selling Islay single malt, and is home to the oldest whisky maturation warehouse in the world, the famous No. 1 Vaults. The cool, damp microclimate of this historic site is said to impart a unique character to Bowmore’s oldest and finest whiskies.

Unlike most distilleries, Bowmore has retained its traditional floor maltings, and continues to malt much of its own barley. The whiskies are rich, sweet, and moderately peated, with flavours and aromas of sea salt, citrus, tropical fruits, and bonfire smoke. Sherry cask matured Bowmore displays darker fruits, chocolate, coffee, and spice.

BROWSE OUR FULL BOWMORE RANGE HERE