Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 443: Starward Left-Field

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, goes Down Under. In September 2021 he was – for the second time – a guest at the whisky festival in sun-drenched Toulouse. One of the booths represented Starward  (with a ‘d’ at the back, not to be confused with his favorite film series, please), the relatively young distillery from Australia – founded in 2007 and run by the sympathetic and we would almost dare say visionary David Vitale. This malt matured in French oak, barrels that had previously raised red wine. A strange idea. Unexpected. Something they describe in Australia as ‘left-field’, hence the name for this very affordable whisky.

https://youtu.be/Z37OlVkcPEY

New recruits join International Beverage as business builds team for growth

May 12, 2022—Acclaimed spirits producer International Beverage has today announced two key appointments to its Scottish team, as the business gears up to deliver ambitious global growth plans across its award-winning portfolio.

Following the retirement of long-standing Speyburn Distillery Manager Bobby Anderson in April, former William Grant Distilleries Process Leader Euan Henderson has been confirmed as his successor. Having started his career at Edradour Distillery and Allied Distillers, Euan went on to work for Chivas Brothers at Aberlour, Tormore, Glenallachie, The Glenlivet and others in a variety of operational roles, before moving to William Grant to work at their Balvenie, Kininvie and Glenfiddich Distilleries.

“It’s an enormous honour to be taking the reins at Speyburn, after the long and distinguished service of Bobby Anderson,” commented Euan.” As well as being one of Scotland’s most picturesque distilleries, it produces a whisky of incredible character and quality, which has been justly rewarded around the world over the years. These are big shoes to fill, but I’ll be honouring Bobby’s legacy of craftsmanship and sustainability, working with the wonderful distillery team to hatch some exciting plans as we celebrate our 125^th anniversary in 2022.”

The business was also bolstered earlier this year with the arrival of Sean Priestley as Group Distilleries Manager. His remit is to oversee operations at the company’s five distilleries, which produce Old Pulteney, Speyburn, Balblair and anCnoc single malt whiskies, Hankey Bannister blended whisky and Caorunn Gin.

With a background in pharmaceuticals and 10 years’ experience at Diageo under his belt working in distilling and the malts team at Clynelish, Lagavulin and Caol Ila Distilleries, Sean is focusing on growth, people and sustainability in his new role.

“In my first few months with International Beverage I’ve been so impressed with the quality of their spirits, and also how ahead they are in terms of sustainability – a field in which they’re well on their way to being leaders in the sector. It’s very exciting to be part of business that doesn’t just talk, and isn’t afraid to innovate and take proper action to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact, particularly at a time when consumers are looking for products made with the minimum impact on the environment,” said Sean. “International Beverage also understands the value of people, and in doing things with passion and authenticity to make great products and brands. It’s a real privilege to be working with their team of talented and committed distillery managers to achieve some exciting plans together.”

International Beverage is also boosting its flourishing graduate and apprentice program with an additional four roles currently being filled across its distilleries and at its Airdrie headquarters.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE HOLDINGS

International Beverage Holdings Ltd is one of the drinks industry’s most dynamic global businesses.  Established in 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thaibev, the company operates as its international business arm, specialising in the development of premium local spirits for the global market. Its success is built on a strong understanding of local cultures and markets within a worldwide business network. Based in Hong Kong with regional offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, the USA and UK, the company is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium brands in over 85 markets. These brands are built on character, craftsmanship and quality, led by a range of award-winning Scotch whiskies and an array of vibrant beers and spirits. These include:

• Single malt Scotch whiskies Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc and Speyburn
• Blended Scotch Hankey Bannister
• Caorunn, Scotland’s leading super premium gin
• Mekhong, ‘The Spirit of Thailand’ since 1941
• Chang Beer, Thailand’s iconic beer brand

Inver House Distillers is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Beverage Holdings Ltd, producing its Scotch whiskies and gin at five distilleries around Scotland: Pulteney, Speyburn, Knockdhu, Balblair and Balmenach. Inver House is also highly active in the warehousing and blending of Scotch whisky, with warehousing for 500,000 barrels and state of the art blending and laboratory facilities at its headquarters in Airdrie. The business has won many prestigious accolades over the years, including the Icons of Whisky Distiller of the Year Award for Scotland (2017).

www.interbevgroup.com

For the Scotch Lover:  Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky    

Bowmore is a pioneering house and the oldest licensed distillery on Islay; they have been refining their craft for over 240 years, and they still do to this day. ‘The Art of Time’® is central to the way they make their whisky. They invest more time than necessary at every stage of their process. They have their own proprietary malt barns, hand-turning the barley. They allow for perfectly timed fermentation periods. And they take their time to hand-select casks, nosing every single one before it is filled with their new make. This care and attention to detail is what creates the complex balance of not just Smoke, but also rich fruit and sea salt which is so characteristic of their timeless house style. This is the reason why Bowmore ages like no other, the reason why it is the world’s most collectible Islay malt today. 

The Bowmore portfolio of core products available in the U.S. includes: Bowmore 12 Years Old (40% ABV; SRP: $70), Bowmore 15 Years Old (43% ABV; SRP: $100) and Bowmore 18 Years Old (43% ABV; SRP: $160). 

For the Dad Who Loves a Good Collab:  Bowmore® Masters’ Selection 

Imagined and defined by two Masters, Bowmore Master Whisky Blender Ron Welsh and Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, Bowmore Masters’ Selection bridges two distinct worlds in a powerful, yet inspiring way. At its heart is a mutual trust and respect for one other’s worlds and a passion to discover and learn from each other. Each Master imparts their own creativity and character, but also makes an indelible mark, like leaving their own unique fingerprint, on every single creation. This whisky also marks the first time Bowmore has adopted the “Golden Ratio” principle to create a new whisky.

51.8% ABV; SRP: $400 

For the Collector:  2022 Limited Edition Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Selection 

With the launch of the 2022 Yamazaki® Limited Edition Tsukuriwake Selection, the House of Suntory unveils a fundamental piece of its unrivaled craftsmanship and introduces the foundational pillars of Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky – Puncheon, Peated Malt, Spanish Oak and Mizunara. The collection honors Tsukuriwake, which means “artisanship through a diversity of making” and is embraced by the Founding House of Japanese Whisky.

For the Zen Dad:  Hibiki Japanese Harmony 

Hibiki® Japanese Harmony™ encapsulates the harmony that exists between Japanese nature and people. Inspired by the riches and subtleties of Japan’s 24 seasons of the traditional Japanese lunar calendar and mastered by Suntory’s Art of Blending, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a meticulous blend of the finest select whiskies from the House of Suntory Whisky’s Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries. This delicate blend creates a oneness unfolding a full orchestra of flavors and aromas.

43% ABV; SRP: $80 

For the “High Ball-er”:  Suntory Whisky Toki 

Respectful of heritage, and inspired by reinvention, Suntory Whisky Toki™ expresses both what is authentic and what is next. Suntory Whisky Toki is a blend of carefully selected whiskies from the House of Suntory’s globally acclaimed Hakushu Distillery, Yamazaki Distillery and Chita Distillery. Traditionally crafted according to Suntory’s Art of Blending philosophy, the expression features the quintessential characteristics of a Suntory blend: exquisite balance, harmony and oneness.

43% ABV; SRP: $35

Our May Auction ENDS SOON!

Auction closes from 8pm (BST) Tuesday 31st May.

www.speysidewhiskyauctions.co.uk

Samaroli Magnifico
Macallan 1989

A monumental 1989 vintage from The Macallan. This single malt was exclusively matured in sherry wood for 33 years at the distillery. Bottled in Scotland in 2022 from a single cask by Samaroli for their Magnifico series.

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PEATY FESTIVAL FINALE

BOOM…our two Islay Rare Releases have landed, as a spectacular finale to our Flavour Hunters Festival. Islay is the only region where we’ve bottled two festival whiskies this year, and although they’re both in our Peated Flavour Profile, these whiskies show how different island drams can be.

Rare Release 53 brings a great mix of full-on Islay peaty character with dark, nutty and sweet oloroso sherry. Left to mature over the course of 17 years in less active hogsheads, Rare Release 3 is an elegant take on a Peated Islay whisky with beautiful herbal peat smoke along with exotic fruits.

Keep on scrolling to discover more or click over to our website to explore more peaty characters… or try something a little different from our Oily & Coastal profile.

PEATED

LIGTHLY PEATED

HEAVILY PEATED

OILY AND COASTAL

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

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Distillery Bottling Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

$1,199.99 View

SKU #105954995 points Whisky Advocate

 Glenfarclas has a proven track record for aging very well. I’ve enjoyed some amazing 25 and 30 year old expressions, in addition to some older vintage offerings. Does this new 40 year old follow suit? Absolutely! It’s complex and well-rounded, with great depth and no excessive oak. Lush, candied citrus (especially orange), old pot still rum, maple syrup, fig, roasted nuts, and polished leather, with hints of mocha, candied ginger, and tobacco. A bit oily in texture (which I find soothing) with good tannic grip on the finish. A classic, well-matured Glenfarclas — and a very good value for its age. *Editor’s Choice* (JH, Fall 2010) 

92 points Wine Enthusiast

 There aren’t many 40-year-old Scotches out there. This one makes its age known with a deep nut-brown color and a modest booziness on the nose, in addition to deep toffee, cocoa and hazelnut aromas. Oak is the dominant flavor, finishing with dry cocoa and leather accents. Water helps tease out additional orange peel, nutmeg and toasted coconut tones. Velvety feel. (KN)  (12/2011)

K&L Notes

Glenfarclas is one of the Highlands’ finest, but somehow they managed to get the extra old whisky out for less than $500, which makes this, in my opinion, one of the finest values in single malt…period! (David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits buyer).

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

HIGH WEST TASTING 
SOHO WHISKY BAR
27th June 2022 – 6:30pm

High West Distillery was founded in 2006 by David Perkins and his wife, Jane. David, a former biochemist, was inspired to open his own distillery after seeing the parallels between the fermentation and distilling process and his own work in biochemistry during a trip to a whiskey distillery in Kentucky.

In 2004, David and his family relocated to Park City, Utah to begin their new venture, where they began distilling in 2007. They chose Park City because of David’s love of the Old West and Utah’s little-known whiskey history.

The tasting will consist of great tasting Rye with a rich smooth bourbons to a little mixing between America and Scotland for the campfire style. A fun and inspirational whiskey tasting event.

High West Double Rye
High West Rendezvous Rye
High West Prairie
High West Campfire

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ralfy review 928 Extras – 3 Steps to better malts

GREATDRAMS SCOOPS THE TWO TOP MEDALS IN WORLD WHISKY AND NAMED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2022 

Capping an incredible awards season, independent bottlers, GreatDrams has picked up their second Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition as well as a 98/100 Gold Outstanding from the IWSC and two Gold Medals at the London Spirits Competition… on top of this, GreatDrams was named Business of the Year (under £1m turnover) in the Manchester Evening News Business Awards, the biggest regional business awards in the UK.

Achieving a Double Gold at San Fran is rare, and is only ‘awarded to the entries that receive a Gold medal rating by all members of the judging panel; these are among the finest products in the world’.

Husband and wife team, Greg and Kirsty Dillon founded GreatDrams five years ago with the aim to make great whisky more approachable & available. Their range specialises in single cask limited editions, rare casks which are finished or ancient whiskies to add to the unique character of the spirit and high quality blends. Receiving Double Gold and a Gold Outstanding in one awards season signals that the duo are cementing themselves as experts in finding incredible tasting rare casks of whisky.

At a black tie event held in Central Manchester at the beginning of April, Greg & Kirsty were brought on stage to receive their Business of the Year (under £1m turnover) award, given out for showing ‘incredible resilience’ through the covid pandemic as well as opening up new revenue streams and business opportunities around the world whilst everything was going on during the midst of the lockdowns, especially the virtual tasting business they built that helped grow revenue 80%.

Greg Dillon says: “We never expect to win awards, we enter them in the quest for validation for what we are doing and to use as a barometer for the quality and flavour of the releases we are bottling. To win the two highest medals you can in world whisky and to be named Business of the Year has been a whirlwind – we truly are humbled and blown away by three separate whisky awards panels giving us gold medals this year as well as the MEN Business Awards. This gives us the impetus to kick on and produce even more awesome whiskies for our awesome customers”.

Kirsty Dillon adds “It has been a dream awards season for GreatDrams. We work tirelessly to make rare whisky more available to people and the combination of taste and business awards cements our position in achieving this. As a family business based in the North West of England we are very proud of our achievements to date and will do our best to grow further, striving to produce high quality releases for our customers to enjoy and to build a business that can provide for our family for generations to come.”

GreatDrams releases available at https://greatdrams.com/whisky-shop/ and select retailers.

OUR CURRENT RANGE

Islay Multi-Award Winning Single Cask Single Malt
One of the best Islay whiskies in the world? I mean… It is not for me to say… those shiny gold awards are pretty compelling tho eh? Awarded Double Gold at the World Spirits Competition and rated 98/100 by the IWSC, who awarded it the Gold Outstanding Medal… their highest medal award. A peated whisky from the mystical island of Islay, matured in First Fill Bourbon Barrel and laden with beautifully balanced, classic Islay peated whisky notes as well as lovely soothing vanilla and citrus fruit notes along with cinnamon and warming spice notes too.

Available here: https://greatdrams.com/product/islay-single-cask-single-malt-scotch-whisky/

Girvan Single 14 Year Old Grain Scotch Whisky Single Cask Series
Described by the Great Taste Awards judging panel, who awarded this product a 2-star Great Taste award, which means judges dubbed it above and beyond delicious as having “remarkable smoothness for its ABV. Rather extraordinary and hugely sippable. A surprising whisky, well deserving of its two stars”.

Back by popular demand, an ex-bourbon single cask single grain limited edition from the Girvan Distillery in the Lowlands of Scotland. This one garnered so much attention from its ‘boozy butter’ description, and it the one whisky we have produced where people actually repeat that line back to us at events years later that we just had to hunt down another cask from the same batch; distilled on the same day, same distillery, filled into the same style of cask… but matured for three years longer than the original. The result? You guessed it… its like drinking boozy butter, with hints of fruit and is impossibly smooth on the palate.

Available here: https://greatdrams.com/product/girvan-single-14-year-old-grain-scotch-whisky-single-cask-series/

English Whisky Co. 7 Year Old PX Sherry Cask Single Malt
Our first ‘new world’ whisky, this cask has been matured for its entire maturation at the English Whisky Co. in Norfolk, England. Initially in an American oak ex-Bourbon barrel for four years, this whisky was then filled into a first fill Pedro Ximénez cask for its finish, or second maturation

Available here: https://greatdrams.com/product/english-whisky-co-7-year-old-px/

North British 29 Year Old Single Cask Single Grain Whisky

Yeah, virtually no one else has heard of this distillery either, but it is a belter, and has already won a 92/100 IWSC Silver Medal… we describe the North British 29 Year Old Single Cask Single Grain Whisky as like drinking silk.

Available here: https://greatdrams.com/product/north-british-29-year-old-single-cask-single-grain-whisky/