The Kentucky Distillers’ Association Selects Lewis

For Brand Refresh of its Legendary

Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Program

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Association today announced its selection of Lewis to refresh its Kentucky Bourbon Trail® branding assets ahead of the world-famous tourism attraction’s 25-year anniversary next year.

Founded in 1951, Lewis is a full-service marketing agency that delivers business growth at pivotal times for organizations in categories from healthcare to beverage marketing to education, based on insights from their own proprietary business intelligence and data science, to deliver provable results with measurable return on investment.

Lewis is located in Nashville, Tenn. and has 100 total employees working across three offices including Birmingham, Ala. and Mobile, Ala. Creative work from Lewis has won hundreds of local, regional and national awards, and the agency has been internationally recognized with feature stories in Communication Arts, Graphis, and Novum. Graphis ranked Lewis as one of the top 15 advertising agencies worldwide for its creative product.

Mandy Ryan, the KDA’s Director of Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Experiences, said the historic non-profit trade group received dozens of proposals from around the world to refresh the hallmark tourism program that the KDA founded in 1999.

“It was impressive to see the breadth of talent and incredible enthusiasm this project evoked from so many great agencies,” she said. “ Within that accomplished field, Lewis’ proposal immediately caught our attention.”

Ryan said the selection committee also was swayed by the Lewis team’s personable and passionate approach. “Their work is modern and engaging, and their excitement about this project put them over the top.

“We believe the expertise Lewis brings will provide the perfect approach to shepherd us into the KBT®’s next era.”

The last branding project took place in 2009 when only eight distilleries participated in the KBT® program. That number is now 42 distilleries, including 24 on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour®, created in 2012 as the first tour in the country to showcase smaller distilleries.

“It’s been incredible to witness how much KBT® has grown and evolved in the last 13 years,” Ryan said. “As we near the KBT’s 25th anniversary, we needed a refreshed look, feel and voice reflecting today’s Kentucky Bourbon culture and its affluent, diverse demographic.”

Additionally, Lewis and the KDA are exploring new digital tools to help tourists plan and guide their way across the birthplace of Bourbon. “In 2009, smart phones had just reached the market and there wasn’t much demand for digital assets,” Ryan said.

“Now people rely on their phones to plan their trips and navigate the Commonwealth’s scenic byways. Our new image must uphold our rich distilling legacy but help move tourism resources into the modern age, reflecting and welcoming the contemporary Bourbon consumer.”

Katie Peninger, VP Account Service at Lewis, said, “We were already thrilled about the opportunity to work on something as legendary as the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, but the minute we met them in person, there was an instant connection that just felt comfortable. We knew they were our people.”

Peninger said the agency’s work would build upon their previous brand experience with successful beverage companies as well as Lewis’ considerable tourism, economic development and placemaking experience. “It’s the perfect combination of needs for an agency like ours.”

About Lewis

Lewis is a full-service marketing agency that delivers business growth at pivotal moments for companies. With more than 100 employees at offices in Nashville, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., and Mobile, Ala., Lewis develops internationally-acclaimed branding and creative advertising campaigns, based on our own business intelligence and data science, to deliver provable results with measurable ROI. Learn more at www.lewiscommunications.com.

About The Kentucky Bourbon Trail®

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® are among the region’s most popular tourism attractions, with total attendance exceeding 2 million visits each year.

Guests come from all 50 states and around the world, with more than 70 percent from outside Kentucky.

The KBT® has advanced Kentucky’s hospitality industry through Bourbon-themed restaurants, hotels, tour companies and more. And, the KDA has led the way in modernizing Kentucky’s archaic alcohol laws to help distilleries reach a Napa Valley level of amenities and attractions.

Bourbon is one of Kentucky’s most treasured industries, a booming $9 billion economic and tourism powerhouse sustaining more than 22,500 jobs with an annual payroll topping $1.23 billion each year.

A key export, the iconic industry is currently in the middle of a $5.2 billion building boom, from innovative new tourism experiences to expanded production facilities, bottling centers and aging warehouses, all to meet the growing global thirst for Kentucky Bourbon.

Bourbon production has soared more than 475% since the turn of the century.

Kentucky now boasts more than 11.4 million barrels of Bourbon aging in warehouses across the Bluegrass, the most in its revered distilling history. Distillers filled more than 2.6 million barrels last year alone, the fourth year in a row that production topped the 2 million mark.

Learn more at www.kybourbontrail.com and www.kybourbon.com.

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the legendary voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s landmark economic engine and its thriving, timeless craft. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com 

Great BBQ food & whisky @ Maltstock 2023

Boy are we feeling relaxed today! It’s less than three months until this years’ Maltstock! And we’re back at our regular venue. No restrictions. Just a weekend of massive relaxed fun!

Our line-up is almost complete now. And we’ll be bringing you up to date on our Facebook page and coming newsletters.

We have some very good news for those of you who have forgotten to buy their ticket, we still have a few tickets available! So you can still join the relaxed fun. The fastest way to get relaxed is to simply click on this link:  https://www.maltstock.com/shop

Relaxed Maltstock crew at the Whisky in Leiden festival last weekend.

BBQGuru returns!

A lot of you will definitely remember the BBQGuru. They have spoiled us a couple of years by hosting the Saturday BBQ. Remember the roast hog? The past years they have been very busy with hosting excellent BBQ events worldwide and (successfully) competing in competitions. But now it’s time for them to get relaxed again.

So it’s with great pleasure we can announce that Harry Havinga and his relaxed team will return to Maltstock! We won’t put them to work too much. They will provide the Saturday midnight snack. We are really looking forward to this.

So with The Hielander Scottish breakfast, a Friday midnight snack by Sugar Hill and our fantastic regular BBQ team, we perhaps should consider renaming the weekend to foodstock 😉 (and we’ll have more food news in our next newsletter….)

P.S. Of course we also cater for those among you who like their plants better than meat or other dietary requirements! Just make sure to let us know!

Ian Forteath makes his debut!

Perhaps his name won’t ring a bell with everyone. But those who have met Ian know what an amazing relaxed, funny and knowledgeable man he is. We are very happy he will be coming to Maltstock this year. Ian is the Master Blender at angus Dundee distillers, who have Glencadam and Tomintoul in their portfolio. We had the assistant manager of Glencadam 15 years ago at our very first edition. So it’s great to see Angus Dundee return to Maltstock!

Ian will be hosting a masterclass on the Friday and several “Drinks with…” sessions on the Saturday. Definitely something to look forward to!

The Maltstock team will be relaxing in Campbeltown next week. More news when we return!

Have a wonderfully relaxed day!

Bob, Klaas, Stan & Teun

Shop

Want get relaxed NOW and enjoy Maltstock in September?

Simply get your ticket here: https://www.maltstock.com/shop

We Choose To Go
To The Moon

TWB Apollo Whisky Collection

With the recent release of our two Apollo whiskies, Glencadam ‘Call That A Grand Prix, 11yo Apollo 16 and Deanston ‘ Magnificent Desolation’ 11yo Apollo 11, we are delighted to have now completed this ‘black label’ series.

Featuring images from each of the manned Apollo missions and an accompanying quote from members of the crew, the series began back in 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Featuring a range of interesting and exciting whiskies, with Apollo 11 featuring four times and a double release for Apollo 10, each of the manned missions from Apollo 7 to Apollo 17 have been celebrated.

Check out the full series below. Some have sold out completely, some we’ve released a small number more and some down to the last bottles.

For what has become a collectable and sought after series and in the words of President John F. Kennedy ahead of the Apollo missions, “We choose to go to the moon”. And we did.

Shop – TWB Apollo Whisky

NEW IN AT
THE WHISKY EXCHANGE

Our latest exciting whiskies include the new Ardrary blended Scotch whisky from the minds of Suntory’s blending team in Japan, a smoky and maritime Talisker single malt finished in ex-Cognac casks and presented in a bottle made from 100% recycled glass from biofuel, and a 15-year-old sherried single malt from Glenfarclas bottled at a higher strength of 95° proof – 54.2% abv – exclusively for The Whisky Exchange.

We’ve also welcomed new expressions from Glenglassaugh that showcase different aspects of the distillery’s character, drawing inspiration from the local landscape, including the nearby town of Portsoy and the picturesque Sandend Bay.

  SHOP NEW ARRIVALS 

Say hello to Whisky Baba, the latest release from our award-winning series of small-batch blended malts. This intensely fruity beauty will have you basking in the heat of the Jamaican sunshine with an explosion of rum-soaked pineapple along with gentle spices, like whisky baba in a glass.

To create it, we took some French oak barriques previously used to mature Jamaican rum in the Cognac region of France. We filled them with a selection of Speyside malts for 28 months of additional maturation, then blended selected casks together to create this unmissable dram – which has already won a Double Gold medal in the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

DISCOVER MORE

Price: £75.00 ABV: 58.6% Age: 12 years

On the nose, golden syrup and honey on to wheat biscuit breakfast cereal. Some indulged in chocolate-coated marzipan and slices of rich madeira cake, while others baked a golden syrup sponge that was heavy on orange peel and dried papaya. The taste was an explosion of rum-soaked pineapples while the French oak contributed spices such as anise and cinnamon. A satisfying toasty oak note evolved into vanilla pods, mace, nutmeg, orange oil and mango. With a splash of water, we could smell a bowl of sugar-coated puffed rice, varnish and resinous oak, ginger cake, orange zest and barley sugars.

Grab a bottle now and share enjoy it in good company, before it’s gone forever.

WHISKY BABA

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

New independent whisky bottler Halcyon Spirits unveils its inaugural release

— A 30 Year Old Macallan (matured in a first fill sherry cask) will be the first whisky released by the independent bottling brand —

A new family-owned independent whisky bottler, Halcyon Spirits, has launched today and debuted its first-ever release – a single cask Macallan 30 Year Old which was distilled in 1993.

The independent bottling brand, which is based in Aberdeenshire, was developed by brothers Daniel and Craig Milne, who also co-founded global auction platform Whisky Hammer and whisky e-retailer Still Spirit.

The Macallan 30 Year Old has been matured in a first fill sherry cask and bottled by Halcyon Spirits at 49.8% ABV cask strength. Priced at £2,950 per bottle, only 238 bottles are available for purchase online via the Halcyon Spirits website.

The whisky has been described by David Robertson, an independent whisky expert and former Macallan Master Distiller, as “a superb example of a well matured Spanish oak sherry vintage whisky, displaying many of the classic characteristics of a 25–35-year-old Macallan.”

To support global action on climate change, Halcyon Spirits will fund the planting of ten trees for every bottle sold, meaning this inaugural release alone will result in 2,380 trees being planted.

Daniel and Craig Milne launched Halcyon Spirits following the recent completion of a state-of-the-art cask warehouse housing over 2,000 casks – a decision that allows the brothers to securely store, mature, and bottle whisky from Scotland’s most sought-after distilleries.

The casks selected by the Halcyon team are bottled on site in Aberdeenshire. As single cask releases, only a few hundred bottles will be available from each cask, with this inaugural release marking the first of just a few must-have releases from Halcyon Spirits planned for this year.

Daniel Milne, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Halcyon Spirits, said: “Launching Halcyon Spirits has been a true passion project for my brother Craig and I. As whisky fanatics ourselves, our goal is to be able to find and share incredible whiskies with others.

“The name ‘Halcyon’ encapsulates our dedication to bottle exceptional whiskies which, when enjoyed, can allow our customers to relive memories of joy and nostalgia. The name also has deep significance to our family as it pays homage to our grandfather’s fishing boat, Halcyon BF187.

“We are in a fortunate position to have direct access to a fantastic selection of quality maturing whisky casks, which makes the journey of selection and bottling incredibly exciting.”

To find out more about Halcyon Spirits, visit www.halcyonspirits.com

Tasting Notes

By David Robertson, independent whisky expert and former Macallan Master Distiller

Colour – Mahogany with rich red highlights. Terrific beading and viscosity.

Nose – Rich dried fruits – prunes, dates, figs and raisins. Intense old-style orange zest marmalade. Treacle and vanilla toffee sweetness. A cornucopia of redolent spices – cloves, cracked black pepper, aniseed and liquorice. Roasted tropical fruits – pineapple and mango – and polished antique oak.

Taste – Deliciously powerful, intense, tannic Spanish oak. Spices of cloves, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Sweet treacle and vanilla toffee and fudge.

Finish – Lingering, long, beautifully drying and moreish. Mature oak spices with dried fruits and a late fresh orange marmalade finish. 

About Halcyon Spirits

Halcyon Spirits is a family-owned independent bottling brand based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was incorporated in 2020 by Daniel and Craig Milne, two brothers with an enduring passion for whisky, before launching its inaugural release in June 2023.

As founders of the Whisky Hammer auction platform and Still Spirit online whisky e-retailer, and having recently completed the build of a state of the art cask warehouse, releasing their own independent whisky bottler was the next step in a long-held ambition.

To find out more about Halcyon Spirits, visit www.halcyonspirits.com

Our June auction is now LIVE!

Now is your chance to discover your next dram.
Head online now and see what bottles you are missing out on!

Auction closes from 8pm (BST) Tuesday 27^th June

www.speysidewhiskyauctions.co.uk

Dallas Dhu
33 Years Old 1974

The Dallas Dhu distillery was one of the unfortunate distilleries to close in 1983 and has been a highly sought after commodity since. This single malt was first distilled in 1974 and was aged for 33 years before being bottled in 2007 by Historic Scotland, the current caretakers of the distillery. Being one of only 100 bottles, this whisky is unlikely to show up often, so get online and bid while you can!

Interested in Selling Whisky?

   We are already collecting for our next auction
🌍  Global Audience
✔    0% Sellers commission
💸   Fast Payment

📱   WhatsApp   +447908 704201
📞   Phone        +44 (0)1340 835445
📧   Email         info@speysidewhiskyauctions.co.uk

Two French Oak ex-Tawny
Single Cask Whiskies

On Monday we release two 14 year old single cask whiskies. We welcome back the rich and decadent French Oak ex-Tawny in a double release, each with a unique character. One brings savory, herbal, and briny flavors with juicy brightness, while the other combines confectionery sweetness and fruity notes with the intriguing depths of the oak. Two whiskies, both 14 years old, both matured in 300L French oak ex-Tawny barrels, yet uniquely different. That’s the beauty of single cask whisky.

French Oak ex-Tawny TD0287

Combining the complexity of earthy oak driven chocolate and warm spices, with confectionary sweetness. A satisfying finish of oaky maple syrup sensations. Matured for 14 years, in a first-fill 300L French oak ex-Tawny cask, yielding just 418 bottles of Sullivans Cove single cask whisky.

Read the full tasting notes here

French Oak ex-Tawny TD0323

A delightful blend of dark chocolate, herbal notes, and a touch of tobacco and coffee.

As for the play between spirit and oak?
“A tight-rope walker level of balance.”
– Sullivans Cove tasting panel

Matured for 14 years, in a first-fill 300L French oak ex-Tawny cask, yielding just 421 bottles of Sullivans Cove single cask whisky.

Read the full tasting notes here

These whiskies will be released via ballot. The ballots will open for 24 hours from 10am Hobart time on Monday 26th of June. Further details will be sent via email prior to the ballots opening. A note on our ballot system. Our policy is one entry per person, per household, per ballot. Our fraud detection algorithm detects multiple entries and removes them to ensure our whisky lands in the hands of our genuine supporters, so to ensure your entry counts, please enter each ballot once only.If you have any questions around our ballot process, you can email us at info@sullivanscove.com Successful entries will be notified shortly after the ballots close.

Dates announced for 2024 

If you like to plan ahead, you’ll be pleased to know we’ve published the 2024 dates for the in-person Diploma in Single Malt Whisky & Diploma in the Art of Tasting Whisky at Arniston House. Plus, we’ve added (another) extra date in November this year due to popular demand.

Diploma in Single Malt Whisky

16 & 17 November 2023

23 & 24 May 2024

23 & 24 September 2024

26 & 27 September 2024

Diploma in the Art of Tasting Whisky

25 September 2024

Space is limited to 16 per course. Pay upfront or spread the cost over 3, 6 or 9 months with a payment plan. Prefer to study at home? The online course is waiting for you. With anytime access to the seven modules, you can learn to your own schedule, approaching the interactive material on-demand, at your leisure.

Save 20% when you enter the code EWA2306 at checkout – but hurry, you only have until midnight on Friday 30 June.

Browse Dates

STORYMAN

ANNANDALE

70cl | 46% ABV 

Renowned Scottish actor and raconteur James Cosmo has teamed up with Annandale Distillery to create Storyman Blended Whisky. Inspired by the art of storytelling, Annandale have crafted a truly convivial blend, that includes their award winning Single Malts.

Each batch is personally selected by James Cosmo, who is famous for his roles in Game Of Thrones, Braveheart, Highlander and Trainspotting. The resulting whisky is deliciously mellow and made for sharing.

NOSE Creamy toffee and caramel lead into vanilla and black pepper. A tiny hint of peat smoke lingers lightly in the background.

PALATE Fruity notes, including pear drops, give way to luscious tones of apricot yoghurt, creamy vanilla, and a gentle hint of smoke.

£54.95

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