MEET HEAD BREWER
NICK BLAKE

We want to introduce a special guest joining our next Adventure in Deliciousness. Head brewer Nick Blake from Big Smoke Brew Co. is a fountain of knowledge on the subject and the creator of award-winning beers, as you’ll discover when you come along to our online event on June 27th.

You could say whisky actually starts out life as beer before additional processes take them in different directions, and as distant cousins they get on marvellously. Nick, our founder John Glaser and our whiskymaker James Saxon will be exploring the exciting reactions when the two are sipped together.

Grab your drinks ready for the adventure

In the UK, you’ll be able to pick up the beers we’ll taste direct from Big Smoke Brew Co. – shop for their Shadowlands, Pilsner and Secret Machine. They’re offering a special pack for the occasion too. For those outside the UK, stock up on a stout or porter, a hoppy pilsner and an IPA or double IPA. No strict rules though – go for what you fancy!

Wherever you are, you can buy our Malt Whisky Collection gift pack at our web shop. With Father’s Day around the corner, why not order one for Dad and invite him to the event too?

Not signed up yet?

Registration for the event is free – just head over to:
pleasedrinkcreatively.com

Nick is as passionate about beer as John and James are about whisky, so it’s going to be a great conversation.

Share & Enjoy!
The Compass Box Team

 

A Virtual Tasting of Murray McDavid with Dean Jode, Head of Whisky Creation 7pm Saturday 26th June

£30.00

A Rare chance to try these hand selected cask releases from some of Scotlands finest distilleries from Murray McDavid Independent Bottler.

During the event Dean Jode of Murray McDavid, alongside Inverurie Whisky Shop owner Mike Stuart, will guide you through 6 wonderful, hand-picked whiskies from the range, including a cracking 30 Year Old from the now closed Cambus Distillery

Dailuaine 12 Year Old Sauternes Finish

Blair Athol 12 Year Old Oloroso Finish

Craigellachie 12 Year Old Tawny Port Finish

Cambus 30 Year Old Limousine Oak

Safe Haven 6 Year Old PX Finish – A Mystery Malt!

Peatside 6 Year Old Blended Malt

Our packs can be collected in store or sent across to certain European countries so that you and your friends can join us from your own home, using the Zoom platform. Join us on a voyage of extraordinary discovery as we welcome this fantastic range to Inverurie Whisky Shop.

 

Back for just the second year ever, Exploring English Whisky is proud to announce that the ENGLISH WHISKY FESTIVAL 2021 will be taking place on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th September (online).

With 5 more distilleries & independent bottlers taking part than last year (19 in total), and an entirely new line-up of products, the two day event promises something special for those returning for their second year, or anyone joining for the first time.

Replicating the same accessible, informative and entertaining format, there will be 6 sessions, as well as entertainment and cocktail making masterclasses in between. Attendees will hear directly from each distillery or bottler as they take us through their product & story, focused on the theme of each session.

11 products in the line-up are completely new releases, some of which won’t be available until after the festival (or available at all as they’re cask samples drawn exclusively for this event). Many of the distilleries are now multi-award winners, including World Whiskies Awards, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, International Spirits Challenge and Icons of Whisky.

Tickets are available from £27.50 for a standard session (10% off for members of Exploring English Whisky) for UK residents only, and £31.50 for the chocolate and whisky pairing session. Or why not go for The Full English and save £9 (and multiple postage charges) when you buy all 6 packs together? 

Ticket Link: https://exploring-whisky.sumup.link/collection/festival2021

Membership Info: www.exploringenglishwhisky.co.uk

When: Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th September 2021

Where: Online (secure link sent out to attendees a couple of days before the event)

What: 29 samples of English Whisky, maturing spirit and new make spirit from established and new distilleries – each bringing something new and exciting to the line-up.

Who: List of participating distilleries (below)

Distilleries

Adnams (Suffolk)	Bimber Distillery (London)	Boutiquey Whisky Company	Circumstance Distillery (Bristol)	Cooper King Distillery (Yorkshire)
Copper Rivet  Distillery (Kent)	Cotswolds Distillery (Warwickshire)	Dartmoor Whisky Distillery (Devon)	East London Liquor Company (London)	Forest Distillery (Cheshire)
Henstone Distillery (Shropshire)	Ludlow Distillery (Shropshire)	Mercia Whisky (Staffordshire)	Samuel Gulliver & Co.	The English Whisky Company (Norfolk)
The Lakes Distillery (Cumbria)	The Oxford Artisan Distillery (Oxford)	The Single Cask	Wharf Distillery (Northampton- shire)	White Peak Distillery (Derbyshire)

Session hosts this year include:

• Amy Seton (Birmingham Whisky Club)
• Felipe Schrieberg (Forbes / Rhythm & Booze)
• Fiona Shoop (Whisky writer)
• Stephanie Jordan (Avallen Calvados / Drinking Out Loud)
• Tim Etherington-Judge (Avallen Calvados / Healthy Hospo)
• Glassmates (Ortis Deeley, Jimmy Harris, Nigel Mark)

Our snack partners this year include:

• Sekeforde Botanical Mixers (sekfordedrinks.com)
• Love Corn (https://lovecorn.co.uk/)
• Simpleas (https://www.simpleas-snacks.co.uk/)

And the chocolate for our Chocolate & Whisky pairing session will be coming from a bean-to-bar producer of ethical, sustainable chocolate – Lucocoa (https://www.lucocoachocolate.com/aboutus)

 EVENT SCHEDULE

FRIDAY 3rd September

6.00pm – Festival Welcome

6.30pm – Session 1: New Horizons

Forest Distillery – New Make spirit

Henstone Distillery – Whisky Release No.2

The Lakes Distillery – Whisky Makers Reserve No. 4

Wharf Distillery – Solstice Whisky

White Peak Distillery – First Release Whisky

8.00pm – Session 2: Expert Blind Tasting

SHH! IT’S A SECRET

9.30PM – Entertainment

10.45pm – END

 

CONTINUED…

SATURDAY 4th September

3.00pm – Session 3: Whisky & Chocolate Pairing

Bimber – new Small Batch release

Cooper King – Maturing Spirit

The English Whisky Co.  – Rum Cask

The Lakes – new Editions release

4.30pm – Session 4: Bottling It (Independent bottlers)

Gulliver’s 47, Ex-Bourbon Cask

Gulliver’s 47, 10yo Quarter Cask

The Boutiquey Whisky Company – Cotswolds 3yo Whisky

The Boutiquey Whisky Company – White Peak 2yo maturing spirit

The Single Cask – Peated 12 years old whisky (cask 106RR)

6.00pm – Break

6.30pm – Session 5: Heart & Graft

Cotswolds – Hearts & Crafts release

Copper Rivet – new Column Malt

Ludlow – new Whisky release

Mercia – Rye spirit

Dartmoor – Sherry Cask

8.00pm – Session 6: Against the Grain

Adnams – Rye Whisky

Circumstance – Mixed Grain Spirit

East London – Rye Whisky

The English  – Parched (Grain Whisky)

The Oxford Artisan Distillery – Anniversary Rye Whisky

9.30pm – Entertainment

10.45pm – END

Kensginton Wine Market’s Whisky E-Newsletter

I hope this finds you well! Before we get to the meat of this article, I hope you won’t mind a heads up about a big transition we are in the midst of.

As you know, there is always a lot going on at KWM. People visiting us for the first time are almost always shocked by how small the store is because our virtual footprint is so much larger than the actual one. To borrow from an advertising campaign lodged somewhere in my brain, I’ve long thought of Kensington Wine Market as being “smallnormous.” Our ambition, ideas, and presence often exceed our limitations.

The month of June has proven to be an exceptional case of this. Even though we currently have more staff than we have ever had, and things have slowed a little, especially compared to last year. It has been more than a little crazy over the last while. While continuing to serve customers and host virtual tastings we are upgrading our phone systems, migrating our email hosting and trying to get a new website ready to launch in July.

We are especially excited about the new website. In addition to being even more secure, and far less likely to crash, it will also be more visually appealing. It will also give us the opportunity to geek out and share more information about our favourite partners and suppliers. It will also be easier to use, especially on your cell phone, with a simplified purchase and checkout process.

Getting it ready to launch though is an enormous undertaking. The text for each product needs to be reformatted, and we have to start from scratch with our pictures, which will be higher resolution. You may be better able to appreciate the scale of this project when you consider we have 3000+ products in-store at any given time, and more than 6000 over the course of the year.

In order to get the new site ready to launch, we will be no longer updating the old one with product information after this week. It will still list all the products we have in stock, and you will still be able to purchase bottles and tastings from it without issue. But photos and descriptions will no longer be updated, so that energy can be directed to getting the new site over the finish line.

As with any transition this monumental, there are bound to be hiccups along the way. So I am preemptively asking for your patience and understanding!

As with many events in the last 15 months, the 10th Annual MS Calgary Whisky Festival was not able to take place this past January. We wanted to do something to help the MS Society raise a little money, and our good friend Andy Dunn of Gold Medal Marketing suggested we offer a special single cask bottling.

He approached another good friend of ours, Anthony Wills of Kilchoman, who in turn came up with something very special for us. Kilchoman Distillery opened in 2005, with the first spirit flowing from the stills in June. Amongst others, KWM has been fortunate to bottle a pair of 10 year old casks, and in 2020 a 12 year old from Kilchoman. For the fundraiser Anthony Wills offered one of the distillery’s oldest casks, from their first full year of production. The Kilchoman 14 Year MS Society YYC Cask is the oldest whisky from this distillery ever to come to Canada, and it has arrived! $25 from every bottle sold will be going to the MS Society. More details below.

We have also just opened up a slew of new virtual whisky tastings, which will take us through the end of July. We are going to slow things down a little in August, so we can plan for the fall, including our ongoing virtual tastings. More about that in the next full Malt Messenger.

But for now, we have some really cool additions to the virtual tasting schedule, including Kilchoman with Anthony Wills on July 24, which will feature the new 14-Year-old cask. There is also, Highland Park: We’re Not in Scotland Anymore!? on July 15, which will feature a range of whiskies to appeal to the inner Viking in all of us. And then there is Really Rare & Old: Things Andrew Wants to Try, which will feature a 35-year-old Port Ellen, the official Rosebank 30 Year, a 45-year-old Teaninich and the Arran 25 Year amongst others. This tasting isn’t inexpensive, but for what you have the opportunity to try, a range worth more than $13K, it is in another sense priceless.

We also have room in a couple of other upcoming tastings, like Canada D’Eh: Shelter Point, Canada D’Eh: Two Brewers and Introducing: The Whisky Trail with Julie Hamilton & Celine Tetu. Details on these can be found below too.

Lastly, we have also added some more whiskies to our ongoing sale list. As long as certain importers keeping tempting us with deals, we continue to pass them on!

Everything in this newsletter can be purchased online, so please do so if you can! As always, in the event of a discrepancy in price, the point of sale at KWM will be taken as correct.

Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions or comments. But be patient, I may be head down working on the new site.

Sincerely,

Andrew Ferguson

Kensington Wine Market

IN THIS EDITION

1. Introducing: The Kilchoman 14 Year MS Society Calgary Cask

2. New Virtual Whisky Tastings

3. Other Up-Coming Virtual Tastings

4. New Additions to the Whisky Bin Ends Sale List!

INTRODUCING:

THE KILCHOMAN 14 YEAR MS SOCIETY YYC CASK

As many of you know, the Kensington Wine Market is the title sponsor of the MS Calgary Whisky Festival. January 2021 would have been our 10th Annual event, but for obvious reasons, we had to pull the plug. Over the last few months, we hatched an idea with our good friend Andy Dunn of Gold Medal Marketing, to select and bottle a cask of whisky, as a fundraiser for the the MS Society of Canada’s Calgary chapter.

Another good friend of KWM, Kilchoman Distillery’s Anthony Wills offered something incredibly special… a 14 year old Kilchoman. This is by 2 years, the oldest Kilchoman ever to come to Canada. The next being our Kilchoman 12 Year KWM Bourbon Cask 338. The Kilchoman 14 Year MS Society YYC Cask has arrived in-store, and is selling for $225+gst, with $25 from every bottle sold going to support the MS Society of Canada.

Kilchoman 14 Year MS Society YYC Cask – 53.4% – Bourbon Cask 78/2006 – Distilled: May 5 2006 – Bottled March 15, 2021 – My Tasting Note: “Nose: soft, doughy and fruity with hints of spruce and beach bonfires; butter poached scallops drizzled in butter and salty lime-mezcalritas; coconut icing on vanilla cupcakes; seaspray on a warm summer day. Palate: big, bold and earthy with a teetering ballance of chewy malt, tarry peat, salty maritime tones and juicy citrus; more lime mezcalritas, lemon drizzled scallops and coconut icing; Dutch licorice, spruce tips and distant beach bonfires to round things out. Finish: long and warming with mildly medicinal tarry peat, loads of citrus, scallops and clean smoke. Comment: compared to our current 12 Year KWM Cask this 14 year old is both bolder with respect to peat and tar, and brighter with respect to its citrus fruits; both are lovely, but completely different animals.” – $225 – $25 per bottle to the MS Society!

NEW VIRTUAL TASTINGS

We have a lot of fun with our virtual tastings, which is partly why they are so successful. We’re a business, and obviously we like to sell things. But we also like trying things we are curious about, and

Highland Park: We’re Not in Scotland Anymore… Are We?!

·     Date: Thursday, July 15

·     Time: 8 PM

·     Cost: $65

·     Pick-Up Date: June 21

While looking for tasting ideas we were surprised to discover that a couple of the Highland Park themed whisky pairs were still kicking around. Highland Park went heavy on the Viking themes about a decade ago, the pinnacle of which was Light & Dark, Fire & Ice. We thought it might be fun to revisit these curiosities, along with a couple of friends. Join us for a dissection of Highland Park whiskies including: Ice Edition 17 Year, Fire Edition 15 Year, The Dark 17 Year, The Light 17 Year, Valknut, Valfather, 18 Year and an 18 Year IB single cask. 8x 15ml samples. 8P M, Thursday July 15.

*Samples available for pick-up Monday June 21.

Really Rare & Old: Things Andrew Wants to Try

·     Date: Thursday, July 22

·     Time: 7 PM

·     Cost: $300

·     Pick-Up Date: June 25

If you think Andrew looks excited in the photo above, imagine him with the range below in front of him!

We’re back with another baller range of whiskies the big guy is dying to try. The Covid-19 pandemic hit just days before we were supposed to host our first-ever Rare & Old Whisky Festival. We were gutted to have to pull the plug, but it was the right decision, and it will likely be next winter before we return to sit-down in-store, let alone festival-style tasting… but we’ve still had some fun, and will continue to. There are more than a few old and rare whiskies we want to taste, and we know we are not alone in this. The first “Rare & Old: Things Andrew Wants to Try” tasting was a hit. So we are following it up by taking things to a whole other level, with “Really Rare & Old: Things Andrew Wants to Try”. This time our range includes: XOP Port Ellen 35 Year, XOP Blacks Glenrothes 30 Year, North of Scotland 50 Year & Teaninich 45 Year, as well as the official Rosebank 30 Year, Johnnie Walker Bicentenary Blend & Arran 25 Year. In all nearly 250 years of whisky worth north of $13K+gst, including 2 closed-ish distillery drams. 7 PM Thursday, July 22. Includes 7x15ml samples.

*Samples available for pick-up June 25th (Estimate).

Kilchoman Virtual Tasting with Anthony Wills

·     Date: Saturday, July 24

·     Time: 5 PM

·     Cost: $35

·     Pick-Up Date: June 21

We are usually fortunate to welcome Anthony Wills of Kilchoman at least once a year for a tasting in-store. But due to Covid-19, it’s been a wee while. Since he last visited our shores, we’ve launched a 12 Year Kilchoman KWM Cask, and we’ve just received a Kilchoman 14-Year-old cask, bottled for the MS Society. So we are long overdue for a tasting and thrilled that Anthony has agreed to join us live from Scotland for a virtual Kilchoman tasting. In all, we have set aside a range of 8 Kichoman whiskies for the tasting: Machir Bay, Machir Bay Cask Strength (sold out), Sanaig 2021, Loch Gorm 2021, Fino Sherry Matured (sold out), 100% Islay 2020 (sold out) and the two casks: 12 Year KWM Cask and 14 Year MS Society YYC Cask. 5 PM, Saturday, July 24. 8x 15ml samples.

*Samples will be ready for pick-up Monday June 21 (Estimate).

NEW WHISKIES FROM CADENHEAD

Introducing: The Whisky Trail with Julie & Celine

·     Date: Friday, June 25

·     Time: 8 PM

·     Cost: $45

·     Pick-Up Date: Available Now

·     Only 7 spots left!

With Canada Day approaching, we thought we’d shine a little extra light on a few of our favourite Canadian Distilleries. We’re teaming up with our friends at Yukon Brewing & Distilling, aka Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt to put on a virtual tasting of some of the finest whisky made in Canada. We’ll be joined by distillery co-founder Bob Baxter for a 7 whisky vertical Two Brewers tasting featuring Releases 16, 19, 20, 21, 23, and 25, as well as the stunning, recently arrived KWM Cask.

*SAMPLES READY FOR PICK NOW!

Canada D’Eh: Shelter Point Distillery

·     Date: Tuesday, June 29

·     Time: 8 PM

·     Cost: $25

·     Pick-Up Date: Available Now

·     Only 14 spots left!

With Canada Day approaching, we thought we’d shine a little extra light on some of our favourite Canadian Distilleries. We’re teaming up with our friends Jacob and Leon at Shelter Point to put on a virtual tasting of some of the finest whisky made in Canada. Our range will include 7 15ml samples of Shelter Point Whisky: The Collective, Smoke Point Batch 2, Double Barrel Batch 5, and The Forbidden, as well as some soon to arrive releases: Smoke and Oak, Ripple Rock & the 3rd and final KWM Rye (Alberta Distillers) Cask!

*SAMPLES READY FOR PICK NOW!

Canada D’Eh: Two Brewers Whisky

·     Date: Wednesday, June 30

·     Time: 8 PM

·     Cost: $25

·     Pick-Up Date: Available Now

·     Only 6 spots left!

We will be joined by Elixir Distillers Brand Ambassador Julie Hamilton, and International Sales Manager Celine Tetu, as we introduce a new range of independent bottlings with really cool labels, The Whisky Trail. We are starting out with 7 whiskies from the Retro Cars and Video Games labels. Our range will include single cask bottlings of Ben Nevis 1996, Cambus 1990, Glen Elgin 2007, Glenrothes 1989, Invergordon 1987, and a pair of Ardmores’ from 2009 and 1998. Participants in the tasting will not only be the first people in Canada to sample these whiskies, but they will also have the first opportunity to purchase the bottles. Friday, June 25, 5 PM.

*We will be donating $15 per ticket to the Brenda Stafford Center, a local women’s shelter.

**Only 23 spots left, out of 85!!!

***SAMPLES READY FOR PICK-UP NOW!

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE SALE LIST

When we get a deal, we pass it along. The full whisky sale list can be viewed in the PDF below, or by browsing All Sale Items on our website! Here are some of the latest and greatest new deals, to be added to our seemingly permanent “sale” list:

1. Auchentoshan 12 Year – Regular $61.99 – Save 20% – Sale $49.59

2. Auchentoshan Three Wood – Regular $82.99 – Save 20% – Sale $66.39

3. Bowmore 18 Year – Regular $124.99 – Save 20% – Sale $99.99

4. Bruichladdich Laddie Classic – Regular $74.99 – Save 25% – Sale $59.99

5. Bunnahabhain 12 Year – Regular $74.99 – Save 15% – Sale $63.74

6. Craigellachie 13 Year – Regular $75.99 – Save 30% – Sale $53.19

7. Dalmore Port Wood – Regular $129.99 – Save 20% – Sale $103.99

8. Glenfarclas 12 Year – Regular $69.99 – Save 20% – Sale $55.99

9. Jura Seven Wood – Regular $121.99 – Save 35% – Sale $79.29

10.   Mortlach 16 Year – Regular $139.99 – Save 25% – Sale $104.99

11. Port Askaig 100 Proof – Regular $79.99 – Save 20% – Sale $63.99

12.  Port Askaig 8 Year – Regular $67.99 – Save 20% – Sale $54.39

13. Redemption Bourbon – Regular $54.99 – Save 25% – Sale $41.24

14. Redemption Rye – Regular $49.99 – Save 25% – Sale $37.49

15. Teeling Single Malt – Regular $95.99 – Save 25% – Sale $71.99

BROWSE ALL WHISKIES ON SALE!

403-283-8000

888-283-9004

Store Hours

Sunday: 11am – 6pm

Mon – Wed: 10am – 8pm

Thu – Fri: 10am – 9pm

Sat: 10am – 8pm

*All Prices Quoted here are subject to change and do not include GST. In the case of pricing discrepancies, the price at our point of sale will be taken as correct.*

After many long months, we are thrilled to be preparing to welcome visitors back to Glenfarclas.

The doors to our Visitor Centre and shop will open at 10am on Monday the 5^th of July and we can’t wait to show people around our beautiful distillery once again.

We have done a lot of work to ensure the safety of visitors and of our distillery team which remains our number one priority.

The Centre will be open from Monday to Saturday. Tours will be running four times a day – 10:30, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:30 (10:30, 12:00, 13:15 and 14:30 on Saturdays).

We have had to make some changes to the tour route to ensure that social distancing can be maintained, but you will still get to see the stillhouse, the warehouse and enjoy a dram or two in the famous Ships Room. While these changes are in place, the tour and tasting will be free of charge.

At present, only the Classic Tour is available, but we hope to start offering more in-depth tour and tasting experiences as Covid restrictions ease later in the year.

Spaces on tours are limited, so pre-booking is essential to avoid missing out. Email our Visitor Centre to secure your place.

The Visitor Centre shop is open from 10am – 5pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 4pm on Saturday.  No booking is needed if you wish to drop in.

All social distancing rules will be observed.  If you (or anyone you have been in contact with) have reason to believe you have Covid 19, please postpone your visit for the time being.  We ask that visitors wear face coverings while inside buildings, unless exempt.  A member of staff will advise where this is not required.

Win!

GLENFIDDICH GRAND SERIES PRIZE DRAW

Glenfiddich’s Grand Series is a range of well-aged single malts that have each been finished in an unusual cask – everything from rum to Champagne. To celebrate the series we’re bringing you the chance to win a VIP experience at Tom Sellers’ Restaurant Story, including all travel and a stay in a 5* hotel. To enter, just buy any whisky from the series before the end of June.

  ENTER NOW  

Glen Scotia Dunnage Tasting Kits are here!

The Glen Scotia Malts Festival is a celebration of all things whisky, Glen Scotia and the distillery’s hometown of Campbeltown – ‘the whiskiest place in the world’. While we can’t travel to meet face-to-face in Campbeltown this year, Glen Scotia are bringing their much-anticipated private dunnage tasting to your homes, along with a variety of other ways to get involved and celebrate from afar.

What’s in the Dunnage Tasting Pack?

Inside the lid of your Dunnage Tasting Pack is a password you’ll need to join the pre-recorded tasting. Glen Scotia Distillery Manager & Master Distiller, Iain McAlister, has personally selected 5 drams from the dunnage warehouse, and each one offers a window into Glen Scotia’s whisky making history and Campbeltown’s Victorian whisky heyday.

• Glen Scotia Double Cask – 46% ABV

Glen Scotia 1st Fill Bourbon 2015 – 60.5% ABV

Glen Scotia Refill/1st Fill Bourbon 1999 – 59% ABV

Glen Scotia Refill Bourbon/1st Fill Oloroso 2002- 58.7% ABV

• Glen Scotia Refill Bourbon/1st Fill Ruby Port 2002- 53.8% ABV

Each pack will contain a link and password to an exclusive tasting with Iain (pre-recorded). Grab a glass, enjoy, and don’t forget to visit the rest of the festival!

Glen Scotia
Dunnage Tasting Kit

£50.00

Buy Now

CURIOSITY…
THE INVITATION TO ADVENTURE 

This year we’re marking Father’s Day by raising a toast to kinship. Celebrating fathers and families, sisters and brothers, friends and colleagues. And another love of ours, beer and Scotch whisky.

Join Compass Box founder John Glaser on June 27th as we delve into the roots of this age-old partnership, and discover a whole new world of flavour in the process.

A GIFT FOR THE OCCASION

As part of our event, we will be exploring beer pairings for three award-winning Compass Box whiskies: The Peat Monster, The Spice Tree, and The Story of the Spaniard.

Available in a black gift pack accented with gold trim (or for our friends in the US, a new design inspired by our much-beloved label art), The Malt Whisky Collection is a perfect present for a loved one with an inquisitive spirit.

In preparation, we’ve been sampling a range of different styles of beer to accompany our whisky, from toasty stouts, to nutty brown ales and puckering sours. So, if you know someone who isn’t afraid to experiment, and would be curious to see how these three distinct whiskies taste alongside different beers, be sure to pick up a Malt Whisky Collection gift pack and sign them up for
the event.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Put the date in your diary: Sunday June 27th at 8pm BST (3pm EDT / 12pm PDT) and reserve your seat below. Join us with your whisky samples and stay tuned over the coming weeks as we share the beer pairings we’ll be tasting on the day to help you get prepared. You can follow our lead, or experiment with your own pairings. The choice is yours! If you have a favourite, please send it our way. We’d love to hear how you drink creatively.

We look forward to seeing you there…
The Compass Box Team

DISCOVER LAIR UPON LAIR OF FLAVOUR IN ARDBEG SCORCH – THE DISTILLERY’S LATEST LIMITED EDITION 

The Ardbeg Distillery invites its noble fandom to join them for an online extravaganza and uncover the ‘lairs’ of flavour in their latest limited edition.

Held annually on the final Saturday of Islay’s Festival of Music and Malt (Fèis Ìle), Ardbeg Day is a global celebration of all things Ardbeg, which this year will take place entirely online. The Distillery invites smoky malt whisky lovers and fantasy buffs everywhere to join them on Ardbeg.com and social media, as fans come together to uncover the myth and the malt behind their new limited edition, Ardbeg Scorch.

Islay folk have long told tales of the island’s dragon, bravely slain by a heroic warrior many moons ago. And on 5 June 2021, Ardbeggians around the world will celebrate Ardbeg Day with a new whisky created in homage to this ‘true myth’. It is said this fiercely delicious dram is the mouthwatering product of Ardbeg’s own flavour-breathing beast, who dwells in Dunnage Warehouse No. 3, scorching staves and burning barrels…

Ardbeg Scorch has been matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks – heavily charred by the fiery exhale of Warehouse 3’s definitely-real-and-totally-not-made-up dragon*. Intense aromas of soot and smoke lie in wait, while grilled fare and black liquorice mingle with bold notes of medicinal lozenge. This truly is a dram of fantastical proportions.

Colin Gordon, Ardbeg’s Distillery Manager, said: “This year will be my first Ardbeg Day ever: a baptism of fire! It’s a shame we Ardbeggians can’t enjoy it together in person, but the online event is shaping up to be tremendous fun. With a whole virtual world to explore, including fantasy inns, campfire tales, medieval feasts and live tastings, there’s plenty for people to be excited about this year.”

Ardbeg’s Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, said: “Ardbeg Scorch is our tribute to the legendary dragon of Islay. By using our most heavily charred casks, we’ve created a fire-breathing beast of a dram!”  

Ardbeg Scorch will be available to buy from Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists, online retailers and from the Distillery Visitor Centre from 25^th May. For more news on this event and all things Ardbeg, smoky malt whisky fans can join the Ardbeg Committee at Ardbeg.com.

www.ardbeg.com

Follow us on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ardbeg

Twitter: @Ardbeg

Instagram: @ardbeg

ARDBEG DAY LINE UP:

Ardbeg Day 2021- Saturday 5th June
Time	Event	About
12pm	Dragon Tales	No Ardbeg Day would be complete without a few yarns. Enter into our witch’s lair as Jackie recites some of Islay’s oldest stories… along with a slightly newer tale in the heroic legend of the dog and the dragon.
2pm	The Dog & Dragon Inn	Discover what alchemy our mixology master/innkeeper, Cameron George, has in store at The Dog & Dragon Inn.
3pm	The Feast Master	Fill up your flagons and fetch your forks, the Feast Master, aka DJ BBQ, is hitting the pit to put on the smokiest spread in all the land!
4pm	Stillhouse Tour	A dragon’s eye tour of Ardbeg’s new Stillhouse.
5pm	Chairman’s Study Live Tasting	Join Sir Colin Gordon, our Distillery Manager, as he suits up to sip on some of Ardbeg’s rarest drams. Join in on the live chat, and request your favourite Ardbeg expression for Sir Colin to taste.
7pm	The Scorch Whisky Lair – Live Tasting	Hosted live from the belly of the beast – the Scorch Whisky Lair – Dr Bill, our whisky wizard, will be performing a live tasting of Ardbeg Scorch. Tune in at 7pm (BST) sharp to watch as he ruminates over this fire breathing beast of a dram…

All events will be virtual and hosted on Ardbeg.com and social media – Twitter: @Ardbeg and Instagram: @ardbeg

 ARDBEG SCORCH TASTING NOTES:

 Colour Bright brushed gold

Nose On the nose, frighteningly intense aromas of soot and smoke lie in wait. Hints of aniseed and fragrant patchouli interlace with bold notes of quenched steel and saddle soap. With a drop of water, herbal top notes of briar wood, sage and pine wisp their way to the fore.

Taste Take a sip and experience lair upon lair of flavour. An oily mouthfeel grips the senses. Billowy clouds of sweet smoke and dragon charred oak permeate the palate, while grilled fare and black liquorice weave between notes of medicinal lozenge.

Finish A long and heroic finale, with a subtle tarry aftertaste. A finish that will drag on, well into its happily ever after.

ABV: 46%

NOTES: 

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.   

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:

Ardbeg is the world’s most highly awarded smoky single malt whisky. Since 2008, Ardbeg has won more than 50 gold and double gold medals in key whisky competitions. Ardbeg has twice been awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards in 2010, and 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.  Meanwhile, both Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigeadail have been awarded gold medals at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In 2019, Dr Bill Lumsden was awarded Master Distiller of the Year for the third time in four years. Ardbeg 10 Years Old also won the Best Single Malt Scotch 10 Year Old at the International Whisky Competition 2019, while the Ardbeg Distillery won the Distillery of the Year 2019.

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.

Our latest Golden Dram giveaway:
Win a bottle of Aberlour 21 Year Old Single Cask!

In the latest edition of our Golden Dram giveaway we are highlighting expressions from within the Aberlour range: the 14 Year Old Double Cask, A’Bunadh and Casg Annamh. If you purchase one of these wonderful whiskies between now and the 15th of June you will be in with a chance to win the Aberlour 21 Year Old Single Cask from The Distillery Reserve Collection!

Limited to only 768 bottles from a single second-fill sherry butt, this 21-year-old Aberlour offers up aromas of juicy raisins and ripe plums which balance perfectly with sweet notes of liquorice and soft treacle toffee on the palate. Left at a cask strength of 58.9% ABV and free from chill filtration, this is a beautiful example of a rich and fruity exclusive Speyside single malt.

A winner will be chosen at random from any orders placed between now and the 15th of June… So good luck!

Aberlour 14 Year Old Double Cask+ Golden Dram giveaway entry

£53.99

Aberlour A’Bunadh

+ Golden Dram giveaway entry

£79.00

Aberlour Casg Annamh

+ Golden Dram giveaway entry

£54.99

Have a look at the range below and see what you fancy👇