The Holiday Season is upon us, and we’d love to spend some quality time with you sipping drams and learning about these amazing brands. Greetings and welcome, whisky friends.  We are planning a fantastic virtual education series and we’d love for you to join us! Sit back and fill your glass while Joshua Hatton takes the next four minutes to take you through our new ImpEx Beverages Distillery Deep Dive Series.

Now that you see the exciting vision we have for this project, let us help you put all of these events on your calendar so that we can share some excellent drams while doing a deep dive on these amazing distilleries and independent bottlers.

Below you’ll find a list of the events and their times, in order of their appearance.  If you click the the date of the event you’ll be taken to the ImpEx Facebook page event, where you can RSVP.  Links to the Facebook live event will be posted in those pages closer to the event.

If you click the title of the event you’ll be taken to the YouTube streaming link, which will start at the indicated day/time.

And if you can’t make the live streams, you can still watch the videos on the ImpEx Beverages YouTube channel.

October 21 (Wednesday, 8:30pm EST, 5:30 PST)
Penderyn Distillery with Laura Davies

October 28 (Wednesday, 8:30pm EST, 5:30 PST)
GlenAllachie Distillery with David Keir

November 8 (Sunday, 5pm EST, 2pm PST)
Milk & Honey Distillery with Tal and Tomer

November 11 (Wednesday, 8:30pm EST, 5:30 PST)
Ohishi and Fukano with Chris Uhde

November 18 (Wednesday, 8:30pm EST, 5:30 PST)
Port Askaig with Oliver Chilton

December 2 (Wednesday, 8:30pm EST, 5:30 PST)
Single Malts of Scotland with Oliver Chilton

December 9 (Wednesday, 8:30pm EST, 5:30 PST)
Matsui Distillery brands with Chris Uhde

December 16 (Wednesday, 8:30pm EST, 5:30 PST)
Single Cask Nation with Jason Johnstone-Yellin

Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week Presents an “Old Fashioned Cocktail Hour” with Chef Richard Blais in Partnership with PUNCH

Marquee event highlights inaugural celebration to raise up to $100,000 for Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation

BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Mark your calendars for Oct. 21 as Elijah Craig Bourbon delivers a Whiskey Wednesday to lift spirits as part of the inaugural Old Fashioned Week. For one night only, Chef Richard Blais will host an “Old Fashioned Cocktail Hour” featuring cocktails and conversations with leading mixologists and Heaven Hill Distillery Ambassadors.

Chef Blais, winner of Bravo’s first Top Chef All-Stars and owner/operator of Trail Blais, a highly creative and innovative culinary consulting company, headlines the marquee event of Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week. This live event will be available on OldFashionedWeek.com, as well as streamed on Elijah Craig’s YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Starting at 8 p.m. eastern time, Chef Blais will take you through a night of discovering the Greatness Within® the hospitality community as he shares recipes, tips and tricks, and Q & A sessions with special guests. Pick up an Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, and the necessary cocktail accoutrements listed here, to join Chef Blais in Old Fashioned cheers.

Starting Oct. 16, Elijah Craig will host a lineup of live activations designed to be both educational and entertaining to generate support and funds for Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation. Consumers and hospitality professionals can register and create their own schedule of events at OldFashionedWeek.com. The first 250 people registered will receive an Elijah Craig home bar kit, the first 500 will receive Elijah Craig socks, and all who register will receive coupons to celebrate the week accordingly. The schedule of events includes Old Fashioned Bar Trivia with Heaven Hill Distillery Ambassadors Bernie Lubbers and Jack Choate, ‘The Art of Crafting Ice’ with Portland-based bartender and author Jeffrey Morgenthaler, and ‘Elevating Your Home Bar’ with Devin Kennedy, bartender at Pouring Ribbons.

First announced Sept. 3, Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week celebrates a great cocktail for an even greater cause. Learn more about the initial launch and support of the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation here.

ABOUT ELIJAH CRAIG BOURBON: Elijah Craig Bourbon bears the name of the Reverend Elijah Craig, known as “The Father of Bourbon,” who established his distillery in 1789 on the banks of Elkhorn Creek in modern day Georgetown, Kentucky. He is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels. The clear, unaged corn liquor became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the family of whiskeys includes Elijah Craig Small Batch, Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

First brought to market in 1986, Heaven Hill Distillery’s Master Distillers were selecting a small number of barrels of the finest Bourbon to make Elijah Craig Small Batch long before the term “small batch” even existed. It is this attention to detail and superb craftsmanship that give Elijah Craig an ideal balance of age, robust body, and rich flavor. Elijah Craig accolades have included Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year, Best Small Batch Bourbon and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and Excellent Highly Recommended honors at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com.

Spirit of Toronto 2020 Warehouse Experience: Last Call for Aberfeldy and Wiser’s!

Given the many challenges that 2020 continues to throw at us, it’s even more fitting to give thanks for life’s small pleasures, and in our case it’s the ability to remain connected to whisky fans and share the liquid bounty that has been specially imported for the Spirit of Toronto 2020 Warehouse Experience.

Our exclusive series of online tastings hosted by whisky makers launches in less than two weeks, and while our Daftmill and Aberlour sessions are now fully booked (with only a few spots left for Highland Park), this week is the last call to reserve your virtual passage to the Aberfeldy Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, and the Hiram Walker Distillery closer to home in Windsor on the shores of the Detroit River.

Hiram Walker Warehouse Tasting with Master Distiller Don Livermore

It seems only fitting that we are launching this series with none other than Canada’s foremost whisky maker, Don Livermore of the Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor. Those who have yet to taste and chat whisky with ‘Dr. Don’ are in for a special treat as he previews his latest limited edition, JP Wiser’s 22 Year Old Finished in Port Wood and bottled at 59.7% abv.

From here we’ll segue to some of the experimental casks that the good Doc has selected for this session, including JP Wiser’s Red Letter at 15 years of age, and two variants of Canada’s favourite rye, Lot 40 ‘Peated Quarter Cask’ and Lot 40 ‘Black Sea Cask’ — yes, so many questions!

All will be revealed come Friday October 23, along with the caveat that these experimental casks may or may not ever see the light of day. (PS: Spoiler alert! We don’t know what we’ll do if the sample of JP Wiser’s Red Letter 15 Year Old that we’ve tasted doesn’t eventually make it to store shelves…)

Aberfeldy Warehouse Tasting with Master Blender Stephanie Macleod

Having now previewed most of what will be poured throughout this very special series, we’re especially excited to have Master Blender Stephanie Macleod lead us through a vertical tasting of the Aberfeldy Distillery which includes two gorgeous single casks at full proof.

As the heart and soul of Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky, Aberfeldy is a distillery held in high regard by Scottish blenders, sought after for its elegant, silky demeanour. This virtual warehouse tasting has Stephanie starting off with the classic, honeyed Aberfeldy 12 Year Old followed by a 16 Year Old finished in Madeira casks, a whisky that we guarantee lovers of wine finshed malts will find hard to put down. For fans of sherried malts the Aberfeldy 20 Year Old single cask that Stephanie has sent is a dream come true, finished for 4 years in an ex-sherry cask and rich with all the raisin and Christmas pudding one could ask for. And for her finale Stephanie will be closing off with an elder statesman from the distillery, a single cask of Aberfeldy 33 Year Old that is a testament to the famous quote by the late Tommy Dewar: “We have a great regard for old age when it is bottled.”

All-Access Virtual Pass and our Joker’s Wild

As a reminder, all sessions come with a beautiful wooden gift box which has been specially designed for this series, and includes two Spirit of Toronto 2020 Glencairn whisky glasses alongside four sample bottles, a tasting mat and a pipette. A link to join the virtual sessions will be sent by email ahead of the scheduled day and time. Participants will also be able to view all other sessions in the series at no extra charge.

Unable to participate in the live stream of your choice at the scheduled time? Not a problem as all tastings will be archived for 45 days after airing.

Shipping is to Canadian addresses only, but there is also the option of an All-Access Virtual Pass that allows you to participate in these sessions with a dram from your own sideboard.

We are also keen to maintain the spirit of discovery that Spirit of Toronto is all about, and with this in mind we have the option of our Joker’s Wild — a random class based upon availability for those who love a good surprise, and a healthy discount. Your selected class will be revealed upon delivery of your tasting kit.

Slainte!

Click for the complete Spirit of Toronto Warehouse Experience schedule

Saturday October 17th, 5:30 PM:

Starward Whiskey with Founder David Vitale

Join us for a virtual tasting of Starward Australian Whiskey, presented by founder David Vitale!

For this tasting, we have a $25.00 whisky tasting set available exclusively for our customers. Each set comes with a 2oz bottle of Two-Fold, Nova, and Solera expressions. Select ‘Add Tasting Set’ when purchasing to get yours. Shipping is free!

Starward whiskey brings together Australian malted barley and Australian red wine barrels to create a distinctly Australian spirit. Housed in a large industrial space in Melbourne, this urban distillery is as bold and unconventional as the spirit it produces and the city it calls home. Starward’s distinctive whiskies are exclusively matured in Australian wine barrels in the variable Melbourne climate – which experiences “four seasons in one day” – to create a dynamic form of elemental maturation.

Click Here to RSVP

What is a Virtual Tasting?

Virtual tastings are free educational zoom meetings held by whiskey & scotch experts. They typically consist of a presentation followed by question-and-answer, and run about 60-90 minutes. During the virtual tasting, you’ll be able to ask scotch & whiskey related questions to our experts and get a behind-the-scenes look at the scotch & whiskey world! 

Additionally, featured whiskys are always on sale on our website – you can purchase beforehand to drink along with our presenters or shortly afterwards.

Superb savings on delicious drams!

We’ve just added shiny new deals to our Price Drop, featuring £30 off Balvenie 19 Year Old and a massive £100 off Hibiki 17 Year Old. It doesn’t get much better than that! Whether Scotch whisky’s your drink, world whiskey, gin or rum – we’ve got all bases covered for your home bar. With free UK delivery on orders over £50, what are you waiting for? Grab your favourite before it goes – for good!

Shop our sale now ›

Virtual Tasting Week Announcements 

We are delighted to provide you all with further details about our upcoming Virtual Tasting Week.

Between Monday 26th – Friday 30th October 2020, there will be a tasting each night featuring Hazelburn, Kilkerran, Longrow, Cadenhead’s or Springbank whisky that will be presented by members of our sales teams and broadcast via Facebook and YouTube.

There will be tasting packs to accompany each event and there will also be a special bottle released alongside each tasting. That means there will be an opportunity to purchase 5 exclusive, limited bottles to celebrate our Virtual Tasting Week.

As we have previously referenced, ticket holders for the sadly cancelled 2020 Campbeltown Malts Festival will be given first access to tasting packs and bottles. Following this, Springbank Society and Cadenhead’s Club members will be next to be invited to purchase the Virtual Tasting Week products. After this, and subject to availability, we hope to give the wider public the chance to join in the celebrations of our Virtual Tasting Week. Please see a summary of these dates below:

Monday 5th October – Access for 2020 Campbeltown Malts Festival Ticket Holders

Wednesday 7th October – Access for Springbank Society & Cadenhead’s Club Members

Friday 9th October – Access for the general public (subject to availability)

Virtual Tasting & Pack Information 

Please note, each Tasting Pack will consist of six, 2cl samples.

Monday 26th October – Hazelburn Virtual Tasting

The first tasting of the week combines Hazelburn and history as David Allen hosts Prof Alan Wolstenholme to discuss Japanese Whisky pioneer Masataka Taketsuru’s life in Scotland and Hazelburn Distillery, 100 years on from his time in Campbeltown. The tasting will start at 7:30pm (GMT) and can be viewed on Facebook @officialspringbankwhisky and on Youtube @ J & A Mitchell. 

The whiskies included in the Hazelburn Virtual Tasting Pack are:

Hazelburn 12yo – 49.2%

Hazelburn 18yo Open Day – 47.4%

Hazelburn 22yo Warehouse Cask – 54.0%

Hazelburn 14yo Refill Marsala – 59.2%

Hazelburn 13yo Sherry Wood – 50.0%

Hazelburn 15yo Oloroso – 53.4%

Price of Hazelburn Pack – £35.00

Tuesday 27th October – Kilkerran Virtual Tasting

A detailed and entertaining tasting awaits as Grant, Nicole and Cara lead you through six varied Kilkerran drams and discuss the journey Glengyle Distillery has been on since its re-establishment in 2004. The tasting will start at 7:30pm (GMT) and can be viewed on Facebook @KilkerranSingleMalt and on Youtube @ J & A Mitchell. 

The whiskies included in the Kilkerran Virtual Tasting Pack are:

Kilkerran 2010 Refill Rum – 60.8%

Kilkerran 14yo Triple Distilled Open Day – 57.8%

Kilkerran 16yo – 49.2%

Kilkerran 2010 Recharred Sherry – 54.5%

Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength – 59.8%

Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 3 – 59.7%

Price of Kilkerran Pack – £35.00

Wednesday 28th October – Longrow Virtual Tasting

Variety is the spice of life and that’s exactly what we are going for with our Longrow tasting. David, Grant and Cara are determined to show the range that our Longrow expression offers as they talk in depth about all 6 drams. The tasting will start at 7:30pm (GMT) and can be viewed on Facebook @officialspringbankwhisky and on Youtube @ J & A Mitchell. 

The whiskies included in the Longrow Virtual Tasting Pack are:

Longrow 18yo – 46.0%

Longrow 21yo – 48.2%

Longrow 10yo Open Day – 53.7%

Longrow Red 2021 Release – 56.7%

Longrow 17yo Sherry Cask – 50.6%

Longrow 13yo Sauternes – 55.8%

Price of Longrow Pack – £35.00

Thursday 29th October – Cadenhead’s Virtual Tasting

Our entire Cadenhead Sales Team show off a wide range of whisky from Wm Cadenhead’s as Cameron, Jenna and Mitch spend an hour in your company enjoying some delightful drams. The tasting will start at 7:30pm (GMT) and can be viewed on Facebook @WmCadenheadLtd and on Youtube @ J & A Mitchell. 

The whiskies included in the Cadenhead’s Virtual Tasting Pack are:

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 23yo – 46.0%

Unnamed Speyside 18yo Open Day – 52.3%

Littlemill 29yo – 48.1%

Glendronach 30yo – 47.2%

Paul John 6yo – 54.1%

Caol Ila 29yo – 48.9%

Price of Cadenhead’s Pack – £40.00

Friday 30th October – Springbank Virtual Tasting

For the final tasting of the week, Nicole hosts a discussion between our Director of Sales and Marketing, Ranald Watson, and our Director of Production, Findlay Ross, as they join the audience for 6 Springbank drams and share a level of knowledge and insight that only they can provide. The tasting will start at 7:30pm (GMT) and can be viewed on Facebook @officialspringbankwhisky and on Youtube @ J & A Mitchell. 

The whiskies included in the Springbank Virtual Tasting Pack are:

Springbank 12yo Cask Strength – 56.1%

Springbank 26yo Open Day – 51.1%

Springbank 17yo Madeira – 48.5%

Springbank 21yo – 46.0%

Springbank 10yo Local Barley – 57.2%

Springbank 8yo PX – 56.8%

Price of Springbank Pack – £40.00

Please note that there will be a limit of 2 of each pack, per person.  

Virtual Tasting Bottle Information 

As well as the tasting packs which will be on offer for each tasting, we will also be releasing a special ‘Open Day’ bottle for each brand to celebrate our week of virtual tastings. Below are the details of each release:

Our Hazelburn Virtual Open Day Bottle is an 18yo from Fresh Bourbon Barrels. This has been bottled at 47.4% and will retail at £100.00.

The tasting notes for our Hazelburn Virtual Open Day Bottle are:

Nose:  Lots of tropical fruit, vanilla, creme brulee, hints of mint and freshly cut grass.

Palate:  Malty and sweet, with cereal and a touch of mint. 

Finish:  Sugar snap peas, green apples and humbugs.

 

Our Kilkerran Virtual Open Day Bottle is a 14yo Triple Distilled whisky from Refill Bourbon casks. This has been bottled at 57.8% and will retail at £75.00.

The tasting notes for our Kilkerran Virtual Open Day Bottle are:

Nose:  Honeycomb, rosewater, oak, toffee and beeswax.

Palate:  Creamy, white chocolate, orange zest and barley water.

Finish:  Lots of maritime notes alongside cereal and peat smoke.

 

Our Longrow Virtual Open Day Bottle is a 10yo whisky, matured in 2 x Fresh Pinot Noir and 2 x Refill Malbec casks. This has been bottled at 53.7% and will retail at £60.00.

The tasting notes for our Longrow Virtual Open Day Bottle are:

Nose:  Raspberry ripple ice cream, red currants, plum, barley sugar and toasted oats.

Palate:  Rhubarb crumble, red liquorice, pecan pie, stewed red fruits, cranberries and cured meats.

Finish:  Smoked cheese, smoked mussels, breakfast tea and burnt embers.

Our Cadenhead’s Virtual Open Day Bottle is an Unnamed Speyside 18yo which has been matured in 1 x Bourbon and 1 x Sherry cask. This has been bottled at 52.3% and will retail at £90.00.

The tasting notes for our Cadenhead’s Virtual Open Day Bottle are:

Nose:  Sandalwood, honeydew melon, citrus, sultana and vanilla.

Palate:  Raisins, plum, tangerine, hazelnut, fudge, chocolate, nutmeg, lemon and pumpkin.

Finish:  Dried fruits, cinnamon, chestnut and black cherries.

Our Springbank Virtual Open Day Bottle is a 26yo which is a vatting of 2 x 1993 Refill Bourbon Hogsheads. This has been bottled at 51.1% and will retail at £425.00.

The tasting notes for our Springbank Virtual Open Day Bottle are:

Nose:  Vibrant and fruity with notes of gooseberry and kiwi fruit alongside peat, salt and bung cloth from warehouse 3. 

Palate:  Rich with notes of crystallised ginger, pear drops, honey and fennel.

Finish:  Oily with clove, nutmeg and dry peat smoke. 

Please note that there will be a limit of 2 of each bottle, per person. 

Due to the majority of our staff currently working from home, there will be no-one in the office to receive telephone enquiries. Please send any queries you may have to festival@springbank.scot and we will aim to get back to you as soon as possible. 

To join the Society contact them at Springbank Society society@springbank.scot

2020 SHOW BOTTLINGS

We are pleased to reveal this year’s range of Whisky Show bottlings – An Ever-Changing World of Whisky. Inspired by the constant shifts in whisky making, it celebrates the dual nature of a single cask: every bottle is a one-off, but they are all part of a greater whole. The three whiskies are from Imperial, Ardbeg and Girvan, and full details and tasting notes have been exclusively released on the Whisky Show website. As usual, ticket holders will receive exclusive first access to show bottlings.

SEE SHOW BOTTLINGS 

All your favourites in one sale

How about that Highland Park 18 Year Old you’ve had your eye on? Or a bottle of Balvenie Caribbean Cask?

We’ve discounted a tonne of your favourite drams – for a limited time only!

Shop the sale before they disappear.

 

Saturday October 3rd, 5.30 PM:

 American Whiskey Tasting:

 Hirsch, Potrero, and JH Cutter, 

Explore the world of American whiskey at our free virtual tasting! This expert presented tasting features Indiana distillery Hirsch and San Francisco based distillery Hotaling and Co. We’ll discuss whisky history and distilling secrets through our featured whiskeys, followed by a Q&A with our expert presenter.

Tasting Pourlist:

Click to purchase

Hirsch Bourbon

JH Cutter Whiskey

Old Potrero 18th Century Style Whiskey

 Click Here to RSVP

Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival to return in 2021

The whisky event that brought whisky drinkers together during Lockdown is to return in 2021.

The first Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival was the first full-scale whisky event to adapt to the challenging circumstances we currently face, and in the process created a fantastic new event, uniting whisky fans around the UK & Europe to take part in the largest whisky show of the year so far.

The response to the first virtual festival has been so positive that the Summerton Whisky Club have been convinced to hold a second, which will take place March 2021.

This second festival will build on strengths of the first event, creating a day of digital entertainment and most importantly the festival pack for everyone to take part, as well as adding new elements that will see it become a three-day affair.

Speaking of the Virtual Festival, Summerton Whisky Club Founder Dan Humphrey said, “It’s been a very difficult year for the entire whisky industry and wider community, and we have already seen the benefit of having some whisky fun to look forward to.

The response to our first virtual whisky festival was fantastic and it’s wonderful to see the industry and community all coming together to raise our spirits. With the turmoil set to continue this Winter, we wanted to do our bit again.

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”.

Due to take place in March 2021, with more details to follow, the Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival main event will once again 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.

In addition to brand presentations, cocktail masterclasses, Q&A sessions and insightful talks 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.

Dan again, “This new format of festival has presented some interesting opportunities, such as every attendee can now visit every brand at the event, attendees can return the festival afterwards by re-watching and we get to talk in-depth to the people who make the whisky, something that doesn’t normally happen. Instead of thinking this as a replacement to our normal activities, I feel that the virtual event is something that we can add to our diary to offer different experiences to drinkers”.

Notes  

About Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival

Ticket details and brands attending will be released December

Key Stats from Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival 2020:

• 1,074 viewers on the day
• 3% Satisfied, 77.7% Very Satsifeid
• 9% wish to participate in our next event
• 33% of attendees had not been to a whisky event before
• Attendees were from:
  UK, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden