More whisk(e)y stuff than you can shake a tree at!

We hope the start of the year is being kind to you and yours. We’ve passed the ‘so-called’ most depressing day of the year so we are safely through the other side…

Here at TWL HQ – in-between celebrating our 10th Birthday – we have been furiously preparing ourselves for the year’s events.

First up we have our Newcastle Festival on the 10th March, which is shaping up nicely – we have news on masterclasses. Then we have our second tasting series of the year – St. Patrick’s Whisky Shenanigans, which will be more like a celebration than a traditional tasting, with music, food and drams. Plus we are also looking forward to our trip to this year’s Feis Ile or Islay Festival of Whisky and Music, with an unbelievable offer for anyone wanting to meet us there!

We also see the welcome return of the Whisky News, by our very own Gateshead Whisky Geek in residence, Lee ‘Connas’ Connor, so please read on….

Our next tasting series will be a bit of a departure from the usual sit-down, serious whisky tasting stuff. We wanted to bring a bit of fun into your March, and what better excuse than around St. Patrick’s Day? We will have whiskey for you of course, but we will also be feeding you some delicious Irish Stew, playing some traditional music (live music where possible!) and turning the Craic up to 11! Whiskey-wise, we are hoping to have some really interesting drams from some of the new distilleries that have been popping up in recent years, alongside a few established ones…

All of this for just £35! You really can’t say fairer than that!

16th March
York – Brigantes

17th March
London – Marlborough Arms
(plus Rugby – its gonna get lively!)

20th March
Leeds – The Northern Monk

22nd March
Birmingham – The Edgbaston

23rd March
Manchester – The Britons Protection

26th March
Sheffield – The Sheffield Tap

Coming up fast we have our first festival of the year!

If you have been before, you know how it works. Pick up your commemorative glass and program from reception and then enjoy freely the drams and chat on offer in the main hall. With more fun stuff to do than ever before, the Newcastle Whisky Festival will be a fantastic day (or night) out for anyone with even a fleeting interest. If you don’t already have tickets, then you better get your skates on as both sessions are almost sold out.

Aside from Blending Sessions, Cocktail Demos, the Whisky Creche, and various other activities, we have 2 very different masterclasses available for you in both sessions….

Masterclasses

Mackmyra – Magic of the Small Casks 1pm (1st Session) & 7pm (2nd Session)

We are honoured to have Magnus Dandanell, the founder of Mackmyra joining us in Newcastle! A fascinating and unique tasting awaits with cask samples aplenty, and an insight into whisky production in Sweden.

Eddie Ludlow – Founder of The Whisky Lounge £10 2pm (1st Session) & 8pm (2nd Session)

In this, for our 10 Year celebrations, we thought who better to take you through a tasting of some good stuff than the old fella himself? Expect his usual curmudgeonly self and some pretty fine drams.

Buy Tickets

Friday, February 16th, 5-7PM:

Scotch Tasting: Glen Grant

Join us for a tasting of Glen Grant single malt scotch. Established in 1840, the centuries-old Speyside malt remains one of the biggest selling single malts in the world. Guest will be treated to rare favorites and new releases from the centuries old distillery, with whisky experts present for all your scotch questions.

 Click Here to RSVP

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Your Whisky Lover

Whisky pairs well with just about any food and you can create a delicious and fun whisky pairing experience to share with your date for Valentine’s Day this year. Start with a classic Old Fashioned cocktail but give it a little twist. Take a small wedge of a blood orange, including the peel, and place it in the bottom of each Old Fashioned glass. Add 1 tsp of sugar and give 3 shakes of orange bitters to each glass. Muddle well and add 1.5 oz. of Redemption Rye to each glass. Take a garnishing pick and add a small wedge of blood orange and cherry and place pick in the drink, repeating for each drink. Enjoy your appetizers with your Old Fashioneds, especially something like small baguette slices with an artichoke tapenade, or even a bruschetta. If you are not the cocktail type, but do enjoy smoky whisky, another delicious combination to start off your night is raw oysters with peated Scotch, like Kilchoman Sanaig. Serve them on the half shell and pour a teaspoon or so of the whisky on top and drink the whole oyster and Scotch right out of the shell! The flavors of the oyster compliment the Scotch in ways that you have to taste to believe. If you enjoy cheese, you are in for a treat. In fact, you could just skip the entree and just luxuriate in cheese and whisky. Smoky whiskies and blue cheese are a match made in heaven and soft cheeses like brie like a lighter touch like Speyburn 10. Cheddar and parmesan pair well with Old Forester 1870, and Old Pulteney 12 likes any cheese with salt crystals! With a salad or crudité course, a light and tasty whiskey like Eagan’s Irish is just the thing. Just have 1/4 oz. of whisky, enough to nose and taste, with each course. If you enjoy steak, Balcones Blue Corn Bourbon is just the whisky to pair with your main course, but if you prefer salmon or chicken, try a Napa wine finished American whisky from Savage and Cooke like The Burning Chair. Vegetarian entrees also pair well with these. Chocolate is a must for Valentine’s day for most people, and sherried Scotches are simply divine paired with chocolates or chocolate cake or anything chocolate! Try Tamdhu 10 with dark chocolate hearts or The Macallan 12 with a chocolate dessert. To finish the evening, a nice slow sipper like Lagavulin 16 is hard to beat.

Early Bird Tickets for Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta are now on sale!

San Francisco VIP is sold out. General Admission is still available for San Francisco, but will sell out soon. There are still a few VIP tickets for San Jose, but they are just about sold out.

San Jose (#WOWSJ) happens Thursday, March 22, 2108 at the San Jose Marriott. Tickets are available here.

San Francisco (#WOWSF) happens Saturday, March 24, 2018 at the San Francisco Belle Yacht. Tickets are available here.

Austin (#WOWAUS) happens Thursday, September 20, 2018 at the Vault Space. Early Bird Tickets are available here.

Dallas (#WOWDAL) happens Friday, September 21, 2018 at Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field. Early Bird Tickets are available here.

Houston (#WOWHOU) happens Saturday, September 22, 2018 at Silver Street Studio. Early Bird Tickets are available here.

Atlanta (#WOWATL) happens Friday, November 2, 2018 at The Intercontinental Buckhead. Early Bird tickets are available here.

Lets talk about it! Be sure to use the hash tags when talking about the all the WOW shows on social media!

The Art of Cigars with Honor Cigars

Whiskies of the World is delighted to announce our cigar partner in San Jose and San Francisco for 2018 is Honor Cigars. Honor Cigars founder and owner Troy Lawrence is a cigar connoisseur and entrepreneur dedicated to promoting the art, culture, and enjoyment of fine cigars. Honor Cigars specializes in custom cigar rolling events. They offer a unique combination of craftsmanship and art that transforms the raw tobacco product into something that can provide sublime pleasure when blended properly and smoked in the right setting.

Whiskies to Talk About

We have so many great whiskies for you to sample at our shows. Every newsletter we like to highlight a few that you can taste at some of our events.

The Macallan

The Macallan 12 year old Single Malt Scotch is arguably the best known and most popular Single Malt, available at most any bar who offers Single Malts. Aged for its entire 12 years in seasoned sherry casks, it is just the tip of the iceberg of amazing whiskies from one of the biggest and most popular distillers in Scotland! Macallan has been making whisky since 1824, being one of the original Speyside distilleries to obtain a license after the excise act of 1823 and has been owned by the Edrington Group since 1999, who also owns Highland Park, Cutty Sark, Glenturret, The Famous Grouse and Glenrothes. In 2004 The Macallan started offering their fine oak series which included whisky aged in both bourbon and sherry casks. The Macallan is highly collectable and older bottlings are avidly sought out both for collecting and drinking! The recently completed 100 million pound subterranean new Macallan distillery was commissioned in November of 2017. Once they have made sure that the new distillery makes whisky as good as the old one, the production will move over to the new facility! Of course it will be at least 10 years before we get to try any of this whisky made at the new facility! In the meantime, we will keep on drinking and loving The Macallan and you can try many expressions at our shows!

Frank-Lin Distillers American Whiskey

Frank-Lin Distillers is a large beverage group who has many premium brands under their umbrella. Some of the perennial favorites at Whiskies of the World include whiskeys from this group. J. Seeds Apple Cider whiskey is a blend of whiskey and Apple cider. They market this as an accidental mixing that had a happy ending – like Reece’s Peanut Butter cups – two great tastes that taste great together! The actual distillers of their whiskies are kept a secret, but many seasoned Bourbon drinkers have their opinions about the origins of these brands. That is part of the fun of whiskey like this; it is quite delicious, a good value and you can drink it with your friends and try to guess who made it! Black Saddle 12 year old Bourbon is an award winning bourbon that is often requested for our Whisky dinners! Buck Bourbon celebrates the spirit of the rodeo and is well reviewed and regarded. Wathen’s and Medley Bros. are both from the Medley Bros. Kentucky company, and are made to the Medley Bros. specifications. The Medley Bros. were Kentucky distillers for 8 generations and the newest version of their Bourbon is made specifically to compliment Bourbon cocktails! Wathen’s is a single barrel Bourbon whose barrels are chosen at their peak and bottled at 94 proof! All of these wonderful whiskeys are available to try at Whiskies of the World.

The English Whisky Company

Photo Credit Whisky_Donna from Instagram

St. George Distillery is the home of The English Whisky Company. When the The English Whisky Company first started distilling in 2006, it was the first Single Malt whisky being made in England for over 100 years! They laid down 26 casks in December of 2006 and now have over 3000 casks resting and waiting for their perfect maturation to be bottled and shared with the world! This is a family owned and operated distillery, and though the current operation is only 12 yeas old, the Nelstrop family has been farming and living in this part of England for over 100 years. St. George’s Distillery is in Roudham, Norfolk. Superb barley is grown in Norfolk and would traditionally be shipped to Scotland for whisky production there. The Breckland aquifer has excellent water, and runs right under the distillery! James Nelstrop had a keen interest in distilling whisky and it seemed like his part of England was perfectly made for this purpose. They are proud of the fact they make whisky in small batches by hand, with no computers, no added color, non-chill filtered and aged in American ex-Bourbon barrels, as well as a selection of other wine barrels including sherry. They call each release of their whisky a chapter, and usually the odd numbered chapters are peated, and the even chapters are unpeated. Though other English distilleries are now open and running, The English Whisky Company was the first in England in over 100 years, and continues to be a fabulous tourist attraction in addition to making great whisky. A new restaurant is open at the distillery, The Kitchen at St. George’s, and with the picturesque river walks and gardens, is a must see destination for any whisky lover!

Glengoyne Single Malt Scotch

The name Glengoyne is derived from Glen Guin – the valley of the wild geese. This is appropriate because Glengoyne, founded in 1833, is probably the most environmentally conscious distillery in Scotland these days. One large scale way they prove this is by sending their spent lees into their own wetlands so that they will naturally filter through, using gravity and plants to cleanse the water before it joins the local stream and eventually flows to Loch Lomond. They also have two beehives on their property, to help support declining bee populations. The wetlands and the bees both support a diverse and healthy environment at the distillery, making it also one of the most beautiful distilleries in Scotland. They are also an active partner with Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust, and 100% of their electricity comes form renewable energy. Glengoyne is never peated and matured exclusively in Sherry casks. This started as a way to save money, by using local fuel instead of importing peat, and buying cheap sherry casks that were readily available back in the 1870’s when the distillery was young. Sherry casks are now the most expensive casks to use, but they are an integral part of the profile of Glengoyne. The core range includes a 10, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 25 year old, but they also have many special releases including a rare 35 year old with only 500 bottles made. They also have a non age statement Cask Strength whisky available, which is also non chill filtered. Glengoyne Scotch whisky remains a popular and sought after dram – not only for its green ways but also for its delicious, sherried whiskies accessible to everyone. Try some this year at Whiskies of the World!

Corsair American Whiskey

Corsair likes to say “If it has been done before, they don’t want to do it!” They have unique offerings like quinoa whiskey and oat whiskey! Their first and best selling is the Triple Smoke, using imported malted, peated barley from Scotland, as well as barley peated with cherry wood and beach wood smoke. Originally they started distilling in Bowling Green Kentucky. They then distilled in Nashville Tennesee. They have added a third location in Nashville where they now make their whisky. The Bowling Green location distills gin, vodka, rum and absinthe. At the original Nashville location they are now brewing beer! Corsair is co-founded by Darek Bell and Andrew Webber, and Amy Lee Bell is also co-owner. Darek Bell is considered a pioneering distiller across the industry. Andrew Webber is known for his love of distilling unusual grains. Their “mad-scientist” genius comes together in the delicious whiskies made from unexpected cereals! Other whiskeys include Ryemageddon, Wildfire American Malt, and Buck Yeah Buckwheat whiskey!

This is just a small sample of the hundreds of whiskies from which you can choose to try at a Whiskies of the World event. There is something for every taste, and it all comes together in one great evening! Don your kilts, your dinner jackets and party dresses and come on out for an unforgettable night of whisky! Tickets are now on sale for all of our 2018 shows!

Cheers,
Douglas Smith
Event Director
Whiskies of the World

ARE YOU AVAILABLE LATE OCTOBER FOR AN INCREDIBLE WHISKY ADVENTURE? SCOTLAND!

A bespoke whisky tour blending distilleries, tastings and whisky events. Thursday 25th October – Monday 29th October 2018 tour includes; Glen Wyvis Distillery, Balblair Distillery, 3 nights bed and breakfast in en suite accommodation. Of course we introduce a welcome dram at the bar! The Old Pulteney Distillery, lunch with an outdoor whisky tasting along this historic coast, live music, a whisky walking tour – 5 or 6 venues, getting a dram in each, entertainment & nibbles along the way! A marquee full of whiskies from near and far – sample single malt whiskies, gins and craft beers from distilleries, independents and brewers, a range of local chocolates, savouries, cakes & cheeses. Whisky Cocktail Tasting. A Sunday Roast with a few drams to accompany your lunch. Blind Whisky Tasting – test your nosing skill, compare single malts and blended whisky to discern where they come from.

FOR THOSE WITH THE TIME AVAILABLE AND THE WHISKY DESIRE, CONTACT LIZ; liz@mcleanscotland.com

The Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018 is taking place between Tuesday 22nd and Friday 25th May 2018. Please allow this email to serve as a reminder for you of any details, times and dates associated with the festival and be aware that details and descriptions of some events have been updated.

In the coming weeks and months there will continue to be communication from us to you that will provide further information that we can only share nearer the time of the event.

Below you will find all relevant information regarding the events and tastings that are being provided during the festival by Springbank, Glengyle and Cadenhead’s. However, for your immediate attention here is a summary of the new information that has been added:

• The Springbank Society Tasting is Fully Booked
• Details of dinners taking place throughout Campbeltown on the evening of Wednesday 23rd May.
• Further instructions on how to order tickets from Eventbrite and what to do once your order has been confirmed.
• Time that Festival Bottles will go on sale during the Springbank Open Day + Glengyle/Cadenhead Open Day
• There will be the traditional Open Day Ceilidh taking place in the Malt Barns
• A full and updated description of the format of the Cadenhead Masterclass (the Big Cadenhead Tasting)

Please familiarise yourself with this full email so that you are aware of all the new details at this stage.

The festival will take place from Tuesday 22nd – Friday 25th May. Torrisdale Gin Distillers Beinn an Tuirc will be hosting events on the Tuesday with Wednesday onwards being dedicated, as usual, to the celebration of the whiskies produced here in Campbeltown.

Last year proved to be our most successful Malts Festival ever and, since you shouldn’t try to fix something that isn’t broken, we’ll be following a very similar formula in 2018.

However, to reflect each of our companies’ significance, we feel it is important to emphasise that in 2018 the Cadenhead’s/Kilkerran event on the Friday is just as much fun as the Springbank one the day before.

With that in mind the Glengyle and Cadenhead celebrations on Friday 25th May are going to be bigger than ever. Not only is the Cadenhead Masterclass that is traditionally held on the Thursday moving to the Friday but also this year’s Kilkerran Festival Bottle will be exclusively available on Friday 25th May.

To emphasise, there won’t be a main Cadenhead’s or Kilkerran masterclass on the Thursday as both will now take place on the Friday. Similarly, there will be an exclusive bottling of Kilkerran only available on the Friday, not on the Thursday.

Before we move on to the main part of this email there is one more thing to tell you. We have decided to adopt a new way for you to order tickets for the tastings and masterclasses. We will be using a website called Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/

How to Order Tickets

Over the last few years it has become obvious to us that we cannot continue using the same old methods when it comes to the purchasing of tickets for the Campbeltown Malts Festival. The Festival has become so popular that many more people are attending it than ever before. This meant that we had to rethink things.

As mentioned above, we are going to be using Eventbrite and, when the time comes, that is where you will be able to buy tickets from.

Tickets will be available on Eventbrite from: Thursday 15th February at 2pm GMT (UK time). 

You can register on Eventbrite now to save time entering your details when you order your tickets but you don’t have to should you not wish to. You will still be able to order tickets even if you do not register in advance, though it might save you time to do so. Details of the Festival will be displayed on Eventbrite prior to the ticket launch, including descriptions of each tasting. Please search for “Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018” over the next few days – the page will appear within the next 7 days. We will also provide you with a link to the page in a future “reminder” email.

It will be a maximum of 2 tickets per person for each tasting and, please note (and this is important!), that some tastings do overlap in time so it might not be possible to do all of them.

Please remember to print off your order confirmation as you will need to bring this with you to the festival.

Available Now

Tickets for the Cadenhead Club Members Tasting and the Springbank Distillery Dinner can be ordered now but they are not on Eventbrite – details on how to do this can be found below.

Fully Booked

The Springbank Society Tasting fully booked.

Tuesday 22nd May

7pm: Cadenhead Club Tasting

On the evening of Tuesday 22nd May the Sales Team from Cadenhead’s will be hosting a tasting exclusive to Cadenhead Club Members.

This tasting will be free to attend but places are very limited. Please contact club@cadenhead.scot to book a place at this tasting – this can be done immediately upon receipt of this email.

Details regarding what this tasting will entail will be released in a future email, although you should expect a diverse collection of whisky from the Cadenhead range and Mark Watt telling a few stories.

Wednesday 23rd May 2018 

On Wednesday, festival staples return as we host the Springbank Society Tasting and our special dinner at Springbank Distillery.

Springbank Society Tasting – FULLY BOOKED

To kick off events at Springbank we will be holding an exclusive tasting for our lovely Springbank Society Members. The tasting will take place on Wednesday 23rd May at 11:30am in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery.

Further details regarding this tasting will be released in due course.

The Springbank Distillery Dinner

Once again we will be hosting an exclusive dinner at the distillery on the eve of our Open Day. This year, guests will be treated to dinner in the surroundings of our wonderful Malt Barns. This will take place on Wednesday 23rd May 2018 at 7pm.

On arrival to Springbank Distillery, you will be greeted with a champagne reception in our marquee which will also feature a range of locally sourced canapés.

Following this, you will sample a selection of whiskies, hand drawn from the cask by a member of our senior production team.

You will then be led to your table to enjoy a four course meal with a specially selected wine to accompany each course. To end your unique experience, each attendee will be presented with their own exclusive 70cl hand drawn bottle, chosen by public vote from the casks sampled earlier in the evening.

Throughout the evening, staff from J. & A. Mitchell & Co. Ltd. will be present to chat to and share some drams with. The cost of the dinner is £250.00 per person and payment is required upon booking to secure your place.

There will be a set menu so please advise us of any dietary requirements you have when booking. Also, please note that the meal will take place on the middle malt floor so guests will have to climb stairs to get to their table.

Tickets for this event go on sale today, Thursday 8th February, at 2pm GMT (UK Time) and are not available on Eventbrite.

To book your place, please email donald@cadenhead.scot or call +44 (0) 1586 554761.

Dinners Taking Place in Campbeltown

A number of places in the town will be hosting dinners on the evening of Wednesday 23rd May should you wish to attend. There will be a dinner taking place at each of the below establishments and every event will feature an appearance by a Sales Team member.

• Ardshiel Hotel (01586 552133)
• Craigard Hotel (01586 554242)
• Royal Hotel (0800 151 3701)
• Food for Thought (01586 553865)

In addition to the telephone numbers in brackets, you can also find further contact details by visiting: http://www.explorecampbeltown.com/

A Sales Team Member will be on hand to serve all the guests at each dinner with the three drams that will also be sampled by attendees of the official distillery dinner that night. Guests at the official dinner will vote for their favourite from the three. Raffle tickets will be handed to each person at the above dinners and one lucky person from each will win a bottle of the whisky favoured by those in attendance at the official distillery dinner.

This bottle shall be collected at the Cadenhead’s Whisky Shop the following day.

Thursday 24th May 2018 

Springbank Open Day

The Springbank Open Day will take place on what is now the third day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival. The day will start at 11am and will include a wide variety of activities such as free distillery tours, a range of tastings and masterclasses, local craft and food stalls, exclusive bottlings, the famous warehouse whisky bar and more.

Festival Bottles

Springbank Open Day Festival Bottles will go on sale at Springbank Distillery from 10.30am. Please be aware that there will likely be a queue so it would be best to plan ahead if you are booked to attend one of the earlier masterclasses.

The tastings and masterclasses taking place during the Springbank Open Day will be available to book on Eventbrite from 2pm (UK time) on February 15th, excluding events that are only bookable on the day, and details of each can be found below:

11.30am – Getting to know Longrow and Hazelburn Masterclass – £30

Explore Springbank Distillery’s Longrow and Hazelburn expressions to experience the range that Springbank has to offer. Whether it’s the smoky and mysterious Longrow bottlings or the lighter, sweeter Hazelburn, there will be something here for every fan of the Springbank range.

11.30am – The How It’s Made Masterclass – £30

Your chance to get deeper into our production methods and the reasons behind we do things they way we do, with some great drams to enjoy while you learn. All production-related questions are welcome, especially if you want to submit them in advance…

12.30pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

1pm: Springbank Distillers Single Cask Tasting – £30

As the title suggests, this is an opportunity to try some of the stunning drams which have been released around the world as single cask bottlings.

1.30pm: The Directors’ Cut (or The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) Tasting – £50

Join Director of Production Findlay Ross, Springbank Sales and Marketing Director Ranald Watson and Director of Sales for W.M. Cadenhead’s Mark Watt for a very special tasting that will take you through a wide range of drams and topics covering every corner of J&A Mitchell.

2.30pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

2.30pm: Springbank Masterclass – £30

This is your opportunity to join one of the Springbank Sales Team in enjoying a selection of drams from across the Springbank selection. Whether you are new to Springbank or you are looking to enjoy some old favourites, this could be the tasting for you. This event is bookable on the day only.

3.30pm: Springbank; New and Forthcoming Releases – £30

A chance to try some of the most recent limited release bottlings from Springbank Distillers. February, March and April will see a number of new whiskies appearing and this may be your best chance to try them in one place.

4pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

6.30pm: An Introduction to J&A Mitchell Tasting – £30

Get to know our company and our core products a bit better – these are the drams that provide the foundation to our business. Perfect for those just getting into whisky or who want to go back to basics with Springbank, Glengyle and Wm Cadenhead. This event is bookable on the day only.

The Springbank Warehouse tastings will be 45 mins long.

All other tastings during the Springbank Open Day are scheduled for strictly 1 hour.

Tickets for tastings that are only bookable on the day are not available on Eventbrite and must be purchased at Springbank Distillery.

Ceilidh

The traditional Open Day Ceilidh will once again be happening in the Malt Barns and you are all welcome to come along, of course. Things will get underway around 7.30pm and will feature live music throughout the night.

Friday 25th May 2018 

Cadenhead and Mitchell’s Glengyle Open Day

The final day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018 will be dedicated to Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery and W.M. Cadenhead’s.

Our Friday events will take place at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery where there will be hourly free tours of the distillery, local stalls and the very popular Cadenhead Lucky Dip Bar will be joined by the Fyne Ales bar and a Cocktail Bar.

Please note: The Kilkerran Festival Bottle will be available at 10.30am.

The tastings and masterclasses for Friday 25th May can be found below:

10am: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

10.15am: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

10.15am: Cadenhead Alternative Tasting – £30

Throughout its 176 year history Cadenhead’s has been about more than just excellent whisky – this is a chance to try some of our alternative spirits. The tasting will include a selection of Gin, Rum and Cognac from current bottlings and possibly some surprises.

11.30am: Kilkerran Masterclass – £30

Familiarise yourself with the house style of Kilkerran, our bottlings to date and perhaps one or two of the early experiments from Glengyle Distillery. Join us for a comprehensive Kilkerran experience.

1.15pm: Cadenhead Masterclass – £30

Traditionally taking place on the Thursday of the festival, the “Big Cadenhead Tasting” looks like it fits in well on Friday. This year’s tasting will take on a special format as Sales Team members Cameron Mcgeachy and Jenna McIntosh go head to head in competition as they each present to you a selection of drams from the International Small Batch range and the Authentic Collection respectively. Mark Watt will serve as your special guest referee for this contest.

In past years we have also rolled a cask into the Malt Barns to be sampled by those in attendance but this time there will be two casks for people to taste and purchase bottles from. These bottles are only available at this tasting.

3pm: The Kilkerran Alternative Masterclass – £30

A chance to explore Kilkerran Single Malt further, with one or two twists on the usual style. Tickets for this tasting will not be on Eventbrite. They must be purchased at Glengyle Distillery.

3pm: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

3.15pm: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

As a Society member, you will receive several additional emails in the near future as more information on the Campbeltown Malts Festival will be released in due course.

Just over 3 months to go…

International Scotch Day February 8th, 2018

Scotch & Soda

By Ervin Trykowski, Global Singleton Ambassador 

Ingredients:

50ml Singleton 12 Year Old

Soda water

Orange Slice

Method:

Add cubed ice to a highball glass, add 50ml Singleton 12 YO, Top with chilled soda water, garnish with orange slice.

Haig Clubman & Cola

Ingredients:

25ml Haig Club Clubman

Cola

Slice of lime

Method:

Measure out 25ml of Haig Club Clubman and pour over ice in a highball glass. Fill the glass with cola and garnish with a slice of lime.

Johnnie Walker Whisky Sour 

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label

Dash of Angostura bitters

1.5 oz. lemon juice

5 oz sugar syrup

1 egg white

Method:

Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add 1.5 oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label. Add a dash of Angostura bitters, 1.5 oz. lemon juice, 5 oz sugar syrup and 1 egg white. Shake until cold before straining into a tall glass.

International Scotch Day – Scotch Facts

1. Only three basic ingredients are used to make Scotch – water, cereals and yeast.
2. Scotch can only be made in Scotland – All Scotch is whisky but not all whisky is Scotch – Scotch whisky has to be produced in Scotland, whereas other whiskies are made in other countries, such as Bourbon in the United States.
3. Scotch can only be matured in oak casks, in Scotland and for a period of not less than 3 years.
4. Scotch is the world’s favourite whisky – Scotch takes the lion share of all whisky sales globally pushing over half of all sales of whisky worldwide.
5. Johnnie Walker is the world’s bestselling Scotch – with more than 17 million cases sold globally every year.
6. There’s no e in (Scotch) whisky – in Scotland we’ve always spelled whisky without the “e”, it is believed that the time saved by omitting writing the “e” on labels left more time to enjoy the liquid.
7. Age isn’t everything – whilst Scotch needs to age in oak casks in Scotland for a minimum of three years to be officially classified as Scotch, aging is just a way of creating a different flavour profile by the way the whisky interacts with the cask. It doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better, it just depends on what you like from a whisky. No age statement? No problem.
8. Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky -which maybe explains why there’s so much Scotch in Scotland. After all, the term ‘whisky’ derives originally from the Gaelic ‘uisge beatha’, or ‘usquebaugh’, meaning ‘water of life’.
9. Scotch doesn’t need to be drunk neat and some of the most well-loved classic cocktails are made with Scotch – and increasingly Scotch is dominating the cocktail menus in some of the world’s best bars, with bartenders loving the diversity of flavour which no other spirit can match. Some people will tell you it’s made to be tasted neat with no ice or mixer – don’t listen to them.
10. Malt vs Blents what’s the difference? A single malt whisky is from one distillery only. Blended Scotch, like Johnnie Walker, mixes two or more whiskies from different distilleries around Scotland to create a unique taste, featuring different flavour groups including sweet, smooth or smoky.
11. Tasting – Every Scotch has a unique set of flavours. If you want to look and feel like a Scotch buff, try tasting it like the professionals do: noting the flavours of your drink ‘on the nose’, ‘tongue’ and ‘throat’. Smell the Scotch, swish it around in your mouth a little to taste it and finally pay attention to how it feels as it hits the back of your throat.
12. Scotch at your dinner party – Experiment with food and drink pairings. Light, sweet whiskies can match perfectly with seafood, so go for a lighter flavour-led whisky whilst fuller-bodied whiskies will go well with cheese courses and rich deserts. If you’re brunching, why not try a Johnnie Walker Black Label Bloody Mary?

SPRINGBANK & CADENHEAD WHISKY TASTING – THURSDAY 15TH MARCH 2018

And so another year of tastings begins!  To start the ball rolling on Thursday 15th March we will be welcoming Grant  Macpherson and Mitch Graham of Springbank Distillers and Cadenhead Independent Bottlers – Scotland’s oldest independent family owned distillery and oldest independent bottlers respectively!

If you’ve not come across Springbank before it is a most interesting and unusual distillery in many ways.  Situated in Campbeltown and owned by the Mitchell family since 1837, they still use traditional methods throughout the whole whisky making process and, from malting the barley to bottling the whisky, everything is carried out on site.  Not only that, they also produce three distinctly different types of whisky –  the two and a half times distilled Springbank, the peated Longrow and the three times distilled Hazelburn.  This provides a wonderful range of great quality, great tasting, and extremely good value whiskies.  We will be tasting a Longrow and a couple of Springbanks – one of which is the limited release 12 year old cask strength expression.

Also under the ownership of the Mitchells is the Glengyle distillery in Campbeltown, a distillery founded in 1872 but silent from 1925 until it was brought back to life in 2004 by Mitchells.  The whisky is bottled under the name of Kilkerran and there is now a delightful bourbon and sherry cask matured 12 year old available that we will be tasting on the night.

We are very fortunate as we will have the additional treat of tasting whisky from W.M. Cadenhead, the independent bottlers that J. & A. Mitchell own.  Known for their un-chillfiltered, no added colour, small batch and single cask whiskies there are always some real gems to be found from their wide variety of single malts.

With the variety and quality of whisky that’s going to be on offer this promises to be a great night of tasting and is sure to get booked out very quickly so make sure you go online to book yours as soon as they are released.  If you do miss out then please contact us to register your interest and we will add you to the reserves list for any returned tickets.

Tickets are £15 per person and will be available to buy online from 1.30pm on Tuesday 6th February.  Please note, no bookings will be taken before this time and because of the high demand for these tickets the maximum number per booking is 4.

See below for all the details and if you have any queries just contact us.

Sláinte!
Fran and Ken
Arkwrights Whisky and Wines
www.whiskyandwines.com

UPCOMING EVENT

Name SPRINGBANK AND CADENHEAD WHISKY TASTING

Date Thursday 15th March 2018

Time Please arrive at the venue at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start

Venue Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren SN6 7SD

Details Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night.  Tickets are £15 per person, and this also entitles you to a discount of £3 against a bottle of one of the featured whiskies if bought or ordered on the night of the tasting.

Tickets are very strictly limited, and restricted to 4 per booking.  As these tastings usually sell out immediately it is best to book as soon as the tickets are released.  To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com from 1.30pm on Tuesday 6th February and place an order for the number you require (up to a maximum of 4). Please note that tickets cannot be reserved without payment and are non-refundable. N.B. We have negotiated special rates at Stanton House Hotel for anyone who wants to stay overnight after the tasting – just quote ‘Arkwrights whisky tasting’ when booking by ‘phone or email.

We are pleased to begin announcing details of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018.

Below you will find all relevant information regarding the events and tastings that are being provided during the festival by Springbank, Glengyle and Cadenhead’s. Also, throughout the weeks and months ahead, you will be provided with regular updates as we move closer to the festival and more information is available.

As you may already know, the festival will take place from Tuesday 22nd – Friday 25th May. Wednesday onwards being dedicated, as usual, to the celebration of the whiskies produced here in Campbeltown.

Last year proved to be our most successful Malts Festival ever and, since you shouldn’t try to fix something that isn’t broken, we’ll be following a very similar formula in 2018.

However, to reflect each of our companies’ significance, we feel it is important to emphasize that in 2018 the Cadenhead’s/Kilkerran event on the Friday is just as much fun as the Springbank one the day before.

With that in mind the Glengyle and Cadenhead celebrations on Friday 25th May are going to be bigger than ever. Not only is the Cadenhead Masterclass that is traditionally held on the Thursday moving to the Friday but also this year’s Kilkerran Festival Bottle will be exclusively available on Friday 25th May.

To emphasize, there won’t be a main Cadenhead’s or Kilkerran masterclass on the Thursday as both will now take place on the Friday. Similarly, there will be an exclusive bottling of Kilkerran only available on the Friday, not on the Thursday.

Before we move on to the main part of this email there is one more thing to tell you. We have decided to adopt a new way for you to order tickets for the tastings and masterclasses. We will be using a website called Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/

How to Order Tickets

Over the last few years it has become obvious to us that we cannot continue using the same old methods when it comes to the purchasing of tickets for the Campbeltown Malts Festival. The Festival has become so popular that many more people are attending it than ever before. This meant that we had to rethink things.

As mentioned above, we are going to be using Eventbrite and, when the time comes, that is where you will be able to buy tickets from.

Tickets will be available on Eventbrite from: Thursday 15th February at 2pm GMT (UK time).

You can register on Eventbrite now to save time entering your details when you order your tickets but you don’t have to should you not wish to. You will still be able to order tickets even if you do not register in advance, though it might save you time to do so. Details of the Festival will be displayed on Eventbrite prior to the ticket launch, including descriptions of each tasting – which can also be seen below.

It will be a maximum of 2 tickets per person for each tasting and, please note (and this is important!), that some tastings do overlap in time so it might not be possible to do all of them.

Tickets for the Cadenhead Club Members Tasting, The Springbank Society Tasting and the Distillery Dinner (on the evening of Wednesday 23rd) will not available on Eventbrite. How to acquire tickets for these events can be found later in this email. This also applies to any event that is only bookable on the day.

Tuesday 22nd May 2018  

7pm: Cadenhead Club Tasting 

On the evening of Tuesday 22nd May the Sales Team from Cadenhead’s will be hosting a tasting exclusive to Cadenhead Club Members.

This tasting will be free to attend but places are very limited. Please contact club@cadenhead.scot to book a place at this tasting – this can be done immediately upon receipt of this email.

Details regarding what this tasting will entail will be released in a future email, although you should expect a diverse collection of whisky from the Cadenhead range and Mark Watt telling a few stories.

Wednesday 23rd May 2018

On Wednesday, festival staples return as we host the Springbank Society Tasting and our special dinner at Springbank Distillery.

Springbank Society Tasting

To kick off events at Springbank we will be holding an exclusive tasting for our lovely Springbank Society Members. The tasting will take place on Wednesday 23rd May at 11:30am in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery and will be free for members to attend. Please note that we cannot allow any non-members into this tasting.

Places are likely to fill up very quickly so please email society@springbank.scot or call +44 (0) 1586 552009 asap to book your spot and make sure you don’t miss out –  this can be done immediately upon receipt of this email.

Further details regarding this tasting will be released in due course.

The Springbank Distillery Dinner

Once again we will be hosting an exclusive dinner at the distillery on the eve of our Open Day. This year, guests will be treated to dinner in the surroundings of our wonderful Malt Barns. This will take place on Wednesday 23rd May 2017 at 7pm.

On arrival to Springbank Distillery, you will be greeted with a champagne reception in our marquee which will also feature a range of locally sourced canapés.

Following this, you will sample a selection of whiskies, hand drawn from the cask by a member of our senior production team.

You will then be led to your table to enjoy a four course meal with a specially selected wine to accompany each course. To end your unique experience, each attendee will be presented with their own exclusive 70cl hand drawn bottle, chosen by public vote from the casks sampled earlier in the evening.

Throughout the evening, staff from J. & A. Mitchell & Co. Ltd. will be present to chat to and share some drams with. The cost of the dinner is £250.00 per person and payment is required upon booking to secure your place.

There will be a set menu so please advise us of any dietary requirements you have when booking. Also, please note that the meal will take place on the middle malt floor so guests will have to climb stairs to get to their table.

Tickets for this event go on sale at 2pm GMT (UK Time) on Thursday 8th February and are not available on Eventbrite.

To book your place, please email donald@cadenhead.scot or call +44 (0)1586 554761. Alternatively you can call the Campbeltown Cadenhead shop on +44 (0)1586 551710.

Thursday 24th May 2018

Springbank Open Day

The Springbank Open Day will take place on what is now the third day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival. The day will start at 11am and will include a wide variety of activities such as free distillery tours, a range of tastings and masterclasses, local craft and food stalls, exclusive bottlings, the famous warehouse whisky bar and more.

The tastings and masterclasses taking place during the Springbank Open Day will be available to book on Eventbrite from 2pm (UK time) on February 15th, excluding events that are only bookable on the day, and details of each can be found below:

11.30am – Getting to know Longrow and Hazelburn Masterclass – £30 

Explore Springbank Distillery’s Longrow and Hazelburn expressions to experience the range that Springbank has to offer. Whether it’s the smoky and mysterious Longrow bottlings or the lighter, sweeter Hazelburn, there will be something here for every fan of the Springbank range.

11.30am – The How It’s Made Masterclass – £30

Your chance to get deeper into our production methods and the reasons behind we do things they way we do, with some great drams to enjoy while you learn. All production-related questions are welcome, especially if you want to submit them in advance…

12.30pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

1pm: Springbank Distillers Single Cask Tasting – £30 

As the title suggests, this is an opportunity to try some of the stunning drams which have been released around the world as single cask bottlings.

1.30pm: The Directors’ Cut (or The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) Tasting – £50 (110 tickets available) 

Join Director of Production Findlay Ross, Springbank Sales and Marketing Director Ranald Watson and Director of Sales for W.M. Cadenhead’s Mark Watt for a very special tasting that will take you through a wide range of drams and topics covering every corner of J&A Mitchell.

2.30pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30 

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

2.30pm: Springbank Masterclass – £30 

This is your opportunity to join one of the Springbank Sales Team in enjoying a selection of drams from across the Springbank selection. Whether you are new to Springbank or you are looking to enjoy some old favourites, this could be the tasting for you.

3.30pm: Springbank; New and Forthcoming Releases – £30

A chance to try some of the most recent limited release bottlings from Springbank Distillers. February, March and April will see a number of new whiskies appearing and this may be your best chance to try them in one place.

4pm: Springbank Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest whiskies from Springbank, hand drawn from the cask in one of our traditional warehouses.

6.30pm: An Introduction to J&A Mitchell Tasting – £30

Get to know our company and our core products a bit better – these are the drams that provide the foundation to our business. Perfect for those just getting into whisky or who want to go back to basics with Springbank, Glengyle and Wm Cadenhead.

The Springbank Warehouse tastings will be 45 mins long.

All other tastings during the Springbank Open Day are scheduled for 1 hour.

Tickets for tastings that are only bookable on the day are not available on Eventbrite and must be purchased at Springbank Distillery.

Friday 25th May 2018

Cadenhead and Mitchell’s Glengyle Open Day

The final day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2018 will be dedicated to Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery and W.M. Cadenhead’s.

Our Friday events will take place at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery where there will be hourly free tours of the distillery, local stalls and the very popular Cadenhead Lucky Dip Bar.

Please note: The Kilkerran Festival Bottle will be available.

The tastings and masterclasses for Friday 25th May can be found below:

10am: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30  

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

10.15am: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30 

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

10.15am: Cadenhead Alternative Tasting – £30 

Throughout its 176 year history Cadenhead’s has been about more than just excellent whisky – this is a chance to try some of our alternative spirits. The tasting will include a selection of Gin, Rum and Cognac from current bottlings and possibly some surprises.

11.30am: Kilkerran Masterclass – £30 

Familiarise yourself with the house style of Kilkerran, our bottlings to date and perhaps one or two of the early experiments from Glengyle Distillery. Join us for a comprehensive Kilkerran experience.

1.15pm: Cadenhead Masterclass – £30 

Traditionally taking place on the Thursday of the festival, this tasting now has a new home. Featuring the entire Cadenhead Sales team and a wide selection of top quality Cadenhead drams, the “Big Cadenhead Tasting” looks like it fits in well on Friday. You’ll be happy to hear that one tradition does remain, though; a cask will be rolled into the Malt Barns to be sampled by those in attendance – this whisky will only be available at this tasting.

3pm: The Kilkerran Alternative Masterclass – £30 

A chance to explore Kilkerran Single Malt further, with one or two twists on the usual style. Tickets for this tasting will not be on Eventbrite. They must be purchased at Glengyle Distillery.

3pm: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

3.15pm: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting – £30  

Sample a selection of the finest Cadenhead whiskies with a member of the Cadenhead Sales Team. Each dram will be hand drawn from the cask inside one of the warehouses at Springbank.

As a Society member, you will receive several additional emails in the near future as more information on the Campbeltown Malts Festival will be released in due course.

4 months to go…

You may join the Springbank Society by contacting them at Springbank Society society@springbank.scot