Last-minute dash for tickets at Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

Ever fancied learning how to create your own signature whisky cocktails? How about experiencing a traditional Scottish ceilidh with a dram in hand? Or perhaps you want to learn to blend whisky like a pro?

Whatever whisky-themed activity tickles your tastebuds, you can do it all – and a whole lot more – at the world-renowned Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival when it kicks off later this month.

Tickets have been in high demand since going on sale earlier this year but with almost 500 events on the programme, there are still plenty of opportunities to revel in the five-day celebration of Scotland’s national drink.

Thousands of people – many of them travelling from overseas – will descend on the region from April 27 to May 1 to attend the Festival, which is recognised as being one of the best events of its kind.

Festival manager Pery Zakeri says, “Tickets for some of the key events – particularly the very exclusive behind the scenes tours at distilleries not usually open to the public – sold out within a matter of hours.

“There has been phenomenal demand for tickets, but we don’t want people to think that there are no tickets left. Whether visitors want to sample excellent whiskies, enjoy local food or take part in some of the more unusual events on the programme, there is still plenty of availability.

“All the most up to date information about ticket availability is on the website at www.spiritofspeyside.com and for those who are planning a last-minute getaway, there is also information about accommodation.”

There will be the chance to taste exclusive cask strength drams from Chivas Brothers on April 30, in the company of whisky royalty. Acclaimed whisky writers Ian Buxton and Ian Wisniewski will host the event at The Glenlivet and will be sharing their knowledge about distilleries and drams.

This will be a great event for both whisky experts and novices, as they will also give tips on how to get the most out of whisky tasting. Tickets for the event, which includes six different whiskies, cost £30.

Although most whisky drinkers associate Speyside with single malts, there is a strong heritage of blended whisky too. Visitors can learn how to blend in the style of Chivas Regal at an event taking part in the home of the famous blend – Strathisla Distillery – on April 29.

During the special session, which is priced at £25, guests will taste a collection of drams, blend their own whisky under the guidance of an expert tutor from the Chivas Regal team, and take away a small bottle of their creation.

Everything whisky will be on the menu at The Glenlivet Open Day on April 30. The event at the legendary distillery includes tours, a whisky bar, food tastings, music and an exhibition. There will also be a chance to sample a dram from the Sma Still – a replica of one used in the days before distilling was legal. Tickets are priced £5.

There will also be a separate event, running as part of The Glenlivet Open Day, where visitors will be able to learn more about the smugglers who used the glen on an off-road tour on argocat vehicle. Tickets for the tours, which can be booked on the day, cost £40.

An event that will leave visitors shaken and stirred is a cocktail and canapes masterclass at The Macallan – the dram reputed to be the favourite tipple of James Bond. There may not be an appearance from 007 on May 1, but those who go along will learn how to create their own cocktails using three different malts from The Macallan.

Visitors will learn more about the range and enjoy three cocktails which the distillery’s brand ambassadors have specially created. Canapes to match the drinks will be served, and the cost of tickets is £40.

Revellers at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival want to carry on the party after a packed day of activities, and they will be able to do that thanks to an event being staged by Aberlour Community Association.

Visitors to the area will be able to meet locals at a Scottish ceilidh night being staged in the town’s Fleming Hall on April 29. Music will be provided by the very talented young group BROMA – featuring drummer Daniel Gordon, who is ranked as one of the top 40 drummers in the UK. Tickets, including food, are £12.

Based in the heart of Scotland’s malt whisky country, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place over five fun-filled days from April 27 to May 1, 2017. It comprises over 500 events, taking place from Kingussie in the south to Forres in the west and Buckie in the east.

More information about the Festival is available at www.spiritofspeyside.com.Tickets are available to buy for all events – including the awards judging sessions – from the website from February 7. The Festival is active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #dram17.

Ends

Picture caption: Visitors to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival still have the chance to snap up tickets to events.

Notes

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from Festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Event Scotland and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 to 2020. The Scottish Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

EventScotland

EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews.

EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland. For more information about VisitScotland see www.visitscotland.org or for consumer information on Scotland as a visitor destination see www.visitscotland.com.

Just Whisky Auction’s 41^st Auction

Now Live!

Runs from 14^th – 23^rd April

Some of the bottles available in this month’s auction, including the brand new Macallan Folio 2.

Check out over 1,600 Lots now!

http://www.just-whisky.co.uk/

EXPLORE THE FAR EAST

THURSDAY 27 APRIL AT 6PM
FREE!

REGISTER NOW

Some of the world’s favourite and award-winning whiskies hail from Japan, but have you ever tried what else the Far East has to offer? Whiskies from Taiwan and India are also taking the drinks world by storm. And it’s not just whiskies that are showing us what this corner of the world is made of – sakes and wines are also making their mark at all levels, with every major bar and restaurant craving a piece of the action.

Taste delicious Asian spirits and wines from the following producers: Akashi Akashi-Tai Hakushu Hibiki Omar & Yamazaki

THURSDAY 27 APRIL 
  
Join any time between 6pm and 8pm. 
It’s free to attend the tasting, but please register in advance

VENUE
 
THE WHISKY EXCHANGE SHOP
@ COVENT GARDEN
2 BEDFORD STREET
LONDON WC2E 9HH

Springbank Society

How are we all doing?

Not long until the Campbeltown Malts Festival – I am sure we will be seeing quite a few of you there.

My bombardment of your inboxes continue and, if anything, is gaining momentum because this is one of the best newsletters that has been sent to members during my time at the helm of the Society.

However, this email is very information heavy so please take the time to read it through to be sure of all the details below.

As I am sure you already suspect, I am delighted to confirm that that the purpose of this newsletter is to announce the release of 2 distillery releases from Springbank and remind you all of the Kilkerran 8yo Cask strength release from our sister distillery, Mitchell’s Glengyle. So let’s get started…

The following bottlings will be available in the UK from tomorrow (Wednesday 12th April 2017) and in other countries/markets in the coming weeks. Please contact your local retailers and stockists for more information, details of whom can be found by visiting www.springbankwhisky.com/distributors.

Hazelburn 13yo Sherrywood – 47.1%

We’ll start with this lovely HB release, distilled in October 2003 and matured in Oloroso casks;

Nose – Initially raisins, marzipan, Demerara sugar followed by treacle, sticky toffee and wood shavings.

Taste – Homemade strawberry jam, sugary and filled with cream, orange zest, brandy snaps and a white chocolate creme brûlée.

Finish – Chocolate orange, crazy coffee liqueur, buttered popcorn, cocoa beans and mocha coffee with a delicate finish of sweet orange marmalade.

There will be approximately 12,000 bottles available worldwide and they will retail at around £55.00.

Need to know

This is not a Society bottle. This is not considered a core product and as such the Society discount does not apply.I will not be taking orders for this bottle as I am not aware of any shop’s stock or allocation.

Longrow 18yo  – 46.0%

Nose – Very sweet; pear drops and light marshmallows. Roasted pine nuts and creme brûlée followed by a very buttery cheesecake base with a soft liquorice note.

Taste – The sweetness continues on the palate; with hard boiled toffee sweets, caramelised sugar, sticky toffee pudding, nougat and fresh cream with hints of charred embers.

Finish – Lovely and rich: dark chocolate followed by coffee beans, liquorish, viennese whirls. This is rounded off with the signature Longrow notes of coastal sea salt flavours and a gentle smokiness.

Matured in 60% refill sherry casks, 40% bourbon casks. There will be approximately 4,500 bottles available worldwide and they will retail at around £89.00.

Need to know

This is not a Society bottle. This is considered a core product so the Society discount will apply. I will not be taking orders for this bottle as I am not aware of any shop’s stock or allocation.

Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength – 56.2% 

From Mitchell’s Glengyle

Most of you will have some of the information below but just incase any of you missed it I thought I would include it in full this time as well.

Nose – The aroma from the lightly peated barley is apparent from the off and some of the green apples which are becoming a feature of Kilkerran are also present. This whisky is like a favourite dessert, rhubarb crumble, with scents of stewed rhubarb, vanilla and all butter shortbread.

Taste – There’s an earthiness and saltiness, exactly what you want to taste in a Campbeltown dram. This is combined with icing sugar and puff candy which gives a sweetness to the whisky, along with milk chocolate and walnut flavours.

Finish – The peat remains, along with a sootiness, pencil shavings and a liquorice-influenced maltiness.

Matured in 100% bourbon casks, the KK 8yo CS will retail at around £48.00 and there will be approximately 9,000 bottles available worldwide.

Once again, these bottlings will be available in the UK from (Wednesday 12th April 2017) and in other countries/markets in the coming weeks. Please contact your local retailers and stockists for more information, details of whom can be found by visiting www.springbankwhisky.com/distributors.

Some of you may not see this email until Wednesday, in which case these bottles will be available by the time you read these words.

And finally, work on the next Society exclusive bottling is gathering pace and I will hopefully be releasing some information to you in the next few weeks.

Until next time,

Slainte

Nathan

Nathan Currie

For the Springbank Society 

society@springbank.scot

Friday, April 21st 4-7PM

Locally Made: Sonoma Co. Distillery

Sonoma Co. Distillery, founded in 2010 in the heart of Sonoma County is California’s premier whisky distillery. Their ‘grain-to-glass’ approach to whisky brings a hands on quality to every bottling, resulting in a delicious world-class whisky. A variety of popular and upcoming releases will be sampled, with distillery representatives and whisky experts on hand to answer all your questions.

Click Here to RSVP

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival brings the forgotten legacy of unsung whisky hero Alexander Edward to life

His vision, acumen and passion for whisky helped to make the Speyside region what it is today, yet few people are aware of the impact that he made on an industry that is worth billions to the Scottish economy.

But the legacy left behind by Alexander Edward – the forgotten hero of the Scotch whisky industry – will be celebrated later this month when the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival raises a toast in his honour.

Renowned whisky writer Dave Broom will bring his story to life at a special event being staged on April 28 at The Craigellachie Hotel – a venue Edward built just a stone’s throw from the distillery where he made his name.

Dave will host the event with Lyndsey Gray, bar manager at The Quaich, who also feels it is long overdue for Edward – a man considered to be years ahead of his time during the Victorian era – to get recognition.

Together they will look back at the life, times and drams of the popular, likeable man responsible for creating the village of Craigellachie, its main hotel and the distillery when he was still only in this 30s.

Dave, who is the driving force behind industry website scotchwhisky.com, says Speyside – and the Scotch whisky industry as a whole – owes Edward a debt of gratitude.

He adds, “Alexander Edward was a classic Victorian man of action. His whisky adventures started when his father gave him the lease of Benrinnes, and he made his name when he joined with Peter Mackie in establishing the Craigellachie distillery.

“Noticing the influx of tourists to the region he began to build villas in the village and then the hotel. He would go on to build Aultmore distillery and be financially involved in the construction of Benromach and Dallas Dhu.

“How can such a legacy be forgotten? Perhaps it’s because Edward was a distiller, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and deal-maker, not a blender. There can be no doubt however that his distilleries and hotels helped to establish Speyside as Scotland’s pre-eminent whisky region. With the building of the hotel he can lay claim to be the first to see the potential for high-class tourism to the area.

“He was, simply, years ahead of this time – and Lyndsey and I feel it’s high time that he was given the recognition he is due. Whisky and hospitality is what he believed in and what the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival stands for.”

During the event, Dave and Lyndsey will be ensuring that guests get to understand the true spirit of Edward by serving up six whiskies made in his stills. Tickets for the talk and taste are priced £60 and are available from the event website, www.spiritofspeyside.com

The Festival takes place from April 27 to May 1 and will welcome thousands of people from home and abroad in a five-day celebration of Scotland’s national drink. There are almost 500 events taking place, ranging from exclusive distillery tours to whisky and food pairing.

Many of the most popular events sold out within a matter of hours of tickets going live, but there are still some with spaces available. Based in the heart of Scotland’s malt whisky country – home to more than half of all of Scotland’s distilleries – the Festival has events from Kingussie in the south to Forres in the west and Buckie in the east.

More information about the event is available at www.spiritofspeyside.com and tickets are also available to buy on the website. The Festival is active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #dram17.

Caption: Whisky writer Dave Broom will join forces with Lyndsey Gray of The Craigellachie Hotel to shed light on the life of Speyside’s forgotten hero – Alexander Edward – during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Friday, May 5th, 5-7PM

Locally Made: Lost Republic Distillery

Based in Sonoma County, Lost Republic Distillery produces true California Bourbon. Master Distiller Matthew Weese uses his extensive experience as a professional winemaker to create bourbon that focuses on subtle flavors and quality ingredients, a patient approach that results in delicious, award-winning bourbon. Each limited-edition bottling starts with locally grown grain and is traditionally copper-pot distilled before barrel aging.

Click Here to RSVP on Facebook

Saturday, April 29th 12-3PM

Pürgeist Bavarian Whiskey

Pürgeist Bavarian hop-flavored whiskey is a hopped whiskey inspired by the Bavarian tradition of distilling beer. It is a dry and smooth sipping whisky that showcases the characteristics of both malt and hops. As delicious as it is unique, Pürgeist is made with no caramel color, no chill-filtration, no climate control, and no mass production. As such, this ‘low-tech’ whiskey is only available in very limited quantities.

Distillery representatives and whisky experts will be present throughout for all your whiskey questions.

Click Here to RSVP

On Tuesday 11th April, craft whisky makers R&B Distillers will be at The Cocktail Trading Company from 6.30pm to give away free drams of their brand new, limited edition, second release of Raasay While We Wait alongside the final drops of the first release.

R&B are challenging true whisky-afficionados to put their palates to the test and to pick up on the subtle differences between the 1st and 2nd releases. The evening will be a chance to taste the whiskies and play spot the difference: guests will be given blindfolds and encouraged to guess which whisky is which and to write their own tasting notes.

This February R&B released the second batch of Raasay While We Wait. This intriguing whisky is a preview of the spirit that will run from the very first stills on the Isle of Raasay by 2020, but it has been finished for 18 months in Tuscan red wine casks compared to just 8 weeks for the first release. This whisky-fuelled evening will be a chance to brushing up on whisky knowledge while enjoying drams of this exciting new scotch.

The Cocktail Trading Company will be whipping up a very special cocktail to show off R&B’s newest whisky which will be available for one night only to buy at the bar.

Karuizawa Auction is Live!

We are delighted to announce that our exclusive auction of the world’s largest known collection of Karuizawa is now live!

With 290 individual bottles going under the hammer, the auction will include close to every expression created by the renowned Japanese distillery.

This is an incredible opportunity to own a piece of whisky history. Take a look at just a few highlights below before heading over to our website to see the full listing!

Karuizawa 1960 Single Cask 52 Year Old #5627 / The Archer

Distilled in 1960 and matured in a single ex-sherry cask that yielded only 41 bottles, each one has been individually named and adorned with a matching carved netsuke figure. Presented within a finely crafted wooden case modelled on a traditional Japanese puzzle-box, this is an awe-inspiring whisky!

The Noh Cask Series

An extremely sought after range named after the ancient form of Japanese theatre. Each striking label features a different character and all were released in very limited numbers. Truly stunning bottles!

Karuizawa 1984 Single Cask #2961/Partners’ Reserve Dinner Bottling

A fantastic rarity, one of only 12 bottles gifted to attendees of a dinner party thrown by Number One Drinks Company. Containing 1984 vintage Karuizawa from single cask #2961 and bottled in 2012. The chance to purchase this bottle may never come around again, don’t miss out on this one!

The Geisha Series

A beautiful series, each bearing a label depicting the iconic Geisha figure. Featuring vintages from across 4 decades the range encompasses some of the finest whisky produced by the distillery.

Karuizawa 1963 Single Cask 50 Year Old #5132

Distilled in 1963 this 50 year old is the second oldest vintage in the auction. Produced from a single sherry cask it is one of only 131 released. Both crystal bottle and dark wood case are exquisitely decorated with cherry blossom, an image synonymous with Japan, which symbolises the fragility and beauty of life.

Honor Sumo Collection

3 single cask bottlings dedicated to the martial art of Sumo. Distilled in 1981, 1982 and 1983 the collection comes with matching presentation case. A fantastic collection and visually a lot of fun!

There is no registration fee, our commission structure is very competitive and we offer worldwide shipping. For our terms and conditions please click here.

Happy bidding!