Celebrating Women in Whisky – The Whisky Shop Piccadilly

Tuesday 16th February, 7.15pm

The Whisky Shop Piccadilly invites you to a tasting event celebrating women’s contribution and involvement in the Scotch whisky industry, on Tuesday 16^th February at 7.15pm.

Led by the incredible women who work in the Whisky Shop Piccadilly, Lucy and Charlotte will be exploring whiskies which have been founded, created and revered by women.

Over the years women have influenced and shaped the whisky industry into what it is today. Take Elizabeth Cummings, who owned the Cardhu Speyside Distillery in the late 19^th century, and Bessie Williamson who took ownership of Laphroaig during the 20^th Century.  And modern day female pioneers, such as Master Blender Maureen Robinson who has helped create renowned whiskies including Talisker Storm and the Singleton range. Or Rachel Barrie, who is currently shaping whiskies at Morrison Bowmore.

Single malt whisky has often been known as the gentleman’s club. At this event, the ladies from our Piccadilly store will seek to change this perception by exploring the little known influence of women in whisky.

Events will start off with tastings of Bowmore Laimrig 15 year old and a single sherry cask Bunnahabhain 14 year old, before exploring a number of other expressions.

Tickets are just £12.50 for W Club Members or £25 for those who are yet to join.

£12.50 from any ticket purchased can be redeemed against the purchase of any 70cl whisky from the variety of six whiskies tasted on the night of the event.

Booking in advance and pre-payment are essential. To purchase your ticket or for further information, please contact the store on 0207 499 664.

The Universal Whisky Experience, the world’s first luxury whisky tasting show, is scheduled for  March  2nd- 5th, 2016 at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. This memorable experience is now a four-day destination event with exclusive tastings of the world’s finest whiskies for connoisseurs and collectors alike, and intimate opportunities to mingle with Master Distillers and Blenders.

Book your tickets at www.universalwhiskyexperience.com

Dear Society Members,

Hope you have all had a lovely week and starting to wind down for the weekend! We’ve been very busy here and have just finished sampling some delicious food from Donald in The Tasting Room which may end up on the menu for the Malts Festival Dinner – it’s a hard job but somebody’s got to do it!

With that being said, Mairi has passed me the line up for the festival – here’s what she has to say…

As you may know, the Campbeltown Malts Festival will take place from Wednesday 18th – Friday 20th May 2016 and for the third year running, Campbeltown’s three distilleries will team up to host events in celebration of the whiskies produced at Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia. Please find further details below including the bookable events for each day of the festival:

Wednesday 18th May 2016

On the first day of the festival, there will be a range of events taking place including an exclusive Springbank Society Tasting, the Glen Scotia Open Day and a dinner at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery, with additional events to be confirmed.

Springbank Society Tasting (11:30am)

For the fourth year running, we will be holding an exclusive tasting for Springbank Society Members to attend, for free, on the Wednesday. To ensure this does not clash with any of Glen Scotia’s Open Day tastings, the Society Tasting will take place at 11:30am in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery.

The format will be similar to the 2013 and 2015 tastings with Society Members getting the opportunity to chose what the Autumn Society bottling will be this year. The Society Tasting will be limited to a maximum of 60 people and places are likely to fill up very quickly so please email mairi@springbankwhisky.com or call +44 (0) 1586 55 2009 asap to book your spot and make sure you don’t miss out.

Glen Scotia Open Day – Start time TBC

For the second year, Glen Scotia Distillery will be holding their Open Day on the Wednesday of the Campbeltown Malts Festival. The distillery will be hosting tours and tastings as well as launching their 3rd Distillery only Single Cask on the Open Day. They are planning other activities for the day and also over the other two days of the festival so please look out for regular announcements on the Glen Scotia website (www.glenscotia.com) and their Facebook / Twitter pages.

Dinner at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery

To celebrate the upcoming official 12 year old release of Kilkerran Single Malt, this year our special dinner will be held at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery on Wednesday 18th May 2016 at 7pm.

On arrival to Glengyle Distillery, you will sample a selection of whiskies, hand drawn from the cask. You will be asked to vote for your favourite sample and, at the end of the evening, you will receive your own 70cl bottle from the most popular cask.

Following this, you will be greeted with a champagne reception alongside a range of locally sourced canapés.

You will then be led to our dinner location to enjoy a four course meal with a specially selected wine to accompany each course.

To conclude your unique evening, each guest will be presented with their own exclusive 70cl hand drawn bottle, chosen earlier in the evening from a selection of casks sampled.

During the evening, staff from Springbank, Glengyle and Cadenhead’s will be present to chat to and enjoy a few drams with.

The cost of the dinner is £250.00 per person and payment is required upon booking to secure your place.

Numbers are limited to 40 people so please book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

There will be a set menu so please advise us of any dietary requirements you have when booking.

To book your place, please email mairi@springbankwhisky.com or call +44 (0) 1586 55 2009.

Thursday 19th May 2016

Springbank Open Day (from 11am)

As always, the Springbank Open Day will take place on the second day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival and will include a range of activities including free distillery tours, a range of tastings and masterclasses, local craft and food stalls, exclusive bottlings and the popular warehouse whisky bar, among lots of other activities including live music in the Malt Barns in the evening.

The tasting and masterclasses for the day are now available to book and details of each can be found below:

11:30am: Springbank Intimate Tasting: How wood influences our spirit (1 hour / 30 people max / £25 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

12:30pm: The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (45 mins / 25 people max / £20 per person)

12:45pm Kilkerran Mini Masterclass: Trio of Single Casks (30 minutes / 60 people max / £15 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

1:30pm: Springbank Masterclass: New and Forthcoming Releases (1 hour / 60 people max / £25 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

2:30pm:  The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (45 mins / 25 people max / £20 per person)

2:45pm:  Springbank Intimate Tasting: Favourites from the past (1 hour / 30 people max / £25 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

3:45pm: Cadenhead Masterclass: Cask Samples & Current Bottlings (1 hour / 60 people max / £25 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

4:30pm: The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (45 mins / 25 people max / £20 per person)

The 12:45pm Kilkerran Mini Masterclass, 1:30pm Springbank Masterclass and 3:45pm Cadenhead Masterclass will take place in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery (meet at the Malt Barns 10 minutes before tasting begins).

The 11:30am and 2:45pm Springbank Intimate Tastings will take place in Warehouse 10, Springbank’s newest warehouse (meet at the Distillery Office 10 minutes before tasting begins).

The 12:30pm, 2:30pm and 4:30pm Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tastings will take place in Warehouse 3 at Springbank Distillery (meet at the Distillery Office 10 minutes before tasting begins).

To book any of the above tastings or masterclasses or for more information, please email mairi@springbankwhisky.com or call +44 (0) 1586 55 2009. Please note that payment will be required to confirm booking.

Friday 20th May 2016

The final day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2016 will be dedicated to Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery and Cadenhead’s Independent Bottler.

To celebrate the first official 12 year old release from Kilkerran Single Malt (which will be released in August 2016 and unfortunately not available to purchase beforehand), we are holding a few events at Glengyle Distillery to mark the occasion, where the first official tasting of this product will take place. In addition, we will also have some Cadenhead tastings and a ‘Lucky Dip Bar’ during the day.

Friday events will kick off at 10am with the first Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting of the day. This will be hosted by Mark Watt and take place in one of the traditional warehouses at Springbank Distillery. The cost will be £30 per person and will include a Cadenhead glass.

At 11am we will open the gates to Glengyle Distillery where there will be hourly free tours of the distillery, local food stalls and local musicians providing a background sound to the day. We will also have a Cadenhead ‘Lucky Dip’ bar set up with lots of Cadenhead

whiskies available to taste (Mark already has some samples looked out which take up half his office!!)

At 12 noon, we will be holding a Kilkerran Masterclass where we will look back and taste a selection of 6 whiskies from the Work in Progress series, concluding with the EXCLUSIVE FIRST TASTE of Kilkerran 12yo whisky. The cost will be £25 per person and will include a Kilkerran glass.

At 2pm, we will have a Question & Answer session with an expert panel who are, or have been, involved with the build, running or promoting of the distillery. The panel will be ready to answer any questions you have and it will be the ideal opportunity to ask any questions you’ve always been afraid to! You will also be treated to 3 drams throughout the session, including an EXCLUSIVE sample of the upcoming Kilkerran 12yo whisky. The cost of the Q&A session is £10 per person.

Events at Glengyle, including the Cadenhead Lucky Dip Bar, food and music will conclude at 3.30pm and at this time, there will be a second Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting taking place back at Springbank Distillery. Again, this will cost £30 per person and will include a Cadenhead glass.

Additional features may be added to the Friday events including something in the evening but more information will be available on this as soon as we have it finalised.

As a summary, the events now available for booking on Friday 20th May 2016 are:

10am: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting with Mark Watt (1 hour / 30 people max / £30 per person, includes Cadenhead glass)“

12 noon: Reflection on the Kilkerran Work in Progress series (6 whiskies), including EXCLUSIVE FIRST TASTING of Kilkerran 12yo whisky (1 hour / 60 people max / £25 per person, includes Kilkerran glass)

2pm:  Question & Answer Session with expert panel, including EXCLUSIVE FIRST TASTING of Kilkerran 12yo whisky (1 hour / 60 people max / £10 per person)

3:30pm: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting with Mark Watt (1 hour / 30 people max / £30 per person, includes Cadenhead glass)

If you would like to book onto any of the tastings or events listed above then please let me know as soon as possible. You can email me to mairi@springbankwhisky.com or call me on +44 (0) 1586 55 2009. Just a reminder – payment will be required upon booking so please be aware of this when emailing or calling and I look forward to hearing from many of you soon!

Local Barley & Springbank 12yo Cask Strength

I am now taking reservations for the Local Barley & Springbank 12yo Cask Strength. It goes without saying that these will sell out fast so e-mail me quickly to make sure you don’t miss out. As usual, one bottle per person on a first come, first serve basis.

Springbank 16Y/O Local Barley 54.3% £95.00 – no discount applicable

Nose; Initially Sweet and briny before notes of butter shortbread, vanilla, pear drops and raisin develop.

Palate; Sweet and rounded with a very subtle peat influence combining with butter tablet, soft fruit and mineral notes.

Finish; A long evolving finish with notes reminiscent of our earthy dunnage warehouses. The peat is slightly more prominent and integrates well with lighter notes of candy and lemon zest.

Springbank 12Y/O Cask St 54.1% £47.00 – £42.30 with discount

Nose; Classic Springbank with aromas of our damp dunnage warehouses alongside parma violets, vanilla and cocoa. Plenty of fruit too with prominent notes of pear and candied fruits.

Palate; Bold and beautifully rounded. Vanilla and pepper notes are present alongside stewed apples, pear drops, orange marmalade and tropical fruits.

Finish; Peaty embers influence this characteristically long finish which also reveals notes of liquorice, oak and salted caramel.

Blog updates

If you’ve logged into the society blog recently, you’ll notice that I’ve been putting a post up on Friday afternoons. So, if you haven’t done so already, please sign yourself up to become a member. Just incase you don’t have them to hand, here are the steps of joining the blog 

• Click on the ‘Society’ tab along the top of the page

• Click on the ‘Confirm Log-In Details’ orange tab

• Please enter all the information that is required

• Once you have submitted this information, a notification should be displayed to tell you that an email has been sent to your given email address and it will ask you to verify this email address

• Please open this email in your email account and click the link to verify your email • Once you have done this, I will receive a notification informing me that a new member has signed up to the website so I will then activate your account for online use

• When your account has been activated, you will be able to read all news stories in the Society section. To log in, just click the ‘Log-In to Society News’ tab where you will just be asked to enter your username and password for access.

Previous Society Bottles available

There are some previous Society bottles available, please see the list of what’s on offer below. Get in touch with me if you would like purchase any of the bottles – society@springbankwhisky.com.

Slainte,

Julie

For Springbank Society

To join the Springbank Society please contact Janet at society@springbankwhisky.com

San Francisco Whiskies of the World® 

Benefitting the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund San Francisco Saturday, March 26, 2016 6:00pm – 9:00pm (5:00pm-6:00pm Dram Club & VIP Hour) SF Belle Hornblower Yacht (remains docked) #WOWSF

Whiskies of the World® Expo brings together distillers from around the world to share their finest spirits and knowledge with whisky enthusiasts. Discover the Art of Whisky in the company of connoisseurs and whisky celebrities.

What to Expect: 

    More than 200 expressions of Scotch, Bourbon, Irish, Canadian and other whiskies from around the world

Whisky seminars

Whisky and food pairings

Whisky and cigar pairings

When: Saturday, March 26, 2016 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm (Dram Club & VIP hour begins at 5:00pm)

Where: SF Belle Hornblower Yacht (remains docked) Pier 3 Embarcadero, Washington, San Francisco, CA 94111 – United States

Tickets: Dram Club $185.00

VIP ticket $160.00

General admission ticket $130.00

Guests must be 21 years or older to attend. Valid photo ID required.

Hotel For San Francisco:

Hilton San Francisco Financial District Hotel

750 Kearny Street ▪ San Francisco ▪ CA ▪ 94108

Rates: $179 a night with $30 self-parking Ask for the Whiskies of the World room block.

The Reservations Department may be reached toll free at 1-800-424-8292.

What does my ticket include?

Hundreds of whiskies from all over the world to taste, food for pairing, a whisky tasting glass, a cigar Cut and Smoke.

What does Dram Club include?

    One-year Dram Club Membership

VIP only pours

Dinner Buffet

Cigar Cut and Smoke

Masterclass

Special Tasting Glass

Friday Night Dram Club Party

What does VIP include?

    VIP only pours

Easier access to brand ambassadors, distillers and blenders.

Less wait time for samples

A complimentary whisky seminar based on availability

Masterclasses for Whiskies of the World San Francisco 2016

Guests will deepen their knowledge and appreciation of whiskies through our Masterclasses, 45-minute guided tastings of a variety of whisky expressions not sampled during the main event.

David Perkins (High West): Because whiskey matters

An overview of the “why’s” behind High West, our products, and why Utah of all places

Join David Perkins, Founder of High West Distillery, for some “why’s” behind High West and a glimpse into High West’s journey from a silly idea to attempting to become a full-fledged distilling business with a big dream. David will share the stories behind High West: Why Utah? Why the products High West has? Why blend? Why a mountain distillery?

Why do you want to sign up for this seminar? You will taste High West’s core range and some yet-to-be released products made on High West’s new Forsyths pot at the world’s only distillery dude ranch.

Masterclass Pour: Double Rye, American Prairie Bourbon, Rendezvous Rye, Campfire (and some special pours)

Josh Gelfand (The Glenlivet): The Craft of the Cask

Join Master of Scotch, Josh Gelfand, to explore the artistry involved in cask selection, maturation techniques and to learn how different types of wood are used for the complex flavors of Speyside’s signature single malts from The Glenlivet and Aberlour. This exciting tasting will highlight a diverse range of single malts, including cask strength and non-chill filtered varieties. Don’t miss your opportunity to compare and contrast The Glenlivet 15 French Oak Reserve, The Glenlivet Nàdurra First Fill Selection, Aberlour 12, and Aberlour A’bunadh.

Master of Whisky (Diageo): TBD

TBD

Cigars and Whisky: Partagas cigars with a malt and a bourbon 

Welcome Lana Fraser, the premium event manager for General Cigar Company whose factories are located in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Lana’s specialty is consumer education on handcrafted premium cigars. Ms. Fraser will team up with our whisky ambassadors to guide you on a sensory journey utilizing Partagas cigar with a bourbon and a malt.

Website Launch 

Whisky Hammer is delighted to announce the launch of its exciting new whisky auction website.

As an introductory offer, Whisky Hammer is offering 0% commission for sellers, an ideal time to sell and save auction fees.

www.whiskyhammer.co.uk

Whiskey Obsession has become one of the biggest whiskey events in the Southeast, this year it’s March 30 to April 1, 2016, with dozens of master distillers and professional brand ambassadors presenting over 250 whiskies from around the world to around 650 guests. The Festival features three nights of whiskies and cocktails, master classes, interactive panel discussion and tasting, VIP pours, and a massive grand tasting.

The Panel of Whiskey Experts; the four distillers and four ambassadors on  Thursday 3/31/16: Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve distiller and the President of the Kentucky Distillers Association; Pam Heilmann, Michter’s distiller; Brendan Coyle, High West distiller; Rob Dietrich, Stranahan’s distiller; plus Bernie Lubbers from Heaven Hill; David Blackmore from Glenmorangie; Philip Pepperdine from Bowmore; and Gardner Dunn from Yamazaki. These are only a few of the industry professionals participating over the three day Festival.

Video:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=effaR6VmB6g (2016)

             and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVwmQOkOVfs (2015)

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/sarasota_whiskey_obsession

Website: http://www.whiskeyobsessionfestival.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Exploring-Whiskey

JANUARY AUCTION IS NOW LIVE!

Our January auction is now live, and will end on Tuesday 9 February. We have some very rare bourbons from Stitzel-Weller distillery bottled in Lawrenceburg between 1983 and 2002 – these are some of the greatest bourbons ever made and are almost impossible to find.

You’ll also find a good selection of Japanese whiskies, including Hanyu The Joker (monochrome label).  Don’t forget to look at our impressive line-up of blended whisky, too – alongside the 1940s there is also a good range from the 1960s and 1970s. Look out for the following bottles, and good luck with your bids!
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• Ardbeg 1967 Signatory Sherry Cask #1138
• Bowmore Sherriff’s 8 Years Old
• Bunnahabhain 1966 35 Years Old
• Hibiki 30 Years Old
• Hirsch 13 Years Old Straight Rye Lawrenceburg
• Karuizawa 1972 Cask #7290
• Macallan 1950 Over 15 Years Old
• Van Winkle 12 Years Old Lawrenceburg

You can bid in two ways: either increase the highest bid by a fixed amount, or place your maximum bid straightaway – ideal if you can’t be online on the last day of our auction. Be the first to bid!

Hi folks.

The 58th auction is now live!

ENJOY!!!!!!

THE SWA TEAM

FEBRUARY TASTINGS

New Outturn 19 Greville Street, Sat 6 Feb  More >

Steak & Whisky 19 Greville Street, Mon 8 Feb  More >

Valentines Champagne & Whisky Tasting – 28 Queen Street, Sat 13 Feb  More >

Whisky & Sushi Valentines Tasting  – 19 Greville Street, Sat 13 Feb More >

Greenock Preview Tasting – The Tontine Hotel, Fri 19 Feb  More >

Panel Beaters – The Vaults, Thu 25 Feb  More >

Birmingham Preview Tasting – Hotel du Vin, Fri 26 Feb  More >

Manchester Preview Tasting – Malmaison, Fri 26 Feb  More >

Newcastle Preview Tasting – The Caledonian Hotel, Fri 26 Feb  More >

Stirling Preview Tasting – The Golden Lion Hotel, Fri 26 Feb  More >

FREE EVENTS

The Vaults Poker Night – The Vaults, Tue 9 Feb   More >

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm).

Visit the Society here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

SPIRIT OF SPEYSIDE WHISKY FESTIVAL, SCOTLAND

*News Flash* The Festival programme will be online from the 28th January and tickets going on sale at 12 noon (GMT) on 2nd February – go and see our fantastic exclusive events mcleanscotland and whisky tours; Ian Buxton night, a fab coach tour and whisky school with Vic Cameron.  Vic Cameron is in a rather unique position in being (a good friend of ours) a local minister as well as working in the whisky industry. He left Diageo in 2014 after 23 years to work in the church, having built up a wide range of experience in his time with the distilling giant; from labs to cereal procurement, from process optimisation to production management. As well as running the church, Vic uses his vast experience to run two industry related businesses. Discerning of Spirits provides expert yet independent whisky nosing and tasting experiences for companies and private individuals, he also writes a monthly whisky article for the Northern Scot and is currently Lecturer in Whisky for the University of the Highlands and Islands. VC Services provides training and consultancy solutions for the barley, malting and distilling industry with current clients based in the UK and Europe. Vic has a passion for single malt Scotch whisky and wants to share that passion with as wide an audience as possible.

Vic is taking two half day whisky schools for us, one as a part of our coach tour, the other open for ticket sales;

“Stairway to Heaven” presentation…

1. Barley breeding, how and why?
2. Barley varieties and differences, with brief history and timeline of varieties.
3. Testing and Evaluation System – micro and macro scale, who does what and when?

This would be of interest to those really into their whisky in a big way, probably for the “anoraks”.

There will also be a tasting hosted by Vic and Krish Kumar from Paul John Distilleries.

7.30 @ Mansion House Hotel, Elgin, Wednesday 28 April 2016.  tickets are limited supply only available on the SoS website.

The whisky for this evening has been kindly donated by Paul John Distillery, India.

………………………………

“DOES PACKAGING AFFECT YOUR PURCHASES”?  It’s not about a winning dram, taste and packaging, an evening with Ian Buxton, sharing drams and chatting on the merits of packaging – does it influence your purchases?

We have 5 drams to taste, but will have more packaging on show.

Max of 50 tickets – only available on the SoS website.

………………………………

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2016.  28th April – 2nd May COACH TOUR  The best Speyside whisky tour package; a programme of visits and events – we have only 24 tickets on offer. You can also upgrade to the 4 star Mansion House Hotel (limited rooms – email for details). INCLUDED: 3 days coach transport, 2 whisky dinners, Ian Buxton evening ticket, 5 nights accommodation with en suite bathrooms, 5 fully cooked Scottish breakfasts, 4 distillery visits (Speyside, Benromach, Glen Grant & Glen Moray), half day whisky school, extra drams daily whilst on our coach, outdoor whisky tasting at Rannoch Barracks, 2 days free time, whisky first aid kit, fully printed tour notes, guided and managed throughout with Liz and Paul on tour.

ALL OF THESE EVENTS can be seen/booked on http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/

You can also enquire on any of these events and more, via http://www.whiskytours.scot/  or  http://www.mcleanscotland.com/

Probably   the best whisky tour company in the world – DRAMS ARE MADE OF THIS!