I have three exceptional opportunities for you this week, including two incredible opportunities for people living in the NYC area.

First: Be one of 24 lucky WhiskeyLovers to spend an evening with Chip Tate of Balcones Distillery, enjoying a spectacular meal at New York’s hottest new restaurant: Harlow NYC.

Balcones was founded by Chip in 2008 and, in just five years has become one of the most awarded craft distillers in the United States.

On Saturday evening, April 6th, Chip will host an intimate whiskey dinner at Harlow NYC, where Chef Danny Ye has created a special five-course menu just for the evening – each course was designed to pair with a Balcones Whiskey. (scroll down for the evening’s menu)

The cost for the evening is $150 per person, including tax and gratuity.

Seating is limited to just 24 people. Reservations are mandatory, and can be purchased here…and better make them now, because with just 24 seats available, once they’re gone…

Second: On Wednesday April 3rd, WhiskyLive NYC comes to Pier Sixty, at Chelsea Piers on Manhattan’s West Side, for an outrageous evening of whisky exploration and education. Hundreds of exceptional whiskies from around the world will be poured, while Master Classes by renowned industry thought leaders are offered along with great food and music.

Tickets for the event are:

– $149 for the VIP treatment, which includes early entrance to the event at 5:00pm, 90 minutes earlier than standard admission, a Whisky Live tasting glass, show guide, full dinner buffet and 14 drink vouchers.

– $119 for regular entrance at 6:30pm, plus a Whisky Live tasting glass, show guide, full dinner buffet and 8 drink vouchers.

But wait!..Enter coupon code “explorer” when you purchase your tickets, and receive 15% off your ticket price. And VIP ticket purchasers will also get a 1-year subscription to Whisky Magazine.

Third: This week’s featured whisky: Ledaig 10 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Launched in 2006, Ledaig 10 YO ($45.65/ bottle) comes steeped in a rich traditional culture. The name, pronounced ‘Led-chig’, comes from the Gaelic for ‘safe haven’, which is an apt moniker for a malt distilled on the Isle of Mull, surrounded by unpredictable local seas off the west coast of Scotland.

Ledaig’s character owes its quality to many sources; the traditional 18th century Tobermory distillery, the maturation for the full 10 years in superior oak wood casks. The dark and aromatic lochan water source situated high on the mountains, the malted barley that has been exclusively peat dried and the 46.3% alcohol by volume that complements the smokiness of the palate perfectly. This is a many-layered masterpiece.

If you live within 150 miles of NYC, I urge you to attend Whisky Live NYC on Wednesday April 3rd, and then join me for an unforgettable evening with Chip Tate of Balcones at Harlow on Saturday April 6th.

Until next week, I wish you the finest of spirits!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

Chef Danny Ye’s Menu for the Dinner with Chip Tate

First Course:
Rumble cured salmon with wasabi dijonnaise
Pairing: Balcones Rumble

Second Course:
Tuna crudo with pickled red chili, prosciutto, watercress, and a Brimstone Tosazu reduction
Pairing: Balcones Baby Blue

Third Course:
Nodi marini with Brimstone braised oxtail
Balcones pairing: Brimstone

Fourth Course:
Salmon with chorizo and Asian pear salsa.
Balcones pairing: True Blue 100

Dessert:
Single Malt Churros with warm chocolate sauce
Balcones pairing: Texas 1 Single Malt

LEDAIG 10YO SINGLE MALT ISLAND WHISKY

DISTILLERS TASTING NOTES

Color: Bright lemony gold

Nose: Immediately pungent with sweet tar and creosote aromas that release wood smoked fragrances with hints of liquorice and leather

Body: Sweet, smoky flavors with an explosion of spicy pepper, then boast a savory salty maltiness

Finish: Liquorice and cloves combine into a medium length smoked pepper finish. An ideal balance of peat, smoke and wood.

Scotch-MaltWhisky.com gives away collectable 1930s and 1940s vintage whisky labels 

Scotch-MaltWhisky.com today announced that it is giving away several 1930s and 1940s vintage whisky labels as prizes for their monthly random draw contest. With participation as simple as leaving a name and email address on their website, Scotch-MaltWhisky.com hopes that the contest will encourage whisky consumers to discover and appreciate fine whisky, and join their social community of like-minded enthusiasts.

Scotch-MaltWhisky.com started in 2012 as a website that was devoted to the promotion of fine whisky, and was built and designed to help enthusiasts find their favourite brews and discover new ones. Today, it features over 3000 whisky products ranging from the rare and expensive to the treasured miniature. It also has a growing collection of articles on whisky appreciation, history, and facts about the most sought after bottles.

“We are passionate about helping whisky enthusiasts rediscover their love for fine whisky”, said James Parker, writer for Scotch-MaltWhisky.com. “These vintage whisky labels will be a great addition to any enthusiast’s collection, and we hope that they will ignite the passion in appreciating the history and legacy of fine whisky in our social community.”

With whisky developing an ever growing popularity around the world, James noted that, “whisky appeals to people’s sense of continuity and longing for something of quality.” He added that, “the diaspora of visitors we have to our website is amazing, it cuts across all income groups and geographical regions around the world. The great thing about the whisky industry is that they offer something for everyone. Whisky is a timeless product that we should all be proud of.”

With whisky labels having a vibrant collector’s scene the vintage nature of Scotch-MaltWhisky.com’s labels is likely to draw particular interest. Many of the labels being offered capture a period of huge change within the world represented in their iconography and style. They present a world of exploration and hope while appealing to the timeless nature of whisky.

James adds: “Scotch-MaltWhisky.com is continuously updated with the whiskies we discover and want to share with our fellow enthusiasts. Our goal is to become an authority in whisky with an active social community of people with similar interests.”

The first contest to give away vintage whisky labels is underway and runs through 7 April 2013. To participate, visit the contest web page or Scotch-MaltWhisky.com.

Okay, this isn’t funny. It’s now mid-March and I think we’ve seen the sun twice. Still, its good whisky-drinking weather, so perfect for a whisky event or two…

So much to bring you up to speed with, including our next raft of tastings around the UK, plus our Brighton, Edinburgh, Leeds and London Whisky Festivals. We have a new review up on the website of the fabulous Balcones, a quick review here of the Newcastle Whisky Festival and more! Read-on…

With the amazingly well-received Japan Vs Scotland tastings reaching their climax in York, Leeds and Sheffield this week and next, we usher in our next series of sitting down dramanigans. We have been very lucky people indeed in securing the prestigious whiskies from the SMWS – Scotch Malt Whisky Society – for our April/May program. If you haven’t experienced the delights of the SMWS previously, you are in for a real treat. ‘The Society’, as it is known by its fans and customers, is now in its 30th year and is without doubt the most prolific independent bottler in the world. In order to keep world peace and avoid embarrassing scenarios, each bottle is labelled with numerical codes and funky, taste-related names. This only adds to the mystery and intrigue and appeals to the ‘inner-geek’ in us all! The best news of all is that all of their bottlings are single cask and cask strength… nuff said I reckon. Check out the tasting dates below and get booking – these are going to sell-out quick!

With our first festival of the year under our belt – see Newcastle review below – we are preparing with all guns blazing for a rapid succession of shows in Brighton, Edinburgh, London and Leeds. That’s a lot of miles and even more whisky to organise. We also need to organise the most important thing, which is YOU! All of these festivals are now up on the website with tickets still available for all. We have a cheeky little early-bird in operation now for Leeds and a few still left for London, so get your skates on as these won’t last long.

SUNDAY 19TH MAY 2013
We are very excited to finally announce a project – as part of the London Whisky Festival – that we have been working on for months, if not years. We wanted to find a way of combining our main interests of whisky, music and food and we think we’ve finally nailed it. We don’t want to give too much away as we would like it to be a revelation on the day, but we can tell you it will involve tasting whiskies from the stands as per a ‘normal festival’, but interspersed with short bursts of live music, tied in with blending. It should prove to be a really interesting and eye-opening day with plenty of chances to experience something new. We’ve also kept the ticket price as low as possible at £25 to encourage you out on a Sunday afternoon…

The 5th Newcastle Whisky Festival on Saturday 9th March was a vibrant and exciting event with punters enjoying the whiskies from new and old exhibitors. As always we ran our ‘Dram of the Day’ and ‘Stand of the Day’ competitions, with Diageo performing a clean sweep in both categories. Kilchoman and Whisky Broker also proved popular with silvers and Brora 30yo and Balcones filled the last medal slots with well-deserved bronzes. ‘Under the Counter Drams’ included Talisker 25yo, Benromach 30yo, Brora 30yo, Highland Park Thor, Glen Grant 1974 and more. I think we can safely say it was the best year yet going by customer and exhibitor feedback and we look forward to next year.

Hopefully this gives you a taste of what to expect in the coming months at our other festivals around the country…

As promised above, here are the dates for the upcoming SMWS series of tastings. Tickets are only £20 and include your drams. Each tasting starts at 7pm and lasts up to two hours. Just click on the venue and date you are interested in. Simples!

DATES & VENUES

23RD APRIL LONDON
24TH APRIL LONDON
25TH APRIL BRIGHTON
 2ND MAY DURHAM
3RD MAY NEWCASTLE
4TH MAY MANCHESTER
22ND MAY LEEDS
24TH MAY YORK

15th-18th June & 19th-22nd June 2013

As you may have seen from our last newsletter, we are heading to Islay in June and taking some of you with us!

We are taking 20 lucky customers over the course of 2 three-night trips on a ‘back-stage’ tour of the island and its distilleries. We are staying in a beautiful farmhouse and cottage and we will be ferried around in relative luxury from place to place. Now, if you thought you were too late to sign up, you’re not. We have 4 places left on the 1st trip and 2 places on the 2nd. Tickets are £300 and include travel from Glasgow, accommodation on the island and all distillery tours.

If you’re interested have a look at the pages on the website, send us an email or call us on 01904 410841.

We look forward to seeing you soon! Slainte, Eddie, Amanda & Joe

Jolly Toper WHISKY TASTING
at The Kilderkin, 65 Canongate, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, 7.30pm – 10.00pm

 THEME: bottled at the distillery No.2 Thursday 21.3.13 £20/17*

 A wee while ago we tried 5 drams that were filled directly from the cask at the distillery: Benromach, Aberlour, Glen Moray, Old Pulteney and Springbank. Since then there are a few other distilleries offering this service so it’s time to see what’s on offer:-

Glen Garioch 13yo 29.11.1999 – 28.02.2013 Bourbon cask No.2907 bottle No.43 59.0%
Arran sherry cask No.608 distilled 25/06/96 bottled 09/07/12 16yo 325 bottles 52.4%
Glendronach 19yo cask filled 24.9.1993 bottled the other day 59.2% oloroso butt
Longrow bottle filled on 2.3.13 48.8%
Glenfiddich 55.5% 15yo

 ENTRY BY PRE-PAID TICKET ONLY

 *£3 discount to first timers & members (membership cost £10 for 13 months)
Further details at www.jollytopertastings.co.uk

Femmes Fatales YYC

A Women’s Whisky & Brown Liquor Club

Presents

Introducing Scotch Whisky

March 19, 2013 6:15 – 7:30 PM

@ Winebar Kensington

Come join a deadly group of women as Andrew Ferguson from Kensington Wine Market takes us on a tasting tour of five different scotch whiskies. Wewill enjoy some appetizers from Winebar Kensington as we sip on our scotch.

Cost: $40.00 (members) or $50 (non-members)

You are also invited to stay on and enjoy dinner with the group at Winebarfollowing the tasting.

To sign up for the event:

Visit our website: www.femmesfatalesyyc.webs.com

or

Email: femmesfatalesyyc@gmail.com

Whisky Tasting – Càrn Mòr

We’re really looking forward to this very special evening with Peter Mackay from the Scottish Liqueur Centre in Perth. They independently age single malt whiskies under the Càrn Mòr label. As well as promising to be a fascinating evening when you’ll learn some secrets about how independent bottlers go about choosing their casks, we’re delighted to confirm the following drams will be on taste:

Bowmore 2001 12yo Pedro Ximenez finish

Miltonduff 1998 15 yo Trockenbeerenauslese
wine cask finish

Tamdhu 1991 22yo Trockenbeerenauslese
wine cask finish

Bladnoch 1990 21yo

Girvan 1989 Bourbon Barrel 24 yo

Tamnavulin 1968 45 yo

Further information from David Gardener 01384 394518 Email: david@nickollsandperks.co.uk

Carn Mor Ambassador tasting – Thursday 21st March 2013 £25.00 inc VAT

Glengoyne Distillery Whisky Tasting – Thursday 18th April 2013

 For our next tasting evening we will be welcoming along Alan Wardrop of Ian Mcaleod Distillers, who will be presenting whiskies from Glengoyne Distillery.

This extremely attractive distillery is uniquely situated right on the Highland line, and has some of the friendliest and most knowledgeable staff you could wish to meet. Slow distillation, no use of peat in the kilning process and, most unusually, a proportion of Golden Promise barley being included in the mash bill, produces wonderfully elegant yet flavoursome single malts. A good spread of ages and judicious cask selection add to this mix, resulting in a well crafted and varied range of expressions.

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 Glengoyne Distillery Whisky Tasting
Date Thursday 18th April 2013

Time 7pm for 7.30pm
Venue Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren SN6 7SD

Details Alan will be tasting through the whole range of Glengoyne whiskies with us. This comprises 10 year old, 12 year old, 15 year old, 18 year old, 21 year old and cask strength whiskies so is an excellent opportunity to find out your own personal favourite.

Tickets are £13.50 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 allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and as these tastings usually sell out within hours it is best to book ASAP. To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com and place an order for the number you require.

Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night so come prepared.

N.B. We have negotiated special rates at the hotel for anyone who wants to stay overnight after the tasting – click here for further details.

The Vancouver and Victoria April tastings are open for registration!

Join the fun as our BC retailers lead you through April’s exquisite single cask bottlings, including one from a distillery we haven’t released before (quantities will be VERY limited, so don’t wait too long to snap one up).

Enjoy great scotch, great light bites and great camaraderie!

For details and to register:

Victoria First Friday Release Tasting
Friday, April 5th 6:30pm
$40+tax for SMWS members; $50+tax for non-members
The Strath Ales, Wines & Spirits
Register in person at
919 Douglas Street, Victoria
or by phone at 250-370-9463
or by email at whisky@strathconahotel.com

Vancouver January Outturn Tasting

Monday, April 8th 6:45pm
$40+tax for SMWS members; $50+tax for non-members
Edgemont Fine Wines, Spirits & Ales
Register in person at 3020 Edgemont Boulevard, North Vancouver
or on-line at http://ow.ly/1TDhg1
For more information call 604-984-9463

GLOBAL SENSATION ‘OF MONSTERS AND MEN’ SET TO ROCK BUSHMILLS LIVE 2013 – ONLY INDIE MUSIC FESTIVAL IN AN IRISH WHISKEY DISTILLERY 

Bushmills Village: March 2013: The Old Bushmills Distillery today announced that it will throw open its doors to play host to world class headline acts and emerging indie talent at ‘Bushmills Live’ – a unique two-day festival celebrating handcrafted whiskey and music.

Bushmills Live will take place on Ireland’s stunning North Coast on 19th and 20th June 2013 and is the only indie music festival in an Irish Whiskey distillery.

Internationally acclaimed indie folk band, Of Monsters and Men will headline the two day festival – their first ever gig in Northern Ireland.

The Icelandic five-piece are currently enjoying enormous worldwide success having just won the 2013 European Border Breakers Award*, which honours the best new European music acts. Of Monsters and Men have been dubbed the ‘must see act’ of the year and this summer marks the beginning of a busy festival schedule for the group which will include a performance at one of the biggest international festivals, Coachella in California – making their intimate appearance at Bushmills Live unlike any other that fans will experience this year.

Only 500 tickets are available globally for Bushmills Live, which will see both iconic and emerging artists share the stage for a series of intimate gigs in age-old buildings at the historic Old Bushmills Distillery, where the art of distilling has been perfected over generations.

The ‘money can’t buy tickets’ will not go on general release. Instead, music and whiskey fans can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a draw on the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Facebook page – facebook.com/bushmills1608.  Entries to the draw will open this Sunday, on St Patrick’s Day at 16:08 GMT.

Ragnar Þórhallsson, singer with Of Monsters and Men, said: “Playing a show in such a unique location, around the centuries-old warehouses and whiskey barrels, to such an intimate audience, is an experience we are very excited about.  It’s going to make our first gig in Northern Ireland a memorable one, and not just for us, for the fans too, we hope!”

Of Monsters and Men are in good company. They join a list of fellow indie rockers such as the iconic Snow Patrol, singer-songwriters Foy Vance and Iain Archer, Elijah Wood, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Marcus Foster, The Staves, General Fiasco and David C Clements who all played electrifying performances at Bushmills Live last year.

Bushmills Live can also be credited with providing a great platform for up-and-coming music acts to launch their careers. The Staves have gone on to support Bon Iver on his global tour while Foy Vance has had continued success and is set to support Ed Sheeran on the European and US legs of his 2013 tour.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s event Master Blender at The Old Bushmills Distillery, Helen Mulholland, promised fans that they can expect to enjoy “great music between great friends.”

“Whiskey and music have always gone well together”, added Helen Mulholland. “And at Bushmills Live we like to make both by hand, bringing this fusion of handcrafted whiskey and handcrafted music together against the backdrop of our beautiful distillery with performances from artists who are friends – which makes for a cracking atmosphere!”

“It goes without saying that we’re looking forward to extending a warm Bushmills welcome to our new friends, Of Monsters and Men, and to emerging artists who we’re proud to support by creating a music platform that allows fans to discover new and upcoming talent.

“I can’t wait to reveal the rest of the line up in the coming weeks. We’re of course just as excited to open our doors to whiskey and music fans the world over who want to attend Bushmills Live, so get your entry in and good luck!” 

NOTES 

Bushmills Irish Whiskey Facebook: facebook.com/bushmills1608

Bushmills Irish Whiskey Twitter: @BushmillsGlobal

Twitter Hashtag: #BushmillsLive 

OF MONSTERS AND MEN BIOGRAPHY

Of Monsters and Men is an amiable group from Iceland whose debut album “My Head Is An Animal” is a collection of infectious folkie pop songs. With the group’s single “Little Talks”, the band (consisting of Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar Þórhallsson, Brynjar Leifsson, Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, Kristján Páll Kristjánsson) has become a breakout act all around the world.

After a breakout year, “My Head Is An Animal,” the band’s debut album, was officially certified platinum worldwide. Surpassing 1 million sales, the record remains a clarion call for the band’s invigorating style. The band capped off the year with “Little Talks” selling over 3.5 million singles worldwide, the album reaching Platinum status in Canada and Ireland, as well as Gold in multiple countries including Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States.

In 2013, Of Monsters and Men will embark on a world tour including stops in Japan, Australia, South America, UK, Europe, and heading back to North America this summer.

*More information on the European Border Breakers Awards: http://www.europeanborderbreakersawards.eu/eng

ABOUT THE COMPETITION:

To win tickets to ‘Bushmills Live’ or to find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry opens at 16:08 GMT on 17th March 2013 and closes at 23:59 GMT on 5th May 2013. Winners will be notified by 9th May. Terms and conditions apply.

The Facebook competition is open to people of at least 18 years, in:

• Great Britain
• Republic of Ireland
• Northern Ireland
• Germany
• Portugal
• Russia
• USA
• Canada
• Czech Republic
• Latvia

From each, one pair of finalists will win tickets to ‘Bushmills Live’.

ABOUT BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY

With a heritage rooted in authenticity and quality, Bushmills Irish Whiskey is produced, aged and bottled at Ireland’s oldest working distillery in the village of Bushmills in County Antrim on the far north coast of Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery uses 100% malt barley to make triple distilled malt whiskey, which is what creates the rich, mellow and distinct flavour that is the house style. The Bushmills portfolio includes: Bushmills Irish Whiskey; Black Bush, Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt, Bushmills 1608 and now Bushmills Irish Honey. 

ABOUT DIAGEO
Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards Wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.