Speysiders Benriach/Glendronach
Friday 27th April at 7.30pm
2 in 1 Whisky tasting event at Nickolls and Perks Cellars in Stourbridge.

A tutored tasting with ex distillery manager turned brand ambassador Stewart Buchanan
Being in production for almost 20years Stewart likes to give people an insight into the different production and maturation techniques used at both distilleries as well as taking them through the expressions’ if time allows!

Benriach 20YO /16YO Sauternes /17YO Septendecim /17YO Solstice 2nd Edition

Glendronach 12YO/ 21YO Parliament/ 15YO Port Finish

————————-

Tickets £25

Slainte

PS: Midlands Whisky Festival Tickets 29th September 2012

available to buy at:

http://www.nickollsandperks.co.uk/product.asp?product=FESTWHIS290912

Come Meet & Greet Master Distiller Dave Pickerell!

250 Ogle Street Costa Mesa CA 92627 1(800) 331-3005

Ladies only Whisky Tasting with Zoran Peric of Suntory – Wednesday 16th May

On Wednesday 16th May we will be hosting our first Ladies Whisky tasting of the year and we are delighted that Zoran Peric will be coming along to present some of the distinctively elegant Japanese whiskies from the Suntory range. These sophisticated whiskies are perfect for an early summer evening and will be enjoyed by both whisky novices and more experienced whisky drinkers. Full details of the evening are below but just to whet your appetite, as Zoran is a top mixologist you will be greeted with one of his renowned whisky cocktails before moving on to taste through 5 or 6 drams of these fragrant whiskies (which will include the subtle smokiness of the Hakushu 12 year old for those of you who like a touch of peat).

Whisky, cocktails, good company – the perfect ingredients for a great girls night out! 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

Ladies only Whisky Tasting with Zoran Peric of Suntory
Wednesday 16th May 2012

7pm for 7.30pm
Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren

Ladies, if you’ve never tasted Japanese whisky before then this is your ideal opportunity to see why whisky from Japan has grown so much in popularity in recent years. Whilst the basic method of whisky production is similar in Japan to Scotland, the two Suntory distilleries have some fascinating variations in production. For example, at the Yamazaki distillery they have 6 different types of pot still and use many different types of barrels – including one made from the Japanese Mizunara tree.

These type of variations, along with a mild climate, result in a distinctive style of sweet and elegant whisky that we think you will enjoy sampling – so come along and give them a try!

Tickets are £12.50 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. To buy tickets just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com and place an order for the number you require, or telephone us with your payment details on (01793) 765071, or call in and see us at Arkwrights, The Dormers, Highworth, Wiltshire.

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 – contact us for further details of rates.

Arkwrights Whisky & Wines. Phone No. 01793 765071 Fax No. 01793 764860 Registered Address. The Dormers, Highworth, Wiltshire, SN6 7PE

For people with a passion for authentic Scottish pourings, there can be no more important event this spring than the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (3rd-7th May).

The five-day festival is one of the most important on the whisky calendar and a ‘must’ for all devotees of the dram. Speyside boasts over half of Scotland’s distilleries which produce 7 of the top 10 best selling single malt whiskies in the world, and the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival offers an unrivalled opportunity to uncover the unique culture and heritage of Scotland’s famed whisky country.

Visitors with all levels of experience of enjoying whisky can join interesting, instructional and inspirational events – from distillery tours offering an insight into some of Speyside’s most famous names including Cardhu, Glen Grant, The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, The Macallan and Benromach, as well as a number usually closed to the public such as Glen Elgin, Glenlossie and Mannochmore, Glen Spey, Speyburn and The Glenrothes, to masterclasses and demonstrations exploring the arts behind the creation of the traditional Scottish tipple.

Festival-goers will be initiated into the Speyside whisky secrets and immersed in the culture of whisky country – with ample opportunity to explore the stunning surroundings as well and the chance to discover the passion behind the world’s finest whiskies from some of the industry’s finest experts, from blenders to coopers and mashmen to managers.

Serious sippers can choose from a number of tours and tastings, hosted by those in the know at the area’s 50+ distilleries. Guests keen to hone their nosing and tasting tactics can choose to attend events designed to develop their understanding of the dram including the chance to sample award-winning offerings at Benromach or Gordon and MacPhail and introductions to the process behind famous name pourings such as Glenlivet and Glenfiddich and Chivas (complete with a chance to sample a selection of the products).

And visitors can take an inside look at an independent distillery at Glenfarclas, which will also be offering an opportunity to enjoy the “Chairman’s Reserve” – sampling single cask offerings from four key years as well as the spirit picked to celebrate 175 successful years at the stills.

For whisky-loving foodies there are invites to enjoy a nip and a nibble, and to explore the relationship between the whisky makers and farmers who enjoy a special symbiosis on Speyside. Guests can enjoy perfectly married meals where courses are paired with exquisite expressions, visit whisky and food workshops and learn to match dishes and drams or take the ‘Plough to Plate’ tour to discover more about Speyside’s superlative produce.

Visitors who are hungry to learn more about the history and heritage of the Speyside spirit can follow in the footsteps of the Speyside smugglers, exploring the backcountry braes that housed the first illicit stills or spend an evening with Scottish “Whisky Bard” Robin Laing. Alternatively they can join respected industry author David Wishart, who will this year launch the 10th anniversary edition of his trusted tome Whisky Classified, as he explores the Wonderful World of Whisky.

And if all that education leaves fans and followers hankering for a bit of hands on experience, they are in luck, with a choice between events such as the ‘Blend it Like’ workshop at the Cardhu distillery (home of Johnnie Walker) and the chance to help choose bottlings at the Glenfarclas or Gordon and MacPhail distilleries.

Since taking part in tutorials, tours and tastings will likely see visitors exposed to more than just the “angel’s share” of this authentic Scottish spirit, a range of events in the open air are on offer to help festival goers keep clear heads – from stream train tours through the heart of stunning Speyside, to wildlife walks up the region’s famed “Whisky Mountain”, Ben Rinnes. Fans of the outdoors can also explore the area with guided Landrover trips, or experience the outdoors in an amphibious Argocat.

Festival Chairman Jim Royan said: “The Spirit of Speyside festival offers whisky lovers the chance to pursue their passion and deepen their understanding of the processes, place and people that make this authentic Scottish spirit.

“As always, tickets for our exclusive events are selling fast and we are looking forward to 2012 being our finest festival yet.”

Notes

– Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs from Thursday, 3rd May – Monday, 7th May. Check out www.spiritofspeyside.com for up-to-date news and follow the Festival at www.facebook.com/WhiskyFestival or www.twitter.com/spirit_speyside

– The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors needing to travel to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options including a taxi voucher scheme (sponsored by Diageo) providing festival goers with a 25% reduction on fares with participating operators, various pre-bookable dedicated bus shuttles and even a “Dram Line” off-road Argocat taxi for a day long distillery tour or Saturday night whisky-country-crawl.

– The Festival also runs several competitions and awards including the prestigious Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards as well as the Photographic Competition

– Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from EventScotland and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners

– EventScotland: EventScotland is the national events agency. EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. 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.

– About the Year of Creative Scotland 2012: The Year of Creative Scotland began on January 1, 2012 and is a chance to showcase, celebrate and promote Scotland’s cultural and creative strengths on a world stage. Through a dynamic and exciting year-long programme of activity celebrating our world-class events, festivals, culture and heritage, the year puts Scotland’s culture and creativity in the international spotlight with a focus on cultural tourism and developing the events industry and creative sector in Scotland. More information about the programme can be found at: www.visitscotland.com/creative. The Year of Creative Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative led in partnership by EventScotland, VisitScotland, Creative Scotland and VOCAL.

Cooley’s Irish Whiskey Tasting Friday 16th March 2012
Held in the Station Hotel, over 100 Drambusters sat down to a selection of Irish Whiskeys, blended, grains and malts. Gordon Hughes, the speaker for the night was very grateful for the warm welcome received. We all learned a lot about the Irish Whiskey industry and the history of it and the favourite whiskey of the evening was the Greenore 8yo Single Grain. It was a smooth silky sweet and luscious dram.. perfect on its own or with a pint of Guinness!

Drambusters Whisky Festival 2012
Tickets will be on sale from May 1st for our second Whisky Festival. We have organised two Master Classes, Bruichladdich and either Tomintoul or McKillop’s Choice. More information will follow both in the newsletters and also online, so keep an eye on our email newsletters, website and facebook pages as well as our tweets @drambusters.

DRAMBUSTERS DATES FOR THE DIARY
Friday 27th April – Kilchoman Whisky tasting – details enclosed
Friday 1st June – Morrison Bowmore tasting – details enclosed
Saturday 30th June – Arran Malt & Music Festival – detail enclosed
Friday 13th July – Carn Mor tasting by Scottish Liqueur Centre (winner of the ‘Golden Dram 2011’ at our whisky festival with their Beinn a’Cheo Macallan)
Saturday 24th November – Whisky Festival

We are also trying to organise the following:
A ‘Whisky & Cheese’ tasting at The Room @ The Troqueer Arms as well as a rum tasting and a trip to Springbank and Glengyle distilleries later in the year with an overnight stay.. details will follow as soon as we know more!

Kilchoman Tasting Friday 27th August 2012
STATION HOTEL 7.30 for 7.45pm £13.50 per member

Dueto the success of our Whisky Festival in November last year, Anthony Wills of Kilchoman Distillery was very keen to do a tasting of his whiskies for us. As Kilchoman is a relatively new distillery, as well as tasting the whiskies, we are sure that the talk will be extremely interesting on the history of the distillery and the highs and lows of setting up and running a new distillery from scratch. With the tasting being just two weeks away please reply as soon as possible to avoid any disappointment. Please use the booking form enclosed with your newsletter that is coming through the post. If you wish to become a DRAMBUSTER so that you can attend this tasting please follow this link CLUB MEMBERSHIP

Morrison Bowmore Tasting
Friday 1st June 2012 STATION HOTEL 7.30 for 7.45pm £13.50 per member

Paul Goodwin, Whisky Ambassador for Morrison Bowmore, will be our guest speaker on the night. Paul took the Glen Garioch Master Class at the Whisky Festival last year. We will be trying whiskies from four distilleries on the evening, Auchentoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Yamazaki. The booking form will be sent out in next month’s newsletter.

ARRAN MALT & MUSIC FESTIVAL 2012
(formerly known as Arran Distillery Open Day) Saturday 30th June 2012 £50 per person
Due to the overwhelming success of last year’s visit and the very keen interest already shown for this year’s trip, we will be organising a bus for Saturday 30th June. The format will be the same as last year and please note that neither the bus nor the ferry will wait for any latecomers on the way there or on the way back! PRIORITY PLACES GO TO MEMBERS AND THEREAFTER TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. The distillery has organised a special tasting for us (taken in two groups of 26) and times will be confirmed for this later.

ITINERARY
7:15am BUS LEAVES FROM WHITESANDS FOR ARDROSSAN
9:15am ARRIVE ARDROSSAN approximately
9:45am FERRY DEPARTS ARDROSSAN
10:40am ARRIVE BRODICK, ARRAN
10:50am BUS LEAVES FERRY TERMINAL FOR DISTILLERY approximately
11.30am ARRIVE ARRAN DISTILLERY approximately

15:30pm BUS LEAVES DISTILLERY (DON’T MISS IT!!)
16:10pm ARRIVE BRODICK FERRY TERMINAL approximately
16:40pm FERRY DEPARTS BRODICK
17.35pm ARRIVE ARDROSSAN
17:45pm BUS LEAVES FERRY TERMINAL AT ARDROSSAN approximately
19:45pm ARRIVE DUMFRIES WHITESANDS (approximately)

On arrival at the distillery you will receive a goodie bag which will include a tasting glass and vouchers to taste some Arran Malt Whiskies. The price of £50 is fully inclusive of the following

Return bus to Dumfries
Return ferry
Bus to and from Distillery
Entry to the Open Day
Special Drambusters tastings

There are only 53 seats on the bus for this fantastic trip, so if you want to come along, don’t dely and book today! Please use Booking Form enclosed with your newsletter coming in the post. Again, if you wish ensure that you are able to attend this trip, and you are not a member please follow the link above to join our Whisky Club. It only costs £10 to be a member until the end of the year. BRIAN’S MOBILE NUMBER IS 07872 937 439. SHOULD THERE BE ANY PROBLEMS ON THE DAY THEN PLEASE PHONE HIM. PLEASE ALSO ENSURE YOU LET US HAVE YOUR MOBILE NUMBER WHEN BOOKING FOR THIS EVENT.

EXTRA SPECIAL OFFERS

In addition to our fantastic Glenfarclas 15yo offer as per our email last week CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED IT!

We also have the unmissable offers below on a selection of Old Malt Cask whiskies…

NORMAL PRICE SPECIAL PRICE EXTRAVAGANZA PRICE

BALBLAIR 20YO 50% £70 £50 NOW £40
DISTILLED JUNE 1990, BOTTLED JULY 2010 ONE OF 637 BOTTLES
NOSE: DARKLY SPICED, SOFTLY OAKED- GINGERY WITH LATE GRIST & HONEY
PALATE: MOUTH-TINGLINGLY SPICED – PEPPERY & FRUITY WITH BARLEY
FINISH: BUTTERSCOTCHED, STILL GRISTY & SPICED WITH A SOFT FADE

BLAIR ATHOL 15YO SHERRY BUTT 50% £54 £44 NOW £38
DISTILLED NOV 1995, BOTTLED NOVEMBER 2010, ONE OF 545 BOTTLES
NOSE: OPENS SWEETLY CARRYING GOLDEN SYRUP AND ORANGES
PALATE: WARMINGLY SPICED RUNNING TO A SWEET MOCHA CHARACTER
FINISH: LONG, STILL SPICY WITH A TANGY BURNT ORANGE PEEL QUALITY

LAPHROAIG 12YO 50% £55 N/A NOW £40
DISTILLED MARCH 1999, BOTTLED JUNE 2011 ONE OF 303 BOTTLES
NOSE: SWEETLY FRAGRANT WITH PEATED BARLEY & LATE SALT & CITRUS
PALATE: MOUTHCOATINGLY OILY/ASHY/TARRY & LATE GRIST AND HONEY
FINISH: BUTTERSCOTCH, DEMERARA SUGAR WITH PEAT & LATE LIQUORICE

AND FINALLY…
For those of you who are ‘DRAMBUSTERS’ having paid your £10 membership fee, your snail mail version of this newsletter will be popping through your door in the next couple of days. Be sure and reply quickly so you don’t miss out on any of these great events. JOIN HERE IF YOU NEED TO! 🙂

Our mailing address is:

T.B.Watson Ltd.
11/17 English Street
Dumfries, Scotland DG1 2BU
United Kingdom

Pipes & Drams Galore!

MCLEANSCOTLAND and Angels Whisky Club are offering a very special long weekend package to this exciting event. Not only will there be almost 9000 pipes & drums on show, but a whole week of events AND added whisky attractions, a few special drams, some superb whisky pub visits distillery and drams, plus – real ale beers! A limited availability here for a maximum of 16 people! You can (of course) add on more days/nights at either end of these dates and, easily add in more distillery visits and more whisky.

CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012
Come to the World’s with us!

THE WORLD’S As well as the coveted Pipeband championship title decider, exciting competitive action across all Grades and the Drum Major contest, there are many exciting additions to keep you entertained. Watch in awe as strong men from around the world compete across several disciplines in the bid to claim glory including caber toss, shot putt and the hammer. Enjoy the Scottish Highland Dancing arena as the best highland dancers from around the world. Not to mention a full week long series of piping events throughout Glasgow. There is something going on morning, noon and night. Its fast, fun, moving, entertaining, exhilarating – it’s Piping Live!

THURSDAY 9, FRIDAY 10 & SATURDAY 11 AUGUST 2012. package includes; 3 nights accommodation in a 4 star George Square (Millennium) hotel, overlooking the main events arena for the piping week, fully cooked Scottish breakfast each morning, ticket to the worlds, a ticket for the grand whisky pub tour with drams included, fully printed tour notes with food & drink and event guide, mcleanscotland staff at hotel each day, bottle of your own blended whisky and Auchentoshan distillery visit. COST per person from £355 COST per person sharing a double or twin room. The whisky trail tour; Award Winning Whisky Tour in Glasgow. Covering: History, Theatre, Culture, Whisky and the great Glasgow “banter”! Jump aboard The Glasgow Whisky Tour bus & explore the passion, characters and FUN behind Glasgow’s whisky history. Hear how Glasgow was built at the many engineering works and shipyards…but fuelled by whisky, which by the way, is included in this tour!

Contact us for speedy booking; worlds@mcleanscotland.com
www.mcleanscotland.com  www.angelswhiskyclub.com

FOR TICKETS PLEASE CLICK HERE
http://www.universalwhiskyexperience.com/events/tickets

M C L E A N S C O T L A N D

T O U R S   T O   R E M E M B E R

THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY to sample a Scottish Clan Gathering and sample some excellent whisky! Aye, first and foremost it is a (group) coach tour of Scotland – so, why would whisky lovers enjoy this? 

Well first; it is Scotland, home of the water of life.

Second; you get to sample Scottish life, culture and meet its people.

Third; need we go on? You get to sample EXCELLENT WHISKIES!!! 

WEDNESDAY 20 June; arrive into Scotland where Liz and Paul will meet you at Glasgow airport. In the afternoon you will have the option of a coach tour around Glasgow.  Staying at the Millennium Hotel, George Square, Glasgow. Dinner included, taken at your leisure. Time for a whisky pub crawl tonight!  We know exactly where to go as you would expect. 

THURSDAY 21 June; We depart Glasgow to sail on Loch Lomond. We then drive through Inveraray to Oban where you can explore the town for a couple of hours, with time for the Oban distillery. Then board the ferry to MULL at. We check into the Isle of Mull Hotel. Dinner this evening at the hotel. A nice wee traditional coaching pub is a wee walk away, with excellent drams waiting for you! 

FRIDAY 22 June; The Coach will depart for Tobermory this morning where you will visit the Tobermory Distillery. Free time here.  Dinner at Isle of Mull  Hotel. More drams tonight at the pub!   

SATURDAY 23 June; the main gathering day. We take you to Duart Castle 10.30 for the 100th Anniversary Gathering of Clan Maclean. All day at the castle. Dinner 6pm at Isle of Mull Hotel. This evening; another visit to Tobermory; sample another grand dram; The Isle of Mull blend (only 1000 litres made annually), sip a dram with the blender in his own pub. 

SUNDAY 24 June; we take the ferry to the mainland and travel through stunning countryside to another wee ferry to Corran. We stop briefly at Inverlochy Castle then to Spean Bridge and the woollen mill for a lunch stop (not inc,) shop and whisky. We continue through the glens and lochs to Pitlochry. Staying at Scotlands Hotel, dinner is included. 

MONDAY 25 JUNE; a day completely to yourselves, a visit and tour to the Blair Atholl Distillery (BELLS) at 3PM. Overnight at Scotland Hotel.  Near Pitlochry we have more distilleries; Edradour and Dewar’s World of Whisky, we can also arrange a visit to one of these (or both). 

TUESDAY 26 JUNE; we head to Inverness for a day trip. Visiting Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness and to the Battlefield and museum at Culloden Visitor Centre. Dinner at the Scotland Hotel. Tonight we will enjoy a whisky tasting in the hotel with your hosts. Four good drams hosted by our friend from a Scottish distillery, a good mix of drams tonight. 

WEDNESDAY 27 JUNE; we head south to Edinburgh and the Carlton Hotel. A superb 4 star hotel in the heart of the city surrounded by great pubs, shops and restaurants, a minute from the Royal Mile!   

THURSDAY 28 JUNE; a day of freedom in our Capital! Explore all Edinburgh has to offer – and that is a lot!  A ticket to the Whisky Heritage Centre and a whisky dinner tonight on the Royal Mile, overnight at the Carlton.  

FRIDAY 29 JUNE; a visit to Rosslyn Chapel and Rosslin village, before heading into Glasgow. We are staying at the 5 star Glasgow Hilton tonight. A farewell Dinner is planned, with whisky! 

THE TOUR ENDS. This one – off Scottish tour is exclusive to MCLEANSCOTLAND and Members of Angels Whisky Club. We have a few places remaining, priced at 1500 pounds per person sharing. Airfare is not included.  For full details please contact Paul or Liz at whisky@mcleanscotland.com 

http://www.mcleanscotland.com/              http://www.angelswhiskyclub.com/

You will be glad to hear Whisky Live Dublin is back building on the fantastic success from its debut in 2011. Ireland’s premier whiskey tasting experience will make a welcome return to The Round Room at The Mansion House in the heart of Dublin’s city centre on Saturday 26th May 2012.

NEW FEATURES FOR 2012

21st May – 26th May
Whiskey Week Ireland begins 21st May through to Whisky Live on the 26th May where will be running tasting events around Ireland so visit www.whiskeylive.com for more details…

Saturday 26th May

Session One
3pm – 6pm

Session Two
7pm – 10pm

• Come to either our day or evening Whisky Live show for the ultimate Irish Whiskey Experience.
• Enjoy cocktails in our new Cocktails area with expert whiskey barman.
• Whiskey & Food Combinations.
• Masterclasses from industry experts available to all.

Become a Whisky Live VIP
• All VIP’s will receive an exclusive VIP Masterclass worth £25 with a Whiskey Expert in either session one or two. Limited places are available so book your tickets now to avoid disappointment.
• All VIP’s will also receive the Whiskey Magazine Tastings Journal worth €9 plus other whiskey gifts.
• Access to the VIP Lounge for more VIP exclusives.
• VIP Food and Exclusive whiskey pouring’s.

Make sure to visit www.whiskylive.com for more details on all our upcoming shows and latest news on Whisky Live Dublin.

www.whiskylive.com

Whisky Live London 2012 – The Report

There was a strong TWE presence this year at London’s Whisky Live show, held in the formidable surroundings of the Honorable Artillery Company just a stone’s throw from Shoreditch High Street, home to the majority of the city’s most tragic tryhards … Continue reading >>