WHISKY FESTIVAL AT CHESTER, ENGLAND 29 OCTOBER

Angels Whisky Club & MCLEANSCOTLAND were there. We actually met Russell (organiser) at Manchester whisky lounge event, where he was helping out a pal. Liz and Paul travelled doon from Perth to Chester, “och its a longer drive than we thought!” said Liz. There were several sets of roadworks, resulting in us leaving Dundee at 10.15 and arriving in Chester at 5.45! Friday saw a wee chat witha nice couple who run whisky tasting company, more on that soon.Time for dinner, “where are you taking me?” says Liz, how is it Paul always pays??? Good grub, now time to chill before the event.

Saturday; The exhibitor’s included; Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Bowmore, Auchentoshan, Yamazaki, (our pals) Cooley’s, Compass Box, Buffalo Trace, Amrut, Heaven Hill, Gordon & Macphail, Arran, Bruichladdich, Tomatin, Antiquary. MCLEANSCOTLAND & Angels Whisky Club.

To be honest there were more independents and bottlers there than distilleries. Also a number of vodka, cognac, etc. Unlike many whisky events we have attended, this was more relaxed, whisky lovers drifted in from 10.30 onwards, no great panicked rush at the opening, made things easier all day for the stand holders. Also, grand news; there was food available at this event! The “punters” were made up of veteran whisky freaks, the casual whisky drinker and complete beginners, in our opinion, it was a great success, the scale of ages, expertise and appreciation was huge, it made for a really good day. Weird how many Scots we met there coming to see what all the fuss was aboot! The most asked question to us; what do we do now? an explanation; we were the first stand/table left of the door, and most people seemed to travel in a clockwise direction, making us first! So what does Liz say; “go get some drams down you and come back to talk to us”.

The venue was ‘The Pavillion’ at Chester Racecourse, newly built Suite – the largest venue at Chester Racecourse and is based in exclusive Paddock area of the course, it was really good as a venue. Started at the racecourse at 09.30 and left around 6pm. Another tiring day but hey, its what we do! Met lots of people and we felt it a good success.

Sunday; homeward bound, at least the road was quiet. Made it back in approx 5 hours. Sadly, no time at all to wander around Chester, its been 20 odd years since either of us have been there, och well.

Did we mention this was the very first whisky event in Chester like this? well it was, our hearty congrats go to Russell and his team – www.chesterwhisky.com see you next year mate! Finally; a big thank you to all stand holders for putting up with Liz and myself beggin for drams!!! The Highland Park and Cooley’s were my favourites (Paul). Liz; er, Bruichladdich and several others!

See story with photos at; http://angelswhiskyclub.com/awc/chesterwhiskyfest.asp

Rare and Collectable Whisky to go under the Hammer at Tennants Auctioneers

Tennants Auctioneers are to hold their second Whisky sale in conjunction with their first Wine sale on the 26th November. This sale will feature for the first time live internet bidding, allowing buyers to bid wherever they may be. The full online catalogue is available at: http://www.tennants.co.uk/Catalogue/Sales/184.aspx

As always there is a great selection of whisky in the sale, divided into around 100 lots of modern classics and rare vintage bottles. Macallan fans are sure to like the 18 Year Old Gran Reserva, estimate £300-500, and there are two bottles of Bowmore, including a Bicentenary bottle, complete with its original wooden crate and certificate, estimate also £300-500.

Another lot sure to be popular is the of Port Ellen 22 Year Old First Annual Release; this bottle is becoming increasingly popular and prices keep climbing. For those looking to buy a bottle to last the full festive period, there is a Double Magnum (four bottles) of Springbank 10 Year Old, distilled 1990 and bottled 2000 by Signatory Vintage, with an enticing estimate of £150-250.

There are also some rare vintage bottles in the sale including a 1931 bottle of Canadian Club, a bottle of Baldnoch, and a bottle of The Three Arches. The bottle is from the early part of the 20th century, but very little is known about the whisky or the distiller, Peter McDavid & Co., Dundee. Also offered in the sale is a collection of fifteen bottles of cognac from the 19th century, some dating back to 1808, as well as a huge selection of Fine Wine, Port and Cigars.

Tennants is a fourth generation family run business based in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. With a specialised team and 21 departments, Tennants can accurately appraise virtually any item, free of charge, with values ranging from £50 to many hundreds of thousands of pounds.

For any enquiries please contact Mark Littler on 01969 623780 or email mark.littler@tennants-ltd.co.uk .

Kind regards,

Mark Littler

Auctioneer and General Valuer
Wine, Whisky and Spirits Specialist

www.tennants.co.uk 

Miner's Delight Inn

Second Saturday Scotch Sipping at Six

2nd Saturday each month 6 – 9 p.m. no reservation required

Enjoy 5 half-ounce samples of single malt Scotch whisky: $20

♦ We feature 3 single malts, including a Malt of the Month *

♦ You roll a die then pick a whisky from one of the six Scotch regions

♦ You pick your Connoisseur’s Choice from our menu of 77 single malts

Peruse our whisky library. Learn about our single malts in our menu book: distillery info, tasting notes, & more. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres. Non-whisky drinkers welcome.

November 12 , 2011
Glen Grant 10 yo *
Longrow CV
Glenkinchie 12 yo

December 10, 2011
Glen Moray 12 yo *
Smokehead
Kilchoman Winter 2010

January 14, 2012
Bunnahabhain 12 yo (46.3%) *
Ardbeg 10 yo
Old Pulteney 12 yo

February 11 , 2012
BenRiach Curiositas 10 yo *
Cardhu 12 yo
Arran 10 yo

March 10 , 2012
Ardmore Traditional *
Glenlivet 16 yo Nadurra
Auchentoshan Valinch

10% off bottles of the Malt of the Month*

Bob at work....

Visit the Miner’s Delight Inn at http://www.minersdelightinn.com/

Sunday Funday is Hitting the Fan

We’re doing it again!

Join us and our hosts at The Fanhouse on Sunday, November 13 from 12-4 for the Eades Whisky and Blues Brunch to celebrate the grand re-opening of their visually stunning restaurant in Richmond’s Fan District.

Our Eades Double Malt whiskies will be the focal point of an ecclectic brunch cocktail menu to pair with an Asian-inspired, never-before-seen (a la carte) brunch menu including:

Five-spice venison osso buco and poached egg over a sweet potato and leek hash
and
Pumpkin french toast with Szechuan peppercorn syrup and fresh fruit

While you’re enjoying the food, the cocktails and the live music, join our own tasting expert Dan FitzHenry at the upstairs bar for the best $5 guided whisky tasting you’ve ever seen. Try all three Eades Double Malt whiskies as Dan helps you deconstruct and understand the many sutble flavors and aromas that comprise our complex Double Malts.

Did we mention this interactive tasting experience is only $5 (and that the cocktails and brunch are served a la carte)? And live music!

So get out of bed, throw on some jeans and walk on down to The Fanhouse for a relaxing Fall Sunday. (And yes, they do have a TV…)

The Fanhouse
N. Robinson and Floyd (2526 Floyd Ave, Richmond, VA 23220)
Sunday, November 13 2011 12-4pm
Call 804.612.8888 for reservations

*GLENFARCLAS DISTILLERY WHISKY TASTING – THURSDAY 8TH DECEMBER 2011*

For our last whisky tasting of the year we are pleased to be welcoming George S. Grant – brand ambassador for Glenfarclas and sixth generation of the Grant family who have owned the distillery since 1865. This family owned and run distillery is situated in the heart of Speyside and is renowned for producing a single malt with a heavy sherry influence – fabulous all year round but particularly enjoyable in the depths of winter and with Christmas fast approaching.

Seeing no reason to change from the traditional methods they have always used (and why would they when it produces such superb malt whisky) Glenfarclas are one of the very few distilleries still using direct fired stills and this directly contributes to the character of their whisky. They also mature all their whisky on site and use dunnage warehousing so this really is whisky making in the traditional way.

We will be tasting a wide range of Glenfarclas expressions that go from the fresh and mouthwatering 10 year old through to whiskies several decades older that are truly indulgent and complex drams. Smoke, spice, fruit and sherry are common notes throughout but in varying degrees that make an exploration of the different whiskies a very enjoyable experience.

Stanton House

The tasting will be held at Stanton House Hotel, Stanton Fitzwarren (www.stantonhouse.co.uk), and will commence at 7.00 for 7.30pm. 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 and as they always sell very quickly it is best to book ASAP. To buy them just log on to www.whiskyandwines.com and place an order for the number you require, or telephone us on (01793) 765071, or call in and see us at Arkwrights, The Dormers, Highworth, Wiltshire.

Admission to the tasting is by ticket only, and most, if not all, of the whiskies tasted will be available to purchase on the night so come prepared.

This is the final tasting of the year and we can think of no better way to bring some cheer to a dark winter’s night than an evening tasting these lovely whiskies – come along and join us!

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

Masters Series Fall 2011
Join us for a series of tastings featuring wine and spirits
chosen by one of America’s foremost wine and spirits authorities,
F. Paul Pacult, editor of The Spirit Journal.

Wednesday, November 9, 7:00 p.m.

Cooley Distillery
The Independent Spirit of Ireland

Please join us to discover the cause of the revolution in Irish Whiskey making! Hailing from the beautiful Cooley Peninsula in County Louth is Ireland’s only independent whiskey distillery, Cooley Distillery.

Whiskey journalist and author Paul Pacult welcomes Brand Ambassador John Cashman to guide you through the whiskeys that have garnered over 300 medals and awards for incomparable quality. Come savor Cooley Distillery Whiskeys including:

Greenore Single Grain 8 Year Old

Kilbeggan 18 Year Old

Tyrconnell
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Sherry Finish
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Madeira Finish
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Finish
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Connemara Peated
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Connemara 12 Year Old Peated
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

$95 per person

For reservations call Keens Steakhouse (212) 947-3636
– Please register early as we expect this event to sell out –

Please fax back to us at (212) 714-1103

For further information
please visit our Upcoming Events page
Or Call (212) 947-3636.

Grant’s #TweetTasting

Good afternoon

If you follow Grant’s on Twitter you will have probably heard about a tasting I’m involved with next week.  This isn’t a tasting in the traditional sense, where we get together over a few drams and talk about the whisky. This tasting is being held on Twitter.

On Wednesday 2nd November at 7pm GMT, our…(please click on the link below for further details of the Twitter tasting)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

Diageo Special Releases 2011 Masterclass

Join us for a taste of some of the most sought after whiskies on the planet.

In the latest Milroy’s of Soho Masterclass we welcome Colin Dunn, Diageo’s multi award-winning Whisky Ambassador, as he talks us this year’s Special Releases of Port Ellen, Brora, Rosebank, Port Dundas, Knockando, Lagavulin and Caol Ila.

At Milroy’s of Soho, 3 Greek Street, London W1D 4NX

On Monday 7th November 2011, 18:30 – 20:30

Buy tickets £55

A carefully selected platter of cheese and charcuterie will accompanied the tasting.

For other upcoming wine and whisky tastings please also visit our website:

www.jeroboams.co.uk

As you may know after a few trials and tribulations we have managed to bring Laphroaig 10yo back to Canada. To help celebrate, my Canadian colleagues have kindly arranged for me to visit Toronto and conduct a special tasting of the Laphroaig range with Friends of Laphroaig on November 7th. We will be tasting Laphroaig 10yo, Quarter Cask – one of my particular favourites, 18 year old and the part sherry matured 25 year old, along with substantial Hors D’Oeuvres and cocktails at the Park Hyatt Roof Top Lounge, Toronto.

I’m looking forward to being in Canada and seeing as many of you as possible at the event. Below are the details of the event:

What: Friends of Laphroaig Tasting Event
Where: Park Hyatt Roof Top Lounge, 4 Avenue Rd, Toronto
Date: Monday, November 7, 2011
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $95 per person, $160 for 2 tickets if you bring a friend
RSVP: rsvpFOL@Beamglobal.com to reserve your tickets on a first come first serve basis. There are only 80 seats available for this event so if you do want to come along get your email in as soon as you can.

I often get emails from FOLs telling me how they were introduced to Laphroaig. It’s always nice hearing such stories. I’d love to hear some stories from Canadian FOLs so I have two tickets to give away to the above event. All you need to do is tell me about your first experience drinking Laphroaig.

Send your stories to FOL@beamglobal.com  and Simon Brooking, our North America Ambassador and I will pick out our favourite. The winner will then receive 2 free tickets to the event or have your existing tickets refunded.

Slàinte,

Bruichladdich Tastings Tonight with Master Distiller Jim McEwan
4:30 & 6:00 PM
Masterclass at 7:30
at the Omni Parker House 60 School St. Boston

The time has finally arrived! The new Bruichladdich Ten Year Old has walked in our door and we are happy to invite you to join us in tasting through a line-up of Bruichladdich’s single-malts with Master Distiller Jim McEwan. All three tastings will be held a few blocks from our storefront at the Omni hotel in their luxurious Kennedy room. Mr. McEwan will walk us through both their peated and npeated offerings in what will be a truly unforgetable event. Mr. McEwan will be on hand on Saturday to sign bottles and bottles may be picked up next week (10 Y.O. only available to those at the masterclass, our shipment of 10s for the free tastings will arive in a couple weeks). Please fill out an order-form at the event to ensure we have the bottles signed for you. The pricing is as follows: (Note: Prices are subject to change, however unlikely)

Bottle Regular Price Tasting Only Price
Rocks 54.99 49.99
Organic 2003 79.99 71.99
10 Year Old 64.99 58.99
12 Year Old 69.99 61.99
21 Year Old 224.99 214.99
Black Art 2nd Edition 219.99 204.99
Port Charlotte 6 Year Old 150.00 134.99
Port Charlotte An Turas Mor 69.99 64.99
Octomore Edition 2.1 224.99 199.99
Octomore Ed. 2.2 Orpheus 224.99 214.99

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits

——————————————————————————–

Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/