Whisky Lounge Update – Festivals, Masterclasses Part 2

Hi all,

Apologies for the rapid succession of emails but there is so much going on and I am trying to keep it together!

A couple of things to add to the last email, first of all;

Brighton Whisky Festival
3rd September 2011

Please note the above event starts at 11am and finishes at 4pm. A few of you have rightly pointed out that the events page of the website had it as starting at 4pm which it definitely doesn’t! Apologies for the confusion but I am keen that nobody turns up at 4pm expecting a Whisky Festival!!

Manchester Whisky Festival Masterclasses
15th October 2011

Again, the eagle-eyed among you were quick off the mark in telling me I had not included these in the last email. Quite right, I didn’t and I’m not quite sure why if I’m honest with you!
They have been on the Facebook page since then, but here they are in their entirety…

Early Session
11.45am-1.00pm
Auchentoshan – Zoran Peric £7.50
Once, along with Campbeltown, the hot-bed of whisky production, the Lowlands are now limited to only a handful of distilleries. Of these only Auchentoshen still employs the Lowland tradition of triple-distillation making it unique in the industry. Come and find out and taste more at this fascinating class…

1.30-2.45pm
Tales from the Solera, Glenfiddich – Jamie Milne £7.50
The 15 Year Old ‘Solera Reserve’ version of this iconic Speyside distillery is often cited as many conoisseuer’s favourite. This tasting is a rare opportunity to see how it ‘ticks’. Join Jamie Milne as he guides you through samples from the three different types of casks used in the Solera Process to create Glenfiddich 15 years old as well as tasting a natural-strength version of the 15yo itself, taken straight from the Solera Vat in Warehouse 8 at Glenfiddich Distillery.

2.00-3.15pm
IWSC – Gold Medal Winners – Eddie Ludlow £15.00
The International Wine & Spirits Competition is the most prestigious drinks competition in the world. Eddie Ludlow, founder of the The Whisky Lounge, has proudly sat on the spirits panel for the last three years and would now like to share his experience with you. In this special class he presents six of this years gold medal winners and takes you through the process of judging whilst keeping you entertained with his usual sledgehammer wit and manner. Not to be missed.

(Late Session)
4.30-5.30pm
Whisky, what’s it all about?, TWL – Eddie Ludlow £5.00
Join Eddie, founder of The Whisky Lounge, on a compact yet informative and fun tasting to help prepare you for the day to come…

5.00-6.15pm
King Car, Taiwanese Whisky – Ian Chang £7.50
So having brought you Japanese Whisky, Indian Whisky – even Welsh Whisky, ‘what next’ I hear you cry! Well here it is. King Car, under the Kavalan name, beat up some Scotch Whiskies last year in a blind tasting when it was still unavailable in the UK. Now they’re back with new bottlings and the man responsible for it all to tell you all about it. This is their first outing in EUROPE so this class represents a massive opportunity!
You could be telling your friends that you were there when Taiwanese Whisky began its world domination…

6.00-7.15pm
Six of the Best, Diageo – Colin Dunn £10.00
Crowd favourite Colin returns to Manchester with a bang! Aware that he is under pressure to provide something special to the regular Mancunian stalwarts as well as the newbies, he is putting on something a bit special for you. Quite simple – six of Colin’s favourite whiskies from the current Diageo range, from Mortlach to Linkwood, and Caol Ila Moch to Talisker 57 North. Should be a real cracker…
Colin Dunn is one of the foremost UK Brand Ambassadors in the UK and is a one-man whisky entertainment system.

Remember, all of the Masterclasses are sold on a first come, first served basis so please do not hesitate to ‘pull the trigger’.

To book onto any of the above classes first of all purchase your general entry ticket, then email info@thewhiskylounge.com  with your class requirements and a daytime phone number. We will then contact you to confirm your booking.

Right, that’s definitely it for now but I am really looking forward to seeing most of you over the coming months!
End of year tastings will be announced soon!

Slainte!
Eddie

Eddie Ludlow
Whisky Evangelist

thewhiskylounge
www.thewhiskylounge.com
eddie@thewhiskylounge.com
IWSC Spirit Panel Judge 2009-present

A Rare Dalmore Single Malt Scotch Tasting for Brandy Library’s Whisky Lovers, Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

 
Our friends at Dalmore are treating you with rare expressions from the company, and you’re invited to the tasting: there are just a few seats available, so you must RSVP, and if you do so, make sure you can make it!

RSVP: info@brandylibrary.com by August 26th

Chris Watt, International Brand Manager for The Dalmore presents a “Royal Stag” event, tasting the Dalmore Single Malt Whiskies and introducing the MacKinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky, on Tuesday, August 30th at 6 pm at LouCás Restaurant, located at 9 Lincoln Highway, Edison, NJ 08820

Sincerely,
Flavien Desoblin
Brandy Library, 212-226-5545

New Whisky & Music Festival in London 24th & 25th September,  2011
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Pure Festival is a new kind of whisky event for music and whisky lovers. Taking place at The Garage in London over two days the festival boasts an excellent line up of bands on two stages. For more information visit http://www.purefestival.com

Whiskies on offer include esteemed Scottish single malts such as Ardbeg, Talisker and AnCnoc, Irish whiskey from independent distillery Cooley and premium blends such as Whyte and Mackay and Dewar’s. Well respected whisky writer, Dominic Roskrow is curating a stand where festival goers have a chance to try some of the World Whisky Masters medal winners, featuring some sensational whiskies from around the world.

The Musical line up features whisky loving artists and some of the most innovative artists around including the Danish pop-noir of The Raveonettes, James Yorkston’s laptop folk and Electric Soft Parade’s understated, anthemic, indie-rock. Moody and marvellous madrigal maidens, Smoke Fairies are a much talked about act, former Beta Band man Steve Mason is a much revered live performer while Kassidy’s harmonious pop and Charlie Waller’s rebellious soul music make for a host of sumptuous aural delights. Newly announced are celebrated former Brit Pop man Martin Rossiter and Hatcham Social and who bring their hook heavy, killer pop songs.

A host of much talked about new artists are also on display including Electricity In Our Homes, Sissy and the Blisters, Shake Tiger Shake, Ray Edwards Group, Heart Kill Giant, Roxanne De Bastion and The Cellophane Flowers. Pure festival has collaborated with respected music promoters Fierce Panda and Rock Feedback to secure some of the most exciting names in music right now.

The festival is being organised by Whisky Social Network http://www.connosr.com and who are on a mission to bring whisky to new and wider audiences.

Pure Festival is the perfect event if you love your music and want to dive deeper into the world of whisky. If you’re a seasoned whisky connoisseur you’ll find plenty to keep you occupied with Dominic Roskrow pouring some smashing world whiskies and the likes of Whyte & Mackay bringing their full range up to the Whyte & Mackay 22 years old

Whisky sampling will take place with distillers leading Pure festival goers through their individual whiskies between 4pm and 7pm. Festival goers will be able to move at their leisure from one distiller’s stand to another, sampling whichever whiskies they wish to taste as part of their ticket price and enjoying the music. Pure aims to educate people on Whisky in a fun and informative way and the festival is a unique opportunity to sample a number of fantastic whiskies in a relaxed, informal setting. Brown spirits are enjoying a huge renaissance in the UK from both male and females and there is a real demand to know more about the origins and the marked differences in different brands.

Ticket price and link – £28.50 – http://www.hmvtickets.com/events/3900

Full line up – http://www.purefestival.com

Open 4-10pm. Whisky tasting 4-7pm

Age 18+

The Smoke Fairies

A wee drop o’ the Irish for yer!

Paul McLean of MCLEANSCOTLAND recently made a wee trip across the water to the land of his mum, Ireland. Why? To arrange as many events as possible for the week long series of events in Dublin at next years whisky live. www.mcleanscotland.co.uk/DUBWHISKYLIVE.asp

As part of the trip, Paul “just had to visit distilleries”!!! It’s a hard life eh! Arriving in Dublin, staying a couple of days here, he had previously made appointments all over the city and beyond. First call was to Clontarf Castle Hotel, where he set up an extra special masterclass for next May; Clontarf whiskey at Clontarf Castle, is there any better way to sample these Irish drams? The session will include nibbles and at least 4 drams at the castle. Thanks to Gillian at Clontarf whiskey and Bronagh at the castle.

Next on the list; meeting up with the lovely Linda from Cooley’s distillery. Sharing a few drinks in the Palace Bar downtown Dublin, with owner Willie and pal Dave, a good evening had by all and some really good notes on another special tasting here at the Palace. This will include a very sspecial tasting direct from a cask specially made for the occassion, watch this space!

Day two saw Paul travel to Kilbeggan, where he had a superb tour of the distillery, setting up another tour trip and visit for next year. Leaving a happy man (with gifts) he headed back to Dublin. A few more drams to settle back into Dublin followed.

Day three – travel north by train to Dundalk and then taxi to Cooley’s distillery. A grand tour here with Raymond, he has been there over 20 years! Both malt, blend and grain whiskey produced here, a fascinating tour, not what you would call a normal distilelry tour, no visitor centre and not spik and span (re; Glenfiddich or Diageo) and not a tourist visit, so much the better for our group trip next year! Upon leaving we were given a bottle of Tyconnel each, not only that, at the distillery pub (just doon the road) we were given more drams and a set of miniatures each, good man at Martins pub!!! Continued north to Belfast for two days of pipe bands!

A return to Dublin, met up with Mike at O’Neills pub, another event arranged here. Also in the bag for next year, a whisky special, a tasting session, followed by a 3 course meal and Irish dancing and entertainment, what a end to the day! With a couple of other whisky events still in the chat stage, it was a huge success in Ireland, we are all looking forward to whisky live next May in Dublin.

More info on Whisky Live Dublin soon.

Paul McLean is the owner of WWW.MCLEANSCOTLAND.COM  

LAGAVULIN™ ISLAY JAZZ FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2011 PROGRAMME

The programme has been announced for this year’s Lagavulin™ Islay Jazz Festival, and tickets have gone on sale via the website and direct from promoters Jazz Scotland.

The 13th Lagavulin™ Islay Jazz Festival, which this year will take place from 16-18 September, is again expected to attract hundreds of jazz lovers to the world-famous whisky island on Scotland’s west coast.

And the BBC have announced that they will be recording some sessions at Lagavulin Distillery for BBC Radio 3‘s Jazz Line Up and BBC Radio Scotland’s Jazz House programmes for broadcast at a later date.

A special limited-edition bottling of Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky will be on sale to Festival ticket holders during the Festival. The bottling is from a single bodega sherry wood cask of Lagavulin, filled in February 1993 and matured at the historical warehouse at Caol Ila distillery, also on Islay.

Viktoria Tolstory will open the Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival

This year, one of Europe’s major vocal stars, Viktoria Tolstoy, visits Islay for the first time. Highly musical, and exuding charisma, she’ll sing her own special arrangements of many great standards along with interpretations of pop tunes. Her first concert, at Lagavulin Distillery, inaugurates the Festival on Friday 16 September.

The Festival also features the world premiere of Tom Bancroft ‘s Red Trio with English piano star, Tom Cawley, and Norwegian bass sensation Mats Eilertsen, while Brian Kellock and Jacob Karlzon front two piano trios at different edges of the jazz spectrum.

The sensational brass quartet, Brass Jaw, play two concerts, mixing magnificent musicality with humour and an unbridled imagination.

Otis Grand

Subie Coleman fronts the late night jazz/soul dance at Bowmore Hall with Philadephia and New York tipped raw soul grooves, while Otis Grand and Sandy Tweeddale deliver exceptional vintage driving-blues. Mario Caribe fronts two bands new to the Festival – one focusing on the music of his homeland: Brazil, the other an all-star homage to the Jazz Crusaders.

Nick Morgan, for the Lagavulin Scotch Whisky brand, says “The Jazz Festival is a great advertisement for Islay and a great advertisement for Lagavulin Scotch Whisky. The brand is now really at the heart of the Festival, with its strong personality, big heritage and plenty of intensity. Not a bad analogy for jazz.”

The Festival is co-promoted by jazz specialists Jazz Scotland, and the island’s premier arts promoters, The Islay Arts Association.

Jazz Scotland Director Fiona Alexander pointed out that “ The magic of the Jazz Festival in Islay is partly created by Lagavulin. Without their funding, we would not be able to present so much high quality jazz.”

Diageo announced in February that it was renewing the sponsorship of the Festival by the quintessential Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Lagavulin, following the highly successful and widely welcomed sponsorship of the event last year.

The events of the Festival are spread over three days. Concerts are presented across the island, in a mix of unique settings: village halls, distilleries, bird sanctuaries, and small bars and inns. Several sessions are held at Lagavulin Distillery, in the acoustically excellent Malt Mill.

Notes

Programme details
Islay Jazz Festival website: www.islayjazzfestival.co.uk/

The Islay Jazz Festival
The Festival has been running since 1999; this year’s is the 13th.. Since then the Festival has promoted musicians from over 25 countries and presented fifteen world premieres and is today regarded as a significant jazz event in the UK calendar.

Diageo’s famous Islay single malt whisky Lagavulin™ first sponsored the Festival in 2010.

Special Festival bottling of Lagavulin™ This will be priced at £79.95 UK RRP per bottle.

2011 Fall Extravaganza Schedule

Ladies and Gentlemen are cordially invited to enjoy a connoisseur’s evening featuring over 110 rare & exceptional single malt and Scotch whiskies. The evening includes a delicious dinner buffet as well as a selection of premium imported cigars for our guests’ later enjoyment. The Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza brings the discerning enthusiast the opportunity to sample the participating whiskies in a sophisticated and elegant environment with genuine camaraderie and knowledgeable representatives from each participating distillery. 

All events from 7:00pm-9:00pm. Registration begins at 7:00pm. Business casual, Jackets preferred. Jackets are required at the Chicago & Philadelphia venues. No denim or athletic attire may be worn to the events. Members tickets to the Extravaganza are $120 each (for the first two) and Non-member guest tickets are $135.00 each. Whisky Intelligence readers will receive the first two tickets at $120.00 each and thereafter each ticket is $135.00.

The Whisky Intelligence promotional code (ie a discount!) is WI2011 available at Ticket Purchase

Chicago Wednesday
October 5, 2011 The Union League Club of Chicago
65 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
Jackets Required (No Denim or Athletic Attire)

Boston Thursday
October 13, 2011 The Taj Boston
15 Arlington Street
Boston, MA 02116

Washington, DC Wednesday
October 26, 2011 JW Marriott Hotel
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004

Philadelphia Friday
October 28, 2011 The Union League Club of Philadelphia
140 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Jackets Required (No Denim or Athletic Attire)

San Francisco Wednesday
November 9, 2011 The Intercontinental San Francisco
888 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Los Angeles Friday
November 11, 2011 Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
1700 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Fort Lauderdale Thursday
December 1, 2011 The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
1 Seminole Way
Hollywood, FL 33314

“Legend’s of Whisk(e)y Dinner”
Monday, September 12, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Los Gatos Brewing Company: Downtown San Jose, CA
(By San Pedro Square)

Presented by Beam Global’s Legend’s of Whisk(e)y:

Dan Tullio, Simon Brooking Bernie Lubbers,
Master Ambassador Global Ambassador Whiskey Professor
Canadian Whisky Laphroaig Small Batch Bourbons

Don’t miss this opportunity to indulge in a full range of the “water of life” with excellent company and delectable food.

Menu:
* Wild Mushrooms in Philo
* Smoked Salmon with summer succotash
* Grilled Hangar Steak with olive oil poached potatoes and green beans
* Dessert: Petite Fours

Whiskies:
* Reception Cocktail
* Canadian Club 12 Year Old
* Knob Creek Single Barrel
* Booker’s
* Laphroaig 18 Year Old
* Surprise Whisky

$65 ALL INCLUSIVE!
Save 10% until 8/17 ($58.50). Use discount code LOW10P
Click to BUY Tickets
Vegetarian Selection is available when requested in advance.

Whisky and Cigar After Party
Let us know if will be staying for our whisky and cigar after party.
(Whisky and Cigar feature not included in the price of dinner).

We look forward to sharing a Dram with you!

Tickets Must be Purchased in advance. Must be over 21 to attend.

Fellow whisky enthusiasts,

Less than 4 weeks to go until the third edition of Maltstock. Time for an update.

Maltstock Morning Walk by Glenrothes
Those of you who have been at Maltstock before know we traditionally have a very nice morning walk on the Maltstock Saturday. A de-tox walk. Together with local guides we walk for about 1,5 hours in the beautiful nature area surrounding Maltstock. This year the walk will be back. But it will be a bit different. The terrific Dutch Glenrothes team decided it is a great opportunity for you to discover the great tastes of nature! It promises to be a very special walk. Everybody at Maltstock is welcome to join the walk. But we do need to know upfront how many will join. So if you want join please sign up by sending an e-mail to tastings@maltstock.com. Please do so before September 1st. More info is on the Maltstock website under “free tastings”.

Donald MacLellan at Maltstock
There was one masterclass still to be announced. We are happy to tell you it will be hosted by Donald MacLellan. He will bring some very nice expressions of both BenRiach and GlenDronach. You can find the complete tasting schedule at the Maltstock website. And as always, the tastings are included in your Maltstock ticket.

Master of Malt free sample
The guys from Master of Malt are offering a free sample with every order by a Maltstock visitor. You will get a sample of their brand new 27y Dailuaine with every order. If you haven’t received the special code yet, please contact us. Master of Malt is an award-winning independent bottler and online retailer with a range of thousands of whiskies and other fine spirits. They also offer a huge range of samples in their “Drinks by the Dram” section. Your chance to try before you buy. Master of Malt will also be present at Maltstock and will be hosting a special “lost distilleries” masterclass. Click here to visit the Master of Malt website.

10% discount at The Whiskyshop Dufftown
A final reminder: every Maltstock guest will receive a 10% discount at The Whiskyshop Dufftown. And owner Mike will also be at Maltstock. So you can collect your bottles at Maltstock if you like. If you haven’t received the special discount code, please contact us. The Whiskyshop Dufftown is right in the hart of Whisky Country and offers a fantastic selection of whisky. They also host many great tastings again during the Autumn Speyside festival. (Tickets available through the WSD website.) Both the shop and the festival are well worth a visit! Click here to visit their website.

Maltstock bottling
We need your help! At Maltstock Jan Beek from Van Wees Holland will be bringing four samples. All of them will be tasted blind. And you will decide which one you like best. The winning sample will be bottled as a Maltstock bottling!

Maltstock Clothing
As mentioned in our previous newsletter we now have Maltstock clothing available in our webshop. If you want to be sure you have your t-shirt, polo or hoodie ready for you at Maltstock, than please order now. Orders placed after this Tuesday (August 16th) will not be ready before Maltstock. And we will have a very, very limited stock at the Maltstock weekend.

Maltstock almost sold out!
Yes, indeed, Maltstock is almost totally sold out! We only have a few beds available in the Maltstock dorms and a few hotel rooms. And that’s it. We will be welcoming over 40% more guests than last year. Fantastic!

We’re all really looking forward to the third Maltstock! Only a few more weeks to go…

Arthur, Bob, Eline, Rogier & Teun
www.maltstock.com

Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey Launches Online Football Contests

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (August, 2011) – Buffalo Trace Bourbon wants to invite fans of football and whiskey to come together and compete in the 2011 Fantasy Football League and Football Pick’em challenge. Both are virtual contests that challenge contestants to compete with other football fans to see who has the best football knowledge.

“Smash mouth football and great bourbon whiskey are both great American traditions,” said Buffalo Trace Brand Manager Kris Comstock. “Both contests will allow our fans to compete with other bourbon lovers while enjoying the upcoming football season.”

Buffalo Trace, the flagship brand of America’s oldest continuously operating distillery, will give a grand prize for each contest. Winners will earn a free trip to the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, which includes hotel, airfare and much more. Weekly prizes are also awarded throughout the season. To compete, just go online to www.buffalotracefootball.com …

“We like our contests to challenge our fans,” continued Comstock. “These football contests take dedication and skill to be the best, just like making damn good whiskey.”

The contest is live and will continue through the end of the pro football season. For further details visit www.buffalotracefootball.com

There is no charge to enter these contests. You must be 21 years old to play. Please drink responsibly.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotrace.com.

Bluffer’s Guide to Whisky
The Britons Protection, Manchester
Friday August 26th 2011, 7.30pm

The Britons Protection

£10.00 / ticket at The Whisky Lounge

For those who ‘always wanted to know about whisky, but were afraid to ask’…

We recognize that not everyone knows their Peat from their Pot Stills or their Glenlivet from their Glenmorangie, so this series has been put together with these poor, misguided individuals in mind! Six whiskies from the various whisky-making regions of Scotland in a tasting designed to get the learning juices flowing.

Want to impress your Dad/Grandad? Want to know your blends from your malts? Want to know more and taste more? Then this is the event for you! Eddie Ludlow, founder and Whisky Evangelist of The Whisky Lounge guides you along the start of your journey towards Whisky Valhalla. Life will never be the same again. Ever.

If you would like to purchase tickets for this event as a gift, please email us at info@thewhiskylounge.com upon completion of your order. We can then email you a PDF with a gift voucher for you to print and pop into a card of your choice!

You will not be sent a ticket through the post. Your details will be added to the event register and all you need to do is print the payment confirmation page and bring it with you to the event.