A Dram Come True

The Vancouver International Writers Festival presents the ninth annual A Dram Come True Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sampling

Enjoy the superb, complex flavours of a variety of rare and distinguished single malts. Rare malts and other select items will be available at auction. May 13, 2011, 7:30 – 10:00 pm in a Shaughnessy heritage home(location will be provided upon ticket purchase).

Tickets: $100 or four or more tickets for $95 each The Vancouver International Writers Festival presents the ninth annual A Dram Come True Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sampling. Proceeds benefit the Vancouver International Writers Festival. A tax receipt for a portion of the ticket price will be issued. To order tickets online, visit writersfest.bc.ca, or call 604 681 6330 ext 109.

Further details at http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/dramcometrue

Chester Whisky Festival Saturday 29th Oct. 2011

This is the first Whisky Festival of it’s kind to be held in the Grand City of Chester. The venue is ‘The Pavillion’ at Chester Racecourse where you will find some of the most well known and renowned producers of Single Malt Whisky, Vodka, Liqueurs & cask ales in the country. We are inviting you to come to Chester to take you on a Journey of Alcoholic discovery.

Tickets are £20.00 each and are available via the link below;

Doors Open 10.30am.

http://chesterwhisky.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=49&products_id=894

A few places remain for this weeks tasting Guys and Girls…
 
Springbank Malt Distillery from Campbeltown
With ‘Big man’ Iain Scott showcasing the dram selection for us.
 
The drams are : 1)Hazelburn Sauternes Wood limited #NEW# release, 2)Hazelburn CV,3) Longrow CV, 4) Springbank 15 yo, 5) Longrow 14 yo, 6)Springbank 18, 7)Springbank 12 yo Claret finish.
 
Start time : 7:30 (Friday 15th)
Ticket price : £25
Food : Cheese and Oat cakes all round.
Venu : Nickolls and Perks Wine Cellars.
 
Slainte
 
David
01384 394518

www.whiskyfest.co.uk
 
The inaugural Midlands Whisky Festival will be held in Stourbridge town hall on Saturday 24th September. Just 250 people with tickets will be admitted on the day. Tickets price includes whiskies (free pour 12 till 5:30) + tasting glass + gold ticket. See above web site for a list of distilleries and personages that have confirmed their appearance so far.
 
Festival Tickets are £35 payable in advance…no admittance on the door. Call 01384 394518 to book asap. Master Class tickets are £10 available to festival ticket holders only. Just 25 tickets available for each of the 4 master classes on the day, call 01384 394518 for class details, speakers, drams etc.
 
Look forward to seeing you all there.
 
Slainte, Slainte…

WORLD OF WHISKIES

Thursday, April 14, 5:00-8:00pm

Sample over 150 whiskies in every conceivable style from all over the world! In many cases meet and speak with the people who actually make them. $50 Binny’s Card members, $60 non-members. Paid reservations only.

Call 312-664-4394 for more information.

Chicago – Lincoln Park
1720 N. Marcey St. | Chicago | 312-664-4394

Visit Binny’s at www.binnys.com

All of the Jolly Toper’s whisky tastings take place on Thursday nights from 7:30pm until approximately 10pm at the Tolbooth Tavern, 167 Canongate, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, meals available up to the time of the tastings.

P/O/U/R/S = Peaty, Old, Unusual, Rare and Sherry cask matured.

Thursday April 14th:- P/O/U/R/S £20/17*

Thurs. April 28th:- Tomintoul £15/12* – ticket includes £5 off a bottle from the Tomintoul range
21yo 40%
33yo 43%
Old Ballantruan peated 50%
12yo port finish 46%
12yo oloroso sherry finish 40%

Thursday May 12th:- P/O/U/R/S £20/17*

Thursday May 26th:- non-Scottish peaty drams £tbc
India: Amrut 62.8%
U.S.A.: McCarthy’s
Japan: t.b.c.
England: St. Georges
Ireland: Cooley

Thursday June 9th:- P/O/U/R/S £20/17*

Thursday June 23rd:- Arran £tbc
Machrie Moor peated 46%
‘Oran Mor’ 56.4% sherry cask 236 bottles
10yo 57.1% Bourbon cask 219 bottles Loch Fyne Whiskies bottling
Cadenheads 1998 12yo 57.4%
plus another one to be confirmed

Thursday July 7th P/O/U/R/S £20/17*

Thursday July 21st Lagavulin £tbc
LG2
Distiller’s Edition 1994 – 2010 43%
16yo 43%
1995 12yo European oak 48% Friends of Classic Malts
and a fifth expression to be confirmed

Future Themes:

18yo- ‘Us’ and ‘Them’: comparisons of distillery bottlings with independant expressions – Highland Park, Glendronach and Tamdhu, Ben Nevis: Cadenheads 1996 – 03/2009 12yo 57.1% Bourbon hogshead 256 bootles, 10yo 46%, single blend, single grain, Cadenheads ‘dumpy’ 06/1965 – 12/1981 16yo 46%, Bladnoch: Rare Malts 23yo, Cadenheads 17yo 55.1% Bourbon hogshead, peated, sherry cask plus one other example

Peaty blends 40%: Islay Mist, Islay Hallmark 8yo, Black Bottle 10yo, Black Grouse, Black Bottle, plus a special guest (Brora or Port Ellen) Template design by Web-Kreation.

Visit the Jolly Toper at http://www.jollytopertastings.co.uk/

JIM MURRAY’S WHISKY BIBLE TASTING TOUR OF THE ISLE OF ARRAN & SCOTLAND’S SPEYSIDE & HIGHLAND REGIONS
Mon 19 – Fri 23 September 2011	www.arenatravel.com

International whisky guru and author Jim Murray will be leading his first ever public whisky tour, specially arranged by Arena Travel.

Offering Whisky lovers from all over the world the opportunity to join him on a five day tour of Scotch whisky distilleries on Arran, Speyside and the Highlands, guests will travel with Jim as he explores three ‘Whisky Bible’ award-winning distilleries, all of which in Jim’s opinion, epitomise top end whisky distilling.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Tour presents a unique opportunity to witness whisky-making at its very best and will give guests an unparalleled opportunity to explore each of the specially selected distilleries, meet the men behind the labels and sample some truly rare and exclusive drams. Jim will be on hand during each of the visits, offering a personal insight into each distillery and the whisky they lovingly create.

The whisky trail starts at the Arran Distillery in Lochranza on the Isle of Arran. A new and dynamic force in Scotch whisky, the distillery started distilling in the 1990’s producing the first Arran malts in 150 years. After a tour of the facility and a special visit to its Bonded Warehouse, Jim will lead a tutored tasting of personally selected single malts.

The tour then moves onto the Scottish mainland, where the first destination is the Glendronach distillery in Scotland’s beautiful Highland region. Famed for its richly sherried single malts, the Glendronach is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries having been built in 1826. Joining Jim for a full range tasting will be former Distillery Manager Frank Massie – another true legend of the whisky industry.

The final destination is the Knockdhu, a small distillery set in the heart of Scotland’s whisky distilling region, Speyside. Here, guests will witness all stages of the production process and chat to the workforce about the methods they use. A tasting will introduce participants to Jim’s personal Knockdhu (AnCnoc) favourites, with some ‘specials’ also in store. You’ll find a full tour itinerary here.

Guests will be treated to luxurious accommodation throughout, first at the Auchrannie House Hotel and Spa in the pretty coastal village of Glencoy on Arran, and then at the five-star Marcliffe Hotel and Spa near Aberdeen. Jim will also host two dinners and will be on hand to share his knowledge with his fellow whisky enthusiasts at all key points during the tour.

The first ever Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible Tour of The Isle of Arran and the Speyside and Highland regions takes place on 19-23 September 2011 and costs £1,645 per person (twin share room) and £1,895 per person (single)

To find out more call 01473 660800 or visit www.arenatravel.com

Your Glass Needs Whisky”, with Simon & Franchi from Simply Whisky
Monday 18-April, 7:00pm

Some of you may have previously seen this delightful Scottish duo serenading Scotch fans at various events across the capital. If not, I can assure you that they put on a show not to be missed… In the last few years Simply Whisky’s Simon & Franchi have ignited a passion for single malt whisky in over 1,500 people – from Chief Executives of private equity firms and the BBC through to buzz band MGMT (Management) and a German wedding in St Andrews, Scotland. They personally appeared at Ewan McGregor’s Not Another Burns Night in London spouting Burns poetry, and have captured the attention of Whisky magazine and GQ magazine.

 
We’ve teamed up with the Simply Whisky boys to put on a truly entertaining evening, full of drumming, dramming and drama like never before witnessed in these hallowed arches. In quite a significant departure from our usual format, Simon and Franchi will be focusing more on the pure enjoyment of whisky, its history and lore, all the while extolling the virtues to mind, body and soul that we all know it endows. There will also be a wee bit of cheese and chocolate pairing too – something that will become more of a common fixture at our tastings this year.

We have a truly awe-inspiring line-up for this tasting, having picked 7 very different whiskies, each showing off a particular ‘style’ of whisky at its very best. This all-star line-up is as follows:

Rosebank 1990 / 16yo / 46% / Single Malts of Scotland
Cambus 1965 / 45yo / 45.9% / Clan Denny
Longmorn 1978 / 31yo / 58% / SDL Masterpieces
Macallan 1990 / 43% / The Whisky Trail
George T. Stagg / 70.7% / Bot. 2009
Nikka Yoichi 15yo / 45%
Ardbeg ‘Corryvreckan’ / 57.1% / Distillery Bottling

Tickets for this delicious event will go on sale from 3:00pm, Monday 11th April. They are priced at £25 per person, and limited to 2 places per booking.

Pernod Ricard – Glenlivet et all

The Britons Protection, Manchester 
Friday April 8th 2011, 7.30pm 

£22.00 / ticket

Pernod Ricard is a company not too many people know a great deal about when it comes to whisky. However, when they aquired the Chivas Brothers portfolio from the dismantled Seagram in 2001, people began to take notice. They now have the responsibility for several key malt distilleries as well as the Chivas Regal and Ballantine blends.

Phil Huckle, the Chivas UK Brand Ambassador, will be joining us as we look at the rich and varied range of whiskies available from this diverse company. This includes some rarer bottlings of the famous Glenlivet distillery, but also the lesser known, but highly sought-after Longmorn and Scapa – among others…

As always each tasting is designed to be fun and enjoyable for all levels of whisky drinker, and is not a lecture. You will almost certainly learn something new every time, but if you don’t walk out with a smile on your face then there we have done something wrong!

If you would like to order tickets for this tasting as a gift, we can email you a PDF with ticket/s for you to print and pop in a card. Just email us at info@thewhiskylounge.com after placing your order.
 
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.

Visit the Whisky Lounge at  http://www.thewhiskylounge.com/

The Britons Protection, Manchester

Victoria Highland Games Beam Global Whisky School

J. Wheelock - photo credit Jen Steele

Please join the Victoria Highland Games Association in welcoming J. Wheelock, well-known Ambassador for the excellent scotch whiskies of the Macallan, Highland Park and the Famous Grouse, to name but a few. J. will lead attendees through four classes which will focus on these fine examples of the distillers craft. Tickets are $35 each and are strictly limited to 40 seats in each class.

Saturday 1:15 Highland Park – This class will focus on the whiskies of Highland Park Distillery in Orkney.
Saturday 3:15 Macallan – This class will focus on the whiskies of the Macallan Distillery in Speyside.
Sunday 1:15 The Famous Grouse – This class will focus on the constituent malts of the famous blend (Glenturret & Tamdhu for example) along with a vintage, all malt-version of the Famous Grouse.
Sunday 3:15 The Trinity – J. Wheelock is keeping the whiskies in this class a secret; however, expect great things!

The registration form may be downloaded via;

http://www.victoriahighlandgames.com/events/2011/highland-games/whiskey.html

Glencairn whisky nosing and tasting glasses are available at a cost of $12 each and must be reserved at the time of ticket booking. Classes are always sold out at the Games, so be sure to register soon!

Further information may be found at www.victoriahighlandgames.com

The Claymore Times

~ All The News That’s Fit To Drink ~

Greetings malt lovers

Get set for a spectacular, once-a-year evening that features a dazzling array of 100 plus single malts and premium spirits, tutored tastings, live jazz and bossa nova, gourmet table d’hote from Daniel et Daniel, classic cocktails, and a poolside cigar bar on the outdoor lower level of Roy Thomson Hall.  We had a fantastic time last year and without doubt this is the best run whisky fest in Ontario, as an added feature we have our very own Michael Urquhart hosting the ‘Masters Class’, I can hardly wait. Set your calendars and phones for May 14th and we’ll see you there.

Highlights for 2011 include…

Early Admission:

Spirit of Toronto will be opening its doors early so that patrons can attend their choice of one of the following 4 pre-show masterclasses being presented from 5:30 to 6:30pm, and then enjoy priority entry to the main tasting halls:

Compass Box, Past and Present
Gordon & MacPhail’s Speyside Greats
To Peat or Not to Peat?
Highland Park, Tradition and Novelty 

Classic Cocktails:

Spirit of Toronto welcomes Tokyo bar champion and cocktail designer Yuki Yamazaki as he hosts this year’s bar, preparing tried and true classics along with his own original whisky cocktail creations, complete with hand carved Japanese Ice Balls.

Blind Whisky Challenge

Fan favourite Regis Lemaitre returns to grace Spirit of Toronto with his inimitable Gallic charm… This year Regis puts forth a seemingly straightforward question: Single Malt, Grain Whisky or Blend? Challengers will have 15 minutes to correctly identify 3 blind samples, with prizes and bragging rights for the winners, and an educational tasting experience for all.

Notes:

Also arriving very soon: Benromach Origins Batch number 1

Regards,

Bill

Global Operations Director

Claymore Imports Inc.

Mail: bill at @claymoreimports.ca

Visit the Spirit of Toronto at www.spiritoftoronto.ca