New Diploma Date at the Port of Leith Distillery

We’re hoping the Chief puts sunshine on Leith this July as we’ve scheduled another Diploma in Single Malt Whisky (Thursday 11 & Friday 12 July) at the Port of Leith Distillery. An architectural triumph, the vertical distillery is a fitting venue in which to earn the SQA-certified whisky diploma – our highest award – with teacher Vic Cameron in a classroom boasting superb panoramic views.📖

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Sullivans Cove has won four Icons of Whisky at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards in London.

CELEBRATING OUR PEOPLE

Congratulations to Heather Tillott and Ally Bhana for their outstanding achievements at this year’s Icons of Whisky Awards.

This remarkable success illustrates the passion and excellence they bring to their roles every day.

HEATHER TILLOTT | GLOBAL DISTILLERY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

ALLY BHANA | GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR

SECOND-FILL MATURATION

Our dedication to second-fill cask maturation has now been acknowledged on the world stage.

As pioneers of this style in Australia, we have a profound appreciation for the way second-fill casks allow our spirit to shine. This award validates our commitment to refining and perfecting this approach.

SULLIVANS COVE | GLOBAL BRAND INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

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Vic Cameron, one of our whisky lecturers says: “A valinch is a copper tube that we use to take samples out of the cask. We remove the bung and then use the valinch to get the samples that we can then nose or taste to check if the whisky is OK.”

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Meet the Maker: Loch Lomond’s Michael Henry

One of the most innovative and exciting distilleries of the moment, Loch Lomond is our Whisky of the Year. ⁠ Chosen in a blind tasting, this is a distillery that is on a roll experimenting with their stills, their ferments and their cooperage.

We still have tickets to our Meet the Maker masterclass this Wednesday where Michael Henry will be leading a tasting through the range and sharing some particularly special drams.

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Michel Henry

Michael grew up around the Bushmills distillery in Northern Ireland, where whiskey and distilling was at the heart of the community working there through his university days. However, his career took a turn into the world of brewing where he learned how to build up flavour. This has proved exceptionally useful in his distilling career where Micheal has pushed for longer and fruiter ferments.

Whisky of the Year

Loch Lomond 18 Year Old was chosen in a blind tasting as our Whisky of the Year. It was a particularly competitive tasting but Loch Lomond’s balance and its complexity won out. Thanks to the many variables that Loch Lomond can draw on, this is a dram that has plenty of fruit, a robust body, sweet patisserie notes, and an enticing whisper of smoke.

Casks and Coopers

One of the things that has helped the distillery raise its game is the in house cooperage. Control over their casks, the ability to adjust toast and char, size and otherwise fine turn a cask mean that Loch Lomond have been able to really push their whisky’s quality. ⁠

Down the Rabbit Hole

By using different grains, barley, malted and unmalted, peated to different levels or not at all, and then using different yeasts and lengths of fermentation, the distillery is able to start the whisky-making process off with a dazzling array of options. Then factor in the three types of still that Loch Lomond has at their disposal, traditional pot stills, straight neck stills and column stills, and you have even more options. Then add to that the possibilities of casks and you have gone fully down the whisky rabbit hole.

The Lost Distillery Company Tasting Event
27th April 2024 7pm

Discover the distilleries of the past with 6 samples, of great and unique expressions brought together by The Lost Distillery Company. The Lost Distillery Company delves into the archives of Scotland’s distilling history, finding tasting notes, recipes and reviews of names long lost to time. They then recreate the flavours through blending, recreating the essence of these forgotten distilleries.

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Spirit of Toronto returns on Saturday May 4!

You’d think it would get easier after twenty years.

Yet year in, year out, I legit am holding my breath as the website is updated and our masterclass schedule finally published, after what seems like an agonizing back-and-forth process of confirming presenters, details and, most importantly, the whiskies that will be poured.

By now brands who have already presented at Spirit of Toronto know to expect my call and my ‘pretty please’ as I come knocking – cap in hand – in search of shiny baubles to share with our esteemed guests: you beautiful people who consistently make the effort to join us for one evening once a year, many of you traveling from out of town. We wouldn’t be here without your support throughout the years, and as such it’s a privilege to search out the unicorns that put a smile on your face and give you something to remember us by…

Yes, the Website is Now Fully Updated!

Too long, didn’t read: yes, our website is now fully updated along with our masterclass schedule.

For our 20th anniversary it felt right to limit this year’s series to our first love – whisky, whiskey, uisge beatha – and even more so to have one of our own national treasures present this year’s headline tasting: Dr. Don Livermore who will be unveiling the J.P. Wiser’s Decades Series alongside the latest installment in the Lot 40 Exploration Series… and a one-off blend crafted in celebration of 20 years of Spirit of Toronto – bless!

Once again for 2024 we are running the first set of Early Admission masterclasses before the show, and a second set of masterclasses at 7:00pm. With a bit of planning that leaves ample time to perambulate the floor and visit with our exhibitors and, if you’re in the right place at the right time, taste one of this year’s Signature Selections.

Tickets on sale Tuesday April 2!

Tickets go on sale next week Tuesday April 2 at 10:00am through Roy Thomson Hall’s Box Office, and those subscribed to this list will get an automatic notification one hour beforehand.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.roythomsonhall.com or by telephone at 416-872-4255.

The Box Office is only open three hours before any given performance, so if your preference is to buy in person do call ahead to make sure staff is on hand to assist. It also bears noting that you will be receiving your tickets by email, so double check your spam folder in case your order goes missing.

See you on May 4!

Johanna Ngoh
Founder and Executive Producer

Elijah Craig Bourbon Celebrates the PGA Championship Returning to Louisville, Ky. with a Commemorative Bottle Release and On-Course Activations as the “Official Bourbon” of the 2024 Major Championship 

Fans will have the opportunity to toast the momentous occasion with a special-edition Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Bourbon bottling available nationwide 

(MARCH 19, 2024) – Elijah Craig welcomes the 2024 PGA Championship back to Louisville, Ky. and Valhalla Golf Club after a decade away from the Bluegrass State. To celebrate the Major Championship’s return, Elijah Craig, the Official Bourbon Supplier, will activate the “Elijah Craig Bourbon Speakeasy” on the course for spectators to enjoy as well as release a special Commemorative Edition of its Elijah Craig Small Batch in honor of the 2024 PGA Championship.

As the Official Bourbon, Elijah Craig will activate onsite during the Championship at the 14^th hole of the course aptly named “On The Rocks,” from May 16-19, and during practice rounds. Larger in size and scale than any previous championship, spectators visiting the Speakeasy can taste the distinctive warm spice & smooth flavor of Elijah Craig Small Batch, enjoy hand-crafted signature cocktails, and engage in photo opportunities after signing their name on an interactive signature wall. Throughout the course spectators can also find Elijah Craig featured in a signature cocktail at concessions.  Offsite, area consumers will find displays and engagement opportunities at retail and bar locations promoting Elijah Craig’s exclusive sponsorship. Travelers visiting the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience in Bardstown, Kentucky will enjoy special Elijah Craig golf cocktails and co-branded merchandise to welcome those from near and far.

A special-edition Commemorative Bottling of Elijah Craig Small Batch is now shipping to select retailers across the country to help fans mark the return of the Major Championship to Elijah Craig’s “backyard” where the brand is distilled, bottled and aged. The bottle will be adorned with a neck label featuring the PGA Championship’s Wanamaker Trophy, a gold coin emblazoned cork showing the 2024 PGA Championship logo and a face label prominently showcasing the “Official Bourbon” designation along with the PGA Championship logo. The barrels for this special release are uniquely pulled from Heaven Hill rickhouses P, 1G and A – to further the ties to Elijah Craig’s Official Bourbon partnership with the PGA Championship and the PGA of America. This one-time offering will become available nationally leading up to the Championship on an allocated basis with a SRP of $36.99.

Speaking about the partnership, Max Stefka, Group Product Director, Elijah Craig Bourbon, said: “The Elijah Craig team is honored to be the Official Bourbon of the PGA Championship at Valhalla. We’re thrilled to mark the occasion with a commemorative edition of Elijah Craig Small Batch and look forward to toasting the best players in the world during this incredible Major Championship just a few miles from where Elijah Craig is distilled and aged here in Kentucky.”

Elijah Craig will further support the partnership with the 2024 PGA Championship with an investment in out of home advertisement in the form of billboards across Louisville and Lexington, Ky. as well as featured ads prominently placed at the Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville. Viewers watching the Championship from home will see brand ads running on ESPN+ and CBS during coverage of the event along with digital advertising across social media channels.

”Celebrating the PGA Championship’s return to Louisville, KY, would not be complete without an iconic brand like Elijah Craig,” said Meghan Miller, Director of Corporate Partnerships, PGA of America: “The PGA of America is proud to partner with Elijah Craig as the Official Bourbon of the PGA Championship.”

Elijah Craig continues to leave its mark on the golf world, where it is also known as the Official Bourbon and Whiskey Supplier of the PGA of America, PGA Championship, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and an official partner of the PGA National Club Championship. Elijah Craig is also “The Official Bourbon” of PGA TOUR Professional Golfer Max Homa, sports broadcaster Amanda Balionis, and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament.

About Elijah Craig Bourbon

Known as “The Father of Bourbon,” Elijah Craig is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels to make Bourbon. The clear, unaged corn whiskey became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Elijah Craig’s community impact continues through Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week, providing total donations of up to $400,000 to date to organizations supporting the hospitality industry. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and led distillery and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon, the Elijah Craig lineup includes: Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Elijah Craig’s accolades have included Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year, Best Small Batch Bourbon and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon and Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon at Whisky Magazine’s 2023 World Whiskies Awards. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com. Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”

About the PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.