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.”
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.
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.
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 14th 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.
THE ENGLISH DISTILLERY SCOOPS WORLD’S BEST SINGLE MALT AWARD
– Norfolk distillery beats off stiff competition from around the world, including Scotland’s finest, to win one of whisky’s ultimate accolades…
– Just 17 years after laying down its first casks
– £59 bottles are available now, but be quick they’re selling fast!
A pioneering English distillery that opened its doors just 17 years ago is celebrating winning one of global whisky’s ultimate accolades after scooping Best Single Malt at the annual World Whiskies Awards.
Norfolk-based The English Distillery became the first operational whisky distillery in more than 100 years when it opened for business in 2006.
Now it has claimed an even more impressive first by beating off stiff competition from some of the world’s oldest and rarest whiskies with a sherry cask matured single malt whisky that it launched less than six months ago to critical acclaim.
Bottled by hand at its Breckland-based distillery, The English Sherry Cask is an unpeated single malt whisky, which has been matured from start to finish in the finest PX sherry casks to create a stunning expression that it said had been “well worth the wait”.
The distillery learned of its world-winning success in front of the whisky industry’s finest at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London on Wednesday evening (20th March) as awards organiser Whisky Magazine celebrated “the best people, places, and products in the whisky world”.
Founded by farmer James Nelstrop to fulfil a lifelong dream, the distillery – guided by the experience of legendary Master Distiller Ian Henderson – began to lay down whiskies in its dunnage warehouses, with the sole aim of making world class single malt whisky in England following a century’s absence of whisky making in the country.
Like all its whiskies, the winning whisky was made using barley grown locally and on the Nelstrop family farms. The entire distillation process of milling, mashing, distilling with a pair of traditional and beautiful copper stills, maturing in the finest oak casks and hand bottling, all take place at the distillery.
James’ son Andrew, who has led the 20-strong team at the picturesque distillery since his father’s death in 2014.
Andrew said: “We’re stunned. Whilst any whisky maker hopes to win an award, winning the big one is the realisation of my father’s sole goal of creating world class single malt whiskies in England, and sharing them with whisky lovers around the world.”
Father of two Andrew, whose wife Katy works alongside him as The English Distillery’s Marketing Director, added: “This is a super way to celebrate our 18th year of whisky distilling. It’s a testament to our distillers’ work and I know my father would have been hugely proud of this achievement, as are we.
“As the English Whisky category continues to grow with pace, this award is another milestone for whisky making in England, particularly when it’s judged against some of the finest single malt whiskies from around the world, including Scotland.”
The winning whisky boasts aromas of rich dark fruits from the sherry-filled casks, which combine in a nose of raw honey and vanilla, leading to a burst of sweet toffee, cherries and digestives on the palate. The result is a wonderfully balanced and rich whisky that is not outshone by the wood.
Bottled at 46% abv, non chill filtered and natural in colour, The English Sherry Cask is a no age statement whisky that is part of the distillery’s core range, which includes The English Original and The English Smokey (both RRP £47.50, 70cl bottle).
Stockist House of Malt describes the winning whisky as a “delightful newcomer to The English Distillery’s core range… with a luxuriously thick sherry character, brimming with flavours of crumbly biscuits, smooth vanilla caramel, simmered berries, and sun-dried figs”.
It is also available to purchase directly from the distillery’s online shop @ https://www.englishwhisky.co.uk/ and through leading global retailers including Bottle Apostle, The Spirt Specialist, and The Whisky World.
The English Distillery
The English Distillery is England’s oldest registered whisky distillery. Founded by the Nelstrop family in Norfolk in 2006, the distillery is still independent and creates multi-award-winning whisky from local barley.
The distillery has a unique place in history. In 1901 the last recorded whisky distillery in England swapped from whisky to gin production before being destroyed by fire. This saw the end of whisky distilleries in England until The English Whisky Co. Ltd was granted a license to distil whisky by HMRC. In 2006 it opened the first registered, operational whisky distillery in England for over 100 years.
Our founder James Nelstrop was the younger son of a Lincolnshire farmer. James spent his formative years farming in Lincolnshire before emigrating to Australia, where farms were bigger and opportunities were plentiful. James returned to England in 1976 and went to work the land in Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire. He also set up farming charities in Russia to improve the agricultural industry as the country emerged from 30 years of communist control before returning to Norfolk.
As James neared retirement, a lifetime’s dream to make whisky became a possibility. The dream had grown from a throwaway comment made by James’ father, who said it was a “shame all this barley has to go to Scotland to be turned into whisky.”
The decision to build the distillery in Norfolk was quick and with only one caveat: The distillery would produce only the very finest single malt whiskies, regardless of the time it took to get there. This mantra has become the foundation of everything that we do at The English Distillery.
The distillery is now led by James’ son Andrew, who continues to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Scottish stovies and strange sheep are announced as the winning entries for The Glencairn Glass crime short story competition
A sinister story involving a Scottish recipe for ‘stovies’ and a grisly tale about the strange sheep of Greshornish have been chosen as the winning and runner-up stories in The Glencairn Glass crime short story competition this year.
The world’s favourite whisky glass – the Glencairn Glass – produced by Scottish glassware company Glencairn Crystal, has announced the winning author as Philip Wilson, and the runner-up author as Elisabeth Ingram Wallace, in its annual Scottish themed crime fiction competition, now in its third year.
Having supported and celebrated Scottish crime writing talent with its ongoing sponsorship of the prestigious McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland Debut crime-writing literary awards since 2020, the Glencairn Glass launched its very own crime short story competition in 2021.
The competition is run in partnership with Scottish Field Magazine and the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival. Both novice and experienced crime writers are invited to curate “a crime story set in Scotland” in no more than 2000 words.
Over 140 stories were entered into the 2023/24 competition and the winner and runner-up were selected by a panel of three judges including Callum McSorley, a Glasgow based writer whose debut novel Squeaky Clean won this year’s Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year. He was joined by Kate Foster; the Edinburgh based national newspaper journalist and author, whose debut novel The Maiden won this year’s Bloody Scotland’s Debut Prize. The third judge was Glencairn Crystal’s marketing director and experienced crime writer Gordon Brown.
The judges have revealed the winner and runner-up as follows:
Winner: A Recipe For Stovies by Philip Wilson
The gruesome confession of a food blogger who sought revenge on her violent husband after suffering years of domestic abuse.
Philip Wilson is a writer living in Glasgow. He divides his free time between trying to wrangle his rebellious dog and writing off-kilter short fiction. Time and imagination willing, he’s planning to set to work on a full-length novel soon.
Philip said: “I’m ecstatic and really honoured to be selected as this year’s winner of the Glencairn Glass Short Story Competition. I stumbled across the competition by sheer luck but knew immediately that I wanted to submit something. No matter what I write, an element of Scotland seems to worm its way into the material somehow, so a crime story set in Scotland was the ideal opportunity to be playful with it. I just hope my story doesn’t put anyone off of stovies. It’s usually quite a benign dish, cholesterol notwithstanding”.
Runner-up: The Strange Sheep of Greshornish by Elisabeth Ingram Wallace
A sinister tale of a disillusioned tourist guide on the Isle of Skye who sends badly behaved tourists to suffer the same fate as the mad sheep in Greshornish.
Elisabeth Ingram Wallace lives in a Skoda in Scotland, usually somewhere in the Highlands. Her short stories have won prizes including The Mogford Short Story Prize, ‘Writing the Future’ and a Scottish Book Trust ‘New Writers Award.’ Recent work has featured in SmokeLong Quarterly, Atticus Review, Barrelhouse, Wigleaf, and anthologies including ‘FUEL – an anthology of Prize Winning Flash Fictions’.
Elisabeth said: “Thank you so much to the judges and to all at the Glencairn Glass, I am delighted to be the runner up in such a fantastic competition. It is a great challenge to write such a short Short Story; under 2000 words is my absolute favourite length, a test to write but long enough to go a little wild and include the odd zombie sheep. I wrote this story in a Bothy near Neist Point over Christmas, while it rained and rained and rained, and it was a real escape to go and commit a few imaginary murders in the sunshine”.
Competition judge, Callum McSorley, commented: “It was a real honour to read the brilliant work submitted, and certainly made for some lively discussion during the judging process. The winner’s clever story format made excellent use of the limited space to tell a story equal parts funny and sinister which pulled all the judges in immediately. The runner-up’s scuzzy subversion of an imagined, idyllic Scottish Highlands was similarly smart, comic, and dark.”
Kate Foster said: “It was a huge pleasure to read such a brilliant variety of crime stories, and to see the talent in Scottish writing. The judging process was great fun with lots of debate, but we were unanimous in our favourites. The winning entry stood out to me as it was funny, clever, and served up with a flourish. The runner-up was brilliantly written with a really quirky twist.”
Glencairn’s marketing director Gordon Brown said: “The quality of the short stories we receive every year is amazing and as both a crime writer and the Marketing Director of Glencairn Crystal I’m delighted that a competition based around Scotland and Crime Fiction can deliver such great works”.
The first prize of £1,000 goes to Philip Wilson and runner up Elisabeth Ingram Wallace receives £500. Both writers also receive a set of six bespoke engraved Glencairn Glasses. The winning story will be published in the May issue of Scottish Field Magazine (on shelf from 5th April) and the runner up story will then be published on Scottish Field Magazine’s website; www.scottishfield.co.uk. Both stories will also be available to read on the Glencairn Glass website: www.whiskyglass.com.
Last year’s short story competition was won by Frances Crawford from Glasgow, whose captivating tale The Dummy Railway told the story of a disturbing discovery through the eyes of a young Scottish girl. All previous winners’ stories can be viewed at www.whiskyglass.com
For further information about this year’s McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland Debut crime-writing prizes, as well as the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival taking place in Stirling, Scotland, from the 13th to 15th September, please visit www.bloodyscotland.com.
About Glencairn Crystal and the Glencairn Glass:
The award-winning Glencairn Crystal Studio has been at the cutting edge of high-quality decanter and glassware design, innovation, and creativity for four decades. Regarded internationally as one of the finest crystal decanter and glassware manufacturers, the family-run Scottish company has hand-crafted prestigious decanters often for the rarest and most luxurious spirits ever released.
The Glencairn Glass for whisky was officially launched in 2001. Glencairn Crystal currently sell millions of these glasses globally every year making it the world’s favourite whisky glass.
We’re extremely excited to bring you our latest Malt of the Moment, saving a massive £10 on this heavenly single cask exclusive of ours.
A customer favourite, we’re surprised to still have some stock in our warehouse, although availability has now become very low. We need to make some room for new casks coming in, so don’t hesitate in stocking up on this delightful single cask before it goes for good!
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Award Winning Single Cask (Whisky Magazine)
5 Star Customer Review Rating
Rated 87/100 – Whiskynotes.be
Whisky Base Average Rating: 86.20
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We offer excellent International shipping rates, add any items to your basket to see the fast and great valued shipping options available to your country. Head over to Abbey Whisky via the link below to read the verified customer reviews our this excellent single cask exclusive. As ever if you have any questions at all, please just get in touch.
Slàinte
