Exclusive Range
Launched by The Creative Whisky Co Ltd in September 2009.
 
The Exclusive Range aims to be affordable, stylish and still of the quality associated with all bottlings from The Creative Whisky Co Ltd. The Exclusive Range are all single cask bottlings, unchil-filtered and uncoloured and bottled at 45%. Each cask has been carefully selected for its uniqueness, complexity and overall quality. Currently these will be available in Japan, Germany, Taiwan, Switzerland and Sweden and available at www.chesterwhisky.com in the UK. For further information or interest in import/distribution, please contact david@creativewhisky.co.uk

Aberfeldy 1999 10yo 45% American oak
Nose: Rich oak and vanilla. Crushed hazelnuts. Creamy.
Palate: Sweet at first with loads of vanilla and cream flavours.
Finish: Extraordinary finish with tropical fruit flavours mixed with a nutty aftertaste.

Bowmore 1995 14yo 45% Refill butt
Nose: Perfumed peat with mild sherry flavours and soft fruits.
Palate: Soft at first with earthy peat and anise.
Finish: Hot and peppery with a sugary-sweet aftertaste.

Clynelish 1997 12yo 45% Refill hogshead
Nose: Rich spices with cloves and grappa-like notes. Hints of lemon.
Palate: Hugely rich and powerful. Sweet and malty with masses of honey and spice.
Finish: Long sweet, honey finish with a spicy-rich aftertaste.

Craigellachie 1996 12yo 45% European oak
Nose: Raisins in syrup. Brown sugar. Vanilla and oak.
Palate: Again loads of raisin flavours ? dry oakiness with a rich spiciness.
Finish: Dry finish with a pine-fresh aftertaste.

Cragganmore 1999 10yo 45% American oak
Nose: Rich and creamy with heavy Sherry notes. Fruit & Madeira cake.
Palate: Deliciously sweet and fruity at first with loads of oak and sherry flavours.
Finish: Long, sweet finish with a richly-fruity aftertaste.

Glen Ord 1999 10yo 45% American oak
Nose: Like a walk through a scented forest. Craemy and rich with lots of malty notes.
Palate: Oodles of rich malt flavours mixed with spicy oak and vanilla.
Finish: A warming, sugary finish with lots of vanilla and cream in the aftertaste.

Longmorn 1998 11yo 45% Refill hogshead
Nose: Honey and malt with brandy butter and Tablet.
Palate: Sweet and malty with rich, jellied fruits and icing sugar.
Finish: Long sweet finish with lots of malt and sweet oak notes on the aftertaste.

Glenrothes 1999 9yo 45% Refill butt
Nose: Raisins in sugar. Heathery-sweet with cloves. Dry.
Palate: Malty with rich plum-cake flavours. Slightly salty.
Finish: Sharp finish with a salty-sweet aftertaste.

Laphroaig 1996 12yo 45% Refill hogshead
Nose: Smoked fish with herbs and spices. Very phenolic.
Palate: Masses of sweet, earthy and herbal peat. Rich.
Finish: Long, hot and spicy with a real earthy aftertaste.

(Perth, Scotland) To mark the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns’s birth, The Macallan has produced a celebratory bottling which is now available to buy from The Macallan distillery shop at Easter Elchies in Speyside, Scotland, priced £199.

A limited edition of only 250 bottles has been produced and it’s envisaged that these will sell out quickly. The liquid comes from two casks chosen by The Macallan’s whisky maker Bob Dalgarno – one from 1997 and one from 1998, both numbered 1759, the year of Burns’s birth.  The significance of the cask numbers was recognised by Bob and he felt it only appropriate to produce a special bottling for the homecoming year. The rarity of the liquid is a fitting commemoration to Scotland’s famous poet.

The whisky, which is a sherry oak expression with an ABV of 46 per cent, has been placed in a decanter made to an original design, based on the head and shoulders of The Macallan standard bottle. It’s exquisitely packaged in a handmade Scottish red pine wooden box designed by master cabinet maker Harvey McLean, whose workshop is only a few hundred yards from Burns’s birthplace in Alloway. The box carries a specially commissioned enamel plate featuring a portrait of Robert Burns. Each presentation box comes with a unique numbered printing of an individual Burns poem and a copy of an ancient map of ‘Burns Country.’

Ken Grier, Director of Malts for The Edrington Group, commented: “To bring a due sense of historical perspective to this celebratory bottling, we managed to persuade David Holmes and Nicholas Salaman to return to The Macallan to work on this unique project and their work is featured in the accompanying brochure carried within the presentation box. We have created a unique bottling celebrating the birth of the nations bard, linking Scotland’s Master of Poetry with The Macallan – Masters of Spirit and Wood.”

Holmes and Salaman are the two men who helped to bring The Macallan to the attention of a wider public over a period of 30 years.  They worked on The Macallan advertising account when the brand was barely known outside Speyside. They produced over 100 advertisements, posters and commercials in a campaign, through their advertising agency Holmes, Knight Ritchie, that gradually grew in size as The Macallan itself developed – from 101st in the single malt league to number two by value worldwide.

www.themacallan.com

Please savour responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk

NOTES:

The timeless reputation of The Macallan is founded upon Six Pillars:

The Spiritual Home

Easter Elchies House proudly watches over The Macallan distillery in Speyside, Scotland. Built in 1700, this Jacobean manor house is The Macallan’s spiritual home.

Curiously Small Stills

The Macallan’s curiously small and uniquely shaped copper stills help to concentrate the flavour of the ‘new make’ spirit.

The Finest Cut

The ‘cut’ is the amount of distilled spirit collected from the stills as ‘new make’ spirit. The Macallan takes one of the finest ‘cuts’ of any distillery in Scotland; typically just 16% goes forward to fill or our casks. 

Exceptional Oak Casks

The Macallan’s unfaltering obsession with selecting exceptional oak casks brings an unsurpassed, timeless quality to The Macallan.

Natural Colour

The Macallan insists upon Natural Colour. It is the interaction of spirit and wood alone which delivers the rich variety of colour, aroma and taste evident through out the range.

Peerless Spirit

The Macallan remains the single malt against which all others must be judged. It is celebrated far and wide by experts and discerning drinkers as the world’s most precious whisky.

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted a new item, ‘Glenugie Signatory 1977 31yo’

Glenugie 1977 31yo bottled by Signatory Vintage
‘Oloroso finished for 84 months’
58.1%
£135.00 inc vat
£117.39 ex vat

You may view the latest post at
https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/09/28/glenugie-signatory-1977-31yo/

Best regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

28 September 2009

The Glenrothes single malt is launching a limited edition John Ramsay Legacy bottling to mark the Malt Master’s retirement this month.

His final gift to The Glenrothes, the John Ramsay Legacy bottling is a non-Vintage selection of 30 casks personally chosen by John to create an impressive single malt in celebration of his longstanding relationship with the Speyside distillery. The casks are all 2nd fill American Oak sherry casks from Vintages ranging from 1973 to 1987.

Bursting with aromas of spice, blood orange and vanilla, this limited edition single malt has a rich palate of fruit and mango with a long, mature unmistakably American oak finish.  Only 100 bottles of this Legacy bottling (46.7% abv) are available in the UK.

John Ramsay, Malt Master for The Edrington Group, says: “My signature and tasting notes have been on each and every label of The Glenrothes since 2004.  This final bottling has given me a wonderful opportunity to craft a single malt which embodies the exceptional quality and distinctive style of The Glenrothes and I am truly delighted with the result.”

Since joining The Edrington Group in 1991, John Ramsay has held the esteemed position of overseeing the quality of the Group’s whisky portfolio, including The Glenrothes’ Vintages and non-Vintage Select Reserve.

Ronnie Cox, Global Brand Ambassador for The Glenrothes, says: “John Ramsay’s outstanding efforts have resulted in a fine selection of The Glenrothes Vintages, each with their own and unique personality. In 2005, John also created a house style non-Vintage single malt that truly typifies the character of The Glenrothes distillery with ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and hints of spice. In creating The Glenrothes Select Reserve, John has enabled us to make our single malt more accessible to whisky lovers around the world.

“With the John Ramsay Legacy bottling, he continues to impress.  As with all expressions of The Glenrothes, this limited edition should be shared with likeminded friends. Together with everyone at the distillery, I would like to raise a toast to John for his exceptional contribution to The Glenrothes single malt and the legacy he leaves us with.”

Each 70cl bottle of the John Ramsay Legacy limited edition is individually numbered and beautifully presented in a bespoke oak box designed to showcase the rare single malt. A booklet scripted by John Ramsay, including tasting notes, is also kept in a hidden drawer at the base of the box.

The Glenrothes John Ramsay Legacy bottling is available from the start of October at specialist retailers across the UK and on The Glenrothes website www.theglenrothes.com (RRP £699).
 
-Ends-

For further information please visit  www.theglenrothes.com 

Please enjoy our brand responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk
For press enquiries or photography, please contact:

Linda Edstrand / Pam Wils, The BIG Partnership

Tel: 0131 555 5522

Email: linda.edstrand@bigpartnership.co.uk; pamela.wils@bigpartnership.co.uk

 
Notes to editors:

Tasting notes for The Glenrothes: John Ramsay:

Appearance:     Medium golden, clear and bright

Bouquet:            Rich, spicy, blood orange and vanilla

Palate:               Rich, full flavour, balanced oak and fruit, mango

Finish:                Long, mature and tactile, unmistakably American oak

About The Glenrothes

The Glenrothes is also available in a limited range of Vintages. Rare and finite, Vintages are selected on their own unique personality and include Vintages 1978, 1985, 1991 and 1994. The Glenrothes Select Reserve is a non-Vintage specific selection and typifies the distillery house character of ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and hints of spice. 

The Glenrothes was founded in 1879
Little more than 2% of the distillery capacity is bottled as Single Malt to ensure exceptional quality
Of the 16 Vintages released to date, 12 have entirely sold out
It is matured in a combination of Spanish and American oak casks – the best of both worlds.

The Glenrothes Select Reserve was voted Best in Class at the World Whiskies Awards 2008 and won two Double Golds at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007

The Glenrothes 1978 Vintage was voted Best Speyside Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2008

The Glenrothes 1975 won a Double Gold award at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008

“I have always felt that Glenrothes deserved to be more widely appreciated. Beautifully rounded.sophisticated after-dinner malt.” Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion

Jim Murray, in his Whisky Bible 2007, refers to The Glenrothes Select Reserve; “One of the softest deliveries on Speyside, the silky barley and citrus caress the tastebuds with rare tenderness” and scores it 24 out of 25

About John Ramsay

•       John Ramsay was born in Glasgow in 1949 and educated to Licentiate of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

•       John joined the Scotch whisky industry in 1966, working in the laboratory at Strathclyde Distillery.

•       John is a member of the judging panel for the International Spirits Challenge and became Chairman of the Scotch whisky judges in 2003.

•       He is a visiting lecturer on Scotch whisky at the Université des Eaux de Vie – the spirits university near Cognac in France.

•       John is married with no children, and enjoys golf, music and reading, particularly Scottish history and Robert Burns poetry.

John Ramsay CV

•       1966, Lab Assistant, Strathclyde Distillery

•       1971, Chief Chemist, Wm. Lawson Distillers

•       1981, Blender/Chemist, Wm. Lawson Distillers

•       1990, Production Controller, Highland Distilleries

•       1991, Group Whisky Quality Manager and Master Blender, The  Edrington Group
About Gordon Motion

·         Gordon Motion was born in Edinburgh in 1969 and gained a degree in Computer Science from Herriot Watt university.

·         In 1991 he decided on a career change and went back to study a Brewing and Distilling course from 1992-93.

·         Gordon is actively involved with the Scotch Whisky Research Institute’s technical liaison groups and was a previous secretary of the International Brewers’ Guild (Scottish Section).

·         Gordon is a keen sportsman and has represented Scotland at small-bore target shooting for the past eight years winning eight Scottish caps and one for Great Britain.
 

Gordon Motion CV

·         1993-1998 – Employed by a number of breweries including Mount Murray (Isle of Man); Tom Hoskin’s (Leicester) and Belhaven (Dunbar) before becoming Assistant Malster with Paul Malt Glenesk Maltings (Montrose)

·         Feb 1998, Assistant to Whisky Quality Manager, The Edrington Group

·         June 1998, Whisky Quality Technologist, The Edrington Group

·         March 2007, Master Blender Designate, The Edrington Group
Linda Edstrand
Account Manager

The BIG Partnership

Suite 4/3, Great Michael House, 14 Links Place, Edinburgh, EH6 7EZ

Tel: 0131 555 5522
Mob: 07717 875 227
Fax: 0131 554 3742
www.bigpartnership.co.uk

Compass Box “Orangerie” has been gorgeously re-designed and bottled as a 750ml. Orangerie had previously left the market after whiskymaker Compass Box founder, John Glaser realized he was too busy to continue hand zesting each batch. (Rumor has it he also developed a bad case of ‘Zest Elbow’) Now after enlisting a crew of new ‘official zesters’ – people can stop asking, “Where is Orangerie?” Orangerie is a whisky infusion made of smooth, sweet Scotch whisky instilled with the hand-peeled zest of Navalino oranges and subtle accents of Indonesian cassia bark and Sri Lankan cloves. In addition to Orangerie’s fascinating aroma of fresh-peeled oranges, it has soft, rich whisky flavors with a hint of vanilla (from casks of Vosges oak) as well as  playful, exotic spices. Compass Box recommends enjoying Orangerie with a splash of cold spring water, swirled over ice or chilled. As it says on the box, “Share and enjoy Orangerie. It makes people smile.”

Our Price:$45/per 750ml bottle

As always, don’t hesitate to contact us about any item.
Cheers!
Jonathan & Eric
Park Avenue Liquor Shop
292 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-685-2442
info@parkaveliquor.com

September 2009

Dear Customer

As we approach the Christmas Season(!) we have an interesting selection of two (2) new bottlings for OLD MALT CASK, as well as two (2) bottlings of OLD & RARE packs plus two (2) ANNIVERSARY BOTTLINGS – and one with a new brand (see below). Beyond them, and as indicated last month, such has been the success of the DOUBLE BARREL bottling of MACALLAN/LAPHROAIG that the range has been extended to include
ARDBEG/GLENROTHES and HIGHLAND PARK/BOWMORE bottlings – already well received from samplings carried out with visitors to our office.

For “something completely different” from the Laings, we are introducing you to BIG PEAT from Islay – a really colourful personality full of Islay Malts including (amongst others) ARDBEG, BOWMORE, CAOL ILA and PORT ELLEN. BIG PEAT really lives up to the name and taps into the enthusiasm for Islay Malts which we hope will establish a long term presence with its “small batch” bottlings at 46% alc vol, its uniquely quirky packaging, and aggressive pricing due to the depth we have of Islay stock.

Meantime, the OLD MALT CASK Tasting Notes follow:

OMC 1751 ARDBEG 18 YEAR OLD
Nose: Starts sweet, warms to barley, tails to peat.
Palate: Heavily and sweetly phenolic, now tarry/creosoted
Finish: Sweet with soft tar, plus light smoke ‘n’ spice (F)

OMC 1747 PORT ELLEN 26 YEAR OLD
Nose: Fresh / clean & gristy sweet + eucalyptus + home baking
Palate: Complex, creamy, vanilla’d with late gently peated smoke
Finish: Smokey and sweet, very mellow with soft tar and ashes (J)

OLD & RARE Tasting Notes as follows:

OAR0081 BRORA 28 YEAR OLD SHERRY MATURED
The nose is complex with leather, dried fruit and comes over rather mentholated. The full bodied and mouthcoating palate opens dry and fresh, almost saline, lightly peated and develops to a rich herbal character with dried plums. The finish remains complex with a beachy style, sweet spices and an oak tang. (J)

0AR0079 LAPHROAIG 20 YEAR OLD SHERRY MATURED
This “middle-aged” Laphroaig opens with citrus, developing a character of freshly malted barley, with ripe bananas and marzipan appearing as it opens further. The rich, mouthcoating palate opens sweetly and evolves in a tarry, smokey style. The finish is medium long with a burning wood smokiness, more tar and a salty, beach quality. (J)

We hope you find some interesting and exciting expressions not only from our traditional single cask bottlings with which you are already familiar, but also from the extended selection offered under DOUBLE BARREL allied to the interesting character that BIG PEAT will offer you.

Beyond them our 60th ANNIVERSARY BOTTLING for September is a fabulous cask of undoubtedly FDL’s favourite Malt, being a Port Ellen (in this case 30 years old) and as Stewart and Fred also wanted to make their own contribution Fred is releasing “his” 36 year old ARDBEG, being the last at this age in the Douglas Laing stock. We hope these Malts will excite you and send you our best regards,

Yours faithfully

Fred Laing

http://www.douglaslaing.com/

The Macallan 57 year old single malt whisky in Lalique decanter

(Perth, Scotland) Iconic luxury brands The Macallan and Lalique have launched the third decanter in The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection. The Macallan in Lalique Finest Cut decanter contains an exceptionally rare 57 years old single malt whisky valued at USD$15,000 and goes on sale in September 2009.

The Finest Cut decanter has been designed by the legendary French crystal house Lalique, exclusively for The Macallan.  A limited edition of just 400 have been produced, each individually numbered and available in selected outlets in the USA, UK, Europe and Asia.

David Cox, Director of Fine & Rare Whiskies for The Macallan comments: “This is the third collaboration between The Macallan and legendary crystal makers Lalique. It is a truly stunning addition to the Six Pillars decanter collection.  As a reflection of the beauty of the decanter we chose to fill it with a particularly rare 57 years old Macallan single malt whisky. It is the second oldest ‘vintage’ Macallan whisky ever released, only surpassed in age by the legendary 1926, a 60 year old Macallan bottled in 1986.

“The 57 year old has been vatted together from two casks; the first, a 1950 American oak sherry butt, the second a vatting of Macallan from Spanish oak sherry butts originally filled in 1949, 1951 and 1952.  The result is a softly sumptuous single malt, showing off the classic dried fruits, spice and hints of peat redolent of The Macallan house style of the early 1950’s. Due to the rarity of the liquid, only 400 decanters will be produced.”

The third decanter in The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection takes its inspiration from The Macallan’s Finest Cut, that fraction of the new make spirit which is filled into casks for maturation.  At The Macallan, this fraction is a mere 16%.  It is the heart of the run, the best of the best, delivered at a very slow rate of distillation to maximise flavour and deliver the distinctively rich, fruity, linseed oil character of The Macallan’s new make spirit.

The decanter has been designed by Lalique’s Design Studio who were inspired by the legacy of Rene Lalique to design a decanter featuring the ‘stilligoute’ of a perfume bottle, the long piece of pure crystal flowing down to a point from the base of the bottle stopper.  A portion of the stopper has been left completely clear and not “satinee”, running from the top down to the point.  This clear portion represents the 16% ‘finest cut’. When inserted into the elegantly tapering decanter, the stilligoutte, bathed in the rich whisky, reflects the natural colours of The Macallan through the play of light; when withdrawn, you can appreciate the full, heady aromas exuded by each drop as it slowly runs down the crystal stem.

Silvio Denz, President and CEO of Lalique, comments: “We are delighted to be working with the world’s finest single malt as it has given us the opportunity to design a series of decanters which reflect all the best attributes of our brand – creativity, heritage and craftsmanship.  The Finest Cut decanter was created by our design team in Paris and hand crafted at Lalique’s crystal making facility in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace. Each piece was worked on by up to 15 craftsmen, many of whom have attained the ‘Meilleur ouvrier de France’ – the Finest Craftsman of France Award.   Each decanter bears the esteemed ‘Lalique France’ signature, which symbolises authenticity and over 100 years of creativity, heritage and craftsmanship, and comes in a beautifully designed lacquer presentation box, with a crystal stopper and a collectors guide, detailing the craftsmanship that has gone into producing this beautiful object d’art.”

The Macallan has been working with Lalique since 2005 to produce an exclusive series of limited edition decanters based on The Macallan’s Six Pillars. The first two decanters in the series, Exceptional Oak Casks and Natural Colour, have proved hugely popular with both whisky consumers and collectors of Lalique crystal.

Respected and admired by discerning whisky lovers and named ‘Distiller of the Year 2008,’* The Macallan remains the single malt against which all others must be judged.

*Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2008 Star Awards.

Ends
 
For further information or photography, please contact:

Linda Edstrand / Pamela Wils, The BIG Partnership

Tel: 0131 555 5522

Email: linda.edstrand@bigpartnership.co.uk; pamela.wils@bigpartnership.co.uk
 

Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

NOTES TO EDITORS:
 

The Macallan 57 years old in Lalique – tasting notes:

 Colour            Mahogany

 Nose               Ginger, raisin, orange, vanilla, oak notes in the background

 Palate             Rich in spices, sweet fruit, toasted oak

Finish             Long and full bodied

Alcohol Strength 48.5% abv

The timeless reputation of The Macallan is founded upon Six Pillars:

The Spiritual Home

Easter Elchies House proudly watches over The Macallan distillery in Speyside, Scotland. Built in 1700, this Jacobean manor house is The Macallan’s spiritual home.

Curiously Small Stills

The Macallan’s curiously small and uniquely shaped copper stills help to concentrate the flavour of the ‘new make’ spirit.

The Finest Cut

The ‘cut’ is the amount of distilled spirit collected from the stills as ‘new make’ spirit. The Macallan takes one of the finest ‘cuts’ of any distillery in Scotland; typically just 16% goes forward to fill or our casks. 

Exceptional Oak Casks

The Macallan’s unfaltering obsession with selecting exceptional oak casks brings an unsurpassed, timeless quality to The Macallan.

Natural Colour

The Macallan insists upon Natural Colour. It is the interaction of spirit and wood alone which delivers the rich variety of colour, aroma and taste evident through out the range.

Peerless Spirit

The Macallan remains the single malt against which all others must be judged. It is celebrated far and wide by experts and discerning drinkers as the world’s most precious whisky.

Pamela Wils

Account Executive

The Big Partnership

Suite 4/3, Great Michael House, 14 Links Place, Edinburgh, EH6 7EZ

www.themacallan.com/

Macallan 57 Year Old Lalique

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has stocked a new item, ‘Bruichladdich Organic’

Bruichladdich Organic 2003
46% abv
£38.10 inc vat
£33.13 ex vat

https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/09/23/bruichladdich-organic/

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Loch Fyne Whiskies News has posted a new item, ‘Bruichladdich X4+3’

Bruichladdich X4+3
63.5% abv
£48.90 inc vat
£42.52 ex vat

You may view the latest post at
https://www.lfw.co.uk/blog/2009/09/23/bruichladdich-x43/

Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

September, 2009

Dear Customer,

There are two (2) new PROVENANCE bottlings this month and their tasting notes follow:

The PROVENANCE Tasting Notes read:

PRV 0579 CLYNELISH 10 YEAR OLD
The nose carries candied lemon zeste with caramel brandy snaps. The palate is initially sweet and spicy with more caramel, soft toffee and thyme. The finish is long and , still spicy and sweet. (J)

PRV 0585 KNOCKANDO 9 YEAR OLD SHERRY MATURED
The nose opens sweetly with cooked fruit, caramelized apples and develops to cedar wood and strawberries. The palate is spicy and sweet with nuts and raisins, reminiscent of Christmas pudding. The medium long finish is attractively spiced with the character of caramelized orange pith. (J)

Throughout the year we have bottled more expressions in our new packaging and which has been well received by our customers.

All best wishes

Fred Laing

Visit Douglas Laing at http://www.douglaslaing.com/