www.ralfy.com has set a world land speed record in the 250cc class of motorcycle at the Bonneville salt flats and now it’s time to get back to reviews with Whisky Review 595 – Glenturret 27yo (Old Particular) @ 45.4%vol
Society Quarterly – August 2016
Dear Society Members,
Make yourself comfortable, this is the longest newsletter I have ever sent you. In fact, this is a little more than the standard newsletters, although these will continue as normal. Here at Springbank HQ we have decided to alter the way in which we supply information to our Society Members. We have decided that I shall write you a quarterly email that you will receive approximately every 3 months. The rest of this email will give you an idea of the format these emails will take but first, please allow me to explain why we are doing this. There are a few reasons but the main 2 are as follows:
We are constantly thinking about how we communicate with the Society and how to improve the way we provide you with important information. We believe this is an improvement. We have also recently implemented a more structured announcement process throughout the Sales and Marketing department and these quarterly announcements are an significant part of that.
As part of the new announcement structure, as you may have noticed, we have changed the timing regarding when we tell you guys about bottle releases. A key element of this new system is to tell Society Members about upcoming releases that we plan to make available for purchase (at least in the UK) within the time between this quarterly and the next one in around 3 months. You will also continue to receive newsflashes shortly before each bottle is released which will include more details about each whisky than will be included in these quarterlies.
Also in this email, I have included some information on where members of our Sales team will be travelling to in the next 3 months and, if possible, where you can meet up with them.
And finally, if you make it all the way to the end, I have a few extra points that I believe are worth reading regarding the Society blog, Social media, the society discount and a recent mistake I made.
See you on the other side.
Upcoming Releases
The following bottles are scheduled for release between now and when the next quarterly is sent. I have included the month in which each of these bottles are currently scheduled to be released and as I mentioned in the introduction, each of these bottles will have their own announcement newsletter that you will receive shortly before they are released as usual. I do not plan for these quarterly newsletters to ever act as announcements in themselves.
August – Springbank 18yo (Extremely Limited) – £85.00
(You will be getting more information on this bottling very soon)
October – Springbank 25yo
Hazelburn 9yo Barolo Cask
Late October/November – Springbank 15yo Jamaican Rum Cask (Society bottle)
Obviously, due to this email being written several months in advance, these details are subject to change, although I hope they do not deviate in a significant way.
Meet our Sales team
Throughout the next 3 months our sales team will be travelling all over the world and, depending on what kind of event they are attending, there could be a chance for you to meet them, share a dram and talk about all things Springbank, Glengyle and Campbeltown. The list below, although extensive, is not complete and the amount of detail I am able to give varies due to factors out with our control. If you would like more information on an event feel free to contact me nearer the time when hopefully the team member will be able to provide me with more details.
September
2nd-3rd: Ranald and Fraser will be attending Copernicker Whisky Herbst in Berlin, Germany
3rd: Grant is at Liverpool Whisky Lounge.
4th: David will be in Bar Butler in Hong Kong.
13th-16th: Fraser is going on a Springbank tasting tour of Belgium, visiting the following places;
13th – Halle
14th – Angleur
15th – Zandhoven
16th – Mechelen
15th: Ranald is hosting a tasting for Good Spirits Company in Glasgow.
October
1st: Melanie is over in France for the Strasbourg Whisky Festival.
1st-3rd: Ranald, Grant and Fraser will be in London for the Whisky Exchange event.
6th: Fraser will be attending a whisky show in Warsaw, Poland
10th-15th: Fraser is going on another tasting tour of Belgium, this time representing Kilkerran.
15th: Grant, along with Mitch from our Campbeltown shop, will be at the Wee Dram shop in Bakewell, England.
22nd: Grant, with the assistant manager of our Campbeltown shop, Cameron, will be at the Manchester Whisky Lounge.
28th-29th: Fraser is attending the whisky show taking place in the Corinthia Hotel in Budapest, Hungary
30th: Melanie is hosting a tasting in the Willow Park store in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
November
2nd: Melanie will remain in Calgary for Willow Park’s Whisky Festival.
5th: Grant is attending the Whisky Live event in Dublin, Ireland.
5th-6th: Ranald is off to Germany for the Villingen Whisky Fair.
5th-6th: Fraser and David will be attending Spirits in the Sky in Brussels, Belgium.
12th: Fraser will be heading back to his home city of Glasgow, Scotland for the Whisky Festival in Hampden park. He will be joined by Cadenhead’s Campbeltown shop manager Donald Brown.
12th: We have sent Grant down to the Birmingham Whisky Lounge show.
25th-26th: David is our ambassador to Sweden for the Orebro Beer and Whisky Festival.
26th: Ranald will be at Drambusters in Dumfires, Scotland
December
1st-4th: Fraser and Melanie are flying over to Switzerland for Whisky Schiff Zurich 2016
Further details about upcoming events and trips can be found on our website: www.springbankwhisky.com/events/
The Society Blog
I am continuing to write the society blog, which you can find here: www.springbankwhisky.com/society/
I would encourage you all to check the blog every now and then, sometimes it is the best way for me to get information out to you and it certainly is easier than a newsletter. Although I do try to keep it fairly busy, I remain reluctant to commit to a regular or fixed schedule regarding writing blogs, I feel this would not only limit me when I felt I had something worthwhile to write about outside of the agreed schedule but it would also result in me writing a blog post when I had nothing of note to say. Nevertheless, I don’t want you guys to miss anything, so make sure you check it every now and then.
If you have problems logging in to your account, or you don’t believe you have an account, please let me know as soon as you can.
Also, I am looking for suggestions for the blog. What would you guys like me to write about, what would you like to know about Springbank? Contact me with some ideas:
The Previous Newsletter
Some of you may have noticed the error that was in the newsletter I sent out regarding the most recent Springbank 12yo Cask Strength (it was concerning whether the Society discount was applicable). This cast into light some misunderstandings that I and others had when it came to how the discount was being implemented in our other shops, particularly the shops outside of the UK. To be clear, the Society discount is applicable in our Campbeltown shop for core range products from Springbank Distillers. It is possible you could get the discount for these products in other Cadenhead shops but, due to each shop out with Campbeltown being run as a franchise, this is entirely at their discretion.
Social Media
In recent times, we here at Springbank Towers have taken a more active role on social media and aim to continue this development in the future (especially when our notoriously poor internet service is finally improved) . Following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is a great and easy way to keep up to date with the happenings at #Springbank.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/officialspringbankwhisky/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Springbank1828 (@springbank1828)
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/springbankwhisky1828/
The End is Nigh
This has been an essay hasn’t it. Well, I hope it has been more interesting than the essays I used to write back in my university days. However, now you know what these quarterlies are going to be like, what format they have. The next one will be in approximately 3 months (you guys know how much I hate definitive schedules) and I am sure it will provide some interesting bedtime reading for you all again 😉
Remember, I am looking for suggestions for the blog and you will still be receiving the regular newsletters as before so you won’t have to wait too long for the next one.
Slainte
Nathan
For the Springbank Society
To join the Springbank Society please contact Nathan at
On Friday 5 August, we opened the doors at 28 Queen Street to unveil the newly refurbished space. 150 guests joined the team at Queen Street for the first look at all three remodeled levels with drams, nibbles and bubbly. Guests explored their flavour preferences in the Kaleidoscope Whisky Bar…
Read more on our blog >
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ
Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information
This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!
Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video
Everything you need to know about Indian whisky
Indian whisky is big. Eight of the top 10 best-selling whisky brands in 2015 were made in India, with only Johnnie Walker and Jack Daniel’s preventing a whitewash.
Five of the best-known Indian whiskies
Want to know more? Here’s our handy guide to everything you need to know:
Almost all of the whisky produced in India is made by blending spirit distilled from fermented molasses (similar to what we know as rum) with either grain whisky (maize, wheat, rye or barley) or pre-blended Scotch whisky; it cannot be sold in Europe as whisky. The biggest brand, Officer’s Choice, sold an astonishing 400 million bottles in 2015!
Yes. It is a growing category of Indian whisky, but as of 2016, there are just three that are readily available: Amrut (first seen in Europe in 2004), Paul John (2012), and Rampur (new this year).
Yes, but it cannot be labelled as ‘whisky’ and is normally called a ‘spirit drink’. One example is 8PM, the world’s 18th bestselling whisky in 2015.
To be able to be sold as whisky in the EU and elsewhere, Indian single malts are made in the same way as Scotch – with malted barley in pot stills and aged in oak for at least three years.
Due to the cooler temperatures, Indian barley is almost exclusively grown in the north of the country, mainly near the borders with China, Nepal and Pakistan. For the southern distilleries (Amrut and Paul John), this means the barley has to be transported around 1,500 miles by road to the distilleries. For peated whiskies, either peat or pre-smoked barley is imported from Scotland.
Indian barley is grown in the north of the country
Yes! Scotch Whisky Regulations permit imports of blended Scotch whisky in bulk to be bottled in another country. India is one of the many places this happens; for example you can find locally bottled examples of Teacher’s, Vat 69 and Black & White.
The heat isn’t as much of a problem as you may think for the three single-malt distilleries. The average high, even in the height of summer, is 35°C in Bangalore (home of Amrut) 31°C in Rampur and a degree less than that for Paul John in Goa, calmed by the maritime climate). As a guide, Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee deal with similar temperatures.
The lack of humidity is arguably the biggest obstacle faced by Indian whisky producers for two reasons: it causes both the ageing process to accelerate (around six times, so a three-year-old Indian malt is similar in maturity to an 18-year-old Scotch), and for a higher ratio of water to alcohol to evaporate (the angel’s share), so the abv rises during maturation.
In a word; yes. Jim Murray scored Amrut Fusion 97 points and the title of Third Finest Whisky in the World in his Whisky Bible 2010, which helped to raise awareness of the country’s whiskies. This has been followed by many more awards for both the established distilleries, including Best Asian Single Malt 12 Years and Under for Paul John Select Cask Classic at The World Whiskies Awards 2015. Asa Abraham of Paul John says: ‘The common perception about Indian whiskies is that they are made from molasses and hence not of good quality. But perceptions are changing.’
Treat it the same way you would Scotch. As with all whisky, it’s up to you. With or without water or ice, mixed or neat, however you like to drink it is best. Like many countries around the world, Indians agree that whisky is for sharing with friends, as this advert from 8PM points out:
Sales are growing by around 10% per year. Abraham predicts that Indian single malt consumption will be ‘explosive’ in the near future and that more Indian distilleries will bring out single malts of their own.
If you’ve never tried Indian whisky before, Amrut Fusion is a great place to start. A mix of unpeated Indian and lightly peated Scottish barley, it’s rich, fruity, spicy and one of our favourites. What’s more, buy a bottle before 21 September and you could win a bottle of the rare Greedy Angels 10 Year Old, the oldest-ever Indian whisky. See our prize draw page for full details.
If you prefer your whisky unpeated, then Paul John Brilliance is fruity and creamy, and made exclusively using Indian barley.
This very limited edition Island Single Malt from the Jura distillery has just been released in celebration of Distillery Manager, Willie Cochrane’s 39 years on the island. Aged for 22 years and finished in Pinot Noir wine casks, only 672 bottles are available in the UK. Presented at a natural cask strength of 47% abv and non chill-filtered.
The nose offers notes of moist walnut cake, freshly baked bread, over-ripe pineapple and vanilla, with hints of dark chocolate, coffee and macaroon. The palate has rich ginger, cassis, frangipane and caramelised peach notes, while glazed nectarines, pears in red wine, muscovado sugar and soft cranberries emerge. There is Turkish delight on the finish, with notes of coffee, fig syrup and cherry cake.
This is one of the most exciting releases of the year and so it’s offered on a first come first served basis while stocks last.
In stock and available for immediate dispatch
GlenDronach 14 Year Old – Virgin Oak
New for the Summer of 2016 we have this 14 year old GlenDronach finished in the finest of American virgin oak casks. Bottled at 46%, non chill filtered and at natural colour.
BenRiach 17 Year Old – PX Sherry
One of two new wood finishes from BenRiach, released Summer 2016 (the other being a 21 year old Port Wood finish). This BenRiach from Speyside has been aged for 17 years then finished in casks that previously held Pedro Ximénez sherry. Bottled at 46%, non chill filtered and at natural colour.
BenRiach 21 Year Old – Port Finish
A new wood finish release from BenRiach distillery, bottled in limited numbers. This Speyside single malt Scotch whisky has been aged for 21 years and finished in casks that previously held the finest of Tawny Port.
Macallan 1998 Speymalt
Malt of the Month
Another superb release from Independent whisky guru’s Gordon & MacPhail. Distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2016, this Speymalt from Macallan distillery offers tremendous value for money, considering the whisky has been matured in cask for around 18 years.
This week Joe announces his retirement from Whisky Wednesday as a new presenter of the channel takes over!
Auction ends on Tuesday 6 September.
Karuizawa – Why So Popular?
The Karuizawa whisky distillery was founded in 1955 by Miraku Brewing Corp to diversify its sake portfolio. Karuizawa was built beneath the formidable volcano of Mount Asama where the climate was deemed particularly attractive for whisky production – it was even claimed that the ivy that covered the warehouse kept the temperature and humidity at perfect levels to mature whisky.
Sadly for us, production was mothballed by the turn of the millennium; the owners, without the benefit of a crystal ball, decided production was no longer financially sustainable, and by 2012 the land the distillery rests on was sold. Now, due to their scarcity and intense, savoury, sweet spiciness, Karuizawa bottlings have exploded in value in a final salute to the Spirit of Asama.
We have no fewer than 36 Karuizawas to bid on; take a close look at Karuizawa 1971 Noh #1842, Karuizawa 1981 Cask #78 Prendre Le Rhythme LMdW and the Karuizawa 1990 Cask #679 and Karuizawa 1984 Cask #3663 Sherry Cask.
Be the first to bid!
Get bidding, and good luck! The Whisky Auction team.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
6pm – Brandy Library private room event
Address: 25 N Moore St. New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212.226.5545
Email: info@brandylibrary.com
Website: http://www.brandylibrary.com/
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2016
7pm — Park Ave in-store Seminar
Address: 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212.685.2442
Email: whiskyconn@gmail.com
Website: https://www.parkaveliquor.com/
9:30pm — Bar St. Andrews event
Address: 140 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212.840.8413
Email: barstandrews@gmail.com
Website: http://standrewsnyc.com/#home
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
2:30pm to 4:30pm – Federal Wine & Spirits Bottle signing event
Address: 29 State St, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617.367.8605
Email: joe@federalwine.com
Website: http://www.federalwine.com/
7pm – Julio’s Liquors Exclusive Whisky Wednesday event
Address: 140 Turnpike Rd, Westborough, MA 01581
Phone: 508.366.1942
Website: http://juliosliquors.com/wp/
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2016
7pm – Town Wine & Spirits Dinner event
Address: TBD
Phone: 401.434.4563
Email: malt@townwineri.com
Website: http://www.townwineandspirits.com/
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
7:30pm – Cambridge Wines and Spirits Seminar
Address: 10 Lafayette Ave #2, Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: 973.984.9463
Website: http://cambridgewinesnj.com/
SUNDAY OCTOBER 2, 2016
1pm-3pm – The Wine & Spirit Co. of Greenville tasting
Address: 4025 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807
Phone: 302.658.9463
Website: http://www.wineandspiritco.com/
5pm – Stoney’s British Pub dinner event & tasting
Address: 3007 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803
Phone: 302.477.9740
Email: mjstone2001@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.stoneyspub.com/
MONDAY OCTOBER 3, 2016
6.30pm-8 pm (TBD) – Frank’s Wine tasting
Address: 2216 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19806
Phone: 302.429.1978
Email: frank@frankswine.com
Website: http://www.frankswine.com/
TUESDAY OCTOBER 4, 2016
Whisky Blasphemy – Private tasting by invitation only
Address: Langhorne, PA
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5, 2016
7pm – Judge’s Bench private tasting
Address: 8385 Main Street, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 410.465.3497
Email: info@judgesbenchpub.com
Website: http://judgesbenchpub.com/
THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016
4.30pm-8.30pm – Petite Cellars open tasting
Address: 11079 Resort Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 410.750.0562
Website: https://www.petitecellars.com/
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7, 2016
7pm – Stateline Liquors tasting
Address: 1610 Elkton Road, Elkton, MD 21921
Phone: 410.398.3838
Email: stateline@comcast.net
Website: http://www.statelineliquors.com/
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8, 2016
1pm-2.30pm – Restaurant RIS (Arrowine) tasting
Address: 2275 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
Phone: 202.785.0785
Email: mpetree@arrowine.com
Website: http://www.risdc.com/
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8, 2016
3pm – Jack Rose Dining Saloon event
Address: 2007 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202.588.7388
Email: info@jackrosediningsaloon.com
Website: http://jackrosediningsaloon.com/
Houstonians to Sip, Savor and Smoke as Whiskies of the World Returns on October 1st
World-renowned spirits and cigar show pays homage to Houston’s fans and purveyors
HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 21, 2016) – On Saturday, October 1, 2016, Whiskies of the World will bring its world-class spirits showcase to Houston for the second time in what promises to be the finest tasting, toasting and teaching event of its kind in the southwest.
Staged in the Imperial Ballroom of the recently renovated Hyatt Regency in Downtown Houston, Whiskies of the World will connect whisky lovers to the craftsmen, distillers, distributors, retailers, restaurants and bars who bring these classic spirits to consumers. Over 100 such exhibitors are expected to present their wares for sampling in the spacious 16,000 square foot space.
“We’re bringing an enormous variety of spirits to this show,” observes Douglas Smith, Event Director for Whiskies of the World. “People can explore new flavors along with their favorites and interact with the people that bring them to life. Getting up close and personal with the finest whiskies in the world and their ambassadors is a fabulous way to spend an afternoon!”
The list of distilleries scheduled to be on hand currently includes but is not limited to: 8 Seconds, Alberta Rye, Alexander Murray, Ardbeg, Arran, Auchentoshan, The Balvenie, Basil Hayden’s, Bowmore, Breckenridge, Buck, Caol Ila, Clyde May’s Whiskey, Corsair, Cu Bocan, Cutty Sark, Dalwhinnie, The Famous Grouse, Glen Garioch, Glen Grant, Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, High West, Highland Park, James Oliver, Kilchoman, Knob Creek, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, The Macallan, Maker’s Mark, Michter’s, Monkey Shoulder, Oban, Old Forester, Old Pulteney, Russell’s Reserve, Singleton, Speyburn, Talisker, Tamdhu, TOMATIN, Tullamore DEW, Tyrconnell, Uisce Beatha, Wathen’s Bourbon and Woodford Reserve; additions made weekly.
Adding to the stature of the gathering, an array of spirits industry luminaries will host masterclasses and VIP tasting events, including Jonathan Wingo of The Balvenie, David Blackmore of Glenmorangie, David Perkins of High West Distillery, Bruce Russel of Russell’s Reserve and more to be announced.
Amidst dozens of easily accessible sampling stations, Whiskies of the World will also feature an impressive collection of static and kinetic displays and special guests, curated by Smith himself.
“Wherever we take our shows,” Smith points out, “whiskies and the people who make them are always our ‘stars’. They are the centerpiece of our presentation. But for the Houston show, we’re adding a few touches to further intrigue whisky enthusiasts and connect their lifestyle to affordable luxury that whisky has become.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit WhiskiesOfTheWorld.com/Houston. Special room rates and ticket packages are also available from the Hyatt Regency. Follow Whiskies of the World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and tag the event at #WOWHOU.
For information on how to become an exhibitor, email Douglas Smith at Douglas.Smith@iwscgroup.com.
Requests by media for interviews and media credentials/passes should be directed to Sophia Macris Baine at Noisemaker Communications.
All Whiskies of the World event guests must be at least 21 years of age.
About Whiskies of the World LLC: Whiskies of the World LLC, an IWSC Group North America event, began in San Francisco, CA in 1998. Under the direction of whisky aficionado and event director Douglas Smith, who joined in 2010, the event has expanded into Texas and Georgia. The IWSC Group is a global leader of alcoholic beverage events, including the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition. IWSC Group North America was launched in 2015 and currently includes the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, Spirits of the Americas, Spirits of Mexico and Whiskies of the World. The most recent addition to this impressive portfolio is the Sugar Land Wine and Food Affair, in Sugar Land, Texas.
