Highland Park Loki
A year and a bit since the first release in the series, the second entry in Highland Park’s Valhalla Collection has arrived – Loki. The makeup of Loki was conceived around the same time as last year’s Thor and acts … Continue reading >>
NEW ARRIVALS
United States – Bourbon and Rye
Scotland – Single Malt Scotch
K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA
ARRAN WHISKY HAS OTHER MALTS OVER A BARREL WITH DOUBLE GOLD
– Scottish distillery gets top award in worldwide competition-
Scotch whisky producer, Isle of Arran Distillers, has scooped a top award at an international world spirits competition.
After fighting off fierce competition from hundreds of spirits from across the world, Arran is celebrating after taking home a Double Gold for its 12 Year Old Cast Strength Single Malt Scotch.
Held in San Francisco, the annual World Spirits Competition commends the finest spirits from across the globe. More than 1,400 spirits from 61 countries* were judged this year as part of the largest competition in the event’s history.
The 12 Year Old Malt, characterised by aromas of dark chocolate, toasted oak and baked apples, is released by the Distiller on Batch basis. The winning whisky is from Batch#2 released in October 2012 and limited to 12,000 bottles worldwide.
Arran’s managing director, Euan Mitchell, said the high-profile win was the perfect reward for years of hard work in bringing the Malt to market.
He said: “Over the last 17 years, Arran has built up a first-rate reputation for its award-winning products and we feel extremely proud that our 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt has added to that by winning this prestigious award.
“Like all our whisky, our 12 Year Malt is special because of the passion of the people who make it and because of our unflinching approach to quality. No artificial colouring has been used, the deep hue being achieved from maturation in the finest sherry casks, and the malt has not been chill-filtered at bottling thus retaining the full range of aromas and flavour which typify The Arran Malt.”
Since it was founded in 1995, the Isle of Arran Distillery has won a number of awards including ‘Double Gold Award’ for its 14 Year Old Single Malt and ‘Gold Award’ for its 10 Year Old Single Malt at the World Spirits Competition 2012, ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011) and Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007).
James MacTagart is Arran’s master distiller and created the award-winning 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt.
He said: “To see a whisky I put so much passion into making be well-received on a global scale is extremely exciting for me. I can’t wait to raise a glass of it in celebration of our win and we hope to continue producing award-winning malts for many years to come.”
For more information visit www.arranwhisky.com
* Accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007) and Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007); Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005); Best New Exporter (2004).
Product awards include: ‘Double Gold Award’ for Arran’s 14 Year Old Single Malt and ‘Gold Award’ for Arran’s 10 Year Old Single Malt at the World Spirits Competition 2012. Double Gold in FiftyBest.com awards 2012. ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011. ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008), Best Whisky Liqueur (2007).
So much has happened since we last wrote that we thought it worth bringing you up to date with all the goings-on and perhaps inspire you with some Easter ideas.
One thing that hasn’t happened – and I’m sure you’re as sick of it as us – is an improvement in the weather! However, we like to look on the bright side and this cold spell just makes us want to taste more whisky! And given it is Easter, we think it only right to try and remain positive!
Here we have then, 10 good news stories from us that may raise a smile and even give you some ideas of how you might want to spend your time over the next few weeks and months…
10 GOOD NEWS STORIES…
1 British ‘Summer-time’ starts this Sunday. Whoopee. Just cold and miserable, rather than dark, cold and miserable. Great news.
2 Only 29 days to our first ever Whisky Festival in Scotland. The Edinburgh Whisky Festival takes place on Saturday 27th April at The Hub on the Royal Mile. Click here for details and tickets.
3 Michelin-starred chef Mark Greenaway and Morrison Bowmore Master Distiller, Rachel Barrie, feature in the Edinburgh Festival with a ‘molecular gastronomy’ workshop par excellence. More info soon…
4 The Whisky Lounge returns to London with a bang. The London Whisky Festival 2013 on May 18th & 19th has plenty of surprises up its sleeve. 2 for £50 ‘Early-Bird’ tickets are nearly gone and won’t last the weekend. Click here to take a closer look.
5 Not least of these is the Sunday 19th May ‘Jam & Dram’ session, sub-titled ‘The Great Whisky and Music Experiment’, this is going to be entertaining as well as tasty! Click here for more…
6 There are still 4 places left on our ‘Backstage Islay’ Trips in June. Click here for more.
7 Our Brighton Whisky Festival, which takes place next Saturday – the 6th April – showcases new exhibitors, That Boutique-y Whisky Company and the stunning Number One Drinks Co. Expect fireworks on your taste-buds provided by both and the other wonderful whiskies on offer! Click here for more.
8 Our first ever UK tour with those good folks at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We have seen the line-up and it is truly stunning – we’re not just saying that! Samples of 6 cask strength, single cask whiskies from all over Scotland for only £20. Bargain! Click here for more.
9 We’ve sneekily announced our Leeds Whisky Festival that takes place on Saturday 2nd June at the O2 Academy. Click here for more details and a cheeky little ‘early-bird’.
10 Finally, we have started adding further term dates for our fantastically full-on but fun Whisky Schools. For those wanting a top-up on dramatical educational issues or simply a full-day of whisky learning and tasting – this is the one for you, the other whisky-lover in your life, or both of you! Click here for more.
Anyway, far be it from us to keep you from your Easter weekend, so until next time, happy dramming and see you for a whisky or two soon!
Slainte,
Eddie, Amanda and Joe
The Whisky Lounge Team.
If you will be in the New York City area next week, or can find some way to get here, read on. If not, you’ll want to scroll down to the end of this article.
Next Wednesday April 3rd, WhiskyLive comes to Pier Sixty, at Chelsea Piers on Manhattan’s West Side, for an outrageous evening of whisky exploration and education. Hundreds of exceptional whiskies will be poured and ForWhiskeyLovers will be there along with great food and music.
Tickets for the event are:
– $149 for the VIP treatment, which includes early entrance to the event at 5:00pm, 90 minutes earlier than standard admission, a Whisky Live tasting glass, show guide, full dinner buffet and a 1-year subscription to Whisky Magazine.
– $119 for regular entrance at 6:30pm, plus a Whisky Live tasting glass, show guide, full dinner buffet.
But wait!..Enter coupon code “explorer” when you purchase your tickets and receive 15% off the ticket price.
Then on Saturday, April 6th, Chip Tate of Balcones Distillery will host an intimate whiskey dinner for 24 lucky people at NYC’s hottest new restaurant – Harlow NYC – where Chef Danny Ye has created a special five-course menu designed to pair with a Balcones Whiskey:
Chef Danny Ye’s Menu for the Dinner with Chip Tate
First Course: Rumble cured salmon with wasabi dijonnaise
Pairing: Balcones Rumble
Second Course: Tuna crudo with pickled red chili, prosciutto, watercress, and a Brimstone Tosazu reduction
Pairing: Balcones Baby Blue
Third Course: Nodi marini with Brimstone braised oxtail
Pairing: Brimstone
Fourth Course: Salmon with chorizo and Asian pear salsa.
Pairing: True Blue 100
Dessert: Single Malt Churros with warm chocolate sauce
Pairing: Texas 1 Single Malt
Be one of the 24 lucky WhiskeyLovers to spend an evening with Chip, enjoying a spectacular meal paired with Chip’s award winning whisky. Reservations are mandatory, and can be purchased here…and better make them now, because with just 24 seats available, once they’re gone…
Finally, This week’s featured whisky: Deanston 12 YO Highland Single Malt Whisky ($44.50/ bottle)
Deanston Distillery is located in the Scottish Highlands, on the banks of the River Teith, eight miles from the historic town of Stirling, at the gateway to the dramatic Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park.
The distillery started life in 1785 as a cotton mill designed by Sir Richard Arkwright, and remained as such for 180 years. The turn of the twentieth century saw a significant decrease in demand for local cotton and things steadily got worse until the mill was closed on 2nd April 1965.
It was the collective efforts of James Finlay & Co, Brodie Hepburn & Co, and A.B (Sandy) Grant, known together as Deanston Distillers Ltd, who converted Deanston Mill into a malt whisky distillery in 1965. The constant supply of pure water from the River Teith contributed to the decision to turn the mill into a distillery.
The distillery was opened on 17th October 1966 after an extensive refurbishment. Three floors were removed to make room for four copper stills and a mash tun. The constant, cool temperature of the weaving shed made it ideal for whisky maturation.
Deanston started bottling in 1971 and in 1972, Invergordon Distillers (bought by Whyte & Mackay in 1990) purchased Deanston outright and the first single malt bearing the name Deanston was produced in 1974.
Deanston Distillery looks very unlike a traditional Scotch whisky distillery and has a number of unique production features which contribute to its whisky’s distinct character. The spirit is handmade by a small team of local craftsmen who rely on traditional distilling techniques and their own senses to ensure quality; no technology or computers are used.
Deanston uses only Scottish-grown barley and in 2000, was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to start producing organic whisky, certified by the Organic Food Federation and using barley grown in specially selected sites, free from pesticides and chemicals.
Deanston is the only distillery in Scotland to be self-sufficient in electricity, with power generated by an on-site hydro-energy facility. In addition to generating its own electricity, Deanston’s green credentials were further topped in 2008, when Burn Stewart Distillers Ltd redesigned the packaging to better reflect the Deanston brand essence. All materials are now either recycled or recyclable, and gift tubes were replaced by cardboard gift boxes in order to further reduce weight.
Deanston 12 YO Highland Single Malt whisky is sweet, fruity and balanced with a malty spiciness on the palate.
You owe it to yourself to try this terrific whisky.
Until next week, I wish you the finest of spirits!
Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com
DEANSTON 12YO HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT WHISKY
DISTILLERS TASTING NOTES
NOSE: Expressive with hay and malty cereal notes. Creamy toffee and heather honey balanced with aromas of sweet oak and barley sugar
TASTE: Fresh and creamy with soft vanilla. Sweet and fruity with a malty honeyed spiciness
FINISH: Satisfying, clean and dry with a hint of cloves, tingling then gently fades
NEW UK Exclusives: Pain is so close to Pleasure
We’ve just released two very pleasurable UK Exclusives…
53.176 Pain is so close to Pleasure
20YO Islay, £68.80
The initial nose neat is that of toasted bread over a campfire and melted road tar. With time a barbecue on the beach, fresh fish sprinkled with lemon and lime, appears next to fresh notes of an Airwaves menthol and eucalyptus chewing gum.
More
35.87 Exuberant, confident, energetic, vivacious
9YO Speyside Lossie, £41.90
The nose was lively, fresh, exuberant and confident with a full rainbow of colours – toffee, marshmallows, vanilla slice and brown sugar; also tart apple pie notes, spring blossoms, dark chocolate, leather, tobacco, linseed oil and polished antique furniture note..
More
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 http://www.smws.co.uk/memberships for your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers.
New blog post Tasting Braes of Glenlivet 23 Year Old Burns Malt
http://www.thewhiskybarrel.com/blog/post/braeval-burns-scotch
Whisky Live London 2013 – The Report
Once again, TWE were in full effect at last weekend’s Whisky Live in London, which was held in its now-traditional location of Armoury House, home of the British Army’s oldest regiment, the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC). Today, the Company regiment … Continue reading >>
Compass Box, “The Entertainer” limited edition for Selfridges
The Entertainer limited edition blended Scotch whisky 700ml for Selfridges. Stranger & Stranger where commissioned to produce a limited edition scotch for the iconic London store Selfridges, the design was inspired by acclaimed English pop artist Sir Peter Blake and … Continue reading →
Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Collection Cask #10573
Glenrothes 1970 Extraordinary Cask #10573 in the The Extraordinary Cask Collection series. This distillery Bottling ia an impressive first entry in Glenrothes’s Extraordinary Casks series, intended to showcase some of the older bottlings that they have in their warehouses. The … Continue reading →
NEWSFLASH!!
Dear Society Members
The new Society Bottle is almost ready to go – sorry for the delay. As I said in the Newsletter it is a Springbank 15 year old from a Madeira cask. The cost for UK customers is £65 plus postage and packing. The bottles can be sent to our Cadenhead shops in Europe, as far as I know there are dispatches going out to these shops early in April, so if you would like to order please let me know as soon as possible so that I can arrange to have them included with the next shipment. If we miss this shipment it may mean waiting until about June or July. We will also be shipping to the USA and hopefully Canada but I don’t have dates for these ones as yet.
We also have a little of the Society Springbank 14 year old @ £50 plus p&p and the Longrow 10 year old @ £45 plus p&p, so if anyone would like any of these two bottles please let me know. For UK members the postage and packing is £8 per bottle but between 3 and 6 bottles it’s £20, so cheaper to buy more!!
Kiln Dinner
Mairi has a few places left for the Kiln Dinner on Wednesday 22nd May, so if you are going to be here and would like to be part of this unique experience please contact Mairi by emailing mairi@springbankwhisky.com Closing date for bookings has been extended to 5th April.
Open Day
There are only a few places left on the Masterclass for Frank & Gavin so if you would like to book, please be quick. We do have some places left for all the other Masterclasses. You can book by contacting mairi@springbankwhisky.com
Society Open Golf Competition
If you wish to book places for the Open Golf competition please contact me – you don’t have to have a team of 4, we will team you up with others who are not entering full teams. I am threatening to play in this year’s competition but I pity the team who get stuck with me.
That’s all the news for now, I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards from a very cold Campbeltown.
Janet
For the Springbank Society
Please contact Janet at society@springbankwhisky.com for your chance to join the Springbank Society….
J & A Mitchell and Co Ltd, The Tasting Room, 9 Bolgam Street, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6HZ
Tel : + 44(0) 1586 555492 Fax : + 44(0) 1586 551393 website http://www.springbankwhisky.com
