New blog post:- The blog team investigate the past and present of the lost Lowlander.

DAVIN DE KERGOMMEAUX is the author of the recently published Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert, the definitive guide to Canadian whisky. An independent whisky expert, de Kergommeaux has been writing about, talking about, and teaching about whisky for more than a decade and a half. His writing and tasting notes appear in Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate, Scotch Whisky Review, Whisky and Fine Spirits, various lifestyle magazines, and on websites such as maltmaniacs.org. His website, www.canadianwhisky.org , has become a reference standard for Canadian whiskies with its comprehensive and no-nonsense tasting notes. Just six months after it was launched in 2010, the Association of Canadian Food Bloggers named de Kergommeaux’s website as the best wine and spirits blog of the year..

Internationally acclaimed whisky writer, Dave Broom invited de Kergommeaux to write the chapter on Canadian whisky for his most recent book, The World Atlas of Whisky, released in October 2010. De Kergommeaux also wrote all the Canadian entries in Dominic Roskrow’s new book, 1001 Whiskies You Must Taste Before You Die. De Kergommeaux’s own book, Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert was published by McClelland & Stewart in May 2012 to enthusiastic reviews, and is distributed in Canada and the U.S. by Random House. The book is available world-wide through most on-line book sellers in hardcover and as an e-book.

De Kergommeaux is a much sought after judge at international whisky competitions, including the World Whisky Awards. Since 2003, he has served as a judge for the annual Malt Maniacs Awards. These are long-standing and highly respected whisky competitions. Given his commitment to telling the Canadian whisky story and to making its qualities known around the world, in 2010 he decided to create the annual Canadian Whisky Awards, which he coordinates as well as leading the judging panel.

The pursuit of whisky is an individual passion as it is also about individual taste. This is why de Kergommeaux also leads tutored tastings for both individuals and groups. People certainly like what they hear. His master classes at the Victoria Whisky Festival, in British Columbia. have regularly sold-out well in advance every year since 2009. Similarly his master classes for the “Spirit of Toronto” event at Roy Thomson Hall have become a mainstay of this event.

Still, it’s a sad fact of whisky life that Canadian whisky, despite its quality, doesn’t get its due. And worse, myths and misunderstandings about Canadian whisky abound, only to confuse those who try to learn more. De Kergommeaux has taken on this challenge and is committed to change that with his book, his articles, and his regular public appearances, using a “kill-rumours-with-facts” approach. It is his mission to help serious whisky fans and whisky newcomers alike to discover one of Canada’s best-kept secrets: the hidden riches of Canadian whisky.

Abbey Whisky http://www.abbeywhisky.com/ Tel: 0800 051 7737

“America’s Most Wanted”

High West Double Rye Whiskey

High West Double Rye, a combination of two rye whiskies from two different distilleries. Double Rye combines a mashbill 2 year old (95% rye, 5% barley) along with a 16 year old rye (53% rye, 37% corn). Double rye Manhattan, yes please.

90 Points – John Hansell, Malt Advocate Magazine

Only £41.70 (£34.75 ex vat)

Click here to buy High West Whiskey Double Rye

High West Whiskey / Rendezvous Rye

Rendezvous from High West Distillery, Utah. A combination of two straight rye whiskies; the first a straight 16 year old with a mashbill containing 80% rye, 10% corn, 10% barley malt, the second a straight 6 year old with a mashbill containing 95% rye and 5% barley malt. Rendezvous was the annual summer gathering of mountain men to exchange pelts for supplies.

High West Rendezvous Awards

Double Gold – 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

95 Points & Top 10 New Whiskey of 2008 – Malt Advocate Magazine

Best Rye Whiskey – 2010 American Distilling Institute Craft Whiskey Competition

Only £50.50 (£42.08 ex vat)

Click here to buy High West Whiskey / Rendezvous Rye

Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky (Batch 50)

Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky, a unique, pot stilled small batch release, produced at the Copper Fox Distillery in Virginia, America. The barley, malted at the distillery itself, is flavoured using apple and cherry wood smoke. Distilled from a single batch copper still producing one barrel at a time, the spirit is then aged for 42 months using a special chip and barrel ageing technique.

Only £41.50 (£34.58 ex vat)

Click here to buy Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky

Abbey Whisky

enquiries@abbeywhisky.com
www.abbeywhisky.com
0800 051 7737

Whisky Show 2012 Update – Dream Drams and tickets selling out…

It’s only a couple of weeks until the 2012 edition of The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show and panic mode is fully engaged the well-oiled TWE machine is in full swing. Here’s a quick update as to how things are going: … Continue reading >>

Greetings Fellow WhiskeyLover!!

I hope you had a wonderful August, and this email finds you in good health and high spirits. I have three exciting bits to discuss with you this week.

First, as many of you are aware, Whisky industry doyenne Caroline Dewar has taken over the Managing Editor role on FWL, driving the “content machine” for us. Caroline has years (she wont let me tell you how many) of industry expertise and contacts, and has already invigorated the site with outstanding articles. I urge you check out Ian Buxton’s’ interview with Mark Reynier on the sale of Bruichladdich, Andy Bell’s review of Whisky glasses, and Caroline’s article on Whisky Blends. You’ll now find new articles every Monday on FWL…they all make for great, informative reading. Please join me in wishing Caroline well in her new role.

Next, this weekend FWL travels north to drink with our friends at Whisky Live Boston. If you live within a reasonable drive of Boston, you owe it to yourself to attend this event. Sponsored by Whisky Magazine, the WhiskyLive events are my favorite shows to attend. There will be over 200 whiskies to try, an amazing buffet dinner, Master Classes to attend, and the opportunity to meet and drink with top brand ambassadors and WhiskeyLovers.

If you want to attend Whisky Live, please use our special discount code “FWL2012” to purchase your tickets at 20% offthe normal price. But do it fast…the show is quickly selling out. This is a great way to start the fall whisky season. Those of you who are attending Whisky Live Boston, please stop by our booth.

Finally, our Whisky Wednesday featured whisky…a truly exceptional and extremely rare whiskey: Laphroaig Cairdeas Origin 2012.

Released at the Feis Ile 2012 (“Islay Festival of Music and Malt” for those who don’t speak Gaelic), Laphroaig Cairdeas Origin was bottled to celebrate 18 years of the Friends Of Laphroaig program. Combining the original liquid used to first create Cairdeas along with newer Laphroaig spirit that has been fully matured in quarter casks.

Although there is no age statement on the bottle, we’ve been told by those-in-the-know that Laphroaig Cairdeas is new spirit that was placed into small quarter casks, enjoying a very intense maturation for seven years, and was then blended (50:50) with another ‘special’ whisky the chaps at Laphroaig had been quietly maturing for between 13 and 21 years old.

Both whiskies were fine expressions of Laphroaig in their own right, but when blended together something exceptional emerged as befits this 18th anniversary of the Friends of Laphroaig club.The whiskey was bottled at 51.2% abv and is non-chill filtered.

Laphroaig Cairdeasis a limited production/ release whisky. But thanks to our man Nicky The Neck, who spent his August vacation traversing the Island of Islay, we are able to offfer you a bottle of Laphroaig Cairdeas Origin 2012 for $105/ bottle (limit 1-bottle per customer please). But if you want a bottle, order it now…this is whisky extremely difficult to find, anywhere. And once it’s gone…it’s gone.

And until next week, high spirits to you all!

Doug Stone

Founder

ForWhiskeyLovers.com

LAPHROAIG CAIRDEAS ORIGIN 2012

TASTING NOTES

Color: Golden Barley

Nose: Distinctly Laphroaig – iodine, peat, smoke etc. but with quite a bit of citrus ( Orange & Apples) and a hint of creamy fudge.

Taste: A good mixture of Laphroaig medicinal, peat, slight ginger, apples and hints of vanilla sweetness.

Finish: Quite long with peat, iodine and chocolatey coffee

www.ralfy.com turns Japanese with Whisky Review 304 – Yoichi 15yo Japanese Malt

Golden Oldie Cask Ends Sale

We’ve put together three parcels made entirely from the last drops of some fantastic casks. What’s more, we can guarantee each parcel has a golden oldie of at least 18YO

Buy each parcel individually or add 4.168 Gunpowder, treason and plot for a special price.

The identity of the 70cl bottles in our parcels are a mystery. The sale not only offers wonderful savings, it opens-the-eyes to some sensational single casks you may have never tried before. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Browse all Parcels

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.

A Taste from the Past – Grant’s Best Procurable, 12 Years Old

Good morning all,

After a few days in London, Paris and Girvan, I am finally back in what is beginning to feel like home – our new Dufftown Blending Room. I enjoy getting back to Dufftown after a few days away as there are often a few goodies waiting for me. Amongst the stack of parcels…(please clcik on the link below to read the remainder of the article)…

THE LINK

Kind regards,
Ludo

www.ralfy.com presents the World’s new most expensive whisky with Whisky Review 303 – Bankrowburn