Straight from the Still

Greetings from Templeton,

I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. There are several exciting things going on at Templeton Rye including the much anticipated return of Volunteer Bottling, a Boardwalk Empire viewing party at the Science Center and our very own entry for the new Cy-Hawk trophy. You can read about all of these items in the newsletter.

I wanted to take a minute and update you all on some strategic issues so you have updated (and correct) information. First, we are planning to greatly increase our monthly allocation to the State of Iowa in October, November and December, so you should have an easier time finding a bottle of The Good Stuff for the holidays. Speaking of Iowa, we are on pace to increase the amount of product sold in Iowa in 2011 by 210% over 2010 (22,000 cases vs. 7,100 cases). We are very happy that we have been able to increase this figure and are working hard to continue to do so in the future. We are still far from reaching demand in our home state but are certainly trending the right way.

A lot of people are surprised to hear this but Templeton Rye is still only sold in four markets: Iowa, Illinois, San Francisco and New York. Illinois continues to be a great market for us led by our most famous customer AZ-85’s old stomping grounds of Chicago. We entered New York City and San Francisco last December with the goal of initially establishing Templeton Rye at a select group of high-end bars and restaurants. We have been very successful in achieving this with our distribution partners and are now adding new accounts and focusing on building consumer awareness of Templeton Rye. (So if you live there and have a good idea for an event, please let us know).

I am sharing all of this because we recently had a strategy meeting and, despite a significant increase in product upcoming, we are not planning to enter any additional markets until 2014. We apologize to all of the states on our short list but we are committed to continuing to grow our supply to Iowa and maintaining adequate supply to support our partners in Chicago, San Francisco and New York. The bartender community in each of these markets has really embraced our product and we want to establish Templeton Rye as the rye whiskey of choice in these markets prior to moving on.

Thank you all for your continued support and all the best to you and yours.

Cheers,
Scott Bush, President, Templeton Rye

Visit Templeton Rye at www.templetonrye.com

Boardwalk Empire Premiere Party at Star Theater in Science Center of Iowa

We still do not know if Templeton Rye will have a bit part or a featured role in the show this season but we are throwing a great party for the premiere and watching it in the 50′ Star Theater. Please join the Templeton team for this very unique event on Sunday, September 25th. Only 60 tickets will be sold and all proceeds will benefit the Science Center of Iowa.

More information is available here.

Templeton Rye Cy-Hawk Trophy

During a lapse of focus in a recent meeting at the distillery, our team got into a discussion about the Cy-Hawk Trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game. The Templeton team includes two Hawkeyes, two Cyclones and a BV Beaver, by the way. Fairly quickly we were convinced that Templeton Rye should be a part of the trophy as both Hawkeyes and Cyclones enjoy The Good Stuff. We called over our friend Alex Schoeppner from Schoeppner Designs (an Iowa State grad) and began brainstorming ideas.

Alex ended up designing the Templeton Rye / Schoeppner Design Cy-Hawk trophy, which premiered last Sunday night on WHO-TV’s SOUND-Off. You may view the video here.

We have also set up a poll on our Facebook Page asking which city (Iowa City or Ames?) will claim the inaugural Templeton Rye / Schoeppner Design Cy-Hawk trophy this weekend. To vote, head over to our Facebook Page and root for your team. By participating, you’ll also be able to enter for a chance to win a Templeton Rye merch prize pack!

Volunteer bottling returns!

Based on the success we experienced last year and the huge amount of inquiries on our website, we have decided to do another round of volunteer bottling this year. We will be holding two weeks of volunteer bottling: October 24-28 during the five-year anniversary of our first bottling and November 14-18 as we start to bottle Batch 5. The work is easy and you get to meet some really nice and interesting people. Templeton Rye supplies pizza each day and everyone gets a free t-shirt and of course a sample of The Good Stuff.

To reserve your spot for this year, please review dates and sign up here. Please make a point to only sign up for a spot if you will be able to make it, to help us manage on our end.

Mark your calendars: Upcoming Templeton Rye events

Sept 10th – Iowa vs Iowa State gamewatch @ Merkle’s in Chicago

Sept 16th – Templeton Rye Gatsby Gala at the Salisbury House – Des Moines, IA. Tickets are available here: http://salisburyhouse.org/event.php?event_id=127_0

Sept 24th – Rock N Roll Pig Roast at Ethyl’s beer and wine dive – 324 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL. Doors at 1pm, music at 3pm. http://www.rockandrollpigroast.com

Sept 25th – Boardwalk Empire Premiere Party at SCI

Sept 28th – 6:30 pm – Chicago Indy Spirits Festival @ The Bottom Lounge

Oct 7th – Whiskeyfest San Francisco

Oct 8th – Iowa vs. Penn State gamewatch in San Francisco TBD

Oct 9th – Bangers & Lace 1st Anniversary party pig roast – 1670 W. Division, Chicago, IL. http://bangersandlacechicago.com/events

Oct 24-28 – Volunteer Bottling in Templeton, IA

Nov 1 – Whiskeyfest NY

Nov 14-18 – Volunteer Bottling in Templeton, IA

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

As per our previous email earlier this month, we have not one but three great tastings events lined up to tease your tastebuds this month. We kicked things off with a superb tasting with Woodford Reserve (thanks to Nidal and all the Woodford crew for such a great night) and now have two more for you to consider (one is non whisky related and has not been posted here). Just to keep you all on your toes, tickets for BOTH of the following events will be available as of 3:00pm today (Tuesday 6th September):

Glendronach Tasting at The Whisky Exchange, Vinopolis
with Alistair Walker
Monday 19th September, 7:00pm. Tickets £30

We have the great pleasure of welcoming Alistair Walker, son of the legendary Billy Walker, from the BenRiach and Glendronach Distillery Company Ltd . to take us through a fine selection of drams from the Glendronach stable. Established in 1826 the Glendronach distillery is one of the oldest in Scotland and has become famous for using high-quality ex-Sherry casks for maturation, leading to a deep, rich and robust style of malt. With the rising cost of obtaining good sherry casks from Spain many distillers have begun to shy away from using them, preferring more economical American oak barrels, but not Glendronach. Since relaunching the range in 2009 they have won a stack of awards at various competitions, and the distillery has quickly developed a cult following.

We’ll be sampling the new 15yo Tawny Port Finish, the highly-anticipated 21yo Parliament, a couple of Single Casks, one of which is a UK-Exclusive, and a few other expressions bringing us to 7 samples in total. This is sure to be a very entertaining and educational evening, and a great opportunity to see good use of ex-Sherry casks in action.

We’re expecting places for this tasting to disappear pretty quickly, so early booking is recommended. Tickets are priced at £30 and available by calling us on +44 (0)207 403 8688 with payment details. As always, they are limited to 2 per booking and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Whisky Galore in Christchurch New Zealand is proud to announce it now runs on Islay time, becoming the first Ardbeg Embassy in the southern hemisphere. Ardbeggians from around the world are welcome to travel to this new slice of sovereign Islay ground, no passport required, where the Ardbeg will flow like loch Uigeadail, and the reek of the homeland does whaft in the air. To celebrate the Embassy launch, we have imported a curious specimen of fauna from the Island, the rare Ardbeg Alligator which is available in store, and our website www.whiskygalore.co.nz

Pictured are two Whisky Galore staff members, Dave Armstrong (left) and Jim Cassles (right)

Bruichladdich celebrates the 10th anniversary of its revival this weekend, and this week’s episode comes from the distillery on the shores of Loch Indall on Islay! We’ll look at how the distillery came back to life and brought a new spirit to the people of Islay, in the words of Head Distiller Jim McEwan, Managing Director Mark Reynier, and some of the people who have had their lives touched by the distillery.

Visit WhiskyCast at www.whiskycast.com

BEST OF THE WEST FESTIVAL, September 17 & 18th

Once in a while, the LOCH FYNE WHISKY BAR pops up and will next weekend as part of the Best of the West Festival.

You will be able to sample a wide range of the West Coast’s finest drams, poured for you by the people who actually make the stuff!

An informal atmosphere of whisky chat, local music and insightful presentations from key distillers including: Euan Mitchell, Managing Director of Isle of Arran Distillers; Anthony Wills, Founder and Managing Director of Islay’s new Kilchoman Distillery; Alan Logan of Bruichladdich Distillery; Mike Tough of Oban Distillery and Pete Currie, Springbank Distiller’s globetrotting evangelist (and former LFW man). A smooth and mellow afternoon for any whisky fan.

FOOD

The festival isn’t just whisky: Argyll and the West of Scotland is renowned for its fresh and organic ingredients; the best seafood, lamb, beef and dairy in Britain will be showcased at the festival along with chocolates, coffee, puddings, cheeses and jams. All are part of ‘Food From Argyll’, made locally and to world-class standards. All is available to sample, or to take home and enjoy later; oysters, langoustine, stovies, venison, beef, burgers…

ALES

By the music stage The George Hotel will be offering a specially created range of cocktails. Should you prefer something less spirited, Fyne Ales have experts to guide you through the ales they brew on Loch Fyne.

MUSIC

The main music tent features some of our most talented musicians. The line-up includes a wide variety of musical genres from the West of Scotland including Traditional Jazz, Blues, Celtic Rock and bagpipes with highlights including The Chris Whitehouse Jazz Trio, Doctor Hip and the Blues Operation, The Camans Acoustic and Washington Irving. The whisky bar also features unsigned talent on an acoustic stage.

CRAFTS

The craft tent will feature Harris Tweed, plants and flowers, pottery, jewellery from Iona, paintings, photography, glassware, interior design and much more… all created and inspired by the West Coast.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

The Best of the West is a fun family weekend. Activities include pony rides, golf putting, fly-casting demonstrations, laser quest, chainsaw carving, an artist-in-residence and birds of prey. And when the kids have gone to bed, continue the spirit of the day at Inveraray’s George Hotel where fine food, music and hospitality continue throughout the evening.

FREE

The free admission (£5 car parking), family-friendly festival will highlight the best in food, drink, craft, music and entertainments from the West of Scotland.

Inveraray Castle provides a stunning venue, as those who attended Connect or the Spirit of the West will agree. The imposing, turreted castle, built in the 1700s for the Dukes of Argyll, sits on the edge of Loch Fyne surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the west coast. The Festival will take place with the castle, hills and loch as a special, dramatic backdrop.

Loch Fyne Whiskies Stock a new item, ‘Arran Port Cask Finish’

 Arran Port Cask Finish
 50% abv
 £34.20 inc vat
 £28.50 ex vat

You may view theitem at Isle of Arran Port Cask Finish

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

Loch Fyne Whiskies has stocked a new item, ‘Ballechin [Peated Edradour] # 6 Bourbon Cask’

 Ballechin #6 Bourbon Casks
 46% abv
 £60.90 inc vat
 £50.75 ex vat

Is this the best Ballechin yet?

Certainly the cleanliness of this entirely Bourbon-wood sixth release (limited to 6,000) pleases all who have tried it so far.

Neat the nose gives barley, gum and peat, it’s sweet and typical of a mainland peated dram (no maritime notes). Hot coals, geraniums, aviation fuel (or something similar), fruit, chocolate. There is lots’ going on, so much that any suggestion can easily be imagined and confirmed. Water quietens it all down but is worthwhile if only to give the senses a rest.

Tasted it is initially dry, later it’s juicy. Clear peat and sherbet lemons and a swallow like inhaling strands of Golden Virginia hand-rolling ‘baccy. It’s chocolate and nutty and smooth and still peaty overall. The finish is salty, (table-salt not sea-salt) and finally there is an earthy, salty residue.

You may view the latestitem at Ballechin #6 Bourbon CasksBest regards,
Loch Fyne Whiskies
david@lfw.co.uk

Today (September 5th, 2011) www.LFW.co.uk wins Whisky Magazine’s Online Retailer of the Year Award, (again, that’s the fourth in a row).

“Continuing its grip on this category with a consistently excellent online store. Great service” is the citation. Just in case you were wondering if you were buying from the right people.

 After a long period of relative silence (very uncharacteristic) Loch Fyne Whiskies has started broadcasting once again so here at Whisky Intelligence World HQ we decided to string many of them together on Loch Fyne Whiskies Sunday…

This last while has been a busy time at the Malt Maniacs, Chris Bunting (Nonjatta) and Bert Bruyneel have decided it’s time for them to leave the mad house however on the other hand Ben Chen and Ralfy Mitchell (Ralfy) have stepped up and joined the collective.

An Autumn of Bourbon…

Autumn is a special time of year in the world of bourbon. With the hot summer done the distilleries knuckle down and push their various special releases for the year out of the door. Despite their being shortages in the USA of various whiskeys at the moment we’ve managed to get our hands on a […please click below to read the remainder of the article…]

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