Exel Wines ‘Home of Whisky Festival’ 2017 returns to the Salutation Hotel 

First held in 2014, Exel Wines ‘Home of Whisky Festival’ will once again return to the Salutation Hotel, Perth on Saturday 19 August 2017 between 1-5.30pm.

As well as having the opportunity to taste some fine drams from distilleries and independent bottlers across the country, part of the day’s event will include two master classes. One of these will explore the whiskies produced by Bruichladdich, while the other is set to tickle the taste-buds with whisky-based cocktails. With 10 dram tokens, a free tasting glass and some of the most knowledgeable whisky experts in the industry the festival will, as always, be both informative and enjoyable. A pop-up shop will even be onsite giving attendees the opportunity to purchase a bottle of their favourite whisky before heading home!

Dianne Wilkie, a Director of Exel Wines said, ‘We first hosted the Home of Whisky Festival in the Salutation Hotel in 2014, and it is a privilege for us to be able to bring the event back to this venue again this year. Perth has long had a love affair with the ‘water of life’ and the Home of Whisky Festival is a great way to celebrate this by not only raising awareness of the whisky-making heritage of Perthshire, but also throughout Scotland, giving those attending an opportunity to sample some of the best whisky Scotland has to offer and learn more about whisky production and distribution across the globe.’

Gordon Paterson, General Manager of the Salutation Hotel added, ‘I am delighted to welcome back and indeed for the Salutation Hotel to again be hosting the Home of Whisky Festival this year. It is a thoroughly enjoyable, interesting, fun and educationally stimulating day with so many whiskies to learn about and taste.’

Established in 2009, Exel Wines has gone from strength-to-strength over the years to become one of the UK’s largest online retailers of wine, whisky, craft beer and spirits. With a retail outlet based on 47 South Street, it is also Perth’s leading whisky retailer offering both the wine and whisky enthusiast a little treasure trove of delights, including many rare and collectable bottles.

For more information about Home of Whisky Festival and to purchase tickets visit: www.exelwines.co.uk/home-of-whisky-festival-ticket-2017 or Exel Wines, 47 South Street, Perth PH2 8PD.

Jura Bottles a Festival of European Flavours with new Limited Edition Malt

Jura marks annual whisky festival by bringing the spirit of the Douro Valley to the Isle of Jura in new Limited Edition ‘Tastival’ 2017 bottling

Jura Single Malt Whisky today, 11^th May, announces the launch of its Tastival 2017 bottling, a unique Limited Edition single malt that marks the distillery’s annual island whisky festival, set to take place on 1 June 2017.

The festival celebrates new ways to enjoy whisky through exciting flavour experiences that everyone can enjoy – whether new to whisky or a well-established fan – and Jura’s Tastival 2017 bottling fully embraces this ethos.

This Non Chill-Filtered, cask strength Limited Edition expression marries some of Jura’s finest aged spirits, is enhanced in both first fill American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and hand-selected Graham’s Port Pipes sourced from Portugal’s lush Douro Valley. Customers will get notes of chewy liquorice, black forest fruits and creamy white chocolate on the nose, and orange zest, walnut cake, glazed pineapple and Crème De Cassis on the aftertaste.

Jura Tastival 2017 is the first Limited Edition release to be overseen by new Jura Distillery Manager, Graham Logan, who took over from Willie Cochrane in September 2016.

Graham said:

“Tastival is all about welcoming people to Jura with open arms – not only to our island festival, but to our whisky – whether you’re a single malt expert or are trying it for the first time.

The creativity that goes into our Tastival event programme is well reflected in this Limited Edition expression, meaning everyone can enjoy a taste of our Festival – whether they can make it to the island or not.”

Tastival guests will have an exclusive first try of this year’s Limited Edition bottling at the island festival on 1 June, where the whisky will be available to buy. A full event programme, plus information on localised Tastival events to take place in Europe will be announced in the coming weeks.

Jura Tastival 2017 will be available online and in shops globally (excluding US) RRP £85 from 1^st June.

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NOTES

About Jura:

Jura is an island nestled off the West Coast of Scotland. With only one road, one pub, one distillery and around 200 people, Jura is as beautiful as it is remote.

The distillery was established in 1810 and reborn in 1963 to revive a community.

Inspired by our history and our island home, we create single malt with a true passion for the craft of whisky-making.

There are four classic bottlings in the Jura Core Range, which sit within a unique sweet or smoky flavour profile: the light and delicate Origin 10 Year Old and the rich and full-bodied Diurachs’ Own 16 Year Old each have a sweet edge, while Superstition and Prophecy are lightly and heavily-peated expressions, respectively.

Tasting Notes

Jura Tastival 2017 (Cask strength – 51% ABV)

Non Chill-Filtered – NAS

Limited Edition | RRP £85

Enhanced in both first-fill American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and hand-selected Graham’s Port Pipes 

Colour: Amber gold with flashes of crimson mahogany

Nose: Black Forest fruits, chewy liquorice, ripe plums and creamy white chocolate

Palate: Orange zest, walnut cake, glazed pineapple and Crème de Cassis

On-sale 1^st June 2017 – globally, excluding US

IrishAmerican Whiskey Wins Gold at America’s Largest Wine & Spirits Convention

IrishAmerican Whiskey have been awarded a Double Gold and a Silver medal at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) 74th Annual Convention & Exposition in Grande Lakes Orlando which took place from April 18-21, 2017. IrishAmerican was the only Irish whiskey to take away an award at the alcohol beverage industry’s leading event uniting suppliers and wholesalers under one roof. More than 800 brands participated in WSWA this year. Judging criteria for the Wine & Spirits Tasting Competition was managed by The Tasting Panel magazine and The Somm Journal, two of the most widely circulated trade publications in the beverage industry, reaching an audience of thousands of key decision makers every month. Only 25 brands across all categories were awarded medals.

IrishAmerican Whiskey is a premium whiskey with 2 variants – a Classic Blended and a 10 Year Old Single Malt.  The whiskeys are double distilled in copper pot stills, non chill filtered, and matured in first fill ex American bourbon casks. Master distillers follow the centuries old tradition of Irish Whiskey making. IrishAmerican Whiskey has recently become the house whiskey at Smith & Wollensky, America’s premier steakhouses with locations in New York, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Miami Beach and Las Vegas. Smith & Wollensky are now serving Prime Steaks which are dry-aged in IrishAmerican Whiskey for 30 days.

The IrishAmerican Trading Company is an independent family owned business and has offices in Dublin (Ireland) and Boston (USA). John McKay, founder & CEO of The IrishAmerican Trading Company, said “These awards are testament to the quality of our whiskeys. It is an honour to be rated amongst some of the top brands in the United States. We are making real advances which have surpassed our expectations. In a short space of time IrishAmerican has become a shelf favourite in many bars in Boston & New York. The Irish have always been renowned for large families and our IrishAmerican family is very large with over 40 million claiming Irish heritage. With the huge growth in Irish Whiskey globally, we are very excited & optimistic for the future.”

About IrishAmerican Trading Company This is a brand with a heritage more than 200 years in the making. The ship on the logo is inspired by the “Jeanie Johnston” a 19th century famine ship, which is always facing west – bound for America! The Jeannie Johnson made 16 emigrant journeys from Ireland to American between 1847 & 1855, carrying over 2,500 people with no loss of life. Like those who travelled westward in the 19th Century & those who travel today our brand is optimistic and authentic & embraces that same pioneering spirit for life. Our premium whiskeys honour this heritage & embody “The Spirit of Freedom”. ABOUT WSWA WSWA is the U.S. national trade association representing the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry and is the voice for wholesalers in Congress, the administration, the courts, with the news media and in communities across America.  Founded in 1943, WSWA has 405 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The members distribute more than 80 percent of all wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States. The WSWA 74th Annual Convention & Exposition provides showcase opportunities for long established brands as well as hot new products and trends in two sold out Exhibit Halls and popular Traditional and Lower Level Hospitality Suites. Learn more about the IrishAmerican Whiskeys at http://www.irishamericanwhiskeys.com/ and more about the WSWA Convention & Exposition at http://www.wswaconvention.org/

BARTON 1792 DISTILLERY BOURBON AWARDED GOLD AT 2017 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

Four other Barton 1792 whiskies awarded silver 

BARDSTOWN, kENTUCKY (May 11, 2017) –The results from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition are in and Barton 1792 Distillery received a gold medal for its 1792 Sweet Wheat Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. In total, Barton 1792 Distillery received five medals from the competition, including four silver medals.

This year, 43 spirits experts convened to judge a record breaking entry of over 2,100 spirits.

1792 Sweet Wheat Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey received a high honor of gold. The gold medal is given to exceptional spirits that sets the standard for its category.

Other Barton 1792 Distillery whiskies recognized by the SFWSC included Kentucky Tavern Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 1792 Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon and 1792 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon, which all received silver medals.

This competition is associated with the Triple Crown of Competitions (The San Francisco International Wine Competition and New York World Wine and Spirits Competition), and continues to be highly respected and the most influential spirits competition after 17 years.

The SFWSC is judged by a panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned judges, who start the competition with a blind taste test and evaluate each spirit on an individual basis.

Results from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/overview.   

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands.  Barton Brands has facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, an American family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is located on 196 acres and includes 28 warehouses, 22 other buildings, the Morton Spring and the Tom Moore Spring.  Distilling, aging and bottling fine Bourbon whiskey are hallmarks of the historic Barton 1792 Distillery. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery. This whiskey is named for the year Kentucky became a state and is the recent gold medal winner at the 2015 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. To learn more visit http://www.1792bourbon.com/.

E.H. TAYLOR SMALL BATCH RECEIVES DOUBLE GOLD AT 2017 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

Judges award Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits with two Double Gold, 12 total medal 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (May 10, 2017) E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon and William Larue Weller Bourbon each received Double Gold medals at the 17^th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition where a record-breaking 2,100 entries were submitted for a blind tasting.

The celebrated Double Gold medal is only given to the few entries that receive a Gold medal rating by all the members of the judging panel. This year, 43 of the industry’s finest spirits experts reviewed each entry before ultimately awarding Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits with two Double Gold medals and a total of 12 medals.

Double Gold

• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Gold

• Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Sazerac Rye Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
• Wheatley Vodka

Silver

• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
• Benchmark Old No. 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Buffalo Trace Distillery Bourbon Cream

            “We are thrilled to be recognized among the very best in this competition,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, said. “This is a great honor for us, and we could not be more thankful to receive each of these great awards.”

Complete results for the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at sfspiritscomp.com/results/browse. 

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 17 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named “Brand Innovator of the Year” by Whisky Magazine at its Icons of Whisky America Awards 2015.  Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 300 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com/

HOW NEAT! TOMATIN REVEAL THE “INGREDIENTS” OF SCOTLAND FOR WORLD WHISKY DAY

In celebration of World Whisky Day (May 20th), Tomatin Distillery has revealed the “ingredients” of Scotland – home of Scotch whisky.

The distillery, located in the Scottish Highlands, commissioned leading DNA experts Source BioScience to investigate the genetic composition of Scotland’s 5.3 million population – and with staggering results!

The research, displayed on Tomatin’s specially created “100% Scotch” label, revealed that the average Scot* is majority Beaker People (35%) and Germanic (22%), with some Norse Viking (9%) and Neolithic Farmer (3%) thrown in for good

measure!

‘Exotic’ ancestry was also found in the sample of almost 1000 people, which refers to African and South Asian groups. While the 2% Royal Stewart ancestry refers to descendants from Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll – a military commander during the first Scottish War of Independence and the Battle of Falkirk.

Tomatin Marketing Manager Jennifer Masson, said, “Transparency within the whisky industry has been a hot topic over the past year, so we thought we’d have a bit of fun with it in celebration of World Whisky Day.

“At Tomatin, we know exactly what goes into each whisky, and we’re always happy to share that information when requested, but we wanted to know what makes our wee nation – and the home of the Scotch – so distinctive. The results are absolutely fascinating and have caused quite a stir online already.”

Source BioScience Senior Geneticist, Dr Angelika Kritz said, “Scotland’s DNA is a rich and varied mixture of lineages which settled here at different times in the past. From the first farmers who arrived in the Neolithic period, to the more recent Norse Vikings – Scotland’s rich history is most certainly reflected in its diverse lineage and heritage that make up its people today.”

Tomatin’s 36-year-old was recently voted ‘Best Scotch in the World’, available from select independent stores throughout the UK.

To request the ingredients of any Tomatin whisky and to shop the full range, please visit: www.tomatin.com

Notes:

• Tomatin recently won Distiller of the Year 2016 and Brand Innovator of the Year 2017 at the Icons of Whisky Scotland awards. Tomatin currently ranks in the Top 10 Single Malt brands in the USA and is one of the fastest growing in the UK.

• *Overall ancestry results from dataset sample of 853 people with Scottish ancestry from the Y chromosome.

Beaker People 35%

Germanic 22%

Pictish 15%

Irish 10%

Norse Viking 9%

Exotic 4%

Neolithic Famer 3%

Royal Stewart 2%

• “Exotic” refers to African groups, South Asian groups, and other rare groups that don’t fit into the other categories. Other summary group names are given nicknames based on the people they are believed to have originated from (e.g Pictish, Irish, Beaker Folk, Neolithic Farmer and Norse Viking) or where they are most commonly seen (e.g. Germanic).

• Source BioScience are leaders in conventional and next generation sequencing, gene expression and genotyping services as well as histopathology services. Source Bioscience has its headquarters in Nottingham, UK where it operates state-of-the-art reference laboratory facilities and draws form the expertise of over 60 leading RCPath qualified Pathologists.

Ivan Menezes becomes new Chairman of Movement to Work

CEO of Diageo succeeds founder Marc Bolland, ex-CEO of M&S 

Movement to Work, a coalition of Britain’s leading employers tackling youth unemployment through high quality vocational training and work placements, today welcomed its new Chairman, Ivan Menezes, CEO of Diageo. It also paid tribute to its Founder and outgoing Chairman, Marc Bolland, for his vision in setting up the Movement when he was CEO of M&S and the energy he has consistently shown in increasing its scale and reach.

In 2013, Marc convened 15 of the UK’s leading employers to help tackle the challenge of over one million young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). They recognised the need to break the negative cycle of ‘no experience, no job; no job, no experience’ that traps so many of these young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Under his leadership Movement to Work has grown to include over 240 employers of all sizes; and to become a unique collaboration across the private, public and voluntary sectors.

Movement to Work focusses on those who need the most help, including those who may have lost the confidence to seek work or who live in economically disadvantaged areas. To date the Movement has provided over 59,000 placements cumulatively, with well over 50% of participants completing placements moving into employment or returning to education. Backed by the Government, the TUC and the CBI, Movement to Work is on track to help over 100,000 young people by end-2018.

Ivan Menezes, CEO, Diageo commented: “Training our young people and helping them into work must be an imperative for all businesses that want to succeed, especially as our labour market evolves after Britain leaves the European Union. Through Movement to Work, we are able to provide the experience, skills and confidence to help young unemployed people support themselves, their communities and ultimately society as a whole. I am honoured to be the new Chairman for Movement to Work and would like to thank Marc for his achievements in founding the Movement and driving it to such success in its first four years.”

Marc Bolland, outgoing Chairman of Movement to Work, added: “As Chairman since the Movement’s inception, I am proud of the impact we have collectively made so far on transforming over 59,000 young lives. I would like to sincerely thank the leaders of the 240+ employers and delivery partners in the Movement, their staff, volunteers and the central programme team; all of whom work tirelessly to make our aims a reality. I’m very confident that the Movement, with Ivan’s leadership, will make a significant contribution to equipping many more young people with the knowledge, skills and experience to allow them to enter the job market and pursue meaningful careers.”

Movement to Work: Notes

• Movement to Work is a charity and collaboration of Britain’s leading employers.
• The Movement aims to support young people aged 16-24 not in education, employment or training (so-called ‘NEETs’), particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• It does this by providing high-quality vocational training and work experience opportunities to these young people; helping provide them with the skills, understanding and confidence to move towards employability.
• Among the founding employers are Accenture, BAE Systems, Barclays, BT, Centrica, the Civil Service, Diageo, GSK, HSBC, M&S, Tesco, Unilever, and WPP.
• A range of expert delivery partners, including Jobcentre Plus, the Prince’s Trust, Talent Match and Capita help employers to source candidates, deliver training and provide additional support.
• As of end-March 2017, the Movement has delivered 59,400 placements across the UK.
• Of those young people completing Movement to Work placements, over 50% have moved into paid employment, apprenticeships or further study.
• For more details on the Movement, visit www.movementtowork.com

Marc Bolland, Head of European Portfolio Operations, Blackstone Group LP 

Marc Bolland is Head of European Portfolio Operations of The Blackstone Group L.P., one of the world’s leading investment firms, and has held this position since September 2016. Prior to this he served as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Marks & Spencer Group plc from May 2010 to April 2, 2016. At Marks & Spencer, he led an ongoing program to transform it from a traditional British retailer to an international, multi-channel retailer. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of WM Morrison Supermarkets plc from September 2006 to April 2010.

Prior to his career in retail, Marc worked across a variety of senior roles in Heineken, one of the world’s largest brewers, including having responsibility for the brand and marketing strategies. He has served as Chief Operating Officer of Heineken NV from 2005 to July 2006, and as an Executive Board Member from 2001 to July 2006.

Marc serves as Non-Executive Director on the Board of IAG and as Director of The Coca-Cola Company. He is a Trustee on the Board of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Marc received a Bachelor’s degree from the Hotelschool The Hague and then obtained an Honors Degree and an MBA from the University of Groningen. In November 2011, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of York. 

Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive, Diageo plc

Ivan Menezes has been Chief Executive, Diageo plc since 1 July 2013. He was previously Chief Operating Officer, Diageo plc.

Ivan joined Diageo in 1997. Since joining Diageo, Ivan has held various senior management positions with Guinness and then Diageo. In 2004 he was appointed President of Diageo Venture Markets. Prior to his appointment as COO in March 2012, Ivan was President, Diageo North America for eight years. During this period he was also made Chairman, Diageo Asia Pacific from October 2008 and Chairman, Diageo Latin America and Caribbean from July 2011.

Prior to his career with Diageo, Ivan worked across a variety of sales, marketing and strategy roles for Whirlpool in Europe, Booz Allen & Hamilton in North America, and Nestlé in Asia.

He serves as a non-executive director of Coach, Inc. in the United States and is a member of the Scotch Whisky Association Council. In addition, Ivan sits on the UK-India CEO Forum and on the Advisory Council of the China-Britain Business Council.

Ivan holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a post-graduate degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a BA Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He is also currently a member of the Kellogg School of Management’s Global Advisory Board.

Ivan was born in July 1959 and is married with 2 children. 

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com/. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, http://www.drinkiq.com/, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

Ben Lomond World Whisky Day take over

Get ready to dust off your hiking boots and enjoy a wonderful walk with a unique whisky-themed twist.

Award winning Loch Lomond Single Malt Whisky is planning to ‘take-over’ one of Scotland’s most iconic summits, Ben Lomond, on Saturday 20 May to celebrate World Whisky Day.

The World Whisky Day mountain ‘take-over’ will be kick started in the UK by a team from the local distillery taking in dawn from the summit of Ben Lomond. To ‘toast’ the global day of whisky, the Loch Lomond Whisky team will offer a free dram for everyone that reaches the summit of Scotland’s most popular Munro that day.

Anyone climbing to the summit at 974 metres (3,196 ft) on World Whisky Day, will be given a card that will be stamped at the top. This can be exchanged on their return to the base at Rowardennan car park for a free miniature of the award winning 12-year-old Loch Lomond Malt to celebrate World Whisky Day and their bagging of Scotland’s most southerly Munro.

Scott Dickson, marketing manager of Loch Lomond Group said: “We want to start World Whisky Day on top; and where better to do that than at the summit of our nearest Munro. Our team will be some of the first people to arrive on the summit to watch the sun rise over the Scottish Highlands and kick start World Whisky Day in the UK.

“Ben Lomond is one of Scotland’s most popular Munros, with more than 30,000 walkers reaching its summit every year. It is also the nearest mountain to our distillery home in Alexandria, near Balloch, overlooking the same glistening waters of Loch Lomond that helped to inspire our beautiful whiskies.

“The one day take-over for World Whisky Day is a great way to make people aware of the fantastic Loch Lomond Single Malts whilst enjoying one of Scotland’s best views, in stunning surroundings.

“Having taken on Ben Lomond myself, I know that it is a challenging, but beautiful walk. The spectacular 360 degree views at the summit is one that should be rewarded with a great dram; it takes in the stunning Scottish Highlands as far as the islands in the West and even to a snow-capped Ben Nevis on a good day.”

As part of the celebration, all walkers who return from the summit of Ben Lomond with a stamped card will be entered into a free prize draw to win a bottle of the 18-year-old Loch Lomond and a bottle of 18-year-old Inchmurrin, its name taken from the largest island on Loch Lomond.

In addition to the mountain take-over, a global online competition will be launched encouraging Loch Lomond Whisky followers to submit their pictures of any peak in the world with the hashtag #SummitSnap #lochlomondwhiskies. All entrants will be in with a chance of winning award-winning liquid from the Loch Lomond Single malt family.

The ‘take over’ team will be at car park at Rowardennan from 8am to 6pm on Saturday 20 May to celebrate World Whisky Day.

Notes:

• All activity is subject to the fickle Scottish weather.
• A team from Loch Lomond Distillery aim to take photography of the sun rising from the summit of Ben Lomond (we will share these images with media as soon as possible)
• Members of the Loch Lomond Group team are available for interview upon request (either at the top of Ben Lomond or at the Rowendennan car park).
• High res images will be available upon request.
• Follow the take-over on Facebook (@lochlomondwhiskies), Twitter (@LochLomondMalts) and Instagram (lochlomondmalts) via #LochLomondWhiskies #SummitSnaps and # WorldWhiskyDay:
• Tasting notes for all whiskies mentioned are available upon request.

About the Group:

• Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several award-winning spirit brands that are sold in over 100 countries worldwide.
• Loch Lomond distillery has been producing the finest single malt whisky since 1814.
• Images and interviews with key staff from the Group are available upon request.
• www.lochlomondgroup.com

LIDL TOASTS WORLD WHISKY DAY WITH TRIO OF NEW SINGLE MALT SCOTCHES 

Three new whiskies in Ben Bracken range released in time for World Whisky Day

In the run-up to World Whisky Day on Saturday 20 May, Lidl is releasing three new single malt Scotch whiskies.

The trio of whiskies is being released under Lidl’s Ben Bracken Range – with variants from three of the most renowned whisky regions Speyside, Islay and Highland. The three new whiskies are priced at £17.49 each, which represents exceptional value for single malt Scotch.

The Speyside single malt is described as “light, elegant and refined”, while the Highland variant brings “Aromas of creme brulee, orange segments, honey-dipped brioche and marzipan.” The Islay malt is described as “Powerful and unforgettable” with notes of “Tangy sea spray, bonfire smoke and salted bananas.”

Lidl has established a strong reputation for its whisky range, with a number of its malts earning awards; in 2016, its Ben Bracken 22-year-old Islay won best Islay single malt at the World Whisky Awards; its 22-year-old blend Glen Alba also won ‘special release blended whisky’; its Queen Margot 3-year-old blend was also a winner at the Awards.

Lidl now has 8 Scotch whiskies in its range and world-recognised whisky expert Charles MacLean has praised Lidl’s whisky range saying: “The awards won testify to their outstanding quality. When this is combined with their pricing, the result is unbeatable value.”

Paul McQuade, Head of Lidl’s Scottish Buying Team, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our whisky range and with World Whisky Day approaching this is the perfect time to release our new range of Ben Bracken single malt Scotches.

“The range reflects the diverse taste of Scotch whisky through the three different whisky regions and offers everyone, from established whisky fans to the newcomer to whisky, something to enjoy this World Whisky Day.“

About Lidl:

Since establishing itself in the UK in 1994, Lidl has experienced continuous growth in Great Britain and today has over 20,000 employees, 650 stores and 10 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales. As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl is one of Europe’s leading organisations in the food retail industry. With a presence in 30 countries around the world, the supermarket, which has more than 250,000 employees globally, currently operates approximately 10,000 stores and more than 140 distribution centres in 27 countries in Europe. The family supermarket takes pride in providing its customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices throughout Great Britain, from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight. Social responsibility and sustainability are at the core of the company’s daily operations, with the company placing a strong emphasis on its responsibility for people, society and the environment.  Lidl UK is passionate about working with British producers and sources two thirds of its products from the UK, working with suppliers across the British Isles wherever possible. For more information about Lidl UK visit http://www.lidl.co.uk/

BUSHMILLS® LAUNCHES TASTE SERIES AHEAD OF WORLD WHISKEY DAY 

As World Whiskey Day fast approaches, Bushmills Irish Whiskey has released a series of short videos to help immerse whiskey fans into the taste of Ireland’s oldest licensed distillery. 

Recognised globally, World Whiskey Day invites everyone to raise a glass and celebrate the water of life.  This year Bushmills Irish Whiskey is helping consumers prepare for the celebrations by launching ‘The Bushmills Taste Series’ – a compilation of short tasting videos to help educate fans on which variant is right for them.

Hosted by Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, The Bushmills Taste Series is made up of four 60 second videos, each highlighting the taste credentials of the brand’s most popular whiskeys including: BUSHMILLS® ORIGINAL, BLACK BUSH®, BUSHMILLS® 16 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT and BUSHMILLS® 21 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT.

“The Bushmills Taste Series is a virtual taste experience for fans who savour learning more about our whiskey as much as they savour that first taste”, said Colum Egan.

“The recent revival of Irish whiskey means there are so many different varieties, and ways to drink the world’s fastest growing spirit.  The purpose of this series is to provide a starting point to help novices through to devout whiskey enthusiasts quickly find out which variant best suits their palate.”

To watch the Bushmills Taste Series visit http://bit.ly/2rq1tTg.

Notes  

About Bushmills® Irish Whiskey

Bushmills® Irish Whiskey is hand-crafted with care at the Old Bushmills Distillery in the village of Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.  As Ireland’s oldest working distillery – making triple distilled malt whiskey and producing both blended and single malt whiskey of the same name, our unmatched malt is at the heart of all Bushmills® Irish Whiskeys and creates a unique combination of smoothness and richness.