Glengoyne scoops two Gold’s at The Asian Spirits Masters 2016

Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is celebrating after bringing home two Gold medals from this year’s Asian Spirits Masters for both their 21 Year Old and 25 Year Old expressions.

Held in April and organised by drinks trade publication, The Spirits Business, the competition honours the rapidly growing Asian market.  Chaired by Kristiane Sherry, Editor of The Spirits Magazine, the panel of well respected and knowledgeable judges blind tasted and judged each entry on their own merit.

The bold, complex flavours of the two expressions, which form part of the Glengoyne core collection, fought off stiff competition from a variety of leading global brands including The Balvenie, The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich in the Single Malt category- one of the most popular categories in the competition.

Iain Weir, Marketing Director for Ian Macleod Distillers owners of Glengoyne said: “The Asian market is one of the most important spirits markets in the world so for two of our expressions to win Gold is something we are incredibly proud of.

 “The Asian market knows good Scotch whisky and we are thrilled the premium quality of our Single Malt has been recognised.”

The Asian Spirits Masters is now in its fourth year and is an extension of the existing Masters competitions held by The Spirits Business. This year’s competition took place in Chinatown’s Opium Cocktail and Dim Sum Parlour located in central London.

www.glengoyne.com 

Notes

Glengoyne Distillery is owned by one of Scotland’s leading independent, family-owned distillers, Ian Macleod Distillers. It is highly regarded as Scotland’s most beautiful distillery.

Glengoyne, uncompromising in its pursuit of excellence, runs its stills slower than any other distillery in order to create the rich, bold flavours for which the brand is known. Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured in the finest sherry casks from within its traditional dunnage warehouses.

Glengoyne 21 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Nose: Red apples, spicy strudel, toffee, sherry and dried fruits. Christmas cake in a glass.

Palate: Lots of Sherry, honey, oak with a developing aromatic sensation. Ends with a heavenly cinnamon nip.

Finish: Long, sherry, spicy, warm and dry.

Glengoyne 25 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Nose: Red fruits, old leather, brown sugar and raisins.

Palate: Soft oak, cinnamon, stewed fruits and a Seville marmalade tang.

Finish: Very long with spicy liquorice, slowly drying.

JACK DANIEL’S SINGLE BARREL ANNOUNCES NEWEST ADDITION TO COLLECTION WITH LAUNCH OF SINGLE BARREL RYE

‘Whisky for the Gods’ arrives in the UK

Langatun Single Malt Whisky, from Switzerland, of which the Old Bear Cask Proof expression has been described by Jim Murray in his renowned guide The Whisky Bible, as ‘Whisky for the gods…’, is now available in the UK for the first time.

With a history dating back to the 1860s, Hans Baumberger, grandson of the original founder Jakob Baumberger, reopened the Langatun Distillery in 2007. Imported by Angels’ Nectar proprietor Highfern Ltd, initially four triple distilled single malt bottlings from Langatun are being offered.

Old Deer is the distillery’s classic single malt, distilled from un-peated barley, fermented with an English stout yeast, and matured in sherry and chardonnay casks. Bottled after six years maturation, Old Deer is offered at sipping strength of 40% and cask proof of ∼62% Vol.

Old Bear, named as a tribute to the family’s former brewery, which had a bear as its emblem, is the distillery’s smoky offering. Distilled from peated malted barley and intriguingly matured in former Chateauneuf-du-Pape casks, again for six years. Like Old Deer, Old Bear is offered at 40%, and cask proof of ∼62.5% Vol. For a chance to taste Langatun, Robert Ransom, from the importer Highfern Ltd, will be sampling at The Whisky Exchange’s Covent Garden store on the afternoon of Friday the 13th of May. Langatun is also available from Drinkfinder, Hedonism Wines, Lincoln Whisky Shop, Master of Malt, and Shop4Whisky.

Notes:

1. Quote from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, published by Dram Good Books, with regard to Langatun Old Bear

Cask Proof, which was awarded a score of 96.

2. Sampling at The Whisky Exchange, 2 Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9HH 3pm to 7pm on Friday 13th May 2016.

3. Web: www.langatun.ch www.twitter.com/langatunwhisky www.facebook.com/langatun

4. Highfern Ltd are proprietors of Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, and importers of Smögen

Svensk Single Malt Whisky, Strane London Dry Gin and Langatun Swiss Single Malt Whisky.

5. For more information please contact; Robert Ransom, Highfern Ltd, robert@highfern.co.uk Mobile: 07811 640778

INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL AWARD FOR THREE SHIPS WHISKY 

The proudly South African Three Ships Whisky beat international competition to be awarded with the Best User Experience at the annual Webby Awards for the live online sale of its limited edition Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt Single Cask PX Finish.

The Webby Awards, now in its 20^th year, is judged by leading internet experts who reviewed over 13 000 entries from 65 countries and Three Ships was awarded for “offering the best user experience through innovative design and useful functionality.” – swopped with below

The online live sale, a first of its kind for South Africa, was the creative genius of digital agency Quirk in collaboration with 140BBDO.

 Using live streaming and innovative technology to augment the online shopping experience, the live store enabled consumers to interact in real time as they select the hand-numbered bottle of their choice. Consumers saw in real-time their selected bottle being collected off the shelf and watched as master distiller Andy Watts signed their name on a certificate and prepared it for delivery.

Using SnapScan as purchase method the 400 bottles sold out in just under four hours equating to a bottle every 45 seconds.

Three Ships’ Marketing Manager, Liezl Dippenaar, was delighted to hear the news. She said that the innovative approach to the campaign was one that certainly complemented the limited edition nature of the whisky launched.

 “This unique online shopping experience mirrored the pioneering spirit of the Three Ships brand which has created many firsts for the South African whisky industry. We wanted to create excitement and offer our consumers an authentic and meaningful engagement. This award we can now add to the many international accolades our whiskies have achieved over the years, marking excellence and innovation in our campaigns too.”

On the win, Quirk’s Executive Creative Director Andrew Bloom says “It’s an honour to be competing against top tier international creative houses and in a category against international power brands like Nike, Cheap Monday, Subaru and Google’s Made with Code initiative – all having created work that we respect and admire. Importantly, it sets the future for Quirk. Not for the benchmark, I believe there is more to come, but for what is possible.”

You can watch the 20^th annual Webby Awards ceremony online at webbyawards.com on 17 May.

GLENFARCLAS NAMED “BEST DISTILLERS’ SINGLE MALT”

AT SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

Glenfarclas whiskies win six top medals, including two Double Gold

            NEW ORLEANS, lA.  (April 27, 2016) – Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch was distinguished as “Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch –No Age Statement” at the 16th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition where a record-breaking 1,899 entries were submitted for a blind tasting.

Thirty-nine of the industry’s finest spirits experts reviewed each entry before ultimately awarding Glenfarclas whiskies a total of six top medals, including two Double Gold Medals and the designation of “Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch.”

Medal winners:

Double Gold

• Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years

Gold

• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 17 Years

Silver

• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years
• Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 25 Years

“It is an honor to be recognized among the best of this competition,” Associate Brand Manager Jana Ritter said. “We feel very humbled and couldn’t be any more pleased with these results.”

Complete results for the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/browse.

About The Sazerac Company

Sazerac is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Lewiston, Maine; Londonderry, New Hampshire; and Montreal, Canada.  For more information, please visit www.sazerac.com/.

Shelter Point Distillery releases premiere Single Malt Whisky

Oyster River, BC – Shelter Point Distillery has confirmed that it will release its premiere single malt whisky on May 13, 2016. Aged on-site for over five years in white oak barrels at Shelter Point’s oceanfront distillery, the Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky will be the distillery’s second spirit, and the first major release of a Vancouver Island made single malt whisky. Grown, fermented, and pot distilled in traditional Scottish copper pot stills, the Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky was produced from field to flask entirely in BC.

The inaugural batch of Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky will launch as a limited release at 12pm on May 13, 2016, at the Shelter Point Distillery storefront. The Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky will then be delivered to independently owned liquor stores across Vancouver Island and the Vancouver mainland over the following weeks. A restored 1929 Ford will be on display at some locations, including Shelter Point Distillery, at launch.

“Trucks like these were the original rum-runners, smuggling from Canada into the US during the prohibition,” says Shelter Point owner Patrick Evans. “There’s something about Canadian heritage that just makes us want to share, and we want to share our whisky with the world.” 

About Shelter Point Farm and Distillery

Located along the banks and delta of the Oyster River (halfway between the Comox Valley and Campbell River) on northern Vancouver Island, Shelter Point Farm and Distillery sits on rich bottomland facing a long expanse of the Strait of Georgia. Ample moisture and fresh water is collected and filtered by the surrounding mountains and rich rain forests, fed by pure Pacific Ocean winds making landfall after a 10,000-mile journey. The moderating effect of the ocean and sea level location allows for extended growing seasons, and bountiful and varied crops. Shelter Point farm is one of the few remaining original ‘oceanfront’ farms on the west coast of Canada.

Shelter Point Distillery is privately owned and funded.

Kensington Wine Market
Donates $3000
Red Cross Fort McMurray Relief Fund

The Kensington Wine Market is pleased to donate $3000 to the Red Cross Fort McMurray Relief Fund. The monies for our donation were generated from the ticket sales for our annual Spring Wine Festival held this evening. Calgarians are no stranger to the devastation wrought by the forces of Mother Nature. The 2013 Calgary flood displaced so many of our family, friends and customers and while the Wine Market did not suffer any flood damage, our business was closed for several days as the city’s first responders struggled to get us back up and running. Fort McMurray has suffered terrible losses, both commercial and personal, and at a time when our province is already under tremendous stress. It is for this reason we are reaching out to our northern neighbours.

We want to thank all our customers for their patronage and for helping us make this contribution the Red Cross Relief Fund possible. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 24th birthday!

STORE HOURS

10:00 to 8:00 Monday to Wednesday
10:00 to 9:00 Thursday and Friday
10:00 to 8:00 Saturday
12:00 to 6:00 Sunday

Kensington Wine Market

403-283-8000

MASTER DISTILLER KEN PIERCE TO RETIRE FROM 1792 DISTILLERY  

BARDSTOWN, kENTUCKY (May 4, 2016) – After more than 30 years in the beverage industry, Master Distiller Ken Pierce is retiring from Barton 1792 Distillery.

Pierce’s early days in the distilled spirits industry started with Barton Brands of Georgia (now defunct) where he was Plant Chemist and later Quality Control Manager. After six years, the company transferred him to Bardstown, Ky. to its distillery now known as Barton 1792 Distillery. Pierce started his work in Bardstown as Senior Chemist; a short time later was named Chief Chemist, then Director of Distillation before being named Master Distiller.

During Pierce’s time with the company, he had the opportunity to train under three previous Master Distillers. He was also able to lend his expertise to many industry-wide projects, including the George Washington Distillery project, as part of a group that used historically accurate equipment to distill rye whiskey at Mount Vernon Plantation in Virginia. The distillate was aged and sold at auctions to raise funds to rebuild the distillery.

At Barton 1792 Distillery, Pierce was involved in all aspects of bourbon production, from the evaluation of incoming grain to the selection of mature whiskey. He was instrumental in the development of 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and in the recent line extensions.

Pierce’s retirement is effective May 13, 2016.

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/.

On the island of Hven located in the strait of Öresund between Denmark and Sweden lies the Spirit of Hven distillery. Founded in 2008, this family owned distillery became the third pot still distillery ever to be built in Sweden and is one of the world’s smallest commercial pot distilleries.

Although Hven only covers an area of 3 square miles and has a population of around 350 inhabitants, from this remarkable island comes some of the highest quality handcrafted spirits produced – a true testament to the skill and expertise of Master Distiller Henric Molin.

Described as “Taste & Scent with Sustainability”, Spirit of Hven produces a diverse range of oak matured distillates including Organic Vodka, Gin, Aquavit and Summer Spirit. However, it doesn’t just stop there; with the heart and soul of the distillery being the production of world acclaimed single malt whiskies. In fact, their single malt whisky was Sweden’s first ever island whisky. Handcrafted using only certified organic ingredients, distilled in unique copper pot stills, matured in oak casks and bottled without additives or prior chill filtration; each spirit is one of a kind with an enticing character and sensational flavour. Everything from distillation to the bottling is done on site. Each bottle is individually numbered and approved before they are hand signed.

Spirit of Hven is now distributed in the UK by Amathus Drinks PLC. For more information, please visit http://www.hven.com/ or contact holly@amathusdrinks.com.

Diageo Brands Awarded Top Honors for Superior Quality at the 16th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition