JOHN DEWAR & SONS LAUNCHES ABERFELDY® 16 YEARS OLD

Glasgow, Scotland, 27^th November 2015 – John Dewar & Sons unveils its latest expression from The Golden Dram – ABERFELDY 16 Years Old.

ABERFELDY® 16 Years Old is entirely finished in premium Oloroso sherry casks, allowing a sumptuous and more pronounced sherry accent to the malt, giving a suggestion of dried fruit and spicy notes that only the finest of quality casks contribute.

Built by the Dewar family in 1898, the distillery is one of a handful remaining in Perthshire. The house style is rich but smooth and accessible with an emphasis on notes of honey. The long fermentation time of 70 hours allows for greater flavour development as an extended fermentation encourages the creation of more esters which in turn give the whisky fruitiness.

Known as The Golden Dram, Aberfeldy’s precious water source, the Pitilie Burn, is steeped in local folklore and its qualities have long been sought-after. The burn is renowned for being rich in mineral deposits including alluvial gold.

ABERFELDY 16 Years Old tasting notes at 40% ABV

Alba’s rare alchemy, exhaling honey, citrus and spicy cloves. Sherried and full like fruitcake, then dabs of dark chocolate. A soothing Scotch elixir for a favourite couthie corner.

The newly released ABERFELDY 16 Years Old, bottled at 40% ABV, joins the existing portfolio of single malts. It is described as rewardingly viscous and sweet; full of fresh fruit and buttery notes. Priced at £62.00, the new expression is available in 11 markets around the world: Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK.

http://www.aberfeldy.com/

Notes: 

About ABERFELDY Single Malt Scotch whisky

ABERFELDY distillery was founded in 1898 by the dynamic Dewar brothers, John Alexander and Tommy. They built on a site just a stone’s throw from the birthplace of their father, the pioneering blender John Dewar.

Alongside the distillery, and known to contain deposits of alluvial gold, flows the Pitilie Burn; the perfect water source for the Golden Dram. While inside, time-honoured techniques like long fermentation, which imparts rare honeyed notes, safeguard the whisky’s flavour profile, renowned for its rich, sweet, smooth taste.

The single malt brand of ABERFELDY is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

http://www.lastgreatmalts.com/

For more information on the new single malt expressions, the five distilleries, tasting notes, crafting, and heritage, please visit http://www.lastgreatmalts.com/

Please find below a link to a press release from the Managing Editor of Whisky Magazine announcing the results of the Icons of Whisky Scotland 2016, Hall of Fame Scotland 2016 and Independent Bottlers Challenge 2015.

THE AWARDS

BLACK BOTTLE’S MAL SPENCE UPS THE ANTE AT ANTI ESTABLISHMENT

Anti Establisment in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, saw the return of Black Bottle Scotch whisky with an epic cocktail workshop hosted by Mal Spence, the global ambassador for the brand. Some of the best of Jozi’s bartenders battled it out in a mystery ingredient challenge.

Gift Ngwenya of Misty Hills and Justine Coetzer of Thirst won the challenge with their superb combinations that Spence praised for incredible balance and the harmonious combination of flavours that let the unique taste of Black Bottle shine through.

Says Lucindi Branfield, the SA marketing manager for the brand: “Mal personifies Black Bottle on so many levels, from his quirky Scottish creative passion and know-how, to his compelling story-telling in the way he narrates the fascinating history of the whisky and its very special taste profile.

Black Bottle offers a unique and ultra-versatile blend of top single malt and grain whiskies. Fresh and floral on the nose with whiffs of new-sawn oak and a hint of smoke, it opens onto a silky palate with delicate smoke and peat balanced by sweet oak and honey, to end on a lingering finish of spice.

As its name suggests, Black Bottle was originally sold in an opaque black bottle. Launched by the Graham brothers in 1879 in Aberdeen, Scotland, it soon developed a loyal following. The distinctive black bottles used were sourced from Germany. When World War I interrupted supply, the black bottle was replaced by a readily available green bottle.

Now, a century later, Black Bottle is back in black, celebrating its origins with a retro look and its original blend. The new design has been inspired by a black bottle found in the company archives dating to 1906, while the blend has been adjusted to reflect the recipe created in Aberdeen by Gordon Graham 136 years ago.

Go to http://www.theblackbar.co.za/ and enter your details should you wish to exclusive Black Bottle events.

Follow Black Bottle on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BlackBottleSA) and/or Twitter (https://twitter.com/BlackBottleSA).

Join the conversation using: #BlackBar

 This article in a Tweet:

Epic @BlackBottleSA cocktail workshop hosted by Mal Spence at Anti Establishment in #Jozi’s #Braamfontein. Images: http://on.fb.me/1SjjGbN.

Scotland – Land of Whisky 2016
Calendar for Scotland lovers and whisky fans

The pagoda roofs of the Dalwhinnie Distillery are a unique landmark in the Scottish Highlands. They decorate the title of a new calendar especially for Scotland lovers and whisky fans: „Scotland – Land of Whisky 2016“. The Germany-based photo journalist Michael Schmidt lived in Glasgow for two years time and was busy as a press correspondent and tourist guide. In Scotland, he learned a lot about the national drink. He started taking pictures of whisky distilleries and went on to self-publish a calendar in 2010, which is now available in the UK for the first time.

Scotland – Land of Whisky is full of pictures shot at famous distilleries per example: Deanston, Dalwhinnie and Fettercairn. It depicts unique moments of the art of whisky production. One motive shows the sanctum of Aberfeldy Distillery – its dark and damp warehouse packed with wooden casks. Michael Schmidt talks about shooting pictures at distilleries: „It is rather difficult to get a permission to take pictures inside the buildings. It takes time and some persuasion.”

The calendar is not just an eye-catcher for whisky fans. It shows all the ingredients of a Scotland lover´s dream: cute Puffins, the dramatic mountain scenery of Glen Coe and secluded sandy beaches in the far North.

The German design agency K.Design in Wiesbaden was in charge of layout. The small calendars (210 x 148 mm) cost 10,80 £, the large prints (420 x 297 mm) 17,90 £. For order details please contact: reporter@schmidt-punkt.de. Postage is additional, depending on the number of orders.

The photographer Michael Schmidt, born in 1974, works as freelance reporter and photo journalist in Langen (Hessen) near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. He organizes journalistic and photographic projects related to Scotland. He spent two years in Glasgow, working both as a correspondent for German media and as a travel guide. His major topics are renewable energy, media issues, religion, politics and the history of Scotland. In Germany he hosts whisky tastings and provides multimedia lectures about Scotland – his home away from home.

Michael Schmidt Photo Journalist  Freelance Reporter Voltastr. 4 63225 Langen (Hesse) Germany Tel.: 0049 6103-2027544 Mobil: 0049 173-7479269 E-Mail: reporter@schmidt-punkt.de Web: www.schmidt-punkt.de

THE GLENROTHES LAUNCHES THE VINTAGE VINYL TASTING SESSIONS WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY CASK FROM 1969 

Award-winning Speyside distillery, The Glenrothes introduces a new tasting platform, The Vintage Vinyl Sessions. The first session took place last night in a legendary setting – it was a seductive evening, of Vintage whisky and music on vintage vinyl.

The Vintage Vinyl Sessions incorporate two great pleasures of taste and sound – The Glenrothes Vintage Single Malt and Vinyl Records. As a follow up to the occasion, The Glenrothes are soon to release a very rare, celebratory whisky, Extraordinary Cask #11483, from 1969 – a second-fill hogshead cask, filled on 31st July 1969. The cask yielded only 69 bottles at natural strength.

To complement the 1969 Vintage and to demonstrate a link back to the year the whisky was created, the Beatles album, Abbey Road was chosen by The Glenrothes Brands Heritage Director, Ronnie Cox, and specialist vinyl curator – Colleen Murphy*.

The very same year, 1969, that the whisky was distilled and laid to mature in the warehouse, The Beatles recorded their last studio album, Abbey Road. The iconic album cover, of probably the most famous road crossing in the world, brought Abbey Road to popular attention. The studios where the album was recorded have become a celebrated setting, steeped in musical history.

For this one-and-only time, last night’s session was held in the world-famous Abbey Road studios, a fitting venue with iconic links to music heritage. The inaugural Vintage Vinyl Session began with an introduction to the Glenrothes Extraordinary Cask 1969 given by host, Ronnie Cox. It was then the turn of music specialist Colleen Murphy to introduce The Beatles album before guests settled in to listen to music and taste fine whisky.

The idea behind these sessions is to offer a unique experience, to listen to a specially chosen album made in the same year as the Glenrothes Vintage in its entirety, one that compliments a particular Glenrothes expression and illustrates the connection between Vintage whisky and Vintage music. The evening also included tastings of The Glenrothes Vintages 1995 and 2001 as well as Vintage Reserve. Each accompanied by music on Vinyl from the same year; Single Vintage 1995 with High and Dry by Radiohead, Vintage Reserve with the Abbey Road album by The Beatles, Single Vintage 2001 with Sunrise by Pulp and finally XO1969 paired with He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother  by The Hollies.

As Ronnie explains: “There is nothing like the influence of music to enhance this liquid, music is after all an incredibly powerful emotional trigger; Singles, on 45RPM, are like our Single Vintages: good enough to be released on their own. Albums on 33RPM are like our Reserves: A selection of Single Vintages that, when married together, deliver a truly rounded and complete savouring experience: greater even than the sum of their parts.” He goes on, “the 1969, extraordinary cask? Now that’s like a platinum album: that good, that rare”.

The Glenrothes Single Cask 1969 #11483

The fourth release in the Glenrothes Extraordinary Cask Series, it is additional to the release of The Glenrothes Single Cask 1969 #11485, released back in February 2014. The Glenrothes Extraordinary Single Cask 1969 has been bottled from the contents of Cask #11483. It is bottled at a natural strength of 43.8% ABV, is unchillfiltered and, like all Glenrothes’ bottlings, of completely natural colour.

The hallmarks of The Glenrothes are quality and purity, evident in the beautifully-balanced, elegant and well-mannered single malt with peerless texture, perfectly expressed by this single cask bottling.

Tasting notes

Appearance:  Bright and clear and coppery.

Nose:           Powerful aroma of complexity including vanilla, coconut, toasted walnuts, herbal notes.

Palate:          Lots of good older wood notes, lingers lovingly with toffee, popcorn, nougat.

Finish:           Long melt in the mouth, honeycomb, superbly balanced for one so old.

The Glenrothes 1969 Extraordinary Cask #11483 will initially be available from Berry Bros. & Rudd in February 2016 and its representatives in key markets.  Prices will start at £4,000 (€5,000 or $7,000) and upwards per bottle.

www.theglenrothes.com  

Notes:

The Glenrothes was founded in 1879.

Only 3% of the distillery capacity is bottled as Single Malt to ensure exceptional quality.

Of the 22 Vintages released to date, 14 have entirely sold out.

The Glenrothes is an award-winning Speyside Single Malt Whisky of exceptional quality. A combination of many factors, including our unusually slow distillation process in tall copper pot stills, deliver our characteristic sweet, fruity and elegant spirit. Further flavours are derived from our extensive knowledge of maturation in oak casks. Each expression has its own unique personality, underpinned by the distinctive, hallmark characteristics of the distillery – ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and an exquisite spicy finish all encased in the creamiest of textures and with a complex and well-poised balance.

The Glenrothes is only selected for bottling when it has reached its zenith of maturity; each cask is carefully checked, nosed and tasted many times. An age statement does not reveal the maturity of the whisky and so the Glenrothes is bottled only when ready, meaning mature and at its peak of perfection. Malt whisky matures at its own pace as shown by the two casks selected. 

* Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, is a London-based, American radio broadcaster and DJ. Described by Hi-fi Choice as “Hi-fi’s Modern Day Wonder Woman”, she is the founder of the world’s leading listening event Classic Album Sundays, a pioneer of audiophile sound and vinyl, music producer, remixer, record label owner, international DJ and protégé of the legendary David Mancuso (The Loft, NYC). Colleen has been working closely with The Glenrothes and Brands Heritage Director, Ronnie Cox to combine two great pleasures of liquid and music together.

Some of our recent awards and accolades for current bottlings:

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve

• Gold, Scotch Whisky Masters 2015
• Double Gold, China Wine & Spirits Awards 2015
• Gold, The Asian Spirits Masters 2015
• “Officially Amazing”, Guinness World Record holder for largest Burns Supper, 2015

The Glenrothes Select Reserve

• Gold, Scotch Whisky Masters 2015

• Gold, The Asian Spirits Masters 2015

• Gold, San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2012

The Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve

• Double Gold, WSWA 2015
• Recommended, Whisky Magazine, Issue 123, February 2015
• Difford’s Guide, Exceptional 5 out of 5 stars 2014

The Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve

• Excellent, Highly Recommended (92/100), Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2014
• Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2010
• Silver, International Spirits Challenge 2010

The Glenrothes 1998 Vintage

• Silver medal, International Wine & Spirits Competition 2011
• 93/100, Excellent/Highly Recommended, Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2011
• Silver, International Wine & Spirits Competition 2010
• Silver, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010

The Glenrothes 1995 Vintage

• Gold, Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit, 2013
• Silver, International Wine & Spirits Challenge, 2013
• 92/100, Excellent/Highly Recommended, Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2011

The Glenrothes 1988 Vintage

• Silver, The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2012

The Glenrothes 1978 Vintage

• World’s Best Speyside Single Malt. World Whiskies Awards 2008

Whisky Advocate’s 22nd Annual Awards To Be Announced This Month

The 22^nd Annual Whisky Advocate Awards will be announced on the Whisky Advocate blog beginning this Friday, December 4^th. As the awards are announced, they will automatically be published to the Whisky Advocate Facebook page and the Whisky Advocate Twitter feed (@whiskyadvocate).

The Whisky Advocate Awards exist to recognize excellence in the world of whisky. Now in its 22^nd year, the program is about the world’s greatest whiskies and distilleries, and the individuals who make and promote them. As always, these awards are not simply assigned to the whiskies that get the highest ratings in our reviews. The winners might be the highest-rated, or they might instead be the most significant, or the most important, or represent a new direction for a category or niche. The awards process is not, in short, a mere numbers-based formula. It is recognition of a combination of excellence, innovation, tradition, and always, great-tasting whisky. Our Buying Guide reviewers reach a consensus on the awards.

These awards are the oldest and longest-running annual whisky awards program. We taste and sample over the course of the year, at year’s end we consider and confer, and then we make our decisions based solely on the merits of the whiskies…as we have done for over twenty years. We give you our word: that’s how it will continue to be.

Stop by each day to see the winner and read our commentary on the whisky and why it was chosen. Here’s how they’ll roll out, starting with the American whiskeys and progressing around the world to wind up in Scotland, followed by our Lifetime Achievement Awards and the big one: Distiller of the Year!

December 4^th: Craft Whiskey of the Year December 5^th: American Whiskey of the Year December 6^th: Canadian Whisky of the Year December 7^th: Irish Whiskey of the Year December 8^th: Japanese Whisky of the Year December 9^th: World Whisky of the Year December 10^th: Blended/Blended Malt Whisky of the Year December 11^th: Speyside Single Malt of the Year December 12^th: Islay Single Malt of the Year December 13^th: Highland Single Malt of the Year December 14^th: Lowlands/Campbeltown Single Malt of the Year December 15^th: Lifetime Achievement Awards December 16^th: Distiller of the Year

The Irishman Chosen As New York’s Whiskey Brand Of The Year

New York, November 2016:– Walsh Whiskey Distillery are proud to announce that The Irishman has been chosen as Best Irish Whiskey Brand of the Year in the highly accredited New York International Spirits Competition (NYISC).

In its 6th year, the prestigious NYISC evaluated and judged almost 500 of the world’s best-distilled spirits covering over 35 countries. The competing brands were critiqued by a hand-chosen panel of ‘A-List’ and key TRADE ONLY judges.

Commenting on the growth of the competition, Adam Levy, founder of the NYISC said: “This year’s significant increase in submissions is a clear sign that the industry truly recognizes and appreciates NYISC’s overall philosophy of judging for real sales impact.”

Woody Kane of Wash Whiskey Distillery said: “It is a great honour and privilege for The Irishman to be awarded New York’s Irish Whiskey Brand of the Year in such a high-calibre competition as the NYISC.  This honour from such a great city and the impending commissioning of our world-class distillery in Royal Oak in January make for very exciting times for everyone associated with Walsh Whiskey.”

Notes:

A range of photography is available including The Irishman product shots; Walsh Whiskey founder Bernard Walsh holding The Irishman at the distillery location Royal Oak and also of Bernard taking recent delivery of the three copper pot stills at the distillery. 

About The Irishman (Founder’s Reserve)

The Irishman Founder’s Reserve is a unique take on the old Irish Pot Still Whiskey and is the original and signature blend created by founder Bernard Walsh. It is a blend of two styles, Single Malt and Single Pot Still. The proportions used are 70% Single Malt and 30% Single Pot Still. This is unusual in itself, as it is the only Irish blended whiskey to contain 100% whiskey distillates from the copper pot still and 0% Grain or Column still whiskey. This results in a much more flavoursome whiskey. The Founder’s Reserve is triple distilled and matured in Bourbon Casks.

Nose: A Zesty Spice, with hints of caramel, black pepper, cinnamon and peaches. A slight hint of vanilla too, with a suggestive savour of Green Apple.

Palate: Pot Still Spice, malt, dark chocolate, bourbon oak, and crème caramel

Finish: Everlasting finish with oak and butterscotch. Lingers for what seems like an eternity!

Awards:

• Irish Whiskey Brand of the Year 2016 – NYISC
• Gold Medal at International Spirits Challenge London.
• Gold Medal at International Spirits Competition San Francisco.
• 94 Points Beverage Tasting Institute USA.
• 93 Points Jim Murray Whiskey Bible
• Gold Medal at International Spirits Competition San Francisco 2013 

About Walsh Whiskey Distillery:

Established in 1999 by husband and wife, Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, and located on the 18^th century Royal Oak estate by the River Barrow in County Carlow, the Walsh Whiskey Distillery Company is a leading independent producer of super-premium and ultra-premium, triple-distilled, craft, Irish whiskies.

Led by founder Bernard Walsh, and with a strong board of industry veterans, the company has built a portfolio of international award winning drinks brands. These include a range of six Irish whiskies under The Irishman and Writerṣ Tears brands, the Hot Irishman Irish coffee and The Irishman Irish Cream liqueur. Demand for the critically acclaimed The Irishman and Writerṣ Tears brands currently exceeds supply in the 36 countries they are distributed to worldwide.

Walsh Whiskey entered a partnership with Illva Saronno in 2013 to expand the business through constructing a world-class distillery, maturing warehouses and a visitor centre at Royal Oak that will adhere to the best traditions of Irish whiskey distilling from its halcyon era in the 19^th century.

Once commissioned in early 2016, the distillery will be one of the largest independent whiskey distilleries in Ireland. The two production lines, using both pot stills and column stills, will give Walsh Whiskey Distillery the capacity to produce 650,000 cases (two and a half million litres of pure alcohol (LPA’s) or 8 million bottles) of whiskey annually. The expansion of the business will lead to increased supplies of Irishman Whiskey and Writers Tears brands from 2019 when distribution will increase to over 100 countries including China and India.

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is the

2016 World Whisky of the Year  

Brand Becomes First Canadian Whisky to Earn Title in Jim Murray’s Annual Whisky Bible, Showcases Brand’s Prominence as Category Leader

NORWALK, Conn., November 19, 2015 – Renowned whisky writer Jim Murray today announced Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye as the 2016 World Whisky of the Year, marking the first time a Canadian Whisky has received the honor. The recognition comes at a time when both the Canadian and Rye whisky categories continue to gain popularity amongst whisky aficionados and consumers alike.

“Crown Royal Northern Harvest pops up out of nowhere and changes the game,” said Murray of the whisky, which he awarded a record-tying 97.5 out of 100 points. “It certainly puts the rye into Canadian Rye. To say this is a masterpiece is barely doing it justice.”

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye was first released in the U.S. in early 2015. The variant showcases the distinctly Canadian rye whiskey featured in the traditional Crown Royal Deluxe Blend that consumers have grown to love throughout the last 75-plus years. The latest variant to be introduced by Crown Royal, Northern Harvest Rye (90 proof, 45% ABV) is the brand’s first ever blended, 90% rye whisky and embodies a smooth and spicy flavor profile that can be mixed into traditional rye cocktails or enjoyed neat or on the rocks.

“Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye showcases the rye whisky that has been such an integral component of the Crown Royal Deluxe blend since 1939. This is a testament to the unbelievable blending and distilling that’s been taking place in Gimli for over 75 years,” said Yvonne Briese, Vice President of Crown Royal. “We are thrilled that Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye has been named World Whisky of the Year!”

The recognition comes on the heels of the launch of Crown Royal’s new campaign titled “The One Made for a King.” The creative, which will run across TV, print, out of home, digital and social, was developed to share the 75-year-old brand’s royal origin story and liquid credentials with consumers. To view the TV spots, please visit www.YouTube.com/CrownRoyalBrand.

In addition to being named 2016 World Whisky of the Year, Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye received a double gold medal at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is part of Crown Royal’s vast portfolio of variants for whisky lovers to enjoy, including Crown Royal Regal Apple, the #1 innovation launch across U.S. Spirits over the past 12 month period, according to Nielsen and NABCA (Source: Nielsen xAOC 52 weeks through 10/10/15, NABCA 52wk ending 9/30/15), and Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel, a double gold recipient and winner of “Best Canadian Whisky” in the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Diageo is proud to add this incredible honor to its Hall of Fame of award-winning whiskeys globally. This year alone, Diageo has earned more than 300 awards across the World’s Best ranks for its Canadian, Scotch and American whiskeys. Today at Diageo we are celebrating!

While raising a glass of Northern Harvest Rye in honor of this award, Crown Royal reminds consumers and whisky aficionados to please drink responsibly.

About Crown Royal

Crown Royal Canadian whisky is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal Canadian whisky’s smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. For more information visit http://www.crownroyal.com/. Crown Royal encourages all consumers to please enjoy responsibly. 

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray, Guinness, and Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). 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, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Follow us on Twitter for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

5 Star Award for The A. D. Rattray Whisky Experience 

The exceptional service offered by the team at the A. D. Rattray Whisky Experience & Shop has been recognised by Visit Scotland when they recently awarded it 5 stars. This is a clear reflection of the hard work and commitment of Manager, Raphael Marinoni, and Tasting Host, Emma Handsley, to provide visitors with an outstanding experience.

In their report, Visit Scotland noted the high quality of this visitor attraction, adding, “ …the staff are the really essential element here, and both Raphael and Emma displayed the pro-activity, friendliness and product knowledge we would expect at a 5-star level”.  Tim Morrison, the owner of the premises, praised their dedication and congratulated them both on this achievement.

The A. D. Rattray Whisky Experience opened in 2011 in the old village school in Kirkoswald, South Ayrshire, the iconic building with its distillery-style pagoda roof makes the ideal setting to experience everything about Scotland’s national drink. Inside, visitors can explore, nose and taste whisky from barley to bottle including experiencing a traditional dunnage warehouse where they can fill and label their own bottle from a choice of casks. No visit would be complete without making use of the private tasting room to taste a selection of exceptional whiskies followed by a browse in the well-stocked independent whisky shop.

Notes

A. D. Rattray was founded in 1868 and has a reputation for their extensive knowledge and expertise in the whisky industry. They are best known for their Stronachie and Cask Islay brands and a range of top quality single cask bottlings, the A. D. Rattray Cask Collection.

True whiskey lover’s dream becomes reality. Experience your beloved drink straight from the barrel.

What do men and true whiskey lover’s dream of? – Drinking the purest whiskey from an old cask.

London, UK, Nov. 18, 2015 – ZOOTY design workshop has just launched their new product on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. OKA – handcrafted wooden whiskey tumbler that brings a completely new way of experiencing your whiskey. Charred oak enhances all the flavors whiskey already has and reveals new ones.

Drinking whiskey from this charred oak tumbler is like drinking cask strength whiskey out of a 25 year old oak barrel stacked deep in a cold dark aging cellar. It’s what men and true whiskey lovers dream of. This wooden tumbler doesn’t replace your glass tumbler. Glass tumblers are pretty. But when you’re done feeling pretty, a mouthful of whiskey sipped from your wooden tumbler reminds you of the man that you are after a long day of doing the hard things in life a man does. The sense of the wood, the scent of the char, they speak to your soul. The soul of a man.

“Men drink whiskey because they like the taste,” said Kristopher K., COO of ZOOTY design workshop. “Our goal was to create experience that’s the closest possible to drinking straight from a cask by enhancing all those sweet, toasty and spicy aromas.”

When tasting whiskey from OKA tumbler you will notice that the scent is much softer and more pleasant compared to a glass tumbler. It is because charred oak interior absorbs part of strong alcohol aroma therefore allowing to feel the true characteristics of whiskey.

“Our tumbler is not meant for aging your whiskey,” said Toms Liepkalns, CEO of ZOOTY design workshop. “It is meant to flavor your drink instantly.” When relatively small amount of whiskey interacts with a large surface area of charred oak the results are incredible. All the flavours are increasing rapidly.

Round shaped bottom fits very comfortable in hand while the narrow top provides the best tasting experience. OKA not only flavors your whiskey but prevents it from warming as well.

This new product is available now on Kickstarter.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK TO READ THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE HERE

CONTACT:

Mr Toms Liepkalns

5a Kenninghall road, London E5 8BS, UK

Email: liepkalns.toms@gmail.com

Tel.: +44 745 304 2222