ROYAL BRACKLA® SINGLE MALT: THE FIRST WHISKY FIT FOR A KING

Glasgow, Scotland, 25^th August 2015 – John Dewar & Sons Ltd. has unveiled a new range of proprietary bottlings from Royal Brackla distillery, one of Scotland’s oldest and most venerable distilleries.

The new expressions of this regal single malt, ROYAL BRACKLA® 12 year-old, ROYAL BRACKLA® 16 year-old and ROYAL BRACKLA® 21 year-old will be available initially in 10 markets from September 2015; a regal opportunity to savour whisky fit for a King.

Standing on the fertile farmland of the Cawdor Estate, Royal Brackla Distillery was established in 1812 by the fiery Captain William Fraser who returned to the family farm after military service and took advantage of the fine barley it grew. Within 25 years his distillery’s reputation for spirit of sterling taste received its crowning moment when King William IV bestowed ‘Royal’ status to Brackla, in 1835. It thus became the first ever Scotch to garner a royal warrant, a revelation that led to its nickname: ‘The King’s Own Whisky’.

Traditional production techniques help to protect a distilling heritage that spans more than two centuries and preserves the unparalleled quality of a rather special spirit. To allow for the development of intriguing complexity and fruitiness, extra time is taken at the fermentation stage, which acts for up to 80 hours; far longer than most Scottish distilleries.

The notably tall stills run at an unusually slow pace. Their height allows plenty of reflux, with the leisurely nature of the operation increasing the contact that the spirit shares with copper, thus filtering out unwanted sulphury notes. Instead, delicate and lightly perfumed notes of grass and green foliage develop, alongside inviting fruity aromas. Crucially, the whisky is finished in premium first-fill sherry casks, enriching it with notes of muscovado sweetness and dates, alongside opulent walnuts.

Stephen Marshall, Bacardi’s Global Marketing Manager – Single Malts says: “This is the one that was described as ‘The Drink Divine’ by the Royal household in the 1830s, that’s no small claim, so we had to take our time and the entire team have done an amazing job that really does justice to Royal Brackla’s incredible heritage. There’s only one whisky in the world that can be the first Royal whisky, I feel privileged to have worked on this”.

The new portfolio consists of three age statements, each bottled at 46% ABV: Royal Brackla 12 Years Old, Royal Brackla 16 Years Old and Royal Brackla 21 Years Old. Each expression has been launched in 10 initial markets around the world including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States and Global Travel Retail.

http://www.lastgreatmalts.com/

Tasting Notes

Royal Brackla 12 Years Old, 40% ABV

Salute a superior Scotch: almonds, vine fruits, opulent spices; steeped in sherried richness. Ennobled nectar, fit for a king.

Royal Brackla 16 Years Old, 40% ABV

A royal flush of flavour: vanilla, soft caramel, ripe apricots; replete with sherry tones. Hold court with a monarch of the glens.

Royal Brackla 21 Years Old, 40% ABV

All hail a high-born spirit: summer berries, dark chocolate, star anise; infused with sherry sweetness. A member of malt aristocracy. 

About ROYAL BRACKLA Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Founded in 1812 by Captain William Fraser, ROYAL BRACKLA’s regal malt has a remarkable history. The distillery itself is over two centuries old and its malt’s nickname of ‘The King’s Own Whisky’ stems from its distinction as the first single malt to be granted a royal warrant.

High-grade barley, flawless water from the Cawdor Burn and slow distillation produce a truly refined spirit, before it’s matured in the finest first-fill oloroso sherry casks. This rich, robust whisky offers muscovado sweetness, dates and walnuts within its opulent, sherried depths.

The brand new portfolio comprises of three ROYAL BRACKLA single malts: the 12 Years Old, 16 Years Old and 21 Years Old.

The single malt brand of ROYAL BRACKLA 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.royalbrackla.com/

About John Dewar & Sons Ltd.John Dewar & Sons Ltd. employs 300 people at seven locations throughout Scotland. The Company currently operates whisky distilleries in Aberfeldy, Macduff, Aultmore, Craigellachie and Nairn with ageing, blending, bottling and packaging facilities in Glasgow and additional maturation facilities in Poniel in Central Scotland.

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/

ENJOY THE LAST GREAT MALTS RESPONSIBLY. 

ROYAL BRACKLA & THE LAST GREAT MALTS DEVICE ARE TRADEMARKS

Values Soar as Demand for Rare Whisky Booms

The market for investing in and collecting rare whisky continues to boom, with a record number of bottles of rare whisky sold at auction in the UK during the first half of 2015, according to figures published today by whisky analyst, broker and investment experts Rare Whisky 101.

The first six months of the year saw 20,638 bottles of single malt Scotch whisky sold in the UK on the open market, an increase of 5,374 bottles and a 35% increase on the same period last year. Compared to the first half of last year, the value of collectables sold at auction grew 33.8% to £4.604m.

The continued growth of the whisky secondary market contrasts with the fortunes of the primary market where whisky exports have seen values fall over the past year.

Whisky investment analyst and co-founder of Rare Whisky 101, Andy Simpson commented: “Demand for rare whisky and the supply of bottles at auction are both accelerating at an extraordinary rate, and this is driving up values. Even using the broadest metrics of the top 1000 bottles, we have seen a dramatic and dynamic rise in values since 2008 to end June 2015.

“Demand for desirable single malt Scotch brands and previously discontinued bottles remains exceptionally strong. The dead hand of marketing is gaining an ever tighter grip on the single malt category, where retail releases are becoming non-age stated (NAS) and the number of bottles ever more prolific.  The dearth of truly collectable releases over recent years has only fuelled demand for older and discontinued past releases where quality and rarity are powerful motivations for purchase.

“For many in the broader Scotch industry, export and sales figures appear challenging. However, the secondary market for rarities shows little of this stress. We view this as a clear future trend, with the value of scarcity increasing demand from connoisseurs, collectors and investors.”

Liquid gold burns brighter

The top 100 performing bottles of Investment Grade Scotch (Rare Whisky 101 Apex 100 Index) increased by 8.93% compared to the same period last year.  The rising values have yielded an overall increase of 506.24% between 2008 and 31 June 2015. The Apex 250 and 1000 have recorded growth of 385.81% and 245.08% over the same time frame.

Bowmore rockets up rankings, but Balvenie takes a tumble

Leading rare whisky brands, Brora and The Dalmore, retain their positions as the top two ranked distilleries, but there has been significant movement elsewhere within the Investors Distillery Index. The biggest risers are Bowmore, up 13 places from 18 to 5, Ardbeg up 10 places from 19 to 9, and Glenfiddich which climbed 16 places to 23. Balvenie tumbled 10 places from 3 to 13.

Caveat emptor….worst performing whiskies continue to decline

Conversely, the negative indices plumbed new depths, continuing a downward negative trend. Despite producing a marginally positive performance (+0.16%) through the first half of 2014, the Negative 100 Index has experienced a significant -6.74% decline during the first half of 2015. From 2008 to the end of June 2015, the Negative 100, 250 and 1000 are down -67.84%, -60.2% and -44.12% respectively.

Japanese whisky experiencing meteoric ascent

While values for collectable single malt Scotch have made impressive gains during the first half of the year, their performance pales in comparison to some Japanese brands. Karuizawa, for example, has increased by 66.05% at the half year point, outperforming any other single malt Scotch brand.

For more information or to download the full report visit http://www.rarewhisky101.com/

Notes 

About Rare Whisky 101 Andy Simpson and David Robertson launched Rare Whisky 101 in 2014 with the aim of offering a whisky valuation service, brokerage and consultancy for whisky collectors and investors. Having tracked every bottle sold at auction over the past 12 years, the business now offers the world’s first and only online single malt Scotch whisky and most comprehensive dataset. In the last 12 months, RW101 have brokered around 15,000 rare whisky bottles around the globe in addition to trading in aged casks from iconic distilleries such as The Macallan, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Springbank and Highland Park.

For Peat’s sake don’t get dram-atic. You shall go to the ball!

Midlands Whisky Festival 2015, Friday 18^th and Saturday 19^th September 2015

www.whiskyfest.co.uk

Are you a whisky lover who would give your eye teeth to taste the finest single malts ever produced but can’t quite make the four figure price tag for a bottle of the best?

Now you can try the dream drams that you may think are the exclusive indulgence of oligarchs and oil barons. The Midlands Whisky Festival, Friday 18^th and Saturday 19^th September 2015 at Stourbridge Town Hall, provides an opportunity for ticket holders to taste the finest rare whiskies, some of them from distilleries long closed down but whose historic stock has been acquired by other distilleries and collectors.

And if you’re muddled by your malts or puzzled by peat, then the festival’s Masterclasses by experts from the likes of Laphroaig, celebrating its 200^th anniversary this year, and Nikka, the award-winning Japanese distiller (International Spirits Challenge 2015 Distiller of the Year) will teach you all you need to know about the world of whisky. There will be around 40 exhibitors over the two day event including artisan chocolatier Matthieu De Gottal (@gottalchocolat) whose speciality is, of course, whisky chocolates, and a chance to take a break from whisky-tasting with food provided on site by local bistro, French Connection.

The Midlands Whisky Festival, established in 2011 is the brainchild of Nickolls and Perks, an independent wine and spirits merchants in Stourbridge which dates back to the 18^th century. Still occupying the same timber-framed corner building on Lower High Street, which was leased to William Nickless in 1797 for an annual lease of five shillings*, Nickolls and Perks, owned by the Gardener family since 1945, boasts an extensive inventory of some 2000 whiskies and spirits as well as wines and champagnes from all over the world.

Now in its fourth trading century as wine merchants, Nickolls and Perks is one of the finest specialist shops in the UK with customers from all corners of the globe sourcing the rare and special releases that it procures through its unique and historic associations with producers. Whiskies range in price per bottle from a modest £17 to an eye-watering £43,000, the price of a Macallan Lalique 50 Year Old 1st Release 46 %, which has just been sourced on behalf of a collector client.

The atmospheric ‘corner shop’ with its historic cellars is the perfect setting for regular wine and spirit tastings and it was the phenomenal demand for whisky tastings which gave rise to the Midlands Whisky Festival, now a twice yearly event in March and September to showcase the new Spring and Autumn releases. Tickets for the festival, priced £30 to £150* can be bought in advance at www.whiskyfest.co.uk

Colin Dunn, from Diageo, a regular attendee and exhibitor at the festival said:

“The Midlands Whisky Festival owes its fast-growing success to the expertise and passion of the team at Nickolls and Perks who want to create the best possible experience for whisky lovers. Through their associations with major whisky producers and their in-depth knowledge of the subject, they put together an event which inspires and educates, and steeps the visitor in the magic and history of the world of whisky. It is one of my favourite Whisky Shows of the year and if I wasn’t exhibiting, I would be attending!”

Tim Robbins, Marketing and Events Manager at Nickolls and Perks said:

“We’ve seen a marked increase in interest in specialist and premium whiskies and spirits; this has led to the Midlands Whisky Festival growing from one day per year to two days twice yearly, making it the largest event of its type in England outside London.

The Festival offers a great opportunity to everyone to explore the diversity of whiskies and spirits on taste from Ireland, the US, Japan, India as well as, of course, Scotland.

You don’t have to be a die-hard enthusiast – there’s a lot to see and taste, for newbies and experts alike, backed up by industry professionals from the distilleries offering lots of friendly advice and information.

I think people will be amazed with the whiskies they will be tasting at the event. We can promise a fun, passionate and informative experience – people will go away with a new perception of whisky and much more confidence about their whisky knowledge.”

Notes

*Midlands Whisky Festival, Friday 17^th and Saturday 18^th September 2015

Stourbridge Town Hall, Crown Centre, DY8 1YE

http://www.whiskyfest.co.uk/   FB: midlandswhiskyfestival, Twitter: @midlandswhisky

Tickets £30 to £150 can be booked in advance online. Further info tel: 01384 394518

Friday 18 September: £30.00
Entrance at 6:00pm
Last pour 9:00 pm
Show closes at 9:30 pm
all standard drams on taste free inside venue souvenir tasting glass & show programme

Saturday Standard £40.00
Entrance at 12:00pm
Last pour 5:00 pm
Show closes at 5:30 pm
all standard drams on taste free inside venue, souvenir tasting glass & show programme

Saturday Devotee £150.00
all standard features
all premium features

PLUS selection of 8 dream drams to take home & £10 food voucher

Dream Drams

There will be more than 25 Dream Drams on offer at the Festival .Please see separate document which highlights some of the Dream Drams confirmed to date.

*Nickolls and Perks

37 Lower High Street, Stourbridge, DY8 1TA, Tel: 01384 394518

http://www.nickollsandperks.co.uk/ FB: Nicholls and Perks ; Twitter: @Nickolls_Perks

William Gardner bought the business in 1945. His grandson, also William, is the Managing Director with brother, David, Sales Director and brother Jim, Despatch Manager. William’s daughter Rhiannon is Operations Manager, son Callum is Private Client and Trade Sales Fine Wine Specialist and Dave’s son Jerome, is Retail Manager and Whisky and Spirits Specialist.

THE KILTWALK GETS FUNDING BOOST FROM CHIVAS BROTHERS

Employees of Scotch whisky producer Chivas Brothers have chosen The Kiltwalk as their Charity of the Year for 2015. The organisation was chosen by employees at the company’s Dumbuck and Kilmalid sites in Dumbarton, and at its Dalmuir site in Clydebank. The company has donated £5,000 to the charity.

The Kiltwalk is an organisation that runs annual walking events in aid of a host of children’s charities – including Yorkhill Children’s Charity, CHAS, Debra and the NSPCC. This year is its biggest yet, with events in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Perth, Dundee and Speyside – home to 13 of Chivas Brothers’ 14 malt whisky distilleries.

Charities of the Year are nominated by employees, before a shortlist is created and voting takes place. The Kiltwalk holds a special place in the hearts of a group of employees at the company’s Kilmalid site in Dumbarton, who recently won an Unsung Hero award from the charity for their hard work volunteering at its events.

Lead volunteer Allan Stewart said: “The award was the highlight of a very exciting and rewarding year. Our involvement included delivering 60,000 bottles of water to more than 40 pit stops across five events, manning registration desks, setting up start and finish lines, picking up injured walkers and much more – all in Chivas Brothers company vehicles, which our Manufacturing Director kindly gave us permission to use.”

Head of Corporate Relations at The Kiltwalk, Gemma Branney, said: “Chivas Brothers has truly embraced The Kiltwalk and everything it stands for, and has been fully committed to supporting us to help Scotland’s children.Their volunteering efforts have been second to none and now to be selected as their 2015 charity is simply tremendous.I know I speak for everyone involved with The Kiltwalk when I say I am greatly looking forward to working with the team from Chivas Brothers throughout the year ahead.”

Jennie Norrish, Head of Communications at Chivas Brothers, added: “I’m delighted our employees in Dunbartonshire have decided to support The Kiltwalk as their 2015 Charity of the Year. This is a cause very close to many of our employees’ hearts, evidenced by the work they already do for it, and we hope our donation will further help the many children’s charities it supports.”

There are four regional Chivas Brothers charities of the year in total. The others are: Dunbartonshire Disability Sports Club (Paisley, Glasgow and Ayrshire region), The Jake McCarthy Foundation (London and Plymouth region) and the Scottish Network for Arthritis in Children (Northern Scotland region).

Picture captions:

CB Kiltwalk 1 – Chivas Brothers employees (l-r) Alex Malcolm, Gregor Tilley, Adam Purdie, Alan Barron and Bill Stevenson with Samantha Booth (third from left), PR Manager for The Kiltwalk.

CB Kiltwalk 2 – Chivas Brothers employees jump for joy over charity donation. Pictured (l-r) are Gregor Tilley, Alex Malcolm, Adam Purdie and Alan Barron.

About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the world’s No.1 single malt whisky; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.

http://www.chivasbrothers.com/

@ChivasNewsRoom

About The Kiltwalk:

Kiltwalks are unique Scottish sponsored walking events which see walkers tackling either 26, 13 or 6 mile distances, all in the name of Scotland’s children. In three years The Kiltwalk has given £2.4 million to Scotland’s children’s causes.

In 2014 it received 165 grant nominations – that’s 165 charities, organisations and individuals picked by teams to receive a Kiltwalk grant.

Teams of five or more walkers can nominate a cause of their own to receive a grant from The Kiltwalk of up to 50% of whatever they raise. Teams of twenty or more can receive 75% of their total funds raised. These causes can include charities, appeals, schools or kids clubs so long as children are the beneficiaries.

The Kiltwalk has 17 charity partners for the 2015 events. Visit http://www.thekiltwalk.co.uk/ or email contactus@thekiltwalk.co.uk for more information or to register.

Our August auction is now live and ends on Monday 7^th September 2015!

View August Auction

We’ve had a busy month updating our website, introducing new features to make bidding and customising our auctions easier! All in time for our largest and most interesting auction to date.

It all starts this month with one of the most desirable Japanese whiskies ever bottled; Karuizawa 1964 48 year old was exclusively bottled for Wealth Solutions and limited to a mere 143 bottles. This well presented stunning whisky has rarely appeared at auction and we are excited to offer this to you in our August sale.

We are also excited to bring to auction a fantastic collection of bottles from the 1970s (and earlier); a selection of which can be seen below. These incredible bottles really show how distillery styles have changed over the last 50 years, there is also a great selection of unusual blends dating back to as far back as the 1930s.

Ardbeg Auriverdes originally released on the 31^st May 2014 was one of the most talked about releases of last year. This Gold Edition of Ardbeg Auriverdes was released exclusively to bloggers, journalists and ambassadors, never officially released to the public. 

Please remember!

There is no registration fee, our commission structure is very competitive and we offer worldwide shipping. For our terms and conditions please click here.

With close to 20 years of experience in the whisky industry, Whisky Auctioneer specialises in auctioning whisky whether it be fine, old, rare, collectable or affordable. Formed in 2013 and based in Perth, central Scotland, we aim to be the most comprehensive website for the buying and selling of whisky online.

www.whiskyauctioneer.com

Happy Bidding!

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT TAKES ARRAN FURTHER 

Isle of Arran Distillers has reported record results with the publication of their latest annual accounts.

The figures to the end of 2014 reveal that turnover rose by 21 per cent and net profit increased by 51 per cent – the best performance posted since the business started in 1995.

Success is being driven by brand sales that are ahead by 25 per cent – in marked contrast to a 7 per cent decline for the Scotch whisky industry as a whole.

The results reflect the underlying strength of the business. After a succession of healthy profits reported over the last five years, turnover for the independent distiller has more than doubled since 2010.

While 2014 saw total Scotch whisky exports fall at their fastest rate for 16 years, export sales for Isle of Arran Distillers climbed, with key markets for growth including Germany, Taiwan and Canada.

The award-winning Arran Single Malts are now available in 45 countries and further markets are being explored.

Managing director, Euan Mitchell, is delighted with the year-end results, saying: “In a challenging period for Scotch whisky our continued growth is testament to a focus on quality and a clear strategy well executed.

“Some people believe when the big companies in the industry sneeze we all catch a cold but this is not our experience. Interest in smaller, independent brands such as ours is surging and we are not even scratching the surface in global terms.”

As well as driving export sales, the Arran Malt is set for increased distribution in the UK with M&S, where two products will be available in stores later in 2015.

A key factor in the recent success of the business has been the repackaging of The Arran Malt core range, which launched in the second half of 2014. Combined with a schedule of limited edition releases, especially the final release of the acclaimed Devil’s Punch Bowl series, helped to grow sales of Arran single malts by 23 per cent over the previous year.

Euan Mitchell added: “We have invested to support the progress we expect to make.

“Two new pot stills are on order and will be installed in late 2016. This will allow production to double beyond one million litres of pure alcohol once fully commissioned.

“We have never been the kind of distillery to produce more than we expect to sell, so this boost in capacity and capability is purely a reflection of the anticipated demand for Arran malts.

“Though never complacent, we look forward with great confidence to celebrating our 21st anniversary in 2016.”

Notes

For more information visit http://www.arranwhisky.com/

* Accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007) and Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007.)

Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.) ‘Double Gold Award’ for Arran’s 14 Year Old Single Malt and ‘Gold Award’ for Arran’s 10 Year Old Single Malt at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2012). Double Gold in FiftyBest.com awards (2012). Double Gold Medal for the 12 year-old Cask Strength in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2013). Double Gold for both the 10 year-old and 12 year-old Cask Strength at the China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014.

Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival 2015 

Dufftown 2000, originators of the Autumn Whisky Festival in Dufftown, will again be hosting a full range of events for the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival from 24 to 28 September 2015.

During the festival, whisky connoisseurs from all over the world will be able to tour and taste an incredible array of fine single malts from a number of the Speyside Distilleries.

Dufftown 2000 will be hosting the “Dramble” on Mon 28 September 2015 where a maximum of 30 persons can walk all the distilleries of Dufftown. Drams will be given at each of the 7 distilleries, including Kininvie & Convalmore.

New for this festival is a Beer & Whisky afternoon at the New Inn at Aberchirder. Gary Smith’s annual beer festival coincides with the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival in Dufftown and we are offering transport to and from this event where you will be able to sample real ales and selected whiskies.

But there is more – music and dancing to the Ice House Ceilidh Band on Friday Night in the Memorial Hall, the Craft Fayre in the Memorial Hotel on Saturday and Sunday and visits to the outlying distilleries of Speyside.

The best of Scotland’s culture will be on show alongside the celebration of its national drink.

The festival will start with a Whisky Nosing and Tasting – Whiskies of the Speyside line – followed by the Gathering of “Mates of the Whisky Museum” event on Thursday evening in the Memorial Hall.

We will also be arranging our usual complement of bus tours to the distilleries not normally open to the public on each day of the festival.

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY SPIRITS RECOGNIZED

AS “OUTSTANDING” IN

INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS COMPETITION

Eagle Rare receives Gold Outstanding Medal second year in a row 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Aug. 18, 2015) – Buffalo Trace Distillery is continuing its tradition of being the world’s most award-winning Distillery with several new honors from the 2015 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC).  The Distillery earned a total of 11 awards this year, including a Gold Outstanding Medal for its Eagle Rare Bourbon, making this the second year in a row Eagle Rare has received this top honor.

Buffalo Trace Distillery spirits earning awards are as follows:

Gold Outstanding Medal was awarded to:

• Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Gold Medals were awarded to:

• Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
• Wheatley Vodka
• Silver Outstanding Medals were awarded to:
• Benchmark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• W. L. Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon
• Thomas Handy Straight Rye Whiskey
• Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Bourbon
• Col. E. H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon

Silver Medal was awarded to:

• George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey“The consistency of many of our results in this year’s competition tells us that we’re doing something right,” said Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “We are very honored and humbled by our placements at the IWSC.”All entries are first blind tasted in groups divided by variety, region and vintage as necessary, by professional expert judges (by glass, not bottle) and then the top products are sent for detailed (chemical and microbiological) analysis. This analysis is crucial as in some instances the results of this analysis may lead to marks being deducted or even outright rejection.
• About Buffalo Trace Distillery
• Learn more at http://www.iwsc.net/.
• The International Wine and Spirit Competition was founded in 1969 and is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs.
• The “Gold Outstanding” and “Silver Outstanding” medals are awarded based upon the highest scores within each of those respective categories.

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 http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/

THREE BOURBONS FROM BARTON 1792 DISTILLERY RECOGNIZED AS “OUTSTANDING” AT

2015 INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS COMPETITION 

BARDSTOWN, kENTUCKY (Aug. 20, 2015) –The results from the 2015 International Wine & Spirits Competition are in, and Barton 1792 Distillery has received all around “Outstanding” honors for three of its bourbons.

Facing competition from 90 different countries, Kentucky Tavern Bourbon was awarded a “Gold Outstanding” medal, and the Distillery’s 1792 Small Batch Bourbon and Zackariah Harris Bourbon were each awarded “Silver Outstanding” medals.

The “Gold Outstanding” and “Silver Outstanding” medals are awarded based upon the highest scores within each of those respective categories.

“We could not be more proud of the recognition these three bourbons received,” Ken Pierce, director of distillation and quality assurance, said. “We feel very honored by these wins.”

The International Wine and Spirit Competition was founded in 1969 and is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs.

All entries are first blind tasted in groups divided by variety, region and vintage as necessary, by professional expert judges (by glass, not bottle) and then the top products are sent for detailed (chemical and microbiological) analysis. This analysis is crucial as in some instances the results of this analysis may lead to marks being deducted or even outright rejection.

Learn more at www.iwsc.net.

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands of Kentucky, with 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

“FROM DREAM TO DRAM”

KINGSBARNS DISTILLERY BOTTLES NEW MAKE SPIRIT 

Kingsbarns Distillery is delighted to announce that bottles of its new make spirit are now for sale at the Visitor Centre.

The Visitor Centre was opened on St Andrews Day 2014 by the Wemyss family owners and the founder, local man Douglas Clement. Distilling started in January 2015 and the Distillery Manager and his team are so delighted with the quality of the spirit being produced that it was decided to bottle the spirit for all to try.

Scotch Whisky has to mature for at least 3 years and a day in oak casks and so the launch of the new make spirit will give visitors and curious whisky drinkers a unique chance to sample the spirit before it is filled into casks to mature. The New Spirit Drink is bottled at 63.5%, the same strength at which the casks are filled and available for sale in 20cl bottles priced at £14.95.

Distillery Manager, Peter Holroyd, is delighted with the new bottling and commented: “It’s a great pleasure to share our new spirit with visitors. The spirit itself is an elegant, fruity and floral spirit and I can’t wait to see how it is going to develop into Scotch whisky over the coming years. I recommend that water is added to enjoy the fruity flavours at their best.”

Tours of the distillery include a taste of the new make spirt and can be arranged by contacting: +44(0)1333 451300 or booking on the website www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

Twitter: @KingsbarnsDist Facebook: Kingsbarns Distillery & Visitor Centre

Notes to Editors:

• Kingsbarns Distillery was officially opened on St Andrews Day 2014, 30th November. Since opening, the Visitor Centre has been awarded a 4 star visitor attraction award by Visit Scotland.
• The founder of the distillery is Douglas Clement. Formerly a golf caddie, Douglas was inspired to open a distillery near to the famous golf courses in the St Andrews and Kingsbarns area. Douglas has also been appointed a Fife Ambassador by Fife Council and now enjoys the position as Visitor Centre Manager.
• Distillery Manager, Peter Holroyd, is a graduate of Heriot Watt University Brewing and Distilling, and was formerly head brewer at craft brewer, Strathavon Ales, near Glasgow.
• The Wemyss family owners are from Scotland and their historic family seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they’ve lived since the 1300s.
• The family already own Wemyss Malts which is an independent bottler with a whisky range including the blended malt whisky range comprising: The Spice King, The Peat Chimney and The Hive; single malt single cask bottlings and the blended Scotch named Lord Elcho after one of the Wemyss family’s ancestors; all of which are avilable for tasting and sale at The Kingsbarns Distillery.
• The Wemyss family premium wines and spirits brands also include boutique gin Darnley’s View together with the premium wine estate of Rimauresq Cru Classé in Cotes de Provence.