June Auction Live!

Bidding Ends Sunday 14th June 8PM

Fresh from the shores of Islay comes a huge selection of Feis Ile 2015 bottles for you to bid on. All the major distilleries have released their limited edition bottlings, and at Just Whisky they are fortunate enough to be the first auction house to be live after the festival. Whether you’re looking for the likes of Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Lagavulin or Bowmore you’ll find it in the pages of their auction this month.

Competition Time!

Fantastic Prize Giveaway

To celebrate Feis Ile, and also their biggest auction ever, Just Whisky are happy to announce they are giving away a fabulous 2015 Feis Ile release from Lagavulin. To win, it’s very simple:

1. Bid on ANY bottle on the auction this month
2. SHARE the bottle on either Facebook, Twitter or Instagram from this link.

That’s it! We wish you good luck – the winner will be announced at the end of the auction!

Just Whisky have just signed up to Instagram and will regularly be posting bottles in our forthcoming auctions. If you’d like to see this, please follow Just Whisky on Instagram – justwhiskyauctions

Of course, this month there are many more bottles than those from Islay to bid on. Log on for yourself and have a look.

As always, Just Whisky are accepting entries into their next month’s auctions. Now is a great time to get your bottles in early to ensure their place in the July auction. To take advantage, simply fill the short form available here.

BRUICHLADDICH HIGH NOON – FEIS ILE 2015

Bruichladdich’s 2015 Feis Ile bottle. This limited edition High Noon 134 has been bottled in a similar form to the Black Art series, 134 being the combined age of whiskies married to produce this whisky. This Valinch was produce with an outturn of 1881 individually numbered bottles.

• 48.7% vol
• 500ml

BOWMORE 12 YEARS OLD – FEIS ILE 2015 – FIRST FILL SHERRY BUTT

Every bottle of Bowmore is special, but this is more special than most. Hand-filled straight from the cask, by those few fortunate people during the 2015 Feis Ile. Laid down in the finest first-fill sherry butts in 07/10/2002 and release exclusively for Feis Ile 2015.

• 59.6% vol
• 700ml

BOWMORE FEIS ILE 2015 – VIRGIN OAK

This special bottling of Bowmore Single Malt has been exclusively selected for the Feis Ile 2015, solely matured in Virgin American oak casks. Bottled at cask strength with an outturn of 1,000 bottles.

• 55.7% alc./vol
• 700ml

BOWMORE 26 YEARS OLD 1988 – FEIS ILE 2015

This 26 year old bottling of Bowmore Single Malt has been specially crafted for the Feis Ile 2015 from hand-selected Sherry casks which were laid to rest on the 06/09/1988. Bottled at cask strength on the 04/03/2015, and non chill-filtered.

• 48.3%
• 700ml

VIEW AUCTION

Ian Macleod Distillers excel at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2015

Ian Macleod Distillers, one of Scotland’s leading, independent, family-owned distillers is celebrating after being crowned a double winner at the national Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards.

The company scooped the coveted Drinks (alcoholic) category with its 25YO Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky and the Brand Success of the Year category, an award recognising the strength of the market research and development, marketing initiatives and overall marketing strategy for the relaunch of Tamdhu Distillery and Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

The winners were announced on Wednesday 27 May at a glittering awards ceremony, hosted by Scottish television presenter Kaye Adams, at Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland. With 19 award categories celebrating excellence across Scottish food and drink, the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards showcased a broad spectrum of food and drink companies from across the country with a record breaking 239 entries, up 56% from 153 entries in 2014.

Commenting on the awards, Iain Weir, Marketing Director from Ian Macleod Distillers, said: “We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the wonderful successes of the business. These awards showcase the best food and drink producers in Scotland and so we feel honoured to have won two awards. This achievement recognises the hard work across the company including all the teams at both Glengoyne and Tamdhu Distilleries and our head office.”

The award judges tasted 161 food and drink entries and examined submissions from 116 businesses across all the categories.

Ian Macleod Distillers acquired Glengoyne Distillery in 2003. It launched the award-winning Glengoyne 25YO in March 2014. The malt is a bright amber beauty with red fruits, leather and brown sugar on the nose and soft oak, cinnamon, stewed fruits and a Seville marmalade tang on the palate. The finish is very long with spicy liquorice.

Tamdhu Distillery was acquired by Ian Macleod Distillers in 2011 and was reborn in 2012. The distillery officially re-opened with two bespoke events during the 14^th annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2013.

The Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards showcase a broad spectrum of food and drink companies.  Winners came from all over Scotland and ranged from large companies and multinationals to smaller start up companies.  The awards are organised by Scotland Food & Drink in partnership with The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS).

For more information, please visit http://www.ianmacleod.com.

The typical Islay whisky is… not from Islay

Whisky recommendation engine Whisky Suggest analysed nearly 50,000 whisky tasting notes, to calculate the typical whiskies for all important whisky regions. The most striking result was Talisker’s 10 Year Old bottling showing the most resemblance to the average Islay flavour profile. After all, Talisker isn’t an Islay-based distillery. Talisker 10 Year Old is bottled on the Island of Skye, but scores slightly better as an ‘average Islay-Scotch’ than Ardbeg 10 Year Old.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish whiskey is the perfect representative of Irish whiskey. Redbreast 12 has the highest resemblance to the average flavour profile of Irish whiskey. In fact, the 12 year old single pot still is more similar to its home region than any other whisky.

Other regional whisky ambassadors include Auchentoshan 12 Year Old (Lowlands), Springbank 15 Year Old (Campbeltown), The Glenlivet 18 Year Old (Speyside) and Four Roses Single Barrel (United States). These ‘typical’ whiskies feature all local characteristics, making it the perfect regional entry whiskies. From there, whisky-beginners can fine tune their way up or down the ladder, to find the whisky that matches their personal preferences the best.

For more details, see http://www.whiskysuggest.com/typical-whiskies-flavour-profile-research/

About Whisky Suggest

Whisky Suggest features the world’s most comprehensive whisky flavour profiles, which are based on nearly 50,000 whisky reviews and tasting notes. The Whisky Suggest recommendation engine is one of its kind, offering the option to search by flavour, or to get recommendations based on your favourite whisk(e)ys.

Eric Obry – from Arras to Aberlour

Author: Jennifer Stevenson

Eric Obry joined Chivas Brothers as our full-time chef based at Linn House a year ago, and having just delivered some show-stopping menus at the latest Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, he still loves the challenges the role brings.

Owner of La Faisanderie French restaurant in Dufftown, Eric, who hails from the north of France, decided that it was time for a change. With a young family and a passion for whisky, he doesn’t regret swapping the restaurant business for an in-house role at Chivas Brothers.

He said: “Life changed because I have a young family now and the problem with having a restaurant is that you are open every day for long hours, so I didn’t really get to spend much time at home.

“When the opportunity came up to work for Chivas Brothers as chef at Linn House I was delighted. It gave me the opportunity to have the weekends off to spend with my family, and having already done a lot for the company on an ad hoc basis, I knew I’d love working with the team. I‘ve known many of them for years because they used to come to my restaurant, so they’re like family.”

Based at the company’s Linn House property in Keith, Eric caters for the hundreds of visitors that come to our sites in Speyside from throughout the UK and overseas each year. These include VIPs and distributors from key markets, as well as our colleagues from other parts of Pernod Ricard, media guests and visitors to the annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Eric said: “I’ve created dinners at Aberlour, Strathisla and The Glenlivet distilleries as well as Linn House. I’ve also been working on the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival gala dinner with (Chivas Brothers International Brand Ambassador) Ann Miller for 13 years, and it’s one of the highlights of the festival. We used to do it at Aberlour distillery, but now, because it’s becoming more and more popular, we do it at Strathisla where we can accommodate more guests.”

A keen hunter and gatherer, Eric loves using local Scottish produce and raves about the Highlands’ rich natural larder. He added: “I’m a seasonal chef so I like to use what is in season. Nowadays you can get things like strawberries all year round, which I don’t like. One of my main ingredients is game – I hunt myself – and wild mushrooms. It’s all locally sourced, and at Linn House we also have a private garden where we grow fruit and vegetables.”

Eric first arrived in Scotland 16 years ago. When asked what attracted him here, he simply answered – “The whisky!”

He elaborated: “I have always, always been attracted to Scotland. I love whisky, and ended up in Dufftown because it’s supposedly the whisky capital of the world – although I’ve heard there is a dispute with Islay over who holds that title! We visited Strathisla distillery when we had only been in Scotland for a few weeks.

“I am from the north of France, a place between Calais and Paris called Arras,but before I moved to Scotland I lived in the south of France, near Montpellier for nearly nine years. Some people thought I was crazy going from the south of France to the north of Scotland – but the people here are so friendly. I was really welcomed and have a lot of friends. I love it.”

Eric’s creations include whisky dinners where each course is paired with one of our products, to creating unique sauces, desserts and meat dishes using whisky as the key ingredient.

Having  worked alongside Martine Nouet – a food and drink commentator renowned for creating unique whisky pairings and sensory experiences – Eric quickly honed his skills for cooking with whisky, despite this being a fairly new concept to him when he first arrived in the UK.

He sums up: “The Brand Ambassadors usually give me free reign with the menus. I love to cook with venison, Aberdeen Angus beef and the scallops here are also great. There aren’t enough chefs that use the local produce, which is a shame because it’s all here.

“I’ve cooked for people from all over the world. It’s great to meet them. We get great feedback and it’s always a pleasure to cook for them.”

BOTTLES FROM ALL MAJOR SCOTTISH WHISKY AREAS

AT BONHAMS JUNE SALE IN EDINBURGH

Bonhams Whisky sale in Edinburgh on 10 June features top lots from all the major whisky producing areas of Scotland.

From Islay there is an extremely rare Ardberg Guaranteed 10 year old estimated at £1,200-1,500 as well as a bottle of Bowmore-30 year old estimated at £1,200-1,400 distilled in 1963 by Morrisons and then bottled by them to mark the 30th anniversary of their acquisition of the distillery.  A bottle of Black Bowmore 1964 bottled in 1995 carries an estimate of £3,000-3,500 and a bottle of Bowmore 40 year old distilled on 22 November 1955 is expected to sell for between £4,000-6,000.

Lot 64: Bowmore 40 year old 1955

Speyside boasts a bottle of Macallan-Glenlivet 1937 at £1,200-1,500, a bottle of The Macallan 1961 at £4,500-5,500 and one of The Macallan 32 year old distilled in 1970 and bottled in 2002.  Two bottles of The Glenlivet 21 year old distilled in 1963 and bottled for the Chairman in 1984 are estimated at £1,000-1,400 each.

Lot 120: The Glenlivet 21 year old 1963

Finally, from Campbeltown come six bottles of Springbank ranging from the 50 year old to the 25 year old and taking in the 45, 40, 35 and 30 years old. Offered as a single lot the bottles carry an estimate of £5,000-7,000.

Bonhams whisky specialist, Martin Green, said: “This is a very varied sale with some fascinating rarities and interesting and valuable bottles from all over the country showing the strength in depth of whisky production in Scotland.”

NOTES

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. Today, the auction house offers more sales than any of its rivals. The main salerooms are in London, New York and Hong Kong. Sales are also held in the UK in Knightsbridge, Oxford and Edinburgh; in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles; in Europe, in Paris and Stuttgart and in Sydney, Australia. Bonhams also has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of forthcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com.

BALLANTINE’S LAUNCHES ‘W’ THE WORLD’S FIRST WHISKY MAGAZINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, INSTAGRAM

Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky and the No.2 Scotch whisky in the world, has today launched the world’s first digital whisky magazine hosted exclusively on Instagram. Adapting traditional magazine publishing for the social media platform, the Ballantine’s Insta-zine has been specially created to appeal to modern whisky drinkers, design and tech enthusiasts, and pop-culture fans.

The Ballantine’s Insta-zine is accessible from the @Ballantines_Official Instagram account. Users land on the Insta-zine’s contents page – a mosaic-style grid of Instagram posts – from where they can navigate between articles published on @W_IssueONE by tapping on individual image posts. The smart functionality and creative use of the social media platform demonstrates Ballantine’s commitment to staying true to its values of innovation and leadership since it was created 180 years ago by George Ballantine.

The Ballantine’s Insta-zine explores the current whisky zeitgeist and is comprised of three articles: The Women Shaping Whisky, The Rise of Bitter Drinks, and Did the Sims Introduce Mixology to the Masses? In the first, Ballantine’s interviews three women changing the face of modern whisky, while The Rise of Bitter Drinks visually explores cocktails with a bitter taste profile and features some of Ballantine’s own signature serves. The third article delves into the surprising link between mixology and the popular Sims game, exploring whether the craft of bartending has influenced the way consumers drink cocktails today.

Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, commented: “Ballantine’s has become renowned for its dynamic and engaging marketing initiatives and we are very excited to add the Ballantine’s Insta-zine to our list of innovations. We are confident that the concept and the content of the Ballantine’s Insta-zine will excite whisky, design and pop-culture enthusiasts alike as we continue to bring the proud heritage of our whisky into a dynamic digital future.”
Follow @Ballantines_Official on Instagram to read the full Insta-zine today.

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No.1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the No. 2 Scotch whisky in the world with the range selling over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 130 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for its outstanding quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, continuing the brand’s tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827. In 2013, Ballantine’s continued its innovative approach by launching Ballantine’s Brasil, a spirit drink made from selectively cask steeping Scotch whisky with Brazilian lime peel.
www.ballantines.com

@Ballantines

About Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
www.chivasbrothers.com

@ChivasNewsRoom

About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €7,945 million in 2013/14. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin & Spirit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector and employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people, operating through a decentralized organization with 6 ‘Brand Companies’ and 80 ‘Market Companies’ established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics. Pernod Ricard is listed on the NYSE Euronext exchange (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is a member of the CAC 40 index.
www.pernod-ricard.com

BEAM SUNTORY WHISKIES WIN 11 GOLD MEDALS AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS CHALLENGE 2015
Hibiki, Yamazaki, Hakushu, Knob Creek, Bowmore and Laphroaig Expressions Earn Top Honors at Prestigious International Tasting Competition

Learn more about Old St. Andrews

New Whiskey Distillery, Old Line Spirits Opening in Baltimore City 

Old Line Spirits, Baltimore’s newest distillery, will begin production later this summer of its flagship product, Old Line American Single Malt Whiskey, said founders Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins. The distillery’s permanent home will be in the city and its location will be announced shortly.

Baltimore residents, McLaughlin and Watkins acquired award-winning Golden Distillery in Washington State in April, and have moved the equipment and barreled whiskey to the city. The rebranded product will be available this summer under its new name: Old Line American Single Malt Whiskey.

The single malt whiskey is made from 100% American malted barley distilled in a traditional copper pot still, then aged for two years in new, charred white oak barrels. McLaughlin and Watkins will continue to utilize the same award winning recipe and process in Baltimore.

Long-time whiskey enthusiasts, McLaughlin and Watkins have been working towards joining the Baltimore spirits market for over a year.  They viewed the opportunity to acquire Golden as a way to enter the market with an excellent product in a new and innovative category.  “The Mid-Atlantic has a number of great bourbon and rye distilleries.  We see our version of American single malt whiskey as something different and exciting,” said Watkins.

“We want Old Line’s spirits to be a product that Marylanders can be proud of,” said McLaughlin. “We’ve been very appreciative of the enthusiastic welcome that we’ve received from the City as well as other Baltimore business owners. We’re eager to open our doors later this summer.”

Artbeg exhibition evokes 200 years “Past, Present and Future” of Ardbeg’s untamed single malt.

200 years of Ardbeg whisky are to be celebrated in an exhibition which captures the untamed spirit of the world’s smokiest, peatiest single malt. Artbeg, which draws on the Distillery’s past, present and future, comprises a series of complex, layered artworks that evoke the intriguing heritage and unorthodox personality of Ardbeg and its homeland, the small Scottish island of Islay.

The Artbeg exhibition, which can be viewed on the walls of the Distillery and on www.ardbeg.com, marks Ardbeg Day (30th May), a global, annual celebration of all things Ardbeg. This year’s festivities, themed “Past, Present and Future”, are particularly special, celebrating the Distillery’s 200th anniversary.

Artbeg consists of 20 inspiring digital collages created by photographer Peter Heaton, himself an ardent fan of Ardbeg single malt. Heaton found inspiration for his unusual works on a visit to Islay in 2014. By layering photographs of the Distillery and surroundings with material from Ardbeg’s archives, his exhibits encourage the viewer to take a deeper look at the single malt’s heritage and island home.

In one work a striking image of the 9th Century Kildalton Cross, which stands near the Distillery, is layered with a vintage map of Islay and a press clipping alluding to Ardbeg’s renaissance in 1997. In another, the buildings of Ardbeg appear to rise out of archived, handwritten letters sent to the Distillery, as the artist engages with the whisky’s past and present, while hinting at its future.

The exhibition will be displayed on the outer wall of the Distillery’s West Maltings building and a selection of works will also feature on www.ardbeg.com. Distillery visitors will be able to share their impressions of the Distillery on the website by uploading their own photographs.

Peter Heaton said: “I have always had a fascination with Islay and its single malts, particularly Ardbeg. The exhibition interprets the Distillery over time and I wanted to create layered, complex imagery which would encourage people to give the work some time and think about the theme of past, present and future.”

Mickey Heads, award-winning Ardbeg Distillery Manager, said: “This exhibition provides an intriguing twist on the story of Ardbeg – and contains more than a few surprises. The complexity of these remarkable images makes you stop and think about the whisky’s heritage and its future”.