Tastival 2015 Bottling gets Jura in the Festival Spirit

Jura release limited edition Tastival 2015 bottle to celebrate annual island whisky festival

A limited edition Jura Tastival bottling 2015 is unveiled today, marking the launch of the island’s Tastival 2015 celebrations on 27 & 28 May. The intriguing notes of this expertly crafted single malt – casked in Sparkling Rose Wine barriques, exclusive to Jura – deliver a festival of flavour for whisky lovers.

With only 3,970 bottles available, Jura Tastival 2015’s rich and fruity flavour is influenced by its maturation in specially selected sparkling wine barrels from the chalk cellars of the House of Bouvet Ladubay in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. The whisky is non-chill filtered and bottled at cask strength, 52% ABV.

Distilled in 1997 and bottled 18 years later, Jura Tastival 2015, is full of distinctive flavour notes. Fans of the brand may detect raspberries and a hint of spice on the nose, with tangy blackcurrants and ginger spiced pears to taste.

A collaboration with Drygate Brewing Co. will also see a limited edition craft beer released to pair with Jura Tastival 2015, inspired by the aromatic single malt. Made in an extremely limited run, this beer will be available to taste at an on island craft beer session held as part of Tastival 2015, or on tap at Drygate during the week of the festival.

Willie Cochrane, Jura Distillery Manager: “Our annual Tastival celebrations are much anticipated by Jura fans, so it’s fitting that we release an extraordinary, limited edition single malt each year to mark the occasion.

“This year’s festival focuses on bringing taste to life, and Jura Tastival 2015 does just that, with a fruity, character-filled dram, that we’re sure our customers will interpret in a number of exciting ways.”

Jura Tastival 2015 is on sale now for £85 at the whisky festival and from selected whisky specialists.

www.jurawhisky.com

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NOTES                                                             

About Jura:

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

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

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

GLENDRONACH LAUNCHES THE HIELAN’, A REMARKABLE 8 YEARS OLD SINGLE MALT

AWARD-WINNING GlenDronach is today (May 28, 2015) proud to launch The Hielan’, a stunning new 8 years old Highland single malt from its Forgue, Aberdeenshire, distillery.

This innovative expression, specially selected by Master Blender Billy Walker to complement the distillery’s burgeoning range of outstanding malts, has been lovingly matured and married in a combination of the finest bourbon and sherry casks.

The intriguing name is a heartfelt tip of the hat to the extraordinary Forgue distillery, GlenDronach’s spiritual home in the Highlands and one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. Founded in 1826 by the inventor, pioneer and entrepreneur James Allardice to produce “the guid GlenDronach”, it has been instrumental in creating some of the world’s finest richly sherried malts.

The 8 years-old The Hielan’ is a phenomenal, fragrant whisky, redolent of spices, sultanas, raisins, butterscotch and sweet sherry. Billy Walker’s tasting notes show this remarkable expression, at 46% vol, is set to become yet another stellar GlenDronach.

Appearance: Amber with a burnished copper glow.

Nose: Rounded waves of orange blossom and a citrus twist flow over buttery, golden sultanas, sundried raisins and ripe yellow plums, all dusted with a touch of vanilla.

Palate: Crisp, vibrant oak spices warm soaked sultanas, apricot jam and gingerbread; all rounded by delicate hints of butterscotch, cocoa and toasted almonds.

Finish: Classic sherry overtones with a contrasting crisp dimension demonstrate the complexity of the traditional Highland character.

GlenDronach’s selection of malts ranges from twelve years through fifteen, eighteen, twenty-one and twenty-four to the Recherché at 44 years old, but there was a gap in the market for an 8 years old to lead into the portfolio.

Its sweet, creamy taste and classic sherry signature tell you immediately it is a very fine GlenDronach, a rich and immensely satisfying dram which delivers in the mouth exactly what it promises on the nose.

For more information, go to http://www.glendronachdistillery.co.uk/

Isle of Arran Distillery Reveals Online Community Selected Bottling

The Isle of Arran Distillery has today announced the release of its first White Stag bottling. Chosen by a panel comprised of White Stag members, only 214 bottles are available worldwide.

In January of this year, a panel of White Stag members gathered in Oran Mor in Glasgow to taste five cask samples. The 10 members of the panel selected the cask without any input from the Distillery team, with their comments forming the tasting notes for the malt. After a spirited evening, the Sherry Hogshead 97/737 was selected. Turning 18 Years old on the 23^rd May, this first White Stag bottling will be available online from the 15^th June.

The tasting notes for this Single Malt promise an enticing dram: A warm and buttery nose with a subtle pear note, nuances of vanilla, marzipan and apricots lead to a smooth palate of chocolate mousse and toasted marshmallows. With a deep finish of chilli and dark chocolate, this complex dram enjoys the Arran hallmarks of citrus and honey making for a strong and rounded experience enhanced by few drops of water.

The White Stags are an online community open to all lovers of the Isle of Arran’s unique single malts. Free to sign up, it has become a thriving online forum with members travelling across the world to meet up for tastings and events. Members also receive the quarterly White Stage Gazette and access to password protected pages with extra tasting notes and advance previews on all Isle of Arran bottlings.

In order to get their hands on a bottle of this exclusive release, whisky fans will need to join the White Stag club online where they will find the coupon code needed to complete check out in the Arran Whisky shop. The bottling will not be available anywhere else. It arrives just as the White Stag club is re-launched with a new logo and calendar of events.

Retailing at £95, and with the bottle proudly emblazoned with the names of those who selected it, the distillery hope for this to be the first of many White Stag bottlings inspired but their dedicated and passionate community. Demand is expected to be high.

To join the White Stag community, go to http://www.arranwhisky.com/stag  .

Notes to editors:

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.

THE GLENLIVET EXTENDS THE MASTER DISTILLER’S RESERVE JOURNEY WITH TWO NEW EXPRESSIONS EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE AT GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAIL

The Glenlivet Master Distiller, Alan Winchester, proudly presents the Masters Distiller’s Reserve range, a signature collection of three exceptional triple-cask matured single malt whiskies. Available exclusively to international travellers from 1st July 2015, the collection elegantly showcases the unrivalled quality and character that has become part of the signature of The Glenlivet’s classic style – ‘the single malt that started it all’.

Existing globally successful whisky, Master Distiller’s Reserve, is the cornerstone of the range and it is joined in 2015 by two luxurious new expressions: Master Distiller’s Reserve Solera Vatted and The Master Distiller’s Reserve Small Batch to become the new permanent range.

Exploring a special journey into craft and cask, the Master Distiller’s Reserve range brings exceptional cask quality and a unique breadth and depth of flavour to the fore. Expert selection of the highest quality Traditional Oak, American Oak and Ex-Sherry Oak casks offers each expression ‘three times’ the character, for a discernibly rich and “three dimensional” quality.

Master Distiller’s Reserve – Traditional oak casks deliver the classic style of The Glenlivet of ripe fruit pear and gentle summer floral notes – while first fill American Oak provides depth, with creamy notes of coconut and soft fudge. Ex-Sherry oak is used to impart dried fruit flavours and spice aromas offering a deeper complexity and richness.

New Master Distiller’s Reserve Solera Vatted – To craft this exceptional liquid, the casks – Ex-Sherry, American Oak and Traditional Oak – are brought together in a Solera Vat. The Vat is never emptied, a process which creates a rich and intense whisky, developing greater complexity year on year. A high concentration of first fill American oak casks bring a creaminess and honeyed sweetness to this expression, which has a uniquely velvety character.

New Master Distiller’s Reserve Small Batch – Each unique batch of this exclusive expression, is created with individually selected casks, chosen from the collection of whiskies maturing in The Glenlivet warehouses. Every single cask is nosed prior to the final selection and the finest first fill ex-Sherry and American Oak casks are combined with Traditional Oak casks to create an exceptional malt, with subtle notes of fruit and delicate spiciness. It is then bottled and released in Small Batches, each with a unique batch number.

The intricacy of triple cask maturation demands an unrivalled expertise that is delivered by Master Distiller, Alan Winchester who comments: “The Master Distiller’s Reserve range is a collection of exceptional single malt whiskies that marries thecraft of the cask and the craft of flavour whilst maintaining the distinct floral characteristics of ‘the single malt that started it all’. A range of this nature can only be created with exceptional quality casks, industry leading expertise and a forward looking mind set; it is an honour that every bottle bears my name.”

Each expression retains the distinctive shape of The Glenlivet bottle and is presented in clear glass to reveal the alluring gold colouring, used to reinforce the quality credentials of the liquid. The new signifier for The Glenlivet, the iconic Packhorse Bridge which crosses the River Livet, features on the bottle ‘cartouche’ as a symbol of authenticity and heritage.

Furthering the premium mark through to the packaging, the range is presented in a luxury carton containing tasting notes and is completed with a bold symbol to signify the three types of wood and the multi-layered characters of the whisky.
Each path of The Master Distiller’s Reserve range bears the signature of Alan Winchester, the guarantor of The Glenlivet, carrying forward George Smith’s original vision with a personal invitation to embark on three exclusive journeys, now and into the future.

Nikki Burgess, The Glenlivet Brand Director, said: “Master Distiller’s Reserve has proven to be a huge success at Global Travel Retail. It has been a natural next step for us to extend this into a permanent travel retail exclusive range to further our credentials in the super premium whisky category. International travellers are a specific group with a thirst for innovation and exclusivity and The Glenlivet is in prime position to deliver this.”

International whisky expert, Gavin D Smith, has been one of the first in the world to try the two new expressions and commented: “These two new additions to The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve range continue the great work begun by Alan Winchester with the original Master Distiller’s Reserve expression, which itself expanded upon and enhanced aspects of the unique The Glenlivet house style, through the use of three different cask types during maturation.

“The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve Small Batch Reserve is extremely quaffable, with a complex, characterful and engaging flavour profile, while the quintessential fruity characteristics of The Glenlivet are spiced up and given additional depth and dimensions in the Master Distiller’s Reserve Solera Vatted.”

NOTES

Master Distiller’s Reserve Range Tasting Notes

The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve
RRP: From US$52
Colour: Bright and lively gold
Nose: Full and bursting with ripe, fruity pear and soft
fudge aromas. Incredibly sweet and smooth
Palate: Fruity pear flavours with a spicy orange marmalade tang
Finish: Creamy and smooth with marzipan and fresh hazelnuts

The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve Solera Vatted
RRP: From US$75
Colour: Gentle Amber
Nose: Bursting with ripe, orchard fruit aromas, and gentle notes of creamy, soft caramel
Palate: A luxurious, velvety character, with a honeyed sweetness and flavours of juicy pears
Finish: Balanced and complex

The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve Small Batch
RRP: From US$150
Colour: Amber, with hints of copper
Nose: Subtle fruit notes of peaches in syrup, with a hint of ginger spiciness
Palate: Perfectly balanced, with warm, fruity, orange marmalade flavours, and subtle notes of vanilla and liquorice
Finish: Long, with hints of spiciness

About The Glenlivet
Created by George Smith in 1824, The Glenlivet is the original single malt Scotch whisky, renowned for its smooth and fruity flavour profile. Today, The Glenlivet is the No.2 single malt Scotch whisky in the world and the No.1 single malt Scotch whisky in the USA, the world’s largest malt whisky market. The Glenlivet is also the biggest contributor to the volume growth of the single malt category worldwide, adding more than any other single malt whisky brand over the last five years. As the single malt that started it all, The Glenlivet is committed to continuing its legacy for crafting single malt whiskies of outstanding quality and has led innovation within single malt in recent years. Standout initiatives include the release of The Glenlivet Alpha, a mystery single malt, and the creation of The Guardians of The Glenlivet, an online hub for fans to engage with the brand and each other. www.theglenlivet.com

@TheGlenlivet

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

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.2 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. www.chivasbrothers.com

New Zealand Whisky to Commemorate Air Force Helicopter Fleet

Oamaru, New Zealand – May 27, 2015 – For just over 49 years, the UH-1H Iroquois helicopter fleet has served the RNZAF, NZDF and New Zealand. On May 2015, a formal function will mark the retirement of the Iroquois (Huey) and bottles from the New Zealand Whisky Company will be auctioned to commemorate each helicopter.

“ We are thrilled to support the Air Force in support of their Missing Wingman Trust and the retirement of their Iroquois helicopter fleet. We have provided 16 bottles, one for each of their aircraft,” says Operations Manager, Grant Finn.

The UH-1H Irozuois (Huey) currently being operated by No.3 Squadron RNZAF are scheduled to retire this year, following operations in Singapore, East Timor and Antarctica. The fleet also responded to crises throughout the Pacific, SE Asia and on New Zealand soil, the Christchurch earthquake. Many have been saved courtesy of Huey’s search and rescue capability. Operations for counter terrorism and coast guard have also added to Huey’s mark in New Zealand’s history.

Finn will present 16 bottles of New Zealand whisky at the RNZAF Base Ohakea as part of a formal function on May 30. The bottles will be auctioned, each dedicated to a specific RNZAF Iroquois. It is expected bottles will be highly sought by those current and previous serving Commanding Officers of No.3 Squadron.

Proceeds of the auction will be donated in entirety to the Missing Wingman Trust, established to support families of those killed while serving in the RNZAF. The registered charity performs valuable work and it is hoped the auction will generate significant funds.

Each bottle is boxed and labeled with a bespoke design, showcasing the airport and its tail number. In addition, the recipient will find a personalised history of the aircraft enclosed including its introduction to service, hours flown and notable events in its service career.

Background:

The New Zealand Whisky Company is a success story that signals a revival of the whisky industry in New Zealand. The whisky was once distilled by Seagram’s in Dunedin before the distillery was sold to Fosters in 1997 as part of a global rationalisation.

Fosters mothballed the distillery and inexplicably closed it. But fortunately, more than 400 barrels of this whisky remained, and were bought by the New Zealand Whisky Company, set aside to mature and sweeten. Since then, the company has worked hard to revive the century-old industry and the whisky has been met with wide acclaim.

In London during 2013, the New Zealand Whisky Collection’s DoubleWood won the category for Best Australasian Blend, while the South Island Single Malt was voted the best aged Single Malt from Down Under.

The Company has also been awarded ‘liquid gold status’ by the man believed to have visited more distilleries than anyone on earth. Jim Murray placed the South Island Single Malt 21 y.o. in the top percentile of some 4,500 whiskies worldwide in his 2014 Whisky Bible, the first time a NZ whisky has reached such status.

As well as regaining the foothold once held across New Zealand by Wilsons, the whisky is now exported from Oamaru and available across Canada, the UK, Australia and Europe.

Images are available at www.thenzwhisky.com/media. More information about the New Zealand Whisky Company is available at http://www.thenzwhisky.com/. Reply via email for interview with CEO Greg Ramsay or contact direct on +61 409 595 702.

More information about the Missing Wingman Trust can be found here: http://www.missingwingmantrust.org.nz/

Bryan Wood Named Florida Regional Manager for Heaven Hill Brands

Wood comes to Heaven Hill with more than eighteen years of industry experience in Florida. His distilled spirits career began with Southern Wine & Spirits in Florida.

“Bryan is an accomplished professional and I know his passion and extensive knowledge of the industry will serve us well,” said Steve Alexander, United Division Manager.

Wood attended the University of Akron and majored in Hotel and Restaurant Management with a minor in Culinary Arts. He lives in Jupiter, Fla., with his wife and their nine-year-old daughter.

About Heaven Hill Brands: Founded in 1935, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Brands (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams Bourbon; Larceny, Elijah Craig and Henry McKenna Bourbons, Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; The Christian Brothers Brandies; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur; Lunazul Tequila; Cinerator Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey and Rittenhouse Rye Whisky. Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”

ISLAND FIRST: MULTIMILLION-POUND WHISKY DISTILLERY PLANNED FOR ISLE OF RAASAY 

A tiny Hebridean island off the coast of Skye is set to become the location of Scotland’s newest distillery. 

The multimillion-pound Raasay Distillery and visitor experience centre will be independently owned & operated by R&B Distillers and hopes to open in January 2017, if planning permission is granted later this year. 

The development would become the island’s first legal distillery and is expected to generate employment for eleven of the island’s 120 residents.  

The creation of a state-of-the-art visitor experience centre and luxury accommodation – which will include the restoration of the island’s currently derelict Victorian hotel, Borodale House – is hoped to put Raasay on the map for whisky lovers around the globe.  

Driven by a desire to make ‘handcrafted whiskies of uncommon provenance’, R&B Distillers hope to release the first batch of Raasay whisky by 2020 and produce up to 150,000 bottles of whisky a year thereafter. 

Bill Dobbie – Scots entrepreneur and co-founder of online dating site ‘Cupid’ – and business partner Alasdair Day – who currently produces Tweeddale whisky – founded R&B Distillers in 2014. 

Managing Director, Alasdair Day, shared his excitement: 

“It’s incredible to think that there are still areas of Scotland completely ‘forgotten’ by whisky. 

“The Isle of Raasay is one of those unique locations and the perfect home for R&B Distillers to handcraft whiskies of uncommon provenance. 

“We’re now working hard to engineer a whisky destination unlike any other. From the magnificent views over to Skye, to experiencing craft distilling first hand, we can’t wait for visitors to discover our whiskies, the island and the community here on Raasay.” 

Following a pre-planning application that was submitted to Highlands & Islands Council in January 2015, R&B Distillers are currently undertaking a protected species audit for bats, otters and the Raasay vole.  

A wildlife report is expected at the end of August with a view to the full planning application being submitted by September. 

Around 12,000 people are expected to visit the Raasay Distillery in its first year, where tourists and whisky enthusiasts alike can witness the craft distilling process first hand. 

A private tasting room and public café bar will offer uninterrupted views of the Cuillin mountain range while five luxury en-suite rooms in the restored Borodale House will be exclusively available to members of the Distillery’s ‘Na Tùsairean’ club; Scots Gaelic for ‘the pioneers’. 

Plans are also afoot for R&B Distilers to open a distillery in the Scottish Borders; where the last whisky distillery closed over 150 years ago. 

NOTES 

R&B Distillers was co-founded in 2014 by Scots entrepreneur Bill Dobbie and whisky blender, Alasdair Day. 

Alasdair Day currently produces Tweeddale whisky – reproduced to the same recipe created by Day’s great-grandfather. 

An award-winning small batch, limited edition whisky, Tweeddale is a blend drawn from nine single casks. In keeping with the original blend, Tweeddale is not chill filtered, is bottled at 46% ABV and has pronounced sweet, sherry notes. 

Tweeddale is currently available in the UK, US, Canada, Singapore, the Netherlands and Taiwan. 

Bill Dobbie is the sole investor in the project. Further funding is currently being sought from a number of different grants organisations. 

The first batch of Raasay whisky is forecast to be ready by 2020 and is expected to be a three-year-old single malt with a lightly peated profile. 

In September 2015, R&B Distillers hope to release ‘Raasay While We Wait’. Blended from two highland whiskies from one distillery, it is hoped the whisky will be representative of the Raasay Single Malt due for release in 2020.

Ardbeg Perpetuum Distillery Edition Auction for Nepalese Earthquake Charity 

The money raised from the sale of this rare distillery-edition bottle will be donated to Nepal Police Hospital who are helping victims of the Great Earthquake of 25 April 2015. 

Ardbeg’s Bill Lumsden has created a whisky that has spent time in both bourbon and sherry casks to celebrate the distillery’s 200th anniversary. This limited-edition whisky is in short supply and much sought after. 

This is the Distillery Release, higher strength than the more easily findable general release, only available online or at the distillery, and bottled at a higher strength – 49.2% 

https://whisky.auction/auctions/lot/811

16 INNOVATIVE STARTUPS WITH AMBITION TO CHANGE THE WORLD REVEALED

16 startups from across the globe with a mission to create positive change have been announced as finalists of The Venture. The forward-thinking businesses are competing to win a share of $1M in funding from Chivas Regal.

After receiving over 1,000 entries across five continents, Chivas Regal has selected a diverse shortlist of startups tackling a range of social and environmental issues; from a Colombian business using non-recyclable plastic and vegetable fibres to produce furniture, to a Japanese company developing a wireless field-monitoring system for farmers to assesses soil conditions and ultimately cut down on agricultural water waste. The 16 aspiring startups have been chosen to represent their local countries in The Venture global final for not only their potential to be profitable as a business, but also their ability to offer scalable and sustainable impact solutions.

Each finalist has a truly unique story to tell about the inspiration for their startup. David Gluckman, the founder of Lumkani, witnessed the devastating impact of shack fires in informal settlements in South Africa and decided to create an affordable fire detection device to mitigate the loss of life and property. Victoria Alonsoperez saw the impact foot and mouth disease had on the Uruguayan economy – creating poverty and unemployment – and made it her mission to develop a platform (Chipsafer) that would transform the way farmers monitor and care for their livestock.

From May 11^th to June 14^th, the finalists will go head to head in a public vote and compete for an initial share of $250,000 (from the $1 million fund). People from across the world can view the finalist profiles and vote for their favourite on The Venture website.

The competition will then culminate in San Francisco on July 24th when finalists will pitch for the remaining share of the $1 million fund in front of an expert global judging panel. Sonal Shah, former Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation in the White House under US President Barack Obama, is the latest judge to be announced alongside Adrian Grenier (actor, producer and social entrepreneur), Morgan Clendaniel (Editor of Fast Company’s Co.Exist) and Alex Ricard (Pernod Ricard Chairman and CEO).

Adrian Grenier commented: “As someone who is hugely invested in social enterprises, it’s really eye opening to see what other entrepreneurs around the globe are up to and the issues they’re attempting to tackle. We have uncovered 16 amazing finalists whose vision, passion and commitment to the greater good should be an inspiration to us all. I encourage everyone to find out more about them and their stories and get voting…they need your votes!”

Richard Black, Chivas Regal Global Brand Director, added: “Due to this being a global competition across five continents we’ve discovered an incredible collection of social entrepreneurs that are aiming to tackle a broad array of issues. As a brand we’re very proud to be putting a spotlight on these talented and driven business people and we can’t wait to see how the public respond with their votes.”

In the week leading up to The Venture Final Pitch, the finalists will attend an Accelerator Week in Silicon Valley, the epicentre of the start-up world, where they will receive mentorship from influential figures in social enterprise and companies such as venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Google, Duarte and IDEO.

To find out more and to vote for your finalist visit The Venture.

Notes:

The Venture
The Venture is Chivas’ global search to find and support the most promising aspiring social entrepreneurs who want to succeed whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others. With over $1 million in funding and resources, The Venture will enable social entrepreneurs from around the world realise their potential and gain exposure for their business.

Win the Right Way
Win the Right Way aims to inspire a new generation to achieve success whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others and is the latest instalment of Chivas Regal’s Live with Chivalry campaign, which launched in 2008.

Live with Chivalry
Chivas’ Live with Chivalry campaign launched in 2008 and has since inspired modern gentlemen in more than 60 countries around the world to succeed in the right way. Win the Right Way is the latest instalment of the Live with Chivalry campaign. It communicates Chivas Regal’s brand values, and aims to inspire a new generation to achieve success whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others.

About Chivas Regal
Chivas Regal is a truly global brand, selling 4.6 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Americas. The Chivas Regal range is the epitome of style, substance and exclusivity, and includes Chivas Regal 12, 18 and 25 Year Old.

SINGLE POT STILL IRISH WHISKEYS OF MIDLETON PRESENT THEIR FIRST EVER GOOGLE HANGOUT ON AIR FROM THE GOOGLE FOUNDRY, DUBLIN

Watch it today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYNGfy4HflA

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