About The Workshop:

Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner there surely is a dram for all occasions!  

Together we will explore the art of matching the unique and celebrated flavours of single malts with food in a fun and interactive workshop. No other drink in the world can offer the range of flavours found in whiskies which makes it the perfect accompaniment to almost any food. In this workshop we will look at three courses of classic pairings and why they work so well. For a limited time tickets are available for just £15 which represents unbelievable value for money.

Tickets are now just £15 (reduced from £25!!) and are available now from the Stoke-on-Trent Whisky Festival website at stokewhiskyfestival.co.uk. The price includes all the food samples and whisky. Please email: info@boomwhisky.co.uk for any more information. 

About The Festival: 

Stoke’s annual whisky festival is to be held on Saturday 4th July 2015 at The Jubilee Hall, Stoke-on-Trent. The venue is part of Stoke Town Hall, a stunning grade II listed Victorian building dating back to 1834; allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the venue as you sample the fantastic range of whiskies on offer. Tickets are available now from the Stoke-on-Trent Whisky Festival website at stokewhiskyfestival.co.uk. 

About Boom Whisky: 

Boom Whisky is a tasting event group based in Manchester. They aim to offer an entertaining yet informative take on whisky tasting. Boom Whisky are available for private events, bar staff training as well as hosting a range of themed whisky tastings across Manchester’s bars and pubs. More information available at www.boomwhisky.co.uk.

GREEN SPOT UNVEILS FIRST BORDEAUX WINE FINISHED IRISH WHISKEY

– Two historic Irish families come together to inspire

Green Spot Château Léoville Barton – 

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard has unveiled the first ever Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey to be finished in Bordeaux wine casks, Green Spot Château Léoville Barton. The new release adds an innovative, new dimension to the classic Green Spot expression, which is already renowned among whiskey lovers for its exceptional quality.

Set in the heart of the Saint Julien appellation in Bordeaux, one of the most revered winemaking regions in the world, Léoville Barton is a grand cru Château renowned for producing world class wine. Léoville Barton is overseen today by Anthony and Lilian Barton, direct descendants of Thomas Barton, a ‘Wine Geese’[1] winemaker who founded a wine merchant company in 1725, after migrating from his native Ireland.

Green Spot can trace its roots back to Dublin-based wine merchants, Mitchell & Son, who matured, bottled and sold the original Green Spot under bond. Established in 1805, Mitchell & Son aged whiskeys bought from John Jameson’s Bow St Distillery in Dublin in their own casks up until 1968, when the practice of selling whiskey to bonders in cask ceased. From that date, Green Spot was bottled by Irish Distillers who also produce Yellow Spot 12 Year Old and now the new Green Spot Château Léoville Barton.

Initially matured in a traditional mix of ex-Oloroso sherry, new Bourbon and ex-Bourbon barrels the whiskeys were then transferred into the ex-Bordeaux wine casks for between 12 and 24 months. This imparted distinctive, floral flavours of varying intensity, resulting in a perfectly balanced whiskey.

Kevin O’Gorman, Master of Maturation at the Midleton Distillery, commented: “With its fresh taste profile featuring notes of green apple, vanilla, toffee and liquorice, Green Spot has been a favourite among Irish whiskey lovers thanks to the Mitchell family since the 19^th Century, so it is an honour to launch a further extension to our Spot family.

“Maturing Green Spot in the Château Léoville Barton wine casks provided a fascinating assortment of floral and wood characteristics on the nose and palate, which give way to a long, spicy finish reminiscent of the terroir in France and Ireland. I hope whiskey fans enjoy this latest addition to our growing Single Pot Still family and join us in toasting this new whiskey resulting from of our shared Irish heritage.”

Anthony Barton, owner of Château Léoville Barton, added: “We are delighted to collaborate with the Midleton Distillery to create the new Green Spot Château Léoville Barton. Having been born in Ireland, whiskey is very close to my heart, and wine has been in my family for hundreds of years, so it is an enormous privilege to be able to merge the two now and share our heritage with the Mitchell family with such an exceptional result.”

Bottled at 46% ABV, Green Spot Château Léoville Barton is available from June in five markets, including Ireland, UK and France, at the recommended selling price of $65 per 70cl.

#SinglePotStill 

NOTES 

Green Spot Château Léoville Barton tasting notes by Midleton Master Blender, Billy Leighton

Nose: It is the contribution of the French oak which drives the initial aroma adding some crisp woodland notes to the spicy Single Pot Still character. The wine seasoning brings a delicate touch of floral perfume and a hint of ripe berries such as raspberries and strawberries, these are in addition to the orchard fruits typical of Green Spot.

Taste: The familiar mouth coating effect is a very satisfying balance of oak and spices. Some vanilla sweetness works in harmony with the dry wine influence, while the fresh orchard fruits and French oak combine effortlessly with barley grains to complete the complexity.

Finish: The rich French oak character is slow to fade leaving the wine and spices of France and Ireland with the last word. 

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between Irish whiskey distillers, John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and the Cork Distillery Company. In an attempt to reverse the decline in Irish whiskey sales, the company decided to consolidate production at a new purpose-built facility alongside the existing distillery in Midleton, Co. Cork. Irish Distillers was bought by Pernod Ricard in June 1988 and today, Jameson is the No.1 Irish whiskey in the world, selling over 4 million 9L cases worldwide and contributing more than any other Irish whiskey brand to the phenomenal global growth of the category. Irish Distillers is committed to driving continued, sustainable growth of the Irish whiskey category.

Irish Distillers’ portfolio of whiskeys is comprised of Jameson, the world’s no.1 Irish whiskey; Irish favourite Paddy; Powers, the robust super premium whiskey for discerning drinkers; and the much-acclaimed brands that comprise the Irish Distillers’ Prestige Collection – the Single Pot Still Whiskeys of Midleton which includes the Spot range (Green Spot, Yellow Spot) and Redbreast, Ireland’s most awarded single pot still whiskey brand – and the pinnacle of the Prestige Collection, Midleton Very Rare.

www.irishdistillers.ie

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.

http://www.pernod-ricard.com/

[1] ‘Wine Geese’ winemakers migrated from Ireland in the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th Centuries to establish wineries in countries such as France, Spain, Australia and the USA, many of which are considered among the best in the world

***Tamdhu whisky launches new website created by Good*** 

Tamdhu, the Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky brand, has unveiled a new website, following the relaunch of the brand two years ago.

The new, fully mobile responsive site was designed by branding and design consultancy Good, who also created the overall branding for Tamdhu at launch. The new look replaces the previous simple website which supported the reopening of the Speyside icon in May 2013.

The new website reflects Tamdhu’s Victoriana style, providing a balance of information on the brand’s heritage, production and provenance, alongside accessible product information such as tasting notes, to help those newer to the brand.

The site also features a ‘Can-Dhu’ section – containing stories of inspirational figures from the Victorian age who exemplify the sprit of adventure and optimism behind the founding of Tamdhu in the 1890s – at the time referred to as “the most modern of distilleries”.

Bespoke photography for the site, taken at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Café, highlights the historic style of Tamdhu, as well as providing fresh images of the brand linking it to modern bar and cocktail culture.  The site also features extensive historical photography from the brand’s archives.

Video content, with tasting profiles and cocktail suggestions will also be added to the site in the coming weeks, and the site also keeps visitors up to date with the latest news and events relevant to Tamdhu.

Iain Weir, Marketing Director of Ian Macleod Distillers said:

“Tamdhu is a brand with a really great story. Since our launch two years ago, we’ve won a number of awards and re-established ourselves as a premium brand with a strong heritage – so we felt it was time to make this story better known.

“Good has brought this to life on the site with a design that works for everyone from consumers to bar owners. The site does a great job of explaining where we’ve come from, and what makes Tamdhu unique.”

Good, the branding and design agency behind both the design of the whisky brand and the website, carried out research into what consumers were looking for when they visited whisky websites.

Stewart Steel, digital director at Good, said:

“We knew we needed to make the site as relevant as possible to the modern whisky drinker – so from the start, we looked into what people were looking for from a whisky website.

“We knew that consumers wanted the reassurance of heritage from a Scottish whisky brand – but also, for the site to give them a reason to engage in the here and now – hence the tasting notes, our use of video and the events section – to deliver a site that we hope is as well-balanced as Tamdhu itself.”

About Good

Good is one of the most effective design agencies in the UK, winning six gold DBA Design Effectiveness Awards in the past six years.

We specialise in solving design challenges for a wide range of brands and organisations.

Our client list includes Ford, Campari, Unilever, Honeywell and Land Securities.

We were founded in 2004, and now have 30 staff across our offices in London and Glasgow.

Find out more at http://www.wearegood.com/

About Tamdhu

Tamdhu was founded in 1897 on the banks of the River Spey by a consortium of merchants and gentlemen investors who wanted to produce a world-beating whisky. The distillery was designed by Charles C Doig Esq – the pre-eminent distillery architect and engineer of the day. Doig insisted upon employing only the most advanced techniques of whisky production and engineering.

In 2010, the distillery closed– but in 2011, it was purchased by Ian Macleod Distillers, re-opened in 2012, and in 2013 relaunched the Tamdhu brand to the world.

Since its relaunch, Tamdhu has been recognised with a number of accolades for both taste and design, including awards from the IWSC, ISC, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and more.

ROCK TOWN DISTILLERY CELEBRATES 5TH ANNIVERSARY

Special Anniversary Bourbon Release with Tours and Tastings

Little Rock, AR – (June 1, 2015) – In celebration of our fifth year anniversary, Rock Town Distillery will release a limited edition bourbon whiskey called, “Rock Town Fifth Anniversary Arkansas Straight Bourbon Whiskey.” This release, Rock Town’s oldest bourbon whiskey yet, will be available for purchase only at the distillery in downtown Little Rock, starting at 11am on Saturday, June 20th. To thank our friends and supporters we will be hosting special tours and tastings on June 20th as well.

The Fifth Anniversary Bourbon is distilled using the same process as Rock Town’s award winning Arkansas Bourbon but is aged for 4 years in 53 gallon barrels and is “bottled-in-bond” at 100 proof. This is a one time, limited edition bottling, and in order to secure a bottle we encourage you to call the distillery and pay a 50% deposit in advance. Phil Brandon, Founder and Head Distiller, said “It’s hard to believe it has been 5 years. We’re thankful to our friends and supporters for all they’ve done for us over the years.”

A paid deposit also ensures a seat in the exclusive sit down tasting on Saturday, June 20th (a $10 value) at 2pm and 4pm of four rare and exceptional Rock Town whiskeys paired with local cheese and meats:

• 5th Anniversary Bourbon Whiskey
• Single Barrel Hickory Smoked Whiskey – Cask Strength
• Single Barrel Rye Whiskey – Cask Strength
• Our now famous Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey – Cask Strength

Space is very limited for the tastings and the cost is $10 per person. Call the distillery at 501-907-5244 to make reservations.

Events to be held on Saturday June 20th to thank our friends and supporters:

• Free tours at 1:30, 3:00 and 4:30pm
• Free drawings held 3 times during the day for free Rock Town Anniversary merchandise
• Food trucks will be parked at the distillery from 11 – 6pm.

ABOUT ROCK TOWN DISTILLERY

Rock Town Distillery produces the award winning Arkansas Bourbon, Arkansas Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, Arkansas Hickory Smoked Whiskey, Arkansas Rye Whiskey, Arkansas Lightning, Brandon’s Gin and Rock Town Vodka which are distributed to 15 states and the United Kingdom. Winner of the 2015. US Micro Whisky of the Year in the 2015 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Rock Town Distillery, Arkansas’ first legal distillery since prohibition, is located in downtown Little Rock at 1216 E 6th Street, Little Rock, AR 72202. Thedistillery is open for tours 7 days a week. To find outmore please visit www.rocktowndistillery.com

###

GOLD RUSH: THE GLENROTHES WINS FOUR AWARDS AT THE SCOTCH WHISKY MASTERS 2015

Berry Bros. & Rudd Spirits is delighted to announce The Glenrothes has been awarded a quartet of gold medals at The Scotch Whisky Masters 2015.

The honours include two Gold Medals for The Glenrothes Select Reserve and two Gold Medals for The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve. These honours were recognised in two different award categories: Single Malt Speyside Premium and No Age Statement.

Select Reserve is a vatting of casks distilled in different years. It is laden with ripe fruits, juicy citrus, creamy vanilla and hints of exotic spice. This Reserve is the expression that best epitomises, and sits at the very heart of The Glenrothes range in terms of taste and flavour.

The Vintage Reserve, the latest addition, marries together a good many carefully selected Vintages from the last three decades to create a mature yet vibrant expression. The combination of different Vintages aged in a variety of casks creates a balance of mature experience and vibrant youth. The oldest constituent brings mellow oak and dried fruits; the greatest proportion adds soft, mature, sweet vanilla; the more youthful add exuberance and lemon citrus, creating a sharp and uplifting taste. The Vintage Reserve launched initially in Taiwan in November 2014, and is currently available in the UK from www.bbr.com. The UK national release is set for July 2015.

Ronnie Cox, Brand Heritage Director of The Glenrothes, stated; “We are delighted to be awarded these accolades for The Glenrothes Select and Vintage Reserves.  The Reserves are the heart of The Glenrothes range and have been created to give character, maturity and balance that deliver the best possible flavours. The judges clearly recognise our efforts.”

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve 40% ABV

Appearance:  Brassy gold.

Bouquet:                 Unusually fragrant, soft in style, wafts of mature citrus and honeycomb accompanied with characteristic red fruits.

Palate:          Very soft silky/creamy mouth-feel. Red berry fruits swirl and dominate with    time over the nebulous nuttiness.

Finish:           Mid to long citrus and honeyed vanilla and the faint reminder of 1st fill sherry casks.

The Glenrothes Select Reserve 43% ABV

Appearance:  Pale golden.

Bouquet:       American oak, vanilla and coconut, hint of plums.

Palate:          Full malty flavour, medium sweet, vanilla and orange zest.

Finish:           Long and slightly spicy.

The Scotch Whisky Masters is a series of blind tasting competitions, drawing entries in from across the world and has fast become one of the most respected and high profile trade competitions in the industry, attracting vast amounts of entries from leading brands all over the world.

For more information about The Glenrothes, visit 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.

Owned by Berry Bros. & Rudd Ltd, the wine and spirit merchants established in 1698, The Glenrothes is an award winning Speyside Single Malt Whisky of exceptional quality from the town of Rothes in Speyside -Scotland’s whisky heartland.

Established in 1879, the Glenrothes is a pioneer in Scotch Whisky. All our single malt is vintage malt. When we say vintage, we mean whisky distilled and put in cask in a single year. When judged to be at its peak of maturity, character and flavour, then we carefully marry selected vintages together as Reserves, or bottle them individually as Single Vintages.

At The Glenrothes, maturity matters more than age. 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.

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, 2015The Glenrothes Select Reserve

• Gold, Scotch Whisky Masters 2015

• Gold, San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2012
• Scotch Whisky Master, The Spirits Business Masters 2008
• Best in Class, World Whiskies Awards 2008

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 Alba 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 Select Reserve

• Gold, San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition 2012

• Gold, The Asian Spirits Masters 2015

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

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.