‘Dram-packed’ schedule announced for Jura Tastival 2015 

Tickets are now on sale for Jura’s annual whisky festival, Tastival, a two day island celebration for whisky lovers on 27 & 28 May 2015. 

A packed schedule of tastings and tours has been announced for Jura Tastival 2015, inviting whisky fans from across the globe to discover the unique flavours of Jura as part of the annual Feis Ile festival.

A variety of sensory experiences in whisky, food and craft beer, will open the mind and palate of attendees, offering them new and exciting ways to enjoy a dram.

The festival will bring taste to life in the Cooperage, where a street artist will paint the personal tasting notes of attendees live on the walls of the distillery while they sample a dram from Jura’s range, resulting in a continuously evolving mural of flavour.

An experiential dining session, inspired by the sweet and smoky sides of Jura’s whiskies, will be hosted by Dram & Smoke and fans can also enjoy a specially brewed bottle of craft beer from Drygate Brewing Co., which has been created to pair with the limited edition Jura Tastival whisky.

Unique tasting sessions from the rarest casks in Jura’s warehouse will take place with Master Distiller, Richard Paterson, and a special distillery tour and tasting will see Jura Master Distiller, Willie Tait and Jura Distillery Manager, Willie Cochrane relay their stories about the passion and dedication it takes to craft the Jura range.

Willie Cochrane, Jura Distillery Manager: “Jura may be a small island, but we extend a large welcome to whisky fans from all over world every year at Tastival.”

“This year’s festival focuses on bringing flavour to life and offering fans new ways to appreciate whisky. Whether it’s seeing your tasting notes appear in front of your eyes on large scale canvases, exploring the unique smoky and sweet flavours of our whiskies with a tasting menu, or discovering a dram that pairs excellently with craft beer, there’s something different for everyone.”

Ticketed sessions are limited and range from £10-45, with complimentary distillery tours and access to the Dramming Bar on both days. Tickets are available to purchase now at: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jura-tastival-2015-wednesday-27-thursday-28-may-tickets-16411651692

#JuraTastival  

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.

Tastival 2015 – Full breakdown of ticketed sessions:

Discover Two Sides of Jura (1 hr)

Join Jura Ambassador Kieran Cusker and the guys from experiential pop-up eatery, Dram & Smoke, to tuck into a whisky and food taster menu that is inspired by the sweet and smoky sides of Jura.

Learn which flavours perfectly complement Jura whiskies and find out how to smoke your own food, in this shared tasting experience.

£25

Rare Cask Selection with Richard Paterson (45 mins)

Ever wondered what inspires a Master Distiller to create such distinctive maturation processes and finishes?  In this unique tasting session, Richard Paterson sniffs out a very special selection of our rare and vintage whiskies from the Jura warehouse, as well as sharing his passion for fine wines and sherry.

£45

JURAFEST (45 mins)

Jura meets Oktoberfest in this beer and whisky tasting session with Ambassador, Sam Amfo-Okoampah.

He will introduce you to the new Jura Tastival 2015 whisky which will be matched with an exceptional craft beer created especially for the event by Glasgow-based craft brewery, Drygate. At this session you will have the rare opportunity to try Jura Brooklyn, an exclusive bottling for Jura’s friends in the US, as well as Jura Origin which will be both paired with craft beers from Williams Bros.

£15

The Masters Tours (1 hr)

Join Jura Global Brand Ambassador Willie Tait and Jura Distillery Manager Willie Cochrane for a unique tour of the Jura Distillery and a dram Jura 21 Years Old and the recently released Jura 1984 Vintage.  With over 79 years of experience between them, the Willie’s will share their passion and the craftsmanship that goes into creating Jura whiskies.

£15

Whisky on the Waves (30 mins)

Cruise with Captain Nicol and our Jura Ambassador, into the open sea for a tasting of Jura Turas-Mara.  You will experience a sensory journey out at sea to enjoy this dram the way it was meant to be – with the wind and sea spray in your face.

£10

Trailblazing Scotch whiskymaker celebrates fifteenth anniversary with Commemorative Limited Edition Release: Hedonism Quindecimus.

Scotland’s leading independent whiskymaker and five-time Whisky Magazine Innovator of the Year, Compass Box has turned fifteen in typically creative style with the launch of the highly collectible Hedonism Quindecimus – a Limited Edition, Blended Grain Scotch Whisky.

Created specifically to commemorate their fifteenth anniversary, Quindecimus (meaning ‘fifteenth’) pays homage to the renowned whiskymaker’s first ever product, Hedonism – the blended grain whisky that has been widely credited with starting the resurgence in popularity of this once-neglected style of Scotch.

‘Hedonism was where it all started for us as a business.  That product was about doing something different – something that nobody else in the world of Scotch would have even considered. For our fifteenth anniversary we wanted to go back to that style of whisky but we also wanted to update it to say something about where Compass Box is today.  We’re fifteen years older – maybe even a little wiser – but we still have that restless energy we had back in 2000. The juxtaposition of flavours and weights in Quindecimus is a representation of that.’

A blend of five separate parcels of aged grain whisky, Compass Box has taken the highly unusual step of revealing the precise age and sourcing of every cask that went into Quindecimus.  Commenting on this decision, founder, John Glaser stated:

‘Since I launched Compass Box back in 2000, we’ve expressed our belief in the need to be transparent regarding how we make our whiskies.  With the recent increase in the number of Non Age Statement whiskies at the lower end of the market, we feel it’s important to share with people the details on the ages of all the whiskies in a product such as this.  We have always held that age isn’t everything in whisky, but in this case we want people to be aware of age and the rarity that goes along with aged grain whiskies of this quality level.  We believe our customers have the right to know what it is they’re drinking.’

Compass Box’s detailed sourcing information reveals that five parcels of whisky from four distilleries were used to create Hedonism Quindecimus: Parcels of 20yo and 25yo grain whisky distilled at Port Dundas were combined with 32yo whisky from Dumbarton, 20yo whisky from North British and a 32yo parcel of ‘mystery’ pre-blended grain whisky sourced from Loch Lomond distillery, for which the exact provenance is unknown.  Describing the flavour profile this blend creates, John Glaser commented:

‘Blending grain whiskies of varying ages can create compelling juxtapositions of flavour.  The truly old grain adds unctuousness and weight, while the younger whiskies bring with them an energy, a drinkability and the irrepressible joie de vivre of youth.  The result is surprising and complex. Deep, sweet caramel coconut succulence combines with bright tropical fruit to create a profusion of flavours that demonstrate the layered complexity you can get from the interplay between grain spirit and American oak over the course of time.’  

A history of innovation

Quindecimus is the latest in a long line of innovations Compass Box has delivered over the course of its fifteen year history:

• Their first product – the original Hedonism – was the world’s first ever Blended Grain Scotch Whisky and has been widely credited with starting the resurgence of interest in grain whisky that last year culminated in the launch of Haig Club, (spearheaded by David Beckham). Find out more about the original Hedonism here: http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/pdf/Hedonism.pdf
• In 2006, Compass Box’s award-winning whisky Spice Tree was temporarily banned by the Scotch Whisky Association for the innovative cask ageing techniques used to develop a flavour profile that had never before been seen in the world of Scotch. Find out more about Compass Box’s ‘illegal’ whisky Spice Tree here: http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/pdf/TheSpiceTreeStory.pdf
• With Peat Monster, Compass Box pioneered a subtle, more balanced approach to peaty whiskies. Using a blend of heavily peated Islay and Highland malts, this rich, complex Blended Malt Scotch Whisky provided a more complex alternative to the world of peated single malts. Find out more about Peat Monster here: http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/pdf/PeatMonster.pdf
• Most recently, with their Great King Street range, Compass Box set out to revive a style of Blended Scotch pioneered by the early whiskymakers of the 19^th Century but lost during whisky’s period of mass-scale commercialisation in the 20^th Century. Using high malt contents and drawing on historical recipes, they created a lost style of whisky that nobody else was even trying to make today. Find out more about Great King Street here: http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/greatkingstreet/greatkingstreet.php

What is Compass Box?

We felt there were simply too many people trying to make the same type of Scotch whisky.  We wanted to do something different – so we set up a completely different type of whisky company.

As whiskymakers, we’re here to ask the questions that nobody else wants to consider.  To explore everything that Scotch could be rather than settling for what it already is.  To make the joys of great Scotch whisky more relevant to more people around the world.

Above all else we are dedicated to making cool, contemporary and delicious whiskies that showcase the full spectrum of flavour that can be created through spirit, time, hard work and oak.

No more boring whisky.    http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/

Who is John Glaser?

Back in 2000, John Glaser quit the corporate world of Johnnie Walker to set up Compass Box from his kitchen. The idea was to explore where others wouldn’t, to create flavours that others weren’t. To push Scotch forward rather than maintaining the status quo.    

Fifteen years later, he’s still here, he’s still doing the same thing.  He has no plans to change.  

NOTES

Hedonism Quindecimus is available from May 1^st 2015 in the US and 15^th April in the UK through our wide network of independent retailers worldwide and our UK-based on-line shop.  For media downloads or for more information on Hedonism Quindecimus or Compass’s Box’s fifteen years of innovation, please contact Debbie Burke in the US or Jonathan Gibson directly in Compass Box’s London studio.

Whisky Intelligence is pleased to announce that they have passed the 10,000 article mark making the site one of the largest whisky news archives available.

Alberta® Rye Dark Batch™ Whisky Launches In The U.S. Market

Deerfield, Ill. (April 2, 2015) – Alberta® Rye Dark Batch™ Whisky, from the renowned Alberta Distillers Ltd., launches today in the U.S. market. This critically acclaimed super-premium rye whisky features an incomparable rich color and complex flavor paired with remarkable smoothness and character.

Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky boasts flavors of honey and oak and imparts hints of vanilla, smoke, sweet oak and savory dried fruit, such as plum and blackcurrant, on the palate. Bottled at 90 proof and best enjoyed in a variety of whisky cocktails, Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky is challenging bartenders and consumers to rethink their rye and give cocktails a new interpretation.

“As the rye whisky category continues to grow, we’re thrilled to be able to introduce a new product to U.S. whisky lovers,” said Dan Tullio, Canadian Whisky Master Ambassador at Beam Suntory. “With Alberta Distillers’ rich heritage producing superior rye whisky, Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky combines contemporary flavor trends with classic notes of premium rye whisky, offering mixologists, spirits connoisseurs and whisky enthusiasts a one-of-a-kind whisky with a robust, sophisticated flavor.”

Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky features a blend of 91% rye whisky, 8% bourbon and 1% sherry to add layers of complexity in each bottle. The distinct rich color of the liquid comes from a combination of factors, including the aging process, which incorporates both new charred American white oak and once-used American bourbon barrels. Other contributing factors include the addition of a touch of sherry and Alberta, Canada’s high altitude, desert-like humidity levels and extreme seasonal and daily temperature changes, which promote maturation.

“Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky truly embodies the distinguished flavor whisky aficionados seek,” said Davin de Kergommeaux, award-winning author and whisky industry influencer. “The unique distillation process and grain bill of the rye sets it apart from other rye whiskies, in terms of flavor and quality.”

Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky is at its best in cocktails that highlight its distinctive flavor, such as the Rye Squeeze below, and can also be enjoyed neat.

Rye Squeeze 

• 1½ parts Alberta® Rye Dark Batch™ Whisky
• 4-5 parts ginger beer
• 2 dashes Angostura® bitters
• 1 orange wedge pressed

METHOD: Add all ingredients to a lowball glass. Fill with ice, top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with an orange wedge.

Prior to hitting shelves in the U.S., Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky quickly became an award-winning whisky with accolades from top international spirits competitions, including Chairman’s Trophy at the 2014 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, Double Gold at the 2014 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition and Gold & Best of Class – Canadian Whisky from Spirits of the Americas 2014.

Alberta Distillers Ltd., North America’s largest producer of 100% rye, carefully crafts Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky with glacial-borne water. The distillery, which has been in operation since 1946, was built in southern Alberta because the area’s dry climate and high altitude are ideal for rye crop growth.

For additional cocktail recipes and more information on Alberta Rye Dark Batch Whisky, which sells at a suggested retail price of $29.99 for a 750ml bottle, please visit www.AlbertaRye.com.

About Alberta Distillers Ltd.

Alberta Distillers Ltd., based in Calgary, Alberta, is the largest producer of 100% rye whisky in North America. Owned by Beam Suntory Inc. since 1988, the distillery has produced quality whisky for nearly 70 years. The Alberta Premium brand, which has a strong focus on heritage and western rural values, has won numerous prestigious awards for its excellent quality.

About Beam Suntory Inc.

As the world’s third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World.  Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the flagship Jim Beam bourbon and Yamazaki Japanese whisky, as well as world renowned premium brands including Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek bourbons, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher’s, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur.  The company generates annual worldwide sales exceeding $4 billion excluding excise taxes.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and entrepreneurial culture.  Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan.  For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com

Amrut Distilleries, India, known for their popular range of Single Malt whiskies, which include Amrut Fusion, Amrut Portonova & Amrut Peated, have launched 

​Amrut Naarangi, the first ever whisky in the world with Orange notes.​ 

​Bangalore, India.

Amrut Distilleries, based in Bangalore, India is a boutique distillery known for their award winning single malt whiskies. Amrut recently concluded 10 years of presence in the international markets and have launched the Amrut Naa​rangi Single Malt Whisky. The distillery had launched their malts in 2004 in Glasgow, Scotland by N.R. Jagdale, the Managing Director through his son Rakshit & his friend Ashok and now bears unmistakable shelf presence across 40 countries. The brand peaked in the limelight in 2010 when acclaimed whisky writer, Jim Murray rated the Amrut Fusion with 97/100 points voting it the ‘3rd finest whisky in the world’ putting behind over 4000 whiskies from brands across the world. Amrut is also the only Indian whisky to feature in Ian Buxton’s ‘101 whiskies to have before you die’.

The latest offering from Amrut, the ‘Naarangi’ derives its name from the Hindi word,

​ ​Naarangi which means Orange. It is the only single malt whisky ever produced in the world to have expressions of Orange, which brings forth a new level of experimentation to the malt world.

EU regulations for malt whiskies state that adding anything to a whisky disqualifies it from being called a whisky, however, Amrut who had been contemplating adding Orange notes to whisky have developed a novel solution to create Naarangi which meets all EU guidelines. To produce this whisky, Amrut procured Olorosso Sherry from Spain and matured wine along with Orange peel in it for a period of three years. The oranges for this were sourced from the tourist haven, Madikeri located in the picturesque Western Ghats of India. The wine and orange peel concoction was let to mature for 3 years in Bangalore, lending the barrel a unique Orange essence.

The wine and peels were then spilled and the barrels were filled with 3-year-old matured single malt whisky and allowed to mature for 3 more years. In this period the barrels have lent the Orange characteristics to the whisky creating pioneering single malt.

“The whisky is not dominated by the Orange but remarkably balanced out”, notes Ashok Chokalingam, GM – International Markets, Amrut. “The finish is of subtle orange notes while in the middle ground you can find the traditional Amrut signature.”

900 bottles have been shipped in the first release to Europe, Asia Pacific and Canada with all bottles at 50% ABV. Reviewers and connoisseurs are waiting keenly to get their hands on this whisky. Single malt whiskies, which were for long the domain of the Scots, are now seeing increasing innovative work from boutique brands such as Amrut amongst others.

About Amrut Single Malt

​A​mrut Single Malt was launched in 2004 as an experiment by Amrut Distilleries, a Bangalore based conglomerate that started operations in 1948. Amrut was the first ever-Indian single malt and was launched in Glasgow, right in the heart of Scotland. The whiskies were received well across the world owing to their quality and have grown aggressively. Amrut now bottles around 18 expressions of single malts, which are sold in 40 countries and growing.

Glengoyne 25 Year Old wins Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Glengoyne is celebrating after winning gold at America’s most prestigious International spirits competition, the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, for Glengoyne 25 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

The esteemed competition, the largest International spirits competition in America, was held on the 19 – 22 March and saw Glengoyne 25 Year Old fight off stiff opposition from more than 1,500 entries – the largest in its 15 year history.

Commenting on the award, Neil Boyd, Commercial Director for Ian Macleod Distillers, owners of Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that Glengoyne 25 Year Old has won such a prestigious award. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is extremely respected in the industry and it’s great to receive such recognition.”

Staying true to the nature of the competition, entries were tediously evaluated by 39 of the finest palettes and the judging was blind, ensuring competitive integrity.

Glengoyne is owned by one of Scotland’s leading, independent, family-owned distillers, Ian Macleod Distillers. Unlike most other single malt whiskies, Glengoyne dries its malted barley using only warm air resulting in extremely subtle yet complex malt where all the delicate flavours are freely expressed.

For more information, please visit www.glengoyne.com.

Glengoyne – Take your time, enjoy your dram responsibly.

Please drink responsibly.

http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/

http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/ 

Glengoyne 25 Year Old Highland Single Malt Whisky 

Appearance: Bright amber

Nose: Red fruits, old leather and brown sugar

Mouth Feel: Soft oak, cinnamon, stewed fruits and a Seville marmalade tang

Finish: Very long, with spicy liquorice, slowly drying

Bleatings from Speyside – Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Programme is a Shear Delight

For black sheep who don’t follow the flock, if whisky tours or tastings aren’t your thing, then there are craft opportunities by the bagful to be had during this year’s Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival which takes place from April 30-May 4.

Three Bags Wool is a speciality craft shop in Aberlour where festival visitors can spend an afternoon making a needle felt sheep scene.

All the tools, equipment and materials will be provided to enable people to work on their own masterpiece. No experience is needed but the workshop comes with its own warning – this craft activity may prove addictive!

You’ll leave with your own hand made artwork and a basic knowledge of needle felting.

Or how about branching out and trying wood turning under the expert guidance of master carver Julian Schmechel at Burnside of Ballintomb Furniture Makers?

With just four places per session, these day-long workshops include lunch and would be just the thing for anyone wishing to learn wood carving, as no experience is needed.

Meet local craft workers and see them in action at the Speyside Crafts Market in Grant Hall in Rothes. The friendly, knowledgeable stall holders will represent a wide range of local crafts and will be happy to demonstrate their skills and chat to visitors on May 2.

Meanwhile exhibitors from Creative Cairngorms and other craft businesses will display their expertise and have a range of their creative output for sale at an open day at The Glenlivet Distillery also on May 2 which will include bee-keeping, embroidery, information about  salmon in the River Spey and its tributaries, as well details of activities in the area.

Should you make purchase of some of the finest liquid produce from Speyside, then you’ll need a glass from which to drink it. So why not have a go at making your own from a selection of Speyside timber at a green wood crafting workshop?

This is a centuries-old craft will see participants learning how to select, cleave and carve out freshly felled logs using a selection of hand tools and devices, including carving axes, drawknives, carving knives, shaving horses and pole lathes.

Or watch a master glass blower at work in a demonstration at The Macallan Distillery. Small groups will be taken on a guided tour with tutored nosing and tasting of four expressions of The Macallan plus its new-make spirit.

The experience ends with Tom Young from the Angel’s Share Glass Works in Bridge of Allan demonstrating the handcrafting of ‘hanging angels’ or ‘water droppers’.

From stitching to woodcarving there’s all kinds of arts and crafts featuring in this year’s festival programme alongside comedy, food, activities, music and of course whisky events.

With almost 400 events over the five day festival, there will be lots to do and see across the region.

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place from April 30 to May 4, 2015.

Visit www.spiritofspeyside.com to buy tickets and follow the Festival at www.facebook.com/WhiskyFestival or www.twitter.com/spirit_Speyside

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY NAMED

THE WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE WHISKEY MAKER

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye deemed the World’s Best American Whiskey

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (April 2, 2015) – Whisky Magazine recently awarded Buffalo Trace Distillery with the title of Innovator of the Year at the Whiskies & Spirits Conference in London. According to Whisky Magazine, the 240+ year-old-Distillery was named the World’s Best Whisky Brand Innovator due to its, “ …maintaining a continuous commitment to experimentation and research in the production of premium American Whiskeys,” said Managing Editor, Rupert Wheeler.

One clear example is Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye Whiskey, which the Distillery produces once each year. Handy won top honors at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards when the rye whiskey was named the World’s Best American Whiskey. In addition, eight other whiskeys from Buffalo Trace won awards at this prestigious competition.

Over the years Buffalo Trace Distillery has become known for innovation and experimental whiskies, including the Single Oak Project. This experiment has been called the most extensive bourbon experiment ever undertaken and examines seven critical variables which resulted in 192 unique bourbons, currently being rated by whisky connoisseurs. Results and findings are expected to be released later this year.

 The Distillery also just recently built and filled Warehouse X, an experimental warehouse comprised of four independently operating chambers that will allow specific environmental factors to be tested, to determine their effect on aging barrels. Although not quite a year into the first experiment, measuring how light affects barrel aging, already the Distillery has obtained valuable data.

In addition to Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye’s World’s Best American Whiskey designation, two whiskies received three American overall awards. Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year was the overall winner for Best Age Statement Bourbon and the overall winner for Best Bourbon, and Thomas H. Handy Straight Rye Whiskey was the overall winner for Best American Rye.

 For Best Non-Age Statement Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon received gold, Col. E. H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon received silver and William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey received bronze.

Col. E.H. Taylor Jr. Straight Rye Whiskey won gold for Best Non-Age Statement American Rye, and W.L. Weller 12 Year won bronze for Best Age Statement Bourbon.

The 2015 World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky were announced at the Whiskies & Spirits Conference in London on March 19. Whiskies in each category were subject to rigorous blind taste testing to determine the best of each category. American Icons are determined following nominations from producers, retailers, distributors and importers, which are then voted on by those in the industry before Whisky Magazine’s editorial panel reviews the votes.

To determine the 2015 World Icons of Whisky, icons in America, Scotland and the rest of the world were voted on before the Whisky Magazine editorial panel was tasked with deciding the winner for each global title in the Icons categories.

For more information about the World Whiskies Awards visit www.worldwhiskiesawards.com and http://iconsofwhisky.com/.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

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 www.buffalotracedistillery.com.

HOLLYWOOD ELITE CELEBRATE THE 20^TH ANNUAL JAMESON EMPIRE AWARDS

Jameson Irish Whiskey welcomed the Hollywood elite to London this week, where the best films and filmmakers of the past year, as voted for by readers of Empire magazine and global film fans, were honoured at the 20^th Jameson Empire Awards on Sunday 29^th March.

Science-fiction box office smash Interstellar, featuring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, was the big award winner of the night, scooping Best Film, Best Director and Empire Inspiration Award for director, Christopher Nolan. McConaughey and co-star Jessica Chastain were in attendance at the ceremony, alongside other notable guests including Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Simon Pegg and Liam Neeson.

The Empire Awards form part of Jameson’s innovative and longstanding film marketing platform alongside its other film properties, including Jameson First Shot and Cult Film Club. Through film, Jameson engages with cinema fanatics in more than 30 countries as it seeks to maintain the momentum of Irish whiskey around the world.

NOTES

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.

http://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/

Going for Gold at San Francisco 

Tomatin Distillery has won a record number of Gold Medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its range of single malt Scotch Whiskies, with one Double Gold and four Gold medals.

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the largest, most influential international spirits competition in America, is judged by a prestigious panel of nationally recognized spirits experts. Judging is based on a blind, consensual procedure, ensuring competitive integrity as it remains the nation’s most respected spirits competition.

This year’s shining star is one of the distillery’s latest additions to the range, the 1988 vintage batch release, which scooped a Double Gold medal. Matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Port casks, this edition is limited to just 2500 bottles per annum and was introduced to the range in April 2014.

Launched at the same time as the 1988 was the 14 Year Old, also matured using Bourbon and Port casks. This, along with the distillery’s 12 and 18 Year Old expressions, all won Gold medals in this year’s competition.

Cù Bòcan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a lightly peated single malt also produced at the Tomatin Distillery – production switches to peated malt for just one week per year. The standard edition, using peated whisky matured in Bourbon, Sherry and Virgin Oak casks, also won a Gold medal at this year’s awards.

Stephen Bremner, Sales Director, commented on the win: “These latest medals are testament to our commitment to producing a world-class product here at the Tomatin Distillery. Our wood policy is second to none; we produce a high quality spirit which develops into great whisky through maturation in the right casks. The result is a varied range of whiskies providing whisky consumers with a choice of flavours and styles.”

Notes

• Award information and results are available here: http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/overview
• The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd is a producer and blender of Scotch whisky, boasting a strong core range of single malt whiskies along with a range of popular blends.
• Website: http://www.tomatin.com/   Download our Press Kit from the Contact Us page Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tomatin1897     Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tomatin1897
• The distillery was established in 1897, and while historically the whisky produced was primarily sold for use in other brands of blended whisky, the company is now very focussed on growing the Tomatin single malt brand in its own right.
• The company’s most popular blends are The Antiquary, The Talisman and Big ‘T’.
• The distillery is owned by Japanese company Takara Shuzo: http://www.takarashuzo.co.jp/english/index.htm
• Images are available on request.