BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY WINS

TOP AWARDS IN FOUR DIFFERENT TASTING COMPETITIONS

Whiskeys win 2 chairman’s trophies, 3 double gold medals, more than 28 other top awards 

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (April 14, 2015) Spring has sprung, and with it have come the results of four recent whiskey competitions in which Buffalo Trace Distillery fared splendidly. The Distillery claimed two Chairman’s Trophies at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and won three double gold medals in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition along with several gold and silver medals. Buffalo Trace also received top awards at the North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition and the Denver International Spirits Competition.

“We are thrilled and flattered to be consistently ranked so highly among such a broad range of prestigious competitions,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, said. “We take pride in these whiskeys and are honored by each of these awards.”

2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge

Judges awarded Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye each the highest honor of “Chairman’s Trophy” at the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Selected as Chairman’s Trophy finalists in their respective categories were Blanton’s, Stagg Jr, Weller 12 Year Old, E.H. Taylor Single Barrel, Sazerac Rye and E.H. Taylor Straight Rye.

            Those awarded as “Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation” include:

• Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old
• Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye
• Blanton’s Single Barrel
• Stagg Jr.
• Weller 12 Year Old
• E. H. Taylor Single Barrel

Those awarded the distinction of “Excellent, Highly Recommended” were:

• Sazerac Rye
• Buffalo Trace
• E. H. Taylor Barrel Proof
• E.H. Taylor Straight Rye

Awarded the distinction of “Very Good, Strong Recommendation” were:

• E.H. Taylor Small Batch
• Benchmark

Weller 12 Year Old, Sazerac Rye, Buffalo Trace and Benchmark were deemed to be “Great Values.” Receiving a designation as “Tried & True” were Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old, Thomas H. Handy, Blanton’s, Weller 12 year Old, Sazerac Rye, Buffalo Trace and Benchmark.

This competition, in its sixth year, is judged by a panel of the spirit industry’s most renowned judges including award-winning authors, buyers, journalists, educators and bar owners, who rate each spirit on a 100-point scale.

Complete results for the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge can be found at www.ultimate-beverage.com/usc2015results.

San Francisco World Spirits Competition

More than 1,580 entries were submitted for a blind tasting at the 15^th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition, where 41 of the industry’s finest spirits experts reviewed each entry, ultimately awarding Buffalo Trace Distillery three double gold medals, six gold medals, and one silver medal.

Double Gold

• Sazerac Rye
• Thomas Handy
• Stagg Jr.

Gold

• Buffalo Trace
• Eagle Rare
• Weller 12 Year Old
• William Larue Weller
• E.H. Taylor Small Batch
• Benchmark

Complete results for the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition can be found at http://sfspiritscomp.com/results/browse.

North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was awarded double gold and designated “Best of Class Bourbon” at the 2015 North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition. Additionally, E.H. Taylor Small Batch and Stagg Jr. were awarded gold, and EH. Taylor Single Barrel and Sazerac Rye were awarded silver.

The results of North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition are decided by a panel of spirits professionals using a 100-point scale. Complete results for the 2015 North American Bourbon & Whisky Competition can be found at www.whiskeycomp.com/results.

Denver International Spirits Competition

Buffalo Trace, Stagg Jr., E.H. Taylor Small Batch and E.H. Taylor Single Barrel were each awarded silver medals at the 2015 Denver International Spirits Competition. This competition, in its fourth year, is also based on a 100-point scale and is judged by a panel of 15 respected spirits authorities. Complete results for the 2015 Denver International Spirits Competition can be found at http://www.denverspiritscomp.com/results.html.

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

Suntory Holdings Limited Named “Advertiser of the Year” at the 18th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (ADFEST 2015)
The first Japanese spirits and beverage maker to receive this award

Tokyo, Japan, April 2015 – At the 18^th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (ADFEST 2015) held in Thailand during March 19 to 21, Suntory Holdings Limited was named “Advertiser of the Year,” the most prestigious special award for an advertiser. This was the first time that a Japanese spirits and beverage maker won this award.

Founded in 1998, the Asia Pacific Advertising Festival is one of the largest advertising festivals in the Asia Pacific region. Ranging from the Asia Pacific region to the Middle East, this year there were a total of 3,295 entries in all 18 categories.

“Advertiser of the Year” is a special award that began from 2008. It awards the advertiser with the highest score, which is determined by scoring the number of awards received and the number of finalists among 15 categories and the awards received in the LOTUS ROOTS* and then totaling those scores. With a total of 15 category awards (2 Grand Prix, 3 Gold, 6 Silver and 4 Bronze), Suntory Holdings was able to receive this special award.

• * A special category traversing all 18 categories. Awarded to work that represent regional values (culture, faith, religion, tradition, words, etc.).

Overview of the 18th Asia Pacific Advertising Festival (ADFEST 2015)

Special Award

“Advertiser of the Year” Suntory Holdings Limited

Category Awards

Title: HIBIKI Harmony Bar with HIBIKI Glass

Summary: Featuring HIBIKI Glass, the world’s first interactive whisky glass that mixes Japan’s traditional glass design and an innovative sensor technology. The plot involves sound and images inside the bar that convey a sense of the seasons linked with the motions of touching the glass, tipping it, waying the ice and drinking. It provides a virtual experience of the HIBIKI’s view of the world on the Web.

Award Details: LOTUS ROOTS, INNOVA LOTUS, OUTDOOR LOTUS, INTERACTIVE LOTUS & DIRECT LOTUS

Title: SUNTORY WHISKY 3D on the Rocks
Summary: Using cutting edge 3D technology to create beautiful ice of various objects and shapes, such as the Kinkaku-ji Temple and a guitar, to make it into a whisky on the rocks. A new world of whisky can be enjoyed through the images.
Award Details: BRANDED CONTENT & ENTERTAINMENT LOTUS, INTERACTIVE LOTUS, INTERACTIVE LOTUS, OUTDOOR LOTUS, DESIGN LOTUS.

Title: C.C.Lemon THE NINJA SCHOOL GIRLS
Summary: A pair of normal looking high school girls appear. As the two friends are filming on a smartphone their usual day of having fun in the classroom, an epic game of tag can be enjoyed when the two rush out of the school and begin jumping around freely all over town like ninjas.
Award Details: INTERACTIVE LOTUS

CELEBRATING 200 YEARS WITH THE RETURN OF LAPHROAIG® 15 YEAR OLD

20 April 2015: Established in 1815, this year sees the 200th anniversary of Laphroaig® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. To commemorate this landmark celebration, Laphroaig is proud to announce a very special and limited release of Laphroaig 15 Year Old.

A long revered expression in the Laphroaig range, Laphroaig 15 Year Old was originally launched more than 30 years ago, with a lower level of peat and a higher bottling strength of 43% all combining to give the whisky a mellow, rounded taste, its briny orchard fruits adding bite and depth, the overall feel rich and smoky.

Laphroaig Distillery Manager John Campbell decided to re-release this product, one of his long-time favourites, in celebration of Laphroaig’s 200th anniversary. Beautifully made, Laphroaig 15 Year Old pays homage to the original edition, answering the call for its return by many a long term friend, while at the same time introducing new fans of Laphroaig to a whisky that they have yet to taste.

Laphroaig has been dividing opinions for 200 years, always garnering strong and interesting points of view through the years. Some of these varying opinions are featured in videos as part of the Laphroaig Opinions Welcome campaign, which can be viewed at www.laphroaig.com/opinions.

Laphroaig 15 Year Old will continue to welcome a multitude of different global perspectives on the divisive whisky with the launch of ‘200 Opinions Wanted’ – a competition to celebrate the very best Laphroaig opinions from around the world. Two-hundred of the most unique opinions will be displayed as individual tiles on the distillery wall and the authors of the very best of them will be rewarded with a trip to Islay to attend “Laphroaig Live,” a global whisky event held at the historic Laphroaig Distillery for the first time in nine years.

In addition to the distillery’s 200th anniversary, this year also marks the 21st birthday of Friends of Laphroaig, the brand’s loyal group of fans and supporters. Much of this year’s Laphroaig Live is designed with them firmly front of mind. All the more reason to celebrate!

Laphroaig 15 Year Old will be available in May 2015 in all good whisky retailers with a RRP of £75.00 with additional new releases planned across the year.

www.laphroaig.com

NOTES 

Official Tasting Notes:
A touch of water releases salted caramel, with signature Islay peat smoke underlying sweet orchard fruit aromas.
• Nose – Scents of grapefruit and fresh mint greet you when you first open the bottle
• Palate – The first taste is of pink peppercorns with light peat smoke and a soft dryness that resolves to the flavour of tobacco. Just a faint hint of the sea follows, testimony to 15 years of maturation next to the Atlantic Ocean.
• Finish – The prolonged mellow finish, with a smoky aftertaste, will ensure your experience is fulfilling and unforgettable

Laphroaig:
• Laphroaig is the No.1 selling Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky globally
• Unmistakably peat-smoke flavours are delivered by burning local Islay peat, containing unique traces of seaweed and heather.
• One of only a few distilleries that still uses traditional malting floors and dries and infuses its own malt with the thick blue smoke from old peat-fired kilns.
• The Friends of Laphroaig programme keeps fans of the brand up to date with special offers and news from distillery manager, John Campbell. On signing up, members are allocated their own square foot of land on Islay, and their names are added to the members’ book in the friends lounge at the distillery. Members who visit the distillery are invited to collect their ‘rent’ – a dram of Laphroaig. The community comprises more than 669,000 like-minded Scotch fans from more than 190 countries.

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.

Israel’s first dedicated whisky distillery set up after visit to Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

A love of drams and a nation’s thirst for the spirit has inspired an Israeli entrepreneur to develop plans to establish the first dedicated whisky distillery in his native country.

While thousands of visitors from all over the world prepare to descend on the malt whisky capital of the world for the 16th Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival from April 30 to May 4 this year, Rafi Dahan and his wife Dafna hope to be overseeing the start of construction on Israel’s first distillery to produce only whisky.

Israel’s home-produced Kosher whisky will be stored in wine casks in cellars underneath the Dead Sea and the water of life could begin to flow as early as 2020.

The couple got a taste for whisky a few years back after a Scottish member of their Synagogue introduced them to a selection of drams. Each Saturday he would bring along a different whisky to taste and the pair acquired a real love of whisky, it becoming their drink of choice.

As a real estate developer, Rafi (48) is always keen to seek out new ventures so researching the whisky industry and finding no producers in Israel, yet an increasing demand for the product, made him explore the possibility of going into production himself.

That led the couple on a journey to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival two years ago.

Thanks to a late cancellation, they secured places at the festival’s prestigious whisky school, and found the programme excellent. They made the most of their trip to Speyside by attending a wide variety of whisky festival events and tasted more whiskies during those 10 days than they had in the course of a year!

The trip also made them determined to produce quality whisky. They have now visited40 distilleries all over the world, and have had negotiations with specialist suppliers from many different countries in order to equip their distillery.

Rafi says that he plans to supply the Israeli and Jewish markets initially, but with an ambition to produce good whisky, he hopes that his produce will one day be available to buy in Scotland.

Rafi says: “I ordered a report into the Israeli Alcohol Market and I was shocked to discover that whisky market has increased by 7% every year since 2008, yet vodka and other spirits are going down. The whisky market in Israel per year is worth approximately $200 million and everything is 100% import.

“I asked myself how come nobody has opened a distillery in Israel? My thoughts are you have to be old enough to love whisky, you have to be wealthy – no bank will finance this business plan – and you have to be crazy on whisky, as well as having the dream.

 “This will be the first and only whisky distillery in Israel. We decided that the whisky will produce will be Kosher Whisky, the process to be supervised by Rabbi and the maturation will be in Kosher wine casks.

“Everybody that knows of our plans thinks it’s really exciting. The construction plans are ready and I would like construction to begin by April. The equipment will arrive during 12 month from starting construction.”

The site will include a distillery, offices, visitor centre, distillery shop and coffee shop along with maturation building and gardens, but the name of the distillery and its product is being kept under wraps meantime.

With more than 350 events, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival includes a range of specialist tours, tastings and experiences that prove popular with whisky enthusiasts, as well as crafts, walks, music, folklore tours and dinners all set within the Speyside region.

Tickets for all events in the 2015 Festival programme can be bought via the website – www.spiritofspeyside.com The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter.

Photo: Rafi and Dafna Dahan hatched plans to set up Israel’s first distillery dedicated to the production of whisky after visiting the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Notes

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs from Thursday, April 30-Monday, May 4 2015.  Check out www.spiritofspeyside.com for up-to-date news and follow the Festival at www.facebook.com/WhiskyFestival  or www.twitter.com/spirit_speyside

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

EventScotland: EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.eventscotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews. EventScotland is part of VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland.

Two more wins at the World Whiskies Awards

The prestigious World Whiskies Awards has recognised Tamdhu as a whisky that’s got it all in terms of taste and design with two major awards for its 10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt: Best Speyside Single Malt 12 Years & Under and Best Re-launch/Redesign for its iconic bottle.

The awards were announced at the World Drinks Awards reception in London, on Wednesday 19th March 2015.

A host of leading distillers from the whisky industry as well as journalists, specialist drinks retailers, bartenders/mixologists and hoteliers made up the judging panel that awarded Tamdhu. Each entry was blind tasted and marked to an agreed system. As well as nose, palate and finish the judges looked for balance, character, complexity, quality and functionality.

The design judging was conducted by a panel of leading international design experts. Judges assessed entries purely on the quality of the design and innovative use of materials and production techniques. All entries were scored against clearly defined criteria including, breakthrough in category, confidence, craft skills, insight and inspiration.

Commenting on the awards, Iain Weir, Marketing Director for Ian Macleod Distillers (owners of Tamdhu), said, “We are ecstatic to have won two awards for our Tamdhu 10 Year Old at the World Whiskies Awards. The iconic design and quality of Tamdhu has received wide recognition since it was re-launched in May 2013 so we are delighted to have been presented these awards.

“Tamdhu is matured in only the finest sherry casks, many of which are first fill and teeming with flavor. Patience is then required to allow the casks to do their work, giving Tamdhu its wondrous natural colour and unique quality.”

“Its quality is further defined by the hint of peat in our malted barley and the water which is drawn directly from the Tamdhu spring.”

The World Whiskies Awards have been held by Whisky Magazine every year since 2007 recognising whiskies from across Europe, the US and Asia.

Tamdhu is owned by one of Scotland’s leading, independent, family-owned distillers, Ian Macleod Distillers. Tamdhu was born on the banks of the River Spey in 1897 – an era when anything seemed possible. When obstacles were there to be overcome, an age of the CAN-DHU-SPIRIT

www.tamdhu.com

Knob Creek Named “Best Bourbon” as Beam Suntory Wins 113 Awards in Prestigious Blind-Tasting Competitions

Deerfield, Illinois, April 7, 2015 – Beam Suntory, the world’s third largest premium spirits company, earned prestigious accolades spanning all major spirits categories in three internationally-renowned spirits competitions, including the title of “Best Bourbon” for its Knob Creek® Bourbon brand.  Jim Beam® Single Barrel, Jim Beam® Distiller’s Masterpiece, Yamazaki® Japanese Whisky, Hakushu® Japanese Whisky, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Bowmore® Scotch Whisky and El Tesoro® Tequila were among brands that also captured top recognition in the blind tasting competitions.

San Francisco World Spirits Competition

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition awarded Beam Suntory 55 total medals, including the “Director’s Award of Excellence” for the company’s “excellent portfolio of spirits” (the first time the company has received this honor).  Knob Creek® Bourbon earned a Double Gold medal and out-rated 95 other bourbons to be named “Best Bourbon.”  Yamazaki® 18 Years Old Japanese Whisky also earned a Double Gold medal and the title of “Best” product in its category, while El Tesoro® Anejo Tequila earned a Double Gold medal and the distinguished title of “Best Anejo Tequila.”  In all, the company’s excellence in whiskey was recognized with 11 Double Gold medals and 13 Gold medals for brands including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Hakushu® Japanese Whisky, Auchentoshan® Scotch Whisky, Bowmore® Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Laphroaig® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky.  Beam Suntory Vodka, Cognac and Irish Whiskey brands also earned medals in this competition.

“We are very proud that the quality of our premium portfolio has been recognized with the Director’s Award of Excellence in just our first full year as Beam Suntory,” said Matt Shattock, Chairman & CEO of Beam Suntory. “It’s also particularly gratifying that Knob Creek, our flagship super-premium bourbon brand, has earned the distinction of Best Bourbon.  Booker Noe created the Small Batch Collection two decades ago, and this is a very proud moment for his son, Fred Noe, who carries on the Knob Creek legacy today.  I’m equally pleased that Yamazaki and El Tesoro rose to the top of their categories. All of these honors are a tribute to the people of Beam Suntory, who craft the spirits brands that stir the world, from our distilleries in the U.S. to Japan, from Mexico to Scotland, from Ireland to France, from Canada to Spain, and everywhere in between.”

Ultimate Spirits Challenge and International Review of Spirits

Beam Suntory’s whiskey and tequila brands were also honored by the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and the Beverage Tasting Institute’s “International Review of Spirits” competition.  Judges in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge awarded El Tesoro® Platinum Tequila the “Chairman’s Trophy” (Best in Show), scoring the spirit a 95 and an “Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation.”  Among 40 additional trophies, 12 Beam Suntory brands earned Ultimate Recommendations, including Knob Creek® Bourbon and Jim Beam® Single Barrel Bourbon.  Separately, the Beverage Tasting Institute awarded Beam Suntory 17 total medals in its “International Review of Spirits” competition, including the most Gold Medals for bourbon in the industry and a Platinum Medal (highest rated) for Jim Beam® Distiller’s Masterpiece.

Top Beam Suntory Results from the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition:

Double Gold Winners Include: Alberta Rye® Dark Batch™ Whisky, Auchentoshan® 12 Years Old Scotch Whisky, Bowmore® 18 Years Old Scotch Whisky, Bowmore® Small Batch Scotch Whisky, Canadian Club® Chairman’s Select™ Rye Whisky, El Tesoro® Añejo Tequila, El Tesoro® Platinum Tequila, Hakushu® 18 Years Old Japanese Whisky, Knob Creek® Bourbon, Yamazaki® 18 Years Old Japanese Whisky, Yamazaki® 25 Years Old Japanese Whisky

Gold Winners Include: Bowmore® 10 Years Old Scotch Whisky, Bowmore® Darkest 15 Years Old Scotch Whisky, Courvoisier® VS Cognac, Jim Beam® Devil’s Cut™, Jim Beam® Black Bourbon, Jim Beam® Distiller’s Masterpiece Bourbon, Jim Beam® Harvest Bourbon Collection™ Brown Rice Bourbon, Jim Beam® Harvest Bourbon Collection™ High Rye Bourbon, Jim Beam® Signature Craft Quarter Cask Bourbon, Knob Creek® Single Barrel Bourbon, Laphroaig® Triple Wood Scotch Whiskey, Laphroaig® 25 Years Old Scotch Whisky

Top Beam Suntory Results from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge: 

Bowmore® Darkest 15 Years Old Scotch Whisky – FINALIST; 97; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Connemara® Irish Whiskey – FINALIST; 96; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Bowmore® 18 Years Old Scotch Whisky – FINALIST; 96; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Bowmore® 25 Years Old Scotch Whisky – FINALIST; 96; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

El Tesoro® Platinum Tequila – CHAIRMAN’S TROPHY (best in show); 95; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Auchentoshan® Three Wood® – 95; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Laphroaig® 25 Years Old Scotch Whisky – 95; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Knob Creek® Bourbon – FINALIST; 95; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Jim Beam® Single Barrel Bourbon – FINALIST; 95; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Jim Beam® Harvest Bourbon Collection™ Soft Red Wheat Bourbon – FINALIST; 95; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Laphroaig® 10 Years Old Scotch Whisky – 95; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Laphroaig® Quarter Cask Scotch Whisky – 95; Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation

Kilbeggan® 18 Years Old Irish Whiskey – 94; FINALIST; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Maker’s Mark® Bourbon – 94; Excellent, Highly recommended

Maker’s Mark® Cask Strength Bourbon – 94; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Laphroaig® Select Scotch Whisky – 94; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Jim Beam® Distiller’s Masterpiece Bourbon – 94; Excellent, Highly Recommended

El Tesoro® Reposado Tequila – FINALIST; 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Knob Creek® Single Barrel Bourbon – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Jim Beam® Bonded Bourbon – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Jim Beam® Devil’s Cut™ Bourbon – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Jim Beam® Harvest Bourbon Collection™ Brown Rice Bourbon – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Jim Beam® Harvest Bourbon Collection™ High Rye Bourbon – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Tyrconnell® Irish Whiskey – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Laphroaig® Triple Wood Scotch Whisky – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Bowmore® 12 Years Old Scotch Whisky – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Glen Garioch® 12 Years Old Scotch Whisky – 93; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Knob Creek® Rye Whiskey – 92; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Jim Beam® Rye Whiskey – 92; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Jim Beam® Harvest Bourbon Collection™ Rolled Oat Bourbon – 92; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Auchentoshan® American Oak™ Scotch Whisky – 92; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Ao™ Vodka – 91; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Auchentoshan®12 Years Old Scotch Whisky – 91; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Bowmore® Dorus Mor II 10 Years Old Scotch Whiskey – 91; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Glen Garioch® Founder’s Reserve Scotch Whisky – 90; Excellent, Highly Recommended

Bowmore® Small Batch Scotch Whiskey – 90; Excellent, Highly Recommended

For more information on Beam Suntory brands, please visit www.beamsuntory.com.

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.

Digital Innovation Connects Employees At Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has launched an innovative solution for a brand and manufacturing business to bring all its employees online on sites from Orkney to Plymouth.

It has just replaced its traditional internal website with a new digital hub that supplies a bespoke mobile website to tablet computers enabling all its employees, including around 50% which are not office based or who do not have their own personal computer, to access a broad range of company news and information from its 29 sites in the UK.

Content for the new site has been the subject of a dynamic new approach. Video and interactive features figure strongly and are easily consumed with the Samsung Galaxy S3 device chosen for distribution to all employees. Key business updates and administrative information are combined with a ‘Community Spirit’ section that allows employees to update each other about activities away from work such as fundraising and social clubs including the company’s sailing club and golf society.

The new site, whilst optimised for mobile devices, also becomes the digital hub for all company computers. The project will substantially streamline Chivas Brothers’ internal communications replacing a number of channels such as magazines and newsletters with a single digital channel offering instant access for employees and instant updates from the company. IT services and solutions provider Kelway Ltd, which supplied the tablets, have also been commission to provide a helpdesk for the company’s 1600 employees who are now digitally connected.

The tablets, issued to every employee by the start of 2015, will also provide access to information and internal websites from the company’s parent group, Pernod Ricard, connecting Chivas Brothers employees with colleagues around the world and a view of how and where the company’s revered portfolio of high quality Scotch whiskies and gins are sold and consumed.

Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO Laurent Lacassagne commented: “Through this initiative we wanted to better connect our teams together, everyone in every department, in every location, from the north of Scotland to London and Plymouth.

“Each and every member of our team makes Chivas Brothers a dynamic, innovative and thriving business. Now we have a single digital home to celebrate and take pride in our achievements and continue to improve our communication, efficiency and our dynamic approach to producing some of the world’s most highly regarded and successful Scotch whiskies and premium gins.”

A version of the digital hub also replaces the company’s corporate website, utilising the same mobile optimisation and bringing its media centre, Magazine (showcasing the company’s innovations and brand campaigns) and corporate updates to an important stakeholder audience – the site is available at http://www.chivasbrothers.com/.

Notes:

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.

http://www.chivasbrothers.com/

@ChivasNewsRoom

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

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

Smögen Svensk Single Malt Whisky arrives

Smögen Primör, the first chance to taste single malt whisky from Sweden’s Smögen distillery, has arrived.

Produced from optic barley of 45ppm and distilled by hand in small batches in a 600 litre spirit pot still, the spirit has been matured in a combination of new European oak casks and former Bordeaux casks. Smögen Primör is heavily peated, powerful and rich for its age.  Primör is bottled at natural colour and cask strength of 63.7% vol.

The Smögen distillery was designed and built in 2010 by pioneering distiller Pär Caldenby, on the west coast of Sweden, north of Gothenburg. With a production capacity of just 35000 litres, the comparatively small size of the distillery allows for an attention to detail not seen elsewhere. Until now every drop of Smögen Whisky has been distilled and blended by Pär Caldenby personally.

Commenting on the release Pär Caldenby said, ‘When I set out to build a distillery I was aiming to take inspiration from the best that Scotland, France and Japan could offer and make a very distinctive malt whisky, in fully traditional pot stills. The decidedly coastal location and use of heavily peated malt alongside virgin or first fill casks means a fast maturing whisky. Our first bottling, Primör, shows part of our progress to date and I am quite delighted with the result’.

Smögen Primör is available from The Green Welly Stop, Single Malts Direct and The Whisky Exchange.

Notes

1. Smögen website: http://www.strane.se/                Twitter: @SmogenWhiskyUK

2. In 2007 Pär Caldenby wrote ‘Enjoying Malt Whisky’, a detailed guide to Single Malt whisky. ISBN: 978-91-633-1539-8.

3. Alongside whisky, the distillery now also produces Strane London Dry Gin.  http://www.strane.se/

4. Smögen Whisky AB is represented by Highfern Ltd. For pictures, more information and sales enquires please contact; Robert Ransom, Highfern Ltd, robert@highfern.co.uk  Mobile: 07811 640778

Smögen Svensk Single Malt Whisky – Sherry Project 1:1 51.8% Vol. With a heavily peated house style, this is the first release in a mini series exploring the impact of sherry cask maturation and finishing on Smögen Svensk Single Malt Whisky. Sherry Project 1:1 was initially matured for two years and ten months in new heavily roasted 120 litre Quarter casks, made from European Oak, before being transferred and finished for four months in an Oloroso sherry butt.

‘This is a very good whisky. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Pär Caldenby & co. can really distil whisky in absolute class, there is no doubt. I will follow Smögen with eager anticipation.’ Johan Borgemo, Whiskynorden

Sherry Project 1:1 is limited to 900 500ml bottles, of which 600 sold within 21 hours of being released in Sweden’s Systembolaget, in November 2014.

Smögen Svensk Single Malt Whisky – Sherry Project 1:2 55.7% Vol. Like Sherry Project 1:1, Sherry Project 1:2 was initially matured in new heavily roasted 120 litre Quarter casks, but has been finished for longer, for eight months, again in an Oloroso Sherry Butt.

744 bottles (of the 880 produced) of Sherry Project 1:2 went on sale in Sweden’s Systembolaget on the 26^th of March 2015, and sold in less than one minute.

Looking to the future, Sherry Project 1:3, will be finished for 12 months and bottled in summer 2015. The finale to the series will be Sherry Project 1:4, which will be released as a four year old whisky, and will be matured entirely in Sherry casks, starting with Quarter casks and then married together for six months in another Sherry Butt. It is due for release late 2015.

For pictures of Smögen please click here

UK’s busiest malt whisky ferry wins an International Safety Award with merit

Caledonian MacBrayne’s MV Finlaggan ferry has won an International Safety Award with merit from the British Safety Council.

A new addition to CalMac’s fleet in 2011, MV Finlaggan carries more bulk malt whisky than any other ferry in the UK, and, indeed, very possibly the world, transporting the Isle of Islay’s most famous export on the first leg of its global journey.

The safety and handling considerations given to this most precious and revered of cargoes were among many criteria explored in a submission by CalMac to the British Safety Council for its annual awards.

For the whisky connoisseur, the most likely hazard facing them is the potential for over-indulgence. However, for a ferry company transporting some 25 per cent of Scotland’s annual malt whisky output from its island birthplace onwards to world markets, it is quite a different prospect. Islay has eight distilleries and neighbouring island Jura has one – all nine ship their cargo using CalMac ferries, most frequently MV Finlaggan.

Tasty as these whiskies may be, such cargoes are also hazardous and must be handled with care – whether it be the potential risk of fire or pollution hazard.

 In 2014, Finlaggan – which also provides occasional cover on the Skye to North Uist and Harris routes – carried 114,000 passengers, 40,000 cars and 6,500 commercial vehicles, spending the equivalent of more than 130 days at sea.

The rigorous submissions procedure also investigated everything from details of crew welfare through to first aid procedures, how health and safety hazards are determined to testing of emergency systems, and much more besides.

“The safety of customers, crews and vessels across our fleet are of paramount importance at CalMac,” said Louis de Wolff, Head of Safety, Environment and Security at Caledonian MacBrayne. “MV Finlaggan has worked hard to ensure that all systems are in place to deliver robust health, safety and welfare procedures, accurate and thorough reporting and compliance with an extensive set of maritime legislation, licensing and certification requirements.

“Congratulations to all members of Finlaggan’s crew – it is a collaborative effort and testament to the way that the ship’s team has prioritised and focused on the health, safety and welfare of passengers, crew and the ship.”

“Everyone on board, has a safety role of some description,” continued MV Finlaggan’s Master, Guy Robertson. “All crew members feel fully involved and take great pride in their excellent record. They came together with headquarters’ Safety, Environment and Security Department staff to put together this award entry and we are proud to have achieved this result.”

These awards are internationally renowned as a pinnacle of achievement in the field and attract entries from blue chip companies globally – others which achieved merit awards alongside CalMac were Babcock International, BAE, Boeing, Carillion, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline and Unilever. Companies from as far afield as India, Nigeria, Jordan, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait were all rewarded.

Neal Stone, acting Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, said: “We warmly congratulate Caledonian MacBrayne’s MV Finlaggan and her crew on gaining an International Safety Award with merit for 2015. All of those working on board have made this award possible.

“It was also apparent that Caledonian MacBrayne recognises the value that proportionate and sensible management of occupational health and safety risks brings to the organisation, its people and society.

“These awards reflect the importance of aiming for good standards of health and safety at work. Caledonian MacBrayne and MV Finlaggan should rightly be proud of this achievement.”  

Picture shows:

Handling with care – crew members (left to right) deck trainee Jamie Knox, chief officer and safety officer Lee McDowell and quartermaster Malcolm Miller from MV Finlaggan with just a little of Islay’s precious malt whisky cargo; just one of the reasons the ship has picked up an International Safety Award with merit 

Notes:

1) Further information about CalMac is available at www.calmac.co.uk

2) Caledonian MacBrayne and CalMac are trading names of CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL). These names are used under licence from Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL). The lion rampant device is used by CFL with the permission of CMAL.