BALLANTINE’S BRINGS HISTORY TO LIFE WITH NEW LIMITED EDITION PACKS FOR CHRISTMAS 2014

Ballantine’s, the No.2 Scotch whisky in the world, has unveiled a unique selection of limited edition gift packs for its Finest and 12 Year Old expressions, each of which brings to life a story which delves into the history, heritage and craftsmanship of the Ballantine’s brand.

Having recently commissioned a historian to trace the history of Ballantine’s from the early times of its founder, George Ballantine, the design of the two new Ballantine’s Finest gift packs is inspired by one particularly engaging story, which captures the theory behind the square-shaped design of the bottle itself.

‘The Briefcase Story Edition’ explores the unusual shape of the iconic Finest bottle, which some say was created so that American socialites could hide the whisky easily in their briefcases during the years of prohibition, should the cops come calling. Others suggest that it’s the perfect shape for a salesman to hold two bottles in his briefcase, one to show to a client and another for…perhaps celebrating the achievement of a personal sales target?

These interesting packs are available in two styles; the 2014 Briefcase Tin is shaped in the style of a classic briefcase and includes eye-catching effects such as authentic metallic corner protections, to draw attention amongst more mature whisky enthusiasts.

For those who prefer a more contemporary style, the 2014 Briefcase Zip is equally striking, boldly featuring materials such as satin lycra, and modern zip grips that imitate a padlock and key.

The third seasonal gift pack began with the specialness of the Ballantine’s 12 Year Old – its preciousness and the need for it to be kept in a safe place, where one would keep his valuables. The Safe Limited Edition represents a vintage safe which features a combination dial and embossed silver elements; a visual manifestation of the rich, smooth and complex 12 Year Old blend, formed of many flavours that seduce the senses and invite the customer to unlock the unique flavour combination.

One can also imagine George Ballantine having a large, solid safe in his office, guarding his valuable recipes and notes, relating to a lifetime’s commitment to his passion around whisky and what has become the highly cherished Ballantine’s.
Peter Moore, Global Brand Director for Ballantine’s, comments: “We are excited to launch these intriguing limited editions, which will appeal to both Ballantine’s fans and whisky collectors. We wanted to share the richness of the Ballantine’s story on these innovative packs, and hope that this unique approach helps retailers to capture sales during the competitive festive season.”

To encourage customer engagement, there is a series of marketing initiatives available for markets, including print advertising and in-store displays. The gift packs are available now in markets including Greece, India and Chile (The Briefcase) and Portugal, South Africa and Peru (The Safe), priced in parity to Ballantine’s Finest (RRP $14) and Ballantine’s 12 Year Old (RRP $24.50).

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

@Ballantines

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

Triple success for Gordon & MacPhail in major whisky awards

Gordon & MacPhail are toasting triple success in the prestigious Icons of Whisky Awards.

The Elgin-based whisky specialists won the Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year and Whisky Retailer of the Year – Single Outlet awards, while recently retired managing director Michael Urquhart was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year award went to Susan Colville, Brand Home Manager at Gordon & MacPhail owned Benromach Distillery.

“I’m thrilled to have won this award, but more importantly I’m delighted for the team that works so hard to make a visit to Benromach a pleasure,” said Mrs Colville, who won the Young Ambassador of the Year at the 2012 Icons of Whisky Awards.

The judges said: “As Brand Home Manager, Susan is the welcoming face of the distillery, offering tales from her travels and stories of her life growing up in Speyside. The distillery centre team, with Susan at the helm, offers a rare experience. You can enjoy a unique and personalised tour, followed by a dram and chat.”

The Whisky Retailer of the Year – Single Outlet award went to the company’s spiritual home, its shop in South Street, Elgin, which was opened almost 120 years ago.

The judges said: “It is still going strong to this day and is known for the aroma of home cooked local gammon and cheese which greets customers on arrival.

“The store boasts a Whisky Room which stocks around 1,000 different single malts attracting people from all around the world. This ‘Aladdin’s Cave of Whisky’ is a must see, especially if you are after the very old or rare.”

Inclusion in the Hall of Fame is a permanent tribute to individuals who have made a lasting contribution to whisky, and Mr Urquhart joins his brother David, also a former Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, who was inducted last year.

“It’s a tremendous honour for me to sit alongside some very illustrious names from the whisky industry,” Mr Urquhart said.

“I feel it is a reflection of the success of Gordon & MacPhail as a whole and I thank our employees, suppliers and worldwide customer base for their ongoing support.”

Mr Urquhart retired as Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail in September this year and is a non-executive director of the company.

Notes 

Gordon & MacPhail is one of the UK’s leading independent specialist wholesalers and distributors, stocking over 4,500 products, including an extensive portfolio of wines, spirits and UK specialist beers and ciders.

Four generations of the Urquhart family have continued the tradition of seeking out the best and rarest Scotch whiskies. Since its foundation, Gordon & MacPhail’s policy has been to send casks to distilleries throughout Scotland, fill them with “new make” spirit and mature them either at the distillery of origin or in the firm’s own bonded warehouses in Elgin.

The world’s leading malt whisky specialist, Gordon & MacPhail exports to more than 50 countries. It offers more than 300 presentations of own-bottled single malts and has a stock-holding of more than 700 whiskies.

In March 2010 Gordon & MacPhail made history as it launched the world’s oldest single malt whisky – Gordon & MacPhail Generations Mortlach 70 Years Old – at an exclusive event at Edinburgh Castle.

Benromach distillery, which employs just three experienced distillers, went through many changes of ownership and closures before being “rescued” and restored by Gordon & MacPhail in 1993 and was officially opened by the Prince of Wales in 1998. In 2009, Benromach 10 Years Old – the first aged Benromach malt to be made at the distillery under Gordon & MacPhail – was launched.

BENRIACH IS “WHISKY DISTILLER OF THE YEAR”

THE BenRiach Distillery Company is the 2015 “Whisky Distiller of the Year”.

The Edinburgh-headquartered company, owners of the award-winning BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh single maIts, received the prestigious accolade at the “Icons of Whisky Scotland 2015” Awards presented by Whisky Magazine.

The “Icons” reward the people and places behind Scotland’s great whiskies, celebrating companies and individuals for their significant contribution to the Scotch whisky industry.

In 2004, whisky veteran Billy Walker and his two South African partners Geoff Bell and Wayne Kieswetter purchased BenRiach, turning it into one of Scotland’s most admired distilleries. GlenDronach distillery, Glenglassaugh distillery and a large bottling plant at Newbridge followed.

All three distilleries produce unique whiskies with extraordinary depth, balance and character.

Billy Walker said: “It is a fantastic achievement for a privately-owned, independent company to win the award for “Whisky Distiller of the Year”. I’m delighted that it both recognises the creative and innovative things we have been doing at our three distilleries over the last ten years and salutes the high-quality team we have built.”

Mr Walker added: “We will continue to introduce our wonderful portfolio to new markets. Currently we are trading in some 40 countries worldwide with other emerging markets entering the negotiation stage, so the future for all our brands is tremendously exciting.”

The “Icons of Whisky Scotland 2015” cap a very successful year for the BenRiach Distillery Company. In August the company posted record pre-tax profits of £8.9m for 2013 boosted by unprecedented demand for its high-end whiskies in Asia, North America, Russia and Europe.

THE PLOUGH HARBORNE LAUNCHES 60 STRONG WHISKY LIST

The Plough in Harborne is launching a new whisky menu showcasing a selection of rare, exclusive, award-winning and artisan whiskies from all over the world including Japan, Australia, India and America.

The new menu which launches on Monday 15^th December will be home to three single malts that are no longer available to buy in the UK; the Edradour 11 year old Burgundy Cask Finish,  the Miltonduff Batch 1 single malt (of which only 122 bottles were produced) and the Milford 15 year old malt from New Zealand.

Past winners of the World Whiskies Awards will also feature alongside hand-crafted whiskies produced in micro-distilleries such as Copper Fox in Virginia, Corsiar in Nashville TN and Few Distillery in Illinois.

Further to the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 being named as ‘best in the world’ by the 2015 World Whisky Bible Japanese whisky has been recognised as ‘coming of age’ and 10 varieties will be available at The Plough.

The list also boasts a selection of new world whiskies from Sweden and France alongside the only whisky to be made in New York; Hudson Baby Bourbon.

James Thewlis, responsible for Product Development at The Plough, said:

“Our aim is to introduce people to new flavours and a unique experience whilst introducing some of the finest and lesser known whiskies. We’re passionate about working with artisan producers and we’re hugely inspired by what some of these distilleries are doing; they are producing a truly world class product and we’re proud to showcase that at The Plough.”

The new whisky menu complements The Plough’s existing spirits list which takes in a broad range of hand-crafted spirits including vodka made from grapes distilled in a disused aircraft hangar and rum aged for seven years and made using sugar cane from the oldest plantation in Japan.

Whisky shots on the list start from £3.30 and go up to £15.

About The Plough 

The Plough, Harborne has been serving fresh home-cooked food and the best coffee and Sunday lunch in the neighbourhood for 11 years.  Established in 2003 The Plough has undergone extensive renovation since its launch boasting a quirky and eclectic interior and an ‘outdoor lounge’ that is airy, light and unrestricted by season.  With a focus on quality and provenance, ingredients are carefully sourced locally to minimise the environmental ‘tread’ of the business where possible. No stranger to accolades The Plough has been recognised for its coffee, Sunday lunch and interior – named by the Independent as ‘best coffee shop’, celebrated by The Times for the best Sunday Lunch in the region and awarded the ‘Best Restaurant / Bar Design’ at the Northern Design Awards.  

Follow The Plough story here: 

Instagram : @ploughstagram

Twitter : @PloughHarborne

Facebook : The Plough Harborne

21 High Street, Harborne B17 9NT

First New Copper Pot Stills Arrive in Dublin in over 125 years

Landmark day for Teeling Whiskey distillery in Newmarket  

Friday, 5th December – Reviving the Spirit of Dublin, the Teeling Whiskey Company (TWC) this week witnessed the historic arrival of three new, handcrafted copper pot stills at the new whiskey distillery, located in Dublin’s Newmarket in The Liberties.

The pot stills mark a milestone for the Teeling family, bringing whiskey production back to their ancestral roots in Dublin 8. The new distillery will be a modern revival of the Teeling distillery that thrived in the area in the 18^th century.

Crafted in Sienna in Italy by Frilli Impianti, who have been making distilling equipment since 1912, the traditional copper pot stills travelled 2,275 kilometres to their new home in The Liberties, where they were assembled on-site. The 15,000 litre wash still, 10,000 litre intermediate still and 9,000 litre spirit still will be at the heart of the distillery and are essential for creating the distinctive flavour of Teeling Whiskey.

The Teeling Whiskey distillery is the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years and will have the capacity to produce 500,000 litres of whiskey on an annual basis. The Teeling Whiskey brand is already on sale in Ireland and is currently in over 30 export markets.  The construction of the new distillery will guarantee future supply for the Teeling Whiskey brands and allow the creation of a range of innovative and authentic Irish whiskeys based on the traditional and unique Dublin style of distillation

Jack Teeling, founder and managing director of the Teeling Whiskey Company commented “Today is a major milestone in the development of the new Teeling Distillery, with the final pieces of the jigsaw, the copper pot stills, finally positioned in their new home in Newmarket. We are extremely proud to be returning to our ancestral distilling roots and bringing whiskey distillation back to Dublin. We look forward to the first spirit flowing from our new stills and opening our doors to the public to come see a real Dublin distillery in operation in 2015. ” 

The new Teeling Whiskey distillery received planning permission in January 2014 and started work on site in August with over 100 people employed during the construction of the distillery with 30 permanent jobs planned for following its completion. Commission of the new distillery will happen early in the New Year and with the distillery opening its door to visitors soon afterwards.

For more on Teeling Whiskey Company and its award winning Irish whiskeys, visit www.teelingwhiskey.com

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY TRIUMPHS ONCE AGAIN AT ICONS OF WHISKY AWARDS 2014 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is celebrating after a large haul at Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Awards 2014. The Society was named Independent Bottler of the Year for the second year running, and saw 13 casks win individual awards across the board.

The news has rounded off a stellar year for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, who have seen membership figures rise, a sell-out ‘Glorious 12’ whisky and game pop up bar in Shoreditch, London, and the re-launch of their magazine, Unfiltered.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club and bottler which bottles the world’s widest selection of exceptional single cask, single malt whisky for its members.

The Society bottles the finest single malt whisky from around 350 single casks every year from a range of more than 132 distilleries. The very nature of the single cask means that each bottling offered by the Society is limited.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society saw a large array of flavours released over the year, with Irish, extremely rare Japanese grain whiskies and a Bourbon released. The most recent outturn includes their oldest ever single cask Scotch bottling at 48 years old.

Helen Stewart, UK Brand Manager for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society comments on the wins – “We are very excited to be named Independent Bottler of the Year for a second year in a row. Our members choose from the world’s widest selection of single cask, single malt whiskies. All our whiskies are selected and approved by our respected Tasting Panel, who know a great whisky when they try one. These thirteen awards really highlight their skills.”

The full list of awards for The Society single casks below shows the quality of the whisky bottled from around Scotland:

Awards: 

Independent Bottler of The Year 2014

Campbeltown

• Campbeltown bottler of the year award
• 93.61 – Bronze 13-20 yrs
• 93.57 – Gold 21 yrs +

Highland

• 26.101 – Bronze 12yr and under
• 59.48 Silver 21 yrs + 

Islands

• 4.189 Silver 13 to 20yrs

Islay

• Islay bottler of the year award
• 10.76 Silver 12 yrs and under
• 53.184 Gold 13 to 20 yrs
• 3.203 Gold 21yrs + 

Non-Scotch

• 130.1 Gold 12yrs and under
• 131.2 Silver 13 to 20yrs 

Speyside

• 2.85 Bronze 12 yrs and under
• 21.28 Gold 21 yrs and over
• 7.100 Silver 21yrs and over

To purchase membership of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society for £122, visit www.smws.co.uk or call the sales team on 0131 555 2929 

Notes: 

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society  

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club and bottler which bottles the world’s widest selection of exceptional single cask, single malt whisky for its members
• The Society bottles the finest single malt whisky from around 350 single casks every year from a range of more than 132 distilleries. The very nature of the single cask means that each bottling offered by the Society is limited.
• The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members around the world with branches in 19 countries.
• Members can choose from the world’s widest selection of single cask, single malt whiskies with only the very best selected and approved by the Society’s respected Tasting Panel.
• Exclusive Members’ Rooms are located in Edinburgh and London for tastings, dinners, meeting and presentations.
• Annual renewal after the first year is £59
• For more information, visit www.smws.co.uk

Malt Maniacs Awards 2014 – The Winners

This year (2014) sees the 12th edition of The Malt Maniacs Awards and once again we’ve seen some very strong competition throughout the three different categories for those prestigious awards. Our three categories are based on high street price and are as follows:

Daily Drams – Whiskies with a retail price up to €50

Premium Whiskies – Whiskies with a retail price between €51 and €150

Ultra Premium Whiskies – Whiskies with a retail price over €150

Within each category we offer five Awards; Supreme Winner, Best Sherried Whisky, Best Peated Whisky, Best Natural Cask Whisky and a “Thumbs Up” Award for a whisky we believe deserves a special mention. The competition is judged 100% blind, using only numbered samples and also judged only by a panel of our amateur members.

So, without further ado here are our deserving award winners for 2014:

Supreme Champion (Winner of Winners) Kavalan Solist (OB), Sherry Cask No. S060904031

Scoring an average 92 points across all our judges

Daily Drams category

Supreme Winner – Blackadder ‘Smoking Islay’ Cask No. BA2013/451

Best Sherried Whisky – Nantou Cask No.852

Best Peated Whisky – Blackadder ‘Smoking Islay’ Cask No. BA2013/452

Best Natural Cask Whisky – Boutique-y Whisky Company Inchmurrin

Thumbs Up – Lagavulin 16y – A Classic in excellent shape for 2014

Premium Whiskies category

Supreme Winner – Kavalan Solist (OB), Sherry Cask No. S060904031

Best Sherried Whisky – Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask No. S060821047 (OB for LMDW)

Best Peated Whisky – Kavalan Distillery Reserve “Peaty Cask”

Best Natural Cask Whisky – Blackadder “Raw Cask” Bowmore 13y

Thumbs Up – Adelphi Glenrothes 7y Cask No.3529 – So young but already so good

Ultra Premium category

Supreme Winner – Yoichi 21y Heavily Peated Madeira Finish Cask No. 129459

Best Sherried Whisky – Glen Grant 59y “Book of Kells” Cask No.845 (G&M for LMDW)

Best Peated Whisky – Benriach Tawny Port Finish Cask No.451

Best Natural Cask Whisky –Karuizawa 34y Ex-Bourbon Cask No.6476 (No.1 Drinks for LMDW)

Thumbs Up – Glengoyne 25y (OB) – Only standard distillery bottling in the top ranks

In addition to our Awards we recognize quality with our Medals based upon the average attained scores across all our judges, with our coveted Gold Medals being given to any whisky achieving an average of 90 points or more.

This year four whiskies have won our coveted Gold Medals and they are:

Kavalan Solist (OB), Sherry Cask No. S060904031 92pts (91.89)

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask No. S060821047 (OB for LMDW) 91pts (90.89)

Yoichi 21y Heavily Peated Madeira Finish Cask No. 129459 91pts (90.75)

Glen Grant 59y “Book of Kells” Cask No.845 (G&M for LMDW) 90pts (90.33)

Full details and scores for MMA 2014 can be found on the Malt Maniacs website http://www.maltmaniacs.net/ and also our Malt Maniacs & Friends (MM&F) facebook page 

PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL AND WEMYSS MALTS FROM SCOTLAND ANNOUNCE NEW IMPORT AGREEMENT IN U.S. MARKET  

December 3, 2014 – Leading wine & spirits importer Palm Bay International has been appointed exclusive U.S. importer for artisanal spirits producer Wemyss Malts. Based in Scotland, the Wemyss Malt spirits offerings include Wemyss Malts and Darnley’s View London Dry Gin.

The team at Wemyss Malts believes that much of the malt whisky terminology can be difficult to decipher, even for a knowledgeable consumer.  The expressions from the Wemyss Malt whisky range are boldly named using the aromas and tastes of the whiskys to uniquely identify each bottling. Wemyss Malts whisky range includes blended malts such as Peat Chimney, The Hive and Spice King. Additional U.S. exclusives include the Single Cask and Single Malt bottlings of Heathery Smoke and Winter Larder.

Darnley’s View London Dry Gin celebrates the meeting of Mary Queen of Scots and her husband Lord Darnley at the family seat of Wemyss Castle in 1565. The London Dry gin has six key botanicals, including juniper, elderflower, orris root, coriander, angelica and lemon peel. The elderflower, which grows at the Castle, inspired the choice of botanicals for this London Dry Gin.

William Wemyss, Founder and Managing Director of Wemyss Malts, commented; “The U.S. is extremely important for us due to the rising interest in craft spirits, and we’re delighted to announce our agreement with Palm Bay International. Palm Bay® will bring us additional coverage in this market and we look forward to growing with them as they increase focus on craft imported spirits.”

Palm Bay International will import the following expressions from the Wemyss Malts portfolio. Prices noted are approximate suggested retail per 750ml:

• Blended Malts: Peat Chimney, Spice King & The Hive: 12 year ($74.00) & 8 year ($45.99)
• Single Malts: Picnic in the Park ($115.00), A Day at the Coast ($115.00), Smoke on the Rocks ($135.00), Winter Larder ($135.00), Matter of Smoke ($138.00), Beachcomber ($138.00), The Dunes ($189.00), Heathery Smoke ($249.00)
• Gin: Darnley’s View London Dry Gin ($32.99)
• Malts available in the following states: NY, NJ, CT, MA, CA, WA, PA, NH
• Darnley’s View available in the following states: WA, MD, DC, NJ, NY, TX, OR, FL, GA, MA, NV, CA, MO, CT 

About Wemyss Malts

The Wemyss (pronounced ‘weems’) family seat is Wemyss Castle in Fife where they have lived since the 1300s.  The family’s connection with the whisky industry dates back to the turn of the 19th century when John Haig’s first distillery was built on family land. Even today, barley from their estate in Fife is grown for many of Scotland’s leading distilleries.  The Wemyss Malts whisky and gin portfolio is available in over 20 markets worldwide. The Wemyss family built a new single malt distillery in Fife at Kingsbarns which opened on December 1st 2014.

About Palm Bay International

Palm Bay International, a dynamic family-owned company offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive portfolios of imported wines and spirits, including over 50 suppliers from around the globe. Among Palm Bay International’s most valued assets is its remarkable network of long-term partnerships with the foremost wholesale companies in all 50 states, as well as Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. With the crucial collaboration of these partners, Palm Bay International’s portfolio is able to meet the needs of every level of the industry, from independent restaurants and retail stores, to chain accounts, supermarkets, hotels, airlines, cruise ships, duty-free accounts and U.S. military bases. This impressive roster of brands, accounts and relationships positions Palm Bay® as a major source of fine wines and spirits and an industry leader in the U.S. marketplace. For more visit http://www.palmbay.com/.

IMPRESS WITH A BAIN’S CAPE MOUNTAIN WHISKY GIFT PACK THIS FESTIVE SEASON

Whether you’re looking for a gift for your boss, best friend, your dad or simply to thank the hosts at a Christmas dinner, the proudly South African Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky gift set won’t fail to impress.

Awarded the title of the World’s Best Grain Whisky at the 2013 World Whisky Awards, the whisky in addition also took gold for the fifth consecutive year at the 2014 International Spirits Challenge held in London recently.

The gift sets are all unique and together with a bottle of Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky range from glassware to ice buckets, water carafes and ice rocks, beautifully packaged in a bespoke box.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is made from only three natural ingredients – water, yeast and grain – and owes its exceptional smoothness and distinctive flavour profile to the double maturation process in carefully selected oak barrels previously used for maturing bourbon. It spends three years maturing in these barrels whereafter it is transferred to a fresh set of ex-bourbon barrels in order to extract the maximum flavour from the wood. Regular tastings by the master distiller and his team ensure the maturation produces the desired quality and style.

The result is a delicious combination of floral, banana, honey, toasted hazelnuts and toffee aromas and by adding a splash of water the whisky opens up to include wood, vanilla and spice. Beautifully balanced vanilla, cocoa butter and light spices from the oak casks lead to a warm mouth-feel and long, smooth finish.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is distilled and matured at The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington in the Boland and is inspired by the natural beauty of the Bain’s Kloof Pass. The whisky is crafted from the finest South African grain and pays tribute to Andrew Geddes Bain, the pioneer road builder who built Bain’s Kloof Pass in 1853 to connect Wellington to the interior.

The Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky gift sets are available from leading liquor outlets and retails for about R199.

Chivas 18 Showcases its Spirit of Generosity with New Print Campaign

Chivas 18, one of the world’s leading ultra-premium Scotch whiskies, has unveiled a new global and visually impactful print advertising campaign, “generosity in every drop”, to drive awareness of the expression among modern gentlemen and support its position in the increasingly competitive luxury category.

The striking campaign features Chivas 18 elevated amongst a scene of falling crystal droplets that encapsulate a selection of the blend’s 85 tasting notes and represents an evolution from the brand’s former successful advertising platform, “every taste a new experience”.

The campaign takes inspiration from the brand’s recent collaborations with Pininfarina, the prestigious Italian design company, who created a patented ‘droplet’ shape for the whisky blend that led to the successful launch of three limited editions in 2013 and more recently the delivery of luxury experiences in the on and off trade through ice making tools, which recently launched in November 2014.

To create the adverts, Chivas 18 has worked with a selection of leading craftsmen who embody the brand’s spirit of generosity, brotherhood and luxury. Peter Layton, designer of the crystal droplets depicted, is one of the world’s most widely respected glass artists. He has influenced and nurtured international leading glassmakers and continues to support his professional community by running his studio as a collective at which his peers are free to use the kilns to develop their skills. Popular food stylist Peter Smith and Dan Tobin Smith, a globally acclaimed and contemporary photographer who has shot for Dior and Alexander McQueen, have also collaborated closely to produce this modern campaign.

Richard Black, Global Brand Director for Chivas Regal, comments: “We are thrilled to be launching this campaign, which is not only visually beautiful and contemporary, but will also further support our position in the ultra-premium category by conveying our values of generosity and luxury. Chivas 18 is an award-winning whisky created by Chivas Regal Master Blender Colin Scott, who has crafted our exceptional Scotch blends for over 24 years, and we are certain that the new creative will raise awareness of the expression’s complex and sophisticated flavour profile among whisky enthusiasts and modern gentlemen.”

In support of the campaign, Chivas Regal has created a series of photographs and videos showcasing the creation process of the advert that can be downloaded/watched at http://youtu.be/mPhCupRzgr8 and http://youtu.be/5x4VWJktfEs

The advertising campaign comes in a dynamic year for Chivas Regal, which has seen the brand launch ‘The Venture’, a global competition to win up to $1m funds for promising social entrepreneurs that use enterprise and innovation as a force for good, and the Chivas Masters, a successful global cocktail competition that celebrates the skill of the master bartender.