Sullivans Cove 2014 World’s Best Single Malt under the hammer – http://r.ebay.com/rmd0wV 

With a $1 starting bid price, this is your opportunity to own one of the last remaining and extremely rare bottles of the 2014 World Whiskes Awards – World’s Best Single Malt Whisky. Up against over 300 different whiskies from across the world, this bottle of whisky (Bottle 462 of 516 from barrel # HH252) is from the same Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask took out the the prestigious 2014 award. This year it was up against the likes of Scotland’s Bunnahabain, Aberfeldy, Glenkinchie and Glenlivet distilleries, as well as Japanese powerhouse Yamazaki. 

Previous winners of the award include: 

            • 2013: Ardbeg Galileo (Scotch)

            • 2012: Yamazaki 25 year old (Japanese)

            • 2011: Yamazaki 1984 (Japanese)

            • 2010: Ardbeg Corryvreckan

            • 2009: Highland Pak 21 year old (Scotch)

            • 2008: Yoichi 20 year old (Japanese)

            • 2007: Talisker 18 year old (Scotch) 

The World Whiskies Award is considered the most prestigious in the world for whisky producers and the manager and part-owner of Sullivan’s Cove, Patrick Maguire, said it will put Australia and Tasmania firmly on the world whisky map. “It’s the big one, there are a few big ones in the world such as the Jim Murray Whisky Bible and Liquid Gold awards, but the World Whiskies Award is it, that’s the one everybody wants,”. 

Hand-crafted to perfection in a copper pot still, Sullivans Cove Single Cask French Oak Whisky is double distilled using Tasmanian barley and only the purest wilderness water from Tasmania’s mountains and forests. Matured in hand selected French Oak Port casks and allowed to settle and clear naturally, this single malt retains full, creamy lingering flavours and is considered to be one of the best whiskies in the world according to experts such as Jim Murray. 

We have been lucky enough to secure one of the last remaining bottles of barrel # HH525. All bottles of Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask are now sold out from stores, even the bottles from other barrels that were not submitted to the coveted award. This is a unique opportunity to own and be able to enjoy the best whisky in the world! 

At the completion of the auction, we will be donating 10% of the final purchase price to a local Tasmanian charity – Speak Up StaychatTY. Speak Up StaychatTY do a fantastic job in raising awareness for those suffering anxiety and depression and promoting youth suicide prevention. http://www.staychatty.com.au/ 

Whisky Details: 

Distillery – Sullivans Cove

Location – Tasmania, Australia

Cask – French Oak

Barrel Number – HH0525

Bottle Number – 462 or 516

Barrel Date – 24/10/2000

Bottled Date – 19/03/2013

Alc / Vol % – 47.5

Standard Drinks – 26.2

Size – 700ml 

World Whisky Awards judges tasting notes and comments – “Tunnock’s Caramel wafers. With a touch of smoke. Excellent balance.” Ed Bates “Toasted almonds, grated nutmeg and some fruit toast on the nose. Burnt almonds, autumn fruits stewed with golden raisins. Light, peppery and intriguing.” Seáneen Sullivan “Keeping it simple in a very good way. Honey, vanilla and haystacks. All combine with apples and caramel.” Jason Thomson “Campfire smoke that enriches the malt and wood. A match made in heaven with a smooth buttery feel.” Joseph Cassidy “Great balance, lovely spices come through with time.” Jamie Milne

All members of Taster’s Club will get a free bottle of Johnny Walker from Ray Donovan this June 

Taster’s Club, a premium whiskey of the month club, has linked up with the SHOWTIME original series Ray Donovan, to offer their membership base a free bottle of Johnny Walker this month – free of charge. 

Taster’s Club sends a top-shelf whiskey (bourbon or scotch) to its members each month along with information to learn all about whiskey culture and production. Johnny Walker happens to be the favorite drink of Ray Donovan, the main character in the series. In addition, members will be sent a free DVD of the first season of the show. 

Mack McConnell, founder of Taster’s Club: “We were really happy to link up with Ray Donovan and the folks at SHOWTIME on this project. Taster’s Club members are huge whiskey fans and are going to be super happy to get their hands on an extra freebie this month. A lot of our new members in June will be gift recipients from Father’s Day – so this will be a great way to welcome them into the club.” 

Ray Donovan season two premieres on July 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. 

Synopsis of Ray Donovan:

Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, RAY DONOVAN stars Emmy® and Golden Globe®  Award nominee Liev Schreiber as LA’s best professional fixer, the man called in to make the city’s celebrities, superstar athletes, and business moguls’ most complicated and combustible situations go away.  This powerful one-hour drama unfolds when his father, played by Oscar® winner Jon Voight, in his Golden Globe-winning role, is unexpectedly released from prison, setting off a chain of events that shakes the Donovan family to its core.

GIVE THREE SHIPS PREMIUM SELECT 5 YEAR OLD FOR FATHER’S DAY 

To thank dad for being the great man that he is, choose the proudly South African, Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old, gold medal winner at the 2014 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) held annually in London and announced on 5 June.  

The whisky, an artful blend of grain and malt whiskies, is crafted by master distiller Andy Watts, who for the past 23 years has firmly placed the South African whisky industry on the global map. The whisky is produced at The James Sedgwick’s Distillery in the Boland town of Wellington, along with the Three Ships Select, Three Ships Bourbon Cask and the limited-edition Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt. 

The Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old is a tribute to the time Andy spent on the Isle of Islay where many years ago, he fell in love with the island and its iconic peaty whiskies. Andy uses peated barley, distilled in copper stills along with grain spirit, distilled in column stills, to create a beautifully balanced and well-integrated blended whisky. The whisky spends five years in oak developing its aromatic, full peaty and fruity character. Andy recommends enjoying this full bodied whisky neat with a dash of water and pairing it with blue cheese, chicken liver pâté, smoked chicken or Pancetta. 

The Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old is available from leading liquor outlets and retails for about R125.

The whisky awards gods have definitely been smiling on us recently. At the prestigious 2014 World Whiskies Awards organised by Whisky Magazine we won ‘Scotch Blended Malt of the Year’ and ‘Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year’. And then, two more awards came our way at the 2014 Drammie Awards, voted for by whisky lovers around the world.

The Peat Monster showed it’s as popular as ever as it swept up ‘Scotch Blended Malt of the Year‘. If anything though, our ‘Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year’ award is more pleasing as innovation is so much at the heart of what we do. This was the fifth time in total that we’ve won it, which might even be some sort of record.

However, we believe there is no more important accolade than one which comes from the people who love and drink whisky. The Drammie Awards do exactly that. Whisky fans voted Compass Box ‘Most Exciting/Innovative Whisk(e)y Producer/Bottler’ while Delilah’s was chosen as ‘Most Innovative New Whisky’

Father’s Day Whiskies

Forget golf balls or a tie this Father’s Day. Choose some delicious Compass Box whisky. Whether your Dad is a Peat Monster , a rebellious Spice Tree or a decadent Hedonism type we have the perfect whisky for him. Or if you’re not sure what he likes, a bottle of Great King Street Artist’s Blend  or the rich, elegant Oak Cross simply cannot fail. What’s more, you’ll be sure to have something good to drink the next time you see him. Simply pick up a bottle from your local retailer or via our UK Online shop. Happy Father’s Day!

FIRST EVER FULLY WINE-CASK MATURED GLEN GARIOCH LAUNCHED 

Glen Garioch adds some French ‘finesse’ to its limited-edition malt 

The first ever Glen Garioch to be fully-matured in French Bordeaux wine casks has been released. 

This limited edition vintage comprising just 450 cases globally, was distilled 15 years ago in the finest ‘tonneaux de vin rouge’ from Saint-Julien in Bordeaux. 

Relinquishing the more traditional sherry and bourbon casks, the full maturation in red wine casks has added a touch of elegance to the rich, fruity, spicy Highland character that is Glen Garioch’s house style. 

The unusual maturation process reveals the malt’s rich and multi-layered character, full of fruit, sweetness and spice. 

Rachel Barrie, Master Blender at Morrison Bowmore, said, “Distilled entirely on 23rd June 1998, this Glen Garioch was fully matured for over 15 years in the finest Bordeaux barriques. 

“Over this time, the robust and hearty spirit teased sweetness, oak spices and multi-layered ripe fruits from the French oak allowing Glen Garioch’s house style to flourish.  Imagine a blueberry and chocolate muffin filled with ginger spice! Firm in structure, with a full, rounded body and complex spiced-fruit taste, Glen Garioch 1998 Wine Matured has married the sweetness of Bordeaux with the wholesome maltiness of the Garioch spirit – the Auld Alliance at its very best.” 

Handcrafted at the distillery in the heart of Oldmeldrum in rural Aberdeenshire, the non-chill filtered Wine Cask Matured Glen Garioch 1998 will hit shelves in June 2014, retailing at around £100 with an ABV of 48%. 

Tasting notes: 

Burnished copper in colour, the Wine Cask Matured Glen Garioch reveals brambles, wild blueberries and plums on the nose, bursting from the glass with hints of chocolate, demerara sugar. In structure and complexity, layers of chocolate malt, autumn fruits and ginger marmalade meld on the tongue, leading to a sweet honey and spicy finish. 

NOTES – 

The Glen Garioch Wine Cask Matured 1998 retails for around £100 at all good whisky and specialist liquor stores from June 2014. There are only 5,400 bottles available globally.  

Product images and samples are available on request Glen Garioch, pronounced “Glen Geery” was founded in 1797 and is one of the oldest remaining distilleries in Scotland The distillery lies on rising ground in the picturesque town of Oldmeldrum, just 17 miles north-west of Aberdeen Glen Garioch was relaunched in October 2010 with a core range of two single malt whiskies – Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve, non chill-filtered  and bottled at 48% ABV and Glen Garioch 12 Year Old, non chill-filtered and bottled at 48% ABV after maturing in bourbon and sherry casks. 

Glen Garioch is owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers Limited which also produce Bowmore and Auchentoshan. 

Visit http://www.glengarioch.com/ for more information.

Arran 17yr Limited Release Available in USA!

We are very proud to introduce the Arran 17-year-old, the second in the trilogy of limited edition Single Malts leading up to the first ever official 18-year-old. This Limited Edition release of The Arran Malt at 17 year-old has been produced from un-peated malted barley and matured in the finest ex-Sherry casks. The whisky has not been artificially colored and has not been chill filtered at bottling thus retaining the full range of aromas and flavors which typify this unique Island Single Malt. Only 9,000 bottles of The Arran Malt 17-Year-Old have been released worldwide. A simply stunning whisky!

Bottled at 46% ABV

Tasting Notes
Color: Antique Gold with copper highlights
Aroma: Warm spices, candied citrus peel and tinned mandarins with classic Arran orchard fruits.
Palate: Sweet spice and cigar tobacco. Water adds depth and reveals dark chocolate and orange oil.

Imported by: ImpEx Beverages Inc.
www.impexbev.com

Diageo Announces Intention to Invest an Estimated $115 Million to Build Distillery in Shelby County, Kentucky

The second limited edition of Kilchoman Loch Gorm Single Malt Whisky is now available

This is the second edition of Kilchoman Loch Gorm Single Malt. The first, which was released in April last year, was awarded the prestigious 2013 IWSC Gold (2013 edition).  Each release is differentiated by the distillation and bottling dates on the front of the bottle and carton.

Fully matured from filling to bottling at 46% ABV in fresh Oloroso sherry butts, Loch Gorm adds a new dimension to Kilchoman’s portfolio, bringing a depth of character and colour to the Islay Single Malt. The Loch Gorm range is the only all sherry cask-matured expression from Kilchoman.

This range is named after the famously peaty loch in front of the distillery; Kilchoman draws the water for Loch Gorm from the burn that runs into the loch. 

Anthony Wills, Managing Director of Kilchoman, said: “’Our sherry cask matured releases have proved very popular and this is the third and most mature to date so we anticipate this latest offering to be very well received.  Loch Gorm shows wonderful balance between the peat smoke and spicy rich flavours, typical of sherry cask maturation, producing a unique flavour which characterises Kilchoman whiskies.”

Founded in 2005, Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland and the first distillery to be built on Islay for 125 years. A working farm distillery, it is one of only a handful of distilleries still practising floor malting. Kilchoman also grows a portion of its barley at the distillery, and completes all parts of the production process, from barley to bottling on the island. 

Tasting Notes: Kilchoman Loch Gorm Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky 

Nose:  mixed preserved fruit, particularly lemon and rich peat smoke

Palate:  dry cereal flavour develops into honey and biscuit with lingering peat

Finish:  rich, sweet and smoky

DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE OFFICIALLY RE-OPEN
SCOTLAND’S OLDEST DISTILLERY

Glenturret Distillery, Scotland’s oldest and most visited whisky distillery and home to The Famous Grouse Experience, welcomed The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today (Thursday 29 May).

The Earl and Countess of Strathearn, as they are known in Scotland, officially opened the new-look five star visitor attraction which recently announced the completion of a £250,000 investment in its key visitor areas and café.

They enjoyed a private tour of the distillery, complete with a nosing and tasting of The Famous Grouse range, before becoming the first people to “Bottle your own” Glenturret whisky.  

Following this, the Royal couple attended the Civic Reception hosted by the Provost of Perth and Kinross, Liz Grant. In attendance were local people from the Perthshire area, invited as recognition for their work in the community.

A local pie created especially for the Royal visit was part of the menu and served to the guests. The Strathearn Pie, produced by Perthshire based company Wilde Thyme, was made with slow cooked local beef and onions sautéed in Glenturret whisky. 

Stuart Cassells, General Manager, The Famous Grouse Experience, commented:

“It was an absolute pleasure to welcome The Earl and Countess of Strathearn to The Famous Grouse Experience. With such strong links to this area through their Scottish titles, we couldn’t think of anyone more perfectly placed to open our new-look visitor areas. All the staff here at the Experience won’t be forgetting this day anytime soon!” 

Nestled at the foothills of the Highlands near the scenic town of Crieff, Glenturret Distillery is the spiritual home of The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch whisky.

Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience welcomes an average of 120,000 visitors every year.

Like all visitors, the Royal couple were shown how a single malt is made in the traditional way by Stillman, Ian Renwick. They were also shown how some of the Glenturret single malt is then blended along with other grain and malt whiskies to create The Famous Grouse, which has been Scotland’s favourite whisky for over 30 years, and is one of the world’s top 5 Scotch whiskies.

The Famous Grouse Scotch whisky holds a Royal Warrant, which was first appointed in January 1984.

NOTES

About The Famous Grouse (www.thefamousgrouse.com)

• The Famous Grouse is the no. 1 whisky in Scotland and no. 4 standard blended whisky worldwide (IWSR data 2012).
• The Famous Grouse has been the best-selling whisky in Scotland since 1980.
• The Famous Grouse is exported to over 100 countries.
• Created in 1896 by founder Matthew Gloag, it was originally called The Grouse Brand.
• The brand became so popular that on August 12^th 1905 it was renamed The Famous Grouse.

• The Famous Grouse is owned by Edrington, the leading independent supplier of premium spirits which also includes The Macallan, Highland Park, Cutty Sark, Snow Leopard vodka and Brugal Rum.

About The Famous Grouse Experience

• The Famous Grouse Experience is located at Scotland’s oldest working distillery – Glenturret. Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience is the most visited distillery in Scotland (receiving an average of 100,000 visitors a year).

• The distillery offers the opportunity to learn about how a single malt is made in the traditional way, as well as learning about where some of the Glenturret single malt ends up – in the blending of The Famous Grouse.

• Opening Hours 9am – 6pm.  First Tour 9.30am & Last Tour 4.30pm. Tours from £9.95. Children under 12 go free. For more information please visit via this link

Our barrels have a new home!

After a week of toil, all of our barrels are safely home in the new distillery building, and we didn’t spill a single drop. All that remains now is to stack them all neatly.

We should have the move completed by the end of the month and look forward to showing all of you around our new home. Luckily it is just next door to our existing building, so you don’t even need to learn a new address.

Best of all, we are working on some very exciting new products, so watch this space…