TWO NEW SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALTS RELEASED AS TORMORE REVEALS NEW LOOK 6th March 2014

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has released two new small batch, single malt whiskies from its Speyside distillery, Tormore.

The launch of Tormore 14 Year Old and Tormore 16 Year Old, both produced in limited quantities from a small number of carefully-selected casks, coincides with a new identity for the brand, as it aims to appeal to the growing number of discerning drinkers who appreciate the craft quality and provenance of Speyside single malt whisky.

Tormore 14 Year Old and Tormore 16 Year Old are aged in American oak casks that demonstrate the distillery’s light, smooth, and fruity character. Tormore 14 Year Old has a fruity nose that offers hints of citrus and raspberry, a smooth, sweet taste featuring liquorice and ginger, followed by a long, sweet finish with a spicy tang.

Tormore 16 Year Old, which is bottled without chill-filtration to reveal further layers of complexity, presents a well-balanced nose of sweet orange and barley sugar, a mouth-watering, juicy taste of ripe melon and pear, with a long and slightly dry finish. Tormore 14 Year Old and Tormore 16 Year Old are currently sold in France, priced at 42€ and 56€ respectively, and are expected to be available in other countries throughout 2014.

The new look for Tormore includes a contemporary logo and refreshed packaging, which highlight the distillery’s still room and natural landscape, reinforcing the purity of the spirit. The whiskies are presented in a luxury gift box that features the batch number and the signature of Master Distiller, Neal Corbett, reinforcing its crafted quality and making it an ideal gift for single malt fans.

A new website (www.tormoredistillery.com) has also been developed, enabling malt whisky enthusiasts to discover the unique flavour profiles of the two expressions and to explore the distillery’s heritage.

Neal Corbett, Master Distiller at Tormore Distillery, comments: “The re-design of Tormore and the release of these handcrafted whiskies herald a new era for the distillery, which I am proud to be leading. Tormore 14 Year Old and 16 Year Old showcase the distillery’s smooth signature style, so we hope that both Scotch connoisseurs and discerning drinkers looking to expand their repertoire will enjoy discovering these whiskies in the months to come.”

Tasting notes from Master Distiller, Neal Corbett

Tormore 14 Year Old 43% ABV

Nose: Refreshing citrus and raspberry notes with a background of toasted almonds.
Taste: Sweet with a hint of citrus, followed by an extra level of complexity from liquorice and ginger flavours.
Finish: Long and sweet with a spicy tang.

Tormore 16 Year Old 48% ABV

Nose: Deep and fruity with a tantalising layer of sweet orange and barley sugar. Incredibly smooth and well balanced.
Taste: Juicy and sweet with bursts of ripe melon and pear.
Finish: Long and slightly dry.

About Tormore Distillery

Tormore Distillery, named after the Gaelic ‘Torra Mhòir’, meaning ‘big hill’, is nestled in the heart of Speyside. Opened in 1960, the distillery was designed by renowned neoclassic architect Sir Albert Richardson and features stone balconies, a copper roof and a musical clock, which led to the distillery being granted listed building status within just 30 years of construction.

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.

In July 2010, Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

For more information please visit www.chivasbrothers.com

MORTLACH™ WHISKY’S NEW BOTTLES REVEALED

New Website Now Launched

Event registration now open!

World Whisky Day – Saturday 17th May 2014 

We are delighted to announce that the first phase of the new World Whisky Day website is now LIVE.
 
We will be adding lots of new sections to the website too as we get closer to the big day. We have lots more exciting plans and competitions in the run up to World Whisky Day so watch this space.

Get in the spirit, mark the date in your diary and let’s raise a dram to World Whisky Day 2014.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT NEW WEBSITE
www.worldwhiskyday.com

If you want to discuss your plans or find out more about getting involved then please email info@worldwhiskyday.com or call +44 (0)131 208 2582.

Kind regards,
Blair Bowman

Founder
World Whisky Day
www.worldwhiskyday.com
 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and very exciting competitions.

THE SINGLETON OF DUFFTOWN SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY LAUNCHES TWO NEW VARIANTS, “TAILFIRE” AND “SUNRAY” IN 2014

Diageo and WORLD DUTY FREE GROUP launch JOHNNIE WALKER^® EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION^TM concept store in Heathrow 

Alexander Walker’s Travellers’ Room returns to its roots in London 

London, UK, March 2014: Diageo Global Travel and Middle East (GTME) and World Duty Free Group have today opened an exclusive concept store in the departures concourse of London Heathrow Terminal 4, for JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION^TM, the major global marketing initiative that represents one of Diageo’s most significant investments in travel retail. 

The innovative, luxurious open-design site pays tribute to the travelling heritage of the John Walker & Sons agents who journeyed the world in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries, navigating their way down the famous trade routes in pursuit of new business and adventure. 

It is based on the spirit of the Travellers’ Room established by Alexander Walker at the company’s headquarters in the City of London in the 1890s. Close to the shipping houses and docks from which its agents journeyed the world, they gathered to exchange stories and learnings from their travels, in turn inspiring generations of master blenders. This activation is a modern-day reimaging of this Travellers’ Room for contemporary voyagers to enjoy. 

It features a deluxe tasting bar where travellers can engage with trained JOHNNIE WALKER ambassadors and discover the JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION travel retail exclusive releases – THE SPICE ROAD^TM, THE GOLD ROUTE^TM and THE ROYAL ROUTE^TM. The store also combines JOHNNIE WALKER inspiration and education areas alongside a retail zone, which offers for purchase, all of the blends in the JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION. The activation offers a superior travel retail shopping experience for those journeying through London Heathrow, and enables travellers to fully immerse themselves in the history of the brand and the collection, prior to purchase. 

Paul Downing, Key Accounts Director, Diageo Global Travel: “This innovative activation is a direct result of the excellent partnership we have with the World Duty Free Group both here in London Heathrow and further afield. The scale of this concept store represents our commitment to our highly valued travel retail consumers. We are continuously looking for ways to engage with busy travellers. The concept store is a striking spectacle that brings to life the brand’s heritage in travel, exciting and inspiring customers on their journeys. 

“In keeping with the style of the Travellers’ Room, where the agents swapped samples and tales from their voyages, consumers who visit the JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB will be able to return from their adventures with something they cannot buy at home – the JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION, a range of Blended Scotch Whiskies designed exclusively for travellers.” 

Eugenio Andrades, Chief Commercial Officer of World Duty Free Group, said: “We are truly excited to welcome the JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION activation to London Heathrow. We are pleased and proud to host the first concept store this year and are thankful for this fantastic trinity project with Diageo and Heathrow, helping to highlight the strength of our on-going partnerships with both the brand and the airport. We are confident that the activation will surprise and delight our customers, offering them a truly unique shopping experience. Since the JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION launched in November 2012 it has been very popular with global travellers and is regarded as a brilliant example of a highly successful travel retail exclusive.” 

The store officially opened for business on 25th February. It will welcome global travellers until the end of May where they can purchase THE JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION – THE SPICE ROAD (RRP £32.99), THE GOLD ROUTE (RRP £84.99) and THE ROYAL ROUTE (RRP £125). 

About Diageo

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness. 

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com. For Diageo’s global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit www.DRINKiQ.com.  

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere. 

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY 

The JOHNNIE WALKER, EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION, THE SPICE ROAD, THE GOLD ROUTE and THE ROYAL ROUTE words, the Striding Figure device and associated logos are trade marks. © John Walker & Sons 2014. 

About World Duty Free Group: 

World Duty Free S.p.A., is the holding company of World Duty Free Group, one of the world’s leading travel retailers, operating mainly in airports and with a broad geographical reach. It has operations in 21 countries and more than 140 locations with over 500 stores, from its heartland in Western Europe, to the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. In 2012, the company posted a turnover of more than 2,002 million Euros. 

World Duty Free Group’s core business is tax and duty free shopping and its proposition covers the complete spectrum of airport shopping including Beauty, Wines & Spirits, Food & Confectionery, Tobacco, Sunglasses, Watches & Jewellery and Souvenirs. 

World Duty Free Group operates some of the most exciting and engaging airport shops in the world, with focus on the customer and innovative marketing programmes, including multi channel digital and live in-store interactive promotions. 

World Duty Free S.p.A. is listed on the Italian FTSE MIB 40 since 1 October 2013 with the ticker symbol WDF:IM. 

World Duty Free Group has been awarded as Airport Retailer of 2013 by Frontier Magazine.

For more information, please visit www.worlddutyfreegroup.com

Shortlist Announced for Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Whisky Awards

A mouthwatering competition has been set up in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Whisky Awards, with eight of the region’s finest malts set to battle it out for honours in the eagerly anticipated annual contest.

A judging panel comprising industry leaders, acclaimed writers and specialist retailers whittled down 46 entries at a blind tasting event at the Knockomie Hotel in Forres this week before finally settling on their finalists in four categories.

And now that the experts have shortlisted the final drams, the power of determining the overall winners will be handed over to visitors to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. A series of roving judging sessions at which festival-goers will get to blind taste all of the shortlisted entries is being staged during the Festival, which takes place from May 1 to 5.

Ben Riach 12-year-old and Knockando12-year-old will go head to head in the 12-year-old and under category, while the Balvenie 15-year-old and the Singleton of Dufftown 18-year-old will compete in the section for malts aged 13 to 20 years.

In the 21-year-old and over category, the finalists are Glenfarclas 30-year-old and Cardhu 21-year-old, while in the section for distillery special editions Tamdhu 10-year-old will go up against the Glenfarclas 25 years old single cask bottling; Glenfarclas 1988 Cask 4966.

The awards are sponsored by coppersmiths Forsyths of Rothes – the company responsible for building many of the pot stills in which the shortlisted single malts were distilled.

James Campbell, chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, says, “In some ways it must be a dream job for our expert panel to spend a day nosing and judging such high quality Scotch malt whiskies, but on the other hand they face an immensely difficult challenge. The whisky produced on Speyside is among the best in the world – deciding which entries are worthy of making the final is an almost impossible task.”

Whisky writer Penny Ellis, a director of the Festival who also organises the awards, adds, “This is the only whisky awards in the world where the power to decide the overall winners is handed over to members of the public. However, the Festival is all about people: the people with the passion that drives production of our malt whisky, and the people who are passionate supporters of our national drink.

“The roving judging sessions are a great opportunity for our visitors to also take the blind taste test, and for them to sample some of the best whiskies that Speyside has to offer. Visitors may have their own favourite malt, but tasting it blind means that they cannot be influenced by presentation or brand loyalty – all they have to go on is smell and taste.”

 The roving judging sessions take place at Ugie House Hotel, Keith on April 25; Glenfiddich Distillery, Dufftown on April 30; The Drouthy Cobbler, Elgin on May 1; Aberlour Hotel, Aberlour, Richmond Memorial Hall, Tomintoul and Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort on May 2; Stuart Arms, Dufftown and Rothes Social Club on May 3; and Forsyths Coppersmiths, Rothes on May 4.

The final judging session and awards prize-giving will take place – along with a ceilidh – at Glen Grant Distillery in Rothes on May 4.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which is now in its 15^th year, takes place at venues across the region, which is widely regarded as the spiritual home of the Scotch whisky industry. A signature event for Homecoming 2014, it will start Whisky Month – a four week national celebration of Scotland’s world class food and drink.

It will also launch a brand new event this year – The Spirit of Speyside Sessions – which aims to put to spotlight on the area’s traditional music heritage with concerts and ceilidhs being staged in venues closely linked to the whisky industry.

Tickets for all events in the 2014 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme, including the roving judging sessions, 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.

Notes

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs from Thursday, 1 May – Monday, 5 May 2014.  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 EventScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners

EventScotland: EventScotland is the national events agency. EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. 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,

Year of Homecoming Scotland

Scotland will welcome the world in the Year of Homecoming 2014- providing a year-long programme of events alongside the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games . The Year of Homecoming Scotland will run from 31 December 2013 to 31 December 2014 throughout the length and breadth of the country.  Visitors from around the world are invited to join in a celebration of the nation’s food and drink, active pursuits, cultural heritage, nature and ancestral heritage.

Homecoming Scotland 2014 is a Scottish Government initiative being led by EventScotland and VisitScotland, supported by numerous partners. To find out more visit www.homecomingscotland.com

EXPONENT PRIVATE EQUITY ACQUIRES LOCH LOMOND DISTILLERY COMPANY ASSETS  

Exponent Private Equity (“Exponent”), a private equity firm specialising in UK business investments, today announces the acquisition of the assets of The Loch Lomond Distillery Company for an undisclosed sum. 

The Loch Lomond Distillery Company’s assets include the Loch Lomond Distillery at Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire; the Glen Catrine packaging plant at Mauchline in Ayrshire; and the Glen Scotia malt distillery in Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute. The company’s brands currently include the “Loch Lomond” and “Glen Scotia” single malt Scotch whiskies, the “High Commissioner” blended Scotch whisky and “Glen’s Vodka”.  

Under the terms of the acquisition, The Loch Lomond Distillery Company’s assets have been acquired by the newly formed Loch Lomond Group, in which Exponent owns a majority stake, with the management team also investing in the venture. 

Exponent has a portfolio of businesses ranging across a number of sectors including retail, media and financial services, and specialises in identifying and investing in businesses with strong growth potential working with effective management teams to realise that potential. 

The management team at Loch Lomond Group is headed up by Colin Matthews as CEO. Originally from Glasgow, Colin was previously responsible for leading Imperial Tobacco’s businesses in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Indian sub-continent. 

Former Diageo Chief Financial Officer Nick Rose will chair the new business. 

Outlining the rationale behind the acquisition, Colin Matthews explained:

“Loch Lomond, Glen Catrine and Glen Scotia have built a sound business platform with brands that perform well in the UK and in a number of international markets. 

“The growth of the Scotch whisky industry in recent years offers a great opportunity to develop further the Loch Lomond business, to refresh and expand the product portfolio, and to move into a number of new international markets building on the excellent progress the company has already made. 

“We are delighted to have Exponent as our partner as we embark on this next exciting stage of our development. We have assembled a strong and experienced management team who will work alongside the existing management to take on this challenge and we are confident that together we can fulfill the considerable potential of the new group, its brands and its people in what is a robust and expanding industry.”    

Notes: 

Advisers on the transaction 

PWC and Allen & Overy acted as advisers to Exponent Private Equity; Deloitte and Scotto & Associés acted as advisers to the incoming management team and Loch Lomond Group; HSBC, Brodies and Wylie & Bisset acted as advisers to the vendors 

About Exponent Private Equity 

Exponent is a private equity firm investing in UK headquartered businesses with an enterprise value of between £75m and £350m.  It typically targets companies that are market leaders, have plans for operational improvement, and are in environments in which Exponent can deploy best-in-class management in order to create value.  Exponent’s current portfolio includes: Quorn, the UK market leader in meat-alternative foods; Gorkana Group, the leading planning, monitoring and evaluation business for corporates and PRs; and Immediate Media Company, one of the UK’s largest consumer magazines publishers. 

About The Loch Lomond Distillery Company 

The Loch Lomond Distillery Company’s assets comprise: the Loch Lomond distillery at Alexandria, where it produces a range of both grain and malt Scotch whiskies, and the Glen Scotia malt distillery in Campbeltown.  They also include Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd, one of the largest independent bottling plants in Scotland, which produces the High Commissioner Scotch Whisky and Glen’s Vodka brands, along with bottling whisky, vodka, gin, rum and brandy for a number of International markets as well as leading private labels.

Raise a glass to win a bottle!

On Tuesday March 11th, Glen Garioch is celebrating the birth of our co-founder, Alexander Manson.

Alexander founded the distillery with his older brother John when he was only 27 years old. To celebrate the 244th birthday of our co-founder, we will be giving away a bottle of our quintessential Glen Garioch Founder’s Reserve, the expression which pays homage to our founders!

For your chance to win…

Simply send us a photograph of yourself toasting our co-founder with a dram before the 11th March!

Whisky Month 2014 goes molecular

Tickets go on sale 1st March for a unique molecular food pairing event with Glasgow based company ‘Scotch Broth Events’. Marrying Malts & Molecules is a new multi sensory taste experience, where cutting edge meets – Scotch, science, technology and Scottish produce.

Taking place on 24th May, the event is part Homecoming Scotland’s 2014 Whisky Month, the month long, country wide celebration of Scotland’s national drink.

This ‘Grand Sensory Tour’ will take place at one of Glasgow’s most historic buildings – the Merchants House of Glasgow, steeped in history and an architectural hidden gem on George Square. Glasgow is the beating heart of the Scotch whisky industry and stores over 60% of all Scotch whisky globally within 10 miles of the city.

Top quality, local artisan food producers will be showcased along with local foraged foods in molecular paired canapés, providing dynamic taste sensations with delicious drams.

Participants will also be encouraged to download the event app Showmappr which with real time analytics will socialise and map the audience journey.

Commenting, Ewan Henderson founder of Scotch Broth Events, said ..”In discovering more meaningful ways to pair whisky we explore the molecular affinity between Scotch whisky cask finishes to local artisan produce in delicious new ways like our smoked mussel tapenade, Irn Bru pulled pork and Alba Arancini. With record-breaking exports worth £5.3 billion, Scottish food & drink is going through a new period of enlightenment and we’re here to showcase it with cutting edge experiences.”

Tickets prices at £45pp go on sale today, 1st March 2014.  Available online http://maltsandmolecules.eventbrite.co.uk/

NZ Whisky proclaimed one of the world’s best

Oamaru, New Zealand– Feb 2014 – He’s believed to have visited more whisky distilleries than anyone on earth and Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible boasts over 4,500 whiskies. But few score 94 points or higher, so Murray has created a special symbol for the handful of whiskies that earn the status ‘Liquid Gold.’

In a great start to 2014 for the New Zealand Whisky Company, Jim Murray’s latest edition hot off the press in London, sees the South Island Single Malt 21 y.o. scored at 95 points, placing it in the highly coveted category. This is the first time ever that a New Zealand whisky has scored so high and been anointed ‘Liquid Gold’.

“This is a salute to the craftsmanship of the Dunedin distillers,” says company CEO Greg Ramsay. “Being recognised as one of the world’s great whiskies by Jim Murray, that’s the ultimate endorsement of your dram and all the Dunedin distillers like Cyril Yates can be proud that what they were doing in the 80s and 90s in New Zealand, was every bit as good as what the Scots were doing over in Speyside and on Islay.”

Murray tastes every whisky and scores each dram out of 25 for nose, taste, finish and balance, totaling 100 points. His influence on the whisky world is unrivalled, with the bible now in its tenth year, including an additional 1,100 new whiskies in 2014.

“There are over 4,500 different brands and expressions listed in this year’s Whisky Bible and from every corner of the planet,” says Murray. “Those which score 94 and upwards represents only a very small fraction of them. These whiskies are, in my view, the elite: the finest you can currently find on the whisky shelves of the world. Rare and precious, they are Liquid Gold.”

The South Island Single Malt is the company’s flagship single malt, aged for 21 years in American Oak, ex-bourbon barrels. According to Murray’s latest bible, “you would be forgiven for thinking this was a 30 or even 35-year-old Speysider; almost a grassy maltiness melding into the light, exotic fruit and freshly chopped celery. Clean, delicate and elegant beyond words.

If someone asked me how I would like my 21-year-old non-peated malt to come to me, it would probably be something like this: a top of the range 40-year-old. Proof that the country in which a whisky is made is totally irrelevant. Great whisky is great whisky.”

At the World Whisky Awards last year, the New Zealand Whisky Collection’s Dunedin DoubleWood won the category for Best Australasian Blend, while it’s the second big gong for the South Island Single Malt, the first being the DoubleGold at the World Wine & Spirits Show in San Francisco.

The whisky is now exported from Oamaru and available across Canada, the UK, Australia and Europe.