Following a period of exponential international growth, Glenmorangie, one of the world’s leading single malt whiskies, is recruiting an Assistant Distilling Manager/ Whisky Creator. 

Reporting to and learning from our Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks, Dr Bill Lumsden, the successful candidate will embark on an extensive and dedicated induction programme, including extended periods of work at the Glenmorangie & Ardbeg distilleries. This role offers personal development, including technical studies, both on-site and with external research bodies. Additionally the new Assistant Distilling Manager/ Whisky Creator will undertake global brand ambassadorial duties, including working with journalists, bloggers, writers and enthusiasts. 

This is a rare and fantastic opportunity for an aspiring engineering, chemistry or drinks professional to develop into one of the world’s leading, acclaimed experts in the whisky field. 

For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.edenscott.com/whiskycreator 

Eden Scott is the recruitment partner to Glenmorangie, recruiting professional and technical roles across Scotland, UK and Europe.

Whisky Live Shanghai Back for its 5^th Year 

China’s largest annual whisky festival is back for its fifth year with a record-breaking number of brands and a star line-up of international whisky icons making their China debut. This year’s show takes place from Friday 23-Saturday 24 August at the five-star Le Royal Meridien Hotel on Nanjing Road East.

Fourty-four deluxe blends and ultra-premium Single Malts, more than ever before, will showcase alongside VIP workshops from Martine Nouet, one of the world’s top whisky experts. Other exclusive experiences/ appearances will be announced nearer the time.

“We are extremely proud to be celebrating our fifth anniversary of Whisky Live in Mainland China. Since the launch of the show by the First Minister of Scotland in 2009 we have seen many changes that has seen the whisky category grow in size and stature,’ says Stephen Notman, show director. ‘Of course there have been challenges on the way but we are once again proud to be introducing new brands for the very first time into China along with established favourites.’

This year’s show welcomes leading whisky and food commentator Martine Nouet on her first trip to China. Nicknamed “La Reine de L’Alambic” (the Queen of Stills), Nouet will be pairing fresh Scottish seafood in the Whisky and Food Experience. (Check WhiskyLIVE’s Weibo page for exclusive announcements and industry news.)

With the highly anticipated launch of the Stephen Notman Gold Signature Awards, China’s first bilingual whisky rating system, announcing the very best whiskies legally available in Mainland China. The team also delighted to announce the involvement of Chinese manga artist Zhang Xiao Bai who has designed the label of a 5^th Anniversary Limited Edition bottle.

As ever, Whisky Live aims to provide novices and industry experts alike with a fully interactive, luxurious experience. Guests will have the chance to attend educational workshops and free tastings, hosted by fully trained brand ambassadors. Newcomers to this year include luxury Scottish seafood purveyors Loch Fyne, plus a number of premium whiskies.

Notes:

1)     For more information, exclusives and to arrange interviews, please contact Press Officer

Charlotte Middlehurst on +86 156 1814 3200, email charlotte@whiskylivechina.com.

2)     Whisky Live is the world’s premier whisky tasting and sampling show, taking place in 17 countries from London to Tokyo, Paris to Taipei.

3)     Stephen Notman is one of the youngest recipients ever of The Keepers of the Quaich award. He is Managing Director of Whisky Live Shanghai and Taipei, Chief Whisky Advisor for Global Spirit Merchants and Whisky Sommelier at the Waldorf Astoria.

Stephen Notman

4)     Whisky Live 2013 will be held at the Le Royal Meridien Hotel, 789 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Xizang Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai, on August 23 and 24. Tickets: Consumers 150RMB, VIPs 1,000RMB (ticket includes 5^th anniversary limited edition bottling of 15 Year Old Single Cask Arran) 2013

www.whiskylivechina.com

The Stephen Notman Gold Signature Awards Launch in China 

The Stephen Notman Gold Signature Awards, a new landmark rating system specifically designed for China, will launch at this year’s Whisky Live Shanghai on the 23^rd August. The Awards mark the first comprehensive guide to whisky published in Mainland China in both Chinese and English. Backed by the Scottish Government the groundbreaking prize is a first for the region and the whisky industry worldwide.

“Interacting with old and new whisky lovers is key to developing the whisky market in China. With whisky marketing getting evermore complex it is essential to place actual taste as paramount,” says Stephen Notman judge and founder of Whisky Live Shanghai and Whisky Live Taipei, the world’s largest whisky festival.

Scored out of 100, over 120 whiskies that are legally registered in Mainland China have been evaluated using Notman’s experience as a World Whisky Awards and IWSC judge, along with his neutrality as an advisor to the Scottish Government on whisky in China. Notman has lived in China for six years and conducted around 350 tastings across the country and the Far East. He is also the youngest serving Keeper of the Quaich, a title once held by former US President Ronald Reagan.

The eagerly anticipated results will be announced at this year’s show. They will be published in the Whisky Live Magazine and broadcast to Whisky Live’s 46,000 Weibo and Weixin followers. They will also be accessible via a new App, which allows consumers to judge the whiskies themselves.

“My main aim is to make whisky easier, to decode the complexity and make it even more of a talking point in China. I take into account the taste profile of Asia, where people don’t necessarily want big, smoky whiskies,” says Notman. “I hope the awards will raise the profile of the entire whisky industry in the region.”

For regular updates and exclusive announcements follow @WhiskyLIVE on Weibo.

Notes:

1) For more exclusive previews and to arrange interviews, please contact press officer Charlotte Middlehurst on +86 156 1814 3200, email charlotte@whiskylivechina.com.

2) Whisky Live is the world’s premier whisky tasting and sampling show, taking place in 17 countries from London to Tokyo, Paris to Taipei.

3) Steve Notman is managing director of Whisky Live Shanghai, chief whisky advisor for Global Spirit Merchants and whisky sommelier at the Waldorf Astoria, and contributor to DRiNK magazine.

4) Whisky Live 2013 will be held at the Le Royal Meridien Hotel, 789 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Xizang Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai, on August 23 and 24. More information on the show available here www.whiskylivechina.com/ Weibo @WhiskyLIVE.

BARTON 1792 DISTILLERY OPENING NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Center to Honor Former Employee Glen Richardson 

BARDSTOWN, Ky (July 22, 2012) – Barton 1792 Distillery is opening its new Distribution Center today, July 22^nd, and will dedicate it to former employee Glen T. Richardson.

The Distribution Center is a 300,000 square foot facility with a storage capacity of one million cases of spirits. Barton 1792 upgraded the facility with a cold room for heat sensitive products, additional dock spaces, and other office improvements.

Glen T. Richardson was an employee in the shipping department of Barton 1792 Distillery for 32 years until he passed away suddenly in March 2013. He was instrumental in the purchase of the new Distribution Center in 2012. Richardson’s family will be on hand for the dedication, and a bronze plaque will be mounted on the outside wall of the Distribution Center bearing his image and name.

“We are glad we are able to honor Glen for his dedication, while at the same time we are pleased to be increasing our business footprint in the Bardstown community,” said Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer of the Sazerac Company, which owns Barton 1792 Distillery.

The Barton 1792 Distribution Center is located at 1010 Withrow Court in Bardstown in the Bardstown Industrial Park. The Distillery’s former distribution center was one third of the size of the new facility. It has been repurposed for bottling operations. 

About Barton 1792 Distillery 

Barton 1792 Distillery is part of Barton Brands of Kentucky, with facilities in Bardstown, Ky., Carson, Calif., and Baltimore, Md. Barton Brands is owned by the Sazerac Company, a family-owned company based in New Orleans, La. Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.”  1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery.  This small batch Bourbon whiskey is the recent winner of a double gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. To learn more about the Distillery visit www.1792bourbon.com.

A National Historic Landmark

It has been a time of highs and lows for Buffalo Trace. After mourning the sad loss of pioneer and master distiller Elmer T. Lee, aged 93 last week, the team at Buffalo Trace has been buoyed by news that the distillery he devoted his life to has been officially labelled a National Historic Landmark in America, joining the ranks of The White House and the Empire State Building.

Elmer T. Lee

Elmer T. Lee was seen as someone who transformed the bourbon industry and became synonymous with the Buffalo Trace brand after being hired in 1949 after graduating with an engineering degree from the University of Kentucky.

Elmer’s finest achievement was arguably in 1984 with the introduction of Blanton’s, the world’s first Single Barrel Bourbon, which was bottled from unblended, individual barrels of the best aged Kentucky whiskey available.

Although Elmer retired in 1985, he never really left, and every Tuesday Elmer would make his rounds at the Distillery in his trademark cap signing bottles, posters and other memorabilia.

A Distinguished Bourbon

Over its 240 year history Buffalo Trace Distillery has been privileged to win many awards but its designation as a United States National Historic Landmark is surely the crowning achievement. An award which is only bestowed to 2,577 other properties in the country.

The award not only recognises Elmer T. Lee’s commitment and dedication, but honours all that has been accomplished by its people, its builders, its visionaries, its preservers and protectors, its rescuers and those who have simply come to love it during its long and storied history.

A testament to the legacy that Elmer T. Lee’s left is that today Buffalo Trace is the world’s most decorated distillery and is the only single distillery to be recognised as ‘Distillery of the Year’ by Malt Advocate Magazine, ‘Distiller of the Year’ by Whisky Magazine and ‘Distillery of the Year’ by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Taste the new Tamdhu with us

Just a few weeks ago, the ‘Can-dhu-spirit’ of Tamdhu was reborn.

However, if you were unable to attend the Tamdhu Family Day, you may not have tasted our new 10 Year Old. Or indeed, experienced the wonders of our revitalised distillery.

To right these wrongs, we’ve made a a couple of short videos. They explore the flavours of our Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and introduce you to the beliefs we hold dear.

Our first video above takes your taste buds through our superb new 10 Year Old, while the second video below is dedicated to the stunning Limited Edition 10 Year Old.

We hope you like what you see. And if you do, there is plenty more to discover on the Tamdhu website – you may even be compelled to visit the Tamdhu shop.

Enlighteningly yours,

Tamdhu Distillery

Black Forest to Black Sea by oar as two men complete 3,200km journey to row the Danube 

— Epic adventure is supported by Ardbeg, the ultimate Islay whisky — 

Two daring Brits have completed their journey to row from the highest navigable point on the Danube to the lowest – a staggering 3,200km journey – with the support of Ardbeg, Islay Single Malt whisky.

Beginning in the heart of Europe and passing through ten countries to finish on the western fringes of Asia, Mark Hughes and Jonathan Cowie rowed in shifts of one hour each, needing to cover at least 100km per day to remain on target.

The expedition was supported by Ardbeg, the Ultimate Islay malt, who are well known for their love of adventure. Ardbeg is currently involved in a “world first” space maturation experiment on the International Space station, and their big and untamed custom-made Orange County Chopper motorbike is currently touring the world.

Rower Mark Hughes explains: “Jonathan and I are extremely excited to have completed our adventure to row down the Danube. It has been the ultimate journey and we very much appreciate the support from the ultimate Islay malt whisky, Ardbeg.”

Allan Little, Ardbeg Brand Manager, says: “The distance these two friends have covered is really admirable. Their ambition is to raise money and awareness for two inspirational charities and we are more than happy to support them. We’d also encourage everyone to go to http://www.rowthedanube.com/ to donate.”

Mark and Jonathan set off on their ultimate journey on the June 9th from Ulm in Baden-Württemberg, Germany after being delayed by flooding. They travelled down the river Danube to complete their epic trip on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, after almost a month of rowing on July 6th.

Notes:

About Ardbeg

Ardbeg prides itself on being the ‘Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky’. Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts.

Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future and it was not until the brand was purchased by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the Distillery was saved from extinction. Since then, the Distillery has risen like a phoenix and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following. The legacy of the whisky was safeguarded by the formation of ‘The Committee’ in 2000 from thousands of Ardbeg followers across the globe keen to ensure “the doors of Ardbeg never close again.”

Ardbeg was voted ‘Scotch Whisky of the Year’ three years in a row by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible and was awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’, ‘Best Islay Single Malt’ and the ‘Global Icon Visitor Centre Manager of the Year’ at the World Whisky Awards 2013.

Ardbeg Embassies

Ardbeg Embassies are a network of Ardbeg customers who love Ardbeg and have agreed to profile Ardbeg to their consumers; most are independent premium whisky stores. 

Responsible Drinking

Ardbeg and The Glenmorangie Company advocate responsible drinking and suggest that drinkers savour Ardbeg in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.

Three Times Awarded the ISC “Distiller of the Year.”

From the Pioneer and Founding Family of Japanese Whisky.

*2010, 2012 and 2013 “Distiller of the Year,”

with nine 2013 “Gold” medals and a 2013 “Trophy” for Hibiki 21 Year Old.

The 2013 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) awards ceremony was held on Tuesday, July 16 in London. Suntory Liquors Limited was awarded “Distiller of the Year,” an annual honor bestowed upon the industry’s best distiller who consistently produces a variety of high-quality products. This distinction coincided with being presented the “Trophy,” the highest award in the World Whiskies category, for Suntory Liquors’ Hibiki 21 Years Old blended whisky.

Suntory Liquors Limited was honored with the “Distiller of the Year” award for the third time, having also received it in 2010 and 2012. As the company enters its 90^th year, Suntory views this prize as a significant testament to the high quality and craftsmanship of their whiskies. The judges offered high praise for the whisky, stating “Suntory is a force to be reckoned with and is really pushing the Japanese whisky category to an international level.” This is a great achievement for the House of Suntory Whisky, a family-owned House of Whisky, where a tradition of uncompromising artisanship has been handed down from father to son since 1923.

This is the first time for Hibiki 21 Years Old to be honored the top spot in the World Whiskies category by receiving the “Trophy”. There were 400 whiskies entered in this year’s competition. The judges recognized that Hibiki 21 Years Old has a rich, full aroma with plenty of oak and soft fruit flavors, a good balance and texture, and a long rich finish — noting its unblended malt and grain whiskies, the varied and distinguished range of those unblended whiskies, and the strength of its blending techniques.

●About the International Spirits Challenge

The International Spirits Challenge is a competition held every year in the UK. Entries are divided into categories such as “Whisky” or “Liquors,” and gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in each of those categories. There is also one ultimate award, the “Trophy,” given to one of the gold medal winners chosen as the best of the best in its category. The “Distiller of the Year” award is given each year to one maker of a diverse range of high-quality products.

The winners in the “Whiskies” category are chosen unanimously by a panel of nine judges, including blenders from whisky distilleries from around the world, and each year these awards garner the attention of the worldwide liquor industry.

The Award-Winning Whisky

●Suntory Whisky: Hibiki 21 Years Old

This whisky is a blend of painstakingly selected ripe grain malts aged with the key Yamazaki sherry cask malt, and is vatted with other carefully chosen mellow unblended grain malts over 21 years. Hibiki 21 Years Old has aromas of sweet dried fruit and a spicy flavor, and is characterized by a solemn, refined richness and profound, lingering echoes.

▼Name of Competition

International Spirits Challenge 2013

▼Prizes and Winners:

Trophy: Suntory Whisky Hibiki 21 Years Old

Distiller of the Year: Suntory Liquors Limited

▼Awards Ceremony:

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

At Honourable Artillery Company, London, U.K.

Success across the Board for Chivas Brothers’ Scotch Whiskies at the International Spirits Challenge

Chivas Brothers, the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky, received two Trophies – the highest accolade – at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) awards ceremony which took place at the Honourable Artillery Company in London, last night.

Chivas 18, the No. 1 ultra-premium Scotch whisky in the world, picked up the coveted Scotch Whisky Blended Trophy– (under 21 years), after being selected from 401 entries.

The Glenlivet Alpha limited edition, which was launched earlier this year, triumphed with the stylish black opaque bottle impressing an expert panel of judges to receive the Best New Design & PackagingTrophy. The Glenlivet, with its signature smoothness and floral, fruity profile, also received seven gold medals at the tasting challenge.

This year’s competition was remarkable for Chivas Brothers, which scooped a grand total of 32 medals across the entire portfolio. 14 gold medals were awarded to its whisky expressions alone, highlighting once again the consistent quality of its brands.

Ballantine’s Finest, 17 Year Old and 30 Year Old expressions were also awarded gold medals, while Royal Salute, the world’s leading luxury Scotch whisky, was equally recognised for its 21 Year Old.

Laurent Lacassagne, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, comments: “We are honoured to be recognised so widely for our premium Scotch whiskies. The Trophies awarded to Chivas 18 and The Glenlivet Alpha and the numerous medals received across the portfolio demonstrate the continuing success of our brands – from the quality of our expressions to our dynamic innovation. We are proud to receive such acknowledgement from the internationally renowned and rigorous judging panel at the International Spirits Challenge”.

The Chivas Brothers gin portfolio continued to demonstrate its high quality after receiving a gold medal for Beefeater Dry and a gold medal for its new ultra-premium expression Beefeater Burrough’s Reserve in the Design and Packaging category.

Now in its 18th year, the ISC promotes outstanding quality spirits from across the globe. Over 1,000 entries were drawn this year from nearly 70 countries and rigorously judged for quality by a panel of independent experts.

FULL RESULTS

International Spirits Challenge

Scotch Whisky Trophy

Chivas 18

Design and Packaging Trophy

The Glenlivet Alpha

Gold

The Glenlivet 18 YO

The Glenlivet XXV

The Glenlivet 21 YO

The Glenlivet 15 yO French Oak Reserve

The Glenlivet 12 YO

The Glenlivet Nadura 16 YO

The Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve

Aberlour 12 YO DCM

Royal Salute 21 YO

Ballantine’s Finest Ballantine’s 17 YO

Ballantines 30 YO

Chivas 18 Beefeater

Notes:

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.

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

Photo caption The Glenlivet’s International Marketing Manager Clarisse Daniels accompanied by the Nude Brand Creation’s team receive the trophy from Christian Davis and Paul Foulkes-Arellano.       

Harrods and The Dalmore Create World’s Rarest Whisky Collection

The world’s leading luxury retailer has teamed up with one the world’s finest malt whisky brands to create a truly unique collection of rare whiskies.

The Dalmore Paterson Collection – the only one of its kind in the world – goes on sale and will take pride of place in the newly refurbished Fine Spirits Room at Harrods from 16 July 2013 for £987,500.

One Man’s Lifelong Passion
Consisting of twelve bottles, each rare expression has been individually assessed, nosed, tasted and selected by Richard Paterson, master distiller of The Dalmore, from some of the rarest, oldest and most valuable stock in the world. But he was not alone in this enviable task as Nick Fleming, wine and spirits buyer for Harrods, used his unrivalled expertise to help choose the whiskies.

Richard has chosen to name each of these whiskies, dating from 1926 up to the 1990s, in honour of those people who have influenced and inspired him throughout his career, from his own father and grandfather to the founders of The Dalmore’s parent company, James Whyte and Charles Mackay.

The personality of Richard Paterson has also been imprinted on the Collection through the creation of a personal and unique hand written ledger, spanning more than 200 pages and taking more than 1000 hours to write, capturing Richard’s every thought and step on the way to creating the collection.

Bespoke, Hand Crafted Ledger, Decanters and Cabinet
The ledger has been created by John Watson & Company Ltd, one of Glasgow’s oldest printers and long serving suppliers to the whisky industry. Each of the pages have been hand folded and individually foiled in silver with Richard’s signature before being bound in a bespoke book made of the finest calfskin leather.

Each of the twelve expressions is presented in a hand crafted full lead crystal decanter, produced by Glencairn, one of the world’s leading crystal houses. Luxury jeweller Hamilton & Inches have crafted and hand engraved the silver that adorns each bottle.

The collection itself is housed in a bespoke wooden cabinet, created by one of Britain’s leading cabinet makers, Gavin Robertson through more than 700 hours of design and craft.

The Global Market for Luxury Whisky Thrives
The global market for luxury wine spirits continues to flourish with growth of 12% forecast in 2013. This growth is fuelled by a combination of factors, including the continued rise of the Chinese luxury consumer accounting for one in four purchases of personal luxury goods, and the rise of luxury tourism accounting for 40% of global luxury spending. (Bain & Company “Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study” 2012)

The global market for luxury whisky in particular mirrors this trend, with emerging markets such as Latin America and Asia demonstrating particularly strong demand for rare and vintage expressions. A voracious appetite for single malt is also prevalent across mature markets such as the US, where luxury whisky is one of the most dynamic sectors of the US spirits market with volume sales increasing by 16% in 2012 (CandMResearch, 2013).

The Dalmore Master Distiller, Richard Paterson

“Working alongside Harrods, we have created a collection of whiskies of the very highest quality that can truly lay claim to be the only one of its kind in the world. I personally have invested a huge amount of time ensuring that each of these twelve expressions represent the very best of the incredibly rare and valuable stocks that we nurture up at the distillery in Alness. I’m delighted that we have been able to give this collection the showcase that it deserves, with centre stage in the spirit room of the world’s number one luxury retailer.”

Direct of Foods at Harrods, Bruce Langlands

“If we had any doubts at all about selling such an incredible range of whiskies we wouldn’t have spent so much creating them in the first place with The Dalmore. It is the flagship product for our new spirits room, and has pride of place in its bespoke hand crafted cabinet. I’m more concerned that we sell it too quickly and we lose an outstanding talking point and attraction in the spirits room!”

Chief Executive of Whyte & Mackay, John Beard

“This is a true partnership between The Dalmore and Harrods, with much time and energy dedicated to creating something very special. Nobody has ever launched a whisky collection such as this before. It represents the lifetimes work of one of the whisky industy’s most dedicated, respected and loved characters – Richard Paterson. Whoever buys this will own a truly unique collection of whiskies as well as a little bit of Richard himself as he has put so much in to the creation of this collection.”

Further information on The Dalmore: Dating back to the days of King Alexander III, The Dalmore gained its iconic 12-point stag emblem in 1263 when one of the Mackenzie clan saved the king from being gored by a stag. Unlike other whiskies The Dalmore is produced in very limited quantities. Due to the distinctive distillation process no two batches will be exactly the same, ensuring that each release of the The Dalmore is unique.

The Dalmore distillery houses some of Scotland’s most precious and rare whisky stocks. Home of the record-breaking The Dalmore Trinitas 64 year old and a number of other rare expressions such as Sirius, Selene, Candela and Oculus, it is no wonder that whisky investors, collectors and aficionados keep a watchful eye on this collection.

LINKS www.thedalmore.com and www.harrods.com and THE HARRODS DALMORE VIDEO