STALK & BARREL SINGLE MALT WHISKY

This is a reminder that the first bottles of STALK & BARREL SINGLE MALT WHISKY we be available directly at our onsite retail distillery store on Saturday, April 27 10:00am to 4:00pm.  This is the first single malt whisky mashed, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled in Ontario. Made from 100% Canadian two-row malted barley in small batches in a custom built copper pot still, it is bottled exclusively as single cask offerings in individually numbered bottles. We never chill-filter or add aritificial colouring. Quantities are limited and we are sorry that we cannot take advance orders or reservations.

• Cask 1 (62.3% alc./vol.) @ $99.95
• Cask 2 (61.3% alc./vol.) @ $99.95
• Cask 3 (46.0% alc./vol.) @ $69.95

All prices include taxes, LCBO markups and bottle deposit

Location & Hours

We are located at 150 Bradwick Drive, Unit #26, Concord, Ontario. For directions, click here.

Our hours are:

• Monday through Thursday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Friday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Saturday and Sunday by appointment
• Except for Saturday, April 27, 2013 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Gordon & MacPhail Wins Queen’s Award For Enterprise For The Second Time

The growing success of Benromach whisky has helped family-owned whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail win a second Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

The whisky specialist and distiller brought the Benromach Distillery back to life in 1998 when it was officially re-opened by HRH The Prince of Wales. Since then the Forres distillery has unveiled a series of hand-crafted single malt whiskies including the flagship Benromach 10 years old.

Managing Director, Michael Urquhart expressed his delight at winning the prestigious award for a second time, saying: “This is a wonderful achievement and recognition for the company and our dedicated staff, as well as for our customers and suppliers worldwide. The Queen’s Award is recognised across the world as a mark of outstanding quality and I have no doubt that winning the first award in 2009 has contributed to our recent growth.

“I am particularly pleased that the continuing success of Benromach whisky has played such a major part in our winning this award once more. The launch of Generations in 2010 with a 70 Year Old Mortlach then a 70 Year Old Glenlivet in 2011 were also highly sought after additions to the extensive range of single malt whiskies Gordon & MacPhail can offer to the market. As a result total exports have almost doubled in three years to more than £6m in 2012.

“We have been championing malt whisky for more than a century by buying and storing casks of whisky from distilleries across Scotland. But it’s been a particular pleasure for us as a family to drive the growth of our own Benromach whisky.”

Scotch Whisky Association Chief Executive, Gavin Hewitt welcomed the endorsement, saying: “Further congratulations to Gordon & MacPhail are very much in order. I am delighted that they have again been recognised for their outstanding export performance. The Scotch Whisky business is doing very well in our many overseas markets. Gordon & MacPhail is one of the beacons and an inspiration to others.”

The family-owned company is proud of its Moray roots and the company, its directors and its staff all play an active role in the local community. The company’s support helped secure Forres as the host town for the European Pipe Band Championships over the next three years when Benromach will be the principal sponsor.

Successful marketing of the Benromach brand has included sponsorship of the National Theatre of Scotland’s highly acclaimed production of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart which toured extensively overseas following sell-out performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As part of the performance, audiences have the chance to enjoy a dram of Benromach.

Gordon & MacPhail employs almost 140 people in Elgin and Forres. With around 300 different whisky brands stored in its warehouses, it cares for some of Scotland’s oldest and rarest casks.

Neil Urquhart, Michael Urquhart, Stephen Rankin

About Gordon & MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail is an independent, family-owned Scotch whisky specialist which has been based in Elgin, Moray, since 1895. 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.

Now one of the world’s leading malt whisky specialists, Gordon & MacPhail exports to more than 55 countries. It offers more than 300 presentations of own-bottled single malts.  In 2009, Gordon & MacPhail was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

In 1993 Gordon & MacPhail purchased Benromach Distillery and re-equipped it before it was officially opening by HRH Prince Charles in 1998. A four star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach distillery is a member of the world famous malt whisky trail.

In 2010 Gordon & MacPhail made history by bottling the oldest cask ever released – a 70 Year Old Mortlach, distilled in 1938. They followed this up by releasing 100 70cl and 175 20cl decanters of 70 Year Old Glenlivet in 2011. They have now released the remaining 100 70cl decanters from this cask.

Gordon &MacPhail is proud of its Moray roots and the company, its directors and its staff play an active role in their local community by supporting local charities and sponsoring local events.

A new way to search: FindTheBest, a new search and comparison engine that has been featured on the New York Times and TechCrunch, has developed a comparison utility for Whiskies. The tool offers users access to a vast database of different brands and labels and allows them to search, filter, and compare by name, region and category, price, tasting notes, years aged, ABV, and other factors.

FindTheBest’s Smart Rating for its whisky comparison is determined by the weighted average of five whiskey-rating sources: the Beverage Testing Institute, the International Wine and Spirits Competition, the LA Whiskey Society, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and Wine Enthusiast’s Magazine.

The website realizes that something as subjective as individual experiences with different whiskies cannot be presented entirely objectively, which is why in addition to the smart rating, it also welcomes user reviews. FindTheBest welcomes and encourages all registered users to submit a review and rating. Users can also submit their own listings if they find that the comparison does not currently include a particular label.

The website also allows its users to compare different brands side by side, matching each relevant data point, such as individual tasting notes, nose, finish, and palates.

Join the Glengoyne Family  

They say you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family. With Glengoyne you can with the official launch of a new online loyalty program – the Glengoyne Family.

Following the re-launch of the brand last October and a new dedicated website, the Family is a way for likeminded Glengoyne enthusiasts to benefit from exclusive promotions and regular offers. The launch coincides with Glengoyne’s 10-year anniversary since being acquired by Ian Macleod Distillers, one of Scotland’s leading, independent, family owned distillers.

As well as receiving a regular e-newsletter, Family members will also benefit from early notice of new releases (in particular limited editions), exclusive special offers and promotions with affiliate partners as well as Family member bottlings and the opportunity to be part of the selection panel.

Iain Weir, marketing director for Ian Macleod Distillers, said: “It is an exciting time for the brand and we are delighted to officially launch the Glengoyne Family on the 10 year anniversary of welcoming Glengoyne to the Ian Macleod Distillers portfolio.

“The Family is something we have been developing for some time and it is an opportunity for us to offer on-going benefits whilst developing a long term relationship with both new and existing members. The past decade has been an exciting one for Glengoyne and we look forward to the next 10.”

To celebrate the official launch of the Family, the Distillery is marking the occasion with a special competition. Any new members who sign up to the Glengoyne Family from today will be entered into a prize draw to win an outstanding decanter of the Glengoyne 35 yo, a rich malt with a tropical fruit intensity and a liquorice and dark chocolate finish. The winner will be announced in 2014.

Iain continued: “The Glengoyne 35 yo will be officially released in June and is an exceptionally rare whisky and we are excited to be offering this prize to one lucky Family member from our reserves of rare single malts. We look forward to presenting this extra-special decanter to the winner in 2014.”

To find out more about Glengoyne visit www.glengoyne.com

or follow us on Facebook and Twitter – https://www.facebook.com/GlengoyneSingleMalt  https://twitter.com/theglengoyne.

SULLIVANS Cove Named Best Australian Single Malt 

Tasmanian whisky brand Sullivans Cove has been named “Best Australian Single Malt” at the World Whiskies Awards in London last week. This prestigious award comes on the back of scoring 90 points out of 100 at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge held in March in the USA.

Sullivans Cove is Tasmania’s top selling and most decorated single malt. Last year Sullivans Cove was named World Whisky Grand Master at the annual Spirits Masters in London, whisky guru Jim Murray named it his Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year in the 2013 Whisky Bible and Dominic Roscrow named it Australasian Distiller of the Year.

Speaking from the distillery in Cambridge, Sullivans Cove distiller Patrick Maguire said: “Once again we have had a fantastic result. It is still quite unbelievable that we keep winning these incredible international awards and it just goes to show the quality of Sullivans Cove as a truly world class single malt whisky, a fact that is borne out by some fantastic export sales over the past year”.

Speaking about the awards, Whisky Magazine editor and World Whiskies Awards chairman Rob Allanson said: “This is one of the hardest whisky competitions in which to win a medal. This is mainly down to the rounds that the whiskies have to go through to qualify…there cannot be enough praise heaped upon those whiskies that win a sub category, you have to be an outstanding drop, showing great balance and character.”

A limited amount of the winning whisky (French Oak cask HH434), described by World Whiskies Awards judge Jim Anderson as “Graceful and balanced” is available from the distillery. Please enquire online at www.sullivanscovewhisky.com

About Sullivans Cove Whisky

Tasmania Distillery produces Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky. Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky is double distilled using only Tasmanian barley with only the purest wilderness water from local mountains and forests. Matured in hand selected oak casks and allowed to settle and clear naturally, the whiskies retain full, creamy and lingering flavours that are winning fans the world over. Each cask is bottled separately, yielding only around 450 bottles, making each bottle a rare item to own and enjoy.

Tasmania Distillery Pty Ltd

http://www.tasmaniadistillery.com.au/

Ka Va Lan Whisky in Canada – arriving in BC!

Sitting on the east coast, Ka Va Lan is the largest single malt whisky distillery in Taiwan. (See Mark Gillespie’s Whisky Cast on Ka Va Lan: http://youtu.be/WVIHFPFONB0). The Ka Va Lan Distillery is owned by one of the largest food group “King Car” in Taiwan. With the ambition to craft the best whisky from Taiwan, the whisky team spent one month in 2003 in Scotland in search of the perfect distill shape and variation in whisky making.

See Malt Advocate on Ian Buxton’s visit at Ka Va Lan in Taiwan.

Ka Va Lan obtained consultation from Dr. Jim Swan on crafting the whisky flavours fitting for a hot and humid tropical weather in Taiwan. They utilized the bio-chemical lab King Car company owns to produce a special yeast that will yield tropical flavours. To date, there are four single casks variation and four core range malts. In addition, there are mystery casks such as ex-Laphroaig casks, peated malt, etc. aging in the warehouse. Since 2011, single cask purchases are being offered to the public.

The whisky distillery was built in 2005 with a purpose to be a tourism destination. The current visitor center can easily accommodate two thousand people, and a cafeteria serving their award winning coffee, snacks and delicious hot lunches. There is also an in-house shop showcasing the King Car group variety of products. Currently there are 45,000 barrels in the aging process, separately housed in two warehouses.

Some virtual reality 360 view of the distillery
Lobby: http://vr.17high.com.tw/Entertainment/Yilan/Kingcar_Whisky/vr-03.html (this sure looks like a hotel grand lobby)
View of the warehouse and column distills: http://vr.17high.com.tw/Entertainment/Yilan/Kingcar_Whisky/vr-09.html
Outside the distillery: http://vr.17high.com.tw/Entertainment/Yilan/Kingcar_Whisky/vr-06.html

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has started the awards season in style, scooping an impressive total of 25 top accolades at two of the world’s most prestigious spirits competitions, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

The awards highlight the outstanding quality of the Chivas Brothers’ range, with seven brands including Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet and Beefeater Gin all receiving some of the highest accolades awarded by the judges, which included leading industry experts F. Paul Pacult and Steve Beal.

Royal Salute, the world’s leading luxury Scotch whisky, picked up two double gold medals for its 21 Year Old and 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny expressions at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Both expressions were shortlisted for the Chairman’s Trophy in the blended Scotch whisky category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, which the 21 Year Old was eventually awarded along with an Ultimate Recommendation.

Chivas 18 and Chivas 25 won double gold medals in the San Francisco World Spirit Competition, which represents the third double gold in a row for the pinnacle of the Chivas range, and were both shortlisted for the blended Scotch whisky Chairman’s Trophy in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

There was further success for Chivas Brothers with its malts portfolio as The Glenlivet 18 Year Old triumphed at both competitions; the USC judges endorsed the expression with its Ultimate Recommendation and shortlisted it for the single malt whisky Chairman’s Trophy, while it received a double gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The result marks the 10th time in 11 years that the expression has won the double gold award and reinforces its exceptional quality and consistency,  Aberlour 18 Year Old was given the fifth Ultimate Recommendation and was also shortlisted for the Chairman’s Trophy for single malt whisky at the USC, while Something Special, an expression from Chivas Brothers’ range of standard, blended whiskies won the eighth double gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

FULL RESULTS

San Francisco World Spirit Competition

Double Gold

Chivas 18
Chivas 25
Royal Salute 21 Year Old
Royal Salute 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny
Something Special
The Glenlivet 18 Year Old

Gold

Aberlour 12 Year Old Non Chill-Filtered
Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured
Aberlour 18 Year Old
The Glenlivet 12 Year Old
The Glenlivet 15 Year Old French Oak Reserve
The Glenlivet 21 Year Old

Ultimate Recommendation [Shortlisted for Trophy]

Aberlour 18 Year Old – 95 points [Single Malt Scotch]
The Glenlivet 18 Year Old (95 points) [Single Malt Scotch]

Highly Recommended – [Shortlisted for Trophy]

Royal Salute 38 Year Old Stone of Destiny (94 points)  [Blended Scotch]
Chivas 18 (92 points) [Blended Scotch]
Chivas 25 (92 points) [Blended Scotch]

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.

Ballantine’s, the No.1 whisky in Europe, is reaching out to the online whisky community with the launch of ‘The Story of Taste’; a new digital campaign that aims to take consumers ‘Beyond’ to discover the flavours of Ballantine’s 12.

The new initiative will take visitors on a journey through the tasting notes of Ballantine’s 12 via animated illustrations, introducing them to a new Ballantine’s 12 typeface inspired by the expression’s core flavours. Reached online at www.ballantines.com or at the Ballantine’s Facebook page, the application can also be installed onto various blog sites, offering bloggers around the world the opportunity to introduce their readers to the flavours of Ballantine’s 12 in a unique and innovative way.

Produced in collaboration with Ballantine’s Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, The Story of Taste is an animated sequence which invites consumers to discover Ballantine’s 12 tasting notes following the classic whisky tasting process. Step-by-step, users will unveil honey and berries by smell, and cream, vanilla and pear by taste, finishing with subtle clementine and oak flavours.

In the sequence, each of the first letters within the tasting notes is represented by an illuminated letter, created exclusively for Ballantine’s 12. At the end of the animation, viewers will be able to create an ‘iframe’ with their name in the new Ballantine’s 12 typeface, then publishing it on their Facebook profiles and sharing it via social media platforms.

Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, says: “Innovation is at the heart of Ballantine’s philosophy and we wanted to show our customers what makes Ballantine’s 12 different from other whiskies in a way that is both unique and engaging. ‘The Story of Taste’ uses digital mechanics to take consumers beyond the traditional boundaries of Scotch whisky, introducing whisky drinkers who might be new to the category, or are yet to discover Ballantine’s 12, to the spirit via a creative and distinctive digital platform. We hope that our fans all over the world will enjoy the animation and their personalised pieces of interactive typographical art”.

The Story of Taste is the latest in a range of innovations launched by Ballantine’s with others including the award-winning* social media platform Ballantine’s Loud Blue.

To explore Ballantine’s 12 ‘Story of Taste’, visit:  www.ballantines.com or www.facebook.com/ballantines

Notes: 

*Ballantine’s Loud Blue won The FWA Mobile Award of the Day on January 7^th 2013 

The code for the Story of Taste application can be provided to media wishing to upload the content directly onto their website. Contact details are listed below. 

About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s is the No 2 ultra-premium Scotch whisky in Asia, No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the range sells over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 120 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for 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 the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827. 

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.

TALISKER INTRODUCES NEW PORT-FINISHED SINGLE MALT WHISKY

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the rebirth of the Jura Distillery in 1963, and we’re welcoming you to the island to help us celebrate this milestone on the 29th and 30th of May at the Jura Whisky Festival.

Get involved in our Whisky Masterclasses, presented by Willie Cochrane, Willie Tait & Richard Paterson. Spend some time in the cooperage savouring a dram at our new dramming bar whilst listening to live music and sampling some local venison burgers.

We’ll also be releasing a unique festival bottling. These 663 bottles will be available only during the festival, with a limited number being released online exclusively for Diurachs on our online shop.

We’ve got loads more planned, even if you’re just coming for a wee visit, so check out the festival programme for more info on what’s happening.

We look forward to seeing you there! BOOK NOW VIEW THE FESTIVAL PROGRAM

If you can’t make it to Jura this May, join us on Facebook to win 1 of 10 vials of a secret future release. You can also join in on Twitter by signing up to our live tweet tasting on the Wednesday 29th. Head to @jurawhisky to sign up.