KILCHOMAN LAUNCHES MACHIR BAY MINIS IN AMERICA FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!

After a multitude of inquiries from our distributors, retailers and consumers, we have now brought in Kilchoman Machir Bay 50 ml.

We’ve always appreciated miniatures as a they are a great tool for introducing consumers to a product by giving them a chance to sample it before committing to a full bottle.

We are extremely excited to be able to make it possible for this expression.

Machir Bay Minis can be used to fill a well-deserved space in one’s miniature collection and they can be given as a corporate or personal gift to travellers, colleagues, friends or family members.

With the holiday season just around the corner, they couldn’t have come at a better time as they make the perfect stocking stuffer!

Bottled at 46%, unchillfiltered and with no artificial colour, each miniature comes in its own gift box at an RRP of $11.99/btl.

Glann ar Mor Distillery appoints importer for Denmark

Glann ar Mor, the artisan distillery from Brittany is delighted to announce it has appointed FC Whisky for the distribution of its whiskies in Denmark.

Jean Donnay, the designer and owner of Glann ar Mor distillery said “We are thrilled to start in Denmark with FC Whisky who share the same uncompromising and passionate attitude about whisky as we do ourselves.”

FC Whisky who are based in Vejle represent some reputed whisky producers such as Kilchoman and Vintage Malt Whisky Co.

Glann ar Mor is a craft distillery producing its whiskies by the seaside on the Northern coast of Brittany in pure Celtic tradition, doing it the old fashion way with live flame heating for its two pot stills, worm tub condensers, wooden washbacks and ultra slow distillation.

The un-peated Glann ar Mor and the peated Kornog are being introduced in Denmark during the second half of November, including a few rare bottles of the the casks strength/single cask Kornog “Taouarc’h an Hañv 2012” @ 58,7%, otherwise now sold out everywhere else.

Both single malts are already well established within the whisky community, having benefited from multiple awards and tasting reviews, including in particular a “Liquid Gold Award” for Kornog in the three latest editions of Jim Murray’s “Whisky Bible”.

For more information contact :
FC Whisky
Email: info@cask.dk
Phone: 0045 26 11 64 90

GLENDRONACH WINS TOP AWARD IN SCOTTISH FIELD’S 2012 WHISKY CHALLENGE

A GlenDronach 1990 single cask bottling has won three top awards in this year’s prestigious Scottish Field Whisky Challenge.

The bottling of cask number 2966, a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, was voted Winner in the “Over £80” category, top Distillery Bottling and also won the big award – the coveted “Whisky of the Year” for 2012.

In a further accolade for the Aberdeenshire distillery, two other expressions – the GlenDronach 18 yo Allardice and the 21 yo Parliament – were both nominated in the “£35-£80” category, earning strong endorsements from the judging panel.

It’s the twelfth year of the awards in which forty-five of Scotland’s top whiskies went head to head to be crowned Whisky of the Year.

The Whisky Challenge team said: “Now in its twelfth year, the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge has firmly established itself as a credible guide to Scotland’s very best whiskies as well as an event that is eagerly awaited by connoisseurs and whisky enthusiasts alike.”

This year the judges, drawn from some of the top independent whisky retailers in Scotland, were Darren Leitch, Duncan Ralph, Mark Angus, Julie Trevisan Hunter, Mike Lord, Mark Connolly and Robin Russell.

And they were unanimous that the GlenDronach 22yo was an outstanding winner. In the knockout round in the morning session, all seven voted that it should go forward to the afternoon session. Normally at least one judge demurs so for all to agree is extremely rare.

In her notes, Julie Trevisan Hunter said: “A wonderful rich palate of bitter cherries and dark chocolate” while Robin Russell declared: “It’s one for the sherry monsters. Forget collecting this one – simply buy it and enjoy.”

Distilled and filled to cask on May 30, 1990 and bottled in June this year as part of GlenDronach single casks’ “Batch 6”, the 1990 cask # 2966 is aged 22 years old and has been bottled at cask strength (55.1% vol). The cask produced just 539 bottles which retail in the UK at approximately £95.99 per 700ml.

The judges were equally complimentary about the GlenDronach 18 and 21 year-olds which were nominated in the “£35-£80” category. The Allardice was “full bodied and rich with dark fruits, Christmas cake mix and a satisfying spicy wood flavour” while the Parliament was “an astoundingly big sherry cask whisky with lots of bodega notes, plums, bitter chocolate and a hugely long finish.”

GlenDronach Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “We’re obviously really pleased to win the big award. We release a number of single cask bottlings from GlenDronach each year, with vintages ranging from 1971 to 1996, and they are very popular. For the 1990 cask # 2966 to receive such fantastic recognition helps to underline the quality across the range of single cask releases from GlenDronach.”

Image of the “Whisky of the Year 2012”, the GlenDronach 1990,above.

Suntory Takes Top Honors At The International Spirits Challenge 2012

Suntory Liquors is pleased to announce that it has been named “Distiller of the Year” at the 17th International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2012 held on Monday, November 5, in London, England. This declaration is an annual honor bestowed upon the distiller who consistently produces a variety of high-quality products. Suntory has now received the “Distiller of the Year” award for two years running, a testament to the brand’s reputation for quality products as well as superb malt whisky production techniques.

This prestigious award also coincides with the designation of its single-malt whiskies Yamazaki 18 year old and Hakushu 25 year old as the winning trophies in the Whisky category. Yamazaki 18 year old and Hakushu 25 year old, which competed among approximately 350 whisky products in the event, were given the top spots as the best products in the Whisky category. It is the first time in ISC history that a distiller has won multiple trophies in the Whisky category. Suntory received high praise, such as that from Gordon Motion, Master Blender of Edrington Distillers, who said, “Yamazaki 18 year old and Hakushu 25 year old single malts were outstanding. The overall quality of the Suntory whiskies was very clear.”

http://www.suntory.com/business/liquor/whisky.html

The beginning of winter is hot toddy time. Try it Japanese style!

London October 2012: A hot toddy is one way to keep on top of cooler weather and here is a hot toddy recipe Japanese style. It’s a warming cocktail for the season they call Ritto, the “Beginning of Winter”, starting around 5th November.

Hakushu Ritto:
50ml Hakushu 12 Year Old Single
Malt Whisky
75ml hot green tea
Teaspoon of runny honey
Pinch of powdered ginger
Squeeze of lemon juice
Pour Hakushu and green tea into a
mug, add honey, ginger and lemon
juice
Stir until honey is dissolved
Add ginger slice and serve

With a cocktail to welcome in each of their 24 seasons the Japanese raise a Hakushu Ritto (hot toddy) in early November to acknowledge the first sign of winter.  Whatever your normal preference for a warming winter drink this is a recipe with a difference. Suntory Brand Ambassador Zoran Peric has created a cocktail for each of the 24 Japanese seasons, and the Hakushu Ritto combines the subtle tastes and aromas of a 12 year old single malt whisky with hot tea to stimulate the taste buds in colder weather.

Suntory Japanese whiskies are world beaters having won more than 60 international awards since 2003 and whisky lovers have taken to them. There is something about their subtle aromas and delicate flavours which appeal to the palate whether taken neat, over ice, in cocktails or in a hot toddy as above..

Suntory Single Malt Whiskies are firm favourites in Japan and here in Europe. Enjoy them and especially the warm glow that comes with the Hakushu Ritto.

Pronouncing Suntory Names
Yamazaki – (Ya-ma-zarkee)
Hakushu – (Ha-koo-shoe)
Hibiki – (Hi-bi-kee)

Suntory single malt whiskies are available from: Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, The Whisky Exchange, independent specialist retailers and www.drinkon.com Hakushu 12 year old single malt around £49.95

The Yamazaki and Hakushu range of single malt and Hibiki blended whiskies from Suntory is distributed in the UK by Cellar Trends. For all sales enquiries contact: sales@cellartrends.co.uk

Remaining 70 Year Old Single Malt released to UK and international market  

The remaining bottles of the world’s joint oldest single malt Scotch whisky go on sale worldwide today (13 November 2012).  

Gordon & MacPhail, the world’s leading malt whisky specialist, is releasing the remainder of the 100 bottles of the Glenlivet 70 Years Old to the UK and  international market, giving collectors and consumers a final chance to own a piece of Scotland’s liquid history.  It follows an exclusive sales preview of the rare malt at Vancouver International Airport through late September and October.

Distilled in 1940, the first batch of the Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old was released in March 2011 and met with international acclaim. All 100 large decanters sold out quickly to customers worldwide.

The decanters now on sale are the last drops left of the Glenlivet 70 Years Old from this cask.

Michael Urquhart, Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the international interest for our Generations range.  The Glenlivet 70 Years Old is a sublime whisky and is a treasure for whisky enthusiasts and collectors.

“Our family has passed its knowledge and expertise of Scotch whisky from generation to generation since we were founded over 117 years ago. We’re proud to be able to share this with the rest of the world.”

Cask 339 was filled at Glenlivet Distillery on 3rd February 1940, to the instruction of John Urquhart, grandfather and great-grandfather of Gordon & MacPhail’s current owners. Successive generations of the Urquhart family waited for the day when it would be ready to share with fellow whisky enthusiasts. 70 years on, the whisky was bottled at cask strength (45.9%).

World-renowned whisky expert, Charles Maclean, said: “The Glenlivet 1940 comes from a distillery which has been the benchmark against which other malts have been measured since the 1820s.  Such a whisky will never be seen again. It is incredibly rare, and therefore highly collectable. But, more importantly, it is also celestial on the palate.”

Each bottle is beautifully presented in a tear-shaped hand-blown crystal decanter with an elegant British Hallmarked silver stopper. The decanter nestles in a Sterling silver base and is framed in a handmade box, crafted in Scotland using Scottish Yew.

Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old was matured in a First Fill Sherry Butt, and bottled at cask strength (45.9% ABV).  It is the second in a series of extremely rare malt whiskies to be released by Gordon & MacPhail under its Generations brand.  In 2010 the family owned firm made history as it released Generations Mortlach 70 Years Old, in Scotland’s capital city, at Edinburgh Castle.

Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old has a recommended retail price of £15,000 in the UK.  Prices may vary in different countries due to different excise and sales taxes and currency fluctuations.

For more information, visit http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/ 

TASTING NOTE

Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old by Charles MacLean

70YO Single cask Speyside @45.9%Vol

Appearance: Deep amber, with tawny lights. First fill sherry butt.

Aroma: A mild nose-feel. The first aroma is of an old cocktail cabinet, with sherry notes predominating: polished wood, soft leather and a trace of candlewax. Behind this are fruity notes, lightly baked apples (even Tarte Tatin), but also fresh orange juice, and a thread of smoke or ash in the distance Adding a drop of water suppresses the fruity notes and slightly enhances the sweetness (now tablet) and smokiness.

Taste: A waxy, teeth-coating, mouthfeel; smooth and voluptuous. The taste is sweetish to start, then savoury, with a trace of salt – might this be a rare example of ‘umami’ in whisky, the elusive fifth primary taste? The finish is long, with a faint smokiness in the aftertaste. Drinks well at natural strength. With a drop of water the flavours remain intact.

Development: Fades gracefully towards vanilla fudge and sanded wood.

Comment: A stupendous whisky! Although it resonates with aged character – and indeed characteristics from another era – it retains vitality, both on the nose and in the mouth.

About Gordon & MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail is an independent, family-owned spirit and wine merchant 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 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. Now they have released the remaining 100 70cl decanters from this cask.

SHARE BUNNAHABHAIN THIS FESTIVE SEASON

If you think about it, the Bunnahabhain 12 year old single malt, produced on the world-famous Isle of Islay situated off the west coast of Scotland, has spent 12 years in a cask, quietly maturing and developing its flavours and characteristics in a warehouse built in 1881. With this in mind and the numerous international gold medals it has garnered over the years, you can’t go wrong by sharing this elegantly crafted single malt this festive season with someone you admire and respect.

Bunnahabhain (pronounced Bū-na-ha-venn) means mouth of the river in Scots Gaelic and refers to the Margadale River that flows close by. Founded in 1881, the distillery lies on the north-eastern tip of Islay and the tiny village of Bunnahabhain that overlooks the Sound of Islay grew up around it.

The sea influence and free flowing mountain spring water, makes it an idyllic place for whisky distillation. Bunnahabhain is the only single malt producer on Islay using a natural spring water source, piping their water from the springs of the Margadale River.

Known as the gentle taste of Islay, the Bunnahabhain 12-, 18- and 25-year olds are, unlike other single malts from Islay, crafted from unpeated malted barley and pure spring water that flows freely underground, untainted by the peaty moorlands. The whiskies are created by master distiller Ian MacMillan and are all un-chillfiltered, returning to the whisky-making tradition of Bunnahabhain’s distillers many years ago.

According to MacMillan, by un-chillfiltering the whisky nothing is taken away or added and the whisky retains all of its depth of flavour, aromas, colours and character. This allows the gentle, subtle notes of the malt to come through, providing a purer taste, nose and appearance.

“The process of chillfiltering removes some of the oily-fatty compounds produced during distillation or extracted during maturation. It prevents the whisky, when in the bottle or when served, from becoming slightly hazy when chilled. Several whisky experts believe chill-filtration removes some of the flavour and body from the whisky while with un-chillfiltering it retains the maximum depth of flavour and character.”

The Bunnahabahain 12 year old is packaged in a gift box and available from fine liquor outlets, retailing for about *R490 per bottle.

*South African Rand

GLEN GARIOCH LAUNCH SINGLE CASK WITH MILROY’S OF SOHO

Rare 33-year-old malt hits shelves of boutique London stores

Glen Garioch, the hidden Highland gem of the whisky world, has teamed up with London’s oldest whisky specialist, Milroy’s of Soho to launch an exclusive single malt for whisky enthusiasts at Milroy’s of Soho and Jeroboams eight wine shops.

Staff from Milroy’s of Soho hand-picked a rare 33-year-old Glen Garioch after visiting Scotland’s most easterly distillery earlier in June this year, it will now be a select addition to the retailer’s extensive single cask malt collection.

The retailer launched the single cask collection at a very special tasting event at its flagship store in Soho earlier this month. Enthusiasts at the event were also treated to a tasting of “the rare pair” that is Glen Garioch accompanied by cheese.

Just 146 bottles of the Milroy’s of Soho Cask 10999, retailing at £300 will be exclusively available from Milroy’s of Soho London stores, making it undoubtedly a must-have inclusion for any malt enthusiast.

Filled in November 1978, the Glen Garioch vintage malt has been quietly maturing for 33 years in a North American oak cask at the Aberdeenshire distillery. The light fruity notes of pear eau de vie, melon candy and ripe banana proved a huge draw for Milroy’s staff, which fused with traces of wood-smoke, leaves a gentle heather honey finish.

Cara Laing, Glen Garioch’s marketing manager, said, “Milroy’s of Soho is renowned for its discerning selection of whiskies, with an especially large range of scarce bottlings, so we’re privileged that their team has picked such an elegant yet robust aged malt.

“The team at Milroy’s hand-picked a wonderful vintage which has been slowly maturing over 33 years to reveal the true essence of Glen Garioch’s couthie Highland spirit. Filled with fruity notes combined with sweet honey tones gives this dram a lovely clean finish, which I’m sure will be a joy to taste for any whisky aficionado.”

Isabel Graham-Yooll, Associate Director at Milroy’s of Soho said: “When we went to Glen Garioch in search of a very special bottling, we were looking for a whisky we could present to our very knowledgeable and discerning customers. We were there to find something remarkable and supremely elegant – something that would reveal new extraordinary flavours on each sip and reward lengthy contemplation. We found this in the Glen Garioch 1978 and we are delighted.”

The single cask has yielded just 146 bottles with an ABV of 58.8%.

The bottle is presented in an attractive buckram box, with each bottle individually numbered and a discreet message from the distillery manager who hand-crafted this prestigious malt within the box.

NOTES –

Glen Garioch, pronounced Glen Geery, founded in 1797 is one of the oldest remaining distilleries in Scotland The distillery lies on rising ground at 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 – the Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve, a non chill-filtered single malt bottled at 48% ABV and the Glen Garioch 12 Year Old, non chill-filtered single malt bottled at 48% ABV after maturing in bourbon and sherry casks.

Glen Garioch is owned by the Morrison Bowmore Distillers Limited who also produce Bowmore and Auchentoshan Glen Garioch is distributed by Cellar Trends in the UK, tel: 01283 217 703.

THE WHISKY SHOP SET TO LAUNCH FLAGSHIP LONDON STORE

The Whisky Shop is set to launch its flagship store in London’s Piccadilly on 22 November 2012.

The new store, situated across from The Ritz, is aiming to take high street whisky retailing to a new level by offering customers a new and unrivalled experience.

The ambitious project is supported in store by world class displays from Pernod Ricard and Whyte & Mackay and brings the number of Whisky Shops in the UK to 21.

Andrew Torrance, Managing Director of The Whisky Shop, said: “This is a very exciting development and we believe that whisky deserves to have this platform. We want to offer customers a very different retailing experience that is both accessible and can serve the needs of the most discerning whisky customer.

“The new store reflects the continuing success story of whisky and will combine prestigious and super premium whisky offerings with the high service standards that customers have come to expect from The Whisky Shop.”

The flagship Piccadilly store will include a vast whisky library stocking over 400 whiskies as well as an information bar using iPad technology to lead the customer through their whisky journey and to help with their understanding of Scotch.

The store will also offer some of the most exclusive whiskies in the world including Royal Salute, ‘Tribute to Honour’, one of the most opulent and rarest of blends in the world of which there are only 21 bottles. Priced at £150,000, the whisky is presented in a spectacular bejewelled bottle, embellished by royal jeweller Garrard in flawless diamonds and shimmering gold.
The Dalmore Constellation Collection, priced at £158,000, consists of 21 individual expressions of some of the world’s rarest single malts created at the Highland Distillery between the years 1964 and 1992.

The expressions have spent their lives finessing in the finest casks from across the globe before being bottled at natural cask strength and at natural colour.

Simon van Moppes, Commercial Director at Pernod Ricard UK, said: “We are very pleased to be associated with The Whisky Shop and the new opening at 70 Piccadilly. We believe strongly that our partnership with The Whisky Shop will provide an unrivalled retail experience where consumers can really engage with whisky in the heart of the Capital. Premium whisky is enjoying growth and this is the perfect environment to showcase our brands like Chivas, The Glenlivet and Royal Salute.”

David Brown, Whyte & Mackay Sales Director, commented: “The Piccadilly store will be a must visit destination for all whisky lovers. Everything from the store layout to the consumer interaction provided by the knowledgeable staff and interactive tasting displays, really sets a high standard for whisky retailing.” The Whisky Shop’s flagship store is located at 70 Piccadilly, London and can be contacted on 0141 427 2977 or andrew@whiskyshop.com