GOLD MEDAL RUSH AS CHIVAS BROTHERS SCOOPS TOP AWARDS AT LEADING SPIRITS COMPETITIONS

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has scooped an impressive total of 16 Gold medals at two of the world’s most prestigious spirits competitions: the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2012, and the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2012.

There was success across the board as brands including Beefeater, The Glenlivet and Royal Salute all received the top honour of a Gold – Outstanding medal in the IWSC, while Aberlour won Gold – Best in Class medals for two expressions, Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured and Aberlour A’Bunadh.

The Glenlivet, the world’s No. 2 single malt Scotch whisky, was the most successful of all the Chivas brands across the two competitions, picking up seven golds in total, highlighting the consistently high quality of this single malt Scotch.

The full list of gold medal winners is as follows:

IWSC Results

Gold ‘Outstanding’

· The Glenlivet 21 Year Old Archive

· Royal Salute 21 Year Old

Gold

· Ballantine’s 17 Year Old

· The Glenlivet XXV

· The Glenlivet First Fill 12 Year Old

· The Glenlivet Nádurra Cask Strength 16 Year Old

· Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured

ISC Results

Gold ‘Best in Class’

· Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured

· Aberlour A’Bunadh

Gold

· Ballantine’s 30 Year Old

· The Glenlivet 12 Year Old

· The Glenlivet 18 Year Old

· The Glenlivet Guardians Single Cask

· Aberlour Non Chill Filtered 12 Year Old

Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, commented: “It has been another successful year for us in the IWSC and ISC, and we are delighted that the judges have once again recognised the consistently high quality of our brands. We are proud to have such an extensive range and this recognition from the judges in both competitions is testament to the craftsmanship and dedication of our master distillers and blenders.”

Notes

International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC)

The IWSC was founded in 1969 to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. Winners are selected through a rigorous two-stage judging process of professional blind tasting and detailed technical analysis. The competition is backed by a group of vice presidents made up of the most influential men and women in the trade, and has the support of many of the world’s top wine and spirits producers. This year’s competition received entries from nearly 90 countries worldwide.

International Spirits Challenge (ISC)

The International Spirits Challenge is one of the most authoritative, respected and influential spirits competitions in the world. Now in its 17th year, the competition is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process, which serves to encourage the high calibre of spirits, designs and campaigns entered into the competition each year. Receiving more than 1,000 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide, the ISC is a truly global competition.

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 further information visit www.chivasbrothers.com

Ballantine’s Revolutionise the T-Shirt with TshirtOS

If you could communicate through your t-shirt, what would you say? Perhaps it’s time to start thinking. Ballantine’s and digital partner WorkClub, who last year brought you a tattooed QR code, have worked with innovative clothing brand CuteCircuit to reinvent the original canvas of personal expression; the t-shirt.

Introducing tshirtOS. Wearable, shareable, programmable and 100% cotton, tshirtOS allows you to share your Facebook Status, Tweets, photos and favourite songs with anyone who walks your way. A built-in camera allows the wearer to take photos and a headphone jack to listen to music directly from iTunes.

“The t-shirt is the original canvas of self-expression. It was the Facebook status before there was a Facebook status. Whether you wore the Smiley Face, Che Guevara or Frankie Says Relax, your favourite t-shirt tells the world something about you. Ballantine’s has taken that thought and made it bigger.” says Global Brand Director, Peter Moore.

So how does it work? On its mission to celebrate creativity and personal expression Ballantine’s approached CuteCircuit and challenged them to reinvent the T-shirt using modern technology. The result? A t-shirt with its own built in operating system that is controlled by a mobile application functioning as a bridge between the t-shirt and the internet.

All 1024 pixels of tshirtOS can be viewed online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0GokKd2QRA The video showcases the t-shirt and asks the inevitable question: would you want one?

The fact is, as a prototype tshirtOS costs a lot, but the more interest there is in tshirtOS, the more accessible the price will become. Ballantine’s are capturing this interest via their Facebook page and if enough people want one, tshirtOS will be produced and purchasable.

In the meantime, Ballantine’s will also be getting the world excited by the possibilities tshirtOS presents. Three short films testing tshirtOS in London, Mexico City and São Paulo will be released in the coming weeks. Stay tuned on tshirtos.com for more updates.

Notes:

TshirtOS Technical Specifications:

LED Screen resolution
The LED Screen has a resolution of 1024 pixels, spaced 1cm apart, in a 32 by 32 pixel grid embedded into the fabric of the t-shirt. Each pixel is RGB (Red Green Blue) to make a full colour display. The LEDs used are ultra thin (like a sheet of paper), the brightest full colour discreet LEDs in the world at this thinness and only 2 by 2 mm wide. The screen is controlled by 32 ultra thin microprocessors, managing the screen control software “Q” by CuteCircuit.

Camera
The camera is an Omnivision Camera Cube. The Camera Cube combines the full functionality of a single chip image sensor, embedded processor and wafer- level optics in one compact, small-profile package. Boasting the industry’s smallest footprint and z-height (2.5 x 2.9 x 2.5 mm), it is ideal for today’s ultra-slim applications, such as wearable technology. Unlike traditional camera module designs that combine image sensors and lenses in a barrel, OmniVision devices are assembled using wafer level alignment tools. The lens can be placed directly onto chip scale packaged (CSP) image sensors, which eliminates the need for flex cables and interposers. Elimination of image contamination issues such as fixed pattern noise, smearing, and blooming produces a clean, fully stable colour image, which in the case of the tshirtOS is scaled down to 32 by 32 pixels to be displayed.

Accelerometer
This is a small, thin, low power, 3-axis accelerometer with high resolution up to ±16 g. It detects a person’s jumping motion (the momentary absence of gravity or free fall detection) and activates animations on the tshirtOS. This accelerometer is the latest generation triple-axis, hi resolution digital, micro mechanical inertial sensor.

Headphone Jack
This is a generic 3-poles stereo jack. We have 2 on tshirtOS – one for the headphone and the second for a headset/ microphone option. The headphone jacks fit all types of headphones.

Circuit board and processors
The Brain circuit is an ultra slim PCB that snaps into the tshirtOS hub to provide it with BlueTooth capability. The Bluetooth is CE and FCC certified, with an integrated micro-antenna, and it supports both the HFP, SPP, and A2DP profiles for hands-free and serial port use. The Brain is chargeable via USB simply by plugging it into a computer USB port, and the tiny Li-Po battery recharges in about 1 hour. The accelerometer and the micro- controller reside in the Brain. The micro controller controls the LED screen. We have 2 versions of the Brain where at the heart of the system is either an 8-bit processor from ATMEL or a 32-bit ARM Cortex processor, the latest ultra- powerful and energy efficient ARM processor, also from ATMEL.

iPhone and iOS support
The application will only be supported on iPhone4S and iOS5+ in its initial release.

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s produces Scotch whisky of outstanding quality; it is the no 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the no 2 in the world. Using only the finest malt and grain whiskies from the four corners of Scotland, its signature style is unique, smooth and elegant. A complex and authentic blend that is worthy of carrying George Ballantine’s name on it.

About Cute Circuit
Cute Circuit specialise in creating innovative intelligent clothing that integrates beauty and functionality through the use of smart textiles and microelectronics. They are the first company to merge wearable and telecommunication technology to create emotionally rich experiences.

About Work Club
Work Club is a digital creative agency. In 2011 the agency won Marketing’s Digital Agency of the Year. Work Club helps its clients put digitally-powered creativity at the heart of their brands and businesses. Its work addresses a wide variety of business and brand challenges for global, regional and UK clients, most of which are number 1 or number 2 in their sectors. Work Club’s clients include BBC, Coca-Cola, Sharp, Kraft, Pernod Ricard, McLaren F1 and General Mills.

For further information visit www.chivasbrothers.com or www.ballantines.com

SULLIVANS Cove Tasmanian Single Malt takes Gold and two Silvers in London

Luxury Tasmanian single malt whisky Sullivans Cove, won Gold with its French Oak Cask and two Silvers with its American Oak Cask and Double Cask whiskies at the global whisky tasting competition, the World Whisky Masters today in London.

In the highly competitive challenge that saw Sullivans Cove take on other single malts from around the world, it was the Tasmanian that ended up with top prize in the super-premium category.

Judging panel chair and whisky commentator Neil Ridley said, “The highlights were undoubtedly Antipodean-themed, with Tasmania’s Sullivans Cove distillery creating the biggest surprise of the day with their consistently well produced range of single malts.” Competition judge Shannon McCoy was especially impressed with Sullivans Cove’s offerings, remarking on their unique style compared to other international single malts.

Between large gulps of whisky Patrick Maguire, Sullivans Cove’s Distiller, was unsurprisingly very excited with the results: “We have put some really hard work into making the best whisky that we can over the years, and it is such a good feeling to consistently come out on top on the world stage!”

These latest medals add to Sullivans Cove’s growing swag of awards won over the past five years in the major international whisky tasting challenges, including Liquid Gold Awards from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2007 and 2010 as well as three gold medals at last year’s World Whisky Masters and “Best Other Single Malt” (for non-Scotches) at the World Whisky Awards in 2007 and 2011.

The World Whisky Masters is part of The Spirits Business’s Masters Series, one of the world’s biggest and most influential spirits blind tasting competitions.

About Sullivans Cove

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.

About the Spirits Business and the World Whisky Masters

The Spirits Business is the world’s biggest magazine covering the global spirits industry. Based in London, The Spirits Business is delivers industry news to spirits professionals around the globe. The Spirits Business runs The Spirits Masters, one of the world’s biggest and most influential spirits judging competitions. The World Whisky Masters covers whisky originating from outside of Scotland.

www.thespiritsbusiness.com

Tasmania Distillery Pty Ltd

Purple Valley Imports USA will begin distribution of all 3 expressions of Sullivans Cove in the USA early September.

Congratulations to Tomatin on winning this year’s The Spirit of Whisky Fringe Award. Quite a remarkable achievement for Alistair Mutch considering that he ran the Tomatin stand single handedly over all three days and had a full portfolio on display. Last year, the previous bottling of Tomatin 30 year old came in 9th place, this year’s new bottling took the show by storm, being clearly voted the outright winner. The Tomatin 1982 Single Cask also scored highly, along with the 40 year old and the new 15 year old Temperanillo finish. All in all some outstounding ‘plate spinning’ from Alistair and a thoroughly well deserved result!

Commiserations to the runners up. As always, a strong showing from Inverhouse Distillers with the new Balblair 1997, combined with a valiant defence from last year’s winner Old Pulteney 17 year old. While the youngest distillery on the block, Kilchoman really punched above its weight, putting in a sterling performance with its Single Cask 5 year old.

——————————————————————————–

1st PLACE

~ TOMATIN 30 year old ~
The Spirit of Whisky Fringe 2012

Royal Mile Whiskies (Edinburgh) 379 The Royal Mile Edinburgh EH1 1PW Tel: 0131 225 3383

THE MACALLAN ANNOUNCES NEW GLOBAL MARKETING MANAGER

The Macallan, single malt whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK, has announced a significant new addition to its global brand team with the appointment of Jaume Ferràs Santín as Global Marketing Manager.

Ferràs Santín brings over 16 years of experience in the spirits industry. He joins The Macallan after 5 years working for Bacardi Spain where he held the position of Marketing Manager for Martini for the last two years. During his tenure he oversaw the 360º launch of Chispazo (Martini & Coca Cola); Martini Dolce & Gabbana and the Martin brand campaign, “Luck is an Attitude”. He was also heavily involved in a range of market leading NPD projects and brand extensions. Prior to this Jaume was Innovation Manager for Bacardi in the EMEA region and also Group Brand Manager for Bacardi Spain.

Having previously worked with Edrington as a Brand Manager for The Famous Grouse, and also overseeing the Group’s brands whilst at Maxxium Spain, Jaume is well-versed in the company and The Macallan, having worked closely on the launch of Fine Oak in Spain in 2004.

Commenting on the appointment, Ken Grier, Director of Malts at Edrington said, “We have been seeking to fill this pivotal role for some time and with Jaume’s appointment we have found the right man for the job! His depth of experience and insight is first class and I am sure he will bring great thinking and charisma to The Macallan global brand team. We are at entering a crucial time for the brand and Jaume’s mix of spirit and luxury knowledge will undoubtedly help us realize our ambitions for this exceptional brand.”

The new addition to the team, Jaume Ferràs Santín said, “I have incredibly happy memories of working with Edrington, its people and its brands during my career, so I was delighted to be offered the role with The Macallan. The changing shape and footprint of the brand over the past few years is incredible and to be coming in to the team when The Macallan continues to outperform the category, is a dream come true. “

In his new role Jaume will be responsible for developing the overall positioning of The Macallan, working with partners from around the world, and driving the creative development of the brand. Working as part of the global brand team he will be involved in all key global platforms and initiatives, ensuring consistency and collaboration.

MAJOR TROPHY AND GOLDS FOR DIAGEO WHISKIES IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

by Pat Roberts

Outstanding successes for Diageo’s Scotch and Irish whiskies at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC).

The Singleton™ of Glen Ord™ 15 year old scored a Trophy – the ultimate prize – and a Gold Outstanding citation, and other Diageo whiskies walked away with 12 Gold and Gold Outstanding Medals and 23 Silver and Silver Outstanding Medals at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) who announced their results on 26 July.

Highlights

The highlights for Diageo whiskies this year are:

■A Gold Outstanding and overall Trophy for ‘Best Single Malt 15 years and Under’ for The Singleton™ of Glen Ord 15 year old, which the judges praised as “Wonderfully complex and appealing. Warm and sensual, compiled with a basket of forest fruits and savoury delights. Classic and Chic.”
■Gold Outstanding medals for Lagavulin™ Distillers Edition™ and Lagavulin 16 year old – confirming these majestic Single Malt Scotch Whiskies yet again as some of the top whisky medal winners of our generation.
■Bushmills™ 21 year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey also won a Gold Outstanding award: the judges loved it: “Stunning nose led by ripe nectarine, peach, and marzipan. Then follows a dramatic wave of malty aromas backed by rich oloroso sherry. Hints of cinnamon and sweet vanilla. Deep flavoured mellow mouth with lots of mature characters all based around fine malt and good sherry. Hints of raisins and liquorice. Smooth in all respects. Intense, well concentrated finish.”

Gold Medals (which means 90-100 out of 100 points) for several of great blended Scotch whiskies, including John Walker & Sons Odyssey® and Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ and Black Label®; for Windsor™ 21 year old, a big player in South Korea; and for Buchanan’s™ 12 year old and Haig Supreme™ 1627, both highly significant brands in Latin America.

Gold Medals were also awarded to The Singleton™ of Glen Ord™ 12 year old and Caol Ila™ 12 year old, and to Bushmills™ 16 year old Single Malt Irish Whiskey.

Silver Outstanding Medals went to:

■Johnnie Walker® Platinum Label™ 18 year old, released earlier this year
■Oban™ 14 year old
■Talisker™ 10 year old
■The Singleton™ of Dufftown 15 year old
■The Singleton™ of Glendullan 12 year old
■Windsor™ 12 year old
■Windsor™ Deluxe 17 year old

Comment by Nick Morgan

Dr Nick Morgan, Diageo’s Head of Whisky Outreach, said

“These 36 Gold and Silver Medals are a tribute to the skilled and dedicated men and women who make our whiskies. In a hugely crowded field, the Trophy for the Best Single Malt under 15 years old for The Singleton™ of Glen Ord 15 year old is a wonderful confirmation of the good taste of our discerning consumers in Asia where this innovative single malt whisky is outperforming the category.

“And it’s also fantastic to see some of our great vibrant blends like Johnnie Walker®, Buchanan’s™, Bushmills™ and Windsor™ pulling in so many Golds and Silvers in this important competition.

“It goes to show that commercial success goes hand in hand with a passion for making the very best whiskies, acknowledged here by impartial and highly qualified professional judges.”

Notes

The International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) was founded in 1969 and is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. See http://www.iwsc.net

SOUTHERN COMFORT NAMES WIEDEN+KENNEDY NEW YORK AGENCY OF RECORD

New campaign entitled “Whatever’s Comfortable” launching August 1

August 1, 2012, LOUISVILLE, KY – Southern Comfort is pleased to announce Wieden+Kennedy New York has been selected as the new agency of record for the brand’s global marketing communication services across all traditional, digital and emerging media channels.

The first campaign from the new partnership, entitled “Whatever’s Comfortable,” launches digitally via Southern Comfort’s online communities on Facebook and YouTube August 1. The campaign, much like the brand, was created to celebrate and inspire the awesome attitude of people who are completely comfortable with themselves. In “Beach,” the launch spot for the campaign, we are captivated by a man who owns his self-comfortableness so completely as he walks casually down the beach. The new work begins airing on national television on Aug 5, with an exclusive two week run of :60 second spots – the first ever in the brand’s history.

“We are thrilled to welcome Wieden+Kennedy into the Southern Comfort family,” said Mark Bacon, SVP, Managing Director, Southern Comfort. “Wieden+Kennedy’s global perspective, passion and insight will enable us to build equity with our core consumer and ensure Southern Comfort meets its ambitious growth objectives. We look forward to collaborating with them for years to come to share our brand’s great heritage with consumers.”

“We are really excited to have the opportunity to work with such an iconic brand like Southern Comfort,” said Neal Arthur, Managing Director of Wieden+Kennedy New York. “We are proud of the work produced together already, and look forward to the future of this great partnership.”

About Southern Comfort

Southern Comfort®, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was created in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is enjoyed by friends in over 100 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand. Please visit us at www.SouthernComfort.com  and facebook.com/southerncomfort.

About Wieden+Kennedy

Wieden+Kennedy, founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1982, is an independent, privately held international advertising agency with offices in Amsterdam, Delhi, London, New York City, Portland, São Paulo, Shanghai and Tokyo. A full-service, creatively led communications company, Wieden+Kennedy has helped build some of the strongest global brands, including Coca-Cola, Chrysler, Delta Air Lines, Electronic Arts, ESPN, Heineken, Honda, Kraft, Levi’s, Nike, and Procter & Gamble. www.wk.com

BenRiach Releases Latest Batch of Single Cask Bottlings

BenRiach has today, 3 August, released the latest batch, its ninth, of single cask bottlings.

It comprises in total some three thousand bottles from ten outstanding casks. Bottled in July, all are available as of today.

Ranging from 22 to 35 years, the release demonstrates the range of multi-layered expressions for which BenRiach is renowned. As would be expected from BenRiach, there is tremendous variety across the ten casks – including “classic Speyside”, peated expressions and various wood finishes (Pedro Ximenez, Tawny Port, Sauternes and Rioja).

Incidentally, Jim Murray was especially complimentary about the delicate influence of BenRiach’s PX sherry wood finishes. In his 2012 Whisky Bible, he says of the 15 year-old: “This is one of the world whisky noses of the year: absolute perfection.”

All ten casks have been hand-selected by BenRiach’s Managing Director Billy Walker.

He said: “Getting the wood right can be expensive but it’s one of the things I’m most proud of since we took over BenRiach.”

And what an amazing range Batch Nine has. Billy’s tasting notes convey a seductive mélange of styles ranging from “waves of damsons, plums and raisins” to “sweet honey with vanilla”, “buttered toast” and “a beautiful combination of peat reek, dates and dark chocolate”.

The cask details are as follows:

1976 cask # 5317 / 35 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Finish / 54.1% vol. / approx 204 bottles

1976 cask # 6967 / 35 years old / Classic Speyside / 59.0% vol. / approx 339 bottles

1976 cask # 8804 / 35 years old / Peated / 54.9%vol. / approx 232 bottles

1977 cask # 2593 / 34 years old / Sauternes Finish / 44.2% vol. / approx 278 bottles

1977 cask # 2588 / 34 years old / Rioja Finish / 44.1% vol. / approx 280 bottles

1983 cask # 291 / 29 years old / Classic Speyside / 43.1% vol / approx 264 bottles

1984 cask # 1052 / 27 years old / Peated, Pedro Ximenez Sherry Finish / 50.7% vol / approx 258 bottles

1984 cask # 4050 / 27 years old / Peated, Tawny Port Finish / 52.2% vol / approx 283 bottles

1985 cask # 7190 / 26 years / Peated, Pedro Ximenez Sherry Finish / 48.7% vol / approx 211 bottles

1990 cask # 2596 / 22 years / Tawny Port Finish / 53.4% vol / approx 624 bottles

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page over the coming weeks for more information on these new releases, tasting notes and exclusive product photography.

If you would like to receive more information regarding Batch 9 releases, please contact us on info@benriachdistillery.co.uk

Highland Park to create living tapestry of global fans

The home of the ‘best spirit in the world’* is set to make its fans around the world a permanent part of its distillery through the creation of a new, innovative piece of artwork. The Highland Park ‘mosaic’ is a collection of people’s faces crafted into an image capturing one of Orkney’s most striking and unique views.

Everyone who visits Highland Park on Orkney always says that when they leave, they take a little piece of the Island with them. With that in mind, Highland Park has taken this one step further and given its Inner Circle members a unique chance to be immortalised within the very walls of the distillery itself.

Daryl Haldane, Global Brand Advocate, Highland Park, said, “Today, we feel as strongly about our family as Magnus Eunson did back in 1798 and when this unique family portrait is completed, it will adorn one of the walls in the distillery, meaning that no matter how far away you happen to live from our beloved home, you can always say that you’ve left a lasting impression. It really does bring a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘your face here’…!”

To be part of the mosaic, all people need to do is upload a picture of themselves to the mosaic and in return for their unwavering loyalty they will become part of the distillery’s rich history, by joining our living artwork.

Photographs can be submitted in three ways; by downloading the Highland Park App from iTunes; on Highland Park’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/HighlandParkWhisky or via www.highlandpark.co.uk

* Highland Park is also the only ever spirit to be awarded the prestigious Best Spirit in the World, receiving the accolade in both 2005 and 2009 for its 18 year old single malt.

Notes:

Highland Park

Five keystones contribute to making the Best Spirit in the World:

• Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
• Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
• Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
• Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.
• Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection. Its core range of 12, 18, 21, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malt is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts.
www.highlandpark.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL GOLD FOR LOCAL BAIN’S CAPE MOUNTAIN WHISKY

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, South Africa’s only 100% single grain has added yet another award to its name. It took gold at the 2012 International Wine and Spirits Competition, competing against whiskies from around the world, all tasted by an international panel of judges.

This premium whisky, launched in 2009, has also recently been added to Ian Buxton’s 101 World Whiskies To Try Before You Die, the UK’s best seller offering a definitive guide to whiskies that every enthusiast should taste to extend their whisky education.

Jeff Green, production manager at The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, says that the whisky, inspired by the Bain’s Kloof Pass and its natural beauty, is crafted from the finest South African grain, making it one of the most unique whiskies around. With a distinctive South African taste profile, the grain used in making Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is South African maize, the very same maize that was imported into Scotland up until the mid 1980s to make Scottish grain whisky.

Made in a style that allows the maximum interaction between the cask and whisky, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is double-matured, first for 3 years in specially selected oak casks that have been previously used only for Bourbon, and then re-vatted for a further two years in ex-Bourbon cask oak.

The result is a whisky that shows exceptional interaction between spirit and wood. Toffee, floral and vanilla aromas and flavours softened by sweet, spicy undertones, produce a warm mouth-feel and a smooth finish.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is distilled and matured at The James Sedgwick Distillery which dates back to 1886 and is situated near the foothills of the Bain’s Kloof Pass in Wellington, in the heart of the Boland. The whisky pays tribute to Andrew Geddes Bain, the pioneering road builder who planned and built Bain’s Kloof Pass which connected Wellington to the interior in 1853.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is available from leading liquor outlets and retails for about R200 per 750ml bottle.