NEW CAPACITY NEXT STEP IN CHIVAS BROTHERS EXPANSION
TO SUPPLY GLOBAL DEMAND FOR ITS BRANDS

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has announced its intention to build a new malt whisky distillery and has begun the planning process for a site in Speyside. The company is consulting the local community and planners regarding a location on the banks of the River Spey near Carron.

The new distillery would supply high quality Speyside malt whisky for the Chivas Brothers portfolio of blended whiskies to be sold around the world. It will benefit from the latest innovation and environmental expertise, such as heat recovery technology and provide a first class working environment.

The site would also be visible from the nearby Speyside Way walking trail, so whilst up-to-date construction techniques and modern technology would be used inside the building, the intention is to make the external façade blend in with the surrounding riverside scene and follow vernacular codes of the region.

Chairman and CEO Christian Porta commented: “Our success in growing our brands across the world, in existing and new markets, to many historical highs means that creating new distillation capacity is a key next step for our business. This new distillery will supply high quality Speyside malt whisky for many of our blends in the years to come. This is another example of our sustained investment in our Scotch whisky operations which, combined with consistent innovation and marketing, will continue to drive the growth of our business.”

The new distillery will occupy the site of the silent Imperial Distillery which has remained inactive since 1998 and was acquired by Chivas Brothers in 2005.

Earlier this year, Chivas Brothers already announced its plans to grow its malt whisky distillation capacity by 25% by April 2013 with the re-opening of Glen Keith distillery and expansions at four existing Speyside distilleries. It also increased the capacity of The Glenlivet Distillery by 75% in 2010 in light of increasing sales of the global No 2 single malt.

Notes

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

Times flies, and Whisky Israel is three years old, like a proper whisky, right?

As a token of appreciation for our readers, we’re giving away an amazing bottle of whisky, A FULL SIZE BOTTLE!! (700ml) of the brand new 30 year old Isle of Jura (see notes and info here ).

Brillant right? 350 quid worth of whisky, elegant bottle in an amazing case, You want it, we know…

So, how can you win that? simple as 1.2.3:

 Become a friend of Whisky Israel on FB / follow us on twitter @whiskyisrael
 Answer the following 2 questions:
 Name the post you liked best on the blog (from the first to this one)
 Name your favorite Jura expression.
 Email the information with your twitter handle / FB username to : win_a_jura_30@whiskyisrael.co.il  that’s it! The bottle will be delivered in time for Xmas, and one lucky reader will be very happy this Xmas. What are you waiting for? start emailing.

 *Competition Deadline is : November 10th 2012

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible™ 2013 Win for TheWhiskyBarrel.com

Online whisky shop TheWhiskyBarrel.com is celebrating a remarkable scoop following the publication of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2013™, the annual definitive enthusiasts guide. The retailer’s exclusive Berry’s Own Selection Macduff 2000 Scotch scooped the top award for Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2013™ 11-15 Years in the Single Cask Scotch category.

The Award Winning 11 year old Scotch was specially selected for The Whisky Barrel by Doug McIvor, Spirits Manager of Berry Bros. & Rudd. Bottled from a fresh sherry cask number 5774 at natural cask strength 60%. Macduff is a Speyside Scotch whisky distillery situated in the north east of Scotland.

Customers can order confidently that the evil sulphur queen hasn’t lit a match near this one. Don’t delay, these are being ordered like it’s wine.

TheWhiskyBarrel.com is a specialist online Scotch whisky merchant shipping to over 50 countries including the United States and Canada.

Macduff 2000 BBR for TheWhiskyBarrel.com $53.49

http://www.thewhiskybarrel.com/macduff-11-year-old-thewhiskybarrel.com-exclusive-whiskey-scotland

Macduff 2000 BBR for TheWhiskyBarrel.co.uk £39.99 (£33.33 ex VAT)

http://www.thewhiskybarrel.co.uk/macduff-11-year-old-thewhiskybarrel.com-exclusive-single-malt-scotch

The Whisky Barrel
www.thewhiskybarrel.com

E: info@thewhiskybarrel.com
T: +44 (0)845 2248 156

Gordon and MacPhail adds to its Private Collection

Scotland’s leading malt whisky specialist, Gordon & MacPhail, has added two new expressions to its Private Collection range.

The Elgin-based, family-run company has extended its Private Collection to include the Ledaig Distillery St Joseph Wood Finish (distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2012 at 45%) and the Balblair Distillery Crozes-Hermitage Wood Finish (distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2012 at 45%).

The malts were selected for their outstanding quality and character. Both were distilled in the early 1990s and exemplify the flavours and characteristics of single malts aged in French casks. Only 2,000 bottles have been released for worldwide sale.

Michael Urquhart, Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, said: “For generations Gordon & MacPhail has built up a stock of single malts of various ages and strengths from distilleries throughout Scotland. As a result, our portfolio is wide and varied and includes single malts to suit different tastes and price points.

“The latest expressions released under our Private Collection range enable whisky enthusiasts to explore how the characteristics of the single malt are complemented by the characteristics found in these high quality French casks.”

Gordon & MacPhail’s Private Collection includes over 300 expressions, aged 5-70 years and vintages from 1938. Each addition to the Private Collection is personally selected by the company’s directors.

Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection from Ledaig Distillery St Joseph Wood Finish has a UK Recommended Retail Price (RRP) of £45.75, while Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection from Balblair Distillery Crozes-Hermitage Wood Finish has a UK RRP of £68.99.

Prices may vary in different markets due to taxes and import duties.

Notes

TASTING NOTES

Private Collection from Ledaig Distillery St Joseph Wood Finish (Distilled 1993 and bottled in 2012 at 45%)

The distillery was in the past known as Ledaig, changing its name to Tobermory Distillery in the 1970s. Tobermory Distillery has had mixed fortunes since it was first established in 1823. It has been closed several times, most recently in the 1980s. Having reopened in 1989, Tobermory is now back in production.

Situated in the northern Rhône region of France, St Joseph was given its name in the 17th Century by the Jesuits of Tournon. Wines from the region have been sold as early as the 16th century and enjoyed at the tables of the French Kings. The red wines are generally made in the lighter style with soft tannins.

COLOUR – Dark Amber.
AROMA – Sweet wine influences with red grapes and sweet summer berries aromas. Fresh and herbal with hints of coriander and sea air.
TASTE – Rich dark chocolate flavours, with maraschino cherries and black forest gateau. A slight nuttiness is also present with a touch ash and new leather.
BODY – Medium.
FINISH – Long and Lingering.
2200 bottles have been released for sale worldwide.

Private Collection from Balblair Distillery Crozes-Hermitage Wood Finish (Distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2012 at 45%)

Balblair Distillery is located in Ross-shire, in the Scottish Highlands. The distillery, named after the nearby Balblair Farm where it was originally built in the 1790’s, moved to its present site in 1895.

Crozes-Hermitage is the largest Appellation Contrôlée in the northern Rhône region of France, producing over half of the region’s total wine. Red wines are produced from the Syrah grape and tend to have a soft, delicate character.

COLOUR – Golden Amber with a hint of red.
AROMA – Sweet and fruity with hints of strawberry and ripe banana. A toasted malt edge develops with a touch of vanilla.
TASTE – A touch of black cracked pepper followed by summer fruits and citrus flavours. A creamy milk chocolate edge lingers.
BODY – Medium.
FINISH – Long and fruity.

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.

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.

I hope this letter finds you well. The autumn rains have come to the island, but so far the weather has not been too bad – although of course the winter is yet to come! I have recently returned from Germany where we held our annual ‘Laphroaig Live’ web broadcast and conducted a series of tasting around Germany. It was tiring but hugely enjoyable.

Laphroaig Live Germany.
This year it was held in Nuremberg. Once again our viewing audience broke all records with tens of thousands of Friends tuning in on the night, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. I must say it was fun to taste the three different peated single malts as well as the Quarter Cask-matured peaty beer, which was delicious.

Of course, I know that many of you would not have had the time to watch on the actual night, so I am pleased to say that the ‘On Demand’ recorded version is now up for you to watch. Just go to www.laphroaig.com/live and enjoy! I am sure many of you will have questions, so do drop me a line or you can ‘tweet’ me directly at https://twitter.com/Laphroaigwhisky.

May I also extend my thanks to all of you who gave me such a warm welcome at our tastings in Darmstadt, Nuremberg, Hamburg and Berlin. I really enjoyed all 4 tastings with you.

FOL 18th Birthday Special Anniversary glass.
Firstly, thank you for all your lovely comments on our “Thistle” glass. Some of you have asked whether it will become a permanent item. I am sorry to say that it is a limited edition, so will only be on sale this year (or until stocks run out), so if you would like one, please order one soon.

Christmas.
Yes it does sound early to talk about it, but I have been asked to let you know the last posting dates for your online shop:

UK – Monday 17th Dec
Western Europe – Sunday 9th Dec
Rest of World – Sunday 2nd Dec.

Slàinte,

John Campbell

Distillery Manager, Laphroaig

For more information about becoming a Friend of Laphroaig visit www.laphroaig.com

BALLANTINE’S UNVEILS PREMIUM OFFERINGS FOR THE GIFTING SEASON

Ballantine’s, the No. 1 whisky in Europe, is launching a trio of stylish gift packs for its Ballantine’s Finest and Ballantine’s 12 Year Old expressions ahead of the festive period.

Building on the successful ‘Beyond’ global marketing platform, Ballantine’s 12 Year Old has received an intriguing makeover for this year’s seasonal gift pack. Inspired by a world of visual illusion and hidden messages, the gift pack reinforces the brand’s reputation for original and creative thinking.

The new, eye-catching gift tin uses Ballantine’s 12 visual equity and age statement to create a textual pattern that features the silhouette of a hidden bottle. Debossed tasting notes are strategically placed to be discovered inside the lid of the gift tin, which also features an embossed logo and age statement. Further enhanced by a combination of print techniques and finished with a gloss varnish, the gift tin aims to entice consumers to pick it up to experience its tactile qualities and further explore its innovative design.

Peter Moore, Brand Director for Ballantine’s, comments: “The new Ballantine’s 12 gift pack will bring to life the brand’s ‘Beyond’ positioning with an intriguing and intelligent design that is sure to capture the audience’s imagination.”

In addition to the Ballantine’s 12 gift tin, Ballantine’s Finest is launching two gift packs ahead of this year’s festivities.

A special gift tin includes the striking Ballantine’s Finest visual cues, in line with the popular expression’s new outer carton. A wrap-around design highlights an embossed crest and logo on both sides, while a debossed seal and signature is placed to be discovered inside the lid.

Aimed at a younger audience, an alternative gifting offering for Ballantine’s Finest is a stylish carrying zip case pack. Made of high density nylon, the pack includes an engraved tin-plate plaque to complete a more youthful, modern appeal.

“Our gift packs for Ballantine’s Finest and Ballantine’s 12 Year Old include something for everyone,” adds Moore. “We expect them to be extremely popular with people looking for eye-catching and stylish gift options in the run up to Christmas.”

Gift packs are available for 70cl, 75cl and 1L products. The limited edition packs will be available in more than 40 markets from the beginning of December 2012.

Notes

About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s Finest is a complex blend of single malts and grain whiskies from four renowned whisky regions of Scotland – Islay, Highlands, Speyside and Lowlands. Its elegant signature style is a balance of soft and sweet, due to the key malts of Glenburgie and Miltonduff.

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.

For further information visit www.chivasbrothers.com

101 WORLD WHISKIES TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE is the companion guide to 2010’s 101 WHISKIES TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE. Ian Buxton again eschews the obvious whiskies and recommends another 101 whiskies that he believes every whisky lover should taste.

In Ian Buxton’s new collection of whisky recommendations he has cast his net wider. He includes not only whiskies from the established whisky-producing countries, but also many newcomers. The book includes whiskies from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, India, Ireland, Japan, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA and Wales.

All the whiskies included are both affordable and accessible. Ian Buxton does not believe in collecting whiskies or investing in whisky. He believes in tasting and enjoying the huge range of whiskies that are available. The book includes single malts and blends and provocatively a few renegade suggestions that are bound to offend purists. Ian Buxton is incredibly well-connected in the whisky world with the specialist press, bloggers, retailers, marketeers and the producers themselves.

Hardcover • 978-0-7553-6319-3 • $19.99 • 224 pages

PUB DATE: September 4, 2012

Ian Buxton is a former Marketing Director of Glenmorangie and has worked in the industry for more than 20 years. He now runs a successful consultancy business. He was elected a Keeper of the Quaich in 1991, the highest honour of the Scotch whisky industry, and is a member of the international tasting panel for the annual World Whisky Awards and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers. He lives in Perthshire on the site of a former distillery from where he conducts his love affair with Scotland’s national drink.

101 World Whiskies to Try Before You Die- Ian Buxton

“Buxton’s guide encourages you to seek out and try whiskeis that you might not have thought about before … So what are you waiting for? It’s time to start delving in and ticking them off.” Whisky Magaazine

“One of the industry’s most illustrious tipplers.” coolhunting.com

If you would like a copy and live in CANADA contact Whisky Intelligence via the contact for and we’ll send you a copy. FREE! (Two copies available).

LABEL 5 KICKS OFF AN INSTAGRAM PHOTO CONTEST “CATCHTHE5”

Leading Scotch Whisky Brand, LABEL 5 has launched a great competition through its Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Label5, which invites its worldwide fans to take an Instagram picture which echoes, according to them, the number 5, to get a chance to win a 5-day trip to NEW YORK City!

LABEL 5 unveils an original and interactive campaign built on the legendary number of LABEL 5, which celebrates creativity and the WorldMix spirit! The contest is all about inspiring photos taken using Instagram. Because, inspiration could be everywhere! You can find a 5 in the streets you go, the movies you watch, the games you play, the group of friends you are…

With this exciting campaign, LABEL 5 is looking for talented photographers from different countries and entices people to share their vision of the number 5 on the Catchthe5 application available on the official Facebook page. The 2-month competition is running from September, 3 and will run in many countries across the world including Poland, Australia, Ghana, Japan, Lebanon, and Belgium. 5 winners will be selected by a special jury, winning a fantastic prize: the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to star in a web serie during a 5-day trip in NEW YORK City.

To enter, it’s very easy!
-1st: You need to become a fan and join the international community of LABEL 5 fans: www.facebook.com/Label5.
–2nd: You take a photo that you think best represents the number 5, you upload it to Instagram with the tags #Catchthe5 and #NYC (there is no limit to the photos you can enter).
–3rd: Finally visit the LABEL 5 Facebook page on the 20th of December to know if you will be a part of the WorldMix Experience webseries. The 5 winners will star in the webseries broadcasted on the Facebook page from April 2013.

May the odd be ever in your favor…
To get started and find out more go to www.facebook.com/label5 and click on the Catchthe5 tab to register for the competition.

Who wouldn’t want to take part? – LABEL 5 encourages to drink responsibly.

ABOUT LABEL 5
Elaborated in Scotland, LABEL 5 is renowned worldwide for its high quality and appreciated for its distinctive and authentic flavours. LABEL 5, ranks 9th on the worldwide Scotch Whisky market and is sold in more than 100 countries.

MASTER DISTILLER RECEIVES TOP AWARD

Mention the name Alan Winchester in whisky circles worldwide and people nod in recognition of someone who has dedicated his working life to whisky and in particular Speyside Malts.

Alan’s contribution to Speyside and whisky has long been recognised by the industry and the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is delighted to announce that Alan is this year’s recipient of the Ambassador of the Year Award, given to the person, community or company who has contributed most to the Festival.

James Campbell, Chairman of the Festival, presented Alan with the Festival Quaich.  He said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been given this Award.  It is great to be involved with the Festival and contribute to its success and growth.”

Up to his appointment as Master Distiller of The Glenlivet, Alan has worked at and been responsible for 20 distilleries, almost all on Speyside.

Alan’s passion for Scotch whisky and walking in part inspired the creation of The Glenlivet Smugglers Trails in 2007. Created in conjunction with the Crown Estate who own many of the lands surrounding The Glenlivet Distillery, the trails allow members of the public to follow in the footsteps of the whisky smugglers of old as they transported their renowned for the illicit whisky out of the Glenlivet valley. Every May at the annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, Alan can be found personally leading walks along the trails, giving his personal insight and historical perspective to hoards of eager walkers and whisky lovers from throughout the world visiting the glen.

Aside from day to day distilling, Alan maintains a personal interest in the history of the industry, often trading thoughts and discoveries with industry colleagues and journalists around the world some of whom seek Alan’s approval on points of fact and myth.

Alan Winchester remains a highly regarded distiller amongst his peers. In 1997 Alan was made a Keeper of the Quaich. In 2008 he was made President of the Malt Distillers Association, a three-year tenure, and is the current Chairman of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in Scotland.

Festival Chairman James Campbell commented,” The decision to recognise Alan’s contribution to the on-going success of the festival was unanimous.  He is an excellent Ambassador for Whisky, and in particular Speyside, worldwide and his enthusiasm is infectious.  We are delighted to add Alan’s name to the list of previous exceptional holders of the Quaich”.

James continued, “2012 was a fantastic festival with ticket sales up 40% and a number of events sold out very quickly.  Overseas visitor numbers were up on 2011 and there was a significant increase in the number of woman visiting the festival. The festival could not take place without the support of our members and event providers who go to such great lengths to ensure that visitors to Speyside have a memorable experience.  The Festival makes a valuable financial contribution to the local economy, generating an economic impact this year of £1.3 million over five days.  It also actively promotes this unique part of Scotland to a global audience all year round.’

The dates of the 2013 festival are 2 – 6 May 2013

Notes:  

Photograph caption: Alan Winchester receiving the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Ambassador of the Year Award from Festival Chairman James Campbell.

Image © Hemsworth images 2012

The aim of the Festival is to bring economic benefit to Moray and Speyside and to promote the contribution of the whisky industry and its heritage to the economy of Moray.  This year saw in excess of 28,000 visits to events, generating an economic impact of £1.3million to the local economy of Moray/Speyside.

The Festival promoted ‘the discovery of the passions behind the world’s finest whiskies’ with seven of the top ten whiskies worldwide being distilled in Speyside.

The company is limited by guarantee. It runs the Festival with a voluntary Board of Directors drawn from the membership to cover key areas of the whisky industry and culture plus tourism.

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs from Thursday, 2nd May – Monday, 6th May 2013.  Check out www.spiritofspeyside.com for up-to-date news and follow the Festival at www.facebook.com/WhiskyFestival or www.twitter.com/spirit_speyside

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking.

The Festival also runs several competitions and awards including the prestigious Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards as well as the Photographic Competition

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from EventScotland and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners including Highlands & IslandsEnterprise.

EventScotland: EventScotland is the national events agency. EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org.

About the Year of Creative Scotland 2012: The Year of Creative Scotland began on January 1,2012 and is a chance to showcase, celebrate and promote Scotland’s cultural and creative strengths on a world stage. Through a dynamic and exciting year-long programme of activity celebrating our world-class events, festivals, culture and heritage, the year puts Scotland’s culture and creativity in the international spotlight with a focus on cultural tourism and developing the events industry and creative sector in Scotland. More information about the programme can be found at: www.visitscotland.com/creative. The Year of Creative Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative led in partnership by EventScotland, VisitScotland, Creative Scotland and VOCAL.

Please find the link below from the November 2012 edition of Scottish Field Magazine Reader’s Whisky Challenge.

Link to November 12 Reader’s Whisky Challenge Results