WIN a magical escape to the Isle of Skye

Isle of Skye Whisky has teamed up with VisitScotland as part of the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 to offer people the chance of winning a three-night self-catering break for two to the island, including return ferry travel from Mallaig to Armadale, a rare bottle of Isle of Skye 21 Years Old and up to £200 towards travel and spending money.

From the imposing skyline of the Black Cuillin shrouded in Celtic mist and towering high above the picturesque Glen Brittle, to the extraordinary cliff-like edge of Trotternish Ridge north of Portree, you are invited to journey ‘Over the sea to Skye’ and uncover an island full of surprises.

To help indulge your creative side during the Year of Creative 2012, make sure you experience the unique Poetry Trail at the Clan Donald Museum which brings to life the history of the Highlands and Islands through the Jacobite risings, to the sweeping cultural changes where clansmen became crofters and chiefs became landlords.

For full details and terms and conditions, visit: www.isleofskyewhisky.com/competition Or go to the VisitScotland Website.

GLEN GARIOCH UNVEILS NEW SMALL BATCH RELEASE

1995 expression offers the last chance to sample ‘old’ Glen Garioch at its finest

Glen Garioch, Scotland’s most easterly distillery, has unveiled its latest small batch release, the Glen Garioch Vintage 1995.

The limited edition, only the sixth special addition to the Glen Garioch single malt range, was laid down just months before the distillery was mothballed for two years in October 1995.

With just 1,000 8.4L cases available globally and a limited 100 in the UK, this expression encapsulates the final burst of rich and lightly peated malt produced at the distillery before its temporary closure.

Kirsteen Beeston, Head of Brands Marketing, said: “The aim with all our limited edition expressions is to showcase the distillery’s special quality of liquid, and the 1995 is certainly no exception.

“This vintage is the last to capture the old Glen Garioch peaty notes and has been matured entirely in first fill bourbon barrels for over 16 years.

“It’s a classically complex Glen Garioch; rich, full, robust and comes with a smooth velvety texture that accentuates its warm and spicy taste.

“Glen Garioch may be a small artisan distillery but our enduring spirit, honed over the last 200 years, means that we’re well versed at turning out distinctive single of exceptional quality.”

On the nose, the full flavour of the 1995 expression is heightened by an array of rich oak spices, with notes of spiced mocha and muscovado sugar turning more buttery when water is added. The end result is a wave of warm and spicy flavour with layers of baked banana, toffee sauce, mocha chocolate and warm golden syrup.

Rachel Barrie, new master blender for Morrison Bowmore, said this latest vintage reminds her of her roots, sitting in her grandmother’s kitchen in Glen Garioch’s closest town Inverurie.

She said: “This really takes me home to Inverurie, my gran’s kitchen was always filled with the smell of pancakes and maple syrup, honey drizzled waffles and apple strudel. These warm, spicy flavours are true Glen Garioch.”

This unique small batch release calls upon some of the last ever barley, malted and peated on site at the Oldmeldrum distillery. Following a short period of silence between 1995 and 1997 production was resumed without the use of the 200 year old malt barns, making this a rare vintage for single malt fans.

With its proud Doric history, the Aberdeenshire malt captures the enduring and couthie spirit of the Highland town of Oldmeldrum.

Barrie added: “With limited availability in the UK, and based on the blistering success of our previous small batch releases, whisky aficionados will need to be quick out of the blocks.”

At 55.3% ABV, Glen Garioch 1995 is available from specialist wine and spirit merchants, retailing circa £55. It is distributed by Cellar Trends in the UK.

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 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.

Ian Macleod Distillers Unveils New Look for Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky

We have the pleasure of unveiling the new design for the core expressions of our award-winning Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky range.

Reconnecting the brand with its historic home, the new packaging for Isle of Skye 8 Years Old and 12 Years Old takes direct inspiration from the majestic scenery and romance of Scotland’s famous ‘Misty Isle’.

With a new standout colour palette on the label and bottle top that reflects the Red and Black Hills of the Cuillin Mountains, the new label design introduces a striking watercolour sunset over the Isle of Skye, perfectly showcased by a new premium distinctive bespoke bottle.

Based on a family recipe that blends distinctive peaty Island and mellow Speyside Malts, Isle of Skye was created by the company’s founder Ian Macleod, whose signature appears on the label and bottle top.

The new age-roundel on both the red and cream label of the 8 Years Old and black and gold design of the 12 Years Old adds greater prominence to the age statement, emphasising the premium quality of Isle of Skye. While the majority of Blended Scotch Whiskies are un-aged, Isle of Skye is unusual in its guarantee that all the Single Malts used in its blend recipe are matured in oak casks for at least 8 or 12 years.

This commitment to excellence has led to Isle of Skye being favoured by whisky expert Jim Murray in the 2012 Whisky Bible rating Isle of Skye 8 Years Old as a ‘superstar whisky that gives us a reason to live’.*

The Isle of Skye 8 Years Old is available in a range of sizes – (1.5 litre, 35cl and 5cl) and 70cl in Tesco and Asda and other leading national retailers from only £17.99 per bottle. It is also available to buy online at www.isleofskyewhisky.com

BAIN’S CAPE MOUNTAIN WHISKY CHOSEN AS ONE OF TOP WHISKIES TO TRY

The proudly South African Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky has been listed in Ian Buxton’s 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die, the UK’s best-selling whisky publication for the past two years with the most recent edition which went on sale this week.

The book is a guide to broaden any whisky lover’s experience in discovering the various whisky offerings available throughout the world – from Sweden to Japan to South Africa and Scotland. Having worked in the whisky industry for more than two decades, Buxton has built up a reputation for his knowledge and this he shares in his unique book. The whiskies listed are according to him not an awards list but rather a definitive guide to whiskies that every enthusiast should taste to extend their whisky education.

By including South Africa’s first 100% single grain whisky in his selection is an enormous achievement for its creator, Andy Watts, master distiller at The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington. And the whisky is no stranger to the limelight either. At the 2011 International Wine and Spirits Competition, judges praised the whisky for its “excellent, clean, lively entry into the mouth with sweet grain firmness and beautiful balance”.

Inspired by the Bain’s Kloof Pass and its natural beauty, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is crafted from the finest South African grain. It is South Africa’s first single grain whisky and its double-maturation imparts flavour and complexity, resulting in an exceptionally smooth and distinctive whisky.

The whisky shows an exceptional interaction between spirit and wood to produce a mix of toffee, floral and vanilla aromas, and flavours with a hint of spice softened by sweet undertones. The result is a warm and extended mouthfeel with an exceptionally smooth finish.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is distilled and matured at The James Sedgwick Distillery which dates back to 1886 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.

SULLIVANS Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky takes on USA

Building on its ever-growing global success, Sullivans Cove, the multi award winning Tasmanian Single Malt, is sending its first shipment to the USA this month. Currently exporting to ten countries across Europe, as well as Singapore and Canada, the USA is the next step in the international roll-out of the brand.

“Tasmanian whisky is really taking off across the world, mainly because of the hard work that the guys have been putting in here at home. We are starting to see a cult following for our whiskies and I am proud that Sullivans Cove is at the forefront of that movement”, said Patrick Maguire, Master Distiller of Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky. He added, “This is great news considering that the whisky category, and single malts in particular, continues to be the fastest growing spirits category globally.”

Sullivans Cove is one of the most highly awarded Tasmanian whiskies, consistently winning Gold at the world’s most prestigious blind tasting competitions including Jim Murray’s Liquid Gold Awards, The Spirits Business’s Spirits Masters and the World Whisky Awards.

About Sullivans Cove Single Malt Whisky

Tasmania Distillery produces Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky. The distillery was established in 1994 on the banks of the River Derwent at Sullivans Cove, the site where the British planted their flag and began to build the settlement that became the City of Hobart, Australia’s second oldest city. The distillery named the whisky it produced ‘Sullivans Cove’ to acknowledge the history of the site and the place it was distilled.

Sullivans Cove Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky is double distilled using renowned Tasmanian barley with only the purest wilderness water from Tasmania’s 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

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY PRODUCES FOUR

“BEST OF CATEGORY” WINNERS AT THE 2012 LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS COMPETITION

Buffalo Trace, E. H. Taylor Single Barrel, Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year and Sazerac Straight Rye all named “Best”

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (July 2012) – The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition has announced its 2012 winners, and the whiskies from Buffalo Trace Distillery had an excellent showing as all 11 whiskies entered were awarded medals. In addition, four of those whiskies were awarded “Best of Category.”

Buffalo Trace Distillery’s top winners include:

· Best of Category: Single Barrel American Whiskey 10 Years or Less

§ Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

· Best of Category: Small Batch Bourbon 10 Years or Less

§ Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

· Best of Category: Small Batch Bourbon 11 Years or Older

§ Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

· Best of Category: American Straight Rye

§ Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

Other Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskies earning medals include:

· Gold Medal

§ Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

§ Eagle Rare Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

§ Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

§ Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

§ Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

§ Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

§ Eagle Rare Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

§ Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

§ Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky

· Silver Medal

§ Benchmark Old No. 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

· Bronze Medal

§ Rich & Rare Reserve Canadian Whisky

Buffalo Trace Distillery also won Bronze Medals in the Packaging Competition:

· Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey – Container

· Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey – Graphics

“The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition is a highly regarded competition, and we are very happy with our results,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “To have everything we entered win something, plus 4 best of category winners, make us very proud.”

The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition was formed in 2007, with an esteemed panel of judges using a blind-tasting method to award medals to the best distilled spirits from around the world. The award-winning entries will be displayed during the Los Angeles County Fair, August 31-September 30, 2012 in “The Wine & Spirits Marketplace.”

Complete results of the 2012 LAIWSC are available at www.lawinecomp.com

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

The is a new whisky community available online called whiskytaste. On whiskytaste users can participate with their favorite social account. Share the taste of whisky and see you at www.whiskytaste.com

Greetings Society Members. It’s a sunny day in Campbeltown, I am back at my desk and have caught up on work since returning from my holiday.

The Society Bottle is now in the shop and ready to go. As you know it is a Springbank 14 year old, which has been 7 years in a Port cask and 7 years in a refill bourbon cask, very, very yummy!!!! The colour is dark amber, nose: fruity, cantaloupe melon, tangerines, clemetines, shortbread and icing. Palate: Nougat, dark red forrest fruits, nutty, sweet and deliciously oily. Finish: Looooooong finish, hints of peat evident, a good honest Kintyre dram.

The cost of the bottle in the UK is £50 plus postage and packing. We will be sending it out to our other Cadenhead Shops in Denmark, Germany (Cologne & Berlin) and Switzerland, but you should order in the normal way through Campbeltown. When we have the orders for the other shops then they will be given their allocation and a note of the names and society numbers of those of you who have ordered. When the bottles are being dispatched to the other shops you will get an email to advise that you can contact which ever shop you have chosen when ordering and you will pay that shop for your bottle plus postage and packing.

We are hoping that the price in the EU shops will be roughly the same price as you would pay here, you will not pay UK duty and VAT but obviously will pay duty and tax for the appropriate country. Hopefully this will work, we can but try. Sorry for the way in which we have to do this but we need to know how many bottles to send to each shop.

Unfortunately this bottle will not be available in the USA but we are working with a new importer to change this. We are also hoping to set something up in Canada so that it can also be sent there.

So, I’ll be sitting here waiting to hear from you, ready to get things going.

SLÁINTE

Janet
Contact Janet via society@springbankwhisky.com for details on how to join the Springbank Society

J & A Mitchell and Co Ltd, The Tasting Room, 9 Bolgam Street, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6HZ
Tel : + 44(0) 1586 552009 Fax : + 44(0) 1586 553232

Visit Springbank Distillery at http://www.springbankwhisky.com

CELEBRATE WOMEN’S DAY WITH A BLACK BOTTLE LEGEND

Make sure that you raise a glass of the bold taste of Islay, Black Bottle, this Women’s Day (9 August) to the memory of pioneering business woman and whisky legend, Granny Graham, and discover for yourself the slightly honeyed sweetness and smoky finish of this famous Scotch whisky. Black Bottle is a blend of all the renowned single malts from the Isle of Islay, the famous whisky island located in the Southern Hebrides off the west-coast of Scotland, balanced by the finest Highland, Lowland and Speyside malt and grain whiskies, making it one of the most unique whiskies around.

Anne Jane Graham, affectionately known as Granny Graham, was a determined woman, who on the death of her husband in 1926, took over a thriving whisky business and ran it till her death 30 years later. She died in 1958, two years after that significant day in 1956 when more than 20 000 women of all races and ages marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the pass laws, an historic event we celebrate every year in South Africa on 9 August as Women’s Day.

The story of Black Bottle started in Victorian times when three brothers, Charles, David and Gordon Graham, the sons of a small-town shoemaker, started their own tea blending company in Aberdeen in Scotland and soon branched out into blending whisky. In 1789 they proudly introduced Black Bottle Scotch whisky.

The business flourished but in 1926 the last of three brothers passed away and it was left to Charles’s widow, Ann Jane Graham, to carry on the family tradition and make her mark in what at that stage was very much a man’s world. This strong-willed and highly principled woman, almost always dressed in black, did so with great success. And she did it, not from the company’s offices in the centre of Aberdeen, but from her home, where all business meetings were held.

Over the years she became known as Granny Graham. She not only managed to keep the business going, but to grow it into a highly successful one. She had no male heirs, but so important was it to her that the name Graham should continue to be associated with the company that shortly before her death she convinced her nephew to change his name from Graham Horne to Charles Innes Graham so that he could take over from her!

Today the whisky is very similar to the one created more than 130 years ago and there are very few, if any, that come close in terms of style. Ordinary it is not. The daringly bold taste of Black Bottle has been praised by critics and whisky-lovers across the world, and over the years it has secured a cult following for its unique taste.

The major change has been in the bottle itself – the original black glass for the bottle was imported from Germany, an arrangement that ended in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War. Since then it has been sold in a dark green bottle, retaining the distinctive pot-still shape.

Black Bottle is available from leading liquor outlets at around R200 per bottle.

Brand New Music completes buyout of Pure Festival, from joint partners Whisky Connosr.

The most vibrant event in the Whisky calendar returns in 2012, with the music and brand partnership company Brand New Music taking full control of the festival. Pierre and Jean- Luc Thiebaut, owners of Whisky Connosr, have sold their 50% stake in whisky and music festival, PURE, to BNM effective from June 1st 2012.

The two parties co-founded PURE Festival in 2011 and following a successful event in London last September, Brand New Music are taking a 100% controlling stake in the company, following the completion of a buyout for an undisclosed fee. Whisky Connosr are focussing their attention on their online business – the continuing development of their social network and the newly launched whisky search platform Whisky Marketplace.

“Pure is an exciting addition to the whisky calendar and in its first year was a huge success. It was a delight sharing whisky with hundreds of enthusiastic, whisky novices, against a backdrop of some of the finest independent music on offer. This is where whisky should be – a powerful and uplifting experience.” Dominic Roscrow, Whisky Tasting Club.

After the huge success of the inaugural event, which was nominated for Best New Festival at the 2011 Festival Awards and featured 30 different single malts and blends, plus 16 artists including: Tom McRae, Kassidy, The Smoke Fairies, James Yorkston, Electric Soft Parade and Steve Mason, PURE is expanding into three rooms at The Garage in Highbury and Islington, London. As well as the planned expansion, with an increased capacity of
1500 people, the festival is moving to the weekend of Nov 30th and Dec 1st, to incorporate both St Andrew’s Day and the Christmas market. The date change comes after consultation with both the music and whisky industries, both of which benefit incredibly from the gifting season.There will also be new opportunities for exhibitors to promote their brands at the 2012 event. All exhibitors will have the option to sell their product a this years’ festival, as well as there being sponsorship opportunities in both the music room and the 100 capacity, whisky / cocktail bar.

“A festival with James Yorkston and a selection of single malt whiskies. This looks amazing!” – The Guardian

Brand New Music have over 15 years experience in delivering Brand and Music concepts, both in the UK and the US as BNM’s M.D – Nick McEwen explains. “Our most recent work, includes the creation and delivery of award winning, global and UK based campaigns, with brands such as Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Philips. We are tremendously excited at the prospect of working even more closely with the Whisky industry and will be in touch with all potential exhibitors shortly, to discuss Pure and explain how we help brands find a new audience, through the power of music.

For more information on Pure Festival please contact: Nick McEwen nick@wearebrandnewmusic.co.uk