THE AUCHENTOSHAN SWITCH

A unique mixology programme like no other with Auchentoshan – The only triple distilled Single Malt whisky

This summer, Auchentoshan, the only Single Malt that triple distills every drop, has launched a cocktail competition that will offer two outstanding bartenders – one from the UK and one from the US – a career-changing, 14 day switch across the Atlantic, to work in one of the world’s leading bars – The Auchentoshan Switch.

Rising to fame in the cocktail world, Auchentoshan Three Wood is quickly gaining cult status among bartenders globally due to its unique complexity, having been matured in three different casks. The Auchentoshan Switch competition will see the brand collaborate with the award-winning den for the thinking drinker, London institution 69 Colebrooke Row and New York’s Apotheke, who will act as the host bars for the winning mixologists. The winners will experience world leading molecular mixology as they work in one of the world’s leading experimental cocktail bars.

Auchentoshan is a brand that likes to do things differently, by being the only single malt scotch to triple distil its spirit to make it arguably the smoothest and most versatile malt. This ethos is carried through to the selection criteria for the competition. The judging panel will be looking for something different and extra special from contestants. Whilst much of the attention will be focussed on the drinks, service and theatre is of equal importance, so applicants will be judged on how friendly, approachable and charismatic they are as well as the drink itself.

With this in mind only video entries will be accepted for the competition. Contestants will be asked to film themselves making two simple yet integral drinks: firstly a lemonade from scratch and secondly an Old Fashioned made with the unique Auchentoshan Three Wood.

Individual competitions in the UK and US will run simultaneously to find a winner in each country. Following the initial entry process, twenty finalists will be invited to a one-day final round, which is set to take place in central London during October 2011. The switch itself will take place in early 2012.

Hannah Fisher, brand manager for Auchentoshan, commented; “As Auchentoshan Three Wood continues to grow in popularity with bartenders, it’s great to be able to give them something back. As the first whisky brand to offer an internship that crosses the Atlantic, we’re excited to see the results and proud to be working with two of the best bars in the world.”

As part of the transatlantic switch the US winner will work at 69 Colebrooke Row and learn first hand the world of cocktail and food science in the only bar related drinks lab in the World – The Drinks Factory. They will have the opportunity to work with this team of hand- picked, leading mixologists, in a lab dedicated to furthering the craft of the cocktail and fully realising projects as they filter into the bar. Importantly they will also become incorporated into the daily procedures ofopening-up and working in the bar at 69 Colebrooke Row, visiting producers and sourcing of quality ingredients.

Marcis Dzelzainis, Operations Manager at 69 Colebrooke Row, commented on the programme, “The Switch programme is a very innovative way of promoting a brand that really thinks outside the box. At the bar, we enjoy using Auchentoshan Three Wood as its flavour profile lends itself to mixability and that it would nice to see Single Malts used more in cocktails!”

The winner of the UK competition will head to Apotheke in New York City, the hottest cocktail bar on the underground scene. Managed under the watchful eye of bar manager and USA judge, David Clelland. The winner will be able to learn from and work side by side with highly experienced bar chefs. With no menus, bar chefs cook up individually prescribed concoctions for the taste of the cocktail enthusiasts according to their mood. At Apotheke, the presentation of the cocktail is as dramatic as the cocktail itself. The winner will be simultaneously part of both a theatre performance and a chemistry lab in the mixology heart of the USA – NYC.

Candidates will be able to apply online from 1st July – 31st August 2011 through www.auchentoshan.com/switch

A message from the UK…

We have a great new web video introducing a series of videos that we will have from the TED conference being held in Edinburgh which is sponsored by Dewars the whiskey brand.

TED brings together leaders in Technology, Entertainment and Design.

In this video signature graphic artist Hugh MacLeod – who will be creating unique pieces of art each day to reflect his thoughts from the conference, talks us through what to expect over the coming days. Please see an example of one of Hugh’s graphics below.

The video is available to view/download/embed/ via:

http://www.digitalnewsagency.com/stories/5712-hugh-mcloed-introduces-the-ted-convention

Please also be aware that Hugh will perform a live sketch from the conference on Thursday 14th July which will be streamed on:

 http://www.facebook.com/dewars

Glengoyne Marketing Director Iain Weir, WWT Corporate Relations Manager John Creedon and Glengoyne Distillery Manager Robbie Hughes toast the opening of Glengoyne’s new wetlands area.

Glengoyne Highland Single Malt will become the exclusive whisky partner of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in time for the official opening of a brand new wetlands area onsite at the Distillery, which will help with processing distillery waste and make the area a haven for wildlife.

Glengoyne Distillery has invested £170k on the facility which deals with the effluent from the spirit stills called Spent Lees. This reduces waste by around 25% and deals with it in an environmentally friendly manner. The wetland plants were bedded in early May to acclimatise and have now begun processing waste liquid from whisky making.

As a further commitment to wetlands, the distillery has promised a minimum contribution of £5,000 to WWT in the first twelve months of the long term partnership, to be raised through contributions from sales of special bottles. Glengoyne will donate £3.00 on all personalised bottles and £4.50 on all standard bottles of the core range purchased online using a special code available to WWT members.

The agreement will also see other joint marketing and fundraising initiatives with the charity including limited edition bottlings, discount on WWT membership, on-pack promotions and joint events. The partnership kicked off in early June with a special Father’s Day promotion.

Robbie Hughes, Distillery Manager at Glengoyne said: “We are always looking at options for improving our waste management and wetlands seemed like the perfect solution. It allows us to reduce waste, cut down on waste transportation, be more environmentally friendly and will attract a huge range of wildlife to the area, which is already renowned for its geese.

“We are also investigating further environmental improvements including Anaerobic Digesters to generate gas for our boiler from another one of our effluent streams.”

WWT is a leading UK conservation organisation saving wetlands for wildlife and people across the world by creating, restoring and monitoring wetlands and the wildlife that depends on them. Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments and support great biodiversity. They are, for example, havens for birds from storks to swans and ducks to divers.

John Creedon, WWT’s Corporate Relations Manager said “New wetlands like this quickly become home to moths and beetles and even water voles, which in turn start to support and attract birds and potentially larger mammals like otters. WWT were keen to link with Glengoyne because of their commitment to the environment and because the name ‘Glengoyne’ means “Glen of the Wild Geese” in Gaelic, and WWT’s Caerlaverock Wetland Centre in Dumfriesshire, within easy reach of the distillery, is the winter home of tens of thousands of barnacle geese from Svalbard.”

Glengoyne Distillery is situated just 30 minutes outside Glasgow, in the Trossachs National Park at the start of the West Highland Way and has been producing exceptional single malt whisky for nearly 200 years.

For more information on Glengoyne visit: www.glengoyne.com

For more information on WWT visit www.wwt.org.uk  

Only the slowest distillation process, untainted by peat smoke, creates Glengoyne THE REAL TASTE OF MALT.

Learning Manager at WWT Caerlaverock , Dumfriesshire Brian Morrell and Glengoyne Distillery Manager Robbie Hughes toast the opening of Glengoyne’s new wetlands area.

Glengoyne Distillery Manager Robbie Hughes and Learning Manager at WWT Caerlaverock , Dumfriesshire Brian Morrell toast the opening of Glengoyne’s new wetlands area.

Glengoyne Distillery Manager Robbie Hughes, Learning Manager at WWT Caerlaverock , Dumfriesshire Brian Morrell, Glengoyne Marketing Director Iain Weir and WWT Corporate Relations Manager John Creedon demonstrate the type of wildlife the new wetlands will attract with a giant Barnacle Goose.

Notes:

Glengoyne’s multi award-winning Single Malts are distilled at a slower rate than any other Scotch whisky using air-dried barley, untainted by peat smoke creating ‘The Real Taste of Malt.’

Glengoyne is a subtle, complex whisky in which all of the delicate flavours freely express themselves. Glengoyne 10 Years Old has a nose of toffee and a sweet, malty finish.

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) www.wwt.org.uk

WWT saves wetlands worldwide – a critical habitat which is disappearing at an alarming rate. We act to identify and save severely threatened wildlife, such as the Madagascar pochard, which has been given a more secure future thanks to our decades of experience in conservation breeding.

Our researchers have been monitoring wildlife in the UK for more than 60 years, observing changes and finding solutions.

We put people at the heart of all our work, because conservation needs support to succeed.

And we share what we learn with experts around the world and with our 200,000+ members, the 60,000 school children who come on an educational visit to our nine wetland visitor centres in the UK, and the million people who visit us each year to enjoy a wetland experience.

We manage over 2,600 hectares of wetlands across the UK which between them support over 200,000 waterbirds and other wildlife.

WWT members enjoy free access to all nine visitor centres and are kept up to date with developments through an award-winning quarterly magazine, Waterlife.

och, another crammed packed tour; Three day express whisky tour – taken by Paul and Tim (Angels Whisky Club Moscow Ambassador). 3 days, 6 distilleries, 1 art studio, Duncan Taylor, Rosslyn Chapel, McTears and a Police station.

Thursday; met Tim at 08.30 Edinburgh airport. Immediately drove to Glasgow where we had an appointment with Stephen at McTears auction house. Er well, we got lost, my fault! Junction 23 on the motorway was closed off, we drove around a while looking for a way off, ended up at Junc 25, stopped at a police station and asked how to find McTears? as Junc 23 closed. We were no far away actually, there in 5 minutes. So in we go, looking around the new layout of whisky room and taking a closer look at many auction offerings for later in the month (Paul’s amongst them). We then headed off north to Loch Lomond distillery, where Gavin Durnin (Sales Director) took us around. This distillery is closed to the public. An unusual place this, it has grain and malt in one distillery, the stills use towers/columns for 4 stills and is really unusual, the SWA call them Lomond towers but we were assured they are not. A really good tour here of everywhere, distillery, cooperage, warehouse etc with a cup of tea!!! After this superb tour we had (I wont say enjoyed) a Big Mac each, eeek. Drove to the A9 and headed north. We were trying for Cardhu but ran oot of time. So at Findhorn (aye, that far north) we ate a hearty meal, then paid a visit to artist Jonathan Wheeler, where Tim enjoyed the artwork so much he bought some! Retreating to Banff now and our hotel, a pint of cider and bed to watch telly, knackered!

Friday; an early start again, first call Glenglassaugh. Tim has a cask here (so do other recent tour groups we have taken here) so we had to see it, in fact, taste it to see how it’s coming along. Graeme Morrison took us into the cask house, Graeme is now Maturation Manager and a grand man he is. A quick chat with Stuart and we departed to Sandend for a few quick pix, before heading to Duncan Taylor, Huntly, where Tim took samples for casks he is considering. I seem to be almost a local here, called in so many times recently. We then flew off to Cragganmore for a tour, a really lovely lass Claire showed us round, a typical Diageo place but nevertheless a decent tour here. Then another closed to the public distillery; Tomintoul, where Tom took us round, excellent! Really enjoyed this tour, many thanks to Tom, with a great look around and tasting, perfect! We headed into the village for some grub and a look at the worlds largest whisky bottle! Oh and a brief call in a Glenlivet. Then drove through thunder and typhoon like rain all the way to Perth. Checked Tim into the hotel and went home myself. Liz came through and we three went for a superb meal at Kerachers restaurant. Tim went back to his hotel, Liz and myself to my hoose for a few drinks and relaxing.

Saturday; oh did I enjoy my bed this morning!!! A lie in as I met Tim at 09.00, sent some whisky away via the post office before heading to Rosslyn Chapel, very nice! Then to Glenkinchie distillery. No the best tour to be honest. Then into the city and a visit to the Vintners Rooms where they have over 1300 whisky bottles. Finally to South Queensferry for a meal and check Tim into his hotel (pre next day flight). A short tour but crammed, drove home to Perth tired and knackered, had a cup o tea, saw some telly and hit me bed!

Tomintoul Stills

Tour designed, driven and guided by Paul McLean www.mcleanscotland.com and www.angelswhiskyclub.com

Luke Donald and Ballantine’s Toast Scottish Open Success

As world No 1 Luke Donald put on an impressive display to win the Barclays Scottish Open, Ballantine’s, Europe’s No 1 range of blended Scotch whisky, celebrated its fifth successful year as an Official Supplier to the tournament (7th-10th July 2011).

Donald clinched the title by four shots over Fredrik Andersson Hed in the final round of the tournament yesterday. He was recognised for his efforts by being presented with a bottle of Ballantine’s 30 Year Old – the brand’s pinnacle expression.

Play at the tournament resumed on Sunday morning after adverse weather led to a restructure of the tournament, with a total of three rounds played. Now recognised as of one Scotland’s most iconic golfing events, this year’s Scottish Open took place at the challenging Highland links course of Castle Stuart for the first time. Overlooking the Moray Firth in Inverness, the stunning course, which is situated close to Ballantine’s spiritual home, Glenburgie Distillery, welcomed a host of star players, including the current Ballantine’s Championship winner Lee Westwood, as well as Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell, Colin Montgomerie and Angel Cabrera.

Ballantine’s presence at this year’s Scottish Open included two branded bars for spectators, prominent on-course signage and player rewards such as a bottle of Ballantine’s 12 Year Old for an eagle on the 12th hole and a bottle of Ballantine’s 21 Year Old for the lowest round of the day.

Speaking at the tournament yesterday, Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, said: “We are proud to be continuing our support for the Barclays Scottish Open. This year’s tournament is an important one for us – not only because it heralds our fifth consecutive year as an Official Supplier, but also because we are only a stone’s throw from Glenburgie Distillery – where one of the signature malts in the Ballantine’s blend is produced.

“The proximity of the golf course and the distillery highlights the similarities between golf and Ballantine’s whisky – both are from Scotland, share a long and engaging heritage, and are enjoyed throughout the world.”

Ballantine’s association with golf can be traced back to at least 1960 when the Ballantine’s Tournament took place at Wentworth golf course. More than fifty years later, Ballantine’s is the title sponsor of the high-profile Ballantine’s Championship, Korea’s first and only European Tour event and the country’s largest golf tournament, to which the brand is committed until at least 2013. Ballantine’s has been official supplier to the Scottish Open since 2007.

Notes:

Ballantine’s is the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific, selling more than 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 80 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

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.

THE MACALLAN VISITOR ATTRACTION WINS FIVE STAR ACCOLADE

The Macallan Visitor Centre, Speyside, has been awarded the prestigious five star rating from VisitScotland’s quality assurance scheme, confirming the distillery as a world class destination.

The annual review by VisitScotland consists of unannounced visits by an auditor who assesses core areas covering all aspects which have an impact on a customer’s visit, including: promotional literature; signage; appearance of grounds and buildings; the welcome given by staff; attitude and appearance of staff; decor and maintenance; ambience; merchandise presentation.

Following the completion of an investment programme of over £1m, The Macallan Visitor Centre offers a highly innovative and distinctive distillery experience. A memorable and interactive learning journey takes visitors through the production life-cycle of The Macallan including two significant areas, The Masters of Spirit Experience and The Masters of Wood Experience.

Easter Elchies Estate, overlooking the river Spey, has been The Macallan’s spiritual home since the distillery was founded in 1824 and welcomes visitors from across the world all year round. Visitors can choose between two tours. The Experience Tour is lead by The Macallan‘s friendly and knowledgeable guides, ending with a dram of The Macallan while the Precious Tour is more in-depth ending with a tutored nosing and tasting of some of The Macallan’s older whiskies.

Alec Reid, Visitor Centre Manager, The Macallan commented: “The team truly feel we have developed an outstanding experience for our visitors and this accolade is testament to that. In addition to our rich heritage, visitors can enjoy a modern and unique interpretation of what makes The Macallan single malt so distinctive and appreciated as the world’s most precious whisky. We all feel rewarded by this recognition and will continue to maintain the high standards that have led to this latest achievement. ”

VisitScotland has operated a quality assurance scheme for visitor attractions since 1995. The scheme gives operators an independent quality assurance award and incorporates the inspection of properties for Thistle tourist signposting.

The Macallan tours should be pre-booked by calling 01340 872280 or emailing distillery@themacallan.com. The Experience Tour is priced £10 per adult and £5 per child (aged 8 – 17 years). The Precious Tour is priced £20 per adult.

www.themacallan.com

Please enjoy our brand responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk

Notes:

Booking is essential on all tours. Only children aged 8+ are permitted.

The Masters of Spirit Experience: this area fuses art and science through the medium of electron micrographs, highlighting the role played by raw materials such as copper, granite, wood and water as well as barley, yeast and enzymes. This experience ends a powerful display of the ‘new make spirit’ presented as a spectacular liquid flow around a pipework sculpture.

The Masters of Wood Experience: complementing The Masters of Spirit Experience, this area allows visitors to learn about the interaction of spirit and wood and how an unfaltering obsession with cask selection contributes to the natural colours, aromas and flavours that gives The Macallan its renowned character.

The timeless reputation of The Macallan is founded upon Six Pillars:

The Spiritual Home

Easter Elchies House proudly watches over The Macallan distillery in Speyside, Scotland. Built in 1700, this Jacobean manor house is The Macallan’s spiritual home.

Curiously Small Stills

The Macallan’s curiously small and uniquely shaped copper stills help to concentrate the flavour of the ‘new make’ spirit.

The Finest Cut

The ‘cut’ is the amount of distilled spirit collected from the stills as ‘new make’ spirit. The Macallan takes one of the finest ‘cuts’ of any distillery in Scotland; typically just 16% goes forward to fill or our casks.

Exceptional Oak Casks

The Macallan’s unfaltering obsession with selecting exceptional oak casks contributes fundamentally to the outstanding quality and distinctive character of The Macallan.

Natural Colour

The Macallan insists upon Natural Colour. It is the interaction of spirit and wood alone which delivers the rich variety of colour, aroma and taste evident throughout the range.

Peerless Spirit

The Macallan remains the single malt against which all others must be judged. It is celebrated far and wide by experts and discerning drinkers as the world’s most precious whisky.

The fifth generation: Grant’s Chairman Peter Gordon and Master Blender, Brian Kinsman.

GRANT’S TAKES TO THE GLOBAL PODIUM

Oldest family owned Scotch becomes world’s third largest

Grant’s world famous blended Scotch whisky has turned a new chapter in its 124-year success story as it takes to the podium of standard Scotch whiskies, becoming the world’s number three in retail value.

The move onto podium, confirmed by IWSR results released last week, reaffirms Grant’s’ credentials as a key player on the world whisky stage.  Over the last five years, Grant’s has consistently grown ahead of the category, achieving in 2010 worldwide sales of 4.8 million cases and retail value of over $1bn.

A £35m Grant’s global investment package was announced in 2008 by independent, family-owned distillers William Grant & Sons, comprising new packaging, an up-weighted global marketing campaign and investment in the company’s production facilities in Girvan, Scotland. The brand, which includes Ale and Sherry Cask Editions  as well as aged 12, 18 and ultra premium 25 year old variants, has continued to enjoy rapid growth, outperforming competitors in both emerging whisky markets such as Russia and amongst established drinkers in markets such as France and the UK.

Kate Athanasi, Grant’s Global Brand Director comments: “This is a very exciting time for Grant’s. Just over a hundred 100 years ago William Grant’s son-in-law first took his family’s blended Scotch to the world. Today we’re the top selling family blend thanks to our multi award-winning whisky and our rich family heritage, which resonates with whisky drinkers across the globe.”

The Grant’s story started when founder William Grant’s distillery produced its first golden drop of spirit in 1887. Today, crafted by Master Blender Brian Kinsman, Grant’s is the oldest family owned blend in Scotland, built on five generations of heritage, expertise and passion for whisky-making. 

The fifth generation: Grant’s Chairman Peter Gordon and Master Blender, Brian Kinsman.

Notes

• Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons, an award-winning family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still controlled by his direct descendants.  The Company distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including Grant’s, the world’s favorite single malt Glenfiddich, and the handcrafted range of The Balvenie single malts, as well as selected other spirits, including Hendrick’s Gin.

• Grant’s range of cask finished and aged blended Scotch whiskies include Grant’s Family Reserve, Grant’s Ale and Sherry Cask Editions, created by ‘finishing’ Grant’s Family Reserve in either ale or sherry casks; Grant’s 12 Year Old – the only blend to spend an extra finishing period in American oak cask, producing a full bodied Scotch of exceptional richness; the multi award-winning Grant’s 18 Year Old and the recently released ultra premium Grant’s 25 Year Old.

• IWSR (International Wine and Spirit Research) data focuses exclusively on the global alcoholic beverage market and covers all the major wine and spirit categories with a database of over 14,400 brands in 220 countries and territories worldwide. For more information see: www.iwsr.co.uk  

• 2010 was a record year for Scotch whisky exports, according to Scotch Whisky Association figures released in March. The performance confirmed Scotch whisky as one of the UK’s top exporting industries, increasing exports by 10% to £3.45bn in 2010 and delivering £109 a second to UK exports.  The latest IWSR figures show The Scotch market is 89,056 000s 9L cases in volume and has grown by 3.2% VYA and by 1.1% CAGR 2005-2010. Blended Scotch accounts for 92.5% of the total Scotch volume and 87.6% of the total Scotch value and has increased by 4.5% VYA and 5.4% CAGR from 2005.

• The deliciously complex and smooth taste of Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky is down to the way it is made from a recipe created more than 100 years ago by William Grant. Passed down from generation to generation, today it is the expert skills of the Grant’s Master Blender, along with a team of craftsmen, who keep alive William Grant’s pioneering spirit and his passion for blending the finest whisky.

• For more about Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky and for our latest news visit: www.grantswhisky.com
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Voyage of discovery for Amrut Herald

Amrut Distilleries is once again pushing back boundaries in the whisky world. For its latest offering it has chosen a beautiful, but remote, island as the place to mature four barrels of its Bangalore-distilled single malt whisky. For a project like this, one might have expected Amrut to pick an island in the whisky heartlands, but the Indian distillery has once again opted for the unconventional and chosen an island 45 miles off the north German coast.

Helgoland is an unspoiled unique environment with dramatic red sandstone cliffs and sensuous sand dunes. Not only is it free of traffic and low in pollution, but it also enjoys a gentle climate thanks to the Gulf Stream which allows exotic plants and wildlife to thrive at its relatively high latitude.

From Bangalore, itself known as India’s “garden city” due to its lush tropical environment, the casks of malt whisky were shipped to Germany before being transferred to a boat for the two-and-a-half-hour crossing from Cuxhaven to the northern island idyll.

There, Amrut’s German importer, Prineus, had arranged for the barrels of the malt to mature further. Not only was the Helgoland climate a big contrast to tropical India, but the barrels were stored close to sea level. In Bangalore the Amrut distillery is at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The outcome is the stunning new Amrut Herald.

Keeping in tune with the pure unspoilt atmosphere of Helgoland, the whisky was bottled in as simple a way as possible. It was not filtered or diluted and in fact you will notice sediments in the hand-filled bottles.

This is the first time that any whisky has been matured and bottled on Helgoland and the bottles from one of the casks will be retained on the island, which is a duty free haven. Like Amrut’s previous limited edition malts, Amrut Herald will only be available in small quantities in certain locations and it is sure to become a popular bottling.

Gerd Schmerschneider of Prineus is delighted with the collaboration. “The result is a fantastic whisky, one of the finest examples you can get out of a Bourbon cask. It is clean, powerful and holds loads of vanilla and sweetness. It was a great honour for me, on behalf of Prineus, to work with Amrut. Neither maturation nor bottling of whisky has been done on the island of Helgoland before, but millions of litres of alcohol have been sold there. The environment is perfect for maturing whisky as it is 70km away from the mainland, no pollution is evident and cars aren’t allowed on the island.”

“Making this malt whisky was a real adventure,” said Ashok Chokalingam of Amrut Distilleries. “It travelled 5,000 miles to the edge of mainland Europe. Then we were able to mature and bottle whisky on Helgoland, for the first time in the island’s history. And in Amrut Herald we have created another unique malt whisky which will satisfy the connoisseurs who have come to expect the best from us.”

Notes

Further information: Amrut Distilleries

Amrut Single Malt Whisky from India was launched officially in Glasgow in 2004. Since then its reputation has grown, with its range of innovative whiskies using Indian barley from the Punjab distilled in the tropical garden city of Bangalore at 3000ft.

Amrut Distilleries was named a Distiller of the Year in the Icons of Whisky 2011 and was crowned in the Rest of the World category by the independent judges of the prestigious awards, which are organised by Whisky Magazine. The award was made to Amrut “for raising the profile of Indian whisky across the globe and its innovations in the production process”. The Rest of the World title meant the Bangalore distillery was also one of the four contenders for the Icons of Whisky Distiller of the Year title.

In The Whisky Bible 2010, leading whisky expert, Jim Murray awarded Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky the title of World’s Third Best Whisky. Murray said Fusion “has to be one of the great whiskies found anywhere in the word this year”. Admitting his No 3 choice could come as a surprise to some people, he said: “The fact that it is Indian? Irrelevant, from distillation to maturation this is a genius whisky from whichever continent.”

Fusion – which brings together two barleys: Indian and Scottish, with the latter being peated – was named the Best Natural Cask Whisky in the Daily Drams Category at the Malt Maniacs Awards 2009. It picked up the award for the best whisky matured exclusively in “untreated”, regular cask(s) in the category for whiskies with an average street price of up to 50 euros. It was also awarded a silver medal.

One of the Amrut Single Malt Whisky bottlings by Blackadder International won “The Best Daily Dram” category of Malt Maniacs 2008 Awards. All the Amrut brands entered into the same competition won silver and bronze medals.

Amrut Peated Malt Cask Strength Whisky won Silver and Amrut Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky Bronze at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2008.

Amrut is now sold widely in Europe (UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Spain), Canada, South Africa, Australia and the United States.

MASTER DISTILLER ANNOUNCES GLOBAL FINALISTS FOR ‘WHISKEY WORLD GAMES’

Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, has today announced the eleven pairs of friends who will represent their countries at ‘Bushcamp’, the global final of ‘Make it 2 Bushmills’, a competition hosted by BUSHMILLS™ Irish Whiskey.

The eleven pairs will be taking part in the final, dubbed the ‘Whiskey World Games’, on Ireland’s north coast this August. The competition offers two friends the chance to win two weeks working at the world-famous Old Bushmills Distillery, where they will make their own unique blend of BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey, live in luxury penthouse accommodation and get £5,000 spending money. Then, the winning friends will get VIP access to the ultimate BUSHMILLS party back in their home country.

The Bushcamp finalists are:

· Representing Belgium – Johan Lolos, a Student (23) and Mathias Gilles, a Student (24)

· Representing Bulgaria – Marin Aganderov, a Student (22) and Kiril Todorov, a Student (22)

· Representing Czech Republic – Ondřej Šimeček, a Hospitality Product Manager (27) and Jiří Tlach, an Insurance Officer (28)

· Representing Germany – Patrick Seidel, a Bartender (27) and Andreas Andricopoulos, a Bartender (27)

· Representing Great Britain – Keeley Sutcliffe, a Junior and Infant School Midday Supervisor (34) and Tom Lawrence, a Telesales Manager (39)

· Representing the Netherlands – Richard Beatty, an IT Consultant (36) and Michael Weijzig, a Social Worker (36)

· Representing Northern Ireland – Richard Roberts, a Customer Service Assistant (59) and Carol Roberts, a Home Care Worker (55)

· Representing the Republic of Ireland – Peter Majernik, a Hotel Concierge (32) and Vladimir Majernik, a Hotel Porter (31)

· Representing Russia – Nikolay Fedoseev, a Graphic Designer (28) and Ilya Rybalsky, a Chemical Engineer (26)

· Representing South Africa – Sean Tickner, a Orthotist and Prosthetist (30) and Jonathan Oliff, a Brand Strategist and Marketing Consultant (27)

· Representing the United States of America – Curt Neeb, an Inventory Specialist (40) and Paul Kowalski, a Graphic Design Business Owner (49)

The duos were selected to represent their countries by public vote on Facebook and will compete against each other in a number of challenges to find the ultimate winners of Make it 2 Bushmills. Some of the challenges they can expect to face include barrel-rolling, coopering and beach golf.

The final will be judged by the BUSHMILLS Master Distiller Colum Egan and some famous fans of BUSHMILLS, including Kevin Baird of Two Door Cinema Club, Jonathan Galkin of DFA Records and Rob Allanson of Whisky Magazine.

Colum said: “Bushcamp is going to be the World Games of Whiskey, played out in true Bushmills style. Kevin, Jonathan, Rob and I will be challenging the finalists to try out some of the things that the team at the Old Bushmills Distillery do on a daily basis as well as some of the things that we like to do in our spare time…all with a Bushmills twist.

“But of course, being the Old Bushmills Distillery, we’ll not be forgetting the whiskey itself. A couple of the challenges will test how passionate the friends are about BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey. All will be revealed when we welcome them here in August!”

Bushcamp will take place from 16th – 18th August at the Old Bushmills Distillery, in Bushmills village and the surrounding area, with the winning pair of friends being announced on the evening of the 17th.

Visit facebook.com/bushmills1608 to follow the finalists’ progress and for more information on Make it 2 Bushmills.

Notes

Colum Egan Biography

Colum has been Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery since April 2002. He’s responsible for all the critical stages of whiskey production – all of them carried out at the distillery itself. That’s very handy when your job is to ensure that the production of the whiskies is done to perfection – as Colum likes it to be. It is Colum’s knowledge of whiskey and his attention to the finest details that makes BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskies consistently the best. Colum lives in the little coastal town of Ballycastle with his wife and two sons and says that he has found his dream job.

Kevin Baird Biography

Kevin is the bass player and vocalist in Northern Ireland indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club. Their debut album Tourist History has gone Gold in the UK, selling over 100,000 copies and recently they’ve made a splash by picking up both the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year and the award for Best New Band at the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards. Kevin is a big Bushmills fan and is looking forward to meeting some others at Bushcamp.

Jonathan Galkin Biography

Jonathan Galkin is the co-founder and head of operations for DFA Records worldwide, an independent record label that he launched in 2001.

Rob Allanson Biography

As the Editor of renowned Whisky Magazine, Rob a vast knowledge of all things whisky, from the science to the romance. He travels to distilleries and major whisky conventions around the world, reporting on the latest news in the industry on his blog and in the magazine, which is published worldwide eight times per year. In his spare time, Rob is a keen biker, charity advocate, husband and dad.

About BUSHMILLS

BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey is made at Ireland’s oldest working distillery in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. The brand portfolio includes six multi-award winning whiskeys: BUSHMILLS Original, BLACK BUSH, BUSHMILLS 10 Year Old Single Malt, BUSHMILLS 16 Year Old Single Malt and BUSHMILLS Malt 21 Year Old Single Malt and BUSHMILLS 1608. BUSHMILLS is the only distillery in Ireland to make triple-distilled Malt Whiskey. This is at the heart of all BUSHMILLS Whiskies and creates a unique combination of smoothness and richness.

Douglas Laing & Company have launched a Single Cask bottling of their finest Old Malt Cask – chosen to commemorate Scotland’s long association with the Gurkhas – Nepal’s legendary fighting men. Gurkhas first fought alongside Scottish soldiers in 1817 and have continued to do so with courage and professionalism to this day. Their 13 Victoria Crosses bear testament to their unfailing valour and loyalty to the British crown.

As with our Allt-a-Bhainne Highland Malt, the Gurkhas also come from wild and high places.

Fred Laing the company’s MD says:”Every year we select a charity for which we will bottle a Single Cask from our stock. This year we have chosen the Gurkhas. Their famous war cry “Ayo Gorkhali!” translates as “The Gurkhas are here!”, and whilst Douglas Laing & Co has no such famous war cry, we are proud and happy to send all proceeds of this bottling to the Gurkha Welfare Trust.”

Only 298 bottles have been filled of this 20 years old Allt-a-Bhainne, with a rrp of approximately £75.

For any questions on availability – contact info@douglaslaing.com