THE WAIT IS OVER – A WORLD OF WONDERFUL WHISKIES AWAITS!

How do I get them? you ask. Join The Society now, we reply!

The Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is open for business. For details on how to join visit www.smws.ca. But for more instant gratification, here’s a quick overview.

Initial membership is $230. Upon joining you will receive the exquisitely-designed Membership Pack (pictured above) which includes the coveted membership card personalized with your name and membership number; a handsome lapel pin; a Society handbook; a tasting note book; and best of all – four 100ml bottles of The Society’s extraordinary single cask, single malt whiskies to tantalize your tastebuds!

But more than the Membership Pack, joining The Society puts you in the enviable position of being able to purchase our rare and unique whiskies, not available to non-members. The Society only bottles single cask whisky which means quantities are limited. Once an expression is sold out, it’s gone forever, never to be replicated. But don’t let that deter you! If you miss the chance to buy one, there’s always another fantastic choice on offer.

Members will receive a monthly bottling list called Outturn which outlines each month’s new bottlings. Quirky yet informative tasting notes written by our Tasting Panel of industry experts and enthusiasts accompany each bottle description making it easy for you to find the perfect dram. The month’s Outturn is available on www.smws.ca.

Membership also entitles you to receive our quarterly award-winning magazine Unfiltered – a glossy, colourful, sometimes whimsical look at the whisky industry.

Don’t delay – there’s a space on your shelf for a great new whisky (or two, or…). www.smws.ca

Here’s just one great example of the whiskies now available:

7.70 Naughty Nectar 19 year old Speyside

The nose conveyed elegance and maturity – perfumed honey, dried coconut and exotic fruits. These impressions carried through to the palate, with vanilla giving overall impressions of tutti frutti or Neopolitan ice cream – ‘Nectar!’ ‘Absolutely fabulous!’ and ‘Decadent and naughty!’ were some of our responses. The reduced nose, still sweetly enticing , also had intimations of worn leather, canvas, cigarette packets and celery salt. The reduced palate seemed like a heavenly garden – beehives, flowers, washing on the line and canvas chairs in the sun, with sherbet fountains! From the distillery next-door to Benriach.

Bowmore Unveils Islay Taste Map With Martine Nouet

The ultimate companion and guide to Islay Single Malt whiskies

This autumn, Bowmore, the first Islay Single Malt whisky, has collaborated with esteemed whisky writer Martine Nouet to create the Islay Taste Map. In a bold move to support the Islay category as a whole, the map, which is the first of its kind, is the ideal guide to the complex and very varied characters of Islay’s eight magical distilleries: Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Bowmore. Launched as an educational tool for both the on- and off-trade, the map will also be available for consumers to access online from November.

Bringing to life the ancient elements Earth, Air, Fire and Water that make up Islay’s mild yet uncompromising climate, the map uses colour-coordinated taste profiles to illustrate how each of the elements is reflected in the whiskies from each distillery. From the peaty and mossy cues of EARTH; the floral notes of heather and sweet meadow in AIR; the smoke, bonfires and burnt wood of FIRE; to theocean air, sea salt and wet sand of WATER – each distillery has a unique taste profile. The map also explains how the whiskies taste indoors and out alongside a character profile and tasting notes.

In development for over a year, the map has been created in collaboration with esteemed whisky writer and Islay resident Martine Nouet. Known as the ‘The Queen of the Still’, Martine was carried away by Islay’s distinct yet varied fragrances when she first visited the island 20 years ago.

Founded over two centuries ago in 1779, Bowmore is the first recorded distillery on Islay and one of the oldest in Scotland. As with all Islay Single Malts, Bowmore whiskies are renowned for its peaty smokiness. The Distillery carefully smokes its own malt just as their ancestors did centuries ago, using skills handed down from generation to generation. Nurtured and matured in the legendary warehouses below sea level, the No. 1 Vaults, Bowmore Single Malt is widely acknowledged to be amongst the finest and most perfectly balanced in the world.

For more information and to download the map visit www.bowmore.com (The map will also be available for consumers to access online from November, 2011)

UK Distributor: Cellar Trends on 01283 217703 or enquiries@cellartrends.co.uk

Bowmore

The best-balanced Islay Single Malt whisky is the perfect reward after your outdoor experience.

Founded in 1779, Bowmore is the oldestDistillery on Islay, one of the Scottish isles, which make up the region known as the ‘Islands’ in the lexicon of Whisky. The other regions are the Highlands, Speyside and the Lowlands. Islay malts are famous for their characteristic smokiness and Bowmore is no exception; we carefully smoke our malt and use skills handed down from generation to generation to craft a perfectly balanced Single Malt.

Bowmore’s adherence to traditional production methods helps to shape the character of our

Single Malts. We’re one of only a few distilleries anywhere which still produces its own floor malted barley, hand-turned by traditional wooden malt shovel and hand drawn machinery. For our whiskies we draw water from the Laggan River, with its rich peaty overtones, and it’s the same Islay peat that fires the malt drying kiln.

Bowmore Distillery’s close proximity to the sea is also vital in determining the final character of our spirit. The legendary Bowmore No. 1 Vaults is where most of our whiskies spend their long lives resting quietly in the cool, dark, dampcellars below sea level, oblivious to the waves thrashing the Vault’s sea-facing wall.

They mature in oak casks, previously used for bourbon, sherry or claret, gradually developing rich and mellow flavours.

It’s this combination of peat, barley, sea breeze, water, wood, people and tradition that together create the perfectly balanced warm and smoky character of Bowmore Single Malt Whiskies.

The Bowmore domestic product range:

· Bowmore Legend

· Bowmore 12 Years Old

· Bowmore Darkest 15 Years Old (sherry cask finished)

· Bowmore 18 Years Old

· Bowmore 25 Years Old

Islay

Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, and is also known as “The Queen of the Hebrides.” Its mild climate and rich peaty soil make it ideal for creating whisky, and despite having a population of not much more than 3,000, it’s home to no fewer thaneight distilleries.

Non-Profit Organizations off to an Amazing Start with Help of Buffalo Trace Millennium Barrel

With Over Two Months to Go, Chances Still Available to Win this Collector’s Edition Bottle!

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Oct. 2011) – Nearly $50,000 has been raised for charity to date through Buffalo Trace Distillery Millennium Barrel auctions. With more than two months and 100 non-profit fundraising events to go, the Distillery hopes to reach its goal of raising $200,000 for charity.

The Millennium Barrel bourbon was the last bourbon barrel of the twentieth century Buffalo Trace Distillery filled on Dec. 31, 1999 and set to age in the Distillery’s warehouse V, the world’s only bonded single barrel aging warehouse.

In June of 2011, the company bottled this single barrel of whiskey, which yielded 174 handwritten and individually numbered bottles. Each Millennium Barrel bottle was packaged in a numbered hardwood showcase box that includes a piece of the historic barrel’s charred oak stave.

Buffalo Trace Distillery then offered all 174 bottles to non-profit organizations wishing to raise funds for their charity. The only caveat was that the bottles had to be auctioned off by Dec. 31, 2011. Interested parties can check on upcoming charity fundraisers for their chance to win this piece of history at http://buffalotracemillennium.com/charities.html

“Some of these non-profits have found some really creative ways to raise money for their organizations. We’re excited so many people are supporting such worthwhile causes and encourage bourbon fans everywhere to go to the Buffalo Trace Millennium Barrel website to help support these groups,” said Kris Comstock, Buffalo Trace Bourbon brand manager.

Comstock referred to the New York Cares non-profit organization that raised $6,255 for their organization by creating it as a special prize offer only premier ticket holders to the event were eligible to win. There have been several other organizations across the country that have upped their dollars raised through other creative ways, such as combining the collector’s edition bourbon with other upscale prizes.

“With more than 100 non-profits events still scheduled before the end of the year, we hope to reach our goal of $200,000 for these worthwhile causes,” Comstock added.

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, Malt 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.buffalotrace.com .

Lutwyche launches first luxury men’s shoe in partnership with The Dalmore

Lutwyche, Britain’s leading men’s tailor, has taken its first step into men’s luxury shoe market with the production of its first shoe bearing the Lutwyche brand.

The Dalmore brogue is the product of an innovative collaboration with luxury single malt The Dalmore. Reflecting the Dalmore’s affiliation with the stag, whose head adorns every bottle of single malt whisky, the benchmade shoe is made from sustainably sourced deerskin and branded with the regal Dalmore stag’s head crest. Upon purchase, each shoe will be personalised with the customer’s name and each customer will also receive a bottle of The Dalmore’s award-winning King Alexander III single malt whisky.

For Lutwyche, famous for its tailor made suits, the collaboration with The Dalmore marks the brand’s introduction to the luxury men’s shoe market, having previously produced and marketed shoes bearing the Lodger brand.

The new Lutwyche shoes will continue to carry the same qualities of custom-fit and near bespoke comfort and quality, that differentiated the Lodger from the rest of the benchmade market. Central to the production process is the use of the latest cutting edge technology that sits alongside traditional craftmanship in the creation of each and every shoe. Exceptionally soft, supple and luxurious, deerskin leather is unparalleled in its ability to mould to the foot with repeated wear.

The Dalmore Lutwyche will only be available to buy from Thursday October 27th for one month only through Lutwyche’s Clifford Street store. The shoes cost £550, including a bottle of King Alexander III single malt whisky worth RRP£150.

The Dalmore
The Dalmore is the third fastest growing malt in the world, and the distillery owns some of the rarest and oldest stocks in Scotland.

A bottle of The Dalmore 62 Sinclair recently sold in Changi Airport, Singapore, for £125,000, making it the most expensive bottle very sold outside of auction. The first whisky to break the six figure barrier, The Dalmore Trinitas was bought in Harrods for £120,000.

In the last two years The Dalmore has sold a number of rare and expensive whiskies in record time. Dalmore’s Sirius peaked at £10,000 a bottle, and with only 10 available worldwide, the bottles sold out in four days and now change hands for twice that price.

The global whisky market is currently undergoing a significant boom in sales and as part of this growth Dalmore is seeing a real appetite for rare, luxury stocks.

Lutwyche
An established name within the luxury market, the celebrated tailor and Lutwyche founder, Tony Lutwyche, is internationally renowned for his ready-to-wear, made-to-measure and bespoke suits.

By taking on board the very best in luxury fabrics and the finest English tailoring skills, Tony Lutwyche has been described by FT How to Spend It as ‘The most important figure in English tailoring’. Having built up a formidable reputation over the last 10 years, Lutwyche has become the suit of choice amongst leading elite.

Lutwyche irrevocably changed the fate of English tailoring when, in 2006, he acquired England’s last remaining tailoring workshop in Crewe; placing him in the enviable position of making the only ‘Made in England’ suits available internationally. The exclusive ‘Lutwyche Collection’ is available in the US through Saks 5th Avenue, New York and Beverley Hills stores.

The Lutwyche store opened in London’s Mayfair (15 Clifford Street, London, W1S 4JZ) in November 2010, marking the UK launch of Lutwyche’s elegant hand-finished ready-to-wear suit range, now sold alongside its bespoke and made-to-measure services.

Dalmore King Alexander III
This release takes its name from the fact that in 1263 an ancestor of the Clan Mackenzie, later owners of Dalmore distillery for many years, saved King Alexander III from being gored by a stag.

Having made the maturation journey through no less than 6 different casks; French wine barriques, Madeira drums, Sherry butts from Jerez, Sicilian Marsala barrels, port pipes from the Douro and Bourbon barrels from Kentucky, the whisky was expertly brought together and harmonised by Master Blender Richard Paterson to create this complex malt.

Aged aromatic oloroso butts and Madeira drums provide citrus orange, spice and nuts, whilst redolent bourbon barrels deliver warm vanilla notes. Rich Port and Marsala woods add hints of wild berries and fleshy plums, enhanced with red fruits from vintage Cabernet Sauvignon barriques.

The overall result is a skilful confection that provides great harmony and sophistication, offering a very different Dalmore experience, while retaining all the malt’s core values. 40.0% ABV, 70cl, £150.00, specialist whisky merchants.

WEBSITES

www.lutwyche.co.uk/

www.thedalmore.com

AUCHENTOSHAN REVEALS TOP 20 UK FINALISTS OF THE AUCHENTOSHAN SWITCH

The Transatlantic Mixology Programme Like No Other

UK Finale – 24 October 2011

This summer, Auchentoshan, the only Single Malt that triple distills every drop, launched a transatlantic cocktail competition like no other, The Auchentoshan Switch. Bartenders from across the UK and US submitted video entries of themselves making an Old Fashioned using Auchentoshan Three Wood and a lemonade from scratch, for the chance to win a career-changing, 14 day switch across the Atlantic to work in one of New York City’s and London’s prestigious bars. Of the 64 UK and 60 US entries, the judging panel selected 20 from each country to go through to the finals in London and Las Vegas.

The UK final round will take place on 24 October at a Shoreditch venue where the bartenders will be put through a series of challenging mixology tasks. The final round will be judged by an esteemed panel:

·       Tony Conigliaro – widely acknowledged as one of the UK’s pioneering drinks creators and co-owner of acclaimed bar, 69 Colebrooke Row
·       Giles Looker – renowned mixologist and owner of Soulshakers Bar Consultancy
·       Neil Ridley – Imbibe journalist, whisky writer and co-founder of revered whisky blog CaskStrength

The named UK winner of the first ever Switch will cross the Atlantic to NYC to work in Apotheke, the hottest cocktail bar on the underground scene. The US finalists will attend the final in Las Vegas on 26 October, where the crowned winner will travel to London to work at the award-winning drinking den, 69 Colebrooke Row.
 
The 64 UK entries came in over the course of the two months the competition wasopen, including those from Giles Looker who traveled the UK unearthing unsung bartenders to enter. The finalists from the UK in alphabetical order by last name are:

–              Martin Ball – Corridor, Manchester
–              Divyesh Chauhan – Match Bar, London
–              Matthew Dakers – Whistling Shop, London
–              Dav Eames – Saf, London
–              Kevin Griffin – The Raconteur, Edinburgh
–              Andrew Harrod – Wabi, London
–              Richard Hunt – Hawksmore, London
–              Scott Ingram – Blythswood Square, Glasgow
–              Alex Kratena – Artesian, London
–              Simon La Moon – Zetter Townhouse, London
–              Bruce Lerman – Epernay Champagne Bar, Leeds
–              Antonino Lo Iacono – The Dukes Hotel, London
–              Giuseppe Miggiano – The Bar at Chancery Court, London
–              Khalil Moh’d Lahham – Donovan’s Bar/Brown’s Hotel, London
–              Martyn Nicol – Blythswood Square, Glasgow
–              Matt Roberts – Quo Vardis, London
–              Andreas Tsanos – Lonsdale, London
–              Tom Walker – Bramble, Edinburgh
–              Sam Watson – Purl, London
–              Faye Woodcock – The Bling Pig, Glasgow

“We are delighted to have received such great interest from the bartending world for our first ever Auchentoshan Switch,” said Hannah Fisher, Auchentoshan Brand Manager. “Despite only accepting video entries, we received a high number of entries and the quality of each has been exceptional. We can’t wait to see what these talented bartenders will show us at the final.”

Marcis Dzelzainis, Operations Manager at 69 Colebrooke Row, also commented: “All the finalists chosen have a great understanding of the structure of classic drinks and how flavours work, hence why we asked them to demonstrate a classic lemonade and an Old Fashioned. These 20 are not only highly skilled but also already very much respected in the industry.”

The Auchentoshan Switch itself will take place in early 2012, where the winners will experience world-leading mixology under the guidance of Apotheke and 69 Colebrooke Row.

Apotheke is the hottest cocktail bar in Gotham’s underground scene. 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.

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. The winner will work with a team of handpicked, leading mixologists in a lab dedicated to furthering the craft of the cocktail and fully realisingprojects as they filter into the bar. Importantly, they will also become incorporated into the daily bar procedures, as well as visiting producers and sourcing quality ingredients.

Videos of entries can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/user/AuchentoshanWhisky 

UK Distributor: Cellar Trends
 
Notes:

Auchentoshan

As Glasgow’s closest Distillery, Auchentoshan is truly unique as it is the only distillery to use a third still in the whisky making process. It means Auchentoshan is the only Single Malt Scotch whisky to triple distil every single drop. This third distillation takes the new spirit to 81.5% ABV (not 70% which is achieved through only distilling twice) making it the highest distillate of any Scottish distillery. The benefit? This strength removes the impurities and harshness often associated with single malts and takes the new spirit to it’s optimum strength for reacting with the casks during maturation, allowing Auchentoshan to extract maximum flavours from the wood. The result? A delicate, smooth malt with each expression strongly showcasing the character of cask it was matured in.

At the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Auchentoshan 12 Year Old, Auchentoshan Classic and Auchentoshan Three Wood were all awarded a Silver Medal in the Spirits category. At the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Auchentoshan 18 Year Old also won a coveted Double Gold Medal.

THREE SHIPS HONOURS FAMOUS NAVIGATOR OF OLD

Three Ships has launched the second of a series of three commemorative editions of its 10 year-old single malt whisky honouring intrepid explorers associated with the Cape. It recalls the epic journey of Vasco da Gama, the first European navigator to reach India.

It follows on the first edition, issued at the end of last year, commemorating the journey of Bartholomew Diaz who with his three little ships was the first from Europe to round what he was to name the Cape of Storms.

The second edition will be followed next year by the last of the trio which will be dedicated to Jan van Riebeeck whose little fleet of three ships sailed into Table Bay on 6 April 1652.

However, the whisky in all three is the same – Three Ships 10 year-old Single Malt, only the second single malt to be made at The James Sedgwick Distillery at Wellington in the Cape, and the only fully-fledged whisky distillery in Africa.

Said master distiller Andy Watts: “As we consider ourselves pioneers in our industry, we wanted to honour others who before us had also ventured into the unknown. And with our name it was only logical that we would look to those who had plied the oceans in their search for new worlds.

“The top-quality facilities we have at our disposal today enable us to produce whisky to the highest international standards. This single malt, within a year of its launch, has already won us gold in two major overseas competitions in 2011 – at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and at the Wine and Spirit Competition in London.”

The first 10 year-old single malt, launched in 2003, set the tone by in its first year also garnering gold at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

The latest single malt spent the full ten years in casks of different ages. Watts said the older small casks had contributed to the exceptional smoothness of this whisky while the wood, being American oak, had imbued it with a slight sweetness.

“This is very much intended for the discerning whisky drinker. It is full-bodied and well rounded. There is a hint of peat, but without the smokiness which is normally associated with it, and it offers a long, warm finish, with a good balance between wood and whisky.”

As in the case of the first edition, only 8 000 bottles are being made available. The distillery had sold out of the first edition within three months, and the same demand is expected of the second. It will be available in the trade for about R260 per bottle.

WELLINGTON DISTILLERY CELEBRATES 125 YEARS’ HISTORY

The James Sedgwick distillery in Wellington, the only dedicated whisky distillery in all of Africa and one which is on a par with the most modern in the world, celebrates its 125 anniversary this month.

Named after the 19th century sea captain James Sedgwick who became one of the pioneers of the South African liquor industry, it is the home of Three Ships and Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky. Andy Watts, master distiller, at the same time celebrates 20 years at the helm of the facility.

Sedgwick, who at the age of 22 received his first command as captain of a ship in the fleet of the British East India Company sailing between England and the Far East, settled in Cape Town in 1850. In addition to writing several technical publications for an international maritime audience, he also proved himself an astute businessman, founding in 1859 the firm of J Sedgwick & Company, “purveyor of quality liquor, tobacco and cigars”.

After his death in 1872, two of his sons, Charles and Alfred, continued the business which grew strongly under their leadership. In 1886 it set up – some sources say bought – a distillery at Wellington on the banks of the Berg River.

The facility’s life as a whisky distillery started 20 years ago when production of the Three Ships brand was relocated there. The move coincided with the appointment as manager of Andy Watts, a past professional cricketer who had learnt the art of whisky-making working in Scotland.

The two decades since has been a period of major innovation and achievements. In a major overhaul of the distillery, a strong focus was at the same time placed on ensuring the distillery would function in a sustainable, environmentally sensitive manner.

As part of the upgrade Forsyth’s of Scotland was commissioned to manufacture copper pot stills similar to the ones in use at the famous Bowmore distillery on the Isle of Islay off the Scottish coast. To ensure that skill and craftsmanship would be supported throughout by the latest technology, a highly advanced control room was created.

Over the years problems were solved in imaginative ways. To improve the distillery’s access to a consistent water supply, a marshland next to the distillery was turned into a dam filled with water from the river. With its abundant birdlife it today also serves as a restful adjunct to the distillery.

In recognition of the high level of innovation that fashioned the upgrade of both the distillery and its products, the Whisky Magazine in April 2011 bestowed its Icons of Whisky award on The James Sedgwick Distillery as Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year.

“The investment made in upgrading the facility has resulted in the capability to take the range of whiskies we are able to produce to the next level,” Watts said. “It has given us the confidence to compete – and today very successfully – in the international arena. Our latest Three Ships 10 year-old single malt this year alone garnered gold medals at both the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and the International Wine and Spirit Competition.”

Truman Cox Named Master Distiller at A. Smith Bowman

Fredericksburg, VA. (Oct. 2011) – Truman Cox has been named Master Distiller at A. Smith Bowman Distillery, taking over for Joe Dangler, who retired Oct. 1st, 2011.

Cox has been training under Dangler on site since July 1st, but has been preparing for this role for his entire life.

Born and raised in Northern Indiana, Cox grew up fascinated by his grandfather’s tales of driving “gin trucks” during Prohibition. After completing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Central Florida, Cox worked with such notable firms as Disney World and NASA at the Kennedy Space Center before moving to Iowa to begin his dream of working in the distilled spirits industry. There Cox worked as a quality chemist for one of the country’s largest beverage alcohol producers and spent time with some of the top sprits organoleptic experts.

In 2004, Cox took the position of lead chemist at Buffalo Trace Distillery and worked with distillery legends such as Elmer T Lee, Gary Gayheart and Harlen Wheatley. When Dangler announced his retirement from A. Smith Bowman in early 2011, Cox jumped at the chance to fulfill his dream.

Cox is excited about carrying on the Bowman family tradition of high quality products while introducing some new offerings as well. Cox will also be finishing up and opening the Visitor Center at A. Smith Bowman which is expected to be completed in spring 2012.

About A. Smith Bowman Distillery

A. Smith Bowman’s distilling roots date back to the years before Prohibition. In 1935, after the Repeal of Prohibition, Abram Smith Bowman and his sons continued the family tradition of the distillation of bourbon. The original distillery was located on the Bowman family homestead in Fairfax County, Virginia called Sunset Hills Farm. In response to the rapid growth of Northern Virginia, the distillery was moved in 1988 and is now nestled in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.

As a small and privately owned company, A. Smith Bowman Distillery continues the time-honored traditions on which it was founded. Considered a micro-distillery by today’s standards, A. Smith Bowman produces an assortment of hand-crafted spirits distilled from only the finest natural ingredients and using the latest technology. This micro-distillery focuses on the production of premium spirits honoring the legacy of Virginia’s first settlers. For more information on A. Smith Bowman, please visit www.asmithbowman.com.

BENRIACH AND GLENDRONACH LAUNCH UK EXCLUSIVE SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS

THE BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd. is delighted today (October 10) to announce UK EXCLUSIVE bottlings from two single casks – one from BenRiach and the other from its sister distillery at GlenDronach.

These limited release 1995 expressions, both bottled in August this year, were both matured in Pedro Ximinez sherry puncheons. These were originally used to store the characteristically sweet, full-bodied Spanish sherry that confers its distinctively rich and complex characteristics on the whisky.

The result in both cases is fruit-laden heaven!

First, the GlenDronach. From cask 4681, distilled in November 1995, this is a 15-year-old single malt bottled at cask strength – 56.2% vol.

Its striking appearance is cherry-wood and russet mahogany. On the nose, there is chocolate orange and stewed plum while the palate delivers chocolate, toffee, spiced fruits, figs, raisins and dates.

The cask out-turned 725 bottles, each of which is individually numbered.

Complementing this monster GlenDronach is an equally substantial offering from BenRiach. From cask 7164 distilled in May 1995, this is aged 16-years-old and bottled at a cask strength of 58.3% vol.

Its appearance is bright amber with a late autumnal glow. On the nose, bananas, citrus fruits and oregano while the palate brings melons, bananas and lychee.

The out-turn on the BenRiach was marginally smaller, at 695 bottles. Again, each bottle is hand-numbered.

Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “GlenDronach and BenRiach are both renowned for their idiosyncratic single cask bottlings, and we release a number of these each year. They have proven to be very popular, but with our ‘batch’ single cask releases being divided amongst all of our export markets as well as the UK, allocations can be quite tight. For that reason, we decided to select a couple of casks just for the UK to give our home-based retail clients the chance to get their hands on a reasonable quantity of each bottling.”

Both expressions are pictured.

Benromach Stockholm Award Sweep

Speyside’s smallest distillery, Benromach, has scooped a number of awards at one of the world’s largest beer and whisky festivals.

The distillery and two of its single malt Scotch whiskies – Benromach 2001, Cask Strength and Organic Special Edition, were given Gold Awards at the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival 2011.

Now in its 20th anniversary year the festival has grown in reputation in the industry with over 1,300 different types of beer, whisky, cider and calvados being exhibited.

Commenting on the award Michael Urquhart, Joint Managing Director of Gordon & MacPhail, owners of Benromach, said:

“The international appeal of Benromach is continuing to grow. It’s exciting to see our range of whiskies and most recent new expressions like Benromach Cask Strength being honoured at respected events like these. As a boutique distillery we pride ourselves in hand distilling quality single malt whiskies.”

Matured in bourbon barrels, Benromach Cask Strength is a mouth warming and smooth single malt with hints of spice. Containing earthy influences it also has a delicate peaty edge and is bottled at 59.9% ABV.

Made using the finest Scottish organic barley, Benromach Organic Special Edition is dried using peat smoke to produce a fresh, vibrant single malt that is smooth and creamy with a strong oak influence and sweet vanilla notes.

Benromach single malt whiskies are available from whisky shops and fine wine and spirits retail specialists.

For more information about Benromach Distillery and the Benromach range of Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskies go to www.benromach.com.

Notes

Benromach distillery is Speyside’s smallest. Based in Forres, just two expert distillers make this, golden malt whisky.

Established in 1898, Benromach distillery changed hands many times and was virtually derelict when bought by family firm Gordon & MacPhail in 1993. Drawing on generations of whisky expertise, the company carried out a painstaking refurbishment and the distillery was officially re-opened by Prince Charles in 1998.

Other Benromach expressions include:

Benromach Ten Years Old

Benromach Ten Years Old is created from the finest Scottish barley and pure spring water from the nearby Romach hills. After being matured for at least ten years, it emerges golden in colour and displays rich fruit, sweet chocolate and delicate spicy aromas. With a rich sherry influence, the mouth-watering palate coats the senses with exotic fruit flavours, toasted malt and a delicate hint of smoke.

Benromach Traditional

A rich and mellow single malt with fruit and malty tones, balanced with a hint of smoke.

Benromach Peat Smoke

Full bodied, intense and challenging with a smoky character, yet balanced with the fruity elegance of Speyside.

Benromach Origins

A series of special bottlings crafted to highlight how small changes in the art of whisky-making can help to shape the character of the final single malt.

Please visit www.benromach.com for details.