Sazerac Company Announces The Purchase of Selected Brands and Manufacturing Facility

Strategic Acquisition Marks Further Expansion in Canada

Louisville, KY (Sept. 2011) – Sazerac Company, Inc. (“Sazerac”) announces that it has entered into an agreement to purchase from Corby Distilleries Limited (“Corby” or the “Company”) (TSX:CDL.A, TSX:CDL.B) certain Corby-owned brands as well as the shares of its subsidiary that owns the manufacturing and bottling facility in Montréal, Québec, for a purchase price of $32.9 million, plus the value of inventory on hand at closing. The transaction is expected to close on October 31, 2011.

The transaction involves the purchase of 17 brands, including De Kuyper Geneva Gin, De Kuyper Peachtree Schnapps, Red Tassel Vodka and Silk Tassel Canadian Whisky, as well as the Montréal-based manufacturing facility where a significant portion of the brands are produced. On closing, all employees of the facility will be employed by Sazerac, and a number of Corby-owned brands will continue to be blended, bottled and warehoused in the facility through a contract manufacturing agreement entered into with Sazerac.

“Canada has become an important market for Sazerac over the past decade and we are delighted to be able to further increase our presence in the market. We are particularly pleased at the prospect of being able to develop the De Kuyper brand in Canada,” added Mark Brown, Sazerac president and chief executive officer.

“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement on this strategic divestiture,” commented Patrick O’Driscoll, Corby president and chief executive officer. “We had some brand overlap in certain spirit categories and this transaction helps us streamline our portfolio with a more focused and targeted collection of brands, as part of our brand prioritization strategy. It also frees up more of our resources to create growth opportunities for our priority brands including Wiser’s Canadian Whisky, Lamb’s Rum, Polar Ice Vodka and McGuinness Liqueurs; resulting in increased shareholder value.”

The large majority of Corby’s remaining brands will continue to be manufactured in the Hiram Walker & Sons Limited facility located near Windsor, Ontario, which is managed by Corby on behalf of Pernod Ricard S.A.

“Corby is committed to a strategy of value growth and a focused brand portfolio that positions us for long-term growth in key categories with premium spirits and wines,” added O’Driscoll. “This divestiture is an important step in moving that strategy forward.”

About The Sazerac Company

Sazerac is based in New Orleans, Louisiana and is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies. The company has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland; and Montreal, Canada. For more information, please visit www.sazerac.com.

About Corby Distilleries Limited

Corby’s portfolio of owned-brands includes some of the most renowned brands in Canada, including Wiser’s Canadian Whisky, Lamb’s Rum, Polar Ice Vodka and McGuinness Liqueurs. Through its affiliation with Pernod Ricard S.A., Corby also represents leading international brands such as ABSOLUT vodka, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet and Ballantine’s Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Beefeater gin, Malibu rum, Kahlúa liqueur, Mumm champagne, and Jacob’s Creek, Wyndham Estate and Graffigna wines. The existing Voting Class A Common Shares and Non-voting Class B Common Shares of the Company are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols CDL.A and CDL.B, respectively.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements concerning possible or assumed future results of Corby’s operations. Forward-looking statements typically are preceded by, followed by or include the words “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and, as such, the Company’s results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERIES ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF THE FIFTH ANNUAL EDITION OF “PARKER’S HERITAGE COLLECTION” AMERICAN WHISKEY SERIES

Alain Royer & Parker beam

10-year-old Bourbon Finished in Cognac Casks Represents Joint Effort Between Industry Legends Parker Beam and Alain Royer

BARDSTOWN, KY—Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., the country’s largest independent family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer, announces the September release of the fifth edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection, a limited annual series of rare, aged American Whiskeys that pays tribute to 6th Generation Master Distiller Parker Beam. This 2011 release represents a bold new direction for the series and for the company, being the first “wood-finished” Bourbon produced by Heaven Hill, a two-time Distiller of the Year winner. It also represents a collaboration between two industry giants—Parker Beam, the legendary grand-nephew of Jim Beam who has practiced his craft at Heaven Hill for more than 50 years; and Alain Royer, 6th Generation Cognac Master Blender, founder of A. de Fussigny Cognac, now working for the Cointreau family within the Renaud Cointreau group.

This year’s release of Parker’s Heritage Collection promises to be a worthy successor to the previous four releases, which stand as some of the most critically lauded American Whiskeys in recent memory. Last year’s highly acclaimed 10-Year-Old Wheated Cask Strength Bourbon captured Whisky Magazine’s “World’s Best North American Whisky” at the World Whisky Awards. The prior release, the “Golden Anniversary” Bourbon, was Malt Advocate Magazine’s “American Whiskey of the Year” and Whisky Magazine’s “Best New Release of the Year”. And the 27-Year-Old Bourbon edition released in 2008 was the first American Whiskey to ever win “Best of Show, Brown Spirits” at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The new release marks the first in the Parker’s Heritage Collection to utilize the practice of “wood finishing”, whereby a mature whiskey is dumped out of its original cooperage and transferred into another barrel that had previously contained a different type of spirit. Commonly used in Scotland, where the newly made spirit may age in any type of barrel (typically Scotch is aged in used Bourbon barrels, but some Scotch producers use Sherry, Port or other types of used barrels), wood finishing is less common in American Straight Whiskeys partly because by law an American Straight must spend a minimum of two years specifically in a newly charred American White Oak barrel, typically much longer. There have been other American Whiskeys finished in other types of spirit barrels over the past few years, as US producers look for a way to differentiate a very tightly defined and regulated product to meet growing connoisseur demand.

In an interesting historical twist, the very first nationally released wood-finished American Bourbon was produced in 1999. Called Distiller’s Masterpiece, it was also a Franco-American collaboration between Alain Royer and Parker Beam’s first cousin, the late Booker Noe, long-time Master Distiller at Jim Beam.

This latest edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection utilized as its base select barrels of a 10-Year-Old Bourbon that had aged in high storage on the 6th floor of Rickhouse “V” in Bardstown. Last February, 15 French Limousin Oak barrels that each held 350 liters (92.5 gallons) of 3-year-old Grande Champagne Cognac from the Frapin cellars were emptied, the barrels were then wrapped to keep them wet and leakproof, and three days later they were shipped to Kentucky. There the oversized (by Kentucky standards) casks were filled with the aged Bourbon and transferred to the 6th floor of Rickhouse JJ, where they rested for 6 months to extract the delicate floral notes that permeated the Cognac barrels. On August 22, when Royer and Beam deemed them ready, these large Cognac barrels were dumped by hand (they were too big to fit the standard 53 gallon Bourbon barrel equipment), yielding 6000 750ml bottles of a spicy, yet slightly floral and sweet whiskey.

This fifth edition of Parker’s Heritage Collection is bottled at a robust 100 proof and is not chill-filtered prior to bottling, which helps maintain the natural esters and compounds that provide a rich texture and mouthfeel. It will be distributed nationally, albeit in limited, allocated quantities, and available at fine whiskey retailers in major US metro markets as long as supplies last.

Packaged in the same upscale 750ml bottle as the previous four editions, the Parker’s Heritage Collection Cognac Finished Bourbon is available in a three bottle case that should start hitting retail shelves and back bars in early October, in time for the cooler weather that traditionally signals “whiskey season”. And while several of the past Parker’s Heritage Collection annual releases have been priced in excess of $100, including the 27-Year-Old Bourbon that carried a $200 national average retail price, this year’s Cognac Finished edition will retail for an average of $80 for the 750ml bottle, welcome news for whiskey lovers in these still-unsettled economic times.

“All the previous editions of my Parker’s Heritage Collection have been very special products” noted Heaven Hill’s Parker Beam. “And this one may be the most unique of them all. It has been a real pleasure to work with Alain in selecting the kind of Bourbon to use, the kind of barrels to finish this with, and the length of time and location in which to finish this Bourbon. And it has turned out to be a really great and different type of whiskey. It’s nice to know that even after 50 years here at Heaven Hill, this old dog can still learn some new tricks.” Alain Royer added “Parker and I have really enjoyed this entire process. From looking at different ages of Bourbon to use, rye versus wheated mashbills, different ages and proofs, to deciding on Cognac versus Armagnac barrels, and how long the Cognac should remain in the barrels…all these factors and variables were analyzed, discussed and tested. And what has emerged is truly emblematic of the whole collaborative process—well structured, integrated, and thoroughly enjoyable to drink.”

Founded in 1934, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes The Christian Brothers Brandies; Evan Williams and Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys; Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Hpnotiq Liqueur; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Lunazul and Two Fingers Tequilas, and Dubonnet Aperitif.

Whisky Exports Drive Portfolio Success

Burn Stewart Distillers, producers of Scottish Leader, Black Bottle, Bunnahabhain, Tobermory, Deanston and Ledaig whiskies, have announced its financial results for the year ended 31st December 2010.

The main highlights of the announcement are:

• Strong performance by all brands in their key markets

• Gross profit £18.3m (2009: £17.2m)

• Net profit £3.7m (2009: £1.2m)

The company which employs 250 people across its distilling, blending, bottling, commercial and administration activities in the UK, and sales administration internationally has seen continued growth across its core brands with particularly strong performances in Taiwan, South Africa and the UK.

The key drivers for this success include the 13% growth of flagship brand Scottish Leader, coupled with the growth of Scottish Leader’s market share across all key markets. Overall, cased export revenue is also on the increase – achieving 11% growth on 2009 with notable success in Taiwan, US, and Baltics.

The company continues to invest in capital expenditure, allocating £0.4m in 2010, taking the investment for the last 3 years to £2.4m. The company has also invested in a new leadership staff training programme which has reached over 20% of the company’s workforce. Over the next three years a multi million pound capital investment programme is planned to further enhance the capability of the business. Included in this plan, is the creation of a new visitor centre at Deanston Distillery, opening during Spring 2012, which aims to significantly enhance the retail and consumer experience of the brand.

The entire malt portfolio – Bunnahabhain, Tobermory, Deanston and Ledaig whiskies – enjoyed an extremely successful re-pack in 2010 with new packaging, labelling and bottle design. Furthermore, presenting un-chill filtered malts creates exciting opportunities to position the malt portfolio as niche players in the industry. Future plans for the malt portfolio include further tapping into growing markets in Taiwan, USA and Europe, coupled with a strong investment focus on Russia.

Markets providing the key focus for Scottish Leader will be Taiwan, South Africa and The Baltics. In addition, the flagship brand will also be looking to build upon and strengthen existing distribution partnerships in the Ukraine, Poland and Russia to allow for further penetration into these emerging markets, and providing the backbone for growth.

The company’s portfolio of brands was strengthened in 2010 when a partnership deal with Angostura Holdings Ltd was signed. The deal announced that Burn Stewart Distillers would be responsible for distribution and marketing of the world renowned Aromatic Bitters and premium rum range across EMEA. This addition to the company portfolio compliments future plans for growth within the Scotch market and a growing rum category.

Commenting on the results, Fraser Thornton, Managing Director, said:

“It is very pleasing to note the sustained improvement in the financial performance of the company. Our primary focus is to develop and grow the strong portfolio of brands we have and, in so doing, continue to consolidate the relationships we enjoy with key retail partners, selected overseas bulk customers and our global distributor network. We have enjoyed another year of growth and have opened up new markets as well as continuing to build our brands in existing markets. Our bold move to un-chill filtered malts has excited our consumers and the trade and has allowed us to provide a niche offering to those consumers who want to explore. The investment at Deanston will allow us to develop a new brand experience for consumers and invest in the heritage of the Deanston brand. We believe the future is very positive for the Scotch Whisky Industry and we look forward to continued growth across our entire brand portfolio.’

Notes

• Burn Stewart Distillers Limited is a fully integrated Scotch whisky producer and brand owner with three single malt whisky distilleries and a strong portfolio of Scotch whisky brands.

• The company’s head office and bottling hall are based in East Kilbride, with blending and warehousing facilities at Airdrie, both near Glasgow. The three distilleries include, Deanston in Doune, Perthshire; Bunnahabhain on the Isle of Islay and Tobermory based on the Isle of Mull.

• Burn Stewart produces and markets a well balanced range of Scotch Whisky brands to appeal to every type of Scotch consumer and distributes to over 60 markets worldwide.

GLEN GARIOCH AND EDINBURGH AIRPORT LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE VINTAGE CASK WHISKY

Only 195 bottles of the world exclusive Glen Garioch 1988 available for Edinburgh airport travellers

Glen Garioch and Edinburgh Airport’s World Duty Free have teamed up to launch an exclusive single malt whisky for Edinburgh travellers.

The Glen Garioch 1988 Vintage Single Cask was specially selected by staff from the airport’s World Duty Free team after they won a competition to sell more bottles of Glen Garioch malt whisky than any other World Duty Free airport retailer in the UK.

The winning team from Edinburgh Airport visited Scotland’s most easterly distillery at Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire last year to hand select its own exclusive Glen Garioch cask.

Just 195 bottles of the £200 23-year-old malt are available to purchase at Edinburgh Airport’s World Duty Free store, making it a sure fire collector’s item in years to come.

The Edinburgh airport team chose the cask for its deep, sweet Seville orange notes that fuse with a hint of fragrant highland heather, leaving a long, sophisticated finish.

John Mullen, Glen Garioch brand manager said, “We’re delighted to partner with Edinburgh Airport’s World Duty Free. The team sampled many casks on a particularly bracing Highland morning and got behind the flavours to personally select their own vintage.

“The 23-year-old is an elegant and truly memorable dram with a wonderful combination of floral and sweet notes.

”The team were so passionate about the whisky they chose. It’s already flying off the shelves and is set to be sold out by Christmas”

The Glen Garioch 1988 Vintage Single Cask comes in a specially crafted oak wood box, lined with hessian. Each bottle is individually numbered and marked as Edinburgh Airport’s World Duty Free special edition. It is exclusively available at Edinburgh Airport, retailing around £200.

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 October 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.

LIMITED EDITION LALIQUE DECANTER CELEBRATES THE MACALLAN’S LEGENDARY SMALL STILLS

The Macallan and Lalique are once again drawing upon their prestigious collaboration to create the latest addition to The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection. The Macallan in Lalique Curiously Small Stills decanter follows on from the overwhelming success of the first three stunning decanters. This time around sees the decanter filled with an exceptionally rare 60 years old Macallan single
malt whisky.

Designed and created by the legendary French crystal house Lalique, exclusively for The Macallan, the Curiously Small Stills edition is limited to 400 individually numbered decanters, making it a highly collectable and desirable item.

David Cox, Director of Fine & Rare Whiskies for The Macallan commented, “Our relationship with Lalique goes from strength to strength and this fourth collaboration further reinforces our very strong partnership. The Six Pillars, those elements which combine to give this great single malt its distinctive quality and character, continue to provide the inspiration for these stunning decanters. The addition of the Curiously Small Stills decanter continues this fascinating journey through the heart of The Macallan. The stills themselves are the smallest on Speyside, concentrating the spirit to create The Macallan’s rich, fruity, full-bodied flavours.”

“Over the years, we have drawn on the some of its oldest and rarest stocks to create extraordinary examples of this great single malt for connoisseurs and collectors alike; such is the lineage of this 60 years old Macallan, which was drawn from five sherry butts, made from a mix of Spanish and American oak, filled on 9th and 10th November 1950.”

Inspired by the artistic genius of Rene Lalique’s legacy and The Macallan’s curiously small stills, Lalique’s designers have interpreted the riveted entry hatch feature on The Macallan’s spirit stills as a circle of raised “cabochons” on the face of the decanter, creating an overall structure which is distinctly compact yet reflecting the smooth curves of the spirit stills themselves. Other defining design features of the decanter mirror the specific shapes and aspects of the still: the ‘satiné’ effect up the sides and shoulders to the stopper simulates the shape of the hatch handle, while the copper cap atop the crystal stopper has been made from an old Macallan copper spirit still.

Commenting on the new project, Silvio Denz, President and CEO of Lalique said,“It is once again a pleasure to team up with one of the world’s finest single malts and together create the fourth decanter in this prestigious collection. Working with The Macallan continues to allow us strong creative freedom to produce decanters grounded in the highest quality and most intricate craftsmanship.

“The Curiously Small Stills decanter has been designed by our team in Paris and crafted at Lalique’s crystal making facility in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace. Each piece was worked on by up to 15 craftsmen, many of whom have attained the ‘Meilleur ouvrier de France’ – the Finest Craftsman of France Award. Each decanter bears the esteemed ‘Lalique France’ signature, which symbolises authenticity and over 100 years of creativity, heritage and craftsmanship, and comes in a beautifully designed lacquer presentation box, with a crystal stopper and a collectors guide, detailing the craftsmanship that has gone into producing this beautiful object d’art.”

The Macallan and Lalique have been working in partnership since 2005. During this time they have collaborated to produce an exclusive series of limited edition decanters based on The Macallan’s Six Pillars. The first three decanters in the series have proved hugely popular with both whisky consumers and connoisseurs, as well as collectors of Lalique crystal. In 2010 the relationship was taken to new heights with the creation of the Cire Perdue decanter containing the oldest ever Macallan ever released, at 64 years old. This unique decanter and its rare contents was auctioned by Sotheby’s New York in November 2010, raising a staggering US $460,000 for charity: water, an innovative charity dedicated to providing clean and safe drinking water for people in developing countries, as well as smashing the world record price for a bottle of scotch whisky.

The Curiously Small Stills decanter is valued at USD$20,000 and is available from September 2011.

NOTES

The Macallan 60 years old in Lalique – tasting notes:

· Colour – Cherry

· Aroma – Complex; cinnamon, toasted apple & lemon, intertwined with blackcurrant leaf and polished oak, all encompassed by peat

· Taste – Mouth-coating, sweet, citrus, dark chocolate, smoldering peat

· Finish – Succulent, lightly fired malt caressed with peat

· Alcohol Strength – 53.2%

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 selection of the finest and most expensive maturation casks fundamentally influence the product’s final outstanding quality and distinctive character.

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 through out 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.

REDBREAST ADDS FIRST CASK STRENGTH EXPRESSION TO ITS REPUTED RANGE

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard is adding to its collection of Single Pot Still Whiskeys of Midleton* this weekend at Whisky Live Paris**, with the launch of Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength – the portfolio’s first permanent cask strength bottling. This latest addition to the Redbreast range forms part of the company’s ongoing commitment to promote the provenance and quality of this unique Irish whiskey style.

Produced at Midleton Distillery, Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength is Redbreast in its natural full-flavoured state – straight from the cask, non-chill filtered and without the addition of water. Bottled at 57.7% ABV, this first batch will be available from September 2011 in Ireland, France and Germany and in the US from February next year.

Brendan Buckley, Global Category Development Director for Irish whiskey at Irish Distillers, said: “Over the years, we’ve had great encouragement from whiskey enthusiasts and fans of the renowned Redbreast range to launch a cask strength expression, and we’re delighted to be finally releasing this incredible single pot still whiskey in response. It comes during what has been an exciting year for the range, having recently undergone a packaging revamp to freshen it up and reinforce its quality cues. We are confident that this latest development will be enthusiastically received by Redbreast fans around the world.”

Barry Crockett, Master Distiller at Midleton Distillery, added: “This is a very special single pot still whiskey, full of dried fruit flavours, with an exceedingly long finish. It is the perfect addition to the Redbreast range – representing the expression in its purest state. I’m confident that this will become the whiskey that all whiskey lovers will want to own and savour – myself included!”

Redbreast represents a style of whiskey that is unique to Ireland in general and to Midleton Distillery in particular. Single pot still whiskey is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, which is then distilled in traditional copper pot stills. Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength, and all single pot still whiskeys from Midleton, is triple distilled.

Notes

*In May 2011, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard announced plans to underline the rich heritage of Irish whiskey with the launch of a new initiative – Single Pot Still whiskeys of Midleton. Aimed at promoting consistent communication on the provenance and quality of Single Pot Still whiskey, the launch heralded an increase in investment in Irish Distillers’ existing portfolio, ahead of a planned roll-out of innovative extensions. Additionally, the initiative marked the adoption by the industry of new terminology for this unique style of whiskey – moving from ‘pure pot still’ to ‘single pot still’.

** Whisky Live
Paris is now in its eighth year and the 2011 show will take place on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September (26th September for trade professionals) at Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild. The ‘Single Pot Still Whiskeys of Midleton’ will host a stand at Whisky Live, and Master Distiller, Barry Crockett, will be in attendance.

Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild
11 rue Berryer, Paris 8 e
Metro: Line 1, 2 or 9 – Charles de Gaulle Etoile, Ternes or Saint Philippe du Roule

About Redbreast
The origins of Redbreast whiskey date back to 1887 and was originally the brand name given to the whiskey supplied by the Jameson distillery to the Gilbey whiskey bonders, before bottling at the distillery became the norm in 1968. As the practice of selling whiskey to bonders ended in the late 1960s, brands such as Redbreast all but disappeared, until Redbreast 12 Year Old was relaunched by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard in the 1990s as a single pot still whiskey.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength joins the original Redbreast 12 Year Old and Redbreast 15 Year Old in the range. Full to the rafters with aroma and flavor, Redbreast displays the hallmark influence of whiskey matured in combination of first fill Spanish Oloroso sherry casks and American bourbon whisky barrels.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Tasting Notes
Nose: A fruit explosion: figs, dates, ripe banana, sultanas, red apple and lime. Pot still spices combine with the sweet vanilla and pine from the casks.

Taste: Deep full dried fruit, a touch of citrus with aromatic oils and spices. Vanilla sweetness leads to toasted oak and barley.
Finish: Exceedingly long finish with a rich complexity of spices and fruit, slowly fading through sweet butterscotch to barley.

About Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard
Irish Distillers Limited, part of Pernod Ricard Group, distils and distributes a range of Irish whiskey, gin and vodka brands globally including Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Midleton Very Rare, Redbreast, Cork Dry Gin, Cork Crimson Gin and Huzzar Vodka.

Sazerac Introduces R&R Reserve To Fast-Growing Rich and Rare Line Up

The Way Great Canadian Whisky Used to Taste

NEW ORLEANS, lA. (Sept. 2011) – Sazerac has introduced its new R&R Reserve product in select U.S. markets, which strives to give consumers a more flavorful whisky experience. The brand extends from Sazerac’s impressive Rich & Rare brand, which has posted the largest case growth of any U.S. bottled Canadian Whisky brand over the past three years.

R&R Reserve comes from a full-bodied blend of hand-selected reserve barrel whiskies from Sazerac’s stock in Canada of more than 200,000 barrels of Canadian Whisky. The nose starts off with a velvety depth. The initial sip shows the complex intermingling of mocha and caramel followed by a wonderful merger of wood and rye grain blending with tangy dark fruits. The finish is lively with a zing of rye.

“We wanted to introduce a product that had nice depth and complexity and felt like some of the great Canadian Whiskies of twenty and thirty years ago,” says Drew Mayville, Sazerac’s master blender and Canadian Whisky expert.

R&R Reserve is the third recent new Canadian Whisky product from the Sazerac Company. Caribou Crossing Single Barrel and Royal Canadian Small Batch debuted in early 2010. “Our continued development of new Canadian Whisky concepts is an indication of how strongly we feel about the opportunity to re-invigorate the Canadian Whisky category with consumers. We feel R&R Reserve will prove to be an attractive option for consumers who want a full bodied whisky that can stand very well on its own straight, but can also work really well mixed,” according to Kevin Richards, Sazerac’s brand manager for Canadian Whisky.

R&R Reserve retails for between $9.99 – $13.99 for a 750ml.

About The Sazerac Company

Sazerac is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California and Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.sazerac.com

JOHNNIE WALKER ® BLUE LABEL™ PARTNERS WITH PORSCHE DESIGN STUDIO TO LAUNCH A LUXURIOUS NEW LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION

Luxury whisky JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL has partnered with Porsche Design Studio, one of the world’s most exclusive design houses, to create the Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ Collection by Porsche Design Studio, designed to enable men to celebrate their achievements today. The partnership has created a series of exclusive pieces, inspired by the perfect serve of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, that are ideal for entertaining friends or colleagues and as a prestigious gift.

Bringing together two of the world’s most iconic and aspirational luxury brands renowned for modernity, luxury and supreme craftsmanship, the collection consists of “The Chiller” and “The Cube”, but is led by a made-to-order Johnnie Walker Blue Label Private Bar (price available on request). The pieces in the collection have been exquisitely made to blend function and aesthetics, uniquely presenting everything required for the perfect serve of Johnnie Walker Blue Label blended whisky.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Collection by Porsche Design Studio

 Inspired by the iconic label which sits at a perfect 24 degree angle on each bottle of Johnnie Walker, the Private Bar is crafted from brushed titanium with a luxurious leather interior, and features state of the art motion sensors which open through a perfect 180 degrees, revealing three bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, four subtly illuminated crystal glasses and chilled water, essential for the perfect serve to cleanse the palate before tasting and to serve on the side.

The Chiller (RRP £240) holds a single bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, encased in sophisticated dark blue leather and brushed titanium, whilst the top removes to function as an ice chiller. The Cube (£490) comes with an individually numbered bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label alongside an ice chiller, stainless steel tongs, and four bespoke Blue Label crystal glasses, ideal for entertaining.

“We have remained committed to both modern and classical design principles through the design process, combining luxurious leather and metals,” explains Roland Heiler, Managing Director of Porsche Design Studio, Austria. “The resulting vision is a mix of traditional and high tech that combine to make the objects exceptional, setting them apart from any other gift packages.”

The Chiller and the Cube will be available at Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, and Royal Mile Whiskies from October 2011. The Private Bar is available made to order exclusively from Harrods. The collection will also be displayed at London hotels including The Savoy and the Mandarin Oriental. For the perfect serve of Johnnie

Walker Blue Label, a special illuminated Cube can be ordered at the Brompton Club, Home House, Whisky Mist, Blythswood Square and Dormy House at Gleneagles.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the commemoration of Alex Walker’s remarkable Old Highland Whisky and demonstrates the same rare commitment to flavour and the blender’s art. Only 1 in 10,000 casks are deemed of sufficient character to deliver its remarkably smooth signature taste. Each rare whisky is handpicked by the Master Blender himself, part of an unbroken blending heritage stretching back over 190 years.

Notes:

About Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ Blended Scotch Whisky
Johnnie Walker Blue Label is available from selected Waitrose stores, Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols and The Vintage House. RRP: £140. BLUE LABEL is the pinnacle of the House of JOHNNIE WALKER.
Presented in individually numbered bottles, it is reminiscent of the 19th century style of whiskies. The master blender uses his decades of experience to select some of the rarest casks from the JOHNNIE WALKER reserves for their quality, character and flavour to create the powerful, complex, smooth character of BLUE LABEL. Using a relatively small number of whiskies requires incredible skill and exceptional liquids as each will pay a significant contribution to the final result.

BLUE LABEL has a mellow, rounded nose, with a dry smokiness (a JOHNNIE WALKER signature flavour) mixing with raisin sweetness. It is best savoured with the palate cleansed and cooled by iced water. One sip reveals a velvety mouth-feel, then an explosion of flavour. At once you’ll discover hazelnuts, honey, rose petals, sherry and oranges. Subsequent sips reward you with more hidden secrets like kumquats, wispy aromatic smoke, sandalwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate.

About Diageo
Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include JOHNNIE WALKER Scotch Whisky, GUINNESS beer, SMIRNOFF vodka, J&B Scotch Whisky, BAILEYS Irish cream liqueur, CUERVO tequila, TANQUERAY gin, CAPTAIN MORGAN rum, CROWN ROYAL blended Canadian whisky, BEAULIEU VINEYARD and STERLING VINEYARDS wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
The JOHNNIE WALKER and BLUE LABEL words, the Striding Figure device and associated logos are trade marks (C) John Walker & Sons 2011.

Chef Alliance Group Photo – left to right: Massimo Riccioli of Massimo Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Pascal Aussignac of Club Gascon, Rowley Leigh of Le Café Anglais,Adam Johnson of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Jacob Kennedy of Bocca di Lupo, Richard Corrigan of Corrigan’s Mayfair, Catherine Gazzoli, CEO of Slow Food UK,Trevor Gulliver of St John Restaurant, Sam Harris of Zucca, Gerry Tosh, Ambassador of Highland Park, Bryn Williams of Odette’s and Marcus Wareing of the Berkeley

LONDON’S TOP CHEFS OUT IN FORCE TO CELEBRATE LAUNCH OF SLOW FOOD UK CHEF ALLIANCE

Leading lights of the culinary world came together yesterday at an exclusive event to mark the launch of Slow Food UK’s Chef Alliance; a new initiative, which will encourage chefs to actively support the aims of Slow Food UK.

Twenty-five of London’s celebrated chefs, including the Michelin starred Michel Roux Jr, of Le Gavroche fame, Bryn Williams, Chef Patron at Odette’s and Francesco Mazzei of L’Anima, congregated at Richard Corrigan’s eponymous Mayfair restaurant (28 Upper Grosvenor Street) for Slow Food UK’s inaugural Chef Alliance gathering.

The star-studded event was hosted by Slow Food UK CEO, Catherine Gazzoli and Irish-born chef/restaurateur Richard Corrigan; who has taken on the role of Chef Alliance spokesperson.

The dynamic scheme, which launched in partnership with Highland Park whisky, hopes to engage Britain’s chefs in actively supporting the aims of Slow Food UK, by championing small scale producers and sustainably sourced, quality produce. Slow food is a global, grassroots movement that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Chefs who attended the lunch enjoyed a menu, specially created by Richard Corrigan using Ark of Taste produce; a list of UK products in danger of disappearing, which eventual members of the alliance will be encouraged to use, when appropriate, on their own menus.

Richard Corrigan, Slow Food UK Chef Alliance spokesperson, said: “Slow Food UK Chef Alliance is bringing together the UK’s top Chefs who are actively championing great ideas to benefit the agri and culture of these islands.”

CEO, Catherine Gazzoli said: “We’re really excited to be welcoming so many acclaimed chefs to the alliance. Many of the chefs are already actively trying to use sustainably sourced, great tasting local produce; the alliance will simply allow them to shout about it.

“It’s great to know we have so much support out there, I truly believe this is the start of something very special.”

Gerry Tosh, Global Marketing Manager, Highland Park said: “At Highland Park our commitment to making great whisky, which is rich in flavour and offers the best taste experience, sits at the very heart of what we do. Working with Slow Food therefore feels like a natural fit for us and one where we can forge a partnership grounded in shared beliefs and values.”

The Chef Alliance will be rolled out across the UK, with regional launches set to be hosted over the coming months. All types of establishments will be welcomed, however resident chefs must first become members of their local Slow Food group and membership will be by invitation only.

About Slow Food UK

Slow Food is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members, in 150 countries around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. It was founded in 1989 in Italy. A non-profit, member supported association, with charitable educational programmes, Slow Food was created to counter the rise of fast food and fast life.

Slow Food UK has developed the Slow Food UK Chef Alliance as recognition of those chefs who champion and share our vision that all food should taste great, should be environmentally sustainable and that producers should be paid a fair wage. http://www.slowfood.org.uk

Chef Alliance Photo – left to right: Scott Dickson, UK Brand Manager Maxxium, Richard Corrigan of Corrigan’s Mayfair, Catherine Gazzoli, CEO of Slow Food UK, Gerry Tosh, Ambassador of Highland Park

About Highland Park:

Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection. Its range of 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malts is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, most recently including ‘best new whisky release of the year 2009’ for its 40-year-old single malt and ‘best whisky in the world 2009’ for its 21-year-old expression in the World Whisky Awards, as well as four double gold awards in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2009.

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

Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

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

www.drinkaware.co.uk

About Slow Food UK Chef Alliance spokesperson, Richard Corrigan:

As a chef Richard’s philosophy is firmly rooted in a sense that food should reflect both who we are and where we are. Born in County Meath, Ireland, he was raised in a farming family that grew, fished and hunted much of the food that came to the table.

Richard is actively involved in the Slow Food Movement and heartily believes in the “farm to fork” philosophy. He promotes small artisan producers both in the UK and in his native Ireland.

Richard can be seen behind the stoves in the renowned Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill in London’s Piccadilly and in the award-winning Corrigan’s Mayfair.

He has also written two cookbooks: The Richard Corrigan Cookbook: From The Waters and The Wild, and The Clatter of Forks and Spoons.

DIAGEO ANNOUNCES ITS SPECIAL RELEASES FOR 2011Diageo’s prolific collection of single malt Scotch whiskies, the Classic Malts Selection™, is augmented every year by the issue of a small portfolio of limited edition single malts, under the heading of Special Releases.

Diageo’s Special Releases 2011
The series has always aimed to intrigue, delight and sometimes surprise whisky connoisseurs and collectors, by presenting unusual, rare, collectable – but always deeply enjoyable – expressions of single malt whisky, all from original distillery stocks.

Some are affordable, others enjoy a rarity that imposes frankly aspirational prices. Many enjoy striking, specially designed packaging that enhances the pleasure of ownership and sharing.

Familiar distilleries are often present, but in unusual expression or ages. Other bottles are drawn from the precious and dwindling stocks of distilleries that ceased production last century. Most are bottled at natural cask strength and all without chill filtration. There are eight Special Releases this year; five are from closed distilleries; and the whole production is less than 60,000 bottles.

As Diageo’s Nick Morgan explains:

“We set out to include one or two really unexpected bottlings in the 2011 Special Releases collection. Very few whisky connoisseurs – possible none at all – will ever have encountered anything like the 20 year old glorious Port Dundas™ single grain whisky that we are offering this year, and since the distillery closed two years ago, it’ll be a rare experience for those who who get to try it now.

“By contrast, the 25 year old Knockando™ from first-fill ex-sherry casks might astonish those who thought they know this malt: this bottling is rich, deep-flavoured and very complex. The Glenury Royal™ at 40 years old is a very venerable (and inevitably expensive) bottling, an old-style after-dinner experience; but it shows no fatigue and is packed with flavour. Lovers of the Lowland style will be charmed by the Rosebank™ 21 year old.”

Older & Rarer
As in previous years, Brora™ and Port Ellen™ will be a focus for committed devotees of these irreplaceable single malts.

The Brora 32 year old is in a limited edition of only 1,404 bottles: compare the first release in this series, in 2002, which ran to 3,000 bottles.

The Port Ellen, also at 32 years old, comes in an edition of 2,988 bottles (compared with 12,000 bottles in 2002!). Rarer and older as the years go by, both are priced at £300 (UK RRSP).