Now available to watch inside Warehouse 24, this series of
35 films offers hours of whisky pleasure for both new and old enthusiasts alike.

So why not explore The Whisky Academy and let industry experts, such as Charles MacLean, Gavin D. Smith and David Stewart, guide you through the history, science and craft behind malt whisky whilst answering some of the most frequently asked questions?

I hope you’ll find the time to enjoy these fascinating films.
I know I will.

Slainte mhath,

David Mair
The Balvenie Ambassador

“Working with filmmaker and single malt enthusiast Stuey Burnett, we’ve created something that really doesn’t exist anywhere else online…it’s a fascinating series that’ll have whisky fans enthralled.”

Sam Simmons, academic and Ambassador for The Balvenie

Hankey Bannister 40 Year Old wins “World’s Best Scotch Blended Whisky”

Once again, Hankey Bannister 40 Year Old has been awarded the coveted title of the World’s Best Blended Scotch at the World Whisky Awards, having taken this title in 2008, then going on to win the World’s Best Blended Whisky in 2009.

300 whiskies battled over three tasting rounds for the coveted title of the “2011 Best Whiskies in the World”. Three intensive rounds of blind tastings were carried out by the Whisky Magazine’s independent editorial panel drawn from the best journalists and retailers across the world, and also by industry representatives made up of master blenders, distillers and brand ambassadors in the final round. The winners of the “2011 World Whiskies Awards” were announced at a dinner at the Waldorf, Hilton Hotel, in London last week.

Hankey Bannister 40 Years Old is an intricate and sophisticated blended Scotch whisky specially selected to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Hankey Bannister partnership.

This precious blend contains some of the world’s rarest and most extraordinary whiskies, such as Garnheath, Killyloch and Glen Flagler, whose distilleries are now no more.

The blends were skillfully hand-selected at 6 years old; this unique and exceptional blend was then re-racked into  ex-sherry Spanish oak casks, which lay quietly maturing at the back of the warehouses until our Master Blender, Stuart Harvey, re-discovered them 34 years later.

Such is the rarity of this precious liquid that there exists only 1,917 crystal decanters of Hankey Bannister 40 Years Old, beautifully packaged in a keep-sake dark brown box with Glencairn crystal glasses.

The Hankey Bannister brand dates back to 1757 when Messrs Hankey and Bannister formed the successful partnership that created a smooth and complex blend of premium scotch whiskies which was awarded royal warrants under King George V and Edward VII. Today Hankey Bannister continues to charm an ever-growing number of consumers with their portfolio of the Original blend, 12 year old, 21 year old and 40 year old blended Scotch whisky, distilled at some of Scotland’s finest distilleries.

Hankey Bannister is the focus brand within International Beverage’s ever growing portfolio of blended Scotch whisky, selling over 230,000 cases a year in over 50 countries.  International Beverage Holdings was established in 2005 as the international arm of ThaiBev, one of South East Asia’s leading alcohol beverage companies.

International Beverage Holdings (www.interbevgroup.com) was established in 2005 as the international arm of ThaiBev, one of South East Asia’s leading alcohol beverage companies. With a network of regional offices in Asia, Europe and North America, the company is responsible for the distillation, sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium global brands in over 80 countries and territories.

Inver House Distillers (www.inverhouse.com) is globally integrated into International Beverage Holdings and drives the production, distillation and maturation of Scotch through its five distilleries.

The brands include:

 Chang Beer: one of the most popular beers in Thailand
 Single Malt Scotch Whiskies: Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc, Speyburn
 Blended Whiskies: Hankey Bannister
 Mekhong: the ‘the Spirit of Thailand’ since 1941
 Caorunn – a small batch distilled Scottish Gin infused with 5 Celtic botanicals

The company’s success is built on the combination of a strong understanding of local cultures and markets with the creation of a truly global operational network.  Brand building pays respect to heritage, provenance and craftsmanship whilst delivering innovative and highly effective strategies at global level. A skilled and dedicated team of more than 12 nationalities speaking over 14 languages delivers the highest standards of customer service and attention to detail across all aspects of the business.

THREE SHIPS SHINES AT WORLD WHISKY AWARDS

The Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish received the category award for the Best Rest of the World Blended Whisky at Whisky Magazine’s 2011 World Whisky Awards. More than 300 whiskies were tasted in a set of three tasting rounds, all vying for the coveted awards.

The annual World Whisky Awards includes a selection of the finest whiskies produced internationally and categories are based on style, process and production. Hosted by Whisky Magazine, the competition is chaired by Dave Broom, contributing editor of Whisky Magazine and editor-in-chief of Whisky Magazine Japan.

Master distiller, Andy Watts, says the award is an enormous recognition for a proudly South African product, especially since the whisky also recently received gold at the 2010 International Spirits Challenge.

“The Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish is South Africa’s first whisky consisting of both malt and grain components which have been distilled and matured here. If you consider the large number of blends produced throughout the world, it is in my view a remarkable achievement not only for our whisky but also for South Africa.”

He says that after the initial maturation of three years, the final blend is matured for a further six months in first-fill bourbon oak casks, resulting in the slight honeyed sweetness on the nose.

“Considering the short period the whisky spent in the bourbon casks, we were amazed at just how much flavour was extracted. The whisky has a rich golden syrup colour and a soft, estery, warm nose. The slight honeyed sweetness with vanilla notes on the palate is complemented by subtle hints of pepper and spice. The finish is lingering, with a hint of flavour from the bourbon casks.”

The range of Three Ships whiskies are produced at The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington. Since the launch of the Three Ships Select just over two decades ago it has undergone several upgrades which has transformed it into a state-of-the-art distillery.

The Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish is available from leading liquor outlets and retails for around R115.

Bushmills Village, County Antrim

14th March 2011

MASTER DISTILLER SET TO TAKE DISTILLERY ON TOUR…

Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery is set to launch a global competition – ‘Make it 2 Bushmills’ – that will, for the first time, see him take the world-famous distillery on tour.

Colum is offering two friends the chance to work alongside him for two weeks, to learn the skills of whiskey-making that have been alive and well in the Bushmills area for over 400 years, before he packs up the best bits of the Old Bushmills Distillery to go on tour. Destination? The winners’ home country.

Speaking ahead of the launch of Make it 2 Bushmills on St Patrick’s Day, Colum said: “More than 100,000 people visit our distillery every year but there are millions of BUSHMILLS™ fans the world over – so we thought it was about time that we visited them.

“We’re going to bring two friends here, give them behind-the-scenes access to the distillery, £5,000 spending money, luxury penthouse accommodation and the chance to together make their own unique blend of BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey. Then we’re going to take the distillery on tour, when we pack up some of the equipment, people and whiskey that make our distillery the home of the world’s Best Irish Whiskey¹, and bring them to the winners’ home country for the ultimate BUSHMILLS party, where the winners and their friends will be the guests of honour.

“We’ll have live music from some of Ireland’s best up and coming musicians, we’ll unveil our winners’ unique blend and we’ll even toast the occasion with a few bottles of our special Distillery Reserve – a whiskey you can normally only get at the distillery itself.

“Make it 2 Bushmills is a great opportunity for friends from around the world to come here, to the heart of distillery and then take the distillery home”.

Make it 2 Bushmills will culminate in a global final – Bushcamp – a three day event taking place on Ireland’s spectacular north coast this August. Two friends from each country² will be voted by the public to go forward to Bushcamp, where they will experience what life at the Old Bushmills Distillery has to offer. 

Colum said: “At Bushcamp we’ll be looking for our winners – the two friends who best represent the BUSHMILLS spirit of friendship, so we’ll be challenging our finalists to together try some of the things the team here love to do. I love my golf, so we might be asking our finalists to together take on my trickiest Par-3 on one of the world’s biggest bunkers, or, as I like to call it, the beach! We take our whiskey ‘mixing’ very seriously, so it could be fun to see how our friends get on when it comes to DJing, and we’ve got some keen cyclists here, so we may even organise a tandem race round the distillery!

“We’ll not be forgetting the whiskey of course – we’re also going to test the palettes of our finalists with a series of whiskey challenges.”

Make it 2 Bushmills will be judged by a panel of famous BUSHMILLS fans, chaired by Colum himself. The full panel will be announced in the run up to Bushcamp.

“We’re looking for real friends, with a genuine love for life and wicked sense of humour”, said Colum, “and do you know what? I’m sure we’ll find them.”

To enter or find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry closes at 11.59pm GMT on Sunday 17th April 2011. Terms and conditions apply.

http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/bushmills/48882/ for a video…

Share Bushmills Responsibly

www.DRINKiQ.com

The Bushmills word, the Pot Still device and associated logos are trade marks. © The Old Bushmills Distillery Co. Limited 2011

References

¹BUSHMILLS 1608 was voted as Best Irish Whiskey at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

²The competing countries in Make it 2 Bushmills are:

·         Belgium

·         Bulgaria

·         Czech Republic

·         Germany

·         Great Britain

·         Netherlands

·         Northern Ireland

·         Republic of Ireland

·         Russia

·         South Africa

·         United States

From each, one pair of finalists will be selected by public vote to go forward to Bushcamp.

Just 69 chances left to win an Irish whiskey getaway for two!

This fantastic prize includes:

2 Nights at the Bridge House Hotel
A personal tour and tasting at the Cooley distillery
A signed bottle of a very special whiskey to take away
An evening at the races
Followed by dinner at the distillery’s own restaurant
Flights to and from the UK
To enter, simply buy any full-sized (70cl) bottle of Greenore, Tyrconnell, Connemara or Locke’s from our site…

We’ve even knocked £5 off each bottle! Visit the link below browse the eligible Cooley whiskies;

http://tinyurl.com/6cgn2qn

Kentucky Festivals & Events Association Spring Conference is March 25th in Lebanon, Ky.

Event directors will have a unique opportunity to learn skills to sustain their projects

LEBANON, Ky. (March 11, 2011) – Learn how to improve your event’s chance for success, or maybe even survival, in this economy during the Kentucky Festival & Events Association Spring Conference Friday, March 25, in the Convention Complex at Centre Square in historic downtown Lebanon, Ky.

With a tough economy, travelers are more selective about which events they attend and marketing strategies are changing every day. This conference will feature topics such as social media and other promotional opportunities and fund-raising.

There will also be a field trip to tour Kentucky Cooperage, a bourbon barrel-making factory, and a tour of the Fine Arts Building at Centre Square. Registration is $25 in advance and $35 on-site, which includes lunch from one of Lebanon’s wonderful restaurants, Ragetti’s Italian Food. The field trip begins at 9:30 a.m. sharp and the conference ends at 4:30 p.m. Door prizes will be given away at the conclusion. For more information or to get a registration form, contact the Lebanon Tourist & Convention Commission at 270.692.0021 or e-mail VisitLebanonKy@windstream.net. For more information about Lebanon, the true Heart of Kentucky, go to www.VisitLebanonKy.com. The purpose of the KFEA is to promote and market the members of the organization, to provide a network for the exchange of ideas and leadership management and to act as a liaison to encourage and assist cooperative efforts among all festivals, state government and other tourism-related organizations.

Notes

The mission of the Lebanon Tourist & Convention Commission is to develop, increase and promote tourism in Lebanon and surrounding areas by featuring its history, culture, products and recreation/convention facilities. Our goal is to become a choice destination for group travel, conventions and individual leisure/recreation travel. Through these efforts, the commission seeks to increase visitor spending, local revenue and job development, thereby enhancing the area’s quality of life.

Cooley’s Greenore claims World’s Best Single Grain Whiskey Award for third consecutive year

Cooley Distillery’s 15 Year Old Single Grain Whiskey Greenore has been named World Best Single Grain Whiskey for the third consecutive year at the World Whiskies Awards in London.

Over 300 whiskies battled it out over three tasting rounds for the coveted titles of the 2011 Best Whiskies in the World.  The World Whiskies Awards are adjudicated by an illustrious panel of whisky experts brought together by the industry bible The Whisky Magazine. 

Originally launched as a limited batch of just 5,000 bottles in 2008 the Greenore 15 Year Old claimed its first World Best Single Grain Whiskey award in 2009 and has continued to dominate the Single Grain whiskey field with repeat wins in 2010 and now 2011.

To date the Greenore 15 Year Old has won two Gold medals and two Best in Class commendations at the International Wine and Spirits Competition and three World Whiskies Awards World Best Single Grain Whiskey titles.

Jack Teeling, Managing Director of Cooley Distillery, commented: “Greenore is a very special whiskey and one that we are immensely proud of.  Named after a local town in the area in which it is produced the success of this unique whiskey can be attributed to the skill and dedication of our workforce who ensure that every drop bottled is of a world class standard.

Greenore is the only Irish Single Grain Whiskey in existence and it’s success is proof positive of Ireland’s ability to produce world class products which are marketable at home and overseas.”

This award coincides with the launch of the latest expression in the Greenore range – the small batch bottling of 18 Year Old Single Grain. Greenore 18 Year old continues a journey of taste and discovery showcasing how extra years in American oak casks impart further depth and flavour to Cooley’s award winning Single Grain whiskey. This small batch bottling has been limited to only 4000 bottles.

Master of Malt are first to stock 70 Year Old Whisky

Online Retailer Master of Malt (http://www.masterofmalt.com/) are first to stock Glenlivet 70 year old, an extraordinary single malt that was launched in March 2011. The Scotch, with a price tag of £13,000 a bottle, has been described by critics as “stupendous”, and is one of just two 70 year old single malt whiskies ever released.

Distilled at the Glenlivet distillery on the 4th February 1940 during the height of the Battle of Britain, the spirit was filled into a Sherry cask, where it rested for the last seventy years. During the ageing process, whisky actually evaporates out of the cask, a phenomenon known in the industry as “the angel’s share”. Because of this, there was only enough liquid for 100 full-sized decanter bottles – adding to its rarity.

The 700ml decanters are on sale at Master of Malt with a price tag of £13,000, and there are also smaller, 20cl-sized bottles with a price of £3,200 each. The whisky was bottled in 2011 by the renowned Scotch whisky brand Gordon and MacPhail, and it is the second part of their “Generations” series, the first of which was the world’s oldest whisky, a 70 year old single malt from the Mortlach distillery.

The bottles are presented in hand-blown crystal decanters, with British hallmarked sterling silver stoppers, and silver bases. The wooden boxes are handmade out of Scottish Elm. Famed critic Charlie MacLean describes the whisky: “Although it resonates with aged character – and, indeed, characteristics from another era – it retains vitality, both on the nose and in the mouth.”

You can purchase a bottle of Glenlivet 70 Year Old 1940 from Master of Malt for £13,000: http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/glenlivet-70-year-old-1940-whisky/

About Glenlivet 70 Year Old 1940

– Distilled in Speyside, Scotland on the 4th February 1940
– Aged in a First Fill American White Oak Sherry Butt
– Bottled with at a strength of 45.9% abv
– 100 x 70cl decanters released, 175 x 20cl decanters released
– Tasting notes and review can be found here: http://www.masterofmalt.com/Blog/post/The-Glenlivet-70-Year-Old-e28093-The-Worlde28099s-Oldest-Whisky-(Mk-2).aspx

About Master of Malt

– Established in 1985
– Master of Malt – http://www.masterofmalt.com/ 
– One of the UK’s leading Online Spirits Merchants
– Highly rated independent bottler, all of whose single cask whiskies scored over 90 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible

Follow Master of Malt
– On their blog – http://www.masterofmalt.com/blog
– On Twitter @MasterOfMalt
– On Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/masterofmalt

NEW ARRAN WHISKY SET TO BECOME MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Award-winning* Scotch whisky producer Isle of Arran Distillers, has launched a limited edition of 6,000 bottles; The Westie. The bottling will be released in the UK and worldwide at the beginning of April.

This single malt Scotch whisky was drawn from 22 ex-Sherry Hogsheads specially selected by Master Distiller James MacTaggart from the 1998 distillation.

The result is a golden-coloured, full-bodied malt which has, over the 12 years of maturation, developed rich and warming notes of toasted oak, treacle toffee and orange zest with hints of vanilla, cocoa powder and cardamom seeds that leaves a malty and smooth finish with voluptuous spice.

The Westie is the third edition of the Icons of Arran Series.  The inspiration for the new ‘Icon’ was James MacTaggart’s West Highland Terrier, Ruaraidh (pronounced Roo-Ree) – a fully fledged member of the distillery and a favourite amongst visitors.

The first Icons edition, ‘The Peacock’, was named after the distillery’s very own live-in peacock and the second, ‘The Rowan Tree’, was named after the several species of the flamboyant tree that are unique to the Isle of Arran.

Euan Mitchell, Managing Director at Arran Whisky comments: “We are very proud of the newest addition to the Icons of Arran Series.

“Ruaraidh is an integral part of the distillery so a whisky dedicated to him has been long overdue. The last two had a great reception and we expect the same out of The Westie in the UK and worldwide.”

The limited edition dram comes in its own pack featuring a picture of Ruaraidh on-pack and in the bottle’s label to provide stand-out.

The Arran Westie, RRP £39.99, is available from The Arran Malt Shop (www.arranwhisky.com) and specialist shops across the UK and worldwide.