BENRIACH DISTILLERY COMPANY BOOSTS SALES TEAM
 
THE BenRiach Distillery Company, owners of the BenRiach and GlenDronach brands, is beefing up its sales team with the appointment of Donald MacLellan.
 
He joins the fast-growing Edinburgh-based company as International Market Development Executive.
 
Working alongside Regional Sales Directors Alistair Walker and James Cowan, MacLellan (29) will be responsible for developing business in new markets such as South and Central America, and Eastern and Central Europe.
 
He was born in Australia to Scottish parents and educated there, obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.
 
After travelling around Europe in his gap year, Donald joined Bruichladdich where he spent five years, first as Web Shop Manager and thereafter in the sales team where he was responsible for Eastern Europe and Russia which he subsequently developed into more than fifteen active markets.
 
Commenting on his appointment, Donald said: “I couldn’t resist the lure of working with the BenRiach and GlenDronach brands – two phenomenal malts with huge growth, especially in the last two years – and innumerable opportunities for impressive growth in the future.
 
“BenRiach is enormously under-appreciated by malt whisky fans. Until becoming independent in 2004 it was largely unknown on the general market as it was used primarily for blending in the past, but with over forty years’ stock – both peated and unpeated – it has huge potential worldwide.”
 
Donald also plans to develop BenRiach and GlenDronach’s social media accounts, such as on Twitter and Facebook.
 
“These give us a huge opportunity to connect with our many thousands of fans worldwide. I’ll keep all BenRiach and GlenDronach followers fully informed about news, stories, new products, tasting notes and general distillery happenings.”
 
Alistair Walker said: “We are delighted to have Donald on board. He brings excellent industry experience with him, and his addition to the team will allow us to further expand the availability of our malt brands worldwide.”

BALLANTINE’S TAKES TOP HONOURS IN  2011 WORLD WHISKY AWARDS

A blended scotch whisky has swept aside all single malt rivals to take the prestigious Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible Award for 2011.

Ballantine’s 17-year-old has topped all other whiskies in this year’s publication, which includes 4,500 different brands – of which over 1,000 new entries were tasted by Jim Murray in six months.
Single malt scotch, often a whisky preferred by whisky lovers, failed also to take either the runner’s up or third spot. Second place went to Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye (129 proof) ahead of William Larue Weller (134.8 proof), both from the same distillery: Buffalo Trace.

Speaking at the publication of the Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011 Jim Murray said, “Blends are seen by many as the poor relations to single malts. Ballantine’s 17 proves, quite spectacularly, what many of us have known for a great many years: it isn’t. A blender has the chance to create something unique and quite beautiful by putting together many whisky styles. With Ballantine’s 17, the blender has done his job in glorious, quite majestic fashion.”

Giving the blend 97.5 points out of 100, Jim Murray describes the whisky as “one of the most beautiful, complex and stunningly structured whiskies ever created.”

And in another boost for unsung whiskies, the own label Irish whiskey from Sainsbury’s Dún Léire Aged 8 Years Single Malt, won Irish Whiskey of the Year, the first time a supermarket brand has gained top country honours in The Whisky Bible. Produced by the Cooley Distillery for Sainsbury’s Jim Murray said, “this is Cooley at its best and a very astute and masterful piece of whiskey buying”.

Last year, the World Whisky Award went to Sazerac 18-year-old Kentucky rye.  This year, younger sibling Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye (129 proof) secured second place, whilst William Larue Weller (134.8 proof), a bourbon, came third.  Both brands herald from last years World whisky winner Buffalo Trace Distillery. 

Conducted over a four month period, whilst writing the 2011 Whisky Bible, Jim Murray tasted in excess of 1000 whiskies to reach his final decision. 
              
In the end, it was a Scotch blend which scored highly in previous editions which took the top prize.

Added Jim: “Ballantine’s 17-years-old has always been one of the world’s premier whiskies: its consistency over the years has been quite remarkable.  But this year it just progressed that extra notch to leave all other whiskies in its shadow.  This currently marks the epitome of great blending, indeed, great whisky: nowhere else can you find balance, texture, and content come together in such a sensual, graceful way.  It really is the nectar of the gods, except even they might struggle to get to the bottom of its labyrinthine complexity.  It needed something out of this world to see off the two Buffalo Trace whiskeys…and this was it.”

Of the Buffalo Trace brands Jim Murray said, “Having tasted and been overwhelmed by both whiskeys at the Buffalo Trace early this year, tasting them again in the confounds of UK based tasting room, devoid of the romance of the distillery and in the wake of some tough competition was a tough challenge for these two newcomers” said Murray.  “But wow how they delivered.  These are two of the best American whiskies the best I have ever tasted and for very different reasons.” 

 Jim Murray’s Tasting Notes:

Ballantine’s 17 Years Old (97.5) n24.5 deft grain and honey plus teasing salty peat; ultra high quality with bourbon and pear drops offering the thrust; a near unbelievable integration t 246 t with gooseberry juice offering a touch of sharpness muted by watered golden syrup; t24 immediately mouthwatering with maltier tones clambering over the graceful cocoa-enriched grain; the degrees of sweetness are varied but near perfection; just hints of smoke here and there; f24 lashings of vanilla and cocoa on the fade; drier with a faint spicey, vaguely smoky buzz; has become longer with more recent bottlings with the most subtle oiliness imaginable; b25 now only slightly less weighty than of old. After a change of style direction it has comfortably reverted back to its sophisticated, mildly erotic old self. One of the most beautiful, complex and stunningly structured whiskies ever created. Truly the epitome of great Scotch. To the extent that for the last year, I have simply been unable to find a better whisky anywhere in the world.  43%.

Sainsbury’s Dún Léire Aged 8 Years Single Malt (95.5) n24 the score for this crept upwards as I investigated the aroma like the thermometer in my back garden on a bright summer’s day.  The first thing to throw itself at you is Seville blood orange, backed up by a clever layering of barley at varying intensity and sweetness; the delicate oak acts as no more than a buffer in between; t24 just about the perfect mouth feel: silky and melting on the palate.  Again, it was an orangey citrus first to show, then again followed by some stunning malt.  Everything dissolves: you don’t have to do anything but close your eyes and enjoy, indeed: marvel…but it is hard work to stop yourself chewing; f23.5 dries slightly, but the bitterness threatened on the label fails to materialise…thankfully.  The fruit and barley ride off into the sunset in tandem; b24 when I read “notes of bitter orange” on the label I feared the worst and expected a sulphurous whiskey.  Well maybe there is a molecule or two hanging around, but so minor is it, it is impossible to tell exactly where it comes from.  This is one of the great whiskeys from Cooley, ever.  And as a supermarket Irish…unsurpassed.  One of the surprise packages of world whisky for 2010.  Magnificent.  40%

Award winners:

2011 World Whisky of the Year – Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
Second Finest Whisky in the World 2011 – Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye (129 proof)
Third Finest Whisky in the World 2011 – William Larue Weller (134.8 proof)

Category Winners:

Scotch Whisky of the Year – Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
Single Malt of the Year (Multiple cask) – Octomore Orpheus Aged 5 Years
Single Malt of the Year (Single cask) – Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 70
Best Scotch New Brand – Compass Box, The Spice Tree
Scotch Blend of the Year – Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
Scotch Grain of the Year – Clan Denny Garnheath Aged 40 Years
Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year – Big Peat

Single Malt Scotch

No Age Statement (Multiple cask) – Ardbeg Corryvreckan
No Age Statement (runner up) – The Macallan Oscuro
10 Years and Under (Multiple cask) – Octomore Orpheus Aged 5 Years
10 Years and Under (Single cask) – Ardbeg 2000 Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT
11-15 Years Old (Multiple cask) – The Arran Malt 1996 ‘The Peacock’
11-15 Years Old (Single cask) – SMWS 33.77 Aged 11 Years (Ardbeg)
16-21 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Highland Park Aged 18 Years
16-21 Years Old (Single cask) – Old Malt Cask Lochside Aged 18 Years
 22-27 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Brora 25 Year Old 7th Release
22-27 Years Old (Single cask) – Duncan Taylor Highland Park 1986
28-34 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Auchentoshan 1978 Bourbon Cask Ltd Edition
28-34 Years Old (Single cask) – Old Malt Cask Auchroisk Aged 34 Years
35-40 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Highland Park 1973 Orcadian Vintage
35-40 Years Old (Single cask) – G&M Rare Old Convalmore 1975
41 Years and Over (Multiple cask) – Dalmore Candela Aged 50 Years
41 Years and Over (Single cask) – Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 70

Blended Scotch

No Age Statement (Standard) – Ballantine’s Finest
No Age Statement (Premium) – The Last Drop
5-12 Years – Johnnie Walker Black Label
13-18 Years – Ballantine’s 17 Year Old
19 & Over – William Grant’s 25 Years Old

Irish Whiskey of the Year – Sainsbury’s Dún Léire Aged 8 Years
 
American Whiskey

Bourbon of the Year – William Larue Weller (134.8 proof)
Rye of the Year – Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye (129 proof)
 
Bourbon

No Age Statement (Multiple barrel) – William Larue Weller (134.8 proof)
9 Years & Under – Knob Creek
10-17 Years (Multiple Barrels) – Parker’s Heritage Collection Fourth Edition
10-17 Years (Single Barrel) – Willett Aged 17 Years Barrel Proof
18 Years & Over – Evan Williams 23 Year Old

Rye

No Age Statement – Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye (129 proof)
11 Years & Over – Rittenhouse Rye Aged 25 Years Barrel 19

Canadian Whisky of the Year – Crown Royal Special Reserve
Japanese Whisky of the Year – Karuizawa 1967 Vintage

European Whisky

European Whisky of the Year – Mackmyra Brukswhisky
European Single Cask Whisky of the Year – The Belgian Owl Aged 44 Months

World Whiskies

Indian Whisky of the Year – Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured

Jim Murray Liquid Gold Awards

Created last year to recognise whisky-making excellence around the world some (x?) new whiskies, scoring 94 points or more have been awarded Liquid Gold Awards in the 2011 Whisky Bible. 

Representing just x % of all the whiskies featured in the ‘2011 edition they are, says Murray “the elite; the very finest you can find on whisky shelves around the world. Rare and precious they are liquid gold”.

A full account of the 2011 World Whisky Awards can be found in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011 published today (11th October 2010).  And with over 4050 tasting notes, including 1050 of the very latest releases, the ‘Whisky Bible’ remains the definitive and most up to date guide available.

Published by Dram Good Books priced at £12.99, the ‘2011 Whisky Bible’ is available through good book shops.  Signed copies by the author can be purchased from www from www.whiskybible.com.

BALLANTINE’S REVEALS EXCLUSIVE PREMIUM BLEND FOR FESTIVE SEASON
 
Ballantine’s, the world’s No 2 range of blended Scotch whiskies, has added its first seasonal limited edition expression to the range, with the unveiling of Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve.  Aimed at attracting new and existing customers during the festive season, Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve will help to strengthen the brand’s position in key European markets.
 
Created by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is an exceptional blended whisky of superior quality which will be available annually for a limited period. The non-aged expression is a Scotch whisky category first, with its familiar seasonal notes and luxury Christmas aromas such as sweet wood, dried fruit, raisins and cinnamon.
 
Peter Moore, International Brand Director for Ballantine’s comments: “Predictably there’s always a strong focus on gifting at this time of the year so it was important for us to respond with a unique expression which would appeal to new customers as well as existing customers who are keen to trade up. Although a first for Ballantine’s, the Christmas Reserve perfectly represents the flair and substance that underpins the brand”.
 
Available from October to December 2010 in key markets such as Spain, France, Poland and Taiwan, Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is presented in a white card box, with embossed snowflakes and elements of gold foil adding a premium festive feel.  Moving away from the traditional blue packaging that is synonymous with the brand, the striking new expression will ensure maximum shelf stand out for Ballantine’s during the busy sales period.
 
Tasting Notes

On the nose, Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is rich, deep and fruity with hints of moist raisin fruitcake and sweet candy apples perfectly balanced out by caramel toffees and soft ripe pears. It tastes sweet with succulent tangy orange and a superb liquorice root and ginger flavour. The finish is very long, round and sweet.
 
Notes:
 
About Ballantine’s

Ballantine’s, the world’s No 2 range of blended Scotch whisky, has won over 60 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of master blenders that dates back to 1827.
 
About Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits.  Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
 
In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

Glenfiddich Pioneers Tasting Experience with Porter Airlines
Pre-Flight Experience Even More Refined

TORONTO – September 29, 2010 –Today, Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded single malt, has renewed its partnership with Porter Airlines creating a unique pre-flight experience. Porter customers departing from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport can participate in a guided tasting of the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old and 18 Year Old single malts.

The pilot project launched earlier this year saw more than 1,100 Porter passengers participate in a tutored tasting of single malt Scotch.

Experienced malt specialists will lead travellers through the nuances and subtleties of tasting and understanding the often perplexing world of single malts. 

“Like William Grant & Sons, Porter is an entrepreneurial, customer-focused business,” said Lindsay Prociw, Senior Brand Manager for Glenfiddich. “Both companies take pride in the quality of their products, working hard to ensure an uncompromised consumer experience, and both are innovators within their respective industries, always striving above all else to maintain the quality they have become known to uphold.”

“The initial trial earlier this year was extremely popular with passengers,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “The tasting experience provides added value to our travellers, which we try to offer throughout the entire trip.”

The special whisky tastings will be offered to Porter flyers in the newly-opened Canadian departures lounge between the hours of 4:00 and 8:00 PM on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, until November 5, 2010.

About William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons is an independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today is still controlled by the fifth generation of his family.  The company distills some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single malt Glenfiddich®, the handcrafted range of The Balvenie® single malts and one of the world’s best loved blended Scotches, Grant’s®, as well as selected other premium spirits, including Hendrick’s® Gin, and Sailor Jerry® Spiced Rum.

About Porter Airlines

Porter Airlines is Canada’s third largest scheduled carrier, based at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.  Porter is an Official 4 Star Airline® in the World Airline Star Rating® by Skytrax, committed to offering speed, convenience and service as part of a premium travel experience. A refined journey begins on the ground with comfortable airport lounges and service-oriented team members.  The experience continues seamlessly in the air with spacious interiors and well-appointed crew.  Passengers enjoy complimentary services, including free in-flight wine, beer and premium snacks, all aboard a modern aircraft.
 
The airline currently serves Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Moncton, Halifax, St. John’s, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, New York (Newark), Chicago (Midway), Boston (Logan), and has seasonal flights to Mt. Tremblant, Que. and Myrtle Beach, SC.
 
Join VIPorter frequent flyer program to earn a free flight after as few as five one-way trips. Visit www.flyporter.com or call (888) 619-8622 for more information.

www.glenfiddich.ca
www.flyporter.com

We’re delighted to announce the creation of a new section of The Glenlivet website called The Dram Room. It is a unique and interactive tool designed exclusively for tastings of  The Glenlivet, the single malt that started it all.

Whether you are a connoisseur of The Glenlivet or new to the brand, The Dram Room provides comprehensive information to guide you through your tasting.

There are extensive tasting notes for our award winning range, provided for you by our Master Distiller, Alan Winchester. With the facility to record your notes from your own tasting, you can compare them with his. (Don’t forget – there is no right or wrong in whisky tasting, it is all personal taste.) Why not view our Alan Winchester tasting films on our website. www.theglenlivet.com

You can host your own tastings, either online with fellow enthusiasts from all around the world, or in your own home with friends. All the tools to accompany your tasting are available to download such as tasting mats, tasting notes and charts.

Simply use your Guardian login details to access The Dram Room and get started with your first tasting.

We hope you enjoy your time in The Dram Room.

 Slàinte mhath, 
 The Glenlivet

Highland Park distillery, creators of The Best Spirit in the World*, has unveiled the  oldest ever island single malt whisky – Highland Park 50 year old – launched exclusively at Harrods, London.

With only 275 bottles produced, this prestigious edition is set to become an exclusive collectors’ item.  Each bottle is unique, encased in an intricate ‘net cage’ of hand-crafted ornate Sterling silver created by Scottish jewellery designer Maeve Gillies, who took inspiration from Orkney’s elemental forces. Maeve’s bottle design celebrates Orkney: its seas, island life, wild elements, incredible natural light and the passage of time.

In recognition of the famous St Magnus Cathedral and its medieval beauty, the front of each bottle features a single piece of circular Orkney sandstone into which is hand-carved the Highland Park amulette.  Inside the bottle, behind this sandstone, lies a Sterling silver replica of the St Magnus rose window which is revealed over time as the whisky is enjoyed.

Bottled at 44.8% abv, Highland Park 50 year old is a vatting of five refill oak casks distilled in 1960.  Its naturally burnished mahogany colour, rich and spicy tannins and muscovado sugar flavours makes this Highland Park single malt an extraordinary whisky that builds on the world-class reputation of the award-winning distillery. 

Matthew Turner, Global Controller of Highland Park, said: “The success of Highland Park’s 30 and 40 year old single malts, coupled with the distillery’s enviable position of having aged whisky stocks available, has enabled Highland Park to meet increasing demand for exclusive bottlings.  We are thrilled to be launching what we believe to be the oldest ever island single malt whisky.

“At a price breaking the £10,000 mark reflecting the super-premium nature of the product, the 50 year old combines the strong, award winning reputation of Highland Park with a unique and artistic artefact unlike anything ever seen in the single malt whisky industry.

“Furthermore this historic limited edition encapsulates Highland Park and its close connection with the land and seascape, wild elements, history and culture of Orkney.”

The bottle designer, Scottish born Maeve Gillies of MaeVona, said: “I genuinely love Highland Park, it’s a fabulous whisky and I’ve been going to Orkney since I was a child.  I felt there was a real synergy between my own philosophy and that of Highland Park with its strong character, flavours and taste.

“This bottle design is my tribute to the incredible natural beauty of Orkney and Highland Park.  The design and crafting was made to look and feel in tune with ancient artefacts that define Orkney and with every bottle being uniquely hand- finished, each is very personal and dear to my heart.  I hope people enjoy it for a lifetime, and beyond.”

Highland Park 50 year old is presented in a hand-carved Scottish oak box with softened edges as though eroded by the Orcadian elements.   Each has its individual characteristics and detailing along with a Sterling silver porthole through which one can view the Highland Park bottle and on its front the single piece of Orkney sandstone and the hand-carved amulette.

The Highland Park 50 year old is available exclusively at Harrods in London until the end of October when it will be available in the UK from specialist independent whisky retailers and globally.

*Highland Park 18 year old was named Best Spirit in the World by American drinks expert Paul Pacult in Top 115 Spirits, Spirit Journal 2009 and 2005.

Notes

Details: Highland Park 50 year old

Recommended Retail Price: £10,000.  Actual price may vary by retailer.

Strength: 44.8% alcohol by volume

Appearance: Clear and bright with burnished mahogany hues.

Aroma: Complex and multi-layered; cigar box and old tobacco pouch at first.  Slowly the emphasis moves to fruit and spices; cooked damsons, raisins and nutmeg are prevalent.

Taste: At full strength it is rich and spicy, with excellent tannins and notes of muscovado sugar to the fore, with hint of wax.  When reduced, orange peel, camphor and cloves emerge.

Aftertaste: Long and very spicy, slightly smoky remnants.

Highland Park:

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.
 
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 core range of 12, 18, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malt is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. 

Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, including Gold’ Best in Class’ for its 18 year old and 25 year old and Silver for its 12 year old single malt at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2010. It has also won Silver for its 12 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old at the International Spirits Challenge 2010. In 2009, Highland Park was awarded ‘Best New Whisky Release’ for its 40 year old single malt and ‘Best Whisky In The World’ 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.

Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky was named the ‘Best Spirit in the World’ by US author/journalist/critic F. Paul Pacult in the Top 115 Spirits in the World for 2009 in the June 2009 issue of F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal, his advertising-free, subscription-only quarterly newsletter. In 2010 he named Highland Park 18 year old single malt his ‘number one Scotch’. 

Maeve Gillies

Maeve Gillies is an internationally-renowned and multi award-winning designer of engagement rings and bridal jewellery. Raised in Edinburgh, as a young girl Maeve first connected with jewellery when she was 14; her grandparents had an art gallery in the Scottish Borders stocking the work of a local jeweller. 

After a degree in jewellery and goldsmithing from Edinburgh College of Art, Maeve took a Master’s degree at London’s Royal College of Art. Thereafter, she travelled the world teaching, designing and consulting on an international scale. She found her niche in engagement and bridal jewellery, which led her in 2005 to co-found ‘MaeVona’ based in New York City, specialising in Celtic-inspired bridal and fashion jewellery.

Maeve’s family combine nationally acclaimed artistic, literary and musical talent which has inspired inherent creativity.  Her mother Valerie was the Edinburgh Maker, poet laureate to the city, 2005 – 2008 and Maeve herself was six times champion at The Mod for her performance on the ‘clarsach’, a historic Scottish harp.

www.maevona.com

A message from the Glenlivet;

Win a bottle of The Glenlivet 1968 whisky worth £1300

We’re offering you a chance to win a rare bottle of The Glenlivet 1968 Reserve Vintage worth approximately £1300. This exclusive whisky was bottled from cask 7629 in 2008, just a few months shy of its 40th birthday.

Each limited edition bottle is individually numbered and the labels carry the bottling date and whisky strength. Ten lucky runners up will also receive a 70cl bottle of The Glenlivet 12 Yr Old.

For a chance to win this valuable bottle of whisky please visit our website at www.TasteTheGlenlivet.co.uk

The single malt that started it all.

Isn’t it reassuring to know that some things never change? For example:

“Quality in whisky is more than age. Even the poorest spirit can become old, though never palatable. Whiskies put down for ageing must have quality from the very start.”

This maxim, as true today as it has always been, was originally published on 14th June 1924 in Wine & Spirit Trade Record. The text was re-printed as an illustrated pamphlet called A Good Foundation which was, in effect, a marketing brochure intended to persuade whisky blenders to purchase Highland Park new make spirit.

It was probably not expected that a copy would turn up 95 years later on a dusty bookshelf in a B&B on Islay. The fact that A Good Foundation would make excellent reading for today’s whisky enthusiasts was not lost on Ian Buxton who, as a keen collector of whisky books, is forever scanning shelves in search of the obscure. Indeed, it is Ian who has assembled the impressive collection of whisky and distilling titles on view in the Eunson Room at the distillery.

We always think of Highland Park as being a distillery rooted in tradition; A Good Foundation underpins this notion.

“Rigid continuity allied to efficiency is the keynote of the firm’s policy. They combine a respect for whisky-making tradition with an equal respect for modern progress. The materials and methods that have made Highland Park a component of many well-known brands have never changed, and never will be changed by the present proprietors, but a device to facilitate the handling of these materials or to speed up these methods, they have spared no pains to introduce.”

Now published in hardback, with an introductory essay by Ian Buxton, copies of A Good Foundation are available from the distillery and our secure on-line store, reasonably priced at £6.00. http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/lda/shop/detail.asp?pid=747300

A Good Foundation is, according to renowned whisky author, Charles MacLean; “A lovely little book. I would have been proud to have written it.”

For more information on the Best Spirit in the World visit www.highlandpark.co.uk

Yours sincerly
Gerry Tosh
Head of Brand Education Whisky Ambassador of the Year

HIGHLAND PARK VISITOR CENTRE RETAINS FIVE STAR ACCOLADE

Highland Park’s Visitor Centre in Orkney has retained its five star rating from VisitScotland’s quality assurance scheme for the seventh year running.

In order to achieve five star status, an overall score of 85 per cent must be achieved by the visitor attraction. The annual review consists of an unannounced visit by an auditor who assesses core areas covering all aspects which have an impact on a customer’s visit, including: promotional literature; signage; appearance of grounds and buildings; the welcome given by staff; attitude and appearance of staff; decor and maintenance; ambience; merchandise presentation.   

Pat Retson, Brand Heritage Manager at the Highland Park Distillery, said: “We are thrilled to have retained our coveted five star status. The VisitScotland criteria is very strict so this really is true recognition of our team’s efforts here at the distillery. We look forward to welcoming more visitors over the coming months.”Visitors to the Highland Park Distillery can discover the whisky making techniques that have made its whisky arguably the most respected single malt in the world, by taking a guided tour of the distillery and, of course, a tasting.

The distillery and its whisky have won a plethora of awards over the years. Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky was named the ‘Best Spirit in the World’ by US drinks expert Paul Pacult in the Spirit Journal’s Top 115 Spirits in the World in 2005 and 2009.  More recently Highland Park has won Gold ’Best in Class’ for its 18 and 25 year old and Silver for its 12 year old single malt at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2010.

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

The standard guided tour of Highland Park distillery costs £6 per adult while the connoisseur’s tour is £35 per adult.   For further information please visit www.highlandpark.co.uk or call the visitor centre on 01856 874619.

FINAL RELEASE OF WILD SCOTSMAN 15-YEAR BLENDED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Cincinnati, OH  – Wild Scotsman Whisky is announcing the final release of their Wild Scotsman 15-year Blended Malt Scotch Whisky to 40 Ohio stores, beginning in October.  This will be a limited release of 80 cases just in time for the fall holiday season.  Anticipated retail bottle price is $59.99.

This was the first blended malt Scotch whisky produced by Jeffrey Topping (President) when he opened Wild Scotsman Whisky in 2002.  This blend consists of ten single-cask, single-malt Scotch whiskies from ten different distilleries in Scotland.  At least one cask represents each of the five distillation regions (Highland, Lowland, Islay, Speyside, and Campbeltown), as well as the sub-category of Island.  The youngest cask is 15-years old, and the oldest cask is 20-years old.  All casks chosen were 100% ex-bourbon barrels (no wine casks), resulting in a more natural color of whisky.  The natural fatty acids, esters and oils have not been removed by chill filtration, which keeps the unique flavor of the whisky in tact.

The inspiration for the Wild Scotsman product line came from tasting various casks at the Bladnoch Distillery while working in the warehouses.  Each cask had a unique flavor and aroma, and Jeffrey wanted to bring this high-quality whisky to America. 

Quantities of the WS 15-year are limited, and purchasers may obtain product through their local state liquor store by ordering product #9605-B.  For more details about the entire product line and upcoming events, visit www.wildscotsman.com.

Jeffrey Topping
Wild Scotsman Whisky & Spirits Limited
Cincinnati, OH 45236
http://www.wildscotsman.com/