Connosr Distilled – the new online whisky magazine

The Whisky Social Network, connosr.com, has launched a new online whisky magazine called Connosr Distilled. The magazine is packed with features, video content, interviews, competitions and much more.

A sample from the inaugural issue:

* Watch a film about featured bottler Scotch Malt Whisky Society
* Advice from an expert panel on the perfect beginner’s whisky cabinet
* Four reasons for wine lovers to embrace whisky
* View from the community: Australian whisky reaches maturity

For more on this visit: www.connosr.com/distilled

SEVEN SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS FROM GLENDRONACH THIS MONTH
 
GlenDronach, the richly-sherried Highland malt, has released Batch 2 of its single cask bottlings which includes seven rare and very limited expressions.
 
In chronological order, they are:
 
1971, cask 489, 39YO
Oloroso Sherry Butt, 48.8% vol
Liquorice and cloves partnering flawlessly with classic oloroso notes and lashings of chocolate orange nuances. Depth is built upon a layer of walnuts and almonds.
UK RRP £379.99
 
1972, cask 718, 38YO
Oloroso Sherry Butt, 51.5% vol,
Fruity and long. A tremendous concoction of sweet stewed fruits, nuts and chocolate. Fine old oloroso notes with terrific balance and acidity create excellent depth and definition.
UK RRP £359.99
 
1978, cask 1040, 31YO,
Oloroso Sherry Puncheon, 51.2% vol
Dense and long. Very elegant and smooth with classic sherry influences. Walnut flavours emerge which align perfectly with ripe citrus fruits.
UK RRP £184.99
 
1989, cask 3315, 20YO
Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon, 53.2% vol
Offers baked apples with sweet brown sugar syrup. Nutty, with almonds and hazelnuts bringing weight to the mix.
UK RRP £79.99
 
1990, cask 2621, 20YO
Oloroso Sherry Butt, 57.9% vol
Chocolate orange and coffee mocha mouse. Delightful balance and complexity with excellent length.
UK RRP £79.99
  
1991, cask 3182, 18YO
Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon, 51.7% vol
Bursting with stewed fruits, particularly sweet prunes. Date and dried fig characteristics add lovely depth and concentration.
UK RRP £70.99
  
1993, cask 529, 17YO
Oloroso Sherry Butt, 60.5% vol
Spicy and long. Superb mocha and hazelnut influences emerge, leading to a sweet rich finish.
UK RRP £66.99
 
Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “Each year we specially select a handful of individual casks from the warehouses at GlenDronach to be bottled as our ‘Limited Releases’.
 
“We believe that the 2010 releases are excellent examples of the quality, richly-sherried style for which the GlenDronach distillery is famous.
 
“Batch 2 is being shipped to over twenty export markets and will also be available in the UK through independent specialist whisky retailers.”

Visit GlenDronach Distillery at www.glendronachdistillery.co.uk

In Miner’s Delight Inn Bed & Breakfast, Atlantic City, Wyoming whisk(e)y sale (limited to stock on hand) August 7, 2010 10 a.m – 4 p.m.

Single Malt Scotch Whisky
¼ of our 68-bottle selection is on sale

Ardbeg Supernova 2010 $125
Ardmore Traditional Cask $45
Balvenie 12 years old DoubleWood $50
Balvenie 15 years old Single Barrel $60
BenRiach 1994 Limited Release 12 years old (single cask) $85
Glenfarclas 21 years old $95
Glenfiddich 15 years old $45
Glenlivet 15 years old French Oak Reserve $45
Glenlivet 16 years old Nadurra (cask strength) $50
Glenmorangie Original 10 years old (with two tumblers)  $40
Glenrothes Select Reserve (with a Glenrothes pen)  $40
Laphroaig 10 years old (with a Laphroaig pen)  $40
Laphroaig 18 years old (with a Laphroaig hat or shirt)  $90
Macallan 18 years old (1989)  $110
Old Pulteney 12 years old $35 
Singleton of Glendullan 12 years old $35
Talisker 10 years old $60

Blended Scotch Whisky

Chivas Regal 12 years old (with a Chivas key ring) $22
Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 years old (blended malt) $40

Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Bushmills 10 years old $25

Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

Knob Creek 9 years old (single barrel to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Wyoming Liquor Division, wooden box)$ 40

Visit the Miner’s Delight Inn at www.minersdelightinn.com

Atlantic City in Autumn

The second in our series of videos about Alan Winchester is now online*. In this episode Alan talks about the distillery expansion and what it means for the future of The Glenlivet, following the historic expansion of The Glenlivet Distillery. The re-opening ceremony was an enormous success that was presided over by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. Attendees reached 300 including representatives from Pernod Ricard markets around the world, international press, The Glenlivet VIPs and residents from the local community.

“It was great being involved in the opening of the new expansion. I was lucky enough to be in the line up to meet Prince Charles, which was a great experience. The whole day went really well and there was an amazing buzz to the whole place – wherever you looked there was something fun happening, from the sampling of the casks in Warehouse One to the helicopter rides over the Distillery. I’m now looking forward to the 200th year celebrations in 2024!”
Lesley McIntosh, Distillery Visitor Centre Deputy Supervisor

“It was surreal! My first royal encounter! Got to shake Prince Charles’s hand and joke with him about the new way of drinking whisky! With a cup of tea?”
Shuhui Lim, Pernod Ricard Travel Retail Europe

“Thank you again for an exciting, informative and memorable two days at The Glenlivet. The pride and passion shown by all was inspirational and it was a real privilege to be part of the experience.”
Graeme White, World Duty Free

“Extensive use of glass brings the outdoors inside and, in a way, takes the production process outside, it feels very natural and I can’t imagine it being done in any other way. Full marks. “Their brave future outlook, their ‘think globally, act locally’ marketing approach, their product range, the actual whisky, the hospitality, they got it right.”
Lucas Dynowiak Edinburgh Whisky Blog

Covered in the interview, Alan answers some of the questions that the Guardians of The Glenlivet recently asked him on his web page. Thanks to everyone who sent a question and remember to come back to the site to be sure to catch the whole series. We hope you enjoy watching the latest video.

 
 Slàinte mhath, 
 The Glenlivet 

* http://tinyurl.com/3486abx

MILROY’S OF SOHO AUGUST NEWSLETTER

It might be holiday time, but there’s plenty to report on the whisky front.  We have news of a forthcoming masterclass with Whyte & Mackay Master Blender Richard Paterson.  This promises to be a superb evening, not to be missed.    We have an exclusive offer for mailing list members on selected bottlings from the Diageo Manager’s Choice portfolio.  There are some huge savings to be had, but quantities are limited.   We also feature three new releases from the Whyte & Mackay owned Fettercairn distillery.  Read on for further details.

WHISKY OF THE MONTH – GLENDRONACH 15 YEAR OLD
GlenDronach 15 year old Revival continues as our Whisky of the Month throughout August.  This superb Oloroso Sherry cask-matured whisky is a wonderful after dinner dram, perfect for sipping with a cigar or the finest dark chocolate
£38.50 per bottle – and receive a free miniature of GlenDronach 18 year old with every bottle bought.

GLENDRONACH SINGLE CASK – 2010 RELEASES HAVE LANDED
The 2nd batch single cask releases featured in July’s newsletter have landed at Milroy’s of Soho.  Please be aware that quantities are limited and whiskies are selling quickly.  Do act now if you are interested.

“THE ART OF BLENDING” – WHYTE & MACKAY MASTERCLASS WITH RICHARD PATERSON – 6.30PM MONDAY SEPTEMBER 20
Raconteur, entertainer, bon viveur and whisky guru, Richard “The Nose” Paterson is one of the whisky industry’s great characters.  A master blender at just 26, there is little that Richard doesn’t know about whisky.   Anyone who has attended one of Richard’s tastings knows that they are well worth the price of entry for their entertainment value alone.

Richard will be joining us on the evening of Monday September 20 to impart his immense knowledge of the art of blending.   We will taste several premium whiskies from the Whyte & Mackay portfolio and end the evening with a blending competition.  Make sure your noses and palates are razor sharp!
£60 per ticket – limit 28 tickets – BOOK NOW!

DIAGEO MANAGER’S CHOICE WHISKIES – EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR MAILING LIST MEMBERS
For the next seven days we are running an offer on selected whiskies from the Diageo Manager’s Choice portfolio.  This offer is exclusive to Milroy’s of Soho mailing list members on a first come first served basis.  Please quote the offer when you make your purchase. 

CARDHU 1997 12 year old, 57.3% ABV, Bourbon American Oak
Seldom seen in the UK, this cask strength single cask Cardhu is silky smooth, rich sweet and malty.
£250 per bottle RRP
Exclusive Offer Price – £185 per bottle

LINKWOOD 1997 12 year old, 58.3% ABV, Refill American Oak
Intense, malty and vibrant Linkwood.  Best enjoyed with a judicious dash of water.
£200 per bottle RRP
Exclusive Offer Price – £150 per bottle

MORTLACH 1997 12 year old, 57.1% ABV, Refill American Oak
Rich, butterscotch Bourbon wood-matured Mortlach.  One of the best of the first tranche releases, and very different to the standard Mortlach 16 year old.
£250 per bottle RRP
Exclusive Offer Price – £185 per bottle

TEANINICH 1996 10 year old, 57.1% ABV, Refill American Oak
A robust and full flavoured malt from one of Diageo’s lesser known malt whisky distilleries.
£200 per bottle RRP
Exclusive Offer Price – £150 per bottle

FETTERCAIRN DISTILLERY – NEW LIMITED RELEASE WHISKIES
For many years, Fettercairn has played a secondary role to the two blue chip distilleries in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio, Dalmore and Jura.  However, investment from Whyte & Mackay’s Indian owners has elevated the status of Fettercairn, reflected in these three new limited release bottlings.

FETTERCAIRN 24 Year Old, 44.4% ABV
Just 6,000 bottles of this 24 year old whisky are to be released.  Matured in American white oak casks, it is elegant and fruity, with characters of apple and pear, overlaid by caramel and brioche.
£125 per bottle
Exclusive Newsletter Offer Price – £112 per bottle

FETTERCAIRN 30 Year Old, 43.3% ABV
This mature Fettercairn delivers a veritable cornucopia of tropical and citrus fruit; mango, pineapple, pink grapefruit and Navel oranges.  So vibrant and fruity it demands a lilo, pair of Bermuda shorts and some sunscreen!
£199 per bottle RRP
Exclusive Newsletter Offer Price – £185 per bottle

FETTERCAIRN 40 Year Old, 40% ABV
Matured in Oloroso Sherry butts from Gonzalez Byass, this extremely rare whisky (just 463 bottles) is bursting with Sherry-derived flavours, including dark chocolate, crème brulée, Seville oranges, raisins and hazelnuts.
£750 per bottle RRP
Exclusive Newsletter Offer Price – £700 per bottle

SPRINGBANK DISTILLERY 2010 RELEASES
A quick update on the 2010 releases from the much-loved Springbank distillery.   The Kilkerran and Hazelburn sold quickly last year and are likely to do so again.

Kilkerran Work in Progress 2                  £32.50 limited stocks

Hazelburn 12 year old                               £46.95 due end August 2010

Springbank 12 year old Claret Wood    £39.95 limited stocks

Springbank 18 year old, 2nd Release    £67.50 limited stocks

Until next month, slàinte!

Best regards
Philip

Philip Shorten
Milroy’s of Soho
3 Greek Street
London, W1D 4NX

T: 020 7437 2385
F: 020 7437 1345
W: www.milroys.co.uk

Meryl Kerkhoff, 1929-2010

Dear friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I reach out to tell you that we have lost Templeton Rye Master Distiller Meryl Kerkhoff. Meryl died at Manning Hospital, surrounded by his family. I really struggle to put into words how much we all admired this great man. He will be missed dearly.

Meryl was a child of the Depression, born a mile from our current distillery in Templeton in 1929 to Alphonse and Frances (Bluml) Kerkhoff. He attended Sacred Heart School in Templeton and graduated in 1946. Meryl fought in Korea for two years and went on to a successful career as a farmer and auctioneer. He and his wife Imelda had seven children and 14 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Ohde Funeral Home in Manning, Iowa.

Meryl had a presence that was unmistakable. He was a true gentleman and a man of great stature, both in size and in character. I will always remember how his huge hands, strengthened by a lifetime of farming, would totally engulf those of anyone who would shake them. He dressed well, yet modestly, and had his signature Templeton Rye cap slightly tilted, or “a little cocky” as he would say.

Meryl had a sense of humor and his own language that greatly amused the rest of our team. A nice place was “Uptown” and when things were going well we were “Cadillacing.” He was a caring man who was always excited to see you and would ask, “So, how’ve things been going?” Meryl was a patient man and was more likely to listen than to talk. He gave Keith and I great advice over the years and was always very thorough about issues that impacted our company.

Obviously things will continue at Templeton Rye and Keith has been handling the day-to-day duties for sometime. Genetics are a powerful thing I guess, as I look at what I have written about Meryl, I could very well be describing Keith.

Please keep Meryl, Imelda, Keith and all of the Kerkhoff family in your thoughts and prayers.

At Meryl’s request, we got together a couple of weeks ago to record Meryl, Keith and I reminiscing about some of our experiences with the company. We video taped a portion of the discussion which can be seen below.

Scott Bush, President, Templeton Rye

Meryl

The Irishman The Movie…The Irishman The Whiskey

Did you know….

…that a big budget Hollywood gangster movie called The Irishman is to be released in early 2011?

… The Irishman chronicles the rise and fall of infamous Cleveland gangster Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson), who engaged in a power struggle with the Italian mob.  Greene was as an upstart longshoreman union rep and later became a cocky, legendarily difficult-to-kill troublemaker in the world of organized crime in the 1970’s. Based on the real story of mobster Danny Greene, Christoper Walken will play the loan shark and nightclub owner Shondor Birns and Val Kilmer is a Cleveland police detective who befriends Greene.

Source: www.movieset.com/theirishman

An offer you can’t refuse….

Let us know what other famous Irish gangsters you have heard of!

Simply e-mail the names of 3 famous Irish gangsters you have heard of to madaboutwhiskey@hotirishman.com and enter a draw to win a bottle of “The Irishman” 70 Superior Irish Whiskey – a unique blend of pure pot still and single malt whiskeys. All correct entries will be entered in the draw with ten winners chosen at random.

Sláinte!

www.hotirishman.com

Cooley Collects 10 Gold Medals at IWSC Two Years Running

Latest win brings Cooley’s total Gold Medal haul to over 100

Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s only independent Irish whiskey distillery, has matched the record it set in 2009 by winning 10 Gold Medals at the 2010 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC).  The results were announced yesterday at the IWSC Awards ceremony in London.

IWSC medals are awarded on a strict points system by a panel of international judges.  They are the most prestigious honours bestowed to the drinks industry as they are judged solely on the quality of the wine or spirit.

The 2010 IWSC Competition Banquet will be held in the Guildhall in London on the 17th November 2010 when specific product and producer trophies will be awarded. Cooley Distillery has been named European Distiller of the Year for the last two years and is in the running to make it three in a row.

Cooley Distillery collected a total of 20 medals at the IWSC in 2010 making it by far the most successful Irish whiskey distiller at the IWSC and brings Cooley’s overall haul of Gold Medals to over 100 in all International Spirits Competitions.

Jack Teeling, Managing Director of Cooley Distillery, commented, “The latest haul of IWSC Gold Medals brings us over the landmark of 100 Gold Medals in all competitions and justifies our continual investment in innovation and quality. At a time of resurgence in Irish whiskey we are delighted to continue to build on both Ireland’s and Cooley’s reputation for being a world class producer of whiskey.”
 
List of Gold Medals at the 2010 IWSC

Gold Medal & Best in Class, Kilbeggan 15 Year Old Blended Irish Whiskey
Gold Medal & Best in Class, Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Madeira Finish Single Malt
Gold Medal & Best in Class, Connemara Peated Single Malt
Gold Medal & Best in Class, Connemara Cask Strength Peated Single Malt
Gold Medal & Best in Class, Connemara Sherry Finish Peated Single Malt
Gold Medal & Best in Class, Greenore 8 Year Old Single Grain
Gold Medal & Best in Class, Greenore 15 Year Old Single Grain
Gold Medal & Best in Class, Dún Léire 8 Year Old Single Malt
Gold Medal, Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Sherry Finish Single Malt
Gold Medal, Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Port Finish Single Malt

Visit Cooley Whiskey at http://www.cooleywhiskey.com/

Award Winning Cookbook Authors Sheila McConachie and Graham Harvey to ShareWhisky and Food Pairing Knowledge on SipSmokeSavor.com website.

San Diego, California, July 25, 2010 – The creators of www.SipSmokeSavor.com are delighted to announce that Sheila McConachie and Graham Harvey have agreed to guest author a series of articles for their website. These masters of scotch pairing co-wrote “The Whisky Kitchen – 100 ways with Whisky and Food”. This book, a culinary love letter to Scotland and its native spirit, won the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2009 for Best Book in the World for Cooking with Beer, Wine and Spirits.

McConachie and Harvey’s passion for their Scottish heritage, its countryside and dishes “terroir” is also evident in the inspired menu that puts their Craggan Mill Restaurant on the “short list” for best Highland dining experience. Craggan Mill won Eat Scotland’s 2010 Silver Award for excellence in food and service and has been awarded 2 Rosettes from AA Dining Awards for three consecutive years. In 2007, Graham Harvey was named Spirit of Speyside Chef of the Year. In 2009 Graham was admitted as a Master Chef of the Association Culinaire Française and earlier this year Sheila was awarded the title Master Chef of Great Britain. The couple recently was asked to judge the Scottish Heat of The Escoffier Challenge 2010, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary competitions.

Beginning in July these award winning chefs will showcase Scotch whisky as both an accompaniment to a fine meal, as well as an ingredient to add depth and flavor. You will find their series of articles in the “Food Section” of www.SipSmokeSavor.com, a website devoted to the pursuit of the perfect single malt pairing.

“The Whisky Kitchen – 100 ways with Whisky and Food” is available online through a link on the SipSmokeSavor.com website (see section Malts/Bookshelf) or in book stores ISBN 978 0 9554145 7 2.

Graham and Sheila’s Craggan Mill Restaurant is on the web at www.cragganmill.co.uk.

Malt Master Experiments

I’m pleased to bring you early news of an intriguing new release from The Balvenie Distillery.

Over the last few months, Malt Master, David Stewart, has been working with different combinations of fine, aged stocks of The Balvenie, and has discovered one marriage in particular that has excited him.

Read our Special Feature* on what will be a first for The Balvenie ~ and watch my interview* with David as he marries six casks to create the first ever batch of this new single malt.

Until next time, slainte mhath,
David Mair
The Balvenie Ambassador

*you must be a member of Warehouse 24 and log in to view both

THE BALVENIE DISTILLERY COMPANY LIMITED
Registered in Scotland. Registered Number SC138003
Balvenie Maltings, Dufftown, Banffshire, Scotland AB55 4BB
www.thebalvenie.com