Benrinnes™ 23 Year Old 1985 ABV 58.8%
23 Years Old Natural Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Speyside

Tasting Guide

Appearance: Rich, deep mahogany with good beading.

Nose: Classic, muscular Benrinnes with an added and immensely seductive sweetness rippling through it. Crème brulée with a highly caramelised surface. Intense black fruits (prunes), Christmas cake and dates, laced with rich sherry. Behind, a beefy note with some allspice, like a touch of gravy left in the meat pan. Water (just a splash) initially brings the toffee-apple
sweetness even more into focus above such meatiness. As it becomes waxier the fruity notes withdraw, yet some moist Christmas cake remains – much later, the meatiness reasserts itself. Superb balance and complexity.

Body: Heavy. Full. Immediate grip.

Palate: Big, powerful and immediately assertive. Sweet, then mouth drying, yet not astringent because that concentrated sweetness remains. Waxy-viscous texture; slight traces of brimstone. Raisin and lots of date. Softens as it moves slowly across the tongue. Water lightens the grip and introduces a lightly smoked character. The voluptuous texture is countered by tannic dryness. Sweet to start and beefy, in all senses. Very, very good.

Finish: Exceptionally long, dry and warming, leaving a mellow, lingering aftertaste of treacle and sandalwood.

This mouth-watering menu of award winning Christmas drams offers a range of gifts to suit every budget, guaranteed to delight both whisky connoisseurs or newcomers to ‘the water of life’ this festive season.   

Gifts under £25

The Famous Grouse is unveiling a limited edition gift box for this Christmas. Scotland’s favourite whisky has partnered with renowned Scottish designers, Timorous Beasties, to create a unique collectors item sure to be a hit with whisky lovers. The illustration takes the style of the iconic Timorous Beastie toile designs, and depicts a visual history of the brand and its home, Bordeaux House, along with the famous bird itself. The gift box contains a bottle of  The Famous Grouse (70cl) and will only be available from selected retailers or online at www.thefamousgrouse.com (RRP £15.29).

Thousands of people each Christmas enjoy a dram of  The Famous Grouse, Scotland’s No.1 whisky.  This fantastic quality blended whisky, contains a blend of fine single malts including Highland Park and The Macallan. Why not make a gift or your bottle even better by personalising the label?  Choose up to 13 characters on the front label and customise the back label with your own message.  The bottle will then be posted direct to your door in a standard gift box or with the option to display in a special presentation box. (Special Label RRP £19.99 + P&P. Additional £2 supplement for presentation box. Available online at www.thefamousgrouse.com)

The latest addition to The Famous Grouse family – The Black Grouse – is a unique blend of The Famous Grouse mixed with Islay malts to create a rich smoky, peaty taste. To date, this special whisky has raised £30,000 to help save its namesake, the black grouse, from extinction through its unique partnership with the RSPB which sees 50p from the sale of each bottle go to the charity. The perfect gift for bird lovers and whisky fans alike! (RRP £15.66, available at Sainsbury’s stores or online at www.black-grouse.com).

Gifts up to £60

Balanced with oak and fruit flavours and hints of fruit and heather honey, the soft and malty The Macallan Fine Oak 10 years old makes an ideal introduction to the range. The award winning Fine Oak range was heralded to be “by far the best range of non-vintage whiskies to be launched by any one distillery for possibly the last decade.”1 (RRP £26.67, available at multiple retailers including Asda, Tesco, Co-op, Oddbins or online at www.themacallan.com)

Laden with notes of ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and hints of spice, The Glenrothes Select Reserve typifies the Speyside distillery house style.  A vatting of casks distilled in different years, Select Reserve is presented in the iconic Glenrothes bottle and is the very essence of The Glenrothes range (RRP £32.20, available at Oddbins, House of Fraser, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Wine Rack, specialist whisky retailers or online at www.theglenrothes.com).

“Christmas cake in a glass” is how the distillery manager on Orkney describes Highland Park 18 year old single malt, which boasts a rich full flavour with hints of honey and peat with a soft, long rounded finish.  This year it was named ‘The Best Spirit in the World’ for the second consecutive time by American drinks expert Paul Pacult2, making this an impressive Christmas dram (RRP £60.94, available at multiple retailers including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, Co-op, Somerfield and Oddbins or online at www.highlandpark.co.uk).

Special gifts from £290

The Macallan Sherry Oak 30 years old is slowly matured in exceptional sherry oak casks to create a satisfyingly complex single malt often referred to as ‘the Rolls Royce of whiskies’.  Characterised by its rich dark mahogany colour, this rare whisky is deliciously smooth with dried fruits, orange and wood smoke flavours and ends on a long, rich note with lingering hints of spice and orange (RRP £290, available at Harrods, Selfridges and House of Fraser, specialist whisky retailers or online at www.themacallan.com).

The Glenrothes John Ramsay Legacy is a limited edition bottling from their long-serving Malt Master to mark his retirement and long-standing relationship with the distillery.  Ramsay personally selected 30 casks to create an impressive single malt. Bursting with aromas of spice, blood orange and vanilla, this whisky has a rich palate of fruit and mango with a long, mature unmistakably American oak finish.  Only 100 Legacy bottles are available in the UK (RRP £699, available at specialist whisky retailers or online at www.theglenrothes.com).

The ultimate indulgence this Christmas comes from Highland Park, with the launch of the first two expressions from an exclusive range of Highland Park single malt Vintages.  The 1964 and 1968 Vintages each offer balance, character and provenance with their own unique flavours and complexity (1964 RRP £3,750 and 1968 RRP £2,250, available at specialist whisky retailers or online at www.highlandpark.co.uk).

-Ends-
Notes to editors:
1 Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2005
2 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
For further information or images, please contact:
Pamela.wils@bigpartnership.co.uk or Mhairi.deluca@bigpartnership.co.uk
Tel 0131 555 5522
Please enjoy our brands responsibly
http://www.drinkaware.co.uk

From Richard Paterson:

Double blended! Double Winner! Whyte and Mackay’s 30 year old is the world’s best whisky – OFFICIAL

I have always said it’s one of the best whiskies in the world and now others agree with me. The Whyte and Mackay 30 year old has won two of the most prestigious whisky awards in the world.

We won the Best Blended Whisky at the International Spirit’s Challenge tonight. But that’s not the only win for it. On the 26th of November we will also be receiving the  William Grant Independence Trophy for Best Blended Scotch Whisky.

To me , this is a fantastic validation of what we do and it’s a praise for every single person involved in making the whisky, in selling it and spreading the word of of it.

In a period when we’ve announced a new Jura, some charity whiskies and other expressions to Dalmore including Sirius as well as seeing high praise for the Dalmore, this is what touches me the most because it’s recognition by your peers and by the experts of something that is truly special, of something with quality – and that’s praise to every person who worked on the drink. This isn’t about me, it’s about everyone who put a little bit of themselves into making this whisky the success that it is. For their time, their efforts and their work, I thank them all.

And the marketing guys won’t be chuffed, but to hell with that, it’s a special night – let’s celebrate by providing a sneak peek from the upcoming podcasts where I talk about the Whyte and Mackay 30 year old – the world’s best blended whisky. OFFICIAL. (click on http://tinyurl.com/ydb6755 to see the video)

SLAINTE!

(From John Campbell)

Well I’m back in Islay at the Distillery now doing my day job of running the distillery! I really hope the many thousands of you that watched the live webcast we did from Kentucky enjoyed it as much as I did – but I got to eat the food as well!

The show was a little different this year so I hope you thought it was good. I’m told we had viewers from all over the World watching, including lots from Europe so any of you who had to stay up late to watch I really do appreciate it. Also a big thank you to all of you who sent in your questions, I’m sorry I couldn’t answer all of them.

For those of you that weren’t able to watch the show live then don’t worry, you can now watch it whenever you want on the Laphroaig site. Just go to this address http://www.laphroaig.com/live/ and click on the ‘watch now’ link.

I’d love to hear your feedback so feel free to drop me an email at info@laphroaig.com or for any of you on Twitter you can leave me a message there www.twitter.com/laphroaigwhisky.

Oh, one more thing. Many of you have written in to us asking for the recipes from the show. I have now posted them on the video page, I hope you enjoy them.

Sláinte,

John Campbell

Charles MacLean is thought by many to be Scotland’s finest whisky writer. His tireless promotion of Scotch over the years has resulted in Charlie very recently being elected to the prestigious rank of Master by Scotch whisky’s very own secret society, the Keepers of the Quaich. I know because I was there, sitting opposite him, at the Highland Park table.

Charlie is an authority on our favourite subject and, as you might imagine, a great story-teller. His latest book, Whiskypedia, takes an entirely new approach by exploring whisky flavour and character with reference to how it is made.

Of course, distillery traditions and location are important but the key premise in Whiskypedia is that each individual distillery’s unique character is primarily influenced by the distilling equipment itself, how it is operated and how the spirit is matured. This is arguably a less romantic approach than myths, legends, regionality and terroir but it makes a lot of sense.

In Whiskypedia introductory sections explain the contribution made by each stage of production and maturation, working in tandem with the detailed notes about how malt whisky is made at each distillery.

The 352-page hardcover book also features beautiful, specifically-commissioned photography and is available from Amazon. Copies signed by the author are available from www.whiskymax.co.uk at £16.99.

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

Gerry
Head of Brand Education, Highland Park

PS. Charlie, we know you receive and read these emails, we look forward to receiving that signed book you promised us for our library at the distillery!
Find me on Facebook at Highland Park Whisky or follow me on Twitter; www.twitter.com/bestspirit

WI is pleased to report that the prestigious Keepers of the Quaich have named Charles MacLean Master of the Quaich,  their highest honor. Charlie was first inducted into the Keepers of the Quaich in 1992.

Press release: Tuesday 6 October 2009

Indian malt rated one of best three whiskies in world

Leading whisky expert, Jim Murray, has named an Indian malt the third best in the world in his new Whisky Bible.

In The Whisky Bible 2010 published this week, Murray awards Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky the title of World’s Third Best Whisky. It gained 97 points in Murray’s most extensive collection of tasting notes ever published, with nearly 4,000 included this year.

Murray said Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky “has to be one of the great whiskies found anywhere in the word this year”. Admitting his No 3 choice  could come as a  surprise to some people, he said: “The fact that it is Indian? Irrelevant, from distillation to maturation this is a genius whisky from whichever continent.”

In his tasting notes, Murray  adds: “It is one of those which command a big mouthful, a chair with a headrest … and silence. You will chew for seemingly hours and never quite get to the bottom of its mystical complexity. It is massive whisky, but its genius is that you get the feeling that there is some almost invisible element keeping the malt together so the proportions are never less than perfect.”

Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky gets its name from the fact that it uses two barleys: Indian and Scottish – with the latter being peated. It comes from Amrut Distilleries, the Bangalore-based company which introduced the first single malt from India to the UK in 2004.

Amrut’s Indian barley comes from the Punjab and the distillation takes place in the tropical garden city of Bangalore at 3000ft. The barley from Scotland is also distilled in Bangalore and both are matured there separately. After they have reached their peak,  the two whiskies are married in the bourbon casks in proportions which give both a subtle peat flavour and a rich fruity flavour from the Indian barley. This is bottled at 50% abv to reflect the depth and finish of the whisky.

This rare combination of Indian and Scottish elements means Fusion has a really excellent mouthfeel and palate, combining oak, a hint of vanilla, fruit and the sublime peat.

The public obviously agreed with Murray when Fusion was launched in June 2009: the first consignment was sold out within few weeks of its release. The next batch was completely pre-ordered before it even reached the UK.

 “This is a great honour for Amrut Distilleries as our special East-meets-West whisky is named one of the best by such a respected whisky expert,” said Ashok Chokalingam, Amrut’s International sales manager. 

“We are proud that our vision to combine Indian and Scottish barleys in a subtle fusion which  produces a malt whisky which is rich in flavour and character has been so well received.  As we see the whisky industry become more global and good single malt whiskies coming from all parts of the world, it is exciting to be at the leading edge,” he added.

Amrut intends to continue with its innovative strategy and has two exciting new releases planned for next year.

Notes to editors

Ashok can be contacted for further comment on 07838 229914

Further information: Amrut Distilleries

Amrut Single Malt Whisky from India is relatively new to the global market, with it only launched officially in Glasgow in 2004. Since then its reputation has grown.

One of the Amrut Single Malt Whisky bottlings by Blackadder International won “The Best Daily Dram” category of this year’s Malt Maniacs Awards. All the Amrut brands entered into the same competition won silver and bronze medals.

Amrut Peated Malt Cask Strength Whisky won Silver  and Amrut Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky a Bronze at the IWSC in 2008

Amrut is now sold widely in Europe (UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Spain) as well as Canada and South Africa. In August it was officially introduced in Australia and it will be launched into the United States this year.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2010

A full account of the 2010 World Whisky Awards can be found in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2010, published on 5 October by Dram Good Books priced at £10.99 www.whiskybible.com
 

Images

high res images of Amrut Fusion and Ashok are available from Fiona Laing

Contact details

Ashok Chokalingam, General Manager – International Operations

The Grainger Suite, Dobson House, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 3PF.

Tel: + 44 191 233 6316.

Fax: +44-191 233 6346.

Email: ashok@amrutdistilleries.com

 Issued on behalf of Amrut Distilleries

by Fiona Laing, Communications Consultant

0794 665 4451 or flaing@btinternet.com

Global Brand Ambassador Unveils Latest Masterpiece
Limited release Balvenie Madeira Cask to be available only in Alberta and New Brunswick

Toronto, ON (October 5, 2009) – David Mair, the Global Brand Ambassador for The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky, has travelled from Scotland to Alberta to unveil The Balvenie’s latest hand-crafted creation The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old.

Matured in traditional oak and finished in casks previously used to make fortified Madeira wine, The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old, will be made available in Canada exclusively in New Brunswick and Alberta starting in November. 

“We are particularly proud of this year’s Limited Edition 17-year old,” said Brand Ambassador, David Mair.  “It has just been released and already it is drawing praise and excitement from whisky connoisseurs around the world.  The Balvenie distillery is unique in the world for its tradition of handcrafting which is a key factor in the distinctive taste of our product.” 

A real treat for the Scotch whisky enthusiast, The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old is an exceptionally rich and rewarding mature single malt, whose deep luxurious aromas translate into an equally rewarding flavour of spice and dried fruit. 

Created by the whisky industry’s longest serving Malt Master, David Stewart, The Balvenie Madeira Cask follows the 2008 release of the award-winning The Balvenie Rum Cask and is the latest in a series of six 17 Year Old limited edition releases by The Balvenie Distillery.  Drawing upon his unmatched expertise when crafting The Balvenie range of single malts, Stewart has continued in the tradition of quality and craftsmanship.  Each year, by using different cask types and mature spirit he has expertly crafted a new expression of The Balvenie’s uniquely honeyed character for limited release.

The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old is a limited release that will go on sale in Alberta in November 2009. 

(more)

 
Notes to editors:

• The Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Year Old tasting notes:  Nose – A rich, deep and complex nose.  Spicy, earthy oak notes with subtle hints of vanilla and honey.  Soft fruit aromas, a slow baked apple infused with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Taste – The deep, luxurious aromas translate into an equally rewarding flavour.  Initial sweet vanilla oak notes gradually develop into rich spices and dried fruits (apricots, figs, dates).  Finish -exceptionally long and an intriguing balance of sweetness and dry oakiness. 

• The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master.  Each has a very individual taste, but each is rich luxuriously smooth and underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie. 

• Produced in Speyside in the Scottish Highlands, the exceptional quality of The Balvenie Single Malt is due to the fact that The Balvenie Distillery retains and nurtures a high level of craftsmanship that other malt whisky producers no longer employ: nowhere else will you find a distillery that still grows its own barley, still malts in its own traditional floor maltings and still employs coopers to tend all the casks and a coppersmith to maintain the stills.

• The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd, an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by his direct descendants. 

• For more information, please visit: www.thebalvenie.com
For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Charlton
Jesson + Company Communications Inc.
T: (416) 323-7828 ext. 26
M: (416) 727-9048
E: scharlton@jessonco.com

From Richard Paterson;

Say “hello, how are you,” to the latest Jura. Jura Prophecy. We’re proud of this one. Even before being officially launched, at the recent prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition Prophecy won a silver medal. So why don’t we get better acquainted…

It’s heavily peated, 46% ABV, without chill filtration (let’s see what the moaners when I blogged over at John Hansell’s place say about that), it’s the latest limited release from Jura.

The name’s got a cracking back story to it and some of you may have already tried it (especially if you’ve caught up with me on my recent travels), but knowing you lot you want to know what it tastes like first, so here we go with the tasting notes first, then some details on what others have said, then the backstory and then where to get it from…

Tasting Notes for Prophecy:

Colour: Rich, amber gold with shimmering highlights. A lustrous copper gold and cherry wood hue.

Nose: The tarry bonfire notes slowly give way to hints of soft liquorice and nutmeg.

Taste: Meticulously crafted from a selection of the finest and rarest aged Jura single malt whiskies, Prophecy is a profoundly peated spirit. Powerful flavours of peat smoke, fresh cinnamon and spicy sea spray lead the first assault. Finally the tarry bonfire notes slowly give way to hints of soft liquorice and nutmeg. Some say Jura Prophecy contains earthy notes of damp moss and peat coupled with bonfire smoke and Arbroath kippers too.

Bottled in a traditional style without chill filtration to preserve the true character and deliver an authentic taste of 1938.

What Others Are Saying:

Whisky Reviews

I thought Jura Prophecy was lovely. Ash, smoke, a hint of oranges in the body and sweetness and cinnamon in the finish. Very good!

And a little more on Jura Prophecy – do add water, as it brings the sweetness out and really reveals the Limousin oak influence.

The Backstory

A curse, a mystical seer and a fortune that came to pass 200 years later is the inspiration behind the newest edition to the award-winning Isle of Jura range, Jura Prophecy – a heavily peated single malt that harks back to the whisky that was brewing on the mysterious island centuries ago.

The single malt is inspired by one the island’s most compelling tales – the true story of the wise old ‘seer’ who predicted the downfall of the illustrious Campbell clan who held reign on the Isle of Jura in the early 1700s.

During this reign, the Campbells evicted the seer – who was believed to have the gift of “the third eye” and the ability to see the future – from the island.  As she left she foretold that the last Campbell would leave the island, one eyed and with all his worldly possessions held in one cart drawn by a solitary white horse.

More than 200 years later, in 1938, Charles Campbell, the last Campbell left… with only one eye after being shot during World War 1, and with a cart drawn by a white horse.

This makes our current range for Jura the Jura 10, Superstition and 16 years old, 1974, 40 years old, Elements, Paps and now Prophecy. But you might not be able to get Prophecy for that long. There’s only 1800 cases worldwide selling for an RRP of £56 per bottle. The whisky will be available to order direct from the distillery, see www.isleofjura.com or call 01496 820 385 for further details (there’s also an email address on the site).

If you try it, let me know what you think.

4th October 2009

Jim Murray’s World Whisky Awards 2010
Straight Rye Whiskey, the spirit of choice in pre-prohibition America and immortalized in Humphrey Bogart films, has been given top billing in the coveted Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible World Whisky Awards for 2010.

International whisky authority Jim Murray has named Sazerac Rye 18 year old as the finest whisky in the world after tasting almost 1000 new whiskies since April. It scooped the World Whisky of the Year title by gaining 97.5 points, only the second time such a score has been achieved.

Announced to coincide with the publication of the 2010 edition of ‘Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible’, which contains tasting notes on over 3,850 of the world’s whiskies, Sazerac’s success marks the return of a whiskey style that all but disappeared from the marketplace. Following the repeal of Prohibition, American drinkers had developed a taste for lighter spirits, resulting in a boom for bourbon and Canadian whiskies, while straight rye fell by the wayside.

Jim Murray comments, “A decade ago I wrote that it was likely that there would be a renaissance in rye whiskey.  I recognised that the combination of big, bold flavours and subtle, delicate fruity notes would be appreciated by connoisseurs, especially those who prefer smoky Islay single malts. Now American distillers can’t make enough of it. And in this particular bottling of Sazerac 18, we have a rye that is not just at the top of its game, but reaching previously unknown heights. In beating all other world whisky types, Sazerac 18, has set the bar for rye whiskey and it will be fascinating in forthcoming years to see what is bottled to try to at least match it.”

Distilled at Buffalo Trace distillery Kentucky, Sazerac 18 pipped into second place one of the smokiest whiskies ever produced, from the Ardbeg distillery on Islay.

Another Award winner likely to cause a surprise was an Indian Single Malt, which was awarded the title of World’s Third Best Whisky.  Distilled in Bangalore, Amrut Fusion scored an outstanding 97 points. “It makes no matter where in the world a whisky is made. If it is magnificent, then it stands a chance of being recognized in the Whisky Bible Awards. Amrut have been bottling astonishing whisky for a few years now. But this particular bottling just made my hairs stand on end. It is hard to find a whisky with better balance. India has unquestionably arrived as a whisky nation” added Murray.
 
Category winners:

Scotch Whisky of the Year – Ardbeg Supernova
Single Malt of the Year (Multiple cask) – Ardbeg Supernova
Single Malt of the Year (Single cask) – Glenfarclas 1962 (3rd release)
Best Scotch New Brand – Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX
Scotch Blend of the Year – Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
Scotch Grain of the Year – Duncan Taylor North British 1978

Single Malt Scotch

No Age Statement (Multiple cask) – Ardbeg Supernova*
No Age Statement (runner up) – Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX
10 Years and Under (Multiple cask) – Octomore 5 Years Old*
10 Years and Under (Single cask) – SMWS 77.17 (Glen Ord)
11-15 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Tomintoul 14 Years Old
11-15 Years Old (Single cask) – Isle of Arran Sherry 353*
16-21 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Glen Grant 1992*
16-21 Years Old (Single cask) – Glendronach 1992 Cask 401
22-27 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Brora 25 Years Old 7th Release*
22-27 Years Old (Single cask) – Cadenhead’s Benriach 23YO
28-34 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Highland Park 30 Years Old*
28-34 Years Old (Single cask) – Douglas Laing Glendcadam 32YO
35-40 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Glenglassaugh 40 Years Old*
35-40 Years Old (Single cask) – Whisky Fair Glen Grant 36 YO
41 Years and Over (Multiple cask) – Glenfiddich 50 Years Old*
41 Years and Over (Single cask) – Glenfarclas 1962 Release III

Blended Scotch
No Age Statement (Standard) – Ballentine’s Finest*
No Age Statement (Premium) – The Last Drop*
5-12 Years – Johnnie Walker Black Label*
13-18 Years – Ballentine’s 17 Year Old*
18 & Over – Chivas Regal 25 Years Old*

Irish Whiskey of the Year – Redbreast Aged 12 Years*
 
American Whiskey
Bourbon of the Year – George T Stagg (144.8)*
Rye of the Year – Sazerac 18 Years Old (Fall 2008)*
 
Bourbon
No Age Statement (Multiple barrel) – Parker’s Golden Anniversary*
No Age Statement (Single barrel) – Blanton’s Single Barrel 316
9 Years & Under – Jim Beam Black Aged 8 Years*
10-12 Years – Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve*
13-17 Years Old (multiple Barrels) – George T Stagg (144.8)*
13-17 Years Old (Single Barrel) – Buffalo Trace Experimental Course Grain
18 Years & Over – Evan Williams 23 Years Old*

Rye
10 Years & Younger – Jim Beam Rye*
11 Years & Older – Sazerac 18 Years Old (Fall 2008)*

Canadian Whisky of the Year – Wiser’s Red Letter*
Japanese Whisky of the Year – SMWS 116.4 (Yoichi)*

European Whisky
European Whisky of the Year – Santis Malt Highlander Dreifaltaigkeit*
European Single Cask Whisky of the Year – Penderyn Port Wood Single Cask*

World Whiskies
Indian Whisky of the Year – Amrut Fusion*

(* denotes category winner)
 
To mark the sheer quality and standard of whisky making around the world Jim Murray has created a new Liquid Gold Award for all whiskies scoring 94 points and above.  Representing 10% of all the whiskies featured in the ‘2010 Whisky Bible’ 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 2010 World Whisky Awards can be found in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2010 published today (5th October 2009).  And with nearly 4000 tasting notes, including 946 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 £10.99, the ‘2010 Whisky Bible’ is available through online retailer Amazon and other good book stores. Signed copies by the author can be obtained from www from www.whiskybible.com.
~Ends~

For more information please contact:

Mark Hunt
Director of Communications
Dram Good Books Ltd
Email: mark@whiskybible.com
Tel:  07768 145583

Dear All,

Another whirlwind month has passed in Adelphi Land. A quick trip to the Rockies in Canada for the 2nd Taste of Culture event, followed by the speediest terminal change at Heathrow to make the flight north, in order to drive to catch the last ferry to Islay…only to be told that the road had washed out. Luckily the very kind people at Cal Mac ferries held the boat.

I am very thankful that they did as we were then treated to a fantastic 2 days on Islay courtesy of Kilchoman Distillery – launching their 1st ever official Scotch whisky at 3 years old (an excellent dram), they fed, watered and boated us around the Island in style. Huge thanks to Anthony and his team!

One day to re-pack and a visit to HQ in Ardnamurchan to welcome our importers and agents from around the world for our annual gathering. This year we were also delighted to have the famous whisky chef, Chris Pepper, come over from Germany to join us and conjure up a delicious whisky dinner. Many thanks to Chris and Marion for making the twisty trip to Glenborrodale.

This week started on a high at the last day of the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival, continued last night with a tasting to 250 people at Blair Castle and finishes tomorrow with a cosy, fire-side tasting at The Bookshop, Wigtown as part of this year’s Book Festival.

Later this month, its off to Sweden, where I hope to see a great number of the Dancey Man Club, for a 10 day tour followed by November in London, Germany, Holland and Switzerland – please check out the website for more details http://www.adelphidistillery.com/news

All these tastings have generated a few sales, but you will be delighted to hear that we have reserved the remaining few bottles of Breath of Speyside (the third edition) 1991 18yr old cask 5145 54.2% vol. for this month’s offer and I can also report that we are due to bottle a staggering 9 new casks later this month – more information to follow at the end of the month.

This month’s offer:

BREATH OF SPEYSIDE 1991
18 Yr. old Speyside 54.2% Vol.
1 of only 520 bottles from cask 5145

http://www.adelphidistillery.com/whisky/bos19915145

This expression of our ‘secret’ Speysides has come from a first-fill Spanish oak butt, and its colour – a glorious deep umber, with crimson lights, like an old tawny port. The nose is of rum toffees, with a heavy fruitiness – dried fruits (cherries, raisins, sultanas, mixed peel) all macerated in blond rum, with a distinct Jaffa Cake aroma behind (dark chocolate, bitter orange, sponge). All these scents hold together well when you add water, joined by a slight waxiness, like buttery cake-mix. A smooth texture, slightly mouth-cooling in its effect; a sweet then dry taste, but not overly tannic, with burnt sugar and bitter orange marmalade in the finish. A superb example of the rich style of Speyside.

The Dancey Man Offer price is £62.70 inc. VAT per bottle.

Please let me know if you would like any. Due to the limited amount of bottles remaining, this will be sold on a 1st-come-1st-served basis.

Best wishes,

Alex.

Alex Bruce

Sales & Marketing Director

Adelphi Distillery Ltd.

Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1383 842 912

Mobile: +44 (0) 7795 424 838

Skype: alex.bruce

Email: alex@adelphidistillery.com

Web: www.adelphidistillery.com