You can also read the full release at the www.responsesource.com website:
http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=mAQEA

Press Trip to New Orleans with exclusive celebrity interviews and images

09 September 2009

Slice PR is organising a press trip on behalf of Southern Comfort (28th-30th Sept TBC) to celebrate its New Orleans heritage.

Southern Comfort is 135 years old and we are looking for three journalists who would be interested in attending the trip and featuring this heritage story. The trip includes an iconic photo shoot featuring three music acts:
Jack Penate, Remi Nicole and Sophie Ellis Bextor – TBC. You will receive these images as exclusives and also have interview time with your chosen celebrity. 

New Orleans has various interesting angles such as Voodoo, music and the first cocktail was made in New Orleans! We can work with you to decide suitable angles and accommodate these through events/ tours whilst in New Orleans

We require resulting coverage to appear before Christmas.

If you are interested, please contact me ASAP as timings are near!

Thanks,

Holly Jeffries

0203 128 6644

FOUR GlenDronach casks are scheduled to be specially bottled for the Danish market and will go on sale in Denmark in October.
 
Regional Sales Director Alistair Walker explained: “A few weeks ago, we had a party of Danish retailers at GlenDronach on a cask-buying mission led by our Danish importer Lars Gregersen of LAGO-import.
 
“They went through circa twenty-five single cask samples before settling on the following four casks:
 
1989 cask 1901 / 19 years old / 52.4%vol / Oloroso Sherry Butt
1992 cask 1138 / 16 years old / 46% / Oloroso Sherry Butt
1996 cask 231 / 13 years old / 46% / Oloroso Sherry Butt
1996 cask 240 / 13 years old / 4 6% / Oloroso Sherry Butt
 
“This takes the number of exclusive single cask GlenDronachs bottled for Denmark in 2009 to five, following on from 1992 cask 1135 (16 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 57.3%vol) that was bottled exclusively for LAGO in July and shipped to Denmark a few weeks ago.”
 
Lars Gregersen commented: “What a fantastic weekend we had at GlenDronach distillery selecting our casks. It was truly a labour of love! Great company, great weather, great hospitality – and superb whisky!
 
“In the coming months, we’ll be having a lot of GlenDronach tastings to familiarise Danish palates with this magnificent malt…plus two very exclusive tastings in November with the distillery’s Alan McConnochie.”
 
Alistair went on: ”As well as the above, GlenDronach will also be supplying LAGO with its 2009 “Christmas Malt” – a limited edition GlenDronach Sauternes Finish, aged 13 years and bottled at 46%. Just 2400 bottles will be made available and will be released in Denmark exclusively during October 2009. This is a particularly unique bottling as it deviates from the traditional heavily sherried style typical of GlenDronach.”
 
The tasting notes for the Sauternes Finish are:
 
Appearance: Summer gold.
Nose: Sweet and aromatic. Clotted cream, yoghurt and honeydew melon.
Palate: Vanilla essence and rich honey. Ripe peaches and a lovely citrus twist.
Finish: Mellow and smooth yet with freshness and vitality.
 
The Danish market is very important to GlenDronach, as Alistair Walker explained: “Denmark has always been a decent market for malt whisky, although trading conditions have been challenging over the last eighteen months due to the economic climate.
 
“Given that, the successful introduction of GlenDronach since we launched in Denmark late 2008 is all the more remarkable, and can be attributed to two factors – the amount of time and energy our importer LAGO invests in the brand and the Danes’ ability to recognise a good dram when they taste one!”
 
NOTES FOR EDITORS
 
PIC: The Danes get down to the serious task of selecting the casks. Also attached are two of the labels which will be used – one for the 1992 and one for the Sauternes Finish.
 
ends                             10 September 2009
 
INFORMATION – Alistair Walker, 01324 682220 http://www.glendronachdistillery.com/

The very best oak casks are critical to the maturation of The Balvenie. Our spirit spends so long in them, borrowing so much character, that we entrust their upkeep only to our own coopers.

This month’s Inside Story goes into fascinating detail on the cooper’s craft ~ http://tinyurl.com/n82sbv ~ whilst David Mair writes his Letter from Dufftown in the deafening noise of The Balvenie cooperage.

You may have noticed that The Balvenie site has been down for critical maintenance recently. The work has taken a bit longer than we all thought, and we apologise for the inconvenience… however, we are now back online.

Visit the Balvenie at http://www.thebalvenie.com/

Late January 2009 Dru McPherson (proprietor with his wife Irene of the Clockhouse Restaurant, Tomintoul) had another idea and told of it over a cappuccino to Mike Drury, co-owner with his wife Cathy of The Whisky Castle Tomintoul.

The idea gestated by Dru McPherson was for Tomintoul to be the first place in the World to have a bottle of Scotch Whisky with a capacity over 100 litres in volume. Never on record as being done before! The ultimate goal for the bottle to be recognised as the “Largest Bottle of Scotch Whisky in the World” by Guinness World Records. – The conspiracy had begun. Secrecy – the ultimate order.

Much of the motivation was generated by the untimely retirement from Terry Wogan’s early morning BBC Radio program of the famous Mrs McKay no longer to sweep the snow from the Lecht every Winter. With Terry Wogan not mentioning “Tomintoul”, (Highest Village in the Highlands – possibly in Scotland), so often on his radio show, this tiny little village on the A939 between Deeside and the Spey River needed a PR boost! The bottle seemed a perfect solution!

The pair of conspirators managed to convince the Tomintoul Distillery owned by Angus Dundee PLC to provide the malt whisky to fill it with and the very special bottle was commissioned.
6 months later, after many traumatic events simular to those found by any adventurer exploring the unknown, finally a bottle to specs was made by a German glassmaker. A massive cork was made and an oversized label was printed, based upon the superb 14 year, 46% alcohol by volume, non-chillfiltered and naturally coloured, single malt whisky from the Tomintoul Distillery.

On the 27th August 2009 the bottle was installed in a specially made crate, furnished by Dennis of Glenlivet Hardwood Services and placed in the casking hall of the Tomintoul Distillery. Here an Angus Dundee team of 14 under the leadership of Distilleries Director Robert Fleming , Sales Director Duncan Baldwin and Steven McNeil, Senior Production Manager filled and furbished the bottle under the judicious eyes of Gauger Bob Wilson, witnessed by Judge Alistair Sharpe and Solicitor at Law Catherine Hastings.

All observations and documents concerned with the validity of the contents and volume of the bottle were notorised by Neil Masson.
These documents in evidence were sent to the Guinness World Records Offices in London, where they were ratified six days later as being “The Largest Bottle of Scotch Whisky in The World”.

Visit the Clockhouse Restaurant at:

 http://www.glenlivet-cairngorms.co.uk/clockhouse.php

Visit Tomintoul Distillery at:

http://www.tomintouldistillery.co.uk/

Single Malts Limited Newsletter 4th September 2009
Last Few Bottles of Runrig ‘Dram of Destiny’

                   
The “Runrig Scone Palace Homecoming 2009” bottling, limited to 750 bottles, is a cask strength “Highland Park 1987, 22 Year Old” from the Rare Auld range of Duncan Taylor single malt casks.
£85.00 inc VAT

Single Malts Direct & Whiskies of Scotland would like to thank everyone who visited us at our whisky marquee last weekend. Hundreds of you enjoyed tasting free whiskies at all the stands and this week we have put some of these on special offer for you.

Auchentoshan Classic – Was £22.99  Now £18.99 SAVE £4.00
 
 
Arran Sherry Limited Edition – Was £42.99 Now £38.99 Save £4.00
 

Benriach 10 Year Old ‘Curiositas’ – Was £26.99 Now £24.99 SAVE £2.00 
 
 
Bowmore 12 Year Old – Was £27.99 Now £25.99 SAVE £2.00

 
Glendronach 12 Year Old – Was £27.99 Now £25.99 SAVE £2.00

 
Glenfarclas 105 – Was £39.99 Now £36.99 SAVE £3.00

 
Tomintoul 16 Years Old – Was £29.99 Now £27.99 SAVE £2.00

 
Springbank 10 Year Old – Was £29.99 Now £27.99 SAVE £2.00

As the summer draws to a close, Shane Fraser, our Distillery Manager, is making final preparations for the first mash of the new distilling season.  Meanwhile our Brand Ambassadors are getting ready for the autumn whisky festivals. Do join us for a dram at the following events;

17 – 19 & 24 – 26 September 2009
Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival
Nacka Strand, Stockholm
Find Glenfarclas on the Philipson Söderberg stand. During the first weekend Robert Ransom will present a Glenfarclas Masterclass.

26th & 27th September 2009
Whisky by the Sea
Vlissingen, The Netherlands.
To include a Glenfarclas Masterclass with Ian McWilliam, featuring The Family Casks 1979.

26th, 27th & 28th September 2009
Whisky Live Paris
Pavillon Gabriel, Paris
George Grant and Kate Wright will be representing Glenfarclas.

28th September 2009
Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival
Robert Ransom will present a Glenfarclas tasting at the distillery.

28th September 2009
Glenfarclas tasting at Gall & Gall, Rijswik, with Ian McWilliam. To book call tel: +31 (0)70 3931414.
 
29th September 2009
Glenfarclas tasting at Van Stiphout’s Drankencentrum B.V, Eindhoven, with Ian McWilliam. To book call
tel: +31 (0)40 2521970.
 
30 September 2009
Glenfarclas tasting at Zeewijck, IJmuiden, with Ian McWilliam. To book call tel. + 31 (0)255 540331.

2nd to 4th October 2009
Potstill Festival
Amersfoort, The Netherlands

16th & 17th October 2009
Wild Whisky Weekend
Nykøbing, Denmark
Five Decades of Glenfarclas – Masterclass with Robert Ransom featuring The Family Casks

28th October 2009
Glenfarclas Dinner with George Grant at Boisdales of Bishopsgate, London.
To book email info@boisdale-city.co.uk

6th November 2009
Five Decades of Glenfarclas – Masterclass with George Grant featuring The Family Casks at The Whisky Show in London.

20th & 21st November 2009
Örebro Öl & Whisky Festival
Sweden
Find Glenfarclas on the Philipson Söderberg stand.

20th to 23rd November 2009
Glenfarclas Tasting Tour of Belgium
For full details contact Caroline on info@filliers.be
25th November 2009
Glenfarclas Tasting with George Grant at Willow Park Wines & Spirits, Calgary, Canada

26th November 2009
Glenfarclas Tasting with George Grant at Kensington Wine Market, at the Petroleum Club, Calgary, Canada.

Glenfarclas
Email: info@glenfarclas.co.uk
Website: www.glenfarclas.co.uk
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/glenfarclas/
Tel: +44 (0) 1807 500257
Fax: +44 (0) 1807 500234
Address: Glenfarclas Distillery, Ballindalloch, Banffshire AB37 9BD, UK

Diageo launches first ever complete collection of single-cask malt whiskies

03 September 2009

Diageo has announced the launch of its first single-cask collection of single malt Scotch whiskies.

This is the first time that Scotland’s biggest estate of single malt distilleries has issued a comprehensive series of single-cask bottlings.

Labelled The Managers’ Choice, the rare limited-edition series is aimed at collectors and connoisseurs who will enjoy owning and exploring an unusual expression of their favourite single malt or even a whole anthology of highly individual single malts, chosen to represent each of 27 distilleries’ distinctive but authentic whisky signature.

The releases are being staged in batches over the next year. September 2009 sees the first release of six malts:

Cardhu™ distilled 1997  –  252 bottles

Glen Elgin™ distilled 1998  –  534 bottles

Linkwood™ distilled 1996  –  480 bottles

Mortlach™ distilled 1997  –  240 bottles

Oban™ distilled 2000 –  534 bottles

Teaninich™ distilled 1996  – 246 bottles

Full press release available for download along with pack shots and images capturing aspects of the selection process. Full press release also has price details along with quote from spokesman Nick Morgan.

Each distillery is represented in The Managers’ Choice by a bottling of its single malt whisky drawn from one single cask, selected after a careful examination of distillery stocks. The cask was nosed, tasted, discussed and finally chosen as the most distinctive expression of that distillery’s single malts by a judging panel of acknowledged experts, including leading maturation experts and the distillery managers themselves.

The single cask challenge

Diageo whisky specialist Craig Wallace explained the challenge of selecting a single cask for a bottling that will be made available to a discerning and knowledgeable consumer audience:

“When you’re selecting casks for a bigger bottling, you can work with a wider variation of maturity, distillery character and wood influence because you can even it out and aim for consistency. But when you are bottling a single cask, you can’t do that: you have to get the balance totally right when selecting the cask. And it’s highly unlikely, whatever single cask you choose this time, that you’d ever be able to replicate that precise flavour profile the next time you look for one. So finding a single cask with just the right balance is actually very challenging.”

Full details, including tasting notes, are displayed on the Classic Malts Selection website. The new website content (available from 4 September) includes the story of The Managers’ Choice and the selection process, a “Meet the Managers” page where they talk about The Managers Choice collection & questions related to the world of whisky, whisky tasting notes & audio, Q&A with a Sensory Expert, and details of where to buy the whiskies.

Whisky enthusiasts registered as Friends of the Classic Malts™ have been given advance notice of the launch.

http://www.malts.com/fr-be/home/home.htm

Images available for download here. Hires images and other information from Cognis Public Relations: cognis.pr@zen.co.uk or +44 (0)7774 424 410. See also www.malts.com.

Press Release

Tuesday 1st September, 2009

Connemara Irish Whiskey Becomes Official Spirit of Connacht Rugby

Award Winning Cooley Distillery Partners with Connacht Rugby

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish whiskey has become the official spirit to Connacht Rugby.  Connemara is a unique award winning whiskey inspired by the historic distillation traditions of the West of Ireland.

The partnership between Connemara Irish whiskey and Connacht Rugby has been forged out of a shared role as the underdog and a common passion for rugby.  Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish whiskey is a brand of Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s only independent whiskey distillery.  Like Connacht Rugby, Cooley has battled for survival against better funded outfits but has persevered to become a success in their own right.

Cooley Distillery was founded by entrepreneur John Teeling, whose love of the game of rugby is closely tied to his affiliation with Clontarf Rugby Football Club.  John has been involved in teams at all levels in Clontarf and continues to play for the club’s Golden Oldies .

“As a rugby fanatic I applaud the David versus Goliath struggles of Connacht rugby. In Cooley we have been involved in many ourselves.” says John Teeling, Chairman of Cooley Distillery. “I hope this vote of confidence by Cooley in Connacht rugby will help in the battles to come”.

“We are delighted to welcome Connemara Irish whiskey on board as a partner to Connacht Rugby.  Cooley have already supported a number of our corporate and fundraising initiatives and this partnership allows us to forge a formal relationship which will be mutually beneficial and which will establish Connemara as the Spirit of Connacht,” said Gerry Kelly, CEO Connacht Rugby.

Connemara is the most decorated Irish whiskey of recent times winning over 20 Gold Medals from International Spirits Competitions over the last 5 years, including being honoured as the “World’s Best Irish Single Malt” in 2008 and 2009. Inspired by Ireland’s ancient distilling traditions, Connemara’s smooth sweet malt taste and complex peat flavours make it a truly unique Irish whiskey. To reflect the quality of the whiskey, Connemara has recently been rebranded to enable it to pay homage to its roots while maintaining an appearance in keeping with modern premium spirits brands.

ENDS

www.connemarawhiskey.com

http://www.connachtrugby.ie

 
For Additional information:

Jack Teeling                                                                +353-1-8332833

Sales & Marketing Director

David O’Siochain                                                      +353-1- 6496322

Pembroke Communications

Invest in Arran
26/08/2009
 
We are pleased to announce that our Board of Directors have agreed to consider applications for inward investment in our fast growing business. A minimum threshold of £100,000 per Investor will apply with the funds being used to develop the Arran brand further in key whisky markets around the world and to lay down further bulk stocks of single malt whisky to enable us to meet future,anticipated demand.

Prospective Investors will also be offered the opportunity to buy up to the same amount in bulk whisky stocks at a discounted price to todays production cost,plus storage and insurance for the next five years.At the end of this period the company shall have the option of first refusal to buy back all or part of such stocks AT THE MARKET VALUE RULING AT THAT TIME.

Interested applicants should respond to the e-mail address shown below ,and after returning a signed,non disclosure agreement, will be provided with an investment memorandum setting out further details of this share offer.

Prospective Investors who may wish to invest less than the threshold amount shown above should also respond to the e-mail address below, stating the amount which they wish to invest.The company would make this known to our existing shareholders in the event that some may be prepared to sell their shares on a matched basis.

Email: douglas@arranwhisky.com

The Arran Malt Down Under…..
26/08/2009
 
Whisky fans in Australia will get a wonderful opportunity to sample a selection of Arran Single Malts at Whisky Live which takes place in Sydney from 31st August to 6th September 2009.

Managing Director, Euan Mitchell, is heading down under for the Tasting Expo and commented: “although our products are not yet widely available in Australia I look forward to meeting some Arran fans at what promises to be an amazing event. Whisky connoisseurs and novices alike can sample a huge array of drams with stunning Sydney harbour as the backdrop”.

Visit Arran Distillery at http://www.arranwhisky.com/