Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Happy Stampede! 

Yes, it’s that time of year again, time to dust off your boots, get your Wranglers out of the closet and don your hat. We’re half way through Canada’s biggest party, the pancakes are flying, the beer is flowing and cowboys are spinning cowgirls around the dance floor (each of them wondering if the other checked their wedding ring at the door…)! Yes, its Stampede time, and I have but one question for you: do you have a hat? If you don’t we may be able to help you rectify that. The importer of the new Don Manuel tequilas is also the owner of Smithbilt Hats, and for a limited time if you buy a bottle, you’ll also get a hat. For more information, see below.

Also, the Whisky Democracy tastings are rapidly approaching.  Whisky Democracy I – BenRiach, was supposed to be last Thursday, but we had to move the tasting to this coming Wednesday when the samples were held up in customs. As a result there are now four spaces open for this tasting which was formerly sold out.  If you don’t have any plans to tromp around the grounds or catch the Chuck Waggons tomorrow night, you should consider moseying down to the Kensington Wine Market to sample a few drams and help us rustle up our next cask. More information on Whisky Democracy I – BenRiach below.

I hope you enjoy this little Malt Messenger Bulletin.  The next full edition of the Malt Messenger should be out soon.

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

(The paragraph that used to occupy this space was removed by the censor at Whisky Intelligence for talking about a spirit that was not whisky).

Whisky Democracy I – BenRiach – Wednesday July 8th – $40pp

The best thing about Democracy is having the opportunity to make your voice heard; it’s about time that we applied that logic to malt whisky. If you’d like to have the opportunity to help select our next cask of whisky, then this tasting is for you!

BenRiach is not as well known as some of its neighbors in the Speyside, but it is one of the most dynamic of the regions distilleries, and one of but 4 which are independently owned and operated. Though first opened in 1898 the distillery spent most of the last century in an inactive state after closing in 1903. Its malting however remained open to supply its sister distillery Longmorn. The distillery was reopened in 1963 by Glenlivet Distillers and in 1983 then owners Seagrams began producing a heavily peated single malt. The distillery was again closed in 2002 but was quickly reopened by Billy Walker, formerly of Burn Stewart Distillers, in partnership with South African Intra Trading. In 2007 BenRiach was named Distillery of the Year by Malt Advocate Magazine.

At this tasting you will sample 6 cask samples of BenRiach single malt—3 of them produced from peated barley, and 3 of them unpeated barley—as well as 2 benchmark BenRiach bottlings for comparison: the 15Yr Madeira Finish and 12Yr Herodotus Fumosus. There will be a comprehensive voting on the cask samples, and your feedback will be used to help us select a cask of BenRiach for bottling this fall.

In addition, part of the proceeds from this evening will be going to a worthy cause. Kensington Wine Market alumnus Tom Firth is participating in the Ride to Conquer Cancer later this month, in honour of his late mother.  KWM will be donating up to $300 from this event towards Tom’s fundraising goal. For more information on Tom Firth and his efforts you can visit: http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Alberta2009?px=1867886&pg=personal&fr_id=1282

To register for this event drop by the store, call us at 403-283-8000 or visit our website at http://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/

As it is the day before the Stampede, western wear is optional… but encouraged!

 ____________________

If you have any whisky questions or comments concerning The Malt Messenger please contact me by e-mail, phone, or drop by the store. Feel free to forward me any whisky news you feel should be included in a future issue of The Malt Messenger; it might just get included.

All of the products mentioned in THE MALT MESSENGER can be purchased in store, over the phone or from our website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com.. All prices quoted in the Malt Messenger are subject to change!

Thanks for reading the Malt Messenger!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson
KWM Scotchguy

403-283-8000
888-283-9004
1257 Kensington Rd. NW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2N 3P8

scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com

MEDIA RELEASE
Monday, June 29, 2009

DUNCAN TAYLOR TO RELAUNCH RARE OLD RANGE

The critically acclaimed and award winning Rare Auld collection from Duncan Taylor is being relaunched as from 1st July.

The Icons of Whisky Independent Bottler of the Year is giving their Rare Old range of single malt and single grain scotch whiskies a packaging makeover, which, is hoped will give the brands a more distinctive feel.

Mr Shand said:  “The majority of whiskies in this range are over 30 years old and the brief was to create a new image which reflects the quality and heritage of these fine whiskies.

With such a diverse range from a variety of cask types, it became clear we needed packaging that worked harder at educating the consumer, while at the same time achieving shelf standout.  We believe we have achieved this with the new two-tone box, which encases each bottle.

The gift boxes will remain colour coded according to the region of origin as this has researched well amongst consumers across the globe.

What has not changed however is the whiskies, which are left to mature at the original distillery to allow it to age in the environment in which it was distilled. Once it reaches its optimum age and quality, the whisky is bottled by hand as single casks at cask strength with no chill filtration or colouring. Each bottle of this collection is individually identified with information detailing the distillery and region of origin, distillation date, cask number, cask strength, date bottled and individual bottle number from the limited number available in each cask.

Bottlings are available in 700ml, 750ml and 50ml from £50.

http://www.duncantaylor.com/

/ends

For further press information contact Judith@olearypr.co.uk or telephone 01383 432608

Prestige Whisky is a retailer born out of the idea that whisky should be an aspiration, part of the range of products and choices that make up our customers self image and style. So we view rare and exclusive whisky as a major (if specialized) consumer choice. As such we’ve developed over the last 12 months a web capability at http://www.prestigewhisky.com/ to showcase the very best in malt whisky whilst at the same time offering a level of consumer service second to none.

To quote the mission statement from our website :

We will deliver an exclusive, personal service coupled with comprehensive knowledge of whisky and a first rate range of rare and exclusive whiskies and ensure we deliver to all of our customers simply, “quality without compromise at every stage”

We also have other services waiting in the wings or already launched on the website. These include :

 Whisky personal shopper service
 Whisky gift finder
 Personalized Calligraphy certificates
 Whisky auctions

As a business we’re really excited to be launching now, we think our project is fun and inspirational – at a time when the economy is in recession we hope that small companies like Prestige Whisky can help show the way forward into a more general economic recovery. We’re proud to be based in West Yorkshire (Leeds) and have some exciting expansion plans as the business grows.

As well as the website you can find details of Prestige Whisky at our blog : http://prestigewhisky.blogspot.com and via Twitter where our name is ‘whisky1’

Philip Knight
Partner
Prestige Whisky

Dave Broom joins Malt Advocate as contributing writer

Malt Advocate magazine is pleased to announce that Dave Broom will be writing for the magazine in the future. In fact, his first feature on Japanese whisky will debut in the next issue, due out on September 1, 2009.

“Dave Broom is my friend and someone I respect very much professionally,” says Publisher and Editor John Hansell. “Based on comments from our readers, they feel the same way.”

John has always been proud of the editorial content of Malt Advocate, but there’s always room for improvement. He feels Dave will help take Malt Advocate to the next level.

For more about Malt Advocate magazine, visit http://www.maltadvocate.com/

For immediate release
Tuesday, 30 June 2009       

Old Pulteney Reveals their Oldest Whisky

Old Pulteney single malt whisky has announced the launch of their oldest and most exclusive super-premium whisky. This very rare 30 year old single malt was distilled at the most northerly distillery on the UK mainland and embodies the wind-swept and rugged character of the far north.

Matured at the distillery for 30 years in American White Oak, it offers connoisseurs of fine spirits and luxury scotch whisky enthusiasts an intensely complex single malt.

 Already renowned for its 12, 17 and 21 year old whiskies, Old Pulteney’s 30 year old is perfect as an after dinner dram or to celebrate a special occasion. It is presented in a lacquered walnut burr box which is lined with sailcloth, reflecting the brand’s unique maritime heritage.

Old Pulteney’s senior brand manager, Iain Baxter: “We are really excited about the launch of our oldest ever Old Pulteney. This whisky has been looked after at the distillery for 30 years and the age contributes a huge amount of complexity. It has all the hallmarks of Old Pulteney; spice and green apples, and sweet vanilla and coconut notes from the American Oak. But unusually for such an old whisky there’s a remarkable touch of tropical fruit on the nose – some people have picked up guavas and mangos! I’d say that for a malt whisky with so much age and depth, it’s still incredibly approachable.”

To tie in with the launch of the whisky, Old Pulteney is running an online competition where visitors can win a bottle of this exclusive whisky. Each month for the next six months, visitors to the Old Pulteney website can guess where they think bottles of a missing crate of the 30 year old went missing around the coast of Wick where the distillery is based. You can find the competition at http://www.oldpulteney.com/30yearold/

Old Pulteney 30 year old retails at £250 in the UK, and due to limited supply it will be available from specialist stores only. 

-ends-

For further information please contact Janice or Ines at Burt Greener Communications on 0141 248 6007 or janice@burtgreener.co.uk or ines@burtgreener.co.uk

Note to Editors

The Old Pulteney portfolio also includes:

Old Pulteney 12 Year Old (40%)  £24.49
Old Pulteney 17 Year Old (46%)  £45.00 
Old Pulteney 21 Year Old (46%)  £65.00

Inver House Distillers http://www.inverhouse.com/   has been globally integrated into International Beverage Holdings and will drive the production, distillation and maturation of Scotch through its five distilleries.

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

Those brands include:

 Chang Beer: one of the most popular beers in Thailand with an increasing presence throughout Asia and the rest of the world.
 Single Malt Scotch Whiskies: Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc, Speyburn
 Blended Whiskies: Hankey Bannister
 Mekhong: the ‘the Spirit of Thailand’ since 1941

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

Privately owned Islay distiller Bruichladdich has appointed Blavod Extreme Spirits to distribute Bruichladdich Islay single malt whisky and a selection of its other brands in the UK

Blavod Extreme Spirits plc, the AIM-listed drinks company based in London, is the owner of Blavod Black Vodka and Blackwoods Gin and Vodka.

It represents spirit brands Mickey Finn’s Schnapps, Molinari Sambuca, Cockspur Rum and Fernet Branca and wine agencies Château Lafite Rothschild, Royal Tokaji and Matariki.

The company is to change it’s name to Blavod Wine & Spirits Plc. to reflect the developing portfolio of prestige brands the company now distributes in addition to its own spirits.

Bruichladdich’s sales director Andrew Gray said: “Blavod is an exciting company with a  similar ethos to our own: it’s fast growing, innovative, premium and extreme – an ideal fit.”

“Amongst several imminent new releases is the second bottling of the world’s most heavily peated whisky, an even peatier Octomore; and the world’s first ever organic Islay whisky.”

Blavod’s turnover reported to March 2009 has increased by 45% in value to £6m, while growing  35% in volume over 2008. Principal shareholders include Barclays and Aviva.

Notes For Editors:

Contact:
Blavod CEO Richard Ambler on 44 (0)207 352 2096  or by email: richarda@blavod.com
Sales: Phyllis Taylor, customer services manager: 0207 3522096

Blavod Extreme Spirits plc 202 Fulham Road London SW10 9PJ www.blavodextreme.com

Bruichladdich Distillery Co. Ltd, Isle of Islay, PA49 7UN         Trade Information

Bruichladdich brands include: Links and heavily peated malts Port Charlotte and Octomore – the world’s most heavily peated whisky. Murray McDavid independently bottled range of single malts. Renegade Rum,

High Resolution Images: http://www.bruichladdich.com/trade/distillery.htm

Both companies were started in  2000 http://www.bruichladdich.com/

PRESS RELEASE
Gourmand Book Awards, Paris July 1st 2009.

Best Spirits Book in the World, 

Third Place.

There are only 2 or 3 writers in the world who know as much as Ulf Buxrud about whisky from all countries.

He already won a Best in the World Award in 2006 for a whisky book, the Rare Malts.

This year he wins third Best in the World for his book on Japanese whisky.

Japanese Whisky – Facts, Figures and Taste by Ulf Buxrud, Malmoe, Sweden.

July Outturn: Are you feeling playful? We are….
A hint of heat from that golden globe in the sky and thoughts turn to games out on the grass. Refreshments will, of course, be required and July’s First Friday serves up a winning set of 12 delicious drams.

24.107 Gorgeous toffee
Speyside Spey
£52 inc P&P
“WOW! What an aroma”

28.20 A hazelnut in every bite
Highland Southern
£45 inc P&P
“Toasted hazelnuts, walnut bread and linseed then….white chocolate”

July Society Recommendations: 24.107 & 28.20
£80 inc P&P
Buy 24.107 & 28.20 together and save £17

Enjoy!

Visit the Society at http://www.smws.co.uk/ for details on how to join the Society today. The whiskies are excellent!

From the Springbank Distillery Society; “We are having some high quality canvas prints produced which will measure 36cm x 46cm.   The initial run will be 120 prints, which will be available exclusively to Society members, at a cost of £50 each.

In the bottom right hand corner will be the print number and in the bottom left hand corner will be the members’ own personal life membership number.

If you are interested in obtaining one of these exclusive prints please e mail to society@springbankwhisky.com or telephone 01586 552009, quoting your Society membership number.  

These will be sold on a strictly first come first served basis.” http://www.springbankwhisky.com/springbank/