January 2010

Diageo launches the next batch of their first-ever single-cask collection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.

Following the first batch launched in September, Diageo have announced that the second batch of their single-cask collection of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies has arrived.

The project encompasses all 27 of Diageo’s Single Malts  –  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, each distillery is represented by a very restricted bottling of its Single Malt Whisky drawn from one single cask, selected after a careful examination of distillery stocks.

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 a unique take on each of the 27 distilleries’ distinctive distillery character.

The releases are being staged in four batches over several months. September 2009 saw the first release of six malts: Cardhu™ (1997), Glen Elgin™ (1998), Linkwood™ (1996), Mortlach™ (1997), Oban™ (2000) and Teaninich™ (1996).

This second release comprises:

Blair Athol™
Cragganmore™
Dalwhinnie™
Dufftown™
Glen Spey™
Strathmill™
Talisker™

For each Malt, the cask was nosed, tasted, discussed and finally chosen as a highly distinctive expression of that distillery’s Single Malts by a judging panel of acknowledged experts, including leading maturation experts and the distillery managers themselves.

In many cases, unusual cask woods will have had their influence on the final result. Perfect maturation and spirit quality have been the criteria, resulting in a bottling that delights with original and sometimes unexpected flavours whilst allowing the distillery character to still shine through.

Depending on the size of the cask and the rate of evaporation over the years since it was filled, the volume of bottles obtained can vary between approximately 600 and as little as 200.These are, consequently, extremely rare and distinctive whiskies.

Each cask is bottled at its natural cask strength.   This means that the liquid the connoisseur pours into his or her glass is exactly as it emerged directly from the cask when it was hand-picked a few months earlier by the experts – it’s as good as a dram drawn from the cask in the warehouse itself.

Classic Malts Selection spokesperson Nick Morgan said: “As we said last year when the first batch of The Managers’ Choice was launched, this is the most extensive collection we’ve ever released of single cask malt whisky bottlings, from all 27 of our operational malt distilleries. 

“Our announcement last September provoked a great deal of interest and comment. The release was a huge success, with a number of customers asking for more allocation. It met all our commercial expectations: in some territories, these bottlings turned out to be the fastest-selling limited-edition single malt whisky bottlings we have ever launched. We expect the second batch, which like before offers both celebrated and lesser-known single malt whiskies, will also be very well received.”

Full details, including tasting notes, will displayed on the Classic Malts Selection™ website www.malts.com. The updated website content 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.

ENDS

NOTES

Release dates

Stocks of the new releases are now available in UK specialist retailers. Retailers in Northern European markets (Germany, Switzerland and the Netherland) will be receiving stock in the course of January.
Release details – second release

MALT CASK FILLED NO. OF BOTTLES  WOOD

Blair Athol™ November 1995 570 Bodega Sherry European Oak
BRIEF TASTING NOTE Butter scotch nose, with sweet, deep burnt flavours.

Cragganmore™ May 1997 246 Bodega Sherry European Oak
 An oaky fruity aroma with a warm dry finish,

Dalwhinnie™ February 1992 270 Refill American Oak
 Orange marmalade aromas with smooth bitter notes.

Dufftown™ May 1997 282 Rejuvenated American Oak
 Warm fruit cake aromas with a gentler smooth taste.

Glen Spey™ January 1996 276 New American Oak
 Toasted almonds with a warm finish.

Strathmill™ December 1996 300 New American Oak
 Fresh springtime aromas with caramel on the palette.

Talisker™ December 1994 582 Bodega Sherry European Oak
 Soft peat smoke, with lots of apple sweetness.

Pack shots are available – contact Pat Roberts on +44 (0)7774 424 410 or pat@cognispr.net

Prices

The UK RRP are as follows:

Blair Athol £200
Cragganmore £250
Dalwhinnie £250
Dufftown £200
Glen Spey £200
Strathmill £200
Talisker £300

Website

See www.malts.com for full details of the release, including interviews with many of those involved in the selection process Diageo’s distilleries.

Diageo has 28 operational single malt whisky distilleries, but spirit distilled at Diageo’s new distillery at Roseisle is not available yet.

Craig Wallace

Full interview with Craig Wallace, and other details of the first The Managers’ Choice releases, can be downloaded from: ResponseSource: http://tinyurl.com/lawdxf

Distribution

The Managers’ Choice bottlings are available from specialist retailers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands only.

About Diageo

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

 The Classic Malts, The Classic Malts Selection, Blair Athol, Cardhu, Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Dufftown, Glen Elgin, Glen Spey, Linkwood, Mortlach, Oban, Strathmill, Talisker and Teaninich words and associated logos are trade marks. © 2009

Toast the Bard into the Wee Sma’ Hours!
– Society Joins up with Lennoxlove to Celebrate Burns –

The world’s leading authority on single cask, single malt whisky has joined forces with one of the country’s finest historic homes, Lennoxlove House, for a special 2010 toast to Scotland’s most famous Bard.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and Lennoxlove are offering guests an exclusive opportunity to stay at the famous 14th Century home of the Duke of Hamilton, as well as the chance to taste a rare selection of single cask, single malt whiskies.

The Society offers the world’s widest selection of single cask, single malt whiskies, with private Members’ Rooms in Edinburgh and London.

Lennoxlove, in East Lothian, has recently been restored to its former splendour and is considered one of the UK’s finest exclusive use properties. Each of the 11 rooms is luxuriously appointed and blends fine period features and state-of-the-art facilities.

As part of the special celebratory weekend, guests will be invited to make Lennoxlove House their home over 22 – 24 January. A champagne reception will be held at The Society’s Georgian Members’ Room at 28 Queen Street in Edinburgh.  A single malt tasting and dinner will follow, with Burns Karaoke for the more adventurous lads and lassies.

Visitors will receive a special insight into the life of the Burns’ family, with a visit to the nearby home of the Bard, as well as a recital of music and verse performed by the renowned Grants Brae Society.

A formal dinner dance in the Great Hall at Lennoxlove will complete the weekend’s activities. Toasts will be led by a Society Ambassador, while whisky tasting sessions will be available at the ‘Society Whisky bar’ into the wee sma’ hours!

Whiskies for the occasion have been selected from the Society’s unrivalled range of single cask, single malts, all of which have passed the rigours of the Society’s uncompromising Tasting Panel. 

Paul Miles, managing director of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “Burns is a highlight in our annual calendar and we are delighted to be celebrating the Bard in partnership with a location of such historical significance. Guests will not only be able to sample some of the world’s finest single malt whiskies, but also sit back and toast Burns in a truly unique setting.”

For further information or to book please call: 01620 828 619 or
email: ken-buchanan@lennoxlove.com

For more information about The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, visit www.smws.co.uk.

Ends         12 January 2010

Issued on behalf of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society by Weber Shandwick. For more information on or to request images contact:

Jenny McMahon    Stephanie Robertson
0131 556 6649     0131 556 6649
07770 886925    07809 665773
jmcmahon@webershandwick.com srobertson@webershandwick.com

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has over 26,000 members worldwide with Members’ Rooms, in Edinburgh and London. The Society bottles single casks from a range of over 125 malt whisky distilleries. Only the very best single cask, single malt whisky is selected, having been approved by the Society’s Tasting Panel

Winter approaches and I trust your thoughts are turning, as always, to Highland Park.

I am really excited about our latest release which, as a high-strength whisky that is bursting with flavour, is perfect for this time of year and will warm you on the chilliest of days.

Earl Magnus is a 15 year old Highland Park with the addition of some casks from the early 1990s to add even greater depth and a firmer structure. It takes its name from the most famous of the Viking Earls of Orkney, in whose memory the stunning cathedral in Kirkwall was built (less than a mile from the distillery) and stands as a testament to the craftsmanship of medieval master masons.

The Highland Park archive is home to many venerable bottles; one in particular, dating from the late 19th century, fits perfectly as an inspiration for celebrating the life of Earl Magnus, featuring an image of the saint taken from an ancient stained glass window.

The whisky has been created by Max MacFarlane, Whisky Maker, and is bottled at 52.6%. He has supplied the following tasting note for Earl Magnus:

Appearance: Golden honey, clear and bright.
Nose: Cedarwood and lemon. Mango chunks with hints of ginger and cinnamon bark.
Palate: Vanilla, balanced smokiness, milk chocolate and crystallized ginger.
Finish: Medium sweet with lingering spiciness.

Earl Magnus costs £85 per bottle and will be available in the UK, Canada, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Russia, Scandinavia and Switzerland. This bottling is a limit release of only 5976 bottles.

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

Gerry
Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2010

Well after a hectic last few days before Christmas we were all looking forward to a Christmas break which started mildly enough in Portsoy with the snow which had fallen just before Christmas totally disappeared by the 25th. However by the time New Year came we had our share of cold weather and snow which got worse in the first week of January. Some of the team couldn’t make it in due to the roads being closed and so with threats of the gas supplies possibly being shut-off we have delayed start-up for a week. We should now be ready to start next week by which time I will be in Canada heading for the Victoria Whisky Festival.

For those of you who have been following my ramblings during last year, you will remember that we produced a small amount of peated spirit at the end of the year. While we are still awaiting the analyses of the spirit and the measured phenol levels, both Graham and I were pleased with the taste of the spirit and are sure that this will produce excellent whisky in future years. Later this year we will make available a very small amount of bottles of the peated new make spirit and more details of the unique way in which we will sell this product will be available shortly.

Finally although we have had some snow, I know that many of you have fared worse than us and indeed some of other Scotch Whisky companies have suffered considerably with warehouse roof collapses. To date we have not been affected by this and I can only hope that the thaw, when it comes, does not do too much damage.

Slange

Stuart

PRESS RELEASE: Jan 12 2010

PIONEERING SPIRITS…

A UNIQUE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE HOTEL DU VIN/MALMAISON GROUP AND THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY BRINGS EXCLUSIVE MALT WHISKIES TO ALL

The Hotel du Vin / Malmaison Group and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society are announcing an exciting new collaboration to provide Society members and non-members the opportunity to sample and enjoy some of the world’s rarest malt whiskies in the superb environment of Hotel du Vin and Malmaison hotels.

Until now members have been able to enjoy the Society’s single cask, single malt whiskies in its three members-only venues throughout the UK; two in Edinburgh and one in London.  This unique partnership will now enable the Society’s 26,000 worldwide members to enjoy its limited edition bottlings, Society members’ events and luxurious ‘Society Suite’ hotel rooms in three new properties as from the end of January 2010.  

Aberdeen’s Malmaison, Birmingham’s Hotel du Vin and Brighton’s Hotel du Vin will all open their doors later this month with a special Society snug – the ‘Whisky Snuggle’; dedicated lounges and bar areas where Society members and hotel guests can discover a range of different Society bottlings in unique and inspiring atmospheres.

Commenting on the partnership, Robert B.Cook, Chief Executive Officer, Hotel du Vin and Malmaison, says: “We are always looking at ways in which to innovate and bring something very special and unique to our customers.  The Hotel du Vin and Malmaison Group together with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society share the same passion for excellence and I believe it is a natural business fit for us.   We are confident that this collaboration will be a success.

Paul Miles, Managing Director of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, commented: “This partnership will allow members, prospective members and their guests to truly immerse themselves in the relaxed atmosphere that the Society is renowned for now in the luxurious surroundings of the Hotel du Vin & Malmaison Group hotels.  We look forward to offering an increasing number of members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society the opportunity to sample Society malts on their door step with members’ dram prices and special offers on dinner and rooms while non-members will be able to sample Society whiskies and learn about the benefits of Society membership.”

Launch Opening Dates:

Aberdeen Malmaison: January 22 2010

Birmingham Hotel du Vin: January 29 2010

Brighton Hotel du Vin: February 5 2010

– Ends-

Media Contacts:

Issued on behalf of Hotel du Vin/Malmaison Group and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society by The Big Partnership.  Contacts:

The Big Partnership: Kelly Kilner or Linda Edstrand on 0131 555 5522

Kelly.Kilner@bigpartnership.co.uk or  Linda.Edstrand@bigpartnership.co.uk

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society: Mark van der Vijver on 0131 555 2266

Mark@smws.com

Notes to Editor

HOTEL DU VIN AND MALMAISON GROUP

Malmaison and Hotel du Vin are recognised as the UK’s leading lifestyle hotel group with 1,900 bedrooms across the UK.  Recipient of the following awards:

2009

Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year – Scottish Restaurant Awards 2009

2008

Conde Nast Gold List

Travel and Leisure top 500

Travel and Leisure Food & Wine Go-list winners

Catering in Scotland – Hotel of the Year

Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards – Glasgow Hotel of the Year

Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards – Chef of the Year

Bistro accredited with 3AA Rosettes

Best small traditional Venue – Scottish Event Awards 2008

THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

Membership of the Society provides the following

The opportunity to sample and buy from the world’s widest selection of single cask, single malt whiskies. The Society bottles over 200 single casks every year from 126 distilleries.

Attend a range of whisky tastings and events around the UK and at our three venues.

Use the Members’ Rooms bars and restaurant in Edinburgh, Leith and London.

Receive the award winning quarterly magazine Unfiltered and have full access to the website at www.smws.co.uk

New members also receive the Society’s beautiful membership pack, which includes four different 10cl bottles of single cask, single malt whisky together with their Members’ Handbook and membership card

Individual Membership costs from £100 for the first year. Annual renewal thereafter costs from £49.50.

Membership information:

To join please apply online at www.smws.co.uk or call (+44) 131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm)

For Immediate Release

Rocky Mountain Technology Ventures
Aurora, Colorado
www.RMTVentures.com
apple.development@rmtventures.com

iDistillery is a comprehensive iPhone application on Scotland whisky distilleries that includes detailed information on 127 scotch producers. This app provides in-depth information on the history, location tour hours and other interesting and useful facts and figures on each distillery. This is a must have app if you plan on traveling to Scotland to visit distilleries. Additionally, this is an excellent reference for any whisky / scotch connoisseur that wants to take their knowledge of Scottish distilleries to the next level.

iDistillery Features

Region Profiles − Detailed information and characteristics on each of the Scottish whisky producing regions including the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Campbeltown and Islay.

Distilleries by Region − Provides the ability to find and sort distilleries by region simply by clicking on a given section of the map.

Critical Distillery Data − Provides data on each Scotland distillery including address, phone number, website, longitude and latitude, production status, region etc…

Production Process Overview − Detailed information on each step of the whisky production process.

Map View − Obtain a map to distilleries based on your location using on the iPhone map kit and the internal GPS. These zoomable maps are invaluable to help you find your way.

Tour Tips and Hints − Tips and hints to help you get the most out of your distillery tours.

Audio Files − Sound files for each distillery (provides pronunciation).

Distillery Overview − Information on the history, interesting facts and visitor center hours for each distillery.

iDistillery Quiz − Test your knowledge of whisky / scotch / distilleries with the distillery quiz.

Closed Distilleries − iDistillery even includes information on Scottish whisky distilleries that have long since closed down such as Port Ellen, Rosebank, Kinclaith and other producers of rare scotches.

iDistillery can be downloaded from the iTunes store at:
http://tinyurl.com/iDistillery

The entire Maltstock crew wishes everybody a dram good 2010!

The year 2009 was very special for us because we saw the realization of a dream: Maltstock!

We hope to see you all (again) at the second edition of Maltstock 3 – 5 September 2010

The new website is online: www.maltstock.com

Share and enjoy!

Bob, Teun, Arthur, Rogier, Eline and the entire Maltstock crew

Join Our American Whiskey Club

We seek out unique expressions of American whiskeys that we find to be particularly delectable and buy an allotment. The whiskey you receive in our club is meticulously taste-selected by our devoted staff. It is unique to D&M as well as your personal collection!

By joining our club, you will receive a bottle every 3 months of the best that American Whiskey has to offer – shipped right to your home or office along with background material on the producer and our staff’s tasting notes on the product.

The cost tops out at $100 but usually much lower.

In December of this 2009 our club members  received a bottle of  Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – D&M Exclussive  Barrel # 22-1 A. Warehouse# 13N. 55.1%.  Lots of fruit on the nose: raspberry and bananas, floral with sasparilla and vanilla aromas. The palate is very floral (rose petals) with cinnamon, allspice, bananas, tropical fruit, fresh pepercorn and a touch of honey in the finish. D&M Tasting Notes.

Legend has it, the name is a result of the founder of Four Roses, Paul Jones, proposing to a Southern belle. She replied that were her answer yes, she’ll wear a corsage of roses to the upcoming grand ball. Lo and behold, the night came and the propositioned had adorned herself with a corsage of four red roses. The bourbon received this sobriquet as a result of Paul Jones wishing to draw comparison between his love and passion for that particular Southern belle and his Four Roses Bourbon.

Despite exacting measures of quality, Four Roses found itself out of the United States for over 40 years. This was a result of Seagram purchasing the Frankfort Distilling Co., and in the process acquiring Four Roses Bourbon, in 1943. Much of the Four Roses whiskey went to rounding out and beefing up blended whiskies. At the same time, the brand was moved internationally in order to focus on the growing market in countries throughout Europe and Asia. In 2002, ownership changed again. Four Roses ceased their blended whiskey production in favor of producing 100% Kentucky Straight Bourbon. At the same time, the brand was reintroduced to the U.S. market.

Four Roses is the only Bourbon on the market that produces 10 different recipes under the same label. There are only 2 different mash bills. One being 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley. The other being 60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley. The other difference in their recipes comes from the 5 yeast strains that they use. All their yeast is cultured on premises by Four Roses (many distilleries buy their yeast strains in bulk and have it shipped in). The yeasts can lend to very different flavor profiles as demonstrated in Four Roses different products, they even tell you which recipe they’re using on the bottle.

Suggested list price for this exclusive bottle is $90.00 but our club members only paid $69.99.

Visit D&M American Whiskey Club at http://www.dandm.com/clubs_american_whiskey.php?cat=clubs&subcat=American+Whiskey+Club

The Macallan 1824 Collection – Well travelled and highly acknowledged 

 
Our Macallan team returning from the annual Global Travel Retail Exhibition in Cannes had to pay excess baggage for all the awards received for our new 1824 Collection, available exclusively in Travel Retail*.  The Macallan is already renowned as the world’s most precious whisky, but with these new feathers to our bow we are bursting with pride and wanted to share this fantastic news.

And with Christmas (W.I. apologizes for the tardiness in publishing this article/press release) just around the corner here are some award-winning gift ideas that will earn you serious brownie points…
 
As one of the only Masters of Wood in the industry, our own George Espie is the mastermind behind Select Oak, having hand-selected some of our most expensive hogshead sherry oak casks to deliver a single malt of extraordinary smoothness, remarkable sweetness and depth.

Or why not try a very special single malt made from barley grown on The Macallan Estate? Whisky Maker’s Edition has been handcrafted by our Whisky Maker, Bob Dalgarno, to produce a spicy, oily and fruity dram that is Bob’s personal favourite and will no doubt draw you in, too.

   
Estate Reserve takes you back to days gone by when liquid was drawn from a cask at marrying strength and on special occasions presented to the Directors of The Macallan Estate. Non-chill filtering makes this an especially elegant single malt.

In addition, The Spirits Masters 2009 awarded Estate Reserve the best of the best as Travel Retail Grand Master.
   
  
The crème de la crème has to be the 1824 Limited Release. This simply sublime liquid is drawn from some of the rarest Spanish sherry seasoned oak casks on The Macallan Estate and presented in a hand-made crystal decanter, hand decorated by a Scottish silversmith.

  
Remember, this range is only available in Travel Retail*, so look out for The Macallan 1824 Collection the next time you travel, and treat yourself or loved one.

You can now follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and on our own Macallan Blog.

As we say in Scotland when toasting an exquisite dram: Sláinte!
 
The Macallan
www.themcallan.com

NEW WHISKY BRAND LAUNCHES IN USA

December 2009; Ian Macleod Distillers is officially launching a brand new Scotch whisky into the USA aimed at the modern consumer. 

SMOKEHEAD is a contemporary, individual and exciting whisky, already available in premium bars and retailers across the UK and worldwide.

The brand uses innovative, ‘stand-out’ designer packaging resulting in ‘wow’ factor and brand value. The main front bottle label is uniquely placed on the bottle rear reflecting a variety of adjectives such as Robust, Outrageous, Monstrous and Boisterous, (alluding to the powerful taste of the malt inside), back through the spirit itself.

“Unlike some contemporary whisky brands that have appeared recently on the market, Smokehead is not a subtle flavour,” said Iain Weir, Marketing Director for Ian Macleod.  “Smokehead is a heavily peated Islay single malt scotch whisky of the highest quality!.” 

It’s like a cannonball – an explosive rollercoaster of peat, smoke and spice with some delicate sweetness. The single malt flavour is described as fresh, fruity and immense, with notes of sherry, iodine, toffee, smoke and sea salt.  The taste hits the palate at once with cocoa, peat and some honey sweetness, before exploding with peppery spice and more earthy peat.

The launch of Smokehead in the USA follows considerable consumer research, which found that consumers either love or hate Islay malts.  Those who love them, of which there is a large market, are extremely loyal and so this new product has been launched to target these “Smokeheads”.  The launch will be supported by a full sales and marketing programme.

Iain Weir concluded, “The initial reaction to SMOKEHEAD globally has been outstanding!  Smokehead won Design of the Year at the Wine & Spirit Design Awards 2007 (W&SDA) and a Gold Award on its debut at the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge (SFWC) 2006/7. We expect to create a very strong brand ideally suited to the new generation of adventurous malt whisky drinkers in the USA  who are looking for an exciting, accesible and innovative modern brand which does not use old-fashioned Scotch whisky imagery and heritage.  We are confident that this malt whisky will prove highly successful in the USA.”

Curious to discover more, please contact Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd on tel:
 00 44 1506 852205 or see www.smokehead.co.uk
In the U.S.A. contact:
ImpEx Beverages, Inc.
650-872-1114
office@impexbev.com
(Smokehead encourages responsible drinking)

Tasting notes:

Nose: Heavy smoke and peat.   Amazing richness.   Lemon, fresh ginger, plum jam.   Salty and spicy.  
Body: Like a cannonball – hits the palate at once with cocoa, peat and some honey sweetness then explodes with peppery spice and more earthy peat.   Spreads to all the areas of your mouth with more peat and light sweetness.
Finish: Even more peat, spice, mandarin – then dries up.   When you think it’s all over the peat comes back to hit you again.

Impression A rollercoaster of peat and spice with some delicate sweetness.

Notes to Editors:

SMOKEHEAD, Ian Macleod Distillers new Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, was awarded the Design of the Year (Best Design/Best Dark Spirit Design) Trophy, the top accolade at the Wine & Spirit Design Awards 2007 (W&SDA).

SMOKEHEAD, the new Islay Single Malt launched by Ian Macleod Distillers, won a Gold Award on its debut at the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge (SFWC) 2006/7.