Academy Curtain Call June 23rd http://www.bruichladdich.com/
The academy, our hands-on, practical distilling experience will end this autumn.
It was Jim’s long held dream to host whisky enthusiasts and trade members at the distillery, to let them experience all aspects of the traditional whisky-making process.  It started in the spring of 2003, with groups of no more than six at any one time and quickly attracted people from all over the world. Some, notably a brain surgeon from California, enjoyed it so much they came three times. The essence has been on practical participation and dialogue rather than some slick away day, sales-orientated, corporate indoctrination.
But, since the academy was started, our business has grown rapidly.  At 800,000 OLAs we are now distilling four times as much Bruichladdich and we are bottling four times as much whisky. The burden of running the academy along these lines, with the continuing rapid growth of the company and the ever increasing health and safety implications, has simply become too demanding.
Rather than offer a scaled-down version or make it less personal, which would fundamentally undermine the very essence of the concept, Jim has decided to call it a day on the academy.
The last academy session will therefore be week commencing 5th October.

Dear Malt Messenger Subscribers,

Some news just can’t wait to be shared. It is still over a day away, but I can’t resist informing you that there is a new Ardbeg in town! Late last week while perusing the new offerings of wine, beer and spirits in the Province something caught my eye. Could it be, a new bottling of Ardbeg for Albertan’s to drool over? It was, and as I write this, it is winding its way from the Connect Logistics warehouse in St. Albert, to the Kensington Wine Market here in Calgary. I’ve been petitioning Ardbeg and their representatives in Canada, Charton Hobbs, for years to treat us to some of the more rare and limited expressions of this fine dram. I can’t take full credit for the arrival of the Arigh Nam Beist, though I’ve sent countless e-mails about it and other expressions of Ardbeg over the past four years. What I will suggest though, is that persistence pays off. Calvin Coolidge, the 30^th President of the United States once wrote: “Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” When it comes to Ardbeg, persistence is not just a virtue, it’s an obligation… so I will press on… now if only we can get some Supernova around here! More to read about Ardbeg below.

It is also just over a week until the first of two Whisky Democracy tastings. The Whisky Democracy tastings were born out of a desire to share our passion for single malts with all of you, and maybe do a little good along the way. The purpose of these tastings is to select the next two casks of whisky to be bottled for the Kensington Wine Market, and the samples are already enroute from BenRiach and Springbank distilleries for the occasions. Two of the things that makes these tastings so unique, are: firstly, the opportunity to sample whiskies right out of the barrel (Most whiskies are filtered and watered down before bottling, and such experiences can normally only be had at a handful of Scottish distilleries.); and secondly, the opportunity to try verticals of whiskies from the same distillery. Further, we will be donating the proceeds from the evenings to two different cancer charities. For more information on these tastings, and to make your voice heard see below.

I hope you enjoy this little Malt Messenger Bulletin!

Slainte!

Andrew Ferguson

Whisky Democracy I – BenRiach – Thursday July 2^nd – $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 www.kensingtonwinemarket.com..

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

Whisky Democracy II – Springbank  – Thursday July 17^th – 45pp

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!

Springbank, established 1828 is Scotland’s oldest family owned distillery, and also the only distillery in Scotland to do the entire process of making malt whisky—from malting to bottling—on site. The distillery is also alone among Scottish distillers in that it malts 100% of its own barley, and also in that it produces 3 distinct styles of whisky: Hazelburn, triple distilled and unpeated; Springbank, 2 ½ distilled and lightly peated; and Longrow, double distilled and heavily peated. Springbank, in the town of Campbeltown, on the Kintyre peninsula is without a doubt the most traditional, most hands-on distillery in Scotland. It is also the distillery which all other independents aspire to be.

Our last cask of Springbank, sampled at the distillery by myself, and 6 customers, was a huge success, and is nearly ¾ sold. We are in need of a follow up bottling, and we are looking at 6 sherry cask samples of Springbank all filled into the cask on the same day in 1996 as our Manzanilla sherry cask. We’ll sample these six Springbank samples, along with the 1996 KWM Manzanilla Sherry Cask and the 11Yr Madeira Wood as benchmarks. As with the BenRiach, there will be a comprehensive voting on the cask samples, and your feedback will be used to help us select a cask of Springbank for bottling this fall.

For this tasting we will be donating part of the proceeds to support our coworker, Lynn Rogers, who is taking part in a fundraising ride from Calgary to San Jose California. 5 teams of 6 riders (pedal bikes), will be taking turns riding the 3,700km trek over the space of 9 days as part of the 2009 Cancervive Peleton Project. Funds raised by CPP support Wellspring Calgary, a local organization that supports those who live with and those who care for those living with cancer. Lynn’s profile can be seen at: http://www.cancervive.ca/riderdetails.asp?rider=6..

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

As this event is post-Stampede, western wear is optional, but strongly discouraged… kidding of course!

 New Ardbeg in Town – Arigh Nam Beist – $93.59

After leaving Loch Uigeadial, Ardbeg’s water flows through two smaller lochs on its way to the distillery. The later of these lochs is Loch Airigh Nam Beist, ancient Scots gaelic for the “shelter of the beast”. It’s an apt name for a whisky which is bold yet restrained, and wild though tame. Nicknamed “the beastie” the whisky is a vintage Ardbeg, distilled in 1990, and bottled without chilfiltering at a cask strength of 46%. Distillers tasting note: “Nose: Smoky, ice cream, fennel, pine nuts and zesty limes. Taste: Peppery, oily mouth-feel. Maple syrup, smoky bacon, antiseptic lozenges, some vanilla, smoked meats and barbecue spices. Finish: Zesty, smoky and intriguing.” Jim Murray gave it 95pts and said: “There is only one distillery on earth that could make something so gigantic, yet so delicate. And mind blowingly complex. Smoky sophistication. 46%”

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

CONTACT:     Angela H. Traver

                        Public Relation Manager

                                    PH: 502-696-5957

                                    atraver@buffalotrace.com

For Immediate Release

 A Legend in Kentucky Bourbon Comes Home

Buffalo Trace Distillery acquires E.H. Taylor Bourbon

FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY— E.H. Taylor is coming back to the distillery where it all began. Buffalo Trace Distillery, located in Frankfort, KY, has purchased the Old Taylor Bourbon label and barrel inventory from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., maker of Jim Beam Bourbon.

“We are ecstatic about this transaction,” said Mark Brown, president and CEO of Buffalo Trace Distillery. “Part of our family is returning and we are thrilled to welcome home a true bourbon whiskey pioneer.”

Taylor, the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor, briefly lived with his great-uncle after the death of his parents. He later moved to Kentucky where he was adopted by his uncle, Col. E.H. Taylor, Sr. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Taylor went on to be a leader in the Frankfort community. He served as mayor from 1871-1887 as well as a local state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate.

Taylor’s link to Buffalo Trace dates back to 1870 when he first purchased the distillery and took on the daunting task of modernization. He later named the distillery O.F.C. (Old Fire Copper) and continued to invest large sums of money, making it a leader in the industry.

 Taylor over-extended himself financially in an effort to use the most modern equipment to make the finest bourbon whiskey available. The end result of Taylor’s financial difficulties was the sale of O.F.C. to George T. Stagg. However, even with Taylor out of the picture, the new owner moved forward using his name, as it was synonymous with fine bourbon whiskey. The award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery is proud to carry on the legacy of this great pioneer.

 “It’s an exciting, new opportunity for us,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. “We are very proud of the bourbon we produce at Buffalo Trace and to be able to carry on what E.H. Taylor started more than a century ago is a real honor.”

 For more information about Buffalo Trace Distillery please visit www.buffalotrace.com. To learn more about the other award-winning bourbons of Buffalo Trace please go to http://www.greatbourbon.com/.

About Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and has included such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo Trace has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Buffalo Trace has also garnered more than 170 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. The distillery is part of the Sazerac family of companies, which has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Franklin County, Bardstown and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland.

Please visit http://www.buffalotrace.com/

Come join the K & L crew for a very special event at Hollywood’s central stage for spirits tastings, The Blue Palms Brew House. For more than 110 years, Gordon & MacPhail has been carefully selecting, filling, maturing and bottling malt whiskies for your enjoyment and has remained independent and family owned throughout its long history. Now the proud owners of Benromach Distillery in Forres, the company is also distilling the precious Benromach Spirit again and is bringing this exceptional single Speyside malt – a secret for far too long – to whisky drinkers the world over. This wonderful establishment still based at its original location in Elgin, has become ubiquitous with the world’s finest single malts. G & M nearly single handedly developed the single malt category by trusting the quality of the distillers when everyone else was blending their malts. Their unique method of buying new whisky, aging and bottling the malt themselves has given us some of the finest examples of Scotch the world has ever known. This wonderful event will feature 9 of the worlds finest Malts and significant discounts will be available for those who attend. Seating is very limited.

Visit http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1047077 to book your seat for this event.

Summer is finally here, though the weather may be saying differently depending on where you live!
As always, Preiss Imports is keeping the whisky portfolio interesting, with some new Springbank limited releases as well as new offerings from Duncan Taylor. We don’t yet have ratings on these new whiskies yet, but we should have them by next month.
Details are being finalized, but I wanted to mention we are organizing a new event called The Whisky Road Show to be held in a large tasting style in some key metropolitan markets. This Road Show will feature our Scotch Whisky Companies with a representative from each of them, and a night-long seminar with tastings presented by these experts. It will certainly be educational and quite fun. I will keep you updated as to the details as they emerge. I know there are tentative plans around the WhiskyFest events – so Las Vegas (though WF is in SF) Road Show in October and Cincinnati in November.
Cheers,
Ken Young
Preiss Imports
ken@preissimports.com

Springbank Sherry Cask Expressions Now Available  
Amontilado – Fino – Cream Sherry
 
Earlier in the year, we ordered 3 sherry finished whiskies from Springbank Distillers. As always, these highly-demanded limited expressions won’t last long. For the U.S., there are 150 six-packs available, of which about half have been presold.
 
These fine expressions will be available at the country’s leading retailers

Got Single Grain?
 
Duncan Taylor continues their mission of providing quality whiskies with award winning single grains. We are proud to announce 5 new single grain whiskies. 
 
DT 1978 Cameronbridge Grain 30 year old Cask #12
DT 1979 Cameronbridge Grain 30 year old cask #3584
DT 1979 Carsebridge Grain 30 year old  cask #33041
DT 1978 North British Grain 30 year old cask # 38473
DT 1980 Strathclyde Grain 29 yr old Cask #1497
 
These whiskies offer an great value, retailing between $130 to $170. These are all single cask, cask strength bottlings.
 
If you haven’t had a chance to explore single grain whiskies, now is the time!
 
More Single Malt Arrivals from Duncan Taylor

DT 1990 Royal Lochnagar 18 yr old Cask #355
DT 1980 Strathclyde 29 yr old Cask #1497
DT 1990 Dalmore 18 yr old  cask #D311
DT NC2 1996 Ben Nevis 12 yr old

SPOTLIGHT
BenRiach Single Cask Limited Release 1991 16 year old Claret Finish Cask# 6903
 
This limited release was handpicked by the staff at Preiss Imports. We sampled a total of 12 single casks and ordered the two best, one of which was the Claret finish.
 
F Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal Rated this 4 Stars, Highly Recommended; here is the full review –
 
“Gorgeous medium amber/saffron/autumnal gold color; flawless clarity. Notes of bacon fat, pork rind, peanut oil, and fried banana abound in the exceedingly pleasant opening aroma; following an additional nine-minute aeration period, the bacon fat/cooking oil aspect surges ahead, giving the impression of early rancio and extreme nuttiness. Entry features gently sweet flavor profile notes of nutmeg, light toffee, light fudge, and almond paste; midpalate focuses on both the candied and wood aspects as the flavors run semisweet, sap-like, bark-like, and mildly peppery, even custard-and-creme-brulee-like into the first stage of the spirity finish. This one is a sinewy, savory mouthful that keeps unfolding and wandering into increasingly decadent and oily/buttery territory.”

We’ve sold through most of this one, but there are still 58 bottles left in our warehouse, and certainly some still in retail. You may still find some on the shelves at the fine retailers in Massachusetts or The Wine Specialist in DC.

A Reminder Of Online Newsletter Archive
You can now access all of our single malt newsletters in an online archive. Please make note of the link –
 
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs052/1102498794592/archive/1102544704796.html

The late Michael Jackson was a huge fan of Highland Park. In his seminal Malt Whisky Companion, he referred to it as “this great Orcadian distillery” and went on to write;

“Highland Park is the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky. It is definitely in an island style, but combining all the elements of a classic single malt: smokiness (with its own heather-honey accent), maltiness, smoothness, roundness, fullness of flavour, and length of finish.”

Little wonder, then, that he scored Highland Park 25 year old a whopping 95 out of 100.

Michael, for many the most influential whisky writer in the world, died from a heart attack in August 2007 having suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for over ten years. He is sorely missed in the whisky industry for his knowledge and generosity of spirit.

We are, therefore, only too happy to let you know about the launch of Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser, a project celebrating Michael’s enduring legacy. International writers on beer and whisky have each donated an original essay with all proceeds from the publication going to the Parkinson’s Society of the UK.

Contributors include whisky luminaries such as Dave Broom of Whisky Magazine Japan, John Hansell of Malt Advocate, Scotland’s foremost whisky writer Charles MacLean and F Paul Pacult of Spirit Journal.

Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser is a 176-page volume; hard cover bound in laminated covers with an illustration of Michael Jackson by artist Gill Allan and with place ribbon. Published by Classic Expressions Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser is available at £12.99.

For more information about Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser visit http://www.classicexpressions.co.uk/

For more information about the Best Spirit in the World visit http://www.highlandpark.co.uk/splash.asp

Gerry
Head of Brand Education, Highland Park

Highland Park is owned by The Edrington Group, a private limited company registered in Scotland (Registered Number SC 36374) with its Registered Office at The Edrington Group, 2500 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G15 6RW.

Malt Messenger Bulletin – Father’s Day Gift Sets

Dear Malt Messenger Subscirbers,

Some of you may have missed this in the Malt Messenger earlier this week, so I have rehashed it in a little bulletin.  Father’s Day is this Sunday, and if you haven’t already figured out what to give your father or husband, we have just the thing…

For Father’s Day 2009 we have come up with a couple of unique gift sets for dad. Why just give dad a bottle, when you can surprise him with a kit including a book, whisky glass, magazine and a fine bottle of single malt whisky, all beautifully packaged in an appropriate gift basket! The kits come with your choice of whisky, either Kensington Wine Market’s private cask bottling of Springbank 1996 Mazanilla Cask, or the Aberlour 10Yr. The kits are as follows:

1. Father’s Day Gift Package Springbank – $149.99 + GST
   • 1 x Bottle of Springbank 1996 KWM Manzanilla Cask
   • 1 x Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2009
   • 1 x Glencairn Single Malt Glass
   • 1 x Malt Advocate Magazine Volume 18 No. 2
   • 1 x Waving Barley Gift Basket
2. Father’s Day Gift Package Aberlour – $84.99 + GST
   • 1 x Bottle of Aberlour 10Yr
   • 1 x Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2009
   • 1 x Glencairn Single Malt Glass
   • 1 x Malt Advocate Magazine Volume 18 No. 2
   • 1 x Waving Barley Gift Basket

“Give your father the kind of gift that says “I know you’re hard to shop for, but this is cool!”

We have already had some interest in these sets and are only able to offer them in limited quantities. Please call the store ASAP to order if you are interested.

———————

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

The Whisky Exchange in London has various gift packs of single malts on sale; Bowmore, Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Johnnie Walker, Irish Whiskey and three different versions of the Classic Malts.

Visit The Whisky Exchange for full details on these great buys at http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Glenfarclas 10 Years Old

Summer Tasting Events

We are currently participating in the Harrods Famous Wine Families promotion, and later in the summer will be presenting Glenfarclas Tastings for Dufftown 2000. Please find to follow the details. We will also be at Whisky Fringe, but regret to advise that tickets have already sold out.

5th August 2009
Glenfarclas Nosing in Dufftown
8PM at the Commercial Hall
To book please contact The Whisky Shop, Dufftown on +44 (0) 1340 821097

Author : john eccleston E-mail : john@opengatemarketing.com

URL : http://www.interbevgroup.com

International Beverage Expands Commitment to USA By Assigning Speyburn and Old Pulteney Brands to U.S. Subsidiary

— InterBev USA to Market Inver House Distillers Portfolio Effective Aug. 1, 2009 —

AIRDRIE, SCOTLAND/NEW YORK, N.Y., June 16, 2009 — In a move to strengthen its commitment to the U.S. marketplace, International Beverage (InterBev), a wholly owned subsidiary of the $2.6 billion publicly traded leading alcohol beverage producer Thai Bev, today announced it has assigned its Speyburn and Old Pulteney brands to International Beverage USA (InterBev USA), its New York City subsidiary. InterBev USA takes the reins of the Scotland-based Inver House Distillers portfolio in the U.S. effective Aug. 1, 2009.

After investigating various options, the company’s U.S. subsidiary emerged as the most logical choice to manage growth of Inver House Distillers brands in the USA. InterBev USA, which imports and markets Chang Beer and Mekhong — The Spirit of Thailand, is well positioned to grow the Inver House Distillers portfolio and take on additional products produced by Thai Bev.

“Having the Inver House Distillers portfolio under InterBev USA will allow us to manage our brands more effectively in the states and provides us with more focus and commitment to building our relationships with our trade partners and consumers,” said International Beverage president Barrie Jackson. “We established the regional headquarters in 2006 as a long-term investment in the U.S. market, and that has begun to pay dividends with the success of our Chang Beer brand and more recently Mekhong. Placing Inver House Distillers brands with our U.S. subsidiary underscores the commitment to strengthening our position in this important marketplace.

“InterBev USA is now well established with a highly skilled team of spirits professionals and we expect to take full advantage of its strong relationships in core markets to grow our Speyburn and Old Pulteney business as well as introduce other Inver House Distillers and InterBev brands that will be exported to the U.S. in due course,” said Jackson.

John Lennon, president of InterBev USA, said he is delighted to have Inver House Distillers brands in the company’s portfolio and has already begun working on a seamless transition with Constellation Wines US, which currently imports the Inver House Distillers brands.

“We are excited and honored to be stewards of the multi-award winning Inver House Distillers portfolio and to be working with the ‘International Distiller of the Year,” said Lennon. “There is a tremendous opportunity to build on the success of Speyburn and Old Pulteney here in the U.S. and introduce other Inver House Distillers brands into the marketplace. We will be making a sizeable investment in resources to ensure our success with these brands and will work closely with our trade partners to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

More About International Beverage (InterBev)

International Beverage is a wholly owned subsidiary of ThaiBev Group and is responsible for the production, distribution and marketing of a portfolio of premium, global beverage brands.

InterBev was established in 2005 to facilitate the continued expansion of the drinks business outside of Thailand. Global operations are managed out of four regional headquarters located in the United Kingdom, Singapore, China and the USA. InterBev exports its brands to more than 84 countries outside Thailand and its operations include distilleries in Scotland, China and across South East Asia.

More About International Beverage USA (InterBev USA) International Beverage USA (InterBev USA) is a subsidiary of InterBev and was established in 2006. The operation is charged with developing the company’s diverse international portfolio of branded Asian spirits and beer, and now the Inver House Distillers portfolio from Scotland, throughout the U.S.

InterBev USA is headed by long-time beer and spirits industry veteran John J. Lennon, who serves as president of the company. The company has East Coast and West Coast sales offices that service the U.S. nationwide. Current brands include international award-winning Chang Beer, the fastest growing Asian import in the U.S., and Mekhong – The Spirit of Thailand, which has received a number of international tasting awards and is capturing the imagination of noted mixologists in New York City and elsewhere.

More about Inver House Distillers:

Inver House Distillers is a subsidiary of InterBev and is increasingly recognized as one of the industry’s most innovative companies, having developed a diverse, high quality portfolio of brands, which contributed to Inver House Distillers being named as International Distiller of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards in 2008. The company also captured 11 medals at the International Spirits Challenge 2008, closely following the distillers’ wins of 13 medals at the Scotch Whisky Masters Awards and 15 awards at the International Wine & Spirits Competition.

The company operates five distilleries (Pulteney, Balblair, Speyburn, Knockdhu and Balmenach). Inver House products are currently sold in 85 countries worldwide.

More About Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (Thai Bev) ThaiBev was incorporated in Thailand in October 2003 in order to consolidate Thailand’s leading beer, spirits and non-alcohol businesses owned by the principal shareholders and their business associates under a single holding company. ThaiBev was subsequently listed on the Singapore Exchange (“SGX”) on May 30, 2006. The listing was the largest in Singapore in ten years, raising US$1.574 billion (or Baht 38.08 billion) and received great interest.

The major substantial shareholder in ThaiBev is Mr. Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, family and associates, who own approximately 64.94% of the company’s paid-up share capital (as of December 31, 2007), the rest being held by private groups, investment institutions and retail investors.