SOCIETY NEWSLETTER CHRISTMAS 2009

Christmas Greetings to all Society members from the staff of Springbank Distillery.

It doesn’t seem like a year has passed already.   Where does the time go?

As we get ready to wind down for the holidays and get our party frocks on, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our Society members for their support over the past year.

What a year this has been for us,  we had a visit from the Hairy Bikers and their film crew, and were included in their T.V. programme,  we also had our very first open day at Glengyle Distillery, which was a great success and saw us running around like mad people for part of the day until we settled in to enjoy ourselves.

This year also saw a crop of local barley being gathered for future use.   We had a few new releases this year, as well as two Society bottles, one thanks to our tasting panel made up of Society members.

We could not have asked for a better end to the year than the two fabulous awards from Whisky Magazine, one for Young Brand Ambassador of the year 2010 and the other for Distiller of the year 2010.    Pete and Stuart will be first at the bar at the Christmas party to buy everyone a drink to celebrate their success.

All in all a great year for Springbank.

Next year we hope to continue the practice of selecting a tasting panel for Society Bottles – watch the forum for these announcements.   We will also have a competition or two, just to keep everyone invlolved.   Hopefully we will have more than two entries for the next competition, although I’m sure the two who entered the poetry competition are delighted there were no more entries as they both won a prize.

We will also be hosting another open day, this time at Springbank Distillery on Thursday 20th May.    There will be a cask of Springbank on that day, as well as another cask, yet to be decided.    During the day there will be masterclasses by Stuart Robertson and Frank McHardy, ticket prices to be announced later, as well as free distillery tours.

Hopefully we will also have Food from Argyll and music to keep you entertained.   Details will be announced in newsletters and on the website nearer the time.

The new releases planned for next year are:

January Springbank 18 y/o and Springbank CV
March    Springbank 12 y/o and Springbank Claret
May       Kilkerran Work In Progress
Sept      Hazelburn 12 y/o

We will of course also have at least two Society bottles.

We also have Glencairn whisky glasses with the Society logo etched on them,  for sale to Society members at a cost of £5 per glass, or £25 for a box of six.   We did send out a free glass with the last Society bottle as it was approaching Christmas. 

All that remains is for us to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.    We look forward to a busy 2010,  so get in touch,  keep us on our toes.   Give us your ideas for the Society and we’ll try our best to accommodate you.

Merry Christmas from all at Springbank.

Slainte

Janet
 
For the Springbank Society

J & A Mitchell and Co Ltd, The Tasting Room, 9 Bolgam Street, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6HZ
Registered in Scotland, registration number 3582
Tel :   + 44(0) 1586 552009   Fax :  + 44(0) 1586 553232  website  http://www.springbankwhisky.com 

Please contact Janet to join the Springbank Society

Short and Sweet

Peated Whisky

We are just finishing off the distillation runs of our week of mashing using peated barley. The next stage is to fill this spirit into a mix of refill casks and fresh ex-bourbon barrels. We will monitor this spirit as it matures and are likely to carry out further production periods using peated barley at the end of next year, using our experience of this year to refine the process, if necessary.

New Apparel

For those cask owners who ordered a rugby shirt or polo shirt I can tell you that they have now arrived and we will be despatching them this week. For those of you that now own a cask but didn’t receive the option to buy one of these garments, we will be repeating the offer in the New Year.

Mhairi Leaves

Mhairi MacDonald left us at the end of November to take up a post with Diageo in their process support team. She is a young lady with a great deal of knowledge of the process and passion for malt whisky and will have a good future in the industry. We wish her all the best for the future.

2010

We have started planning for 2010 but are not yet in a position to share everything. However we are anticipating increasing our distributor network globally and are hoping to launch in several key markets including the USA and South Africa, early in 2010.

We are also hopeful that we will finally get our off-sales licence approved by Aberdeenshire Council and so should be in a position to sell direct from the distillery from the start of next year. At the same time we will be modifying the web site so that there is an on-line shop where you will be able to order all bottled products and other merchandise which we sell.

Our range of brand merchandising will be increased and in particular there will be a greater range of clothing available. These items will reflect the values of the brand and will be of high quality and made by reputable, well-known manufacturers.

Once again if anyone has any comments or questions then please add them below or email me direct.

Stuart

http://www.glenglassaugh.com/

Bonhams New York
580 Madison Avenue
NY, NY 10022

212-644-9001
212-644-9009 fax
www.bonhams.com/us

Press Release

For immediate release
November 23, 2009
New York City…

Dalmore 50 Year Old

The Willard S. Folsom Collection of Old and Rare Whiskies
To Be Offered At Bonhams New York This December

Aficionados of fine, rare Whiskies will be presented with an unparalleled collecting opportunity when the renowned Willard S. Folsom Collection goes to block on December 17th at Bonhams New York.

A sports fan, football handicapper, race car driver, master of finance, scuba diver, skydiver, and salsa dancer at various times in his life – Folsom began his love affair with Whisky in 1988 while reading a list of the best bars in the United States for Single Malt. Included in the list was a restaurant ten minutes from Willard’s home in Burlingame, California. After attending his first Single Malt Scotch tasting he immediately became a devotee of the Whisky arts.

For the next 18 years Willard amassed his private collection. Starting with establishing relationships within San Francisco’s Scotch community it was not long before he began travelling the world in search of rare bottles. Having toured the Highlands, the Lowlands, Speyside, Islay, and Orkney, he purchased whisky from all over Scotland and the rest of the UK- resulting in a collection of over 3,000 bottles.

Following the successful sale of a portion of the vast collection in Edinburgh and another sampling to be offered on November 27th in Hong Kong, part three of the sale will take place at the New York galleries of Bonhams and consists of nearly 900 lots of premier Single Malt Whisky. The meticulously selected collection ranges from Single Malts distilled in the 70s and 80s to a 1924 Royal Brackla 60 year old estimated at $2,400-3,300 (pictured, left).  The New York sale is being held in conjunction with Bedford Wine Merchants.

Undoubtedly one of the most sought after lots will be the Dalmore 50 year old (pictured, top). It is beautifully presented in a crystal decanter along with a hand crafted wooden presentation case. Carrying an estimate of $6,500-7,300 it is sure to draw serious collector attention.

Also of great interest is the Dalmore 30 year old. This 150th Anniversary issue is offered in an Edinburgh Crystal decanter with sterling silver labelling. Bottle 37 out of a limited run of 50 and never for sale on the open market, the  lot is estimated at $2,400-3,300.
 
The Balvenie 50 year old is also highly anticipated. Distilled in 1937 and bottled 50 years later, the bottle is designed to replicate the bottling style of the 1930s when it was originally distilled. This nostalgic lot is expected to fetch $4,900-5,700.

Another lot certain to attract bidders is a group of limited edition Springbank whiskies. Bottled for the millenium at five year intervals from 25 to 50 years maturation in the cask, the lot is comprised of Springbank 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 year old. The six bottle lot carries an estimate of $3,000-5,000.

Two 1940s Macallan’s will also highlight the sale. Accompanied by a miniature for sampling purposes, the 1948 Macallan Select Reseve 51 year old is estimated at $3,500-$4,500 (pictured, right). The 1946 Macallan Select Reserve 52 year old is numbered 536 and is expected to bring $2,000-2,300.

Also cause for excitement is an 18 year old Bowmore. Estimated at $3,300-4,100, this rarely seen bottle was distilled and bottled by Sherriff’s Bowmore Distillery in the 1950s. 

Other notable lots to be offered are a rare, limited edition 1963 Laphroaig 40 year old (est. $1,100-1,500); a limited edition Aultmore Centenary 16 year old only available to employees of the distillery (est. $900-1,200); and a 1963 Bowmore, bottled especially for a dinner at Chateau La Grange marking the 30th Anniversary of Morrison Bowmore’s ownership of the distillery (est. $900-1,200).

“We’re extremely excited to present this collection,” states Director of Whisky, Martin Green. “Not only is it the largest collection ever to come to auction; it is also distinguished by the fact that Folsom bought multiples whenever possible, which allowed him to take pleasure in actually drinking many of these bottles- highly unusual for a collector.”

 The sale will take place on December 17th at 4PM EST. The illustrated auction catalog for the sale will be online at www.bonhams.com/us in the weeks preceding the auction.  For more information about the department, please visit www.bonhams.com/newyork.
 .

-End-

Press Contact:   PRNY@bonhams.com, Staci Smith, 917-345-5157
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further seven throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston in the USA; and Switzerland, France, Monaco, Australia, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 50 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com. (January 2009)

Octave & Quarter Cask Range “The O&Q Range”

You possibly have noticed on visits to our premises here in Huntly that we have been experimenting for quite a few years on the use of Octave and Quarter casks. In fact we have been maturing whiskies this way since the mid 90’s but only more recently on a commercial scale. We currently have around a hundred Octave casks maturing with loads of new whiskies going into cask soon. Quarters will be available for sale soon.

We haven’t held back in any way with the type of  whiskies being used in our casks as we want to continue experimenting with many different whiskies, ages, woods and cask sizes. So far the outcome has been very positive, with excellent feedback on tastings and resultant sales to private UK clients.

Octaves are the ideal size for a broad spectrum of customers, they contain on average 70 bottles, are affordable and therefore not going to break the bank in these recessionary times. Private buyers, corporate customers, professional organisations, bars, private clubs, restaurants are all target markets for low volume single cask , cask strength bottlings.

This range is a separate concept from what we do with the Duncan Taylor Rare Auld range which is clearly single casks from first fill through to final bottling. The Octave and Quarter cask range contains whiskies of all ages, mainly from casks that have been matured for a number of years beforehand.

The “O and Q range” is available for bottling under any label and casks are only being sold on the basis that they are ultimately bottled at Duncan Taylor’s bottling plant.

We have produced an actual label “The Octave” or “The Quarter” for those people who want to identify the brand directly with Duncan Taylor, please see a copy of the label on the attached pdf. If a private or customer label is required then approval must be given by Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd beforehand.

Casks are only being sold on a CWO basis ( cash with order) and discounts are only given on multiple cask purchases. Duncan Taylor reserve the right of sale. Casks will be held after sale for a period of up to one year before bottling. All bottling costs and storage are included in the price. Label costs for own label will be the responsibility of the customer. Note that we do have a cask ratio system built into our sales so that we do not have too much emphasis on demand of our rarer whiskies.

If you require any further information please feel free to contact info@duncantaylor.com

We hope you are going to participate in our cask programme and good luck with sales.

Kind Regards

Karen Law

Marketing Manager

Duncan Taylor & Co Limited
Scotch Whisky Merchants & Bottlers
4 Upperkirkgate
Huntly
Aberdeenshire, AB54 8JU
Scotland
Tel.: +44 (0)1466 794055
Fax:  +44 (0)1466 794618
www.duncantaylor.com
IWSC 2008 , 2009 Trophy Winner
Independent Bottler of the Year 2008 – 2009

From Gerry Tosh at Highland Park Distillery
  
I’m not entirely sure but I suspect I sometimes suffer from indecision.

I know I always want a Highland Park but which one? Of course I have my favourites; I’m a big fan of the 1977 Bicentenary Vintage so was delighted when we found some additional bottles in Japan recently. The 21 year old is fantastic too.

The point is, if you ever have the same problem, I am delighted to offer a confusion solution; in the Tasting Collection we have packaged together five miniatures of the most popular expressions of Highland Park.

• 12 year old remains the heart of the Highland Park range.

• Highland Park 15 Year Old has a remarkably complex nose.

• Highland Park 18 Year Old has a prolonged, full, smoky aftertaste. The Best Spirit in the World*.

• Be brave and try Highland Park 25 Year Old neat to enjoy an immense vanilla sensation with the characteristic honey sweetness developing into complex aromas of cinnamon, nuts and dark fruit.

• The prolonged maturation of Highland Park 30 Year Old means it merits time and attention; you’ll discover the characteristic fudge sweetness together with complex aromatic spices and dark chocolate orange.
The Tasting Collection is great for sampling with friends and makes a perfect gift too. So, despite my indecision, I’m going to buy two. Or three.

The Tasting Collection comprises five 5cl miniatures and is priced at £42.50.

If you would like to purchase this you can either visit our secure online shop at www.highlandpark.co.uk or if you are in the UK you can call us on 0845 6501798 (local call rates apply) where we will take your order over the phone.

Gerry
Whisky Brand Ambassador of the Year, 2010

Dear All,

It has been a while coming, but here it is finally!

Firstly the news: a mammoth, and unforgettable, 11 night tour of Sweden at the end of October, followed by a weekend at The Aquavitae Fair in Essen and the Whisky Show in London, then a few days of tastings in Holland culminating in the Whisky Fair of Leiden. Finally, a week in Switzerland, and back home to be barked at by the dog…

The 1st December heralded some great news – the Malt Maniac Awards 2009 were published. Every year this entirely independent, international, group of whisky aficionados invite all whisky producers (not just Scotch) to send in a maximum of 5 different whiskies for blind tasting and judging. This year we were thrilled to be awarded 1 of the 7 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 1 bronze medal, and even more delighted that 2 of our entries also won awards. Full details will shortly be posted on our website, but in the meantime, please see below, or check out the MM Awards page http://www.maltmaniacs.org/2009-whisky-awards.html

Bunnahabhain 1974, 35yr old Islay, 56.6% vol cask 4780, Gold Medal and the Ultra Premium Thumbs Up Award (Best Newcomer)…only 4 bottles left £180.00 each

Laudale 12yr old Batch 1, 46.0% vol, Silver Medal and the Daily Drams Thumbs Up Awards (Best Newcomer)…all sold

Breath of Speyside 1991 18yr old, 54.2% vol cask 5145, Silver Medal…about 12 bottles left £66.00 each

Glen Grant 1985 23yr old Speyside, 55.9% vol cask 10197, Silver Medal…in stock £83.60 each

Cameronbridge 1978 30yr old Lowland (single grain), 56.6% vol cask 5, Bronze Medal…5 bottles left £95.00 each

All in all, our best ever outing!

Now, on to the Christmas offer. Since I haven’t been in touch for a couple of months, this year you have 2 choices, in addition to any of the medal winners still available above:

1. Breath of Speyside 1991 18yr old, 54.3% vol cask 5142 (this was bottled 3 months after the one above) £62.70
1 of only 612 bottles from cask no. 5142

Hot on the heels of its sister cask (no. 5145), this is the 4th sherry butt in the Breath of Speyside range from Adelphi.

A rich amber hue, we were immediately struck by how clean this whisky was. A lovely nose of well-aged balsamic vinegar with marmalade, plums and Maraschino cherries in the background. The whisky keeps opening, now revealing prunes, marinated in Armagnac; then hints of Calvados and plenty of brown sugar.

To taste, the sugar is now more burnt and caramelized, with a thread of dark chocolate and Christmas cake wrapper. A rich, viscous texture to finish with Old English marmalade, and no tannins. Christmas in a glass.

2. Balblair 1990 18yr old Highland, 53.0% vol cask 739 £62.70
1 of only 158 bottles from cask no. 739

Balblair is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, and has recently been brought into a prominent role by its current owners, Inverhouse. From our records this is only the 2nd time we have bottled the make.

A rich, deep golden colour thanks to an active ASB maturation, this is a complex dram. Walnut fudge drying to fruit cake with a lovely set, flowery honey nose. Apples, pears and dried apricots follow, finishing with a delicate hint of Palma violet and kiwi fruit.

This perfume continues to the taste, now becoming more spicy with cinnamon and walnuts. Keeping it unreduced, the palate soon sweetens to marshmallow fudge with tinned fruit salad and melted marshmallows on the finish. A truly special pre-dinner whisky.

Please let me know if you would like anything.

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year from us all at Adelphi.

Alex.

Alex Bruce

Sales & Marketing Director

Adelphi Distillery Ltd.

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

Mobile: +44 (0) 7795 424 838

Skype: alex.bruce

Email: alex@adelphidistillery.com

Web: www.adelphidistillery.com

Dear Society Member,

As many of you will know, we have been trying to find a way to work around the US customs and postal service restrictions to allow our members in the USA to enjoy the full benefits of their Society membership – essentially the opportunity to get your hands on our regular Society bottlings.

After a long period of wracking our brains – we have a very slow pace of life here in Campbeltown – and talking to potential partners we believe that we are on the way to a successful outcome.

Our US distributor Preiss Imports has agreed to help out by teaming up with selected retailers to import a batch of each Society bottling. At first, we will be working with retailers in California and Texas and if the partnership is successful we will roll the scheme out to other states. We appreciate that this plan might not be perfect for some of you but we hope you will agree that it is a lot better than the current situation. When we have full details of the retailers and timescales involved you will be the first to know.

We have also been working to expand our Society activities in the USA. In June of this year the first Society tasting in north America took place in Dallas, Texas, thanks to the input of members Mark Monfrey and Jeff Daniels and their friends. Ranald Watson from Springbank travelled to Dallas for the event and we had an excellent turnout of both existing and new members.

We were so impressed with the attendance in Dallas that we have agreed to provide a fantastic opportunity to anyone who attends the next “Texas Tasting” early in 2010 – the chance to choose the next limited edition Springbank Society bottling.

Mark and the gang in Dallas are hosting a tasting for Society members only at 7.30pm on 12th January 2010 at the Trinity Hall Irish Pub, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, 250, Dallas, Texas. To take advantage of this one-off opportunity to have your say on the next Society bottle, telephone Mark Monfrey (214) 887-3600 or email monfrey@artisanal-beverage.com to book your tickets.

In addition to helping to choose the next bottle, you will also have the chance to try the latest Society whisky at the tasting, as well as a number of other whiskies from the Springbank range. We are also led to believe that Mark might even have a special gift to give to all members who attend!

Hopefully all this good news will provide some festive cheer for everyone and help to get 2010 off to an excellent Springbank start! If you have any queries about any of the above news, or any suggestions about how we can help to make the Society work for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Wishing you a happy Christmas and best wishes for 2010,

Janet
For the Springbank Society

J & A Mitchell and Co Ltd, The Tasting Room, 9 Bolgam Street, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6HZ
Registered in Scotland, registration number 3582
Tel :   + 44(0) 1586 552009   Fax :  + 44(0) 1586 553232  website  http://www.springbankwhisky.com

SCOTLAND MIXES IT UP WITH  THE GLENROTHES ULTIMATE GENTLEMAN’S COCKTAIL CONTEST

Mix it, swirl it, zest it up – 17 of Scotland’s elite bartenders showcased their cocktail culinary skills last week as part of The Glenrothes Ultimate Cocktail Contest; the first national competition of its kind held at the award-winning Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh.

Using The Glenrothes Select Reserve as the base spirit the bartenders from well known drinking haunts including Bramble Bar, Tigerlily and Blythswood Hotel were tasked with creating a top class, top notch tipple.

Contestants were given only three minutes to create a cocktail which contains at least 30ml of The Glenrothes and a maximum of six other ingredients. They were marked on name, balance of flavour, simplicity of ingredients, taste, originality, creative presentation, delivery and performance.

Don’t Marry her and Fantastic Mr Fudge were just two of the more usual concoctions mixed by the contestants with the winning pour, The Last Gentleman Standing, coming from the established bartender, May Kongsrivilai at Bon Vivant on Thistle Street in Edinburgh. A mix of The Glenrothes Select Reserve, Green Chartreuse, 2001 Noval Tawny Port and Kirsch Vassser guaranteed the top prize that includes an all expenses paid VIP trip to The Glenrothes Distillery in Speyside, Mixxit Ultimate Bartenders Kit and a bottle of The Glenrothes Vintage 1985.

With flat caps, finest tweed and all things refined, cocktails from second and third place came from Treacle’s Adam Neal and Blythswood Hotel’s Dean Evans, both of whom won trips to The Glenrothes Distillery in Speyside and a bottle of The Glenrothes Select Reserve each.

Hosted by The Glenrothes’ own mixologist Andy Gemmell, the competition brought together a diverse judging panel including Simon Difford, editor of drinks industry publication CLASS; Tom Bruce Gardyne, independent whisky writer; Gaby Soutar from The Scotsman Magazine; and Ronnie Cox, Global Brand Ambassador for The Glenrothes.

Said winner May Kongsrivilai: “I love classic cocktails and mixing up new variations on old themes.  I was able to use my interest of the classic serves and my love of whisky to good effect creating something quite unique that I hope customers to Bon Vivant will make a special request for.  I look forward to mixing it up again with The Glenrothes.”

The Glenrothes, introduced in 2005, is a popular tipple amongst whisky connoisseurs. The Select Reserve is a versatile yet unique malt laced with notes of ripe fruits, juicy citrus, creamy vanilla and hints of spice – making it the perfect liquid to partner with cocktails.

1st Place: May Kongsrivilai’s The Last Gentleman Standing

40ml The Glenrothes Select Reserve

12.5ml Green Chartreuse

20ml 2001 Noval Tawny Port

1 barspoon (5mls) Kirsch Vassser (which was steeped with Morello cherries)

Stired and garnished with orange zest (discarded) and three Morrello cherries.

2nd Place: Adam Neal’s The Perfect Gentleman

60ml The Glenrothes Select Reserve

10ml dandelion and burdock reduction

10ml Mixed berry syrup

Dash Aztec chocolate bitters

Blazed into an antique Goblet without garnish.

3rd Place: Dean Evans’ Chevelier Sangaree

40ml The Glenrothes Select Reserve

5ml Creme de Poire

5ml Maraschino

5ml Simple Syrup (1 part water and 1 part sugar)

25ml Cinzano Bianco

Shaken and strained over cracked ice into a small toddy glass or goblet garnished with mint sprigs, small chunks of orange and nutmeg.

-Ends-

For further information please visit www.theglenrothes.com 

For press enquiries or photography, please contact:

Linda Edstrand / Sarah McDonald, The BIG Partnership

Tel: 0131 555 5522

Email: linda.edstrand@bigpartnership.co.uk; sarah.mcdonald@bigpartnership.co.uk

Notes to editors:

About The Glenrothes

·         The Glenrothes was founded in 1879

·         The Glenrothes is available from Sainsbury’s, Oddbins, Thresher and whisky specialists nationwide and on The Glenrothes website www.theglenrothes.com.

·         Little more than 2% of the distillery capacity is bottled as Single Malt to ensure exceptional quality

·         Of the 16 Vintages released to date, 12 have entirely sold out

·         It is matured in a combination of Spanish and American oak casks – the best of both worlds

·         The Glenrothes Select Reserve was voted Best in Class at the World Whiskies Awards 2008 and won two Double Golds at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2007

·         The Glenrothes 1978 Vintage was voted Best Speyside Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2008

·         The Glenrothes 1975 won a Double Gold award at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2008

·         “I have always felt that Glenrothes deserved to be more widely appreciated. Beautifully rounded, sophisticated after-dinner malt.” Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion

·         Jim Murray, in his Whisky Bible 2007, refers to The Glenrothes Select Reserve as; “One of the softest deliveries on Speyside, the silky barley and citrus caress the tastebuds with rare tenderness” and scores it 24 out of 25

Linda Edstrand
Account Manager

The BIG Partnership

Suite 4/3, Great Michael House, 14 Links Place, Edinburgh, EH6 7EZ

Tel: 0131 555 5522
Mob: 07717 875 227
Fax: 0131 554 3742
www.bigpartnership.co.uk

 
STAFF at GlenDronach are today (8 December) toasting two new awards achieved by its stellar 15 year old “Revival” single malt.
 
Last week, at the Dutch Whisky Awards 2009, it was voted Best Single Malt Whisky of the year in the Netherlands.
 
It also won a top accolade in the prestigious “Malt Maniacs” 2009 Awards.
 
GlenDronach’s Dutch agent Caecil Gerrits of importers Versailles Dranken Nijmegen explained: “On the awards’ website, visitors of the festival were ask to vote for “The Best Single Malt Whisky” out of a selection of three hundred different whiskies divided into three categories. We received over four thousand votes.
 
“Some 62% of the votes in the non-peated category went to the GlenDronach 15 yrs old.
 
“After that, in a blind tasting, the six-person tasting panel chose the four best whiskies in the three categories. Even in this blind taste the GlenDronach 15 yrs was the best.”
 
The second success for “Revival” was in winning the Malt Maniacs’ “Non Plus Ultra Award 2009” in the Daily Drams category.
 
The Malt Maniacs, founded 1997 by Johannes van den Heuvel and Serge Valentin, are the most well known of all web-based whisky communities. Their twenty-four members are scattered all around the globe – in Europe, America, Asia, Australia and Africa – and amongst them are whisky writers Martine Nouet, Dave Broom and Charles MacLean.
 
The Malt Maniacs’ Awards, sometimes called ‘The Formula One Grand Prix of Whisky’, have taken place every year since 2003. More than two hundred whiskies are usually preselected and submitted by more than sixty different distillers, bottlers or brands and tasted blind by independent international jurors.
 
Johannes said: “It was not a huge surprise that the Glendronach 15yo did so well – Serge and I both adored it when we got the chance to sample it earlier and many of the jurors share our love for heavily-sherried whiskies. So many congratulations.”
 
Earlier, on hisWhiskyfun website, Serge Valentin gave “Revival” 92 points and commented: “The fact that some distilleries still have such old-style sherried whiskies may well be the best of recent news from the whisky world. An adorable whisky.”
 
The GlenDronach “Revival” is a remarkable full-bodied malt which is matured for a minimum of 15 years in the finest Oloroso sherry casks. Bottled at 46%, the GlenDronach Revival is non chill filtered and of natural colour. Master Blender Billy Walker’s Tasting Notes are:
 
Appearance
Deep gold with a lovely mahogany heart.
 
Nose
Incredible concentration of aromas. Treacle toffee and chocolate orange.
 
Palate
A very dynamic and full bodied dram for its age. Chewy with coffee chocolate and treacle scones.
 
Conclusions
A veritable feast to enliven the senses.
 
For more information, go to www.glendronachdistillery.co.uk
 
Image of the bottle attached.
 
ends                                                           8 December 2009
 
INFORMATION – Kerry White, 01324 682220 or email kwhite@benriachdistillery.co.uk